eventually.
Boy, that escalated quickly, as Spurs went from shambles and out of it to cruising back into contention, with a six minute three goal burst to beat Man Utd for the first time in 15 years at White hart Lane.
Man Utd’s bus headed the wrong way though London, putting the game back half an hour from the scheduled kick-off. Fitting s Van Gaal as put the club back a few decades. Boy, was that a bullet dodged.
Did it have the desired effect as Spurs were completely off their game for the opening period. Wouldn’t put it past LVG to try and pull this kind of stunt, after all no matter his protestations he knows one club is on the rise the other is falling.
Spurs were lucky with that, as no matter how bad they were in that opening quarter, ManUre were so poor they couldn’t capitalise. But they did knock the hosts off their stride. A bit of pressing much like Liverpool did in the previous game.
Possession was poor and the passing was even worse and van Gaal’s mob were even worse, though they had the ball. The passing was bare fifty fifty and very little if any of it happened in the attacking third of the pitch.
Things started to turn around as Spurs got hold of the game. It culminated in Lamela’s pretty dire header from six yards out. Eriksen teed it up perfectly, Lamela had got himself in the perfect position, all on his Tod at the back post and then completely Darren Bent’d the chance.
It unfortunately gave all his haters the fuel they needed.
But maybe it also gave the player the fuel he needed. He looked distraught at the miss and well he’s never lacking in effort, he seemed to be more intense in the second half.
He started off the mad five and a half minutes. Well with a bit of help from the two United defenders that collided into each other. It came after ManUre had their only real chance of the game Martial, easily, slaloming through the Spurs defence only to shoot straight at Hugo. Kind of save that would have the commentators wanking themselves over if it was de Gea. Bog standard for Lloris.
Lamela fought on the floor to keep the ball, after the collision, before giving it off to Kane, his ball found Eriksen, his vision found Dele Alli and he found the back of the net.
Glorious ball from the Dane to find the kid. The kid who hadn’t been having the best of days but knows how to get in the box and get on the end of things, like a Spurs player hasn’t for ages. He knows where to be and what to do when he gets there.
The relief on Pochettion’s face said it all.
Shortly after Lamela swung in a cracking free-kick which found Toby’s head and he found the back of the net as de Gea stood still. Said it before and I’ll say it again, yes Dele has been outstanding, but Toby is the buy of the season. A difference maker at both ends of the park.
Just enough time in that five and half minutes for Lamela to make up for the miss, as he added the third. Rose banged in the cross early – which I’ll give him, he’s not as good as the fanbois make out, especially defensively, but he does put the crosses in early and doesn’t dither like Walker – and Lamela stroked it under de Gea’s hand into the back of the net.
A goal, an assist and a major part in the opener. His haters were quite. Apoplectic when given the man of the match.
Just time for Walker to get into a bit of handbags with martial and for Dele Alli to be ridiculously carded for diving by the stupid old goat with the whistle.
Did what had to be done after Leicester’s victory earlier in the day. It’s still possible if very unlikely with so few games to go. But hell, even if it is one of the worst ManUre sides we’ve seen it was the first victory over them at The lane in 15 years and those three goals with a clean sheet gives Spurs a +35 goal difference. Nine more than the next best, dear god in seasons gone they’d be over the moon at having a +9 difference at the end of the season.
In the end the ref could have just called the game as a ManUre forfeit, which is given as a 3-0 win for the team that turns up, saved us all that shambles that was very omni in the first half…