before?
OK so the formation was different but there was something oh so familiar about the way Spurs played against Swansea at the weekend.
So that formation, ‘Arry kept the 4-2-3-1 not going back to 4-4-1 with Lennon now available. Good in a way shows he doesn’t go straight back when another way is actually working and easing Lennon back in is preferable than the standard routine of rushing him back so he re-injures himself.
Parker alongside Sandro. ‘Arry not the only one saying Livermore was unlucky to miss out, well you know who I’d have him in for. But surprisingly in a first half where Swansea had over half of the possession he actually didn’t suck as much s usual. Then it was his level, at home to a promoted side who aren’t physical and who were slow in the build up. Lot of nice passing for passing’s sake to real forward drive a lot of the time.
That with the extra cover and the whole Spurs side doing a job in closing Swansea down when they had the ball made Parker’s job far, far easier. Though he still managed to be right next to the player getting off the odd attempt from Swansea without stopping it. And of course butchering ever forward move he got involved in.
Oh and look there’s a big Welsh kid playing on the left. How unusual. Well to be fair he’s been seen more and more there lately and surprise, surprise when he starts there and plays most of the game there it works better than on the right or down the middle. Even when in this case the opposition triple up on him. He just either ran past them or through them.
And work it did 20 minutes in when a beautiful ball by Modric inside the fullback the onrushing Bale, finally free of orange shirts, his cross didn’t reach Adebayor but the stretched clearance went straight to van der Vaart who expertly placed it coolly past his fellow Dutchman in the Swansea goal.
They may have had more of the ball but it was Spurs who looked the more threatening and of course as before should have increased that lead. But this is the Spurs of old so they went in at the break just the one up.
And what does that mean? Of course the post half-time 15 minute drop off, where they drop off the pressure, get sloppy and concede an equaliser. When it came it was no surprise. Sigurdsson had already shown his intentions having one cracking shot, excellently saved by Friedel. It wasn’t long before he beat the American ‘keeper.
In a way it was exactly what Spurs required, it gave them that kick up the arse antidote to half-time. From then they really began to boss things. Bale was in his pomp just steaming through or past the orange wall of defenders at will. Then the big red bus came along, you know the one that always comes straight after the one you’ve been waiting an age for. A goal from a corner! Second in as many games! What’s going off out there? Well something has been happening with the corners, they have been better of late. Did that stat about how many have been taken without a goal get through to the players and or coaches? Have they even maybe been actually practising them?
It was simple in the end, especially as Swansea might be the Swans but do suffer a bit from Duck’s Disease, as Adebayor rose above the defender and just met the perfect corner. We were also getting some sign of life from ‘Arry as he celebrated.
A couple of minutes earlier Lennon had been introduced and as previously when Spurs were flying he hardly had a touch of the ball but when he did it counted. Receiving a clearance just outside the Swansea box he was facing his own half and I thought the way he shaped up he would pass it back but thankfully he didn’t. Turning and scampering past his defender he put in the perfect cross, stands it up on the back post, for the lurking Adebayor to rise again to nod it home, as Vorm seemed lost.
There could have been a blot on the day but luckily Assou-Ekotto’s two footed lunge on Routledge didn’t make contact with the player. Though it has to be said Benny was still lucky as some refs would have given a straight red contact or not. It was a poor attempt at a tackle by him.
First win in the league since the second week of February, six games, back on track with a good win and a good performance. ‘Arry wants 5 more wins from the remaining 8 league games, looking at what’s left we want more.
Tottenham Hotspur 3 – 1 Swansea City