it.
Spurs finally got what they deserved with Harry Kane’s late header against Roy Hodgson’s dull Crystal Palace, after what looked likely to be one of those games.
As Kane’s 88th minute header went in Palace manager Roy Hodgson was filmed banging the back of his head against the back of his seat in the dugout.
It’s hard to know if Hodgson’s act was down to his frustration at his Palace side conceding what would be the late winner or he was banging away with the realisation that maybe it would have been better for someone else to take the corners and Harry Kane be on the end of them for England at Euro 2016, rather than Kane taking them.
I would have thought Roy is a bit too far gone to worry about any detrimental effect of concussion from that headbanging incident but maybe I was wrong as he stated after that it was “cruel” to concede like that. No Roy, getting away with a point would have been wholly undeserving. You offered nothing and were lucky, very lucky and should have been on the wrong end of a scoreline that would have sunk you back into the bottom three on goal difference.
The media will buy into it of course, as you see them blast off about Dele’s apparent dives, while conveniently ignoring the stonewall penalty shouts Spurs had in the game. Davies taken out by the goalkeeper, Kane taken out when it wasn’t offside..
With those shouts and the two Dele had, which quite easily could have been given, it really looked like being another of those days for Spurs. Added in was the chances Kane missed during the game, ones that you would expect him to put away with ease, others that just missed. When Spurs weren’t spurning chances, Aurier joined Kane near the end with an open goal howler, Hennessey was having one of those showreel games that keepers have against Spurs – see Tim Krul. When not making great saves from Spurs players he was doing so from his own, with Benteke’s attempt to help the visitors.
Though ironically it was probably getting his hand to Kane’s header, without saving it, that helped, taking the ball away from the defender’s head allowing free passage goalwards.
Just desserts Roy, no cruelty involved.
One negative on the day was the rise, again, of the myth of Kyle Walker. Aurier’s miss and his throw-in troubles, becoming the first player to be called for three foul throws in one game, added to Walker being in the City team that won the League Cup, saw the myth appear again. Even read him being called the best fullback in the world.
Well, I’m pretty sure City would have won that game without Walker, they would be exactly where they are now in all competitions without spending £50m on Walker, except for the F.A. Cup, if they’d bought a better right-back they might still be in the Cup, he could have put in a tackle like the one Aurier made in this match to stop a goal scoring opportunity. If you combine the pair that replaced Walker at Spurs, Trippier and Aurier, over all the games played in all competitions the Spurs pair have scored more goals and provided more assists than Walker.
As for Aurier and the foul throws, I take it no one has actually watched Walker take a throw in. When he actually gets around to throwing the ball in, after an interminable dithering wait allowing all the opposition to get back and defend, one hand is always behind the ball ready to impart a bit of spin on the ball. I doubt he’s ever taking a legal throw in his professional career.