did it really happen?
Nuno kept up his glorious 100% record of losing London derbies, this time in West Ham’s cup final, with another game where his side didn’t actually look that bothered, as well as clueless, summed up by the winning goal.
This was Nuno’s fourth London derby in his nine league games in charge and for the fourth straight time his team lost and for all four of those games, bar one half of one game – the first half against Chelsea – they have looked totally disinterested. This game was no different.
I said before that Nuno wouldn’t embarrass the club, by which I meant in interviews, you know Jose style rantings and ravings. But it was a bit of an embarrassment hearing him in the post match TV interview saying they controlled the game and there wasn’t a lack of creativity.
Yes they had all of the ball, which was funny when hearing a commentator saying having the penalty they should have got was against the run of play. But everything was so ponderous. So clueless. So predictable. Now was that the plan that Nuno sent them out with and stuck with throughout the 90 minutes, or did the players chose to play like this themselves? Either way, it’s not good.
West Ham sat back and sat in the middle. While Spurs repeatedly came into the middle. With acres of space out wide, Moura – especially – Son and Kane joined them. Leaving no room for them to actually do anything. But as said there was space out wide, the fullbacks rarely got into it but when they did they created the chances. Kane should have done better with a header from a Reguilon cross – but he didn’t seem bothered. While the left back again put in a decent cross that was just behind Skipp. But the fact that Skipp was the furthest forward and no one else got onto the end of such a good ball is telling enough.
At the end of the game a stat came out that Spurs didn’t have a shot at goal in the second half and that the last of their seven attempts came in the 43rd minute, the only surprising part of it was that they’d had seven.
Another stat that was rather depressing was in relation to the Man United and Everton stuffings, in which they both conceded five goals and the fact it was their biggest home defeat since Spurs put six past them. I had to look it up to see if Spurs had even scored 6 in their 9 league games so far.
While not helping themselves with the dawdling display, Spurs weren’t helped by the officials again. Last week should have seen a penalty and a sending off for two, near identical, handballs. This time around Ndombele was fouled in the area. Zouma getting all of the Frenchman and none of the ball. It’s a stonewaller. But of course it barely features in the media, commentator laughably claiming Zouma is there first and no post match discussion.
I mean VAR is there for “clear and obvious errors” well what’s clearer and more obvious than getting a penalty completely wrong?
While later Skipp let a ball go over the line but when Antonio brought it back into play the ref waved play on. While Romero was booked for pointing out that ref was being conned by a West Ham player feigning injury. Romero got the ball the player fell to the ground and rolled him self up screaming, Romero told him what for and the player jumped up with such ease that Lazarus would have been mightily impressed. Then Moura stood still is clambered over and the ref gives them a foul.
Paul Tierney. Enough said. Short Arse Syndrome. You can’t, shouldn’t, pick refs that get cricks in their necks having to look up all the time.
The only thing less shocking than Tierney’s ineptitude, was with Spurs having all of the ball that West Ham would score and even less shocking it came from a set piece and even less of a surprise it came from some of the most inept defending.
Kane, stood next to Antonio, basically looking as if he’s saying “do you come here often?”, stayed stood there as Antonio stuck his foot out for the winner. It really took no effort on the West Ham players part. It summed up Kane’s performance and his season so far. Disinterest and still moping about being elsewhere. Many now hoping that elsewhere is now Newcastle, as soon as possible.
With this performance you wonder what the point was of resting him for the ECL game. Resting any of them. I mean it didn’t work out well for either game.
And while the players were ponderous and dull on the pitch Nuno was equally ponderous and dull on the sideline. Oh for the days of a sub coming on on the hour. But no, watching what was going on in front of him Nuno didn’t make a change until six minutes before the end. Ndombele, who yes fades after an hour but was Spurs only real creative force came off for Lo Celso, while Reguilon made way for Gil. Neither contributed much in their six minutes. While for some reason Moura made it into time added on before he departed for Bergwijn.
It all seemed like some sort of holding pattern… where does Nuno go from here… Man United next in the league… will Dr. Tottenham be seeing patients…