did it pay off.
Or was it two more points dropped and will ‘Arry have to answer to the F.A. after all stringing the Jenasite round the team’s collective neck can in no way be construed as playing your strongest side.
Two games in three days, ah the Chrimbo fixture list, ‘Arry decided to rest a couple of players, understandable. But did he go about it the right way? They hadn’t played for a week so was Fulham away the best choice to field the weakened side. Roy Hodgson’s side have been playing well, cruised through a stuffing of ManUre and we haven’t exactly done that well at the Cottage of late. When the second game was at home against Zola’s struggling Pikeys.
A midfield completely overrun on Saturday, oh look an ex-Spurs player running the game for another team. Why is he at that team and not still in a Spurs shirt, oh yeah that’s right the ever presence of the Jenasite forced him out. Why would you want someone who can boss a game, score and create when you can have a hider, who inhibits the team and has the amazing ability to pass it back and still play the team into trouble.
An away point with a clean sheet is OK, but shouldn’t it have been the type of game Spurs tried to win with the best team available, with the points dropped against Wolves, Stoke and Everton and the cramped look of the top six or seven, can they really afford to go to Fulham and play for a point.
I mean why would you really have to rest anyone when the Pikeys were at The Lane on Monday. Christ they were so poor yesterday you feel even the Jenasite wouldn’t have hindered the collection of three points and that’s before they lost their main player in Parker. Yes it was tight scoreline wise, until Defoe sealed it with the second. While at 1-0 anything could have happened, yeah they never looked like scoring but a deflection here, a slip there who knows, but once the second went in it was never going to be an Everton repeat.
Great to see Modric back, he is a Spurs player, now will be interesting to see what happens with Kranjcar, who has been the best player in a number of recent games. Can the Croats be fielded together, one in the middle, one nominally on the left? One positive if they can is that they do get into the box more than any of the other midfield, except Lennon, as Modric showed with his opener yesterday. Will be interesting to see.
Now I have to single out one player who I did slag off previously, Gomes. Four clean sheets on the trot and against Fulham some outstanding saves which kept us in the game, the ‘keeper we were promised is here. It does help having Dawson and yesterday Ledley looking imperious in front of him, so he’s restricted to mainly shot stopping, which is his strong suit. A big thanks to ‘Arry for getting Tony Parks in to help, who also deserves the thanks.