Match Thread - Spurs v NUFC

[ALF]

We lost never won away at a Big 6 side under Benitez so that's a great result.

[Lidl]

Got away with one from VAR but Sanchez should definitely have been off for hauling down Muto when he was away so think it was fair in the end. Good day all in all Jersey Bulls winning 4-0 and now us actually getting some points!

Really don’t understand this logic that trying to get a foul by running into a player is a foul. Kane was running left as the ball was going right. He knew exactly what he was doing and wasn’t trying to get to the ball. His legs disappeared before he’d even been touched. Good call in my opinion and I wouldn’t expect the decision to go our way if swapped

Yeah I agree but it's the kind of thing which would normally have been given against us so was 100% certain it would be this time.

[ScottishGeordie43]

I think this has been my first ever match thread, and I didn't even mean it to be what a result, enjoy the bank holiday everyone!

[Hjl]

I think this has been my first ever match thread, and I didn't even mean it to be what a result, enjoy the bank holiday everyone!

Do it next week, let's see if you have magic powers

[Valentino's fast feet]

I think this has been my first ever match thread, and I didn't even mean it to be what a result, enjoy the bank holiday everyone!

Do it next week, let's see if you have magic powers

But if you don't prepare to get lynched

[Hjl]

Do it next week, let's see if you have magic powers

But if you don't prepare to get lynched

Don't scare him off!

But yes, if we lose you'd better have a very good excuse...

[Chappy]

Leaving work to find we've beaten Spurs 1-0 away

[Toondes]

But if you don't prepare to get lynched

Don't scare him off!

But yes, if we lose you'd better have a very good excuse...

[ScottishGeordie43]

Bring it on lads

[Hjl]

I like winning. I think we should do it more.

[Sir Bobby]

Really don’t understand this logic that trying to get a foul by running into a player is a foul. Kane was running left as the ball was going right. He knew exactly what he was doing and wasn’t trying to get to the ball. His legs disappeared before he’d even been touched. Good call in my opinion and I wouldn’t expect the decision to go our way if swapped

Yeah I agree but it's the kind of thing which would normally have been given against us so was 100% certain it would be this time.

I get you

[bodacious benny]

So 3 points from Arsenal, Norwich and Spurs is probably what most of us would have expected/ taken. Typical NUFC to win the hardest game (on paper) of the three! Maybe a few home truths sunk in last week. We did look much better balanced without Shelvey. Ritchie worked his ass off again, thought the defence all did well, Almiron never stopped (and didn’t seem to be ‘over-trying’), Joelinton took his goal well.

Pleased to see Longstaff have a decent game and also unlucky not to score. He had a tricky start to the season but hopefully much fitter and sharper now and the partnership with Hayden could be decent. Given Watford’s start to the season we have to follow this up with another three points next weekend.

[Bruuuuuuuuce ()]

We've established how we're going to play against the top teams... but how are we going to play against the weaker ones? We still got absolutely battered against Norwich. If we set up the same way we did against Spurs against the weaker teams... we gonna grind out another 12 of those 1-0 wins?

THAT'S where we'll come up short under Bruce. Let's see how we play against Watford and see if he's got the f***ing brains to win a few more games before people liek Jonathan f***ing Walters (the biggest 'how is he a premier league striker') tells us Bruce is good. Probably sees himself in Bruce in that neither should ahve graced the Premier League.

[daib0]

just a belated "congrats" and "wow" from me!

[Don Sholeone]

As a big Rafa fan I got to say I think we don't win that with him in charge, yes we were defensive but I wouldn't say it was in a negative manner, once we broke them down we were always looking to get forward, even towards the end of the game, I think it was one of our free kicks towards the end, we tried to hold up in the corner but we still had a bunch of players forward, soon as we lost the ball you could see them all flooding back into position, I think this helped us massively as it still gave spurs something to think about which in turn helped us defensively, I think that's something we lacked against the big teams under Rafa, in that situation we would have just dug in and spent the whole second half getting bombarded until we inevitably cracked, yesterday it just seemed like out fullbacks and attacking players played with more freedom, it was nice to see Atsu being one of them rather than the defensive attacking mid of last year.

[omegaprimevkm]

As a big Rafa fan I got to say I think we don't win that with him in charge, yes we were defensive but I wouldn't say it was in a negative manner, once we broke them down we were always looking to get forward, even towards the end of the game, I think it was one of our free kicks towards the end, we tried to hold up in the corner but we still had a bunch of players forward, soon as we lost the ball you could see them all flooding back into position, I think this helped us massively as it still gave spurs something to think about which in turn helped us defensively, I think that's something we lacked against the big teams under Rafa, in that situation we would have just dug in and spent the whole second half getting bombarded until we inevitably cracked, yesterday it just seemed like out fullbacks and attacking players played with more freedom, it was nice to see Atsu being one of them rather than the defensive attacking mid of last year.

Completely agree.

It was a weird game to watch live, I could barely take my eyes off the screen. In actuality, a dull game for my neutral friends to watch but enjoyed watching it with my friend who is a spurs fan and was constantly moaning about the lack of width / ambition / invention opportunities. I'm also always happy to stick one up Mike Ashley, the Spurs fan.

Spurs were very poor - few shots that actually required saving - Eriksen & Vertongen not starting was a huge bonus because Lame-la and Davinson the Donkey are poor alternatives. One of my friends helpfully shouting 'Rabona' for every free kick was priceless. Sanchez's positioning was horrific - he seemed to have been ordered to come out a lot from the flat back four and that hole allowed Joelinton to drift into that space he left safely and get goalside unchallenged.

I do think Lascelles brought Kane down and can be called a penalty, although it's not a straightforward decision. If it happened to NUFC I'd be clamouring for it myself. Sanchez definitely should have also seen red for that last man challenge on Muto - no clue how he escaped that.

All in all, I agree with the above comments - when Bruce decided he needed to set the team up to play like Benitez did with this squad, had the opportunity to address a lot of the issues from the previous two games. I'm not going to get carried away though - we need to see the team play consistently like this. I am still angry about rushing ASM back and making him a consistent hammy sufferer - there was no rush for him yesterday, and now we could potentially lose him more frequently. Lascelles also looks like he may miss next week's two games now, so Clark or Fernandez should get ready to deputise.

My friends were saying survival is definitely the priority so I see a lot of changes coming for Wednesday night.

[Sir Bobby]

We've established how we're going to play against the top teams... but how are we going to play against the weaker ones? We still got absolutely battered against Norwich. If we set up the same way we did against Spurs against the weaker teams... we gonna grind out another 12 of those 1-0 wins?

THAT'S where we'll come up short under Bruce. Let's see how we play against Watford and see if he's got the f***ing brains to win a few more games before people liek Jonathan f***ing Walters (the biggest 'how is he a premier league striker') tells us Bruce is good. Probably sees himself in Bruce in that neither should ahve graced the Premier League.

Massages are cheap on Groupon and I think one might help you relax, allowing you to enjoy a good win.

[Remember Colo]

So 3 points from Arsenal, Norwich and Spurs is probably what most of us would have expected/ taken. Typical NUFC to win the hardest game (on paper) of the three! Maybe a few home truths sunk in last week. We did look much better balanced without Shelvey. Ritchie worked his ass off again, thought the defence all did well, Almiron never stopped (and didn’t seem to be ‘over-trying’), Joelinton took his goal well.

Pleased to see Longstaff have a decent game and also unlucky not to score. He had a tricky start to the season but hopefully much fitter and sharper now and the partnership with Hayden could be decent. Given Watford’s start to the season we have to follow this up with another three points next weekend.

Yeah, agreed on Longstaff. I was yelling at him through the tv for the first 20 minutes for being slow/careless on the ball, and missing a bunch of easy passes, but after he made that run and unleashed the shot tipped over the bar, he seemed to play a lot more confidently and get more involved.

And similarly for Almiron, right from the off he seemed to be playing less nervously and staying more calm. I think we'll see some spectacular plays come off for him soon.

[Remember Colo]

We've established how we're going to play against the top teams... but how are we going to play against the weaker ones? We still got absolutely battered against Norwich. If we set up the same way we did against Spurs against the weaker teams... we gonna grind out another 12 of those 1-0 wins?

THAT'S where we'll come up short under Bruce. Let's see how we play against Watford and see if he's got the f***ing brains to win a few more games before people liek Jonathan f***ing Walters (the biggest 'how is he a premier league striker') tells us Bruce is good. Probably sees himself in Bruce in that neither should ahve graced the Premier League.

Well give the guy a bit of time will you? We've seen him in one match against a lower tier side (that has the luxury of playing the same system and players they won with last year, and whose striker has now scored against Liverpool and Chelsea too). Rafa rarely if ever broke down lower half sides in his third year with us. Am I saying that Bruce is good now? No. But I'd rather hope he comes good than assume he's the worst manager to oversee a PL club since...okay, Carver wasn't that long ago.

[Colly]

We've established how we're going to play against the top teams... but how are we going to play against the weaker ones? We still got absolutely battered against Norwich. If we set up the same way we did against Spurs against the weaker teams... we gonna grind out another 12 of those 1-0 wins?

THAT'S where we'll come up short under Bruce. Let's see how we play against Watford and see if he's got the f***ing brains to win a few more games before people liek Jonathan f***ing Walters (the biggest 'how is he a premier league striker') tells us Bruce is good. Probably sees himself in Bruce in that neither should ahve graced the Premier League.

That's exactly where we "came up short" under Rafa, so if Bruce does the same it's hardly a disaster.

For me this formation isn't actually as super defensive as some people suggest, against weaker sides it just gives Ritchie and Farth more license to get forward, changing it from a 5-2-3 to a 3-4-3 but without having to be too rigid about it. Bring Lejeune back in and pretty much everyone on the pitch is comfortable with the ball at their feet and we can play a bit more possession football.

Hopeful for Watford now, and with the win behind us it allows him to play a changed side for the cup without pressure. Phew.