but this was expectation.
There was a lot of expectation before Sunday morning. Expectation on both sides. Expectation of the same thing. Expectation that didn’t quite go to plan.
My natural pessimism – say it ain’t so Tox – along with players dropping like flies beforehand – even if they did eventually feature – and the over confidence going around meant that expectation wasn’t being felt here. Pre-match Tweeting was about Van Halen rather than what was going to be. Let’s see how they start and go from there.
Unfortunately they started in such a way it was no surprise how they ended. From the off this looked more Stevenage than Newcastle, as Kaboul channelled his inner Dawson and started launching aimless humps up the park, which didn’t stick with the forward pair.
I don’t know what is it that makes Spurs dumb down when playing lesser opposition that should be there for the taking. Stevenage, Watford, Stoke, Chelski, this mob. It’s not that they morph into what they are facing but actually find a level below that to play to. Here they needed to start quickly, sharply and precisely just as they had against Newcastle. ‘Arry picked the same team presumably because he wanted the same approach and outcome as that game. But what we got was slow, ponderous, sloppy, wasteful, hit and hope.
Of course with the Woolwich Wanderers being as crap as they are – did Whinger pick the same back four that were humiliated against Milan because he wanted the same approach and outcome? – hit hope has a chance. Hit up from Bale and Adebayor controls the ball for about the only time in the game, they were a shambles and an easy pass finds Saha through the middle of that back four shambles. Nice deflection and he really was paying off that January transfer fee.
Half an hour in Modric slides a beautiful ball into the path of Bale, who was repeatedly fouled by Gibbs before diving over Szczesny’s arm. He needs to cut this crap out. We don’t do that. They do and admittedly have a hell of a cheek complaining when others do. Hell Pires, Henry and Viera – with big girly scram from this one – pretty much reinvented it in the English game after the retirement of Franny Lee. But we don’t want that from those in lillywhite. Adebayor converts the penalty and the it’s not hope it’s beyond expectation. But it’s built on flaky foundations. Though if the ref gives the pen why was no card show?
But the pattern had been set. Nine or ten white shirts behind the ball, dropping deeper and deeper, while giving the ball away at every opportunity. Inviting them on. Living dangerously. They might have been inept but the could be lucky – Rosicky header anyone?
With Adebayor reverting back to his pre-Newcastle outings where he was Mr. Teflon with nothing sticking to him, gifting the ball back with ease. Saha wasn’t in the game at all, even dropping deep to try and help a midfield that were being overrun. Two nil down at home, crowd on their back only one team should have won from here and it shouldn’t have been the home side. But one side showed more heart, one side showed well just showed more as Spurs went to pieces and completely bottled it.
It may have been different if that two goal lead had lasted to half-time the fact it didn’t gave them all they needed to go on. But that had been wiped out. On their second yet again this season we find Parker right next to the scorer not actually doing anything worthwhile. It presented ‘Arry with problems. Things needed to be changed but he didn’t do what was required. A combination of midfield solidity along with width was required. Lennon and Sandro for a striker and Kranjcar, move Bale wide left and make him stay there unless he swapped with Lennon and play the way we play. But no van der Vaart and Sandro were introduced. Straight from the second half kick-off it was obvious there was no solidity and the game plan was to be pretty much as in the first half. Hit, hope and hang on.
It was all a bit headless chickens in that second period. All over the place at the back. Ledley looked knackered, Benny was having a mare, highlighted when he ponced out of making any sort of block on the cross for their third. It is my pet hate when modern day defenders flinch and turn their back and try their very best to actually not block a cross or shot, while trying to make it look as if they’re making the effort. It’s piss weak, especially with this modern day ball. I do wonder what the old timers who faced a heavy leather ball think of it.
The rest of the half isn’t worth posting about. Was just sheer capitulation. Hell when you make Walcott and Rosicky look good you’ve got to be pretty damn embarrassed in yourself.
Though the silver lining may have come when Parker made yet another ineptly stupid challenge and got himself a second yellow card and therefore a ban. Oh he’s gonna be out against ManUre all the fanboys are crying. Totally overlooking the fact that here as with against Citeh and the like he’s been found wanting.
Well was it all a master-plan by ‘Arry getting ready for the England job. I mean how many times do England go into a match heavy favourites and come out of it with an embarrassing defeat?