Well that wasn't how I expected things to pan out
Wednesday, February 23, 2011 at 1:36PM War cry back in your box. We've got the hiccups again, although by all accounts the performance illustrated that lady luck will look the other way if there isn't a world class forward up top to serenade her. Didn't peel the tangerines. Got three chucked hard and painfully to our mid drift.
How many clear cut chances did we have? A lot. Lack of defending and naivety in pushing up in numbers (come on Spurs, we know we're more than capable of being patient and mature) allowed for the sucker punches that ended any possibility of a win whilst a reconstruction of the Alamo played out the other end. So I'm told, via text messages and a brief phone call.
I was (yesterday late afternoon/all evening/all night) experiencing my own misery, on my death bed with a virus so potent, you could have stuck it in Lilywhite in a forward position and watched the opposition tremble with the runs. On my death bed indeed. Should have known something was wrong when I woke up to find Harry Redknapp alongside me.
I guess I need to admit defeat. The only way is the hard way is the Tottenham way. To think we can make it easier for ourselves was/is an incorrect assumption that simply can not co-exist in this particular universe. We function best when obstacles (self-made usually) remain directly ahead of us. When a miracle is required.
We've had a great set of results, and it's come to an abrupt end. It wont matter if we bounce back in the next game. We're likely to go on another run. At least, you hope we will. That's what happened after the Everton loss. Another defeat (following a defeat) and it suddenly all becomes that much harder. At some point it will be a loss too many. But something tells me we'll be fine.
Faith. Doesn't tend to disappoint. Our players on the other hand. But hey, just a bad day at the office, right? Right?
So, over to you now. This is a DIY match report. It will be easy to knee-jerk so I'm hoping you won't. But then I'm sure some of you will. Looking forward to reading your write-ups, player ratings and conclusions when I next get out of bed.
Reader Comments (42)
Sounds like Chirpy has resorted to biological warfare to get his own back. Get well soon.
And FWIW I thought Gallas had his worst performance in a Spurs shirt, Modric was deployed a bit too deep and quite a lot of credit goes to Blackpool for pressing well, getting tight and putting their bodies on the line. On another night we'd have had two goals by halftime - Lennon nearly got his toe on a (Palacios) defense-splitting pass around 40 mins for example. Pav put himself about and looked to be trying but just isn't sharp enough - there's no substitute for match practice but he should have done better with some of his crosses and really ought to have scored with his free header.
Campbell was offside for their 2nd too.
A lot of people need to calm down. A bad result yes, but you'd have taken 9 points from the last 4 games (3 away from home). Yes Defoe played poorly and our finishing let us down, but its a freak result. On another day we'd have won by 5 or 6. It happens. We literatlly should have score 5 or 6 times in the 20 mins either side of HT. It isnt like we were outplayed - quite the contrary in fact.
What annoys me is that we are conceding goals because we have no defenders left.: fact. Walker, Naughton, Caulker et al should not be on loan. Its a fking farce that we have to play out best CB as a right back, when we employ more RBs than any other cliub on earth. Even worse that Bassong has to play. Its all very well pointing the finger at Defoe (the new Keane in the eyes of some fans it seems), but Bassong has featured in every fucking farce this season. YB away, Inter away, Bolton away, Fulham in the cup and now last night. You can throw Sunderland away at the end of last year into that mix too. He is a fucking joke - a total liability. He simply cannot play again - he guarantees a heavy defeat
Played like mugs at key moments. Any other day we'd have won by clear four goals.
What Paul said. We have problems and they were exposed. Worried about Bassong. Not sure why he always seems at odds with himself at the back when he does play. Very worrying that.
Personally I think Bassong's alright, although there's no denying he was very poor last night..
Gallas at right back meant we had no pace to overlap Lennon, like Hutton and occasionally Charlie does (abeit not with pace).
Wilson was pretty anonymous, would've quite liked to see Sandro at some point as he's looked pretty solid defensively in the few games I've seen of him. Defoe was again a shambles, I don't know what's happened to him lately but 0 goals in 18/19 premiership appearances for a striker says it all.
However, I feel we had a strong penalty shout with their handball and the foul on Modric, and their second goal was definitely offside. But i'm not making excuses...
Been a Spurs fan for 30 years and I'm now at my wits end about Defoe....never scored more than 20 league goals in a season, hasn't hit a single one this year, can't remember him ever scoring against any big teams and always always get's in the team as soon as Harry can shoe horn him in, I love Harry dont get me wrong, but the whole way he has his favourites is killing our season (in the league), if Pav had played the games Jermaine had played he'd have way over 10 league goals.....even if he does seem lazy and doesn't put himself about as much, what he does have is an eye for a goal and yes, he does score against the big boys too, remember the lovely one against Chelsea, would Jermaine EVER score a goal like that, no way!
Playing stupid Levy games on deadline day is going to backfire on us bigtime, how the hell did we not buy a striker in January?!?!
If we want to improve ourselves we have to analyse all our games in order to pinpoint our mistakes and shortcomings and try to correct them. This is the natural way of making things better. The factors which play a significant role in yesterday's defeat were the (continued) inability of our strikers to score, the (repeatedly during all season) serious mistakes made by our defenders (mainly Bassong, BAE and Dawson since Hutton didn't play yesterday), the bad luck and the poor arbitration. Generally talking we shouldn't forget that the lack of winner's mentality among most Spurs players is the main reason why Spurs on one hand can win against big teams and on the other can lose to low level teams. A player with a strong personality wants and tries to win every game he participates while players without a winner's mentality need every time a special motivation to perform well. Football is been played by humans and humans have (different) qualities. The level of the qualities of the players of a team determines and reflects the level of that team.
I wonder if Redknapp still thinks Defoe will win the golden boot this season. Bench him now!
And WTF was Bassong doing? The player was taking the ball away from the goal and like some sort of horny clown, he bundles into the back of him - fucking idiot!
We surrended 3rd and 4th place last night. If we cant contain teams like Blackpool, what chance have we got against L'pool, Citeh, and Chelski, all away games, games we need to win if we want CL footbal next season.
Awful result, Harry can harp on about missed chances in the 2nd half but someone needs to tell him that a football match is 90 minutes long! We are consistently rubbish in the first 20 minutes of games.
Defoe, time for him to go, be saying it for years now, he has never been good enough (closing your eyes and kicking the ball as hard as you can does not make you a good finisher!)
Bassong/Dawson, please do not play them together again, they are both limited unless Gallas/King/Woodgate is there to settle them
Pienaar, Shooting practice badly needed!
Positives, Modric, Jenas played well when he came on and Pav who I thought was very good (though could have scored earlier), his movement, link and hold up play was excellent, loved seeing him drop deep to bridge the gap between midf & attack, maybe Defoe can learn that good movement isn't standing offside hoping the linesman doesn't see you!
Harry, time to play our best team every game, 7 days was more than enough rest so no Milan hangover excuses please
1882 - I agree with all of your post except the part about Pav. I think he puts himself about to most: always drops a tiny bit deeper to help link up play, isn't afraid to shoot from the edge of the area, doesn't just run blindly at defenders and instead will play it to a winger or someone else to once again try breaking down the defensive door against him. Sure he is infuriating (the fact he isn't scared of shooting from the edge of the area doesn't mean he always scores them!) but I believe he offers us more in workrate than Defoe and Crouch. I do like Defoe but there comes a point where a goalless striker needs to be dropped while one who can score, as Pav has shown, should be given a decent run in the team.
Bassong looked lost last night and gave away a poor penalty. Palacios also looked in way over his head, I was just counting the seconds before he committed his first foul... and his second... and his third.... I wasn't impressed with Harry dropping Sandro for him as I believe Sandro has a lot more to his game than Palacios and executes the DMF role a lot better. Regardless of whether or not the 2nd goal was offside, Huerelho "Let's Just Punch It Out" Gomes was woefully static when the cross floated tantalisingly close him and so I believe some blame should lay with him for that.
That said, however, it did just seem like Lady Luck wasn't smiling on us last night which was certainly a shame! Should've got an out-and-out striker either last summer or in January (especially once we saw our current crop misfiring so badly) and this could definitely be something that could come back to bite us on the arse.
And why on earth is Kyle Walker still on loan?! Do we not have an option to recall him as he would slot right in! Missing Kaboul and Hudd too.
And now Andros Townsend returns to Spurs! Perhaps a step in the right direction considering the impact he had in the game against Charlton (let's hope Harry is thinking of employing him the league)... now let's roll on the Kyle Walker recall...
1882 - "what chance against the big teams?" Every chance, as we have proved consistently in the last 2 years. Last night was an aberration, caused by incredible luck for Blackpool, an injury crisis at the back for us, and simple bad finishing. It wasnt like Wigan at home or Everton away, where frankly the best team won on both occassions. We were clearly the better team last night - laughably so at time. It was just one of those nights. So dont overreact with bollox like "we lost 3rd and 4th place last night". The season is 38 games long. Did City lose 3rd and 4th when they lost to Wolves? Did Utd lose the title when they lost to Wolves? Did Arsenal lose 2nd place when they lost at home to West Brom? Freak results happen, but over 38 games, they ever themselves out.
Thats not to say I think we'll finish top 4. I think its a long shot - regardless of last nights result. But we remain well placed to give it a fking good go (as long as Bassong doesnt play)!
So in short, stop overreacting like a fat tart who thinks her cake has been stolen
The last league goal Defoe scored from open play was March 13th 2010 against Blackburn.
In fact since January 1st 2008, (3 years plus) he has only scored 16 league goals.
Just checked these stats and think they are correct, if so, that's bloody criminal.
Bassong's turning into a right pair of clownshoes. Very disappointing.
Singer - and 5 of those would have come in one game against Wigan! Or you could say 6 were scored against Wigan by him over 2 matches - that leaves 10 goals against all the other teams he had come against since January 1st 2008! Like I said earlier, I like him but he isn't turning in the goods anymore.
So how long do we wait for JD to rediscovery his touch in front of goal?
Paul F your a plonker, where in my post did I mention "what chance against a big teams"?!
Learn to read then post you pleb!
My gripe was about Defoe not scoring and never scoring more than 20 league goals a season and Harry having his favourites, read what I said and try understand it next time!
Simple fact is this, if our Chairmen didn't play the Transfer window deadline game like he always does and then make bids of over £30 mil+ for strikers with hours left to go, which were all rejected by everyone and again making us a laughing stock. We should have identified the striker we wanted before the window opened and then made a bid (serious bid) and got him in to the squad the first week of the transfer window (ala Dzeko at City), I really don't think we'd be having these problems now, cos the bottomg line is this, if all our strikers had just scored an extra 5 goals each, I reckon we'd be CHALLENGING for the title right now!!!
What Ossie said.
And the corn rows back please.
1882 - I agree with you there; if we had a striker who could turn in 15 goals this season as opposed to the 8 or so amassed between our 3 current strikers, then I reckon we would either 2nd or pushing very very close for 2nd. Granted you cannot predict which games those 15 goals would have come in (the same could have been said for last season - instead of beating Wigan 9-1 I would've preferred a 2-1 win with the extra 7 goals being scored in other matches giving us more points overall. Sadly things don't work out like that!) but I'm certain that a striker who could score that many this season for us would have won us an extra 9 points or so with his goals alone. That would put us 1 point behind Man Utd. And before anyone blasts me for this, I will reiterate that this is speculative thinking, though not far-fetched.
Ramon Vega stole my shoes...
N14 Spur,
Another 3 of those goals scored by the flat track bully were in a game against the mighty Hull.
Too small, too weak and too stupid. No where near good enough.
Their second goal, whilst being offside, was still an absolute farce defensively, I'd been saying to my old man since the start of the game that Campbell was their most dangerous player and that we really needed to keep an eye on him, he was in the area in acres of space, absolutely appalling.
I'm not too bothered about our performance to be fair, I think the footballing gods had waved their magic wand over this game and stopped any chance of us getting back in it I mean seriously? How many times we were that close?
With that said, how many times did our players (strikers and midfielders) get themselves into good shooting positions before skying them over?
Very disappointed, poor play, but it must be said that I think we were also extremely unlucky, on any other day we would've come back from that.
Sorry 1882 - got the names mixed up. Its Norman who is the big girl, not you. Sue me for libel if you like, but I warn you Paul isnt my real name...
haha Paul, 1882 isn't mine either! ;)
Talkshite now - 'Have Spurs blown it?'
Funny how the media have only just woken up to how shit our forwards are.
It wasnt just our forwards who couldnt hit a barn door yesterday.
Gallas, Modric, Pienaar, Jenas (I could probably go on but these are the ones that stuck out) all missed the target from decent chances.
You dont have to score from the edge of the box, just hitting the target can make things happen, especially with Defoe about who needs a goal right now to recover something of his shattered confidence.
In truth our strikers are fairly useless at their main job of scoring goals.
Defoe is still seemingly chasing the most offsides in a single season record and Pavlyuchenko has the touch and guile of Geoff Capes on drugs (not speed)
I'll give Crouch some slack because at least he is creating chances for other people.
Everyone knew we needed a striker in January and we got Pienaar and his buddy from South Africa to keep him company.
And to top it all, what is the punishment for the team that surrendered so limply last night....... a trip to Dubai for "hot weather conditioning"
Yeah, thats how we roll.
Don't blame Defoe. He is who he is, and he didn't select the team. Fucking "run about" manager picked him and kept him in. Defoe can indeed "run about", but unfortunately that's all he can do this season, and if the fucktwitch didn't realized this fact by now......
99% of Jenas’ sterile attempts to run forward ended with back-passes. His “opportunistic” trips were major reason why Modders played too deep. But, hey, Jenas can “run about”, unfortunately only run about.
Pienaar and Hutton (before he got injured) also fit the fucktwitch’s tactic; they can “run about”, and unfortunately, that’s about all they can do.
Nico doesn’t “run about” to the fucktwitch’s liking and therefore rides the pine. The fact that he can score means nothing to the fucktwitch. Pav's fate is quite similar.
As for Sandro, I predict that the lad will soon move on. I would too if I would be treated the same way he is.
beetleblues a bit harsh.........but I get what you mean, which scares me big time!!!
Why the hell Sandro was dropped for last nights game is anyones guess, when he'd just had his best game in a Spurs shirt last week?!?
Sandro was dropped because fucking donkey Jenas was fit. If he wasn't injured we would not see Sandro play against Milan.
Harsh? Maybe. But what irks me is the fact that the fucktwitch never ever came out and said: “OK, I made a mistake this time. This one is on me.” Instead, we heard praises to the opposition and their managers, repeatedly spouting the crap how “this was one of those days”, missed chances, and all BS in the world short of self-criticism.
I'm still weak, suffering from a mental headache, eating nothing but dry toast. A little disorientated too.
Could probably still get selected to play for Spurs in central defence. And do a better job.
Damn right, Spooky; and I bet you'd do better than Jenas the Donkey. :)
I'd stick you up front. With Ian Dury if he was still with us.
>>Bassong/Dawson, please do not play them together again, they are both limited unless Gallas/King/Woodgate is there to settle them
Right, most of Bassong's "farces" listed by an earlier poster had him paired with Dawson, perhaps the worst man marker in the PL and the #1 header to the opposition's midfield. And blaming Bassong for Fulham is rather disingenuous. Not to say he's been lights out - anything but. Although I think he was a life saver last year, he hasn't built upon that at all. Instead of castigating Bassong, however, I think it's more accurate to bemoan the reverse
synergy that is Dawssong.
We looked pretty deperate by the end with our box to boxster at right back and our three 'strikers' running around literally aimlessly.
DJCambell has scored more than our three put together. DJ Cambell.
Still the warm sun in Dubai will help them recover.
I would have sent them to Libyia as human shields for the good General personally.
"I would have sent them to Libyia as human shields for the good General personally."
JimmyG2... cracking comment !!
That's it then folks...the manager's cr*p, the players are cr*p and the amateur strategists on the blogs are.......?
This was always going to happen, and get used to it because it will happen again at Wolves.
Face up to it, we just aren't good enough yet, and the problem is that with no CL next season and the great Levy's financial control/philosiphy (buy cheap, sell high, never mind the quality, feel the quantity) we never will be. But of course he will be able to blame Haringey Council...it's all their fault.
We'll ruin the Wolves. Ruin 'em.
OK, I've calmed down a bit after Blackpool, looked at the Prem table and our fixtures and have come to the conclusion that we've got plenty of games to sort this season out. Man City and Chelsea are coming up and playing them away may suit us? vdV and Bale coming back, Corluka back soon (and more importantly WG will go back to CB)
Man City and Chelsea are hardly tearing teams apart either!
Blackpool was one bad result.
Let's see how the boys bounce back.
3rd is still there for the taking...
Have to agree with beetleblues
My gripe is that we tinkered with a winning combination. Sandro and Kranjcar deserved to at least start and keep Defoe as impact sub. Could have stuck with a 451.
We didn't have much choice with defence given the hatchet job done by Flamini.
Opportunity lost but City and Chelski are not much different so we still got a chance.
Anyway it's over and we move onto the next game. I hope we can recover.
I know I won’t help a bit to get “smart” after the fact, but for the sake of discussion, couldn’t be better if HR didn’t replace Pienaar with Niko but rather replaced one of the sterile strikers with Niko? Pienaar could still cover left side, and Niko could have played more advanced midfield role supporting the striker(s); similar what VDV is doing. After all, this is the position Nico plays and excels at for Croatia. In that role he could have more effectively connected plays with Modders as both knows each other so well, and again, that’s what they do in the Croatian team. This position would have given him more and better opportunities to take more shuts on goal.
I just think that HR bundled this game big time. It happens to every manager and they admitted it (Moyes, Neeal), but not the fucktwitch. And that hurts.
As for Wolves away, this game comes at the worst possible time for Spurs. They are more than ready to get physical with Spurs, and I’m afraid we could see Bale sidelined again. In this game, there is also great danger for Modders, VDV and Lennon to be forced to miss AC game. That’s why a lost opportunity at Blackpool has even greater significance in our effort to keep up with ManC and Cheatski. The only hope I see is if the Spurs show their old known and accustomed unpredictability.
Pav is a true enigma.
He has some of the most audacious goals of the season for Spurs, but give him a header from three feet out......eh, just not his style.