Quote Originally Posted by KSE Comedy Club View Post
Glad we got the 3 points but fuck me, what the hell happened after 30 mins???

We made that tough on ourselves.

We still lack a killer instinct when it is necessary, which is disappointing. Same old attacking issues for the second half too.

Oh yeh, and remember the days when we could counter attack.....
For me, yesterday's match was a classic example of what happens when a team loses focus on the job in hand and starts thinking of the bigger picture. If we as fans are stressed out by being so close to securing top 4, then there will inevitably be an element of this amonghst our young players also. It was too easy for us in the first half. 2 goals up and Leeds a man down and looking like a shambles, with no attacking threat whatsoever...our players 'knew' that this match was done. How many times have we seen in these circumsntances a team lose that fraction of a percent that at this level makes all the difference? How many times have we seen a team regain focus and purpose having lost a player? In the second half, Leeds had absolutely nothing to lose and played with the freedom that that brings. Their goal stemmed from perhaps the lack of focus and organisation that can happen when a team has had nothing to do defensively and played the whole game in the oppositions half. After that it was impossible for the players not to play with the dread that a single mistake could cost us a CL place and it looked like it.

I suppose that the difference on Thursday will be that Spurs will be in the same boat, and it will come down to who handles the pressure best. I hope that we change our game plan to try to be the counter attacking side rather than playing to Spurs' strengths, remembering that they have to win while technically we don't. We are a young team and I am nervous about how well we will cope but Arteta has to go for control rather than chaos.