expectation?
I have to admit I didn’t enter last night’s game with the former and the later was probably a different expectation to many others. I didn’t expect good things.
Why? Well Spurs don’t do well with expectation do they? Two up you expect a win, at home against relegation fodder you expect a win. Away to the worst scouse side in living memory, without their three decent players, just humiliated by a struggling Championship side, some were expecting 3 points.
Why? After the game against Hull at the weekend, with the team hampered by the Jenasite starting, with the away record against the so called top 4 and with Howard Webb “officiating” why would anyone expect a win? All that shouldn’t even give hope never mind expectation. I didn’t even expect the law of the ex to hurt Liverpool in the form of Crouch or Keane.
And they didn’t disappoint.
With Huddlestone out ‘Arry’s first choice is to stick the Jenasite in there as a direct replacement. Where is the logic ‘Arry, you said it will be a battle, they will be up for it and the crowd will be right behind them and then you start Jenas. A coward that immediately shrinks and then hides under such circumstances. If you have to play him at least don’t let him hear what he might face. Better still just don’t pick him, we aren’t a side who can manage with only 10 men.
It wasn’t the only thing ‘Arry got wrong, clogging the midfield played right into their hands as they have no real width either. Why not stick someone in at left back, even O’Hara, play Bale as a winger give him the freedom to bomb on knowing he has cover behind. We all know he can do it, if he gets the chance. The other choice is Rose or Dos Santos either way it all adds up to the fact you can then play Modric inside and Jenas isn’t required. A player with a good first touch, who can pass to his own players not the opposition or into touch and who isn’t scared of the occasion. It’s not rocket surgery.
On the other side, without Lennon, if the right sided midfielder is always going to come inside maybe it needs someone with a bit more pace than Corluka. Then with the recent clean sheets why risk Ledley? You have to keep one sub back just in case or waste one on a defender when goals are required.
Then of course we have Howard Webb, now yes Bassong took out N’Gog it was a penalty, he got one decision right. But the moment Mascherano put his first challenge in I knew the ref wasn’t going to disappoint. Not going to disappoint the big club, Sky and those that just remember his performances in so many previous such games. By the Argentinian’s fourth bookable offence without seeing yellow, Spurs’ players had gone in the book for looking the wrong way at a player.
In a week when players have rightly been penalised for shirt pulling, it’s the only way we will rid ourselves of it in the game, Crouch is penalised for having his shirt pulled in the area. Howard seems to have the same way of officiating as some countries have to criminal offences – some countries charge foreigners with crimes when they have been the victim, well if they hadn’t visited the country then it wouldn’t have happened – so it was Crouch’s fault, he nearly had the shirt ripped off his back, for being there.
Then Defoe capitalises on a mix up between ‘keeper and defender, slots the ball into the net, but no, what a surprise it’s not allowed to stand. What are the chances of that happening? Now if Andy Gray thinks it should be given against a Sky4 side then it’s a goal.
Yes Spurs were poor, started off badly and heads dropped after Kuyt’s opener but the penalty would have given them the lift they didn’t have all night, to go two one up would well it would have just raised expectations wouldn’t it. And well Howard wouldn’t be able to leave it at that now would he. ManUre last season, Spurs leading then a phantom penalty, scouser beginning of this season he gives another, then when Keane his fouled against Chelski, a decision that would get Spurs back into the game, no penalty given. Once is human error, maybe even twice, not three times, not four times, not ever time in such a game.
All that being said they wanted it more, did a lot of running about, which is quite frankly the limit of their ability and that is the worst part of it. Gomes had the better saves to make, shame he didn’t get closer to Big Pat’s record.
Could have not only started the end of Pugwash but have ended it as well but didn’t have the guts to carry it out…