Blamed tiredness. Tired? We played Conference League with a mix of B and C team to avoid this. If tiredness is to blame, it's because he played the same attack and midfield in pretty much every game in the busiest part of the season.

20 minutes ago, El regreso said:

Anyone knows why we also stop inverting Cucu into CM, that was one of the keys at the end of Poch tenure and the start of Maresca?

All the goals we conceded recently are transition goals which identify the lack of bodies in the middle of the park. 
If you win the ball back against us you are at our defence immediately.

Agree, Maresca was still using Cucurella as an inverted FB until Brentford. Today he was used more as a winger, I think because of Felix.

So Maresca actually witnessed this first hand last season and still decides to play Disasi at RB. 💀

 

If he's blaming tiredness now, I dread to think what the state of the squad will be like at the start of next season after the Club World Cup.

Lets have this right, it’s our first real blip of the season, Enzo has to stand up and show why he got given a big job in the first place.

Will be disappointed if fans start going for the jugular with him though, he’s been doing a good job of building a better culture at the club and the results have been good. He deserves a buffer before people start getting on his back too much.

1 point from our last 3 is un acceptable, but it’s a credit to the work he’s already done that we still sit in the top 4 despite it. Let’s see how he gets on.

5 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

If he's blaming tiredness now, I dread to think what the state of the squad will be like at the start of next season after the Club World Cup.

I really belive he's sugar coating in front of the media instead of saying the altearnitves are absolutelly rubish...

My biggest worry isn’t making top 4 this season. It’s the drop off next season if we do make top 4. 

Edited December 30, 20241 yr by Sconnie Blue

44 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

Blamed tiredness. Tired? We played Conference League with a mix of B and C team to avoid this. If tiredness is to blame, it's because he played the same attack and midfield in pretty much every game in the busiest part of the season.

You are joking right? 
No way he’s blaming tiredness for this f**k up?

21 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

My biggest worry isn’t making top 4 this season. It’s the drop off next season if we do make top 4. 

Take my advice mate, worry about today, tomorrow even next week. Let next year take care of itself, life is far too short.

27 minutes ago, El regreso said:

You are joking right? 
No way he’s blaming tiredness for this f**k up?

Yep. Looks like he had his excuses prepared. Immediately pointed out that we had played 9 games in December (2 of them in the Conference League where we used B and C team players)

We have had an easier run than most. This is not a good enough excuse.

Sadly he will fail to take us to where we want the club to go. 

So will the next manager, and the one after that, and the one after that etc. 

Because they are all ultimately screwed over by this ownership and the bonehead directors.

1 minute ago, Scott Harris said:

Yep. Looks like he had his excuses prepared. Immediately pointed out that we had played 9 games in December (2 of them in the Conference League where we used B and C team players)

We have had an easier run than most. This is not a good enough excuse.

Please tell me the next line is him saying "the lads gave everything".

1 hour ago, Sconnie Blue said:

My biggest worry isn’t making top 4 this season. It’s the drop off next season if we do make top 4. 

At the minute I'm holding onto the fact his 'stubborness' with subs/rotation at Leicester and of late is player avaliablilty based.

When he had a fully fit squad he was making subs at halftime.

If it's the same when we have our players back and especially after Estevao, Santos etc next season then....

3 hours ago, El regreso said:

We need to go back to basics now as the more worrying thing is the goals has dried up.

I agree. That is the biggest concern at the moment. We've been leaking cheap goals consistently all season. Even on our good runs. But we've also usually had no problem scoring goals until the last few games. Need to get back to scoring freely and quickly.

1 minute ago, Argo said:

At the minute I'm holding onto the fact his 'stubborness' with subs/rotation at Leicester and of late is player avaliablilty based.

When he had a fully fit squad he was making subs at halftime.

If it's the same when we have our players back and especially after Estevao, Santos etc next season then....

Do we really want Maresca getting his hands on Estevao? He is supposed to be a truly special player, but he has little to his defensive game. That does not fly with Maresca.

1 minute ago, Argo said:

At the minute I'm holding onto the fact his 'stubborness' with subs/rotation at Leicester and of late is player avaliablilty based.

When he had a fully fit squad he was making subs at halftime.

If it's the same when we have our players back and especially after Estevao, Santos etc next season then....

Last couple of games, we've seen what some of the B squad have done when given a chance. Some of them don't look up to the physical requirements of the Premier League, or just aren't good enough.

Just now, forbzy said:

Last couple of games, we've seen what some of the B squad have done when given a chance. Some of them don't look up to the physical requirements of the Premier League, or just aren't good enough.

Yup, instead of having good level competition/backup in the likes of Trev, Gallagher etc we have Disasi and KDH...

But let's give the SD their flowers cause they spotted Duran had talent.

3 hours ago, Frankie8Lampard said:

You're always on the mark right before we drop form. Looking back, this run was a long time coming with all the defensive mistakes we have been making. Now that our goals have dried up, there's nothing we can cling onto. Maybe this will finally force the manager to start drilling the team defensively? 

It is very difficult to be good defensively playing chaos ball

3 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

Do we really want Maresca getting his hands on Estevao? He is supposed to be a truly special player, but he has little to his defensive game. That does not fly with Maresca.

Neither did Sancho until this season. Players at that age are more mouldable than you think.

Just now, axman2526 said:

Yup, instead of having good level competition/backup in the likes of Trev, Gallagher etc we have Disasi and KDH...

But let's give the SD their flowers cause they spotted Duran had talent.

Ideally both Trev and Conor would be squad players with a healthy number of starts. I would rather have them than some of the players signed to replace them.

13 minutes ago, Argo said:

Neither did Sancho until this season. Players at that age are more mouldable than you think.

That is assuming he wants to add that to his game. Would Vini Jnr? Salah didn't and look what he has become. Maybe if he had the mind to defend like Neto does he would not be half the player he is.

Wow... did not see us losing to Ipswich. I think it may be time to start getting worried now.

This is on him...

1) Establish "favourites" who everyone can see are not good enough.

2) Divide the squad by having a clear and inflexible A and B team. 
 

3) Fail to address poor performances from A team players, and keep selecting them despite how bad they have performed.

4) Fail to keep morale up, by failing to integrate B team players into the first team - despite how well they may be doing. 

5) Over the busiest period of the year - fail to use the squad logically - instead stubbornly stick to the same starting 11 with minimal subs.

6) When the wheels fall off - throw a load of wholesale changes to the team for a 1 off away game - expecting these players, who have not been integrated into the first team, to come in and perform like a fully oiled team.

 

3 hours ago, RMH said:

Yes and still Felix and Nkunku, who are considered talents by some, do sweet f**k all when they play against relegation fodder. We over rely on Palmer but that’s also down to other players being dross. They don’t deserve their talent tag, they are conference league players.

After being alienated and mistreated, not given a look in at the first team -do you really expect them to come on for a one off away game, and perform as if they are fully integrated first team superstars?

They need a run, as with any player, to gel and get into some type of form. 

8 minutes ago, nonotnowjim said:

This is on him...

1) Establish "favourites" who everyone can see are not good enough.

2) Divide the squad by having a clear and inflexible A and B team. 
 

3) Fail to address poor performances from A team players, and keep selecting them despite how bad they have performed.

4) Fail to keep morale up, by failing to integrate B team players into the first team - despite how well they may be doing. 

5) Over the busiest period of the year - fail to use the squad logically - instead stubbornly stick to the same starting 11 with minimal subs.

6) When the wheels fall off - throw a load of wholesale changes to the team for a 1 off away game - expecting these players, who have not been integrated into the first team, to come in and perform like a fully oiled team.

 

Big Ange had what, about a 6 month period where most fans thought he was an amazing manager. After that, well look where Spurs are now.

An inflexible, stubborn manager who sticks by "hid way or the high way", keeps his favorites regardless.

Hmm.