from that.
Another lacklustre performance from Spurs saw them maintain their unbeaten start to the season but fail to inspire, as they looked more likely to hand Wet Spam a victory in their cup final.
As the transfer window closes the Spurs hierarchy must have watched what wasn’t working in this game and maybe noticed it’s roughly what wasn’t working in previous games and yet what we hear is they’re looking for more wide players.
Does anyone think that Dan James or Yannick Carrasco would have made the difference in a game where the West Ham midfield were really the man of the match not Antonio as Hoddle deemed?
Don’t know how many times I’ve said it, or how many times I will. They lose the midfield far too often, either through being undermanned or through a lack of midfield creativity. The midfield pairings aren’t working as it stands. It was a new one for this game, with Bissouma getting his long awaited first start, as predicted with Bentancur’s injury.
The Ivorian disappointed many with his performance. It’s not what they expected. Far too many backpasses. Almost Winksesque in their number. The thing is in the first half, when he was at his worst, he put in some really good forward balls, it was just they were so few and far between. He picked up a bit in the second half when looking and playing more forward. But far too often it was that pass straight back to the defender who had just passed the ball to him. His booking might not have helped.
The first bit of controversy came 10 minutes in when Kane’s header, from Perisic’s cross, came off a defender’s arm. The ref gave the penalty. When then had hours of replays as they tried to get it overturned, with the BT commentator pleading for the reversal. When it takes four and a half minutes and countless replays can it be classed as “clear and obvious”?
Anyway BT got their wish and the penalty decision was rescinded.
Spurs could quite easily have been behind when they went ahead. A classic counter, which they played perfectly. Three on three, Spurs just went forward. Kane in the middle out wide to Kulusevski on the right, as he made into the box, Kane had overlapped on the outside, laid of the England striker’s cross was heading for a Sonny tap in before the West ham player put in his own net.
Sonny could have done with that. Again, out of sorts. Blocked runs, blocked shots, coughing up the ball. But then they were all having shots blocked, Kane and Kulu. After that cross from Perisic for the “pen”, we hardly saw another one. While Emerson was doing very little on the right in an attacking sense – can’t tell me shift Kulu out there and bringing another body into the middle wouldn’t make things better.
And while this was going on there was the usual fannying about at the back, just inviting West Ham on and inviting trouble, it certainly wasn’t bringing on any more quick and decisive counters.
Spurs hadn’t conceded in some time with Sanchez on the pitch but every time he got the ball at his feet it looked like that record was going to end. The same when the ball was played to Hugo and so the record did end with such a ball. Played to the keeper he just booted it out for a throw. That throw as a foul throw, of course missed by the officials and the BT comms teams. Soucek was left to run onto Antonio’s flick, in the box and bang it past Hugo. Those in white all seemed to just fall asleep at the throw.
At that point Spurs lifted it, Bissouma taking the ball and passing forward but it didn’t last and the hosts got on top again, with it look far more likely they’d get the winner than Spurs.
In the end it was the point. Don’t think the hosts should be that happy. Spurs were awful, while they played at the best and yet it took the ref to help them, twice.
The transfer window started pretty well, there was a couple of moments but it seems to have petered out and would be even worse if it ends up with Dan James, which thankfully looks to not happening now. It just seems strange that they’re obsessed in getting more and more wide men. No solid defenders – still falling back on Sanchez and starting Davies – no midfield creativity.
We’ll see how it pans out in the final few hours… but Levy is still there so I wouldn’t hold my breath…