Last night I was at Wembley to watch Spurs play Real Madrid. This season almost every team in the premier league have sat very deep against us and caused us a lot of frustration. I'm a season ticket holder at spurs and I can tell you that Wembley is completely different to the lane.

Last night we adjusted the way we play and set up to counter attack. What I witnessed was a tactical masterclass from Pochettino. We were solid defensively and we created more than our fair share of chances. It was an amazing performance from the team.

However I've woken up a little frustrated this morning. Instead of waking up to rightful praise for Mauricio Pochettino and his team, all I see is bitterness and people talking absolute nonsense.

Firstly, I see people claiming Spurs won because Real Madrid were not at full strength. Yes they were missing players, but this was still a side that boasted Ronaldo, Benzema, Kroos, Modric, Casimero, Isco, Marcelo and Ramos. Spurs won without, Wanyama, Son, Rose and Aurier. Our best defender Aldeweireld came off after 30 mins and we played for over an hour with a midfield 2 of Winks and Sissoko. Let that sink in. Winks and Sissoko vs Modric, Kroos and Casimero.

Secondly, people comparing Spurs and Man City's results. Man City are an incredible side and to beat a Napoli team who are playing extremely well right now is a great achievement. Especially in the San Paolo. City fans however were calling in to talksport and various other radio stations in the UK this morning claiming that their result was the better result last night...

Really??

Like I said full credit to City. Last night was a great result for them. For me they are the best side in the premier league this year and have a chance to go very far in the champions league. But please don't talk rubbish about last night. Spurs beat the reining European champions. A team that haven't lost a champions league group game since 2012. Don't try and tell me that Napoli are as good a side as Real Madrid. Even with Madrids so called "depleted team" last night you all would expect them to beat Napoli, and Spurs for that matter. Regardless, City's results don't concern me. I care about my club. Why are city fans getting annoyed that we are on all of the back pages? My point is though, why cant both teams just be praised for great performances?

Finally, the disrespect. If Manchester United/Manchester City/Chelsea won last night people would be talking about how they are now the best team in the world and go all the way in the competition. Let me point out now that I don't think for a second that we can win the Champions League but we deserve some respect for that performance last night and for how we have performed in the group stage this year. Placed in the so called group of death with Madrid and Dortmund. We were told we didn't have a chance yet here we are, already qualified with 2 games to go.

We'll probably lose to Crystal Palace on Sunday, but regardless of what happens going forward I'm proud of my team. We've come a long way since I was a little kid watching us finish mid table every season. We cant buy our way to the top like Chelsea and City. We don't have the history and the aura that surrounds Manchester Utd and Liverpool. We've got to where we are through hard work and determination. Yes we don't have many trophies to show for ourselves but I wouldn't change my club for anything in the world.

COYS.

Yea great game by Spurs :p And don't even bother or get frustrated at people not recognizing how well Spurs played yesterday or making excuses for why Madrid lost. You know that Spurs played an amazing game and that should be enough.The same people that praise you today are the same people that will criticize you tomorrow. I wouldn't take'em seriously at all since anyone with a small understanding of football will know they did.
For all the success Madrid has had in recent years, I'll never hear anything positive about Madrid come from certain people's mouths. I imagine the same is with Spurs and other clubs so just don't worry about what they have to say.
That said, I agree with you that while City's result against Napoli was great, the bigger result from all the fixtures this week was Tottenham's win over Madrid.

Yvan21

Thanks man! I love debating/talking football with people that understand the game well and want to have a proper conversation about it. I hate when people just jump in to start an argument with bias opinion or simply through trolling. Somebody might disagree with my opinions and thats cool too! Just want to be able to have a grown up conversation rather than people talk all sorts of rubbish like little kids.

Real Madrid are a great side. People hate on them because they are successful. It stems from jealousy. Whether people like it or not, they are the greatest team in European football history. The stats don't lie!

I can understand that Real is currently the weakest they've been over the last couple of years but that's still not an excuse. Spurs did well to dominate them and get a good win (even if first goal should of been called offside). I expected that group to be a lot closer but Spurs already qualifying and most likely getting first place is great. Sets them up real well for the first round of eliminations.

City also played well beating out one of the beat Italian teams and away. I predict both city and spits can go to semis this season. They are playing on an even level with the likes of Real, Barca, Juve and Bayern. Only team id say is a bit ahead is PSG.

raimondo90

I appreciate the complement my friend. I always find it interesting to hear the views of fans in other countries. Here in the UK its really hard to get a fair and unbiased view on teams because people are constantly trying to troll eachother and don't like to admit when another team performs well.

I think City are a better side than us. They have more strength in depth and have some truly world class players. My family is Italian so I watch plenty of Serie A. Napoli are a great team and are in an amazing run of form. Take nothing away from City they performed incredibly well.

I'm just happy that Spurs have proved they belong in the competition. I think we are getting too many injuries right now so players are getting tired especially on that huge Wembley pitch. It will be a tough season for us but very happy with how we performed last night.

It's always a mix of everything, Spurs playing well and Real Madrid not in form after a great last season.
No wonder nobody could win Champions League back to back it's really hard to perform and win it under a longer period of time and whatever Real Madrid did last season they can't do this now and lets not forget that they don't have such a crazy bench anymore either.

Spurs have been chasing the PL title for 3 years now and they are a strong team in Europe as well so this win is not a fluke.

Golazo111

Thing is Spurs went into that game off the back of 2 losses. So both teams were out of form.

Yeah, it would be insane if Real Madrid won the Champions league again.

Spurs did very well, they understood Real's mistakes and fixed theirs, perfect formula for victory. One again, hats off to Poch who is one of best managers rn. Spurs should go far this year, I predict quarters is minimum (unless they get some crazy hard draw - there aren't many clubs who can say 'we will beat them'). On other hand Real is embarrasing, Zidane really failed in this crisis, he needs to turn it around real quick or he may risk that job.

Spurs did very well, they understood Real's mistakes and fixed theirs, perfect formula for victory.

This is something that was hinted at when they interviewed Dele Alli after the game -- he said that the squad felt after the game in the Bernabeu that they had been given so much space that they normally don't get, and that they had even shied away from simple passes because they felt they would be too obvious. This is probably largely down to a difference in league styles than anything else, and also the fact that Madrid are likely used to teams being terrified of them. Instead, Spurs showed up, fought them for every ball on every part of the pitch, and refused to be intimidated.

From what I saw, Madrid didn't learn from that, and showed up at Wembley to play their usual game, and this time Spurs punished them even harder. I have no doubt that if the two teams were to play again (say, later in the tournament), it would be quite a different match to what we just saw, but it really is no exaggeration to say that Madrid looked 'poor' on the night because Tottenham made them look that way.

I expect to see Madrid bounce back after this wake-up call and become scary again (especially against Dortmund), but it was perhaps particularly satisfying to see this result given that it was Madrid themselves who poached our two best players (Modric and Bale) only a few years ago (and then won 3 CL titles with them), because we were too 'small' to stop them leaving.

Now? I'm not sure if even Madrid would pay how much they'd need to pay to get hold of Kane or Dele Alli.

Times change, and like DChoff, I wouldn't trade my club for anything else in the world. Today's Tottenham Hotspur is something to be proud of, not just for Spurs fans, but for all fans of the sport of football. Let's hope they win something soon, to cement their place.

COYS

To be fair, I also think what Guardiola is building deserves praise as well. He's created another beautiful monster, and when the football is that good then the whole sport is the winner. Bravo, Pep. :)

Croatian

Yeah, it will be interesting to see how Zidane will bounce back from this. I think this will be the true test of his skills as a manager. Whether he is top class or he simple won things due to his squad being far superior to everyone else.

Lodatz

Great analysis my friend, could not agree more! I hope we can win some form of silverware. Poch and the boys deserve it.

COYS

Today's Tottenham Hotspur is something to be proud of, not just for Spurs fans, but for all fans of the sport of football. Let's hope they win something soon, to cement their place.

Do you think they'll win anything major this season? They certainly look at home in the CL right now, but I have trouble getting over the mental roadblocks with any English team winning the CL, let alone Spurs...

You know me, I'm a very cautious person, and I understand that history repeats more than it changes. That being said, CL-wise, this is the year. Juventus, Bayern, and Real all look worse. Barca is good, but they're still minus Neymar. Paris and City look fantastic, but they have no track record, and almost no one wins the CL without one of those. This is the perfect storm for a non-traditional team to win the competition, imo.

but I have trouble getting over the mental roadblocks with any English team winning the CL, let alone Spurs...

Well, I mean, it's still only less than 10 years ago since an English team in the final was simply expected. It wasn't until 2009 that the emergence of Barcelona under Guardiola turned them into the monster we've known ever since, and it wasn't until 2011 that Madrid even got to a semi-final again (they'd spent 6 years beforehand not making it past the last 16).

This period of Spanish dominance has only been around since 2014 (which is when Atletico became top tier). Before that, we had an all-German final, and then a run going back to 2005 where an English team was in the final every year except 2010. Then SAF retired, City took Liverpool's place, and the PL has been in a state of flux ever since, losing its edge over the mega-powers of Spain and Germany.

So, for me, rather than seeing history endlessly repeat itself, I tend to observe history going in cycles, and I knew it would only be a matter of time before PL clubs closed the gap again with Barca and Madrid. I have no idea who is going to win this year's CL (maybe PSG?), but the return of English football to the top tier was always going to happen eventually. Like I said, the PL has been in flux, trying to figure out a new internal hierarchy, and that arms race may now be ready to at last have truly seismic repercussions in Europe again. Who would you name that would currently be safe from the rampage of City, for instance?

As for Spurs? Hey, why not? We did fall victim to an outstanding Monaco last year (whom we had beaten the year before in the EL), and we've beaten United, Chelsea, City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Dortmund and now Madrid inside the last 12 months.

Who knows? Maybe we can make history. I certainly won't bet my house on it, but I don't have trouble imagining it, either.

@DChoff:

Thanks in turn for the great analysis of the match, and starting this thread. :)

COYS

Spurs reminds me of when Dortmund shocked Madrid and I think they can pull a great run in CL to shock all the rest. I am genuinely happy for Spurs win against Madrid as EPL and Englands fan. Honestly, this shouldn't be a shock because Spurs has a very strong side and squad of world class players. I won't cheer a day for Spurs in EPL but if they are in CL I am only happy to see trem win especially in the match against Madrid.

@sunflash +1

My bet is that you are right and I think you should feel sceptical that it will be the from EPL or PSG.

well i feel a little butt-hurt no one is mentioning united good run in the league and the CL and not giving us any credits !!

we might not be playing the kind of beautiful sexy football people would love to see but at least we are having good results, something we lacked in the past couple of seasons.

plus with the special one spirit and experience, i think we will be playing a major role in competing for the CL

Hey, I felt United's resurgence was also inevitable, and I'm glad, because you know what?

I like Man United. I like what they achieved under Ferguson, and think it's been great for both English and European football. The financial muscle and global profile that such success brought was always going to kick back into gear, and Mourinho is himself a winner in the Ferguson mold, if not in terms of footballing philosophy.

Fergie did what he needed to do to win, and so does Mou. I can't help but respect that, and his hunger for more trophies. When United sign Griezmann and probably (sigh) Bale next summer, they're going to be another monster. Mourinho's Madrid did also break goalscoring records, mind you, so maybe when he has the tools he'll find another gear.

Just hope Tottenham can win a trophy or two before that happens, to keep up. ;)

I like Man United. I like what they achieved under Ferguson, and think it's been great for both English and European football.

I wouldn't have known what you meant until Chelsea came 10th that one year. It was honestly irritating to see.

When United sign Griezmann and probably (sigh) Bale next summer, they're going to be another monster.

Griezmann seems likely. Bale not so much.

Out of curiosity, do you see Spurs making any big signings? It's worth noting that the model that has gotten them success to this point is younger players they can integrate themselves (e.g. Kane, Alli, etc). Many of their bigger signings simply haven't come off (e.g. Lamela, Sissoko, Paulinho, etc). I know they signed Sanchez for a hefty amount, but I still don't see Spurs really gunning it for someone elite. Furthermore, is that necessarily a bad thing if they manage to keep their team together? Obviously they've resisted the pressure to sell Kane, Dier, and Erikson, and I see no reason why that would suddenly change. But is it honestly possible to keep pace for more than a season or two with teams like City, United, Chelsea, and even to an extent Arsenal who will just throw 50 million plus at a problem? I suppose you could argue that that's happened already, and I myself have pointed out the benefits of keeping specific on-field pairings together for long periods of time, but nevertheless...

Of course I could just be wrong and because Spurs don't have a history of spending big that means the media is spreading bs rumors all the time. Who knows. I'm sure you have greater insight than me into your own club though.

Madrid are playing like trash. While it's true that Carvajal's absence makes a big difference, that doesn't excuse the flaws in Nacho, Ramos, and Marcelo. The midfield is also sloppy, and M-K-I are not connecting with Benzema and Ronaldo up front. No wonder Benz and Ronnie aren't scoring many goals. Ronaldo is still good enough for a 50 goal season if he plays around 45-48 games, but he can't score as a poacher if there aren't any solid deliveries. Same goes with Benz.

I felt the goal we conceded at home was unlucky. And yes, while it is true that Trippier was indeed off-side, Casilla should have reached out and handled that ball before it even reached Alli (and Nacho shouldn't have been caught off-guard like that either... resulted in the throw-in that caused the goal). Alli's second goal was, again, bad defending from Ramos. I thought Ramos took much too long to make up his mind on whether he was going to stay or charge at Alli. Gave Alli more than enough time to put Casemiro on his ass. And the final goal was, again, trash defending.

Madrid are too relaxed and cocky in their approach to the game. I said earlier that Madrid's big mistake was underestimating Tottenham. My interpretation is that they thought Tottenham wouldn't be a tough opponent due to their poor record in the Champions League. Madrid are too arrogant in their thinking that only the likes of Juventus, Barcelona, Milan, United, Bayern, etc. are worthy of facing them on the pitch. Ever since Mourinho took over, that has been a huge problem. We always get caught off-guard by "lower" teams that put in a genuine effort to win the game. In that regard, I don't even understand why Madrid treated Tottenham that way. They finished 2nd in the league last season, and are probably going to be top 3 again this season. There's no excuse for underestimating your opponent IMO, and especially not an opponent of this level.

@Sun:

Out of curiosity, do you see Spurs making any big signings?

Only calculated ones. Our one and only huge spending spree was after the Bale money, and everyone aside from Eriksen and Lamela are now gone from that haul. Like you say, we targeted someone like Sanchez, and presumably the potential was high enough for Poch to make Levy break our transfer record for him. I'd love to say that this will be the start of a perennial huge signing, but the reality is that we probably couldn't do that. Yet, at least.

But don't be so quick to dismiss our 'big' transfer track record. Lamela has been injured for about a year, but is otherwise an integral part of the first team. Sissoko was the comedy act of last season, but he's played in every single game this year and is showing now what we paid for (scuffed shot against Madrid notwithstanding). Paulinho... is one of the great mysteries of life, but Barcelona seem happy with their otherwise inexplicable signing, so maybe we were just unlucky.

Either way, these transfers are still not the 'norm' for us, so yeah I foresee us continuing to buy young hot-shots, keeping the ones who work out (Alli, Dier, Son, Eriksen), and selling the rest (Wimmer, Chadli, Bentaleb). Practically everyone we buy is sold on at a profit, so if nothing else Levy knows how to keep the cash-flow in the right direction.

I suppose you could argue that that's happened already, and I myself have pointed out the benefits of keeping specific on-field pairings together for long periods of time, but nevertheless...

It depends, I guess. Our scouting network managed to assemble most of the squad you see now, so if we keep on finding gems for Poch to turn into stars, who knows what the ceiling is? Maybe if we still had someone like AVB, or Redknapp, you could see a cap on our potential, but with Poch I truly believe we've got the best manager in the league, and that's the most valuable component of all.

Sir Alex Ferguson arrived at Manchester United in 1986. It took him until 1993 to win the league, 7 seasons later. Pochettino is in his 4th year at Spurs. Maybe the sky is the limit, here?

I'm hoping so.

@Dynastian I don't really think Madrid underestimated Tottenham. I think the 1-1 at home should have been the warning to not take them lightly, and after the embarrassing defeat against Girona I would hope that the last thing they'd want to do is underestimate the opposition. I do agree that Madrid is too relaxed when they play "smaller" teams in La Liga and that's been going on for years like you said.
And the reason Benzema doesn't score is because he's not a prolific striker. He's never been one and will never be one. It's certainly not because the midfield is not creating enough chances because even in the past he's never been one of our better goalscorers, and that's putting it mildly :p