This Weeks Other Games

[Beefymcfc]

How's the Palace v Spurs game going? Just switched on TS and Collymore saying that Spurs are looking average but need time to click. Lennon sounds his usual self with no end product. Chadli (?) sounded busy though and Palace seemed to be passing it nicely until they hit around the penalty box, then nothing.

Sound about right?

[City64]

How's the Palace v Spurs game going? Just switched on TS and Collymore saying that Spurs are looking average but need time to click. Lennon sounds his usual self with no end product. Chadli (?) sounded busy though and Palace seemed to be passing it nicely until they hit around the penalty box, then nothing.

Sound about right?

Palace are all huff and puff and give the ball away too easily in the midfield time and time again and toothless upfront. Spurs are missing Bale like fuck !

[Ted Hughes]

How's the Palace v Spurs game going? Just switched on TS and Collymore saying that Spurs are looking average but need time to click. Lennon sounds his usual self with no end product. Chadli (?) sounded busy though and Palace seemed to be passing it nicely until they hit around the penalty box, then nothing.

Sound about right?

Spurs look like Spurs without Bale.

Palace lacking quality but much more energy than Swansea for instance, however if Lennon wasn't a blind, shit, wanker, Spurs would have opened them up. Like Villa yesterday, IF Palace could maintain the same energy levels, they could do ok over the season. But it's a big 'if' even for 90 mins.

Spurs look like they will be opened up by decent sides, as per usual.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

I would say so yes. Palace are a very limited side and a draw would be a great result for them. Spurs dominating the game but not really that threatening apart from the odd flash.Chadli certainly isn't Bale and it's Bale's special quality Spurs are missing.

[I Just Blue Myself]

Applying all this tactical alchemy to the rags performance yesterday is well over the top imo.

The goals they scored plus the 4 or 5 easy chances they missed v Swansea mostly came from straightforward obvious football, not sucker punches or subterfuge. Three good finishes in there for sure, but If you let a straight hopeful ball into the box & a medium paced hopeful cross totally bamboozle your defence, you are fucked. The cross for Utd's 2nd wasn't the kind of fizzing difficult to stop ball we have sometimes seen from Giggs or Valencia, it was the same kind of crap Zabaleta serves up which teams routinely head away.

It's not tactical alchemy at all. Of course, Swansea's appalling defending played a huge part, but it is how the goals were scored.

Swansea lose the ball cheaply, the scum get the ball in/around the box quickly (hopeful or not), Swansea defenders embarrass themselves. Lather, rinse, repeat.

[brite blu sky]

It is too easy to say spurs are just missing bale, yes i know he causes problems, but spurs like any team shouldn't be relying on one player. They have potential in other areas now, imo their midfield can grow into playing a much better all round game which ultimately means that teams like the rags who know how to stop the supply to bale and so stop spurs dead, will have a more varied challenge on their hands. If they get it right spurs will be better without bale.

[Ted Hughes]

Applying all this tactical alchemy to the rags performance yesterday is well over the top imo.

The goals they scored plus the 4 or 5 easy chances they missed v Swansea mostly came from straightforward obvious football, not sucker punches or subterfuge. Three good finishes in there for sure, but If you let a straight hopeful ball into the box & a medium paced hopeful cross totally bamboozle your defence, you are fucked. The cross for Utd's 2nd wasn't the kind of fizzing difficult to stop ball we have sometimes seen from Giggs or Valencia, it was the same kind of crap Zabaleta serves up which teams routinely head away.

It's not tactical alchemy at all. Of course, Swansea's appalling defending played a huge part, but it is how the goals were scored.

Swansea lose the ball cheaply, the scum get the ball in/around the box quickly (hopeful or not), Swansea defenders embarrass themselves. Lather, rinse, repeat.

And it's the same kind of football being played by most other teams this weekend, nothing special at all. The only special bits belonged to Van Persie, but that shouldn't have been allowed to happen either.

I have often highlighted things over the last few seasons, which the rags do, & we could learn from. Yesterday's performance didn't fall into that category. They weren't particularly sharp on the break, their crossing wasn't brilliant, they didn't move the ball quickly or run at pace, their defence was poor; they were mediocre. It was enough to beat a pathetic Swansea team, who turned in easily the worst performance of any team this weekend & would be nailed on for relegation if they repeated it.

Aston Villa were miles, miles, miles better than them against a vastly superior opponent.

Does that mean Villa automatically finish top 2 because they scored 3 & could have scored several more at Arsenal ?

Lets see whether the rags can trot out winning performances under pressure against decent sides.

[Saul Goodman]

I'm very impressed with Palace. Tottenham has only had 1 real chance and Gylfi blew it

For the last 20-25 Palace controlled the game. Just lacked some quality in the final third

[Douglas Higginbottom]

I'm very impressed with Palace. Tottenham has only had 1 real chance and Gylfi blew it

Impressed by their effort but if that's all they have to offer they are doooooomed.

[City64]

After just watching the whole 90 minutes of Palace v Spurs i have come to the conclusion that Palace will possibly score the least amount of goals EVER in the Premier League , conceded shitloads and accumulate the LEAST amount of points ever .

[Risby]

After just watching the whole 90 minutes of Palace v Spurs i have come to the conclusion that Palace will possibly score the least amount of goals EVER in the Premier League , conceded shitloads and accumulate the LEAST amount of points ever .

Yeah I'm already worried for them. I don't even think spurs played well, but were comfortable more or less all throughout the game.

[Slim]

Short Bus Special vs The Elephant Man.

Whoever I go for in this game will make me feel dirty.

[Saul Goodman]

Over or under on Chelsea with 3.5 goals?

[Slim]

Over or under on Chelsea with 3.5 goals?

Never put money down on the first week.

[Saul Goodman]

It was just out of curiosity. Week 1 is too crazy for me

[Slim]

I'd have gone with under if it weren't for Mourinho's return, probably 1-0 at the half, 4 or 5-0 at full time.

[Ted Hughes]

Looks like Steve Bruce is working his magic again.

[MilnersJaw]

Just watching Chelsea now and I'm still convinced Jose wanted the swamp job and thought he was going to get it. Had to settle for chelsea.

[Saul Goodman]

Just watching Chelsea now and I'm still convinced Jose wanted the swamp job and thought he was going to get it. Had to settle for chelsea.

He's got the better squad. Their midfield looks scintillating

[Cocacolajojo1]

Credit to them for being so open against the Rags which tells a story ....... have teams now decided to take them on now taggert has fucked off ?

It was the same last season, nowt to do with the old cunt. Their midfield gets overrun/dominated easily, which lures their opponents in. They have probably the best (read: most effective) transition in the league tho & will punish even the better defences (read: us last season).

I wish some of the shitter teams would resort back to bus parking v them as most of their wingers & forwards (Valencia, Welbeck & the like) are rather useless in tight space.

Makes you wonder if it isn't a tactic doesn't it? Instill confidence, I.E. slight arrogance, in the other team and then hit them on the counter. It just seems to simple to work though.

Applying all this tactical alchemy to the rags performance yesterday is well over the top imo.

The goals they scored plus the 4 or 5 easy chances they missed v Swansea mostly came from straightforward obvious football, not sucker punches or subterfuge. Three good finishes in there for sure, but If you let a straight hopeful ball into the box & a medium paced hopeful cross totally bamboozle your defence, you are fucked. The cross for Utd's 2nd wasn't the kind of fizzing difficult to stop ball we have sometimes seen from Giggs or Valencia, it was the same kind of crap Zabaleta serves up which teams routinely head away.

Yeah you're probably right to a large degree but it's just so depressing if it's just the other team's maladroit performance.

BUt.... if you're not Barcelona and you don't want to become like Arsenal back in the days when they were stood outside the penalty area for 90 minutes, you have to stretch the other team. To fall back a bit and let them have a go does just that. It's a bit dangerous I guess but I feel Mancini could have done that a couple of times last season.

second edit: At the same time, to counter my own argument, it's very typical of ManU to pressure the opposition into pieces in the last quarter or so if they're in need of a goal or two. It usually does the trick for them. Which sort of means that my point about stretching the other team isn't necessary...