and working the old magic.
Spurs return has so far been very 2020, but you’re always guaranteed that Dr. Tottenham will be round shortly to administer to the sick and needy, as he was against Sheffield United.
The hosts were both sick – they couldn’t put out a full quota of substitutes – and needy. Needy of a win, after four games of the restart, in league and cup, The Blades were without a victory, three defeats and one draw, shipping 8 goals while only scoring 1 – that was allowed by VAR.
Dr. Tottenham treated all their symptoms.
Three games into the restart and we’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly from Spurs and this 3-1 drubbing by Sheffield United was truly a Tuco of a performance.
The kind of performance that could see Harry Kane look over his shoulder and mutter “there used to be a football club over there” as he moved to bigger and better things. Yes, he scored. Yes he could have had… should have had two but he had the fewest touches of anyone who started the game, hell even two of Spurs subs had more.
It was a middle third performance from Spurs. They were OK, with all the ball, in the middle of the park but completely useless around both theirs and United’s box. Some of the most laughable defending you’ll see along with totally clueless attacking. Four yard, unmarked tap ins ant one end, aimless lobbed up crosses at the other.
Then there’s VAR.
So Spurs had all the ball then half an hour United have most of their team in the Spurs box not one of them marked by a Spurs defender and then the ball is in the back of the net.
Seconds later and it was all square… but hang on… here comes VAR. Moura is pushed over and as he’s falling the ball is hammered off him from a couple of inches away into the path of Harry, who cuts inside and finishes with aplomb. VAR says it hit Moura’s arm so has to be chalked off. From the angles I saw on the replays you couldn’t actually tell where it hit Moura, shoulder, back or upper arm. Certainly there was doubt. But no. The law is a ass… a idiot.
VAR of course didn’t intervene when Norwood, already on a booking, elbowed Son, which should have seen him red carded.
Heads went from there and while they again had all the ball, they created very little and it was all played out in front of the massed Sheffield ranks.
Jose brought Lamela on shortly after the break, he made an impact but replaced Bergwijn which again seemed odd. Not that the Dutchman was having a great game, just felt that Moura was offering very little. It was the Brazilian who was lobbing in those god awful floated crosses that caused the Sheffield defence no problems whatsoever.
Back at the other end another example of standing around in the box letting the opposition do what they wanted came on the 70th minute. General meandering about by the likes of Sissoko, Aurier followed by Dier seeing where the striker is, touching him then moving away from him while Davies stood behind him. So when the cross came in, Mousset was all alone four yards out, to tap the ball in.
Dier has been good since the return and his return the centre-back but this was really slack. Don’t know what he was doing. He should know by now with this Spurs team you can expect others to do their job.
Their third was much the same. United players just running past Spurs players, nobody really bothering to do anything to stop the ball, or player before it’s poked in at the near post.
Kane got his consolation on the 90th minute, a well worked goal, from Lamela’s ball into Son, he crossed and Harry knocked it in, meaning he’d now scored against every team he’s played against in the Premier League. Spurs one real bit of class.
Have they packed it in? Are they not bothered with the rest of the season? Are they working for Jose? I mean, he was supposed to tighten up the defence and what it’s been something like 4 clean sheets in 29 games.
Can he turn this around in the summer with the market that Levy is gonna be shopping in. It’s done a couple of teams well not being in Europe for a season, Chelsea and Leicester won the title without the midweek distraction.
But this doesn’t look like that… there’s far too much work required… Levy won’t want to pay what it needs…