Mole_Toonfan

That's what I mean I feel like there was too much space between Shelvey and Merino. Obviously being hyper critical but it made me very nervous plus it's their first start together so they'll no doubt improve. Plus as I said there's very few teams better than Liverpool at exploiting that sort of stuff so it's promising none the less.

I still think the Shelvey and Merino partnership gave up too much space but luckily it wasn't exploited. I'd say only City are probably a bigger threat in terms of exploiting a lack of mobility in midfield, so we should be good in terms of using that partnership against most of the league.

She could have been there for Liverpool tbf, pretty sure I read she's been part of trying to buy them out before.

Just that rumors have it she could be interested in a takeover. Something along those lines, so nothing basically.

Don't see how Manquillo is any better equipped to deal with Salah/Mane than Mbemba is tbh.

Aye I don't particularly believe that tbh.

Agree, our closing down and general lack of blocking off passing lanes has been worrying. Hopefully it improves because they'll score again otherwise.

I've got very little confidence in any of our strikers but both him and Perez are due a goal if only due to probability. They've missed enough, sooner or later one of them's got to go in. Perez hasn't missed much. He's not getting into the positions to miss That's probably a bigger problem than missing chances though tbh.

I'm really concerned about Shelvey's lack of mobility being targeted by Liverpool's press. On the positive side it gives Merino some much needed help in the technical department, something we have sorely needed.

In fairness with Manquillo if there's one thing he's good at it's foot races. More concerned about the mobility of a Shelvey-Merino midfield than I am about Manquillo.

Containment job I imagine, if we can get ahead or keep it 0-0 more fresh legs in midfield late on will be important than having two strikers on the bench.

Mbemba must be injured, he hasn't done anything wrong really.

He's their top scorer isn't he? Aye but he's really wasteful, he's their top scorer on result of always getting into good positions.

No.

Story of his career tbh, don't get me wrong he's a great coach but he can be overly negative in big games.

Shame really, because he's class when healthy but he can't seem to remain fit anymore.

Oh no doubt, i agree on the keeper too. I just don't think either have made a 3rd to 1st level of difference though. I feel like the biggest difference is just the players that were now improving vastly on last season.

Funny thing, between this year and last year the main difference seems to be just the players improving. Mendy looked class but is now injured, the rest don't seem to have made a massive impact.

I think him doing it against the English teams who regularly get the latter stages is a fair indication of what he's capable of against the non-English teams in the latter stages. What English teams regularly get to the latter stages? Here we go. All of them generally get beyond the group stages. If you're talking semi finals and the final, Spurs aren't getting there or competing enough for him to be able to prove anything. What do you mean "here we go"? Do you think the English teams over the last 5 years have been as good as Barca, Real, Atletico, Bayern, Juve? That's what I'm talking about. The English look like they'll make a bit of a comeback in Europe this season however No I don't, but nor was that what you originally said or asked tbf. FWIW, I think it's a bit of an oddity to gauge your opinion on a player based the team they face beyond a certain point, when obviously it's a team sport. It's a bit 'Messi needs to win the world cup' for me once you get to that level, because no individual is going to overcome those teams without a team that can already compete with them. It's not really that, just Kane until this season had done nothing in Europe's elite competition. It's completely fair to hold off on calling someone the best till they prove it against the best imo. Yeah, but that's part of the point. He hasn't really had the opportunities. He was injured last year but scored two goals in three games. You would see it crop up in Redcafe/Arsemania/RAWK conversations about Kane - "He can't do it in the CL". He never had the chance. This year he has five in two, and the narrative is now "he has to do it against the big teams in the latter stages". It's just amusing, really. I'm not going to say he's the best in the world, but equally he hadn't "done nothing" until this season. I'm not saying he won't btw, I think he will just that it's probably not fair to place him above others who are just as profilic and been doing it in Europe. I'm very much aware he hasn't had the opportunity yet btw.

I think him doing it against the English teams who regularly get the latter stages is a fair indication of what he's capable of against the non-English teams in the latter stages. What English teams regularly get to the latter stages? Here we go. All of them generally get beyond the group stages. If you're talking semi finals and the final, Spurs aren't getting there or competing enough for him to be able to prove anything. What do you mean "here we go"? Do you think the English teams over the last 5 years have been as good as Barca, Real, Atletico, Bayern, Juve? That's what I'm talking about. The English look like they'll make a bit of a comeback in Europe this season however No I don't, but nor was that what you originally said or asked tbf. FWIW, I think it's a bit of an oddity to gauge your opinion on a player based the team they face beyond a certain point, when obviously it's a team sport. It's a bit 'Messi needs to win the world cup' for me once you get to that level, because no individual is going to overcome those teams without a team that can already compete with them. It's not really that, just Kane until this season had done nothing in Europe's elite competition. It's completely fair to hold off on calling someone the best till they prove it against the best imo.

Shearer's 260 works out on average of 20 goals a season over a 13 year period. That's what you are looking at, not only do you have to keep up that ridiculous scoring rate you have to do it for over a decade. Kane has a chance but it will be incredibly difficult.

I think he'll make zero changes tbh.

I don't think that's fair like, we can safely say Shearer is one of the greatest English strikers ever, perhaps the greatest, without him doing it against Madrid. Of course it's fair, it's the tournament which the greats are judged on and what places them above the rest. It's why Mbappe was getting insane hype, because he was toying with the best teams around. It's not even about Madrid, Spurs went out in the Group stage last year. Getting to the KO stages would be a start.

Just shows how important your off the ball work is at the top level. He's absolutely fantastic at making runs off the ball to create space for those behind him and himself. Which makes him ridiculously dangerous. In terms of that particular skillset he's the best in the league by far.

Also true.