Spurs 0 Wigan 1, dvd unavailable at club shop

Spurs 0 Wigan 1

Now that's what I call falling back down to earth with a bump.

Wigan didn't park the bus in front of the goal. They all screamed shotgun and drove it around White Hart Lane. Didn't even bother with seat-belts. Credit to them for their hard work off the ball, closing us down, not allowing us time to stick a foot on the ball and take control of the tempo gauge. They did park up second half. And not because they run of gas. However, shame on us for not having the tenacity to push them off the ball, stick that foot on it, and smash 'em out of N17.

It was made even more so comfortable by our lack of composure. Sloppy, uneasy early play meant confidence to Wigan and not a lot in the way of penetrative football from us. Couple of decent Defoe efforts, but lacklustre in comparison to what we can do. What we know we can do. Champions League hangover? Hate that phrase already. Not something I want to be hearing again this season.

Turned up the pace in the second half, but it was still all a bit stuck at the 60% mark. No swagger. No clean crisp classic Tottenham movement. Shades of last seasons dark moments at the Lane. Basically, on days like this, you tend to get the following head-shaking components:

We start slow
We survive a couple of scares
We fail to take hold of the game
We retain possession
We create some chances, but don't finish them
The game progresses
And continues to progress
But we never truly dictate
And we never actually visibly shift gear

What you have here is break-down of the quintessential Spurs home game non-entity, which results in a long walk home up the high road and Match of the Day removed from your recording schedule.

BAE giving his doubters some evidence of his sometimes dodgy concentration. Off he went at half-time, Niko on, with Pav on for Crouch (Gio on late on for Azza). Possession mostly with us, Wigan just defending, remaining disciplined.

For us, frustration personified. Ominous. You could see what was coming. Because we've seen it before.

How we joked pre-match we'd win comfortable. I guess if we're going to earn distinction on the lessons learnt (lost) from last season by losing again to remind us of our frailties, we may as well get them out of the way early doors because any more misfiring like today and we'll regret it towards the back end of the season when we tally up the points. One mistake at home, that's your lot Spurs. No room for more, k?

We lacked any sort of individual magic, talismanic inspiration or moment of brilliance to get us out of the sleepy performance. You know the sort of thing, when you play below average, but someone out there does something completely out of the blue and out of synch with the rest of the game, to win the points.

How long is Modric out for?

BAE going off and having Bale move back into LB position meant we lost that power going forward, but then he wasn't overly impressing today anyway. No one was.

It's funny how nowadays, when we drop points, its usually because the side don't quite get it together, rather than being abjectly rubbish or outplayed off the park. Ordinary is enough for a hard-working side to get the better of us. Yes I know - it doesn't happen often but that doesn't mean we can't be displeased when we see it play out again. It's easy for the opposition because all they need to do is the same thing all afternoon because we're not going to try anything different to shock/surprise them. Granted we came close, but it was all apologetic©. And this allows them to the opportunity to perhaps steal all points.

Then we enter the final ten minutes of the game. That's when we completely switch off, fall apart. It's getting a bit silly this. I still struggle to see a leader on the pitch. Pre-match huddles are over-rated. Can we not just pretend we're playing Chelsea every week?
 
78 minutes (Alcaraz). And again on 79 minutes (Gomez). Two massive misses from Wigan. Phews everywhere. Lucky escape you thought to yourself. So we let them have another go. 80 minutes (Rodallega), 0-1 Wigan.

Contrary to popular belief, it still exists.

Couple of chances to equalize (Niko, excellent save, Daws, another superb save), but what does it matter? Banana skin well and truly slipped on.

This is the 4th time (recently) so we are not quite grasping the resolution to this problem. Perhaps it was written in the stars, redemption for Wigan for last seasons humiliation and their nightmare start this term. And for one appearance only, the Tottenham Hotspur Charity (we give to the needy) decided to donate all three points. Bless us.

We had Kaboul at the death, easier to score. So he misses. But no scapegoats, the whole team and Harry need to get to grips once and for all why we stuttered and slumped. And Harry in particular needs to work hard on this. Tactics, they don't win you games, players do. So he says. Well, our players still have a chink in their armour that I'd rather not be seeing. And there's an argument that when the opposition do frustrate you, if you do happen to say, change the formation (and thus tactics) they might not be able to cope, what with the onus on the opposition to stop a renewed and different charge forward.

Losing at home to a side that we should never be dropping points too. We all didn't expect this because it was way too obvious for it to happen. And yet here we are about to knee-jerk (let's not).

Two home games, one point. Let's try not to do this after every CL game please. Because I reckon that's going to be the excuse for this shower of nothingness. It poured the other night against the Young Boys. It dripped today.

Wasted afternoon. Wasted for everyone other than the 60 away supporters who travelled down probably believing they would witness another spanking for their miserable side. Not so miserable today. Ridiculous is football. Champions League? You're 'aving a...I can't even be bothered.

This is not meant to be the way we roll.

Tactics

We have the players so lets see more of an in-game evolution of 442, to 433. It's going to be a necessary ploy for us in Europe. If a side is parking the bus, or hassling us, or whatever, there has to be a positive change. Harry has got it right before with substitutions, so I can't help thinking that we are still, somewhat, slightly fragile. We appeared to be - as eleven players - one predator that couldn't quite muster up the effort to chase and kill its prey.

I wont knee-jerk because this type of performance will only happen 2 or 3 times a season - but that's potentially nine points lost. So, greedy as I am, I want to see it eradicated from our match-day make-up. Completely.

Individuals

No point singling out and criticising anyone in particular tbh. It was a collective fudge up. Everyone was low-key, lacked urgency, no game-changer. Under-par all over the pitch.

Creative spark

We have plenty of players to supply one, so let's not be knee-jerking about Hudd or Bale or anyone else. As above, collectively, nobody was on-form today. Simple as that. Shame of course, that nobody was able to lift the team for that moment of inspiration. Because, its what the big teams do, even when they play crap. Not so big today Tottenham.

Wigan

They got their own tactics spot on. Considering they took all three points in similar fashion to how we lost them last season in the same ilk of depressive defeats. Talking of which...

Wolves, Hull and Stoke and now Wigan

No more. Breaking down these types of teams appears to be our main gripe. Taking all the good things into account, the fact we can beat Arsenal, Chelsea then City with the pressure on (end of last season), but fail when we're favourites to win at home against a side inferior to us proves there's still an issue.

Redknapp post-match

He called it a rare day. And I agree. It's good we can name and shame disappointing games because they don't came around often any more. Let's not forget that. But like I've said already, it's not excusing it because if we want to push on, we can't afford to be baffled too often, especially on our own patch.

Enjoy the bank holiday. Hopefully we'll see some game-changing new signings arrive to help with restoring a smile or two on our frowning faces.

COYS, hugs and stuff.

Textbook Tottenham trip up again

Spurs 0 Wolverhampton 1

“Ridiculous that there's butterflies and nervous twitches in amongst the Spurs faithful, but such is the way of supporting this club. Nothing can ever be taken for granted”

– Spooky, Spurs v Wolves match preview

Bloody hell. It's almost like I scripted the result with my match preview of the game. Word for word what I asked from the players, to avoid, they appear to have embraced and allow themselves to fall victim to yet another 'OMG' home defeat.

Here's me, pre-match, concerned about which Spurs we'd witness against Wolves. The one that took Wigan apart or the one that failed to up the tempo an extra notch and were wasteful in front of goal, losing to Stoke? I had forgotten about that other one. The distant cousin that always turns up uninvited, spoiling the occasion. I'm talking about the one that plays football like they've forgotten how to play football. Casual, sloppy, lazy. No change of gear, no initial urgency - until it's too late in the day. Just going through the motions, full of sort-of-half-chance opportunities with plenty of over-hit passing.

Nothing overly exciting. Little faith.

And the perfect fit for an away side, regardless of their quality. Its comfortable playing against this Spurs because there not asking enough questions to keep you occupied. Get a goal, and the likelihood is that you'll see out the game, always capable of countering and scoring a second and never that worried that Spurs will perhaps find a way through.

It's like a eunuch in a harem. No chance of any sustained penetration. No moneyshot.

It’s the common blip, the advert of inconsistency we all know too well. The irritation that ground-hogs its way through our lives season upon season. When we expect Spurs to win, expect the result to go the other way. One down after three minutes and that voice in your heard is laughing uncontrollably.

2nd half saw both Moddle and Crouch on. But neither could muster up a killer ball or lay off.

If our lacklustre performance wasn't bad enough, the second ominous ingredient, is that of urgency that arrives in the guise of panic. It's a variety tinged with over-eagerness that builds up with each passing minute. Players lacking the composure and decisiveness for the break-through.

We dominated the second period, but that cloud that darkened our day (Stoke at home) was brooding over N17 again, ready to pour down further misery.

This is a collective problem. Not any given individuals fault. When presented with what looks like an equaliser, its fluffed. It's surreal at times, almost like nobody wants to take responsibility.

Lennon, escapes his marker and runs into the penalty area, squaring it, but no clear shot is taken. The half is littered with these types of examples. Possession is evident. But it's untidy in the final third, even if it looks dangerous (for Wolves) as they defend, nobody in Lilywhite puts foot on ball and attempts to play or hit it with intent and confidence.

This is the perfect illustration of how not having a commanding leader on the pitch is detrimental because we seem to suffer easily if things don't appear to be going our way. It's going to happen this sort of thing. Any club can go 1-0 down at home to a lower placed side that are expected to be beaten. But usually, the home side turns it around. However, there appears to be no in-betweeners for Spurs.

We either win and win comfortably, or we stutter and lose by a goal having dominated the vast majority of the game. Left scratching our heads. Another passage of play saw Corluka cross in for Kranjcar, this is it, no its not. Wasted.

Gio, with a rare appearance replaced the Croat and you just knew things were now beyond desperate. But still, anything crossed in was scruffy rather than clean-cut.

All Wolves had to do today was score. Just the one chance. Which they did, nice and early. Nice and simple. Then sit back and watch us limply attempt to equalise. One of those days? Yes, one of those reoccurring days that is becoming a major bugbear. Do we switch off? Is it a belief issue? Soft back bone? We know we are better than this, yet we are still capable of disappointing afternoons.

Did I mention lack of leadership?

Absolutely waste of a Premier league game (from our point of view). The frustration made worse because you go away thinking, we didn't play badly, right? Right?

Wrong.

It's a poor performance simply because we failed to do the simple things. Failed to grab the game, slow it down and then build it back up again - to our requirements and tempo. Regardless, well done to Wolves. They completed a rather simple act of getting the ball across the goal line. Something we made look like mission impossible.

I don’t know why I'm even surprised at the loss. This was textbook. What’s worrying is that we've now outplayed our last three opponents and failed to win in any of the games.

We are owed a complete performance against City. That will make or break Christmas.

Good to see Luka back. The one bright spot in an otherwise gloomy weekend. Hopefully it doesn’t take him too long get back to 100%. Hearing that BAE had an altercation with a fan that involved hands round neck. I've not dared venture into the message boards this evening or yet to have read any official match reports. I'll leave that until later, when I'm less delicate.

Talking of delicate, a final word for our mentally weak troopers. We don’t appear to have the desire to be top 4. This week at least. I'm sure it will change again next week. And that's the conundrum Harry has to resolve quickly. Cancel out these anomalies before they became our signature. No more yo-yo'ing.

In some ways, it wasn’t so much Wolves beating us, rather Spurs beating Spurs. You know exactly what I’m referring to here. We are doing this to ourselves far too much. In 2006 we’d lose 1-0 leads in the dying seconds of games that cost us at the death. This time round we appear to go from goal scoring pimps to impotent apologists from one game to the next.

The art of scoring and not scoring goals by Tottenham Hotspur. Guaranteed to give you a headache.

More later.