Spurs 2 Fulham 0 - We still 4th then?
Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 10:36AM Spurs 2 Fulham 0
I wasn't at the game yesterday evening. Instead, it was spent on the sofa quietly celebrating a birthday drink in the company of a very pregnant Mrs Spooky and a bottle of twenty three year old Guatemalan rum. Comfortable and snug. Much like Tottenham's display against Fulham. You got the feeling early on that as long as we broke the deadlock, we'd win. And win we did. Unlike the build up of tension in prior home games where we failed to break down the opposition, there was enough patience with our play to stop any concerns and over-stating our effort.
Huddlestone back in the starting line-up as expected, King in for Bassong and Niko (out due to illness) replaced by David Bentley. The sight of David had one of my eyebrows reaching out for the top of my head like the glory days of The Rock in the WWE. Can you smell what the Bentley is cooking? How many of you facepalmed when you clocked he was in the starting line-up? I've seen rocking horse shit more times than I've seen him run out for us this season. But credit where it's due. The lad rolled his sleeves up and worked hard. No glam, no Hollywood passing, no tricks and showboats. He just got on with it. Controlled steering, firmly on the road, not a lamp post to be seen.
Okay, so the side wasn't swashbuckling but when we've struggled to put other lesser sides to bed, to get the all important first goal and then push on from there was vital. More so when you look behind to see that Liverpool drew a blank. We lost concentration late on, but Fulham hardly looked convincing. If anything, questions about our cutting edge remains evident. As a side note, Gudjohnson? Not totally convinced, mainly because I haven't seen him recently. Based on the player he was - hell yeah. What's his motivation? If he ends up at West Ham, we'll know the answer to that particular question. Anyways...
Highlights for me -
Huddlestone and Palacios. Both of them did plenty of running. Hudd especially looking good on his return. Once more you hope he can one day soon dominate the midfield against one of the Prem's stronger sides. Ah, its' the rum talking I know. Wilson did his job perfectly, winning tackles and easing the pressure. Both of them had free passes in the middle of the park.
King. As comfortable as I was sat on my sofa scratching my backside. For all the criticism that has been quietly whispered about him, he's still top drawer when called upon. Essential for the likes of Bassong to have him around. Be it, part-time. Corluka equally impressive. Dawson not quite at the level he was a few weeks back, confidence perhaps a little dented still with recent blemishes lingering in his mind. Banish them Michael and keep on smiling.
As for our keeper, can't help but love him. Even if he cries like a girl. Drama queen he is, but he's looking consistent and commanding.
Our Gareth is resembling a Cheshire cat rather than a gloomy ape-boy this morning. Started and finished the game - and tasted victory (in the Prem) for the first time in around 23 games. The perfect illustration of how confidence is imperative to a young footballers development. We shagged it up big time first time round, rushing him into the side (I think on his return from a knock), and having him playing alongside shambolic more experienced players that did little to aid him or the team as a whole. Desperately unlucky and almost ruined (it's the Tottenham yoof way), compounded by the fact that we insisted on starting him regardless. He's now in a far better team and his performances continue to impress because he's free to express himself far more. Another MOTM performance (shared with Moddle), made easier by the lack of defensive questions asked of him. Although I'd like to see him improve with his decision making at the back along with his positioning. In time. Let's not forget his age and let's try not to pressure the lad too much.
Modric was buzzing. Crafting, creating with his quick feet, always looking to set the tempo and make something happen. Superb assist. Still not at that devastating level he's capable of, but he's getting closer with each game. He just looks so good on the ball. Brilliant faint and shot, shame it didn't go in. Keep on repeating it...he makes us tick.
And as for the very much maligned Bentley. Minimum fuss, as mentioned already. He buckled down and worked for the team. For someone watching from the sidelines for so long, he performed admirably, much like Roman did against Leeds. Not sure what's wrong with Krancjar (not had a chance to read much yet this morning). Conspiracy theorists amongst you might be scratching your chins and wondering if Harry is sticking him in the window in time for the panic-button final days before it shuts. I'm happy he scored, even if it was via a deflection.
Crouch linked up well with the midfield. Note that hoofing the ball up to him was not the tactic taken every waking second of the game. Took his goal well too. Defoe had another quiet night. Team is winning, so no I'm not going to complain. He's in a lull, he'll came out of it soon. He's got 14 already this season. Plenty time for more. And off the field personal issues might be causing his mind to wonder a little.
Keane was on too late to make any sort of mark on the game. I did have a strange dream last night involving Robbie. He was on a ladder cleaning windows, arms flapping in all directions in that pointy shouty iconic way we grew to love. He hardly even complains nowadays. I want angry Orish footballer back.
The rum was magical as ever.
Easy going evening. We needed to win. We did more than enough to deserve it.
COYS
Reader Comments (28)
Cheers Spooky! Nice post.
playing bentley on the right was clearly a better option than playing niko....the team had balance and a good shape, unlike the debacles against pool and leeds. I'm not a massive bentley fan but i would much rather see him playing on the right than kranjcar. The team looks much more confident and balanced. Hope thisa shows to people that you CANNOT have modric and kranjcar in the same team (if 4-4-2). Also, Hudds return was a massive bonus. Really cant understand why some fans are against him so much. Actually i can, its because there are a lot of clueless tarados out there!
Bale played well but still he needs to get better defensively, and i dont feel terribly comfortable with him and modric on the left flak defensively. BAE please come back. Though Bale wil lclearly give us quality depoth at LB and will also be an option at left wing.
Dawson is showing his error proneness. would much ratehr see bassong and king at CB. dawson is a disaster waiting to happen. As for defoe, he has proved that when he is not scoring, he does absolutely NOTHING!!! He was a joke last night, wasnt even moving off the ball or looking to receive it.
Overrated players - Dawson, Bale, Defoe, Kranjcar
Underrated players - Corluka, Bassong, Huddlestone
Bent > Defoe
agree with the first part of the 2nd post - Bale was a superb outlet going forward, him and Lennon firing on either side would be frightening for opposition defences. Bentley did improve the balance of the side but it was noticeable how reluctant he was to try and beat the full back and get a cross in from behind his man instead of turning back inside sometimes slowing the momentum of moves. Maybe its unfair as obviously im comparin him to Lennon. Good to see Hudd back and some of Wilson's challenges were a joy to see!
Felt we looked for the long ball (especially Dawson) a little too much for my liking but a comfortable win and still 4th, happy days.
Controlled it last night, all a bit too easy and when Fulham did string a few passes together they hardly threatened. Happy with the three points. Excellent result by Wolves to add to the glee.
Bentley still looks average to me. Wasn't a fast paced game so his lack of speed wasn't evident. Might have played intelligently and I know he's hardly figured but once Lennon is back he'll be back out of the side. It will happen when Niko is fit too. He's got to be moved on.
Gudjohnson? Thanks but no thanks.
SPOOKYS HAVING A BABY????
Congrats mate. You're an army of two now.
bentley might have looked average, but its better to have an average player playing in his correct position than having a good player playing out of position
Liverpool dropping two points made my night. Feb/March is where our season is won or lost.
Easy stroll against a very average Fulham side with no bite in the middle and no edge up front. They did have injury absentees and Zamora came off carrying his arm, not literally obviously, so didn't think he was quite ready. He spent most of the night pushing opponents in the back. I counted at least five fouls.
If you want a rampaging attacking full back like Bale you have yo adapt your cover to reap the benefits. He can't be in two places at once and his attacking flair is too valuable to discard.
Modric is a class above everyone and that soft shoe shuffle to set up the chance for himself would have been my goal of the season if it had gone in.
Bentley rarely takes on the full back as he doesnt have the pace to beat them. One or two flashes of pointless showboating but generally a decent performance. Dead balkl kicking was good and he does give us balance.
Thats two sinners saved from the fires of hell in two games. Praises be to the lord.
Quite like the idea of Modric drifing from the left and Bentley chucking killer crosses in from the right for Crouchy. Gives the opposition plenty to think about.
It's difficult to see Bentley staying in the team once Lennon especially as Aaron gives us real cutting edge (sadly missed in the last few games). This season has seen him improve his crossing and become a more complete right-winger. I'd like to think that Danny Rose with gradual exposure to the first team can show similar signs of improvement. We would devastate teams with that kind of pace rampaging down both wings.
Special mention to Wilson who looks to have slowly got his form back and broke play down beautifully in the middle and was even able to get forward. The partnership with Hudd looks impressive at times and it fills me with joy seeing Tom high up the pitch closing opposition defenders down and putting pressue on them.
We're not quite Barcelona yet, but I think the pre-season game against them has really got Harry thinking that is the way he'd like to play. They style and swagger suits us - we just need it consistently.
the pasing and link up play on he play, especially on the left, going forward was sublime at times last night. Its a pleasure to watch Tottenham really play football and get in to gear like that. I just wish they could be more consistent.
I also felt much more comfortable with Charlie covering the back. The combination of Hutton and Bale bombing forward and failing to cover at the back made for some jangled nerves for the two game we had before last night.
MOTM in my opinion: Luka Moddle.
Peace Cup? A proud moment for us all!
Chrisman - Dawson, Bale, Defoe, Kranjcar are overrated players. Behave yourself.
Defoe has scored 14.
Dawson (aside from an error or 2 agains leeds & Pool) is a very consistent and solid player who puts his head in where it hurts, the likes of which we have missed on many occasions for many years.
Bale, not overrated since people have been slating his appearance in the team, aside from the last few games where he has finally got a good run out and is playing fantastic.
Kranjcar! How can a player bought for 2.5million in todays market be overrated based upon what the guy has done for us already this year. If he hung up his boots for the rest of the season, it would have still been money well spent.
Aside from this, Spurs were solid - looked very good at times - Modric + Bale going forward was great. Dawson + King solid - Hudd knocked it about well - Wilson..........done his thing.
This same line up can turn over Birmingham this saturday, i am sure of it.
COYS.
CEJ - let me explain myself. ok Defoe, yes he has scored 14 goals this season. But so has Darren Bent. And is he the be all and end all? No. Being a striker is not just about scoring goals. Look at van nistelrooy for man u. Scored 25 goals a season, brilliant poacher, but fergie knew he was too much of a goal hanger type. So he sells him, then man u win the league for the next 3 years. Defoe cannot pass, he cant hold it up...and basically when hes not scoring, hes a passenger. for me the jury is still out on him. One good half season doesnt mask the years of complacency and arrogance. I think he is a talented player, but ultimately one who will never fulfil his full potential, because he is too selfish and belligerent.
Dawson - yes i know he makes fans get moist around the croth, in the 'put his head where it hurts' type of way. But he is error prone. And not as good as Bassong. He even contrived to make a sucession of bad errors yesterday. He was at fault for the goal v liverpool, and for goal v leeds. but he could make errors like that every game and still ppl would love him as he 'looks like hes trying really hard'. I know you all like to love him, because ultimately you feel you can relate to him. But no. should not be first choice.
Bale - 2 good games going forward. one stuypid error v leeds that (along with dawsons) cost us the win. When we actualy see him have to do some defending, then we can say what a great player he is. But already ppl are saying he should be in the team ahead of BAE!!! er no. He has done ok, and is stil learning. lets not fool ourselves into thinking hes cracked it.
Niko - overrated because a vast majority of fans would have put him in the team ahead of bentley. yeah hes prob on better form, but he is not a 'wide' player. You cant just showhorn as many of your best players into the line up and expect them to sort themselves out. And also hius strength in the tackle makes modric look like roy keane. hes had hald a dozen or so good games. lets not start proclaiming him as an all time great just yet, eh.
Chrisman, I hope you're wrong about Dawson as he's just signed up until 2015.
Sadly, I think you might be right about Defoe. An excellent goal scorer on his day...
showhorn
Tbh, im getting a little moist in the croth myself. Chrisman you say, referring to Niko, that you cannot "showhorn" all of your best players in to the team (in reference to Niko, calling him one of our best players) but then also call him overrated. Right. And hes "hald" more good games this season then Bentley you clown. Do us all a favour and fuck off back down your hole mmk? And learn some English while you're down there.....
happy birthday, spooky
Chrisman - honestly, the leeds & liverpool result were not the fault of Bale & Dawson - yes they made errors that led to goals, but lets be fair, Leeds should have been dead and buried by then by the entire 11 spurs players on the field & quite frankly against the bindippers the whole team once again was shite including Arry - not just Bale & dawson (You did watch the games right?)
Bale is not overrated, just showing some REAL potential and hence people are finally getting excited about him - good for the club hey?.............................or in your eyes i guess not.
Get behind your players, so what is we get overly excited, who gives a fuck - COYS!!!!!
Thank god the Hudd is back.
Who would have thought that at the beginning of the season
So much more solid with him in the team
ryman - i genuinely feel pity for someone who gets himself so worked over typos. seek help
btw spooky. I watch two teams. the other being Barca and we dont want Gudjohnsen. He is old and has hardly played in the last three years.
Its funny how we judge some players on a handful of games and decide they are not good enough ( PAV, GIO, BENTLEY) and yet others are given longer to shine and sometimes eventually come good.
Gomes early performances were a disaster and it would have been understandable had we sold him.
After bright starts to their careers at WHL, Dawson and Lennon had poorish seasons and there were some who suggested they should be sold with Dawson being described as not good enough and Lennon a one trick pony with plenty of pace but little ability.
Bale was another who started well, but following his return from injury, his performances dipped and quite a few of us wanted him out.
It appears he is regaining form, fitness and confidence and I believe he could become a fantastic player for us.
I know his critics say he is poor defensively and his positional sense needs improving but the fact remains he is only 20 and has plenty of time to improve these aspects of his game.
The last promising left back to have these complaints made against him when he was young was Ashley Cole.
Hate to say it, but he has not turned out to be too shabby.
I would say Bale is already better than him in attack and his pace and workrate ( he must cover miles during a game, still attacking and over lapping in the last minutes of a match) mean that if we can sort out his defensive frailities, he could become an absolute star. I guess the key is patience.
Worried we have not yet strengthened the squad. I believe we were inactive in the January window in the lasagnegate season and I hope the lack of activity now does not come back to bite us.
Not sure where Gudjonsen fits in if we get him, but Defoe appears out of sorts which is a worry, as we have no natural replacement.
look you guys,we one the midfield battle because sidewinder jenas was not playing.Id have any player in the middle than jenas, as ive said before he is our weakest link, time for him to go.
just got back from London , we weren't super strong but did a decent job ... annual trip to the lane has gone and i cant wait to come back ...
the midfield was strong defensively but the passing from Wilson and Hudd was a bit under par IMO