From Jim's chair
Morning.
Zero goals. Three games. We are, by a distance, the biggest xG underperformers in the league right now. We should have around three and a half by this point. That's maddening. It's also, oddly enough, encouraging. We’re just not quite there yet.
Everton at home is the game. Sticky, low-blocky, Moyes-y – but a game we should be winning, and I think we do. The pieces make a bit more sense this week: Fernandes back in from the start, Maddison edging closer to real minutes, and if Tel finally gets that breakthrough moment we all know is coming, this becomes a very different conversation.
The one I want to push back on is the Solanke-with-Marmoush-behind-him idea. I get why people are drawn to it – we've had big-9 / creative-10 pairings that worked for years and there's muscle memory to it. But Marmoush isn't a 10, and Solanke isn't a 20-goal striker who justifies breaking up the midfield to shoehorn him in. What we actually need is a proper 10. That's Maddison, when he's fit.
Also, because of course, Mudryk is in a protective boot. Only Spurs. Silver lining: more minutes for Tel. He's earned them in my opinion: he's working hard and I think we are the right place for him to show everyone he's better than he's made out to be.
We are much closer than the mood makes out. Three forwards who'd never played together looked like three forwards who'd never played together against Forest. Fixable. Actually starting to click is fixable. One goal, one win, and this whole conversation changes.
Come on you Spurs.
Keep it Lilywhite #OhSo33,
– Jim