Spurs 1 WBA 0 - Another one-nil, another three points
Saturday, May 2, 2009 at 11:34PM What a pulsating 45 minutes. Exhilarating stuff. Had me on the edge of my seat, salivating. I was truly memorised. But enough about my journey home from the game sat opposite a gorgeous twenty-something brunette with eyes that would melt the heavens. A couple of hours earlier I found myself witnessing a frustrating afternoon’s football in our penultimate home game of the season.
It was an awkward, average, lacklustre performance. Little movement, plenty of backs to the ball moments. But still good enough to see off WBA who for all their attempted efforts to play tidy looking football lacked any punch and only had chances when we were more than inclined to allow them to bypass our defence. They did come close to scoring on more than one occassion. Thankfully Gomes (and the woodwork) was on top form to help us to a 6th successive home clean sheet (boring or what?).
This is the type of game (against a club fighting for its top flight life) that could have been tricky and although we were not exactly on-song, we were not exactly under any real prolonged threat. Team cohesion was a mess at the best of times. But to win, 1-0, and not play great is something I will quite happily take. Although during the course of the game I did find myself momentarily infected by the despondency and knee-jerking that was spreading around WHL faster than swine flu in a Mexican pig farm. Shame on me.
Pav started up front with Robbie Keane and it seems that with Darren Bent out and possibly on his way out, we have a new recruit to the School of the Much Maligned. In parts, he did ok. Not £14M’s worth of ok. But still ok. He holds up the ball, shields it and lays it off very well. Perfect foil for a player of Defoe’s ilk. It’s a shame JD was on the bench for most of it.
Pav does still struggle when he has time and has to aim and shoot at goal. As the chap next to me (he's a paragon of soundbites which I'm happy to plagiarise) pointed out - why does Jenas not have a crack anymore when it comes to free-kicks? We all know it’s one of the things he’s pretty useful at. Pav’s effort was poor considering the gap in the wall that was begging for a toe-poke thunderbolt. Our Russian star also had another effort ballooned over. But at least he gave it a go and I know we are all hoping that the excuses concerning the fact he is rusty/injured/tired prove to be the case when we see a fully refreshed Roman blitz the Prem next season.
Robbie Keane on the other hand needs to spend 90 minutes on the bench as he’s lost a little fire from the belly. Although kudos to his undeniable method-acting abilities, showed off when an awful first touch saw the ball leave the field of play by about 5 inches but still we all had to endure Robbie giving us all a confused look, surveying all before him pondering how and why the throw was given to the opposition. Marvellous disassociation.
Did you hear the booing when Roman was subbed late on for Defoe and the follow-up song in support of the Russian? Seems one or two would have preferred to see Robbie Keane taken off. Moody atmosphere all round today, with loads of complaints and shrugs of disappointment. We had below par performances from some of the players, but ffs, get a grip. It happens.
Talking of which, Keano was out done by a virtuoso humdinger by Corluka who at one point in the second half seemed to waddle* forward like an escapee from a fat farm. Damn it, I just can’t help being hypocritical. I’m conflicted. Still, he did charge forward in the first half, laying off a pass that Jenas lapped up for our goal. And that's all that matters, right?
Out of interest, feel free to contact me if you have a clue why Pascal Chimbonda was re-signed. Honestly, if you have photographic evidence that he’s actually still in the country I’m willing to pay a tidy sum for it. Someone emailed me a photo of a man in a bar in Goa who might or might not be Pascal. Need something more conclusive tbh.
Another player who had an off-day was BAE. Ok, that’s unfair. He recovered after a shabby first half, but not to the standard he’s spoilt us with in recent months. Not quite an off-day, more like a half-day. But it’s all forgivable because it was against a WBA who really had to win and give it their all. We let them push forward with intent too often. And it didn't help that our players got in each other’s way (almost colliding on occasions), but we created enough chances to win the game by a far greater margin. But like most home games in recent months, 1-0 will do.
I would have much preferred us to swagger and swoon around the pitch giving the fans and our special guests (Mackay, Jones, Smith and co) something to crow about at the final whistle. It’s forgivable because if it was a quality side we might have suffered. But then against quality sides we tend to up the tempo by default.
Even so the game did have its moments and there were some great touches and moments of vision, just not polished enough with the final ball. Modric was (rub your eyes and scratch your head!) a little off-key with some of his passing, but was still one of our better players. Lennon was menacing. Once (if) he gets his composure sorted in front of goal, he’s going to be some player. I hope the club can see the potential in Aaron and goal-scoring. He could easily get us 15 or more if he learns when to shoot and where to aim. He can score, we’ve seen him place some wonderful shots, but he seems to suffer a little when he has to much time to think about where exactly he needs to place the ball.
Well done to that man Gomes and his reflexes. Couple of belting saves. Worst keeper in the Prem ever, hey Hansen?
Palacios was the man though, blink and you see him on the right, blink again and he's over on the left. He was practically everywhere, biting and niggling away, winning tackles. He showed the type of tenacity the rest of the side should have had. Wilson also knows when to commit yellow-card fouls that benefit the team, although it’s a dangerous game to play. But I’m not complaining. No really, three points another clean sheet. I’ll take this for now as we continue to push forward after half a season spent walking backwards.
The goal that won it was the first effort that was placed with precision and pace towards goal. JJ the man of the moment. JD also scored in the second half, but it was deemed offside. Which it wasn’t. Which was a shame.
As for Jenas, it was another one of those Marmite days out for him. He's still a curious conundrum that remains unsolved.
WBA now look doomed. And with City (superior goal difference) and West Ham winning, and Wigan and Fulham still in the mix – I don’t think 7th will happen based on the final three games of the season. Think West Ham will make it. We’ll have to all move to Mars if that happen.
/rolls eyes so hard they pop out of my head.
Additional: My Spurs/Barca double won through. What a game at the Bernabeu. Madrid spanked out of the title race by a stunning away day decimation from the Catalans. Liquid football.
*Stolen from the chap who stands next to me
Reader Comments (15)
Though Albion were plucky and showed some adventure in attack. We never stepped up from first gear but like you say, don't think they had us under any real pressure. Comfortable, as comfortable as 1-0's can be. With the aid of Gomes.
Keane got some hefty stick from the lads in front of me in the East Stand today. Think a lot of his work goes unappreciated since he returned from his loan spell at Liverpool.
Lennon should have, could have had a couple today. No commentary on Woodgate? I thought he looked out of sorts. But then I'm basing that on a couple of mistakes he made. Don't think him and Ledders had much to do at the back.
Some of our fans are impatient c*nts at the best of times. The continued abuse aimed at the likes of Jenas (HE SCORED THE WINNER FFS) is the bane of my afternoon. Modern day fans need a slap.
I'm a Pav fan, and from the sounds of it so is most of White Hart Lane. Really do believe he is tired. I know the scum are having a purple patch with Arshavin leading the assists table and scoring goals but think he's arrived in England knowing the language and without niggly injury concerns. Pav will fit into a Sheringham type role, maybe not as creative as Teddy but someone who can hold up the ball and release it to the likes of Aaron and Defoe. Does have to sort out his shooting from distance or on the run. He's fine infront of goal, poaching but seems to strike the ball into row z way way too often. That's not down to injury, so it's my only concern.
Real/Barca was insane. Shocking defending from the home side but can't take much away from Barca and the way they play football. Messi is incredible. Hope they do over Chelsea, but I fear their narrow pitch and fuck off boring tactics will cause the catalans a problem. Barcas defence is not that great so might end up a whoever scores more competition rather than someone sneaking it 1-0.
Great looking blog, love the thoughts and prayers random bit. Cheeky.
No Bentley again? You'd think even Bale would get a game now we are safe.
Not the best of days at the old Lane.Always felt like the players were lux and not on the same level when thinking. Think it's season over in their heads now.
Lovely goal by Jenas but other than that we may as well have a tumbleweed out there (ok, a bit of a contradictory statement considering his goal won us the game but it's not as if Bent's goals make him the new Jimmy Greaves is it?). Check out The Guardian's online Chalkboards for this game and compare the, uh, tackles of our dynamic box-to-box midfield general to those made by our lightweight attacking midfielders Modric and Lennon. It's embarrassing.
Otherwise I thought Assou-Ekotto had a decent enough game, Modric, despite having a bit of an off day, was still a nuisance, Wilson an absolute beast and Ledley bossed it at the back despite having a knee held together by string and brown paper. Oh, and Gomez. All hail The Octopus!
http://futureculture2009.blogspot.com/
And that's relevant how exactly?
JJ to Inter? More lazy journalism. Churning out old news because they can't even think of anything new to print.
I believe Lennon is beginning to mature, just in time, too. It helps having that mongrel Palacios out there as well. Agree on comment about Pavs and our dear Teddy. I like to think of a backline next fall w/ Hutton Corluka Woody +1. Let's finish on the up Spurs!
forget about Jenas. moral cowardice at its finest. scores against derby, wigan and west brom. that would be fine if he did anything else, but he doesn't. i don't see why fans keep making excuses for him. anyone would be better.
even something crazy like robbie in the middle. surley he would get more possession than jenas, and he may even pass the ball forward. crazy idea i know. (that's only a very poor example, before anyone jumps down my neck) every time jenas has a half decent game for us (by his standards) he starts talking about England or even Inter. Whay can't he concentrate on the team that has shown faith in him when no-one else did. Even Fat Frank looks poor for England and he's a far better player. Also, why does jenas always put his hands out when he has the ball, as if to say "why is no-one making the runs?". another way of shifting the blame for a backwards pass off himself.