the F.A.
Poor old ‘Arry, he finally sees Spurs actually win a game and the F.A. go and piss all over his chips by announcing Roy Hodgson is their only choice for his job.
More about Woy’s about bloody time
later, first there’s an actual Spurs win.
Well the day started with good news as ‘Arry lamented not having Scott Parker because of an injury he needed to be rested so that he was available for ‘Arry at Euro 2012. Hahahaha. At the time I commented that Livermore was unlucky not to get a game, maybe it was lucky he didn’t. Though on his past performances when starting – those games where we kept being told Spurs would seriously miss Parker – Jake has done a great job, then he might have match Sandro here.
Sandro, width of the bar away from man-of-the-match as he totally bossed a first half where Spurs finally showed some life. Life, vigour, enthusiasm and no Parker. Coincidence? I think not. As Sandro was charging around providing everything Parker doesn’t. There was dribbles, productive dribbles, not cul-de-sac dribbles, would have been most in the first half until the rejuvenated Modric had a little dash right at the end. There was shots, most in the half. There was passing, forward passing, momentum creating passing, not slow down passing straight back from whence the ball came, pinpoint accuracy cross field pings. And there was tackles, 11 in that first 45, now isn’t that Parker’s game, the shield the man to sweep up danger, it would take him a couple of months to rack up 11 tackles, this was in one half against a side that had less than 30% of the ball.
There was also Zindane style throwing up in the penalty box.
It all brought the team back to life. Modric looked a different player, yes we all have to admit that the opposition amounted to bugger all – no attempts at goal in any way, shape or form – but he still looked interested. Van der Vaart was buzzing, Lennon was lively, as was Adebayor, whose first touch was again abysmal. Of all the outfielders there was only one missing. Bale.
While Danny Rose was playing left back, Bale was wandering and while Rose had all the space, time and possession in the world, Bale had none. While Rose had 107 touches of the ball, Bale had 61 – only Gallas of the outfield players had less – and while Rose pretty much butchered everything he touched, Bale could have provided so much more if he’d just stuck to the left wing.
Again you have to ask player or coach?
So it was a cruise, cruise with swagger and surprise. Who would have thought officials could see if a ball had or had not crossed the line. How the hell did they get this one right as van der Vaart finally got the ball over the line after what seemed an age in the build up. Other surprise was that Adebayor didn’t block his shot, Dutchman did seem to be pleading with the striker to get out of the way.
What wasn’t a surprise was the lack of killing Blackburn off. After Lennon hit the side netting in the opening seconds and then Sandro rattled the crossbar, it had the feeling of one of those days
. Even after the opener – which came from Lennon standing a cross up at the back post, something he didn’t do again even though it brings rewards – when there wasn’t that many chances on target, you felt even though Blackburn were doing nothing more than trying to keep the score respectable
, it was going to be classic Spurs and they were going to let a soft equaliser in.
In the end it didn’t materialise but a second came and maybe the biggest surprise of the day. A goal, from a free-kick? What? Where? Never.
How many games in and someone else gets a go. No van der Vaart, no Kaboul, no Bale, no Modric, not even the missing Benny. But Walker. Now yes David Dunn did Ferdinand/Parker the attempted block from the wall – made it look like he made an effort but actually ponced blocking the ball – but it was one hell of a free-kick. Curved wide and was unsavable by the returning Paul Robinson.
So ‘Arry finally manages a win and then he loses. Couldn’t make it up…
Tottenham Hotspur 2 – 1 Blackburn Rovers