Official Matchday 33 - Tottenham Hotspur vs Nottingham Forest - Monday April 21 - 20:00

[Shearstone]

My first ever but hopefully not my last, match thread!

We find ourselves on a small blip near the end of the season and now have to travel to what was once White Hart Lane but is now the worlds most expensive cheese shop.

Did you know:
Tottenham literally translates too village of the balancing chickens but a proper translation is village of the cowards. This is why Tottenham wear white the traditional colour of cowardice.

However there's nothing cowardly about how Ange sets his team up to play football. Their gung ho all out attack style resembles more the brave men who foolishly tried to take out machine guns by walking slowly towards them.

Forest will hopefully be back to full strength and Wood will have his shooting boots on. The ones that have worked at peak German efficiency throughout the season. 9 days since our defeat to Everton should mean our players are rested and are raring to go for one final push to the Champions League.

 

[Trents]

Looking at the positives. It's Ange(if not been sacked). His style couldn't suit ours more. They'll have played 2 more matches since our last game including hopefully a battle in Frankfurt.

We need to get back to basics. Elanga in for Jota please. More discipline in defensive midfield to restrict space.

 

[Major Oak Morgan]

I hope they go through in Frankfurt on penalties after a long, gruelling match. Really need Ange to stay in place.

 

[MaxiRobriguez]

Sels
Williams Milenkovic Murillo Moreno
Yates
Elanga MGW Anderson CHO
Wood
​

2-0 Forest.

 

[derbyshirered]

Just see another narrow loss 1-0

 

[Rzar]

I hope they go through in Frankfurt on penalties after a long, gruelling match. Really need Ange to stay in place.

Definitely, we could do with them winning against Frankfurt

They just won't care about the league if they go through again

 

[Gyros Peter]

Not sure it matters what happens in Hamburg - they're all over the place and a long away trip loss is going to kill their already very killed confidence even further. I'm just hoping Kulisevski is injured - makes a big difference to them that lad.

 

[tomw94]

They have outplayed us in every game we have played them in since promotion (league cup aside), even the 1-0 this season was quite squeeky bum at times!

I would like to see more ball players in the midfield, so we can actually supply our front line with service to hit them on the break.

Sels
Williams Milenkovic Murillo Moreno
Anderson Sangare Danilo
MGW
Elanga Wood

Allows us to bring Callum off the bench, so we have the option to revert to the 4231 if Elanga up top with Wood is not working out.

 

[Trents]

Not sure it matters what happens in Hamburg - they're all over the place and a long away trip loss is going to kill their already very killed confidence even further. I'm just hoping Kulisevski is injured - makes a big difference to them that lad.

What's happening in Hamburg?

 

[Barry]

Play Yates

 

[greatbowden_garibaldi]

I really think Nuno has to trust the squad a bit more and put in some fresh legs against what are going to be a battle weary and very ropey Tottenham side. MGW and Anderson have contributed very little of late going forwards, and it may be time to freshen that area of the pitch up and play a more solid 4-3-3.

I am not massively confident, but will predict a 2-1 win as I cant bear the thought of losing this one, and we don't seem to do draws and neither do Spurs.

I do fear that a 3rd loss on the trot could see our season fizzle out and end up in 7th. But, I still think we can make top 5-6.

 

[PlayedOnGrass]

I am not sure what I want to happen in the Spurs v Frankfurt game.
Spurs win and although they will concentrate on the semi final - it is not until May - so they could be on a high
Spurs lose and Ang gets the push - which Spurs turns up next Monday - demoralised or re-motivated because Ang has gone?

We just have to play our own game and hopefully we get back on track

Spurs 1-2 Forest

 

[Des's dirty Y-fronts]

Really hope Aina is back. I don't think it's coincidental that we've lost 2 on the bounce without him - despite both results being about missed chances and errors respectively. He's our best player imo. Offers so much going forward and obviously defensively too, we look a different side without him.

 

[Statto]

Really hope Aina is back. I don't think it's coincidental that we've lost 2 on the bounce without him - despite both results being about missed chances and errors respectively. He's our best player imo. Offers so much going forward and obviously defensively too, we look a different side without him.

I think the issue with not having Aina is not particularly not having Aina but the quality of what is coming in to replace him.

We have Aina and Williams who can play both LB and RB, at RB we have young Eric, and at LB we have Moreno and Toffolo. Aside from the potential of centre backs or midfielders playing out of position, we don't have any more full back options, but then in a 25 player squad which traditionally includes 3 keepers, there isn't really much room for more than 2 options in most positions.

I think Eric might be injured as well, so the only option we then have is to play Williams at RB, which loses the link up ability he's had down the left with CHO, unless we move him too. But then the second issue is that neither Moreno nor Toffolo have either played much recently or appear to be in favour when they are available, or particularly doing well, though Moreno did well earlier in the season.

If we had decent backup full backs then we wouldn't be so reliant on the starting players but it isn't easy to build a squad in the volume we've had to with the PSR limits. Being in the PL 3 years and probably in Europe next season will help with this but we'll need more quality for that anyway.

Like a few on here I think we will need Aina ready for the cup match as Neco is suspended. So if we went into that without Neco and Aina, we'd probably struggle more. If it's a case of getting a half fit Aina back in the league before that and risking him breaking down sooner, then I'd rather the club didn't take that risk.

But if he is not far off, this match isn't until next Monday, so plenty of time for them to try.

 

[Retro]

4 at the back i'd go Toffolo. I don't trust Moreno to defend. 3 back i'd go this.

 

[Master Yates]

I am not sure what I want to happen in the Spurs v Frankfurt game.
Spurs win and although they will concentrate on the semi final - it is not until May - so they could be on a high
Spurs lose and Ang gets the push - which Spurs turns up next Monday - demoralised or re-motivated because Ang has gone?

We just have to play our own game and hopefully we get back on track

Spurs 1-2 Forest

Spurs win on penalties with a few injuries thrown in for good measure.

Ange stays, only focus is on Europe and league form continues to tank.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JonnoSnr]

Really hope Aina is back. I don't think it's coincidental that we've lost 2 on the bounce without him - despite both results being about missed chances and errors respectively. He's our best player imo. Offers so much going forward and obviously defensively too, we look a different side without him.

The biggest issue here is with Aina out we've lost both of our previously excellent full backs by Neco having to move to cover him.

It'd almost be better just playing Moreira there so at least only one side is affected...

 

[PTFD]

Just see another narrow loss 1-0

I think you need to have a holiday from Derbyshire for a good few weeks!

 

[derbyshirered]

I think you need to have a holiday from Derbyshire for a good few weeks!

No thanks,it's lovely here

 

[Captain Sinister]

The biggest issue here is with Aina out we've lost both of our previously excellent full backs by Neco having to move to cover him.

It'd almost be better just playing Moreira there so at least only one side is affected...

I picked Moreira for last Saturday's starting XI initially, but was told he was injured.
An injured Moreira couldn't have played any worse than a fit Moreno.
Jeez, he had a bad game!

 

[Listen 'ere young man]

With Aina missing, you effectively lose 2 players.

Williams isn't half the player at right back as he is on the left for some reason.

 

[Rzar]

The biggest issue here is with Aina out we've lost both of our previously excellent full backs by Neco having to move to cover him.

It'd almost be better just playing Moreira there so at least only one side is affected...

Aina prevents loads of goals and chances from his recovery speed

Case in point is Everton's goal, it would be made much more difficult for Everton with Aina on the pitch. Murillo has taken the heat for that but I would say Moreno is as culpable, he should have cut it out.

 

[Bing Crosby's Head]

I picked Moreira for last Saturday's starting XI initially, but was told he was injured.
An injured Moreira couldn't have played any worse than a fit Moreno.
Jeez, he had a bad game!

Moreira isn't injured. He was but recovered and was on the bench vs Villa.

 

[YouReds43]

Inject every single legal substance into Aina's calf and play him. Good chance he is fit without injections anyway.

 

[Bobby The Brain]

Did you know:
Tottenham literally translates too village of the balancing chickens but a proper translation is village of the cowards. This is why Tottenham wear white the traditional colour of cowardice.

Always thought in meant Fanny & Bacon.

You live and learn.