Spurs Online

Tag: premierleague

  • Training Exercise

    Training Exercise

    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…

    • The players don’t play enough (last season).
    • The players are over played! (this season).
    • We cannot cope with injuries.
    • The players have fatigue.
    • It’s just where are are!
    • And in Fulham’s post match interview he even used the WIND as an excuse I shit you not!

    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).

  • “Last night was a reflection of where we are”.

    “Last night was a reflection of where we are”.

    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.

    1. Ange has absolutely no interest in using Gray in midfield and is delusional if he thinks the likes of Danso and Bissouma should be picked ahead of anyone let alone Gray.
    2. With Kulu out injured and Mads and Bergvall on the bench we were going to lack any creativity from the midfield.

    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:)

  • It’s only City!

    It’s only City!

    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!

  • Roll on the Tractor Boys

    Roll on the Tractor Boys

    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!

  • Battle of the Minds!

    Battle of the Minds!

    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!

  • New month, fresh start?

    New month, fresh start?

    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!!

  • Its a Must Win!

    Its a Must Win!

    Fixture…

    Sunday 26th January, 14:00

    Tottenham Hotspur Vs Leicester City

    Premier League

    Available On…

    Optus Sport 3

    Bein Sports English 1

    Astro Supersport 2

    Hub Premier 1

    SuperSport Premier League

    More Info…

    connect@spursonline.net

    Result: 1-2 (Leicester Win)

    Richarlison (33′)

    J. Vardy (46′)

    B. El Khannouss (50′)

    Match Report…

    Well I said it was a must win but I didn’t say it would be easy. When is it ever easy with us?  As expected, it was a tough relegation fight with little separating the teams in the first half, but for a touch of extra class up front for Spurs to edge the battle. 

    In the 33rd minute a wonderful cross from Porro allowed Richi to head in from close range for a 1-0 lead. Spurs looked for a second goal and Son was unfortunate not to score when hitting the bar from the edge of the box.

    The second half kicked off and it was yet another classic Spurs example of us switching off, losing the intensity in our game and allowing Leicester a free pass in front of goal. With just a minute on the clock Vardy scored with his 10th goal against Spurs. Moments later Porro hadn’t learnt his lesson and gifted Leicester a second goal with the sort of poor passing we have become accustomed to all too much under Ange. In a blink of an eye we find ourselves 2-1 down purely through our own stupidity. 

    Let’s face it, if a team is struggling, they want to come to Spurs, if a striker can’t buy a goal, they want to come to our stadium. We’ve seen it time and time again so it was no surprise to see Spurs crumble this way in the second half.

    The Spurs players looked shell shocked with a “here we go again” feeling echoing around the stadium. We are playing a side that has only scored 2 goals in their last 7 Premier matches and have lost all 7 of those matches. Here we are 2-1 down looking rather desperate now to salvage even a draw from this game.

    Ange made some changes and on comes Moore for Richi and Reguillon for Sarr, allowing Gray to move into midfield. Spurs push forward and chances are created, Porro hits the bar and then wastes a second opportunity when he selfishly goes for goal himself. 

    With the clock ticking it’s hard to see how this Spurs team can find their way back into this game and it looks to be another day Spurs regret not being more clinical with their earlier chances when the game could have been killed off. Have Spurs ever killed a game off? I’m not sure that’s even in Spurs vocabulary!

    With just 15 minutes remaining it’s all Tottenham but they cannot break down this Leicester defence showing a lack of quality in the final third. As the minutes painfully count down, Spurs efforts look only more desperate and the writing is on the wall. We are looking at a home defeat against a struggling relegation team whose manager looks more clueless than Ange, or perhaps not.

    Spurs continue to attack in all fairness and corner after corner the balls are swung in but without Richi on the pitch it’s hard to see where any header is going to come from at this point. Leicester are happy to do what Spurs should have done when taking the lead, they defend deep with numbers and it’s going to take something special to break them down now.

    4 minutes into injury time and Ange decides to bring on Lankshear. His actions seem as desperate and hopeless as the atmosphere within the stadium. Not for the first time this season Spurs have been their own worst enemy and have thrown away another lead that will only ask more questions of what the hell is going on at this club?

    Fair play to the loyal Spurs fans who keep turning up to support the team, week in week out. Going to home matches in that beautiful stadium must feel a bit like being told you are going to be picked up in a limo for your wedding only to discover Mr. Magoo is behind the wheel.

    1 win in 12 Premier games now, it is what it is as Ange would say.  What are you doing Levy? You are aware it’s January? Do something before it’s too late! We may be 90 minutes away from a cup final but we’re also just 8 points above the relegation spots.

    I’m sure if Ange was put in charge of a school team they could do very well, they might even win something in their second season, but this is the Premier league and he is completely out of his depth with his lack of tactical knowledge. Sooner or later Ange has to go and Mr Levy will have to concede he has made another almighty error of judgment in his managerial recruitment.

    It wasn’t that long ago Ange would complain our poor results were down to a lack of game time due to no European football. Now Ange tells us the poor results are down to the players being tired. Personally I have heard enough of the excuses.

    Sean from “Spurstalkshow” summed it up well this week when he said “I think there’s 3 teams in the league worse than us”.

    Well, one of those sides just beat us! That’s about all we can say on this current Spurs form.


  • London Derby Awaits

    London Derby Awaits

    Fixture…

    Wednesday 15th January, 20:00

    Arsenal Vs Tottenham Hotspur

    Premier League

    Available On…

    UK TV – TNT Sports 1

    More Info…

    connect@spursonline.net

    Result: 2-1 (Arsenal Win)

    Son Heung-Min (25′)

    D. Solanke (40′ og)

    L. Trossard (44′)

    Match Report…

    The less said about this result the better but seriously, what can we say. Losing to Arsenal 2-1 at the Emirates stadium is no shock and by the scoreline you might even say it was a close one. But unfortunately the reality is this scoreline flatters us to say the least. If I was to sum it up in one word, it would be ‘embarrassing’.

    Rio Ferdinand compared Spurs’ performance to an under-18 game and if you ask me, I think he was being generous there. It was an absolute shambles from start to finish. With the exceptions of Gray and Bergvall no Spurs player can really hold their head up and say they performed on this evening.  Gray is benefiting hugely from this run of games showing grit and composure whilst Bergvall tried to make things happen although nothing to get over excited about.

    With complete disorganisation throughout the team you have to question the teams tactics and of course the Ange ball which clearly lacks to such a level that even 5th tier Tamworth had him sussed! I know there will be some loyal fans out there keen to defend Ange once again and blame the result on injuries, fatigue, or the players themselves. But as far as I am concerned the players can only perform to their potential if they are set up correctly in the first place and that’s down to the coach.

    Starting the game in midfield was Bissouma, Sarr and Bergvall which raised questions immediately. Why was Maddison dropped to the bench again? Does he have an injury? Is he no longer able to compete in two matches in a week? It seemed crazy to drop him for such a big game if there is not an issue with his fitness and whilst Bergvall does not lack confidence, he does lack experience. With other key players already unavailable it makes only sense to have your experienced players like Mads starting such a big game. You would think?

    At half time he made two changes to that midfield, acknowledging it clearly wasn’t working. Sarr was absent for the entire half so it was no surprise to see him benched but it was a surprise to see Bissouma taken off too. With Maddison and Johnson being the replacements it meant Ange had decided to play the entire second half without a single holding midfielder on the pitch.

    Correct me if I am wrong but I don’t know a single football formation that doesn’t require some sort of defensive midfielder, at least one to stop the midfield from being overrun. Well I didn’t at least before Ange ball came along. Now I am all for attacking football and we all wish we could play like the classic ‘Brazil’ teams of old but our players simply are not good enough for this way of football.

    The second half kicked off and immediately you knew it was going to be wide open. Sure it offered some end to end football but Arsenal never really looked in trouble and I am sure they are asking themselves how they failed to add to the scoreline, with 48 touches inside the Spurs box. Had it not been for some frantic defending I am sure we were looking at a real hammering.

    I was full of praise for new goalie Kinsky after the first couple of matches but his Premier League debut was one to forget. Kinsky should have done better with the second goal and he seems to have quickly embraced the Kamikaze way of football at Spurs with some crazy ball skills of his own.

    In defence Dragusin continues to unimpress, clearly out of his depth with the pace of the Premier League leaving 18 year old Gray to hold the fort once again. Our so-called inverted full backs were ineffective and even after the substitutions the midfield was in scatters, making it far too easy for Arsenal to run riot. Up front we had a struggling Son who got caught on the ball far too many times and Solanke failed to make any impact against the likes of ‘man of the match’ Gabriel. Kulu, like a lot of the players, was probably guilty of over trying and making mistakes with poor passes and over dribbling. The only positive from the game was the return of Richiarlison who at least offers us another option upfront if he can stay fit for more than one game.

    I don’t like to criticise players for lack of effort as I believe for the most part they are doing their best in what are very difficult conditions. You can see as the games progress the players are looking more desperate to make something happen but they are clearly lacking in confidence and you are wondering how many of them are now questioning Ange ball.

    For me the blame has to lie with the coaches who prepare these players. After another dismal performance Anges job is hanging in the balance more than ever and it is no longer an if, but just a when. The only thing that’s stopping the inevitable is that second leg in the semi final. Will Levy set a new record and sack a second coach before a cup final ? We may soon find out.