the last few months.
This wasn’t the Spurs we’ve seen of late, not the one who did win at Wolves but had that victory put into perspective by McCarthy’s side being dicked at home 3-0 by newly promoted QPR.
Have we seen this Spurs since the last meeting with Liverpool have wee seen a full 90 minutes from the team since the home tie against Inter in the Champions League? Now we have to admit that the Scouse were poor, piss poor but they were just never allowed to improve Right from the off Spurs were at them and it, like we haven’t seen in an age and to such an extent that if we’d seen more of this then some of ‘Arry protestations wouldn’t have been met with such incredulity.
Didn’t feel so confident before hand, thought Dalglish would flood the middle of the park, out number and out muscle Luka and Parker in there. Then when it came out as a matching 4-4-2 with Skrtel at rightback, there to be attacked by Bale along with his Slowness Carragher.
Added to that we had Ledley at the back.
Another 90 minutes from the King and another clean sheet. Coincidence? Do me a favour. What little Liverpool did going forward was snuffed out by Ledley having both Carroll in one pocket and Suarez in the other. At one stage you almost forgot Kaboul was on the park as one giant centreback was cleaning up all before him.
Yes they got through once but quite rightly Suraez flagged offside, as Kenny – only one King at The Lane – did his nut, not for the first and last time and not for the first or last time he was wrong to do so.
Modric had opened the scoring before Charlie Adam had his first booking – rightly for a cynical foul – and by the time he received his second – again rightly for a dangerous high challenge – they still weren’t anywhere being in the game. It’s one thing Dalglish did get right on the day when after he stated Whatever we say would take away from a great performance by Tottenham. How we started the game we would still have lost anyway irrespective of what then happened.
So that opening strike. Redemption. What a great goal. What a joyous celebration. You like chicken badge now? (Even though thankfully he didn’t kiss it). Why don’t we see more of that? Nice build up play, Bale crosses it and Defoe miss controls – again one of those not first or last situations – into Modders pass and the little Croat curls it top corner. Have we got our Luka back? He was outstanding on the day, he looked exceptionally happy. His head now in the right place? Plays like this and you just have to congratulate Levy on being stubborn and then say when ‘Arry talks about wanting to get him to sign a new contract – err, weren’t you wanting rid a couple of weeks back ‘Arry?
.
Going in at half time, they were one player down, best defender also departed injured but it was still just 1-0. Bleeding typical Spurs, completely battering a side for 45 minutes and being one slip away from dropping points.
The first few seconds after the break could and should have changed all that, along with relieving some tension. From the kick off a bit of aimless kick about then Friedel humps one up the park, it eventually fell to Walker, the rightback. He skins his opposite number and puts an excellent cross in for Adebayor who plays a sumptuous ball into the path of Defoe. Somehow, yet again the little striker conspires not to score. He ended the day with another goal but in all honesty he was pretty poor for a lot of the game, poor first touch, poor shooting, poor decision making. Who didn’t think he’d buggered up Spurs second when clean through the middle?
Thankfully he didn’t and it was really game over then.
His strike partner on the other hand had an excellent game, doing everything that was promised. In fact possibly the only criticism you could have about Adebayor was he did too much. A number of times he started moves that he should have been on the end of but obviously couldn’t be. And with them being down to 10 and then 9, there was no need for him to drop as deep as he did on occasions.
In fact it’s one thing on the day, when ‘Pool were there for the hammering and some of that negative goal difference accrued in the first couple of games could be wiped off there was too much Olé
stuff going on.
Three nil was flattering them, four nil still did.
Though Adebayor got his second on the day, special mention goes out to Assou-Ekotto, it was a brilliant cross from the fullback, just perfect. Fitting for another excellent display. He just cruised through the game with that casual calmness of his, yet some muppet at a certain paper gave him only 7/10 but then it’s a paper who employ Alan Hansen who probably rated him far less than that.
So with those injured looking to be fit for the Stoke Carling Cup game, Sandro, Gallas, Hudd, Lennon etc. Things are looking up. I mean Sandro in the middle yesterday would have been perfect. No again I wasn’t that impressed with Parker, still dithering, still those slow, slow turns, still giving the ball away and still no where as good as the big Brazilian, who no doubt won’t get past ‘Arry favourite into the starting XI.
And after a pretty awful start to the season it’s two points and six places above the scum, with 7 better goal difference and a game in hand.