security for the cup.
Spurs tedious one all draw in the league away at Brighton, was a fiendish plot by Pochettino to make Man United favourite for the Cup semi-final at the weekend.
What did we learn from this dire game on the south coast? Well, we learned that Spurs can’t do mass changes. They can survive the odd player coming and going, two at the most but when Poch makes wholesale changes, as he did here with six different players in the starting XI compared to the weekend, it all goes to pot.
We also leaned that starting Sissoko in a league game leads to the direst of one all draws. The last three games he’s started have all ended in a one all draw, against a dull side, that Spurs should be beating fairly easily. West ham, Southampton and now Brighton.
You can’t start Sissoko, it just hinders everything. I believe he touched the ball more than anyone else in the first half. Passes sideways, passes that were meant to be first touches, just general dithering and ineptness. It all gets in the way of a fluid team performance.
As does general apathy. He was on duty here. You’d think after the weekend they’d want to get out of the blocks and get at Brighton, show it was just a blip but no and it can’t all be down to just Sissoko. You felt sorry for Moura, finally getting a league start, you want to see him do well but he didn’t have a great game and he was basically hindered by the rubbish that was going on around him.
Eriksen’s first touch was off, Kane’s touch was off. The latter everyone was screaming why was he in the side. Oh, doesn’t look fit and should be saved for the cup. Well, he didn’t look sharp and well they keep saying you need match practice to get match sharp and well, you don’t get that sat on your arse.
And even out of form he can still find the back of the net. It took until after the half time break, before that Spurs had all the ball and did the usual fannying about and very little else with it bar the final seconds when Son had a shot well saved.
Three minutes after the break and some good harrying from Wanyama saw Brighton give the ball away and Son chase down a bit of a lost cause. Keeping the ball in play he spun it along the byline, avoiding the defender’s challenge and then the keeper before finding Kane. His goal bound shot deflected off a defender, cue all the wags and their dubious goal tweets. My but aren’t they funny.
A goal that came from the byline. It works, it creates chances, it worked here and yet did you see Spurs player get to the byline again in the game? No. Why is that? Why when something works do they not keep doing it again and again? Why do they never do it again?
Less than 20 seconds after the restart and the Brighton player runs in front of Aurier in the box, looks like there’s a clip of the heels – no intention on Aurier’s part and don’t they still bang on about intention – Izquierdo launches himself into the air, full arched back, arms flailing, looked like the poster for Platoon. Penalty given. Hugo gets a slight touch to the spot kick but it’s the equaliser.
Aurier getting all the abuse over another penalty conceded. Hell I even saw a tweet claiming Spurs means nothing to him, so he should get out, straight after a tweet praising Walker. A player who cared so much about the club he wanted off part way through the season. The abuse coming Aurier’s way reminds me of that Son got during his first season. Wouldn’t be surprised if those wanting Aurier away were calling for Son to be sold.
Eventually Pochettino makes changes but again waits far too late for it to really make any difference. So it didn’t and three points are dropped against a newly promoted team, which hasn’t happened very often under his management.
But this was an awful game, an awful performance and now they have one game to save their season, if they do then they’ll have another game to save their season.
I like Chris Hughton… but not that much…