Worst. Defending. Ever.
Saturday, October 31, 2009 at 2:32PM Embarrassing. Three goals that were all birthed from Tottenham mistakes. If it isn't hard enough defending against their players on any given day, gifting them goals is the type of irony that laughs in your face then slaps your backside as you walk away with your head down, shaking, and asking yourself....why?
I was naive to ever believe that we could get something out of this game with Modric, Lennon and Defoe missing. Although for 42 minutes my original hope looked to be justified. Although the signs were there. Little tenacity and hunger to 'get in their faces'. We were containing them. Frustrating them. But that's not enough and too much of a risk. Which it proved to be the case when RvP beat King to make it one from a cross and then 11 seconds from the kick-off, a comedy of apologetic defending, allowed Sylar to dart through nothingness to make it two. All topped up (in the second half) by Gomes and King mixing it like a shit pub dj who's had too much booze to make it a despairing 3-0.
Arsenal don't have to perform above and beyond to beat us if we're going to pull our panties down and bend over for them. All lubed up, purring.
Fabregas about to rip the head off Tottenham...
Shame on them. Five stages of grief at the ready then.
So where did it go wrong? Apart from the on pitch suicide?
Tactically, although we needed a game plan (they pass the ball quicker, keep it better in possession and carry it around the pitch with intent and purpose) we don't have the outlet of Modric or Lennon, which left us with very little other than to attempt a quick break or a long ball up to Crouch. It was probably enough to keep us in the game until very late on. But the pre-half time collapse saw an end to that little dream. So whatever the strategy was, it wasn't enough. Playing pound-for-pound would have been equally suicidal (because of the missing player), but I'm not going to dwell on that excuse. We had players who could do a job. Or maybe that's where it actually went wrong. We 'thought' we had players who could do a job.
No pace. In mind and feet. No chance.
It wasn't enough to just go there and sit back and live dangerously. No blood and thunder. More like fluffy feathered pillows and a hot cup of coco.
Roll on next weekend. And if the Gods didn't think this was enough, shock horror, we've got United away in the cup.
Wonderful.
Reader Comments (153)
At least we ended with 10 men on the pitch!
What a bollocks afternoon. I'd prefer Arsenal to beat us by their own means and not pick us off from gift-wrapped presents by men in white.
When is Modric back?
Hard luck boys. What happened to King today? He was off key by miles. You lot look clueless against top opposition without someone like Luka or Lennon. You had little direction.
See you next year.
top 4 my arse Lol
jenas leave my club
keane leave my club
ekotto leave my club
bassong from a team that is relegated... leave my club
bentley leave my club
hudd lose sum weight then leave my club
crouch stay on the bench
king retire ur leg is broken in half
lennon life sum weights
defoe grown up and stop biting people on the pitch
King terrible, palacios diabolical, crouch pathetic , keane somehow mr undroppable and david benltey mr flick to no one wish I could punch him in the face. Fair play arsenal lesson taught well now lets have pav a defoe next week
Crouch starting is an issue. They try to hit his head and...
1) They miss.
2) He heads it vaguely in the direction of a Spurs player.
3) He hopefully flicks it on towards goal.
It's not his fault, but you just can't start with him.
STILL, GOOD NEWS IS THAT its not away to Arsenal that matters. Ask Man United - last year they couldnt buy a win against the Top 4.
IT'S THE OTHER 90 POINTS ON OFFER PLAYING THE REST WHICH ARE IMPORTANT!!!
HAVE YOU SEEN HOW GOOD WE ARE ON THE PLAYSTATION???
GOMES
ASSOU-EKOTTO
WOODGATE
BASSONG
CORLUKA
LENNON
PALACIOS
MODRIC
KRANCJAR
KEANE
DEFOE
If we could get them on the pitch, that's a team!
Pav can fuck off back to Russia IMO, any time he's given a chance he jogs around the pitch doing fuck all. At least Bentley tries, Pav clearly doesnt want to be here anymore.
It's time to start thinking about Ledley. Nobody can play all the time without training and he was quite shit today.
Talks cheap.
Maybe next time your boss and skipper will let their football do the talking rather than running their mouth all week.
missing:
Lennon --- walcott
Modric--- nasri
Defoe -- eduardo not match fit. vela injured.
No excuses fellas.
If you're gonna talk the talk, the make sure you walk the walk or else you'll look like mugs.,
Bloody hell spooks. Did you have that written up before the final whistle? Don't blame you mate. Get it out the way and look forward to next weekend.
pav is amazing player when he score hatricks for russia we never played him.. why ?
now we expect him to be as good as he was couple months ago......... hes leaving i dont care if he is shit
jenas is shit so it keane and hudd and left back and bssong and corluka and crouch
when do we want top 4 in 20 years time ???????????????
Daniel. The talk is nothing more than kidology mate. We hate it. Well I do. Its obvious Arsenal are not the team they were 5 years ago and if you get in there and stick your foot on the ball you have a fairly open game. But you seem to think comparing those players to our missing ones is some how an equaliser. You have better quality through out the side and you have a team - even though its in a state of flux - it still plays the same brand of football that Wenger has had you playing for over a decade. If you take out 3 big players from the Spurs line-up, all we can do is hope. There is not enough there. So yeah, egg on face of Keane and his big mouth, but nobody gives a shit about the pre match bollocks anyway.
Daniel said:
Lennon --- walcott
Modric--- nasri
Defoe -- eduardo not match fit. vela injured.
-
Oh do fuck off mate.
Crouch starting is an issue. They try to hit his head and...
1) They miss.
2) He heads it vaguely in the direction of a Spurs player.
3) He hopefully flicks it on towards goal.
It's not his fault, but you just can't start with him.
STILL, GOOD NEWS IS THAT its not away to Arsenal that matters. Ask Man United - last year they couldnt buy a win against the Top 4.
IT'S THE OTHER 90 POINTS ON OFFER PLAYING THE REST WHICH ARE IMPORTANT!!!
HAVE YOU SEEN HOW GOOD WE ARE ON THE PLAYSTATION???
GOMES
ASSOU-EKOTTO
WOODGATE
BASSONG
CORLUKA
LENNON
PALACIOS
MODRIC
KRANCJAR
KEANE
DEFOE
If we could get them on the pitch, that's a team!
As for the Woolwich Wanderers, f**k 'em, we'll get 'em next time! :)
Happy Halloween! That was x-rated.
No mental strength yet again. I thought we would lose by two goals before a ball was even kicked, Can’t believe we didn't even score. Our defence is so poor we have conceded so many goals already this season. The simple fact is we are not good enough. A couple of injuries and the midfield is so average, we must sell and buy better players. All of their goals were like watching a pub team trying to defend. (The second one surely has to make the show you’ve been framed) Crazy not starting with Nico to provide at least a little balance in the middle but this was a game that Spurs were always going to lose with three key players missing. I can understand fans thinking we were going to win but inside did they really believe we would? No win in 65 away games I hear against the top four.....
We need to get back to beating the teams below us, that win against Stoke still hurts! If we do that and get beaten in games like this we would still finish in a high league position.
Never mind they have all pocketed about half a million pounds as a team today!!!!! Don’t let it ruin your weekend!
spooky, i know we have injuries, but Harry's got the lineup wrong. He has to take some responsibility in this. The defence didn't do too badly given the relentless waves of Arsenal attack. Gomes was actually very decent: The problem was midfield.
Huddlestone: incredibily cumbersome on the ball, no defensive attributes, slow and generally blunt attacking
Keane: how long before he stops starting? terrible in first half, wondered about all over but certaintly didn't give crouchy any support up front. And the few times he latched onto something? Imagine Defoe in those situations, would have certainly tested the keeper more. Keane looks old, wearied, greying; its not going right in his life, and we've all got to stop pretending - the man hasn't got a future at spurs, and shouldn't be our captain.
As soon as Bale and Pav were on, though we lacked possession, when we got the ball we looked far far more threatening.
Yes, we're a different outfit with lenon, modric, defoe
but krancjar, bale, pav are a far better supporting tier than huddlestone and keane.
and as for krancjar----why on earth didn't he start!?
as for bently--- has ample foolish moments, but let me say this, he was far more creative/interesting, and had more to offer than hudd.
BAE----had a bad game. his crossing was poor, and Corluka was good but unsure without lenon in front of him.
Redknapp has to take some blame here, has to. The man has rejuvinated our club, but that shouldn't make him invulnerbale to criticism.
starting 11
Gomes
Corluka King Bassong BAE
Bently Palacios Krancjar or Jenas Bale
Pav Crouch
Anyone agree?
why not take a risk, and play that team harry?
and something like this would be my fully fit 11, not totally relevant, but anyway:
Gomes
Corluka King Woodgate BAE
Lenon Palacios Modric Krancjar
Defoe Crouch
With Jenas, Pav, Bale, Bently as interesting alternatives on the Bench.
After the game in February Keano was "happy with a point" (while Roman said a draw against Arsenal was like a defeat for him). Wonder whether this time Robbie is happy it didn't end 5:0...
were you watching the match? the defence played well (except for the second goal) it was the rest of the team that didnt even try to play.
all the midfield did was play a few nice passes then hit a long ball to crouch, which he didnt win because although he may be tall he is no drogba and any strong centreback can and will muscle him out of it.
the midfeild made no attempt to play football (same as when we plated united), it was almost like watching watford at times.
the defence looked stretched at times because everytime we got possession we3 hit a long ball and gave it back to them- show me a defence in the world that wouldnt stuggle agains arsenal if you give them the ball so freely.
i like peter crouch but against the big teams we can not play him if the rest of team instantly reverts to long ball.
jenas is very weak.... he cant pass.... he cant shield the ball....... he cant cross a ball....... he cant take on a defender....... hes slow........ hes shit...... we bought him from newcastle because he was a flop there he is a flop here yet spurs fans still go on about how he is the best midfielder... harry likes him i have no idea why......... keane is undroppable and he left spurs for glory..... kings carrier is finished. bassong was bought from a relegated club..... ekotto has always been crap.... thudd to fat and slow....... and crouch is not mobile.... defoe likes to hurt people on the ground and smashes the ball at goalies..... darren bent was once of my fav luk at him now...... i loved mendes playin for rangers now,,,,,,,,, and we still need to replace berbastrop and carrick
simple we have the money 5th richest club in the league, break the wage u pussysssss.
were you watching the match? the defence played well (except for the second goal) it was the rest of the team that didnt even try to play.
--
Yes I watched it. Three mistakes. That's all I was highlighting.And its not just the defence that defends, right?
Daniel said:
Lennon --- walcott
Modric--- nasri
Defoe -- eduardo not match fit. vela injured.
-
General Brickhouse said oh do fuck off mate
he maybe be wrong with the 3rd one but the other two are fair especially when you consider that rosicky wasnt playing either and anyway it's defoe's own fault that he wasnt playing today .
Shock Horror!!!! Ah! Well, it’s Halloween! We’ll get them at the lane, when the boys r back….
King unfortunately is past it. He can get away with it against rubbish but against a top 4 team he offers nothing. All 3 goals down to him. Pav must go, he didn't look like he wanted to be on the pitch. As for the rest, for 40 minutes we were frustrating them well, but then our poor left back let and captain fell asleep and let them cross it. How many golas has that idiot at left back cost us this season?
One positive at least we had an englishmen playing
I'll make the comment here too; enjoy that thrashing Spuds. Hope you can continue to fend for a spot in the top six, not top four. Looks like in terms of "managerial prowess" and quality you are still second best in North London. Mugs, Up the Gunners!
Sad to say king is now a liability. Why keane was brought back after walking away from the club is a mystery. He's not worth his place in the team. Crouch is a useful player to have on the bench but he shouldn't have started today. If you compare jenas and huddlestone with their opposites in the arsenal team you can understand it's rubbish to talk of us as a top four team. Having said that we desperately missed lennon, defoe and madric.
ha ha ha ha ha !!!!! not surprised at all spurs second rate club,second rate team, second rate fans put back in their place .i am still unhappy bcoz eduardo could had a hatrick and including other chances the biggest club in london should have won atleast 5-0,i know now spuds will come up with second rate excuses but common chaps ur main rivals r westham think about them and stop licking our asses ,ha ha ha poor tootynham spuds always in arsneal shadow ha ha ha ha ha ha !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Thanks for the BNP comment, Neil; well done and nice spelling you genius.
Don't worry about the Arse fans, guys. Mor important that we get the points off the rest!
HOISTED ON HIS OWN PETARD. FOOL THAT I AM!
There's letters seal'd: and my two schoolfellows,
Whom I will trust as I will adders fang'd,
They bear the mandate; they must sweep my way
And marshal me to knavery. Let it work;
For 'tis the sport to have the enginer
Hoist with his own petar; and 't shall go hard
But I will delve one yard below their mines
And blow them at the moon: O, 'tis most sweet,
When in one line two crafts directly meet.
Hamlet. William Shakespeare.
(Shakespeare's probable off-color pun "hoist with his own petar", i.e., flatulate, as reason for the spelling "petar" rather than "petard".)
Or perhaps a bit of Richard the turd would be more pertinent!
Sunderland 2-0 down and Liverpool losing... still 4th so far! :D
Our record against the top 4
3-1 v Utd
3-0 v Chelsea
3-0 v Arsenal
Harry needs to review.
"Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
"Twilight of the Idols", p.1. NIETZSCHE.
spurs what a joke of club ,no class at all. u were thrased and were lucky to b only beaten 3-0 ,atleast west ham got a point against them ,and look at u ha ha ha keane talks about squad strength, better wake up ur squad not even better than us and yes we got more englishmen and talented ones than urs.
Hey Oops
1) We beat Liverpool - well, I guess we are top 4, not them - so I'll give you that.
2) Man United couldn't buy a win against the TOP 4 last season. Its the 90 points in the other games that win you the league.
Get your tits out, Vicky
Looks like it's not Arsenal we need to aim for.
Liverpool. Keep ahead of them and we might be laughing after all...
Just think how much better our midfield would be with Arshavin! We should have coughed up the extra couple of million. I think every Spurs fan would take him over Slow Hud and JJ who plays about ten good games a season! Harry must learn from this defeat and try and find two midfielders to replace these two. Apparantly we turned down Vermaelen too! Wow! We must have good defence....? Wait a minute we don't!!!! I think Harry should sack his advisors! He was told he was a left-back!
Man United in the cup (AWAY) what a rotten Halloween for Spurs. Nevermind Harry has still done a great job. That is something we can't complain about though I'm sure a few idiots will.
huddlestone was absolute shit today. we all know he can't run, but f*ck me, he couldn't even pass the ball 5 yards and find a white shirt. have yet to see him play well in a big game.
FUCKING GOONER CUNTSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
I wish I could go back in time and behead that fucking bastard henry norris - you can beat us as much as you like anal but you know your corrupt evil fucking bastards.
i believe spurs will b never a top or cream club like arsenal ,manu or liverpool u may reach at level of chelsea with money but when was last time spurs were title challengers probably half a century ago so spurs as a club dont have mentality or stature to b or in future a real big club ,spurs fall in same category as newcastle ,everton, villa i.e a stepping stone club.u may not like but it is the truth.u will think i am gooner but i am not.
i thought you guys were supposed to be the best fans in london? some of your comments are absolutely hilarious. i like how about 40% of you have ripped into every single player on your books. robbie keane should have kept his dumb little mouth shut before the game...because although your bench and squad is filled with good players, it's still weaker than arsenal's. how i loved the irony of good ol' robbie being subbed.
all of you twats who think the answer is to go out and spend more money are living in retardo land. that is all you have done for the past decade....kept buying and buying and buying. don't you realise that this is your downfall? without continuity you won't be getting anywhere near the champions league anytime soon. your squad has potential. nurture gareth bale. don't forget how young aaron lennon is. you MUST bring through adel taarabt. i genuinely think he is going to be one of the best players in the world one day,...and i am saying this as an arsenal fan.
even you guys must think david bentley is a cunt though....lol.
the best comment on the blog goes to this man:
"HAVE YOU SEEN HOW GOOD WE ARE ON THE PLAYSTATION???"
haha!
There is always the chance of a take-over Jazzy!... ;-) Chelsea, Man City....(Though we are the 4th highest spending club since the PL began. Unforutnately during this time we have had so many Managers to make it count.
When was the last time anyone other than the Sky Sports Top 4 challenged? What's your point? We all know football is a bitch. Do you expect us not to give it a go?
Typical Arsenal twats who think (much like Sky) there are no clubs outside the 'top 4' and nothing else matters.
Yeah, Jizzy, Arse*al are definitely a cream club.
LENNON-PALACIOS-MODRIC-KRANCJAR
Huddlestone's time is short.
lol@spurs
You do know we are in the same position as practically the entire league, right? We are not the only ones who go through managers at a silly rate. Its what happens when the gap is so wide, you lose the battle with patience.
The berk who said Spurs have no class. You West Ham then?