And Middlesbrough had 12 players out, with two injured in game.

We've been given the easiest run to a cup final imaginable and yet we've nearly bottled it.

 

I still think we'll win the 2nd leg but that doesn't make Poch's tenure look any better at this point.

Just now, Sconnie Blue said:

Starting to lose all trust. Some baffling decisions today. 

- Facing a low block and our only recognizable striker starts on the bench. 

- Madueke our most promising attacking all game and gets subbed off over Sterling. 

- Enzo only midfielder capable of breaking through a low block, gets subbed off so Gallagher can get his full 90. 

- Broja comes on with zero tactical instructions. 

- Pointless Gilchrist cameo. 

 

Yeah... For the first time even I'm questioning his decision making lately. I understand the injury crises that we have been facing all season, but that was one of the worst coached games I've seen, the substitutions even more baffling... 

Terrible performance from the players and an even worse one from the Gaffer.

I'm not Poch out by any means but f**k me... I can't sit here and defend that. 

Sick of this div playing players out of position, it isn’t rocket science.

2 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Starting to lose all trust. Some baffling decisions today. 

- Facing a low block and our only recognizable striker starts on the bench. 

Our only recognised striker has 3 goals in 50 odd games, one was an accident and another against Preston at home after a really poor 60 minutes.

We should be beating Boro but lets not act like Poch had any actual striking options to choose from.

He didn't choose to go into the season with an injured Nkunku, Jackson who was missing January and an injured Broja.

The club didn't give any manager the tools to succeed in the most important areas in the pitch.

2 minutes ago, Whats_The_Mata? said:

Our only recognised striker has 3 goals in 50 odd games, one was an accident and another against Preston at home after a really poor 60 minutes.

We should be beating Boro but lets not act like Poch had any actual striking options to choose from.

He didn't choose to go into the season with an injured Nkunku, Jackson who was missing January and an injured Broja.

The club didn't give any manager the tools to succeed in the most important areas in the pitch.

You're not entirely wrong, but we should be beating Boro. The setup and the substitutions were beyond baffling. 

But Palmer should've put this game to bed. 

2 minutes ago, Whats_The_Mata? said:

Our only recognised striker has 3 goals in 50 odd games, one was an accident and another against Preston at home after a really poor 60 minutes.

We should be beating Boro but lets not act like Poch had any actual striking options to choose from.

He didn't choose to go into the season with an injured Nkunku, Jackson who was missing January and an injured Broja.

The club didn't give any manager the tools to succeed in the most important areas in the pitch.

Injuries happen, Middlesborough had 12 in that game as well.

 

The line up we had was still better than what they had, the same could be said for a lot of our games this season. It's Poch's fault, this tactical system is awful. 

6 minutes ago, Victor90 said:

Yeah... For the first time even I'm questioning his decision making lately. I understand the injury crises that we have been facing all season, but that was one of the worst coached games I've seen, the substitutions even more baffling... 

Terrible performance from the players and an even worse one from the Gaffer.

I'm not Poch out by any means but f**k me... I can't sit here and defend that. 

Agreed.

Cowards line up puts us behind, cowards subs does not change it.

Enzo, Gallagher or Caicedo, which one is most like to find a way past the Boro bus? Ah Enzo, so take him off for the workhorses who were falling over their own feet and could jot make a pass.

Leave the dream on rather than the direct Madueke. 

Still he added to a hilarious watch, so we'll done Poch!

7 minutes ago, Victor90 said:

Yeah... For the first time even I'm questioning his decision making lately. I understand the injury crises that we have been facing all season, but that was one of the worst coached games I've seen, the substitutions even more baffling... 

Terrible performance from the players and an even worse one from the Gaffer.

I'm not Poch out by any means but f**k me... I can't sit here and defend that. 

For the first time? Mate his questionable managerial decisions/tactics have been apparent since the start of the season. It's only now people can't use injuries as an excuse. 

5 minutes ago, Whats_The_Mata? said:

Our only recognised striker has 3 goals in 50 odd games, one was an accident and another against Preston at home after a really poor 60 minutes.

We should be beating Boro but lets not act like Poch had any actual striking options to choose from.

He didn't choose to go into the season with an injured Nkunku, Jackson who was missing January and an injured Broja.

The club didn't give any manager the tools to succeed in the most important areas in the pitch.

Preston are at an equivalent level as Boro, probably even better considering Boro's injuries. Not starting our only recognizable striker, one that is coming off a goal, against a low block is a criminal offence when it doesn't work in your favor. 

6 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

For the first time? Mate his questionable managerial decisions/tactics have been apparent since the start of the season. It's only now people can't use injuries as an excuse. 

Preston are at an equivalent level as Boro, probably even better considering Boro's injuries. Not starting our only recognizable striker, one that is coming off a goal, against a low block is a criminal offence when it doesn't work in your favor. 

Given he was lumped with a brand new starting 11 full of inexperienced players who can barely play two games without needing a stretcher I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

And I still am, I think we need to give him time. But I won't lie in saying he's making some pretty bad coaching decisions, it's just that he's not in an easy situation either. 

Extremely disappointing game but I still believe it is imperative that we give him a season first. 

Edited January 9, 20242 yr by Victor90

Didn’t get to watch it but that’s a fairly dreadful result, like his whole tenure so far , any small amount of progress/momentum is stunted by a shocking result/performance.

It’s hard to see him lasting past much more than summer at this rate. 

1 minute ago, Victor90 said:

Given he was lumped with a brand new starting 11 full of inexperienced players who can barely play two games without needing a stretcher I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

And I still am, I think we need to give him time. But I won't lie in saying he's making some pretty bad coaching decisions, it's just that he's not in an easy situation either. 

Extremely disappointing game but I still believe it's imperative that we give him a season first. 

I think its evident, whether they sack him now, in the summer, or simply wait the duration of his contract, that he isn't it. Hasn't adapted at all since he's been away from management. He's sh*tting the bed on his own in most cases. 

 

1 minute ago, Sconnie Blue said:

I think its evident, whether they sack him now, in the summer, or simply wait the duration of his contract, that he isn't it. Hasn't adapted at all since he's been away from management. He's sh*tting the bed on his own in most cases. 

 

I think it's more complex than that. 

What we've done this season is practically unheard of in football, nobody has ever just started the season with more than half of the first team replaced. With young kids at that, this is new territory and I think any manager would find this project extremely difficult. Factor that in with the constant injuries that keep forcing us to change the style of play every few games. 

It's really frustrating, and I can't believe I'm saying this but I think @Whats_The_Mata? has a point, he was set up to fail. Now I don't think our players are anywhere near as sh*te as he does, but some people are severely underestimating how difficult this job currently is. 

So really what I'm arguing here is, I believe the players need time. That chemistry, fluidity, and defensive/attacking transitioning can't come overnight in this situation. It's just unrealistic when you consider the factors. 

Just tactically clueless, he has no idea how to change a game when things aren't going our way. Completely out of his depth and just reeks of Spurs, the sooner he's gone the better 

He just said that the performance was good ... 😑

Palmer should of been clinical but getting sick of taking 'moments' in a match to define the entire 90. 

2 minutes ago, DidierDrogbalala said:

He just said that the performance was good ... 😑

Please tell me you're joking....

7 minutes ago, DidierDrogbalala said:

He just said that the performance was good ... 😑

Fantastic. The cherry on the cake of that fun house show lol.

49 minutes ago, Drogba1 said:

We've been given the easiest run to a cup final imaginable and yet we've nearly bottled it.

You can take the man out of Tottenham…

Come on then De Zerbi, how much do you want? We'll pay you £10m a year and sign another job lot of teenage Brazilian midfielders for £20m a piece - how does that sound?

Graham Pocher strikes again with his "the performance was good" sh*te. Absolute fraud.

18 minutes ago, Gonoir Beniashile said:

Come on then De Zerbi, how much do you want? We'll pay you £10m a year and sign another job lot of teenage Brazilian midfielders for £20m a piece - how does that sound?

With our history of signing players/managers etc. from Brighton I think we should stay well clear.

1 minute ago, timetowaste said:

Graham Pocher strikes again with his "the performance was good" sh*te. Absolute fraud.

Just watching Younes ranting. Same with George Benson and Rory. All the same reactions. Same as me here, Same as the majority of all of you on here. Fans were chanting You don't know what you're doing at one point tonight when he made the subs. What every one of us is wrong and he's right.

The performance was good.

Fking clown

1 hour ago, axman2526 said:

Cowards line up puts us behind, cowards subs does not change it.

Enzo, Gallagher or Caicedo, which one is most like to find a way past the Boro bus? Ah Enzo, so take him off for the workhorses who were falling over their own feet and could jot make a pass.

Leave the dream on rather than the direct Madueke. 

Still he added to a hilarious watch, so we'll done Poch!

The lineup was a cowardly one, predictably so. Give me Postecoglou's approach every time. We might get thrashed occasionally but at least there would be a winning culture and some clear tactics. Im in favour of giving Poch a bullet. There are a whole bunch of managers who could do better. The individual selection decisions are just symptoms of bad management, the overwhelming problem is the defensive culture.