..eat it too.
A bit of luck and some decent officiating and Spurs could still have their cake, three of them, and their wouldn’t be the discussions about prioritising competitions.
We also wouldn’t have to put up with Smug Pardew, who won it all by himself.
Things didn’t start well as Pochettino picked him in the starting XI, I thought we’d seen the back of him but no maybe Poch didn’t take the Cup all that seriously with giving Bentaleb a start. Bentaleb then almost gave Palace a start as he stuck out a wing in the penalty area that the ball hit.
It could have been given, much like the one Spurs got against Citeh in the last league game. Same reasons as well, yes his back is turned but he’s stuck his arm out to increase the area that can block off the ball. Along with that we had to put up with the confused pigeon, Kyle Walker going for his second own goal of the season. A mad scramble from Vorm just kept the ball out after the defence en masse decided to let the ball bounce, which should never be done.
No doubt it was Pardew who made Spurs almost hand Palace the game on a plate.
Don’t know if he’d have taken all the plaudits if the officials had done their job correctly, when Son’s corner made its way across the box for Dele Alli’s header to be kept out by Cabaye’s arm. Red card, Kane penalty successful and things would have been a bit different.
If Alli’s attempt, after Son’s jinking run into the box, that hit both posts goes in, things are different. Especially if both go Spurs way then in added time of the first half the eventual winner might have been just a consolation.
But then if Spurs had defended that correctly it wouldn’t even be that. Son and Vorm getting the blame, yet where was golden boy defensive midfielder, certainly not in the middle of the park and why did the other chosen one, Rose, get sucked so far inside, well probably because he normally does, so Kelly in acres of space to smash his attempt past Vorm. Seen Hugo beaten like that so can’t point the finger at the ‘keeper alone.
The second half went along the lines of recent second halves. Sloppy seconds. Spurs gifting the ball away easily, well with Bentaleb there what did anyone expect. And yet some still cling onto the thought of him being a world beater. His presence also contributed to one of the shakiest defensive displays of the season.
Again chances were created in the second half, Alli’s perfect cross not converted by either Kane or Onomah, less than 6 yards out.
But then it comes the question, do you want a replay? Another game – fitted in between the Woolwich game and another possible Europa League tie. No you don’t want to go out of the cup but a jaded side which with the likes of Kane has nowhere else to go for a real replacement, do you want to sacrifice what could be achieved for a replay? Tough choice. Academic now, just two competitions but still a decent double, though it could have been all so different and a cup quarter final to look forward to and well no complaints about that extra game…