resumed.
Take the lead, drop back, one player missing but for a couple of moments, flaky defensive performance from one player, couple of lucky goals, bit of pluck and fight, fluff chances, ‘keeper howler.
And Juande Ramos is out of a knock out cup competition for the first time in some while.
Was it too much to ask for two wins in a week against bogey teams? Yes, especially when you’re playing most the game with ten men because one player is going to try and live off that midweek game for a some time now and then you’re down to nine cause someone has forgotten how good they’ve been of late and reverted back to early season form.
With Chimbomba (© David Pleat) suspended and Ledley rested – so called pundits telling us he can’t play three games in a week, well he didn’t play last Saturday against Sunderland so it wouldn’t be three in a week. Now I know they want to protect him and he may have been injured but you feel this was a must game, play in this then rest up for the Prem games – it called for Ramos to change things and he caught them out again, with Lee at rightback, O’Hara at left and Tainio keeping his midfield holding role.
It was a good plan by the boss, O’Hara played Ronaldo exceptionally well, with Malbranque helping out to double up the danger man, though Lee is still a mystery, a right footed leftback who when on the left comes inside on his right but when on the right comes inside on his left ❓
Jenas again missing in action , ooooh he had two good runs and was one on one with the ‘keeper and produced two of the worst efforts on goal you’ll see, he’s had his one good game against decent opposition this season but his apologists will make all the same excuses, it wasn’t a great save it was a pathetic attempt.
It is no coincidence his best games are against the likes of Derby, Wigan, Sunderland that is his level the worst in the league. To give him some credit though he is the best at doing one thing, hiding at that he just beats Villa’s Petrov, at that he’s world class, but Levy loves him so every manager will have to pick him and this talk of an England call up, dear god save us from these people.
Berbatov wasn’t exactly trying his best for a move to ManUre, none of the flicks came off and he played people into trouble far too often, one of his worst performances for some time. It didn’t help that ManUre were given the freedom of the park up to ten yards inside Spurs half and when he got the ball there was very little movement forward in front of him, just cramped space behind.
The one best outlet wasn’t used enough, Lennon had Evra on toast, was skinning him for fun – it’s football cliche time folks – which led to the opener, great ball from Dawson, Lennon doing what he should do, get to the byline and bang it across one nil there’s only one Keano. But did they do it again? Did they buggery and you have to ask why not, why persist coming through the middle or left if they aren’t working and the right side is an open invitation. Frustrating.
Dawson really missed Ledley at those important times, weak head up in the air when he could have left it for Lee to clear leading to the equaliser then being all over the place from a long punt from van der Sar to give away the penalty. As Gus said no complaints about either the pen or the sending off. Apart from the obvious it helped Spurs, it seemed to drive the on more and when Boateng came on a player was finally harassing the opposition, pressuring them into mistakes, which led to some chances being created, didn’t do enough of that earlier. But at this time a speedy outlet like Lennon could have been used but he was on the bench for the aforementioned German starlet.
The third a mistake by Cerny, though there was a slight deflection from Malbranque, it should give Robinson some hope of regaining his place. Can’t say I thought Cerny had the best game a bit indecisive causing some defensive panic at times and his kicking from the floor and out of hand is useless.
Another game of could have, should have, some good plus points especially with the youngsters, O’Hara played well, Gunter looked the part on the right when he came on, Boateng looking a bit better, Jenas being shown up again for what he is.
And then would would have faced the scum in the fifth round.
And then there’s the transfer rumours, £8m for Ranger’s Hutton, there isn’t a Jock on the planet worth that amount, stupid money, stick with Gunter. And Woodgate, well village is a pretty good player and £6/7m would be a good price, if he wasn’t a scumbag idiot who is nearly always injured. I thought we’d stopped doing that buying the crippled. Maybe if they could sync him and Ledley up so that he can play when the King is out and vice-versa. Tiago would he want to sit on the bench while Jans started?