All teams who play us know they need to hit us on the break. When the opposing teams have pace and they are clinical finishers like Son then we get something like we saw today. Che Adams had a few excellent chances and did not convert which also probably cost us. We need pace in the defensive midfield. You may laugh at this but I would try to see if Shane Long could do a job there, because he has the pace , can head the ball and his distribution has been ok in the past and clearly is second choice to Adams for the striker role.

8

Entirely down to Hasenhuttl. Lousy tactics and Mourinho found him out easily.

2

Hassenaclue is actually trying to say that pressing high had nothing to do with our embarrassing capitulation. We will be in relegation zone until he puts his pride away.

2

I will claim that, in the build up to Sons 2-1 goal, Harry Kane, with his dysportionally long and forward-bend upper body, is actually a fraction (a couple of centimeters) OFF side with his left arm pit, and that VAR could easily have caught this.

Create your own 'still picture' of the situation on your computer and take a look.

When Lo Celso connects to the ball, making the pass to Kane, Bertrand playes Kanes left arm pit (and probably the left part of his arse) OFF side.

Very unfortunate.

Great first half which we should have won 2- or 3-0. I think McCarthy could have run out and tried to block Sons finish when he equalized..
Terrible second half.

5

we had already been caght twice but luckily it was given offside. Once they sprung they high line suceesfully at the end of the first, it really should have prompted a rethink, then it happened again, and again, and again, and again. Brainless.

We actually played really well in the first half, Che and Djnepo were bossing it, Bertrand was over lapping beautifully and Ings was pure class. Why we could not set the defensive line 10m closer to the keeper and still play that way is beyond me. IMHO the press needs to be sporadic to be effective, press all the time and teams work out how to play through you. GRRRRRRRR

3

@Bettws ,

Yeah. We held Man. City (obviously a much better team than Spurs) for the remaining 75 minutes after Adams' 1-0 goal - with our backline lying much deeper.

In hindsight, only sporadic high pressing is probably a much better idea than trying to practice it almost throughout the whole game.
When we are in front, why not sit back for at least a while? At least until we get players in, designed for the system and with the needed speed in central defence.

2

Actually Nick there's only one man to blame and that 's the manager - anybody would be exposed with those childish, schoolboy tactics. He should also have stopped Saha with two assigned markers last week as we did the previous season before. I don't understand the man - he doesn't seem to learn simple, or harsh, lessons. As 'I said last season' (using your phraseology) the man has just got lucky before because he hasn't had any choices. Laying all the blame on defence is ridiculous - especially when after the lockdown their praises were lauded including by your good self.

2