Preview:
Nuno got the better of us in the away fixture, we really need a home win and reach that 40 points.
Fixture:
Monday 21st April, 20:00
Tottenham Hotspur Vs Nottingham Forest
Premier League
Available On:
UK TV – Sky Sports Main Event
UK TV – Sky Sports Premier League
Optus Sport
Hub Premier 1
Match Report to follow…
Preview:
Wolves have won 3 from 5 but they are on the hunt for more points as they aim to seal Premier league survival.
Fixture:
Sunday 13th April, 14:00
Wolverhampton Wanderers Vs Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League
Available On:
Hub Premier 4
Optus Sport
Peacock Premium
Sky Sport 9 NZ
Result: 4-2
R. Aït-Nouri (2′)
D. Spence (38′ og)
M. Tel (59′)
J. Strand Larsen (64′)
Richarlison (85′)
Matheus Cunha (86′)
Match Report:
Spurs made 6 changes from Thursdays game and the biggest concern was the midfield pairing of Bissouma and Sarr.
So it didn’t really come as a surprise when Sarr decided to concede a foul in only the second minute just for giggles on the edge of our own box. Vicario then fluffs his lines, one nil to wolves. Vicarios performance looked to be going from bad to worse when he decides to hand the ball straight to the Wolves forward who somehow misses an open goal.
Maddison may have felt unfortunate not to get a penalty after ex Spurs defender Mat Doherty pushes him in the back after Mads gets goal side of him. Nothing from VAR as two hands in the back not deemed clear and obvious. Brennan Johnson had the best of Spurs first half chances when Romero feeds the ball into the box for Johnson to turn and shoot but like Thursdays game his attempt goes high over the bar.
Moments later Gray stands off his man giving him far too much space and allows the cross in to the box which Vicario again struggles with, this time palming the ball straight into an unexpected Spence and into his own net. Two nil to Wolves.
Changes were required at half time and much improvements but if Man city can reply with 5 goals against Palace, how many could Spurs reply with?
The second half starts without any subs made but 10 minutes into the half Ange makes the inevitable changes as Bissouma and Sarr come off for Bergvall and Bentancur. It’s safe to say those two do not have a future at Spurs come end of the season. Moments later Bergvall makes a nice run forward and passes through for Johnson to make a first time cross. The Wolves defender at the far post fails to clear and even though Tel knows nothing about it, the ball hits him and finds the net. A stroke of luck but 2-1 it is.
Any hopes of a comeback lasted just five minutes though as the Spurs defence goes awol, first Romero and then Spence completely switches off and allows Wolves an easy tap in to make it 3-1 to Wolves. With Spurs struggling two more changes are made with Kulusevski and Richarlison both returning from injury. Richi looked like he hadn’t kicked a ball in five years never mind five weeks but thankfully the ball fell to his head with a chance even he couldn’t miss.
It’s now 3-2 with five minutes remaining, could it be an exciting finale? No of course not, a minute after scoring Bergvall gives up possession needlessly in midfield and with an absent defence Wolves make it a comfortable 4-2 victory.
I think we’ve seen enough!
It’s another shambles and to be honest too many of these players just don’t look interested. It may be a fixture with little to play for but today showed appalling attitude from the players. Just because they had a midweek game is no excuse, yet we are seeing it too many times this season.
Post match Ange Postecoglou defended his players in what must be Aussie humour saying: “The goals weren’t lapses or anything, they were individual errors, which is unusual for us to give goals away like that.”
Unusual! Really mate?
If that didn’t make you laugh then his next comment will, “I thought we played pretty well but conceded some pretty poor goals.”
If that was us playing well I wouldn’t like to see us on an off day!
It’s incredible to believe Spurs have scored the third most goals in the Premier league this season despite all there injuries but most of all considering how poor our front line is. It just goes to show stats really don’t tell the whole story do they.
Entertainment Value: 6 / 10
Despite a 6 goal match I cant say I ever felt entertained with the performance lacking in any quality. Wolves were not much better yet they managed to score 4 past us. That says it all!
Standout Players: Obviously very difficult to hand out any praise to this poor performance but if any one deserves credit I would have to go give it to Tel. He was the only player out there that looked like he had a point to prove, maybe he wasn’t the best but at least the effort was there from him.
Preview:
If we don’t beat Southampton at home I don’t care about Europe, he has to go ffs.
Fixture:
Sunday 6th April, 14:00
Tottenham Hotspur Vs Southampton
Premier League
Available On:
Hub Premier 4
Optus Sport
Sky Sport 5 NZ
Result: 3-1
B. Johnson (13′, 42′)
Mateus Fernandes (90′)
M. Tel (90’+6 pen)
Match Report:
The day started most importantly with renewed protests outside the stadium, organised by Change for Tottenham and this perhaps set the mood for the day.
But it was an even more momentous day for the Southampton fans as Spurs sealed their fate to the Championship following this comfortable 3-1 win. Comfortable! Not often we say that in the same sentence as Spurs but even for a struggling Spurs side that is low on confidence this was really as easy as it gets.
Johnson tapped in early from a Spence cross in the 13th minute and despite a disallowed goal Spurs still went in at the break 2 goals up. Of course the Spurs tempo fell off in typical fashion in the second half as they seemed quite content to hold onto there lead. Not even a 90th minute goal from Southampton though could cause a wobble this time round and instead Spurs replied well with a late penalty and rare goal for Tel.
Whilst the performance was nothing spectacular and the opposition far from competitive it was an important win nonetheless. Not only does this victory stop the rot but it prepares them well for the biggest game of the season so far.
With that European fixture just 4 days away Ange chose to make only the 2 changes from the defeat at Chelsea and that was probably a wise move as this team searches not only points but also some vital momentum in these final stages of the season.
Porro came in at the back and Spence moved over to the left, in place of Udogie who has struggled for form since his return from injury. It didn’t bother Spence which side he played as he provided that early cross for his third assist of the season.
In the front line Odobert was replaced by Johnson who scored a brace so that worked out pretty well too. Like many fans I’m still not convinced by Johnson as a winger but he’s certainly showing Solanke where the net is. Johnson has now netted 16 goals this season and is the clubs top scorer!
If you look at the stats you wouldn’t think there was much in it but Spurs were the more clinical side on the day with Southampton lacking in quality. The stats show a 50/50 possession, 13 to 12 shots and 25 to 24 touches inside the box. But then if you looked at the Chelsea v Spurs stats you may be fooled there too.
On a final note, Ange sets another record today, sending a team down to the Championship as the earliest relegation in Premier League history. Well done Ange, at least it wasn’t us!
Entertainment Value: 7 / 10
Probably being generous there, 2nd half was boring but at least we got a few goals in the match!
Standout Players: I will give it to Johnson as he was involved in all 3 goals so credit where credits due.
Preview:
Chelsea is up next and they are showing exactly how a rebuild is done. You see Levy, it doesn’t have to take 25 years!
Fixture:
Thursday 3rd April, 20:00
Chelsea Vs Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League
Available On:
UK TV – Sky Sports Main Event
UK TV – Sky Sports Premier League
Optus Sport
Result: 1-0
E. Fernández (50′)
Match Report:
With just a single win at Stamford Bridge in our last 40 attempts, of course the focus was never going to be on the result but rather the level of performance.
Could Ange turn this team around? Are the players still behind Ange? Are the fans still backing Ange ball?
Well as most would have predicted (no prizes there) it was another under par performance with a 1-0 defeat that perhaps deceives the eye. The difference in class was clear to see and at the end of the game a 1 nil defeat actually felt like a bit of a result for us!
Looking at the lineup it was about as good as we could have hoped for in all fairness, with the only missing player worth noting being Kulusevski. Besides him this was Spurs at full strength, yet Spurs were nowhere near the levels of Chelsea. Chelsea are by no means the finished article right now and have been struggling for form themselves as of late, but top teams know how to grind out results.
The fact is the Tottenham players were doing their best, but too many of these players are just not in the same league as the top teams and that coupled with questionable tactics, means players are being found out week in week out. Until we have a chairman that is willing to invest in top class players we cannot expect any more of our team, this is what Levy has brought us to because he simply does not understand football and is more concerned about his spreadsheets and profit margins.
Tottenham have been heading in the wrong direction for some time and it has to be said these problems started well before Ange Postecoglou came onto the scene. The problems were already visible when Mauricio Pochettino was at the club when the team was neglected for the new stadium build. It’s been a steady decline since and not even world class coaches like Mouruhno and Conte could stop the rot, so what chance does Ange have with no experience of top flight football?
Fans may be distracted with the hope of glory in Europe this year and may feel Premier league results are irrelevant now with nothing to play for. This may be true but what is more important is this set of players discover their form and get some momentum going. Form is not something you can just turn on when you feel like it, it comes from putting a string of decent results together, gaining confidence and that feeling of invincibility. It is fair to say Spurs have not had this feeling for quite some time. Since Ange took over Spurs have won 36 of his 73 games in charge with just a 49 per cent win percentage.
So, how bad is it?
Entertainment Value: 6 / 10
Based on Chelsea’s performance as Spurs were crap.
Standout Players: It is hard to pick out players at the moment, no player really deserves a special mention so I will have to give it to young Mikey Moore (un used Sub), nice to see him back in the squad 🙂
Preview:
With nothing to play for in the league I expect rotation and hope for opportunities for the youngsters.
Fixture:
Sunday 16th March, 13:30
Fulham Vs Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League
Available On:
Astro Premier League 2
Hub Premier 3
Optus Sport
Sky Sport 3 NZ
Result: 2-0
Rodrigo Muniz (78′)
R. Sessegnon (88′)
Match Report:
I don’t care what you say, only in ‘Ange World’ does a midfield of Bentancur, Bissouma and Gray make any sense. Gray has waited patiently all season for this opportunity and that’s his reward, being teamed up with those two numpties.
There was a time when we only got to see our 2nd string of players in Uefa cup matches, now it has reversed and we get to see them in the Premier league fixtures instead which tells you everything you need to know about our dire league position this season.
Once again we start with Mads and Bergvall on the bench in Kulus absence and once again it doesn’t work, surprise surprise! Of course the result hardly matters and we shouldn’t criticise him for squad rotation after everything that’s happened to the players this season. But I don’t think there’s any excuse for not playing a single creative midfielder, that’s just fu$%ing stupid!
Sure at half time Ange makes changes but when you start with such a lacklustre lineup you are chasing the game from the start. We went out with a negative team setup and consequently we got what we deserved from the game.
Was we unlucky with the penalty claim on the Bergvall tackle? Maybe we had a claim but didn’t Fulham have a claim in the first half?
Was it fate Sessegnon came on and scored Fulham’s second to seal the game? When we are relying on players like Davies in the back four you’re always going to concede sooner or later and let’s be honest, it was poor from Davies!
Clearly Van de Ven still isn’t 100% fit so I suspect we won’t be seeing him on the pitch again for another month! But what was more disappointing was the absence of young Mikey Moore who didn’t even make it on the bench. I don’t know if he was unavailable, maybe he had homework, I don’t know and am too fed up to even do my research.
But I would like to see these remaining Premier league games used to rotate the young players and continue the development of players like Moore because at the end of the day, it’s all about next season now and how much experience these players can gain between now and then.
Does Ange care about next season? I am guessing not, I expect he knows he’s got very slim chance of being at Spurs next season.
The commentary said the Spurs players looked jaded after Thursdays midweek game, yet only 3 of those outfield players had started In Thursdays game. The pundits may easily be fooled but the supporters know better. This wasn’t a jaded performance, this was just another sub par performance that was of no surprise to any of us.
Ange has been a very lucky boy this season, had it not been for ALL the injuries he wouldn’t be in a job still, I am sure of that! But his luck is running out and so are his excuses…what have we had so far…
I’ve had enough, bring back Ossie!
Entertainment Value: 4/10
Standout Players: No one stood out in this poor game but Romero was probably the key difference, once he left the pitch Fulham found space to score 2 goals (both from Romero’s side).
Preview:
They were the words of Ange following the defeat to AZ. If that’s the case we may as well give Bournemouth the points now!
Fixture:
Sunday 9th March, 14:00
Tottenham Hotspur Vs AFC Bournemouth
Premier League
Available On:
UK TV – Sky Sports Main Event
UK TV – Sky Sports Premier League
Astro Premier League 2
Bein Sports English 1
Optus Sport
Peacock Premium
SuperSport Premier League
Result: 2-2
M. Tavernier (42′)
Evanilson (65′)
P. Sarr (67′)
Son Heung-Min (84′ pen)
Match Report:
When you look at the lineup you know 2 things straight off.
With most players available for selection now we have quickly shifted from the excuse of injuries to “it’s where we are”. Yes mate, unfortunately we can all see where we are!
So kick off began:
20 Seconds…
It took Bournemouth all of about 20 seconds to see where we are, when Romero passed the ball straight to Evanilson and Vicario was forced into action pulling off a great save.
4th minute…
Just a few minutes later Bissouma loses possession in front of goal and Vicario pulls off a double save this time to keep the score level.
6th minute…
It’s not until the 6th minute when Spurs manage something half decent themselves as Spence plays a nice through pass for Odobert who has all the time to put a decent ball into the box. Unfortunately that’s as far as it gets!
14th minute…
When Johnson breaks away down the wing in the 14th minute there looks to be a real chance for Spurs as he uses his pace to get past his man. With no one in the box to fire in a cross Johnson tries to cut in and beat his man again on the inside but it all goes horribly wrong. Perhaps that’s why we never see him try this normally!
17th minute…
Johnson releases Porro who puts in the cross but it goes to the goalkeeper who parries it away and now a Bournemouth counter is on. Within moments Bournemouth were on the half way line with 3 against 3! With one quick pass that quickly materialises to Romero finding himself up against 2 men to defend. Romero does pretty much all he can do and brings down Kluivert on the edge of the box to stop the attack.
19th minute…
We lose possession on the half way line but this is only the start of more comical defending. When the ball goes all the way through to Vicario there looks to be no problem, right? Haha, in typical Angeball style, Vicario goes short to Romero which looks fine at first. Romero, with all the time in the world, decides to pass straight back to Vicario. Yes I Know, it makes no sense. Now Vicario is under pressure for absolutely no reason at all other than stupidity. Vicario just manages to scramble the ball away before being dispatched and now Bournemouth are on the attack again!
20th minute…
Spurs do manage to go on the counter themselves though with Bentancur breaking away. He brings the ball into the Bournemouth half and has Johnson and Porro available to him. Johnson cuts in and Porro goes on the overlap leaving a simple through pass for Bentancur to make. He fails to find anyone with the pass!
41st minute…
Spurs find themselves with all the space and time on the half way line and Porro has options ahead of him with 3 white shirts providing Spurs with opportunity to make a decent attack. Instead Porro passes direct to Bournemouth’s full back who now has all the space he needs to attack himself. With Porro out of position he is able to run down the wing unchallenged and by the time Porro gets anywhere near him he is already in a position to look for the cross. The cross is absolutely inch perfect, beating Danso and Spence. It’s a great cross and a nice finish from Tavernier.
1 nil to Bournemouth!
44th minute…
But if things couldn’t get more comical one of my favourite moments was when Bissouma picks up the ball in Bournemouth’s half but his first time touch is so poor he somehow dribbles the wrong way with the ball, back to his own half. Eventually losing possession on the half way line he is forced to bring down the Bournemouth player to stop yet another self inflicted Bournemouth attack. Bissouma receives a yellow card for his efforts. For this I am awarding Bissouma with “funniest moment of the match”! Well done mate.
HALF TIME…
Ange makes 2 changes with Bergvall and Son replacing Bissouma and Johnson. Bissouma was having a stinker of a game and I would say he looks like a player that has lost interest in either playing for Ange or playing for Spurs altogether.
Something I have also noticed about Anges peculiar team selections is the fact that he has picked on more than one occasion Bergvall and Maddison to play together in an away fixture, when I would expect us to start with a more reserved midfield. He did this against AZ and I even recall him doing it against Galatasaray back in November when Bergvall had next to no experience. We lost that game course.
Yet here we are in a home fixture against Bournemouth and with Kulu out injured, we find both Mads and Bergvall starting on the bench. Make sense of that if you can! I don’t understand how a midfield consisting of Bentancur, Bissouma and Sarr makes any sense at all for a home game when we have those 2 players available for selection.
51st minute…
Bournemouth go on the attack again and Kluivert has miles of space to run into, he puts it away with ease. But the linesman’s flag goes up and there is an offside at the start of the play. We’ll take it! We are at home to Bournemouth and we are hanging in lol.
54th minute…
Now it’s Spurs turn to form an attack and Bentancur finds Sarr who moves it quickly onto Sonny. In this position you know there’s only one thing on Sons mind and that’s curl it into the far corner. He makes some space to get the shot away and it looks close! It brushes the post and it’s just wide.
61st minute…
After an hour of play I was beginning to think another 1 nil defeat would be a good result for us here. After all this is where we are! Not even the introduction of VDV and Mads gave me any optimism for a better result. But with Mads and Bergvall both on the pitch the midfield was beginning to resemble a midfield at least.
63rd minute…
Mads and Bergvall link up with Spence and Sonny down the left flank, Mads makes a nice one-two into the box. Sarr comes into the box late and is wide open for the shot, he looks certain to score. Unfortunately the shot that followed resembled something I would expect to see at your local pub team. He completely scuffs his shot and the ball goes a mile wide.
65th minute…
Moments later Bournemouth are on the attack again and an easy pass through releases Evanilson who calmly slots it away with a chip over Vicario. This time the linesman’s flag stays down.
It’s 2 nil to Bournemouth!
66th minute…
When Son lays it across to Bergvall there doesn’t appear to be much on and that’s maybe what Bergvall was thinking because he cracks it from 30 yards catching everyone off guard. The goalie looks beat, but it rattles the post! Fabulous effort though.
67th minute…
When Sarr picks up the ball on the half way line we have 3 white shirts going forward with him. A through pass to Odobert looks the obvious choice but instead he decides to cross it into the box with only Solanke in the box! Incredibly, the cross is so far off the mark it finds the back of the net. A superb strike lol but the lack of celebration tells us all we need to know about that attempt.
It’s now 1-2 to Bournemouth.
69th minute…
More self-inflicted pressure at the back after a slow back pass from Bergvall and Vicario scrambles back to save his blushes.
73rd minute…
Bournemouth, you guessed it, attack again. 3 versus 2 so it’s the standard defending setup from Spurs. Bournemouth break into the box with ease and get away the shot. This time Vicario can only watch as it hits the post! Don’t know how but somehow we are still hanging in!
82nd minute…
Ok so we have highlighted just how many times Spurs try to play out from the back and put themselves under this self inflicted pressure and quite often even concede a goal! Well this time it actually works so lets enjoy it!
Vicario plays it out to VDV, who finds Son and quickly plays it off to Spence. Spence plays a simple pass to Mads and now we are in Bournemouth’s half. Mads plays a quick through pass releasing Sonny who has continued his run. Son gets into the box and the goalie makes the decision to come out but Son beats him to the ball. It’s a Penalty!
Crazy moments from Kepa but we don’t mind, Sonny can bring us level:) With a low in confidence Son stepping up I have to say I was a bit nervous but wow, it’s a cheeky one as he just ‘dinks’ it into an open net with Kepa diving to his left. That just rubs salt into the goalie’s wounds, I love it!
It’s 2-2, don’t ask me how!
Final minutes…
With 5 minutes remaining, Spurs have available both Scarlett and Tel on the bench for a final substitution but instead Ange opts to bring on defender Udogie. That probably sums up the feelings towards this unexpected draw. So two-all it finished as incredible as it seems.
Did we deserve it? Not a chance.
Will this give the team confidence before Thursday’s big game? I doubt it!
Are we near the end of this whacky experiment ? I really hope so:)
Fixture:
Wednesday 26th February, 19:30
Tottenham Hotspur Vs Manchester City
Premier League
Available On:
UK TV – TNT Sports
Optus Sport
Peacock Premium
Result: 0-1 (Manchester City Win)
E. Haaland (12′)
Match Report:
Looking at the lineup I cant say it gave me much confidence. With Kulu on the bench, Spence dropped for Porro and Udogie, Gray back in centre half position and a front line that was teaming up for the first time.
It almost felt like Ange had looked at the coming fixtures and thought bollox, lets not bother with this one! I am guessing that Ange was hoping a quicker front three would be more of a threat on the counter in a fixture we always expect to be open. And of course, it was!
It didn’t take long for City to score with a goal coming from very little effort on there part to be honest. Dans-no was so far out of position you would have thought he was playing striker in those opening minutes. When Danso does finally get back he is caught out completely ball watching and nowhere near his man who ultimately sticks it in the back of the net unchallenged. To be fair its an improvement on last weeks game when Danso was sat on the floor for the Ipswich goal.
If that wasn’t enough of a concern, Porro was getting run ragged by Doku and it made me wonder how Spence would be managing against him? After half an hour we could be three goals down with one way traffic offering no way out for Spurs. How City had not scored more at this point is incredible and the only question to ask was can we hold onto this 1 nil loss til half time!
Both Porro and Udogie were struggling down the flanks and Danso was resigned to wrestling his man down to the ground to stop City’s relentless attacks. It was poor, but not a surprise. After all we weren’t playing Ipswich or Brentford, this is a top 4 side and despite City’s struggles it was clear which side was in the top half of the league table.
Something had to change because City were being allowed to play how they wanted and Doku was given so much space you could have got a jumbo jet down that side. Despite this, we know from watching City this season if you put them under enough pressure they can crumble. A bit like Spurs lol.
After half an hour of attacking from City they looked to be finally taking a breather and a couple of fouls provided free kicks in some useful positions for Spurs which provided some half chances, but at the very least eased the pressure off the Spurs defenders. Minutes later we did it!! The half time whistle went and we were only a goal down, that was a positive for the first half.
No changes at half time but Spurs did come out looking a bit more lively. With Bentancur struggling with the pace, Bergvall still learning his trade (I don’t think he’s being played to his strengths but who is in this system), the reliance was on Mads to produce some magic in that midfield which had been largely overrun in the first half. But for every positive play we managed, City looked equally dangerous on the attack too.
However it was Spurs who made the best chance to score with Porro putting in a low cross in the 55th minute and Odobert looked a certain on the far post to find the equaliser. The chance was missed but Spurs were growing into the game. As Spurs grew in confidence City looked more willing to sit back and try hold onto the one nil lead. Not like the City of old but we weren’t complaining as the pressure mounted on City now.
On the hour mark Spurs made 4 changes with Spence, Kulu, Sarr and Son all coming on. Spence made an instant impact creating a great chance for Sarr but another chance felt wasted as he scuffed his shot wide. It was one way traffic in our favour with corner after corner and with City happy to sit back, it felt like we still had a chance of rescuing a point at least.
Despite such an open game and chances coming our way, nothing was ever clinical enough in the final third growing to frustration amongst players and fans! With only ten minutes remaining it was clear Ange was ready to throw in the towel as Timo came on for one final roll of the dice.
Johnson made a couple of excellent runs down the right and although his first cross went behind Kulu, the second cross finds Son who forces a save from goalkeeper Ederson. That was the chance! Spence looked a constant threat, Kulu was trying to make a nuisance of himself but time was running out. Now 4 minutes into injury time Haaland scores but there appears to be a handball? The referee rules the goal out and despite some VAR confusion the decision is no goal!
Before City could even digest what was going on Spurs were quick to go straight up to the other end only for Sarr to head over the bar from just a few yards out. It could have been 2 nil, it could have been 1-1, it finished 1 nil. Confusion at the end with VAR but it looked like handball in my opinion and made no difference to the end result.
Did we deserve a draw? Probably not as City sat back for most of the second half and we were still unable to find a way past a struggling defensive unit. But what is for sure is the damage that was done in the first half hour of the game.
Ange Postecoglou said after the game, “In the second half we dominated in all the areas but missed a goal to get something out of the game.”
Yes mate! We dominated a team that was happy to sit back and win the game. Yes mate, we didn’t score and we lost, he’s learning the rules at least:)
A defeat for Spurs but at this stage of the season it really doesn’t matter in terms of our position. What does matter is getting more players back from injury and finding some consistent form that’s been lacking for the last 2 seasons.
I’m not optimistic at this stage. Time for Change? Somebody call the A-Team!
Fixture…
Saturday 22nd February, 15:00
Ipswich Town Vs Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League
Available On…
Optus Sport
USA Network HD
Result: 1-4 (Tottenham Win)
B. Johnson (18′, 26′)
O. Hutchinson (36′)
D. Spence (77′)
D. Kulusevski (84′)
Match Report:
Despite the disappointment of 2 cup exits in February Tottenham have managed to record 3 consecutive victories in the Premier League, moving them safely away from any relegation threat.
Playing at Portman Road, Ipswich came out swinging early on and could have gone 2 or 3 goals up very quickly had it not been for a goal line save, a shot off the crossbar and some quick reactions from Vicario. But it was Brennan Johnson who continued his goal scoring form this season as he bagged a brace giving Spurs an unusual 2 nil lead after only 26 minutes. Of course this did not last, not even till half time as Hutchinson pulling one back for Ipswich following some very poor defending. Spurs simply switched off, something we are all too familiar with.
It was a lifeline for Ipswich and it meant for some very nervous defending in the second half. At times it looked like we wanted to throw it away with Ipswich becoming more dominant again, a complete breakdown in the Spurs shape and a lack of activity on the sideline gave to concern. Nevertheless we managed to weather the storm, perhaps fortunate Ipswich lacked any real firepower to trouble even a less than impressive defensive display.
With less than 20 minutes on the clock Spurs woke up and it was last week’s man of the match Djed Spence who found the back of the net giving Spurs that vital 2 goal margin. That seemed to take the wind out of any Ipswich comeback hopes and after Dane Scarlett headed the ball on, Kulusevski curled in a wonderful goal into the bottom corner in off the post. A 1-4 victory probably flattered us a bit and there’s no doubt this is a Spurs team that is still not firing on all cylinders just yet.
It’s been a difficult month but a victory against Man city would be a nice way to end it. With players returning from injury we are going into the final few months of the season with the hope of a single trophy now, Uefa cup glory in Bilbao! However if you listen to Ange’s recent interviews you can see that is not where the focus lies, like all the previous managers at Spurs he has been well drilled and priority for the board remains climbing the league table to ensure future European qualification next season. This is why the cabinet is empty!
Fixture…
Sunday 16th February, 16:30
Tottenham Hotspur Vs Man Utd
Premier League
Available On…
UK TV – Sky Sports Main Event
UK TV – Sky Sports Premier League
Optus Sport
SuperSport Premier League
Result: 1-0 (Tottenham Win)
J. Maddison (13′)
Match Report…
The return of some key Spurs players proved to be the difference today in what was an important win between two giant clubs uncharacteristically scrapping for points at the bottom of the table.
It was one of those performances where you can interpret how you want, if you are a glass half full person you will look at the chances we created and say we could have won by more. However if you are more on the half empty side of things then you will have seen the gaping wide holes at the back and the chances Utd created without any great difficulty.
I’m trying to be fair and appreciate both opinions but you can’t ignore the fact we were up against a side struggling so much they are even below us in the table following that result. In Ruben Amorim’s post match interview he was asked about the result and his answer was clear, “they scored and we didn’t”. It may sound like stating the obvious but he is right, both teams had chances but only one was clinical on the day.
Don’t get me wrong, it was huge to get the three points and great to do the double over Utd this season (triple with the cup), but they are a struggling Utd side, with injuries of their own and a manager under even more pressure than Ange right now! You could spend all day dissecting Utd’s problems, their ageing midfielder Casemiro and defender Maguire, and striker Garnacho who obviously hasn’t been to specsavers.
Despite their struggles, Utd were still able to create far too many chances against us and had it not been for some heroic goalkeeping from Vicario, it could have been a different story. Nevertheless we have to acknowledge the flip side and when we had the ball, we did look dangerous, creating our share of opportunities as well.
Maddison was in the right place at the right time to silence his critics, who correct me if I’m wrong may have been aimed at Roy Keane the gob s£@te who in all fairness needs putting in his place! Djed Spence received the Man of the Match award and I don’t think too many people will argue with that one but it was the return of Vicario and Maddison that made the difference in my opinion in this close encounter.
Of course there was further positive news with Johnson, Odobert and Udogie all returning from injury and available on the bench. Whatever you may think of these players, the fact is we need them to bolster the squad, especially if we wish to dream of the impossible!
Fixture…
Sunday 2nd February, 14:00
Brentford Vs Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League
Available On…
UK TV – Sky Sports Main Event
UK TV – Sky Sports Premier League
Bein Sports English 2
Optus Sport
More Info…
connect@spursonline.net
Result: 0-2 (Tottenham Win)
V. Janelt (29′ og)
P. Sarr (87′)
Match Report…
With Dragusin now out injured and Van de Ven too unfit to manage another game this week, it meant Davies partnered Gray in the middle with Porro and Spence at full back.
Bergvall was also rested and instead Ange opted for the 2 holding midfielders of Bissouma and Bentancur. This reshape gave Spurs a much better base to control the game from the back and be patient with building up their attacks. Going forward we lacked a bit of creativity with only Kulu offering support to the forwards Moore, Sonny and Richi.
Nevertheless the team looked controlled and it was Spurs that were able to open the scoring on the 29th minute when another curling corner from Sonny found the back of the net via an own goal from Janelt. Slightly fortunate perhaps but we must be due a bit of luck and I don’t have any sympathy for a defender who’s not got his eyes on the ball when the ball is sent into the box. That’s modern defending for you 🙂
Moore was also unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty after great work from Richi allowed Moore to get through on goal, but the referee decided two hands directly in the back of Moore sending him crashing to the floor was a completely legal and acceptable challenge. That’s the modern game for you 🙂
I almost expected Spurs to fall asleep and concede before half time but we were able to hold onto our 1 nil lead. A half time substitute saw Bergvall come on for Moore which probably made sense allowing for a stronger midfield to help maintain control of the game.
Brentford attempted to apply pressure and managed over 30 crosses but the Spurs players never seemed panicked. On 68 minutes, Bissouma who looked steady in that holding position was replaced by Sarr, whilst Scarlett was also given another substitute appearance when he came on to replace Richi. Scarlett couldn’t add to that magical moment on Thursday evening but Sarr got in on the action instead with a nice counter goal and a wonderful through pass from Sonny.
It capped off a professional performance and an important win to stop the rot. Before the game Jamie Carragher had predicted Tottenham would lose the match by 2 or 3 goals so it was good to see the lads prove him wrong! The win takes Spurs up to 14th and with 2 wins and 2 clean sheets, this was just what the players needed before that season defining semi final against Liverpool this Thursday.
COYS!!
