He is average. He’s playing for one of the best organizers in the game and doing a job for him.

I’m actually desperately worried about Spurs. I’ve seen Mourinho organize really good defenses and counters before at chelsea, Real and Inter. This team is a lock for the top 4. And if Son and Kane continue the sharp shooting, they could chase Pool and City all season.

Claudius wrote:

I’m actually desperately worried about Spurs.

Genuine question and no offence Claude but don't you feel wrong typing stuff like that?

So there is a difference between me saying I like Spurs and me saying I worry about Spurs. I don’t live in denial. They’re joint top of the league, are playing really good (if unattractive) football, and have a competent manager. If they are in a top 4 race in March or April, I’m not suddenly going to be surprised and shocked. It would have been expected.

I do not like to see it. One of the elements of the natural order is Arsenal dominating Spurs. Kroenke has upset the natural state of things. This motherfucker gots to go.

I'm not worried about Spurs yet. I'll be annoyed if they get top 4 but I don't think thats a lock at all. Spurs are playing at their top level. Liverpool are not, City are not, Chelsea I'm not sure, United are not. If the Manc clubs win their games in hand there is only 3 points separating them all. And that doesn't even factor in Leicester who are up there too.

The annoying thing is how far a drift we are from all of that. Our hopes of Euopean football are extremely slim.

They just played City, Arsenal and Chelsea and picked up 7 points. City also had to resort to aimless crossing. Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Only person who handled them was Lampard who chose not to go on rampaging attacks and played out a dull stalemate. That seems legit to me. They’re like a budget version of Mourinho’s Chelseas. This nightmare season would be more bearable if Spurs were just a decent 6th or 7th placed team

Højbjerg looked like a talented player at Bayern, but he never really developed into anything more than a decent, hard-working midfielder.

Claudius wrote:

He is average. He’s playing for one of the best organizers in the game and doing a job for him.  

I’m actually desperately worried about Spurs. I’ve seen Mourinho organize really good defenses and counters before at chelsea, Real and Inter. This team is a lock for the top 4. And if Son and Kane continue the sharp shooting, they could chase Pool and City all season.

They won't. Son is great, but Kane is a donkey. No way he can keep this up.

Claudius wrote:

He is average. He’s playing for one of the best organizers in the game and doing a job for him.  

I’m actually desperately worried about Spurs. I’ve seen Mourinho organize really good defenses and counters before at chelsea, Real and Inter. This team is a lock for the top 4. And if Son and Kane continue the sharp shooting, they could chase Pool and City all season.

If Son and Kane keep this up they'll have 107 goals/assists between them. They obviously won't keep that up.

As someone who places a lot of value on underlying stats I'm surprised you're worried about them. They're the most overperforming team in the league right now in every metric (xG, xGA and xPts) by a mile and it shows during games.

People are just playing into the old Mourinho hype. When Ole went on a 14 game run (twice) and beat all the big sides people still took the piss.

They'll end up in a fight for top four with United and that's about it. They're in the form of their life and they're still just level with Liverpool, 1 ahead of Chelsea and 3 ahead of Leicester. United and City are not far behind either with a game in hand.

Like I said, I don’t think they’ll win the league. I’m aware that son/Kane are over performing like Aubameyang in the league but the same main team has been able to score bucketloads in Europa, so it’s clear that he has options around how to play. He just chooses to go for his favored counter style. One thing to note. In both the City and Arsenal games, Spurs did not attack as much as they could’ve. Against us, the game was won at half time and they just sat back. They could’ve attacked but made the choice to pack the center and make us die on the edges or cross. So don’t just look at their xGs. Look at how their games are evolving. They are managing their ways to results. It’s not desperate last minute smash and grabs

We've outscored them in the EL, I'm not sure that means much

They game was won at half time doesn't take away from the fact that they scored two goals from chances that normally wouldn't result in goals, it's what allowed them to take that approach. City had the better chances too, as did Chelsea.

Game management has nothing to do with it beyond that fact that he knows he can rely on Kane and Son to score goals they shouldn't be scoring (and that doesn't even factor in some top class assists). It's a legitimate tactic, but it's not sustainable. It basically hinges on their form.

I have brought both into my FPL team now and will captain them religiously. 100% it's all downhil from here for them.

Claudius wrote:

Against us, the game was won at half time and they just sat back. They could’ve attacked but made the choice to pack the center and make us die on the edges or cross. So don’t just look at their xGs. Look at how their games are evolving. They are managing their ways to results. It’s not desperate last minute smash and grabs

Thats a stylistic choice and it doesn't always work, look at Newcastle or West Ham when they played them, so they count towards the stats as much as when they were getting a last minute winner against West Brom.

Kel Varnsen wrote:

Claudius wrote:

He is average. He’s playing for one of the best organizers in the game and doing a job for him.  

I’m actually desperately worried about Spurs. I’ve seen Mourinho organize really good defenses and counters before at chelsea, Real and Inter. This team is a lock for the top 4. And if Son and Kane continue the sharp shooting, they could chase Pool and City all season.

They won't. Son is great, but Kane is a donkey. No way he can keep this up.

Kane might be a donkey but you can't argue with his stats and maybe quality. Guy is a very complete footballer, his passing ability and vision is underrated and he's the 2nd quickest to reach 100 goals or something behind Messi etc, can't remember the stat exactly saw it on twitter.

Son is the key to everything though. He gets injured they are dead. If I can pick a player from Spurs to sign it will definitely be him.

Kel Varnsen wrote:

Claudius wrote:

He is average. He’s playing for one of the best organizers in the game and doing a job for him.  

I’m actually desperately worried about Spurs. I’ve seen Mourinho organize really good defenses and counters before at chelsea, Real and Inter. This team is a lock for the top 4. And if Son and Kane continue the sharp shooting, they could chase Pool and City all season.

They won't. Son is great, but Kane is a donkey. No way he can keep this up.

No, he is not a donkey, that is just our Arsenal bias talking.

Probably the best English striker since Shearer and a surprisingly well rounded footballer (contrary to any of our strikers since Van Persie).

I would not be surprised to see him break shearer's record or at least get very close.

both of them are class.

Goon and others imply not to worry because Spurs are overachieving and they won't keep it up. But Leicester did, albeit without much in the way of competition.

I'm still quite worried The Terrible Thing could happen, but hopefully Liverpool and City pull away from them soon.

God it feels awful typing shit like that. Those mutants on Spurs boards will be reading this like we used to read their comments.

The xG boffins are predicting spurs to fade. They'll still probably make top 4 though, which is annoying. I was hoping for jose to oversee an economic death spiral

Kel Varnsen wrote:

Højbjerg looked like a talented player at Bayern, but he never really developed into anything more than a decent, hard-working midfielder.

Didn't he top the PL for defensive actions leading to ball recoveries before he joined TH?