No more buffer
Tuesday, March 8, 2011 at 12:36PM Wolves 3 Spurs 3
The whole point of Challenge Spurs and the five outlined games was to allow ourselves a buffer; extra points to go that extra mile that could cushion any potential slip-ups against more meaty opposition. Six goals shipped and one point gained from Blackpool and Wolves away pretty much removes any hope that this run-in journey will be anything other than ‘the hard way’. We are pretty much left with no other objective than to win all our remaining home games and not lose to Man City or Chelsea away. In fact I’d go as far as suggesting that we need to avoid defeat at Stamford Bridge and beat City at Eastlands (again). Seems like an age ago we battered them in the opening 45 at the Lane. Seems that to finish top 4 you don’t need to be better than one of your rivals. You just need to be less inconsistent than them when it comes to not winning when you’re expected to. Which probably makes you better by definition of points accumulated. You know what I mean, so I'll move on.
As a spectacle, the 3-3 was superb. Deano, no doubt, will have looked down from the heavens and applauded. I think we could have done with him in defence more so than Wolves.
The game felt as it played out like one of those types of ‘We’ll try to score more than you’ games. I think it illustrated that we are still growing up as a team and that we are still very much susceptible to naivety and attitude adjustment (in this case attitude being offkey).
Could we not go to both Blackpool and Wolves away and bully them? Boss the midfield, frustrate their pluckiness and generally pick ‘em off with the ilk of professionalism and maturity that tends to be saved for our European games? Can we not juggle the two, not just in selection but in how we set ourselves to compete? Or is this a harsh assessment considering none of the ‘top sides’ have won at Wolves? Although Chelsea dispatched Blackpool last night. Hence the loss of the buffer, because had we won at Blackpool – well, you do the maths. Onwards again, we always play better when our backs are up against the wall. For the moment the underdog label fits us best. It’s all pretty much clear now that we have to tighten up and not be left feeling regretful thanks to our own mismanagement of handling the opposition. Down to the wire, hold onto your hats.
Some musings on the game:
The pitch – awful. Cut up like an emo kid on you tube.
JD brace – I’d like to think I could take credit for some kind of cosmic blogosphere influence for Defoe finally exploding into life. Alas more likely to be the Jimmy Greaves goals tape Clive Allen shared with Defoe about a month ago (perhaps it was on VHS and JD only got his hands on a video this past week). Regardless, two instinctive efforts drenched in self-confidence. When you don’t think and you hit you score.
Pav’s lash – Another sweet effort. Who cares about the deflection? The power of the shot made it unstopptable. Bit surreal having the two of them (our forwards) score in the same game.
Hutton – I gave him the benefit of the doubt the other week in the lead up to the game. Mainly because if he stood at right-back then Gallas would play as CB. All he proved, once more, is that he’s not very good. Not very good at all. Clumsy, always out of position and seems to think that if he gallops forward it will look good and mask his defensive frailties. There’s a half decent player in there, somewhere. You’d probably need Leonardo DiCaprio to infiltrate Hutton’s dream state and plant an inception.
Wasteful in front of goal – We could have had it wrapped up. How many times did you think that during the match? Unlucky with the woodwork (JD) and unlucky with the angle (Bale). So close yet so far and yet still so close.
Gomes – Our mad Brazilian is all over the place at the moment. Just not in the right place. 1st goal and 3rd goal and the disallowed goal. It does not inspire confidence, although he’ll probably play a blinder against Milan and all will be forgiven.
Our defending – No shape or cohesion. Is this part of the failure to attitude adjust? Players thinking of Wednesday night, not focusing on the task in front of them, day dreaming about the one ahead?
Formation – Niko on the left, Modric in the middle. That would have worked, no? Luka out on the left is so two years ago. It’s wasteful. But then Harry will say the selection was necessary because of the missing players. Not sure why Niko was benched considering his recent form.
Sandro – Loving him. He’s finding his feet now after struggling initially with the pace. Give this guy two more years and he'll be a beast.
Lennon and Bale – Great to have Gareth back. Full pelt against Milan please. The role reversal between the two was apparently to aid Hutton out on the right hand side. Didn’t quite work. Could Azza have not pushed their left-back back and thus both players take their positions on their natural sides? Harry?
Chris Coleman – Bring back Andy Gray.
Conclusions –
We were second best at times and made some right royal fudge ups. We almost got away with it but yet still allowed Wolves to come at us in the final few minutes. Naive. You can’t afford to be this sloppy and expect to get away with it. It was probably a good point in the end in terms of how we performed. Utd, Chelsea and City have all lost there – so I guess in some ways it was a good point. But then again perhaps not.
We are still not out of it. I refused to accept it last season and it’s still well within our grasp. Let’s hope Corluka and Kaboul are back soon. And that Huddlestone plays a part at some point in the run-in.
Challenge Spurs round up - 7 pts from a possible 15, only 3 left to grab, potential tally: 10 pts. 5 pts potentially lost. Still, the run-in sees us play City, Chelsea and Arsenal.
Destiny sits purring on our lap.
Reader Comments (26)
quick question for anyone. If Kaboul is back and Corluka is playing at right back does Kaboul get into the team? If so does he play with Gallas or Dawson?
As much as we all love Dawson, his recent form has not been good. Maybe a drop to the bench would help our "captain"? Or do we try to resurrect the promising partnership of Dawson and Kaboul and drop Bill to the bench?
We got lucky last season with Redknapp's naive tactics, won't happen again.
on the bright side i was expecting a loss but it still feels like we are slowly losing it.......i am once more a true spurs fan, gone is my swagger and self belief.....fear has returned.......milan at the lane has me filled with trepidation where only three weeks ago there was a smugness over our position and that of the pikeys.....yes i'm fickle but there is no malice within that, no joy to be taken......my nerves are shredded, like a good crispy duck.....and then i watch suarez and think what could have been........someone said to me yesterday that the title was ours for the taking this season had we only bought a striker in January............that may be a tad fanciful but fourth spot? I hope the point becomes moot come may......i do not want anymore regrets.......im saying it quietly COYS
Intelligent play, full concentration, right tactics which are been adjusted to each time period and score during a game. According to me these are our main shortcomings we have to cure. Subsequently, tomorrow we have to play intelligent, very concentrated and following the proper tactics. We should be also beware of the referee.
The problem this year is that there are 2 tottenham teams - the VdV team that look like genuine contenders, and the non-VdV team that just aren't quite as convincing.
Until we can plug that gap when he's out (admittedly having Bale and Modric to cover has softened the blow a bit) we will be inconsistent. That's when the others need to step up and grind out results against teams in the bottom half of the table.
Cut up like an emo kid on you tube. (would write LMAO, if i got involved in such things). Quality.
Can't wait for charlie to be fit, he is a better defend and works better with azza.
@drwinston......
i think a rest for daws wouldn't be out of the question, bed the bull back in alongside Gallas and give him a chance to find his feet maybe? The issue is that out of the three of them there is not one that truly stands out head and shoulders above the rest.....as broad as it is long perhaps? and then there is woody....
TMWNN...stop playa hating.
Nailed on comment about two teams, vdv and no vdv. Would love to have him at 100% because I don't think we've seen him even at 85% so far.
Hutton is a right midfielder playing at right back. When Charlie and Kaboul are back Hutton should be used as first reserve for Lennon. He can't defend; doesn't have the anticipation or positional nouce. He's good going forwards though and has pace to burn. Try him at right midfield or ship him out. He's a liablity in defence.
So many games to play still and so much to play for. The Premier League is ridiculously unpredictable. Last 4 games Liverpool, City and ourselves have all got 7 points, so it still seems nobody can really pull away from anyone else.
Hopefully it will rest in our own hands still when we get to play them both. We must be due a result at Anfield surely?
In the meantime I can just carry on dreaming of years ending in 1 and Wembley. Surely what being a Spurs fan is all about?
bale is back ....not sure jenas makes the difference anymore..vaart is essential with modric...palacios is the steel and sandro has great quality .....what does redknapp do?......minefield of selection..and selection?...great goals at wol;ves ...but closing the games down in the epl has to be sorted.....especially last ten mins (15)...not by tapping the ball in the corners wasting time but keeping possession and closing all space in our half.......same old otherwise
We always rise to the big occasion. COME ON SPURS.
For me City will get 14 points from Chelsea A Sunderland H Liverpool A Spurs H Blackburn A West Ham H Everton A Stoke H and Bolton A which means we need 20 from 29 to get 4th
West Ham H 3 Wigan A 3 Stoke H 3 Man City A 1 Arsenal H 3 West Brom H 3 Chelsea A 0 Blackpool H 3 Liverpool A 0 Birmingham H 3 Total 22
TMWNN: That's the spirit!
Why cant we beat the word D its simple Spooky when a rat is cornered it goes for you throat when a football team is in a crisis there Tempo and effort double. This is why there is a long trail of desperation and to compete with this we need to Play with this high tempo and this is what Liverpool and Chelsea have uped there tempo we have a hard game on Wenesday Chelsea and Liverpool don't and they both Matched Utd and Blackpool . This Tempo was in evidence in all three games over the weekend . We started the game in the right way letting Wolves use all this Tempo to win every second ball but then Gomes went missing along with our defence and we where behind we gently got back on track and scored two goals the problem was Harry decided to take this Tempo on and attack even though we where leading the one person we needed to bring on so we could attack on the break and he could help in defence was left on the bench was Crouch Fletcher would not have scored if Crouch Huddlestone or Kaboul was playing. Blackpool showed last night even without Adams Campbell Taylor fletcher they still could have draww with better finishing in those last eight mins Chris Colman summed Wolves Tempo up he said they won every second ball and its this we need to address we can join in or fans can Campain to have this tempo banned for two years starting with Toure he only got caught because the one and only time he was on the bench full of is wife's slimmers if you believe him. I was told this Tempo was being used and when i asked Ukad official if you no why have you not stopped it she said they are under the radar this shocked me but now i no why if you use it it leaves your system if you dont you get caught mix the energy drinks and its masked. I can spot this by watching a game after ten mins we drew because we scored the third goal before the tempo kicked in then there was manic chasing of the ball by all the Wolves players even there goalkeeper. This is more nearer the point than some of the blogs on here. This is why we cant beat teams on paper far worse than Spurs and they even when they have there best players missing . Liverpool got beat at home one nil at Wolves they won 3-0 why because they matched the tempo and Wolves missed there chances. You have to blame the pitch and some bad defending also the wandering Gomes dident help , we where lucky and so was Chelsea because they would have bean in trouble if they had scored earlier or Mike Dean had not given a soft penalty. We also needed help to overcome this frenetic tempo and referees no this Tempo is being used. We seen the mad side of this energy from Mr Gatuso he showed the fans what can happen when you have two much energy and so did Rangers and Celtic. This is just another take on the game you can ignore this but just like Paddy Kenny did and now Toure my theory for all the shocks will keep you thinking is davspurs right or just in love with his club and cant stand defeat or a draw my answer is both. Milan showed us in the second Half they can up there Tempo we showed if you respect it you can beat it if like Gatuso its channeled in the wrong way we need cool heads patience and hit them on the break or if we attack to much we will go through but with no fingers nails and palpatations and it will end 3-3 oh no. Coys Gomes just Kaboul Dawson King Gallas Lennon Sandro Modric Bale Crouch Defoe subs Cudicini Pavlyuchenko Kranjcar PienaarjJenas Hutton Vander
You're right. That was our buffer and we fluffed it up! No more pre or post champions league blues or indeed blues of any kind. Wins only. Why am I getting a sinking feeling as I type this? Believe, damn it!!!
King, Kaboul and Charlie all trained yesterday and today... good news!
Sandro is looking like the real deal... good news!
Bale is back and looking sharp... good news!
Ever the optimist...
we basically need 7 wins from 10 games to have a chance. So yes we can lose at chelsea, liverpool & man city although we would need to win all other games and hope that city dont do the same obviously. The last two games have hurt us, no doubt about it but 5th is far from a bad season even if it isnt what we all want. Anything for spurs above 6th is good, we need to keep that in our mind whilst hoping the boys can pull 4th out of the fire once more. COYS
Need Kaboul back. Stick him at right back - I've been saying this for months, and I've never been surer - he is made for that position. Quick, strong in the tackle, good rampaging forward, great in the air. Just imagine us playing a game and the opposition tactic of hitting long diagonal balls over the heads of our FBs didnt work any more. And imagine games where we have 2 people who can head the ball clear from set pieces (Dawson AND Kaboul). It will be heaven!
Too many individual areas, naive tactics and the inability to kill games off will result in 5th or 6th place.
If you're turning up in Wolverhampton with a 4 man midfield, you'd better make sure one of those 4 isn't the spineless Jenas.
And if we finish 5th or 6th, do you think Bale, VDV and Modric will be in Lillywhite next season???
Is DAVSPURS really Marshall Mathers?
I see fatyidc**t has still not turned up? Waiting for Arsenal to dick Barca before he swans in to gloat. Got to say Arsenal fans = worms.
@Davspurs.......you rock.......rubber dinghy rapids brutha
you are MY cult hero
COYS
I was flummoxed that Crouch didn’t appear to see out the last 15 minutes. In a league game without Rafa, there is little point in Crouch starting, but playing him as something of a sweeper, extra defender, and outlet when we are a goal up is something Pete is quite good at. Puzzling.