points.
In a season when Spurs have put up some of their best numbers in Premier League era the weekend loss to Southampton put them ahead of another unwanted table.
When Son Heung-min opened the scoring just after the quarter hour it was the 68th goal in the league season, the most they’ve manage in the new set up. A win would have given them their highest points tally. They’ve lost the fewest games in a season and unless they really capitulate in the final game conceded fewer goals than before.
But when Steven Davis added his and Southampton’s second just before the final quarter hour, it moved Spurs top of the table of points dropped from a winning season. Twenty points dropped, over a third of that coming in the last three games over fourteen days.
From leading against West Brom, Chelsea and now Southampton, Spurs have managed to only gain two points, dropping seven in the process. Of course the first four of those points dropped ended the title run the final three is making second place a bit of a lottery.
A win against Southampton, who up until Sunday they had a pretty damn good home record against, would have guaranteed second, with the goal difference they’ve racked up over the season, before the other lot kicked off later in the day. With their resulting draw a point is all that’s needed come the final game of the season.
Newcastle away. Will they already be down after the midweek games, Jabba the Allardyce’s lot just need to beat an Everton who have given up on the season, or will they still be fighting for their life. Hopefully if the latter they’ll show as much fight as they did against Villa, and not that shown in the second half of the reverse fixture.
In a season when you think Spursy has been consigned to history it would be ever so Spursy to really blow it from here. And after a season of fight it would be so Spursy to do it in such a limp manner as this latest defeat.
It started out looking like Spurs had kept some of that fight from the previous outing, no hacking or fighting but a bit of life. Especially when Son did score that opener.
Some think Lamela’s ball looked to be for the offside Kane, luckily Harry knew where he was and didn’t make a move for it, though Lamela had his back to Kane and was more likely to have noticed Son had carried on his run after playing Lamela the ball originally. This put the defence off-guard leaving Son to chase it down, in that scampering style of his. Well he’d gone from inside his own half, why stop now.
Round the huge, hulking, frame of Forster then past a couple of defenders and into the net.
It’s the Korean’s 8th goal of the season. Three have been the opening goal, one an equaliser and four of them the winning goal. In other-words important goals but some don’t rate him.
It was the only time Spurs got past the big gorilla in the visitor’s goal. He’d earlier stopped an Eriksen chance and would deny Kane from emulating Son. I wonder if he came in for the same type of criticism from the away fans that was heaped on Lloris for the Southampton goals.
Apparently Hugo is a bum and it’s a priority that a new ‘keeper needs to be signed in the summer. Probably the best ‘keeper that’s been at the club in their lifetime, don’t think many who are saying it saw Big Pat play, and he’s not good enough for ’em.
After that opener things really went flat and the equaliser didn’t help.
Walker was left flat on the ground, while the ref didn’t blow for a head injury, probably figuring well it’s Walker’s head and it came about through his own inept challenge. Yes Lloris could have done a lot better but then all the defence could have in that situation. Even Toby, who quite rightly picked up his player of the season award.
One reason for this flat performance, apart from the come down of just playing for second now, was of course those missing. Dembele and Alli. Missing one is bad enough, both proved fatal. There’s no replacement for either, certainly not Mason, who while he tries, doesn’t succeed very often.
You couldn’t blame Hugo for the winner, Bertrand’s overlap and a one two and the defence left a nice big gap for Davis’ second. Steven Davis, I mean of all people. Have to ask, you don’t deserve the title if Newcastle beat you at home, you deserve even less if Davis is getting a brace to beat you. Yes Southampton have been on a run this year, best record after the champions, Mane or Tadic do it, well then yes but not Davis.
Ideas have to be bucked up. Yes Poch is right it’s second they’re going for, finishing above the other lot is a bonus and a fan thing, it’s making sure that things aren’t a complete omnishambles come five o’clock next Sunday…