that easy.
Not as easy as it being out of our own hands. And not as easy as gifting it to others. Ah, the Spurs’ way, as seen at White Hart Lane and Stamford Bridge over the last few days.
The abject performance against Southampton at home pretty much guaranteed Spurs wouldn’t lose away to Chelski. Gifting the home side two goals ultimately meant Spurs didn’t come away from there with the required three points to keep Champions League qualification in their own hands.
Two simple, unremarkable goals, brought about by slack play. It’s one thing when a moment of greatness costs but when it’s handed on a plate.
No surprises from the boss in the line up. Big game so you knew Demebele wouldn’t be fit and that Parker wouldn’t stay unfit long enough. But a trio of Parker, Huddlestone and Holtby were going to have their problems with Oscar, Hazard and Mata – no surprise either that two of the could have been playing in white shirts on the night, to go with the navy shorts which were thankfully used.
Defoe hadn’t done enough to keep his place in the last game, so it meant he return of Adebayor. Now here was the surprise. From the off he looked interested. Put himself about, was actually trying not just appearing to try.
While there was a few good touches Spurs struggled to get hold and keep hold of he ball, Lennon and Bale uninvolved, lot of Parkeresque sideways and backwards passing.
The form a corner the first gift. Dawson completely misjudges things letting Cahill nod the ball on freely to scar who just saunters away from the inept Parker. Glenn Hoddle in the studio said Parker was looking at the ball and not the man bu hen if he was looking at the ball why didn’t he do something about it coming towards he Chelsea player? Again e modern footballer was too busy trying to hand off the player than play football.
Slackness at set pieces would carry on all game. As soon as the ref blew the whistle the Spurs players were just milling around no paying particular attention to anything. Of course unsurprisingly the ref generally blew in favour of the home side. Spurs denied nailed on fouls and on the wrong end of the usual inept linesmen’s offside flag.
The one time Spurs got a break from the officials he ref played the advantage after some nice harrying from Holtby as Adebayor picked up he ball in his own half and ran towards goal. Chelsea just backed off, you can see why on his past performances this season – helped somewhat by Lennon’s run distracting them. But something strange happened a few yards from the box the lanky striker struck. A beauty into he top corner over Cech in no man’s land.
Where the bloody hell did hat come from?
The situation didn’t last long as Chelsea came back. Spurs defence all seemingly dragged to the left while Parker, far too far up he pich again, just not up to the job of covering someone like Ramires. The Brazilian’s early toe-poke beating Lloris.
Things needed changing for Spurs and AVB did and again they changed things for he better but again you felt he left it a little later than he should and he didn’t quite go far enough with the changes. Sigurdsson again came on to make the difference for he rarely seen Lennon but an hour gone seemed too long to wait. Dempsey was brought on for Holtby. The latter was all over the place and 100 miles per hour and did some good stuff just unfortunately a number of times those in white weren’t bright enough to be on the same wavelength. So step overs, dummies, flicks just didn’t come off.
One flick did. Again from hat surprising source. Benny chips into the box to Adebayor with another good run, his back heel finds Sigurdsson who coolly curls it round Cech.
Two cracking goals compared to two gifts. And the one man in Spurs team had barely appeared.
Yes Chelsea could have finished it off, Ramires luckily slipping and planting his face into he turf when clean through. Benitez also helped removing Oscar and Hazard for two inferior replacements. Unfortunately AVB didn’t use his last change to remove his inferior man and so Spurs had chances butchered by Parker.
But then hope started to appear. One last chance. The ref actually giving Spurs a foul in the Chelsea half. And Bale. Done very little all night but could grab all the headlines with one kick. One kick that softly looped into the ‘keeper’s arms.
Normally you’d be happy with a 2-2 at their place. Them full strength, you missing important players, while others being unfit. A battling performance, coming back from behind twice, with he greater amount of possession and equal number of chances – god hat sounds Brendan Rodgersesque. But this. Well it all means we’ll be Wiganistas at he weekend.
Now I Tweeted last after Adebayor’s wonder goal that Do I take it all back?
. After that and the assist there was a lot of I told you so
and we should support the player in the shirt
about. But that performance showed what the player had been doing to the fans, he club and the shirt during the season. Pissing on the lot. That performance was obviously there just he couldn’t be arsed putting it in. Now there’s talk of offloading him in the summer what better shop window than a top four battle against Chelsea. How convenient, all of a sudden he thinks he’ll bother.