please, Conte please.
Another game of Conte’s Nunoball, saw them score one goal and then sit back to keep Brighton out for a mind-numbingly tedious 70 minutes, to eke out the three points.
It started so well, with Emerson banned and Conte switching to a midfield three, instead of just Hojbjerg and Bentancur in there being outmanned. Conte brought in the former Brighton man, Bissouma, maybe because of that link and hoping the law-of-the-ex and all that.
They seemed up for it, pressing, pushing Brighton back and showing some life. Unfortunately like most of the games this season, it so easily broke down when things got close to the opposition box.
The front two, Kane and Son, out of sync, while the wingbacks were worse than useless. On the right Doherty was in for that suspended Emerson but the Irishman looked every bit a player who hasn’t featured at all in most of the games this season, playing just 26 minutes for Spurs in all competitions, over three games. While on the left, Sessegnon got the man of the match award, and I have no idea how. His most glorious moment going forward was having plenty of time, plenty of space, and plenty of Spurs player to hit with a cross and yet sent the ball towards the right hand corner flag. He, again, was utterly clueless going forward. He did get one decent cross in, though I don’t think Doherty was his intended target. It was ballooned over the bar.
A few minutes in and hurrah, Sonny was on free-kick in front of goal duty. Now he didn’t score, but he did make the keeper actually have to save it. Which makes a change.
Sonny of course provided the assist for the goal… the goal… he had to after I’d taken him out of my fantasy team, taking one for the team there. After his corner had been cleared, Hojbjerg – who was probably really man of the match – lobbed the ball back to him in the area, creating space for himself, he got the ball on his left and fired the ball towards goal, where Kane flicked it in brilliantly. But saying that Sonny didn’t have a great game and there looks to be a detachment between him and Kane.
It was at this moment Spurs decided to stop playing like they were, no more pressing, very little going forward, and just camp out on the edge of their own box and try to defend the lead.
For those seventy plus minutes they got lucky, as Brighton reverted to the Brighton of old. Load of chances, couldn’t hit a cows arse with a banjo. I mean it is a different Spurs, in years gone by when doing this they would concede a last minute equaliser, then probably an added time winner.
I mean they did try. Sessegnon to Richarlison and then back to the wingback, right on the edge of the box, where he had the ball taken off him. Romero’s challenge. As for going forward, did they even have an attempt on target after the goal? It was just Peter Kay “’ave it” balls. With everyone bar Kane at times camped on the edge of the Spurs box, there was no way out. So the ball was just hoofed up the park to come straight back. Conte couldn’t help himself and brought Richarlison on for Bissouma, he can’t get go of 3-4-3, it didn’t improve anything.
It was straight out of the NLD and look what happened there when the other side could finish. Hell, it’s been like so many games this season and so far they’ve been getting away with it. An indication of the state of the league, Spurs haven’t got out of second gear, actually have they got into second but sit third.
There was just time for Kane to drop deep to add to the defence and get a wack on the ankle. Oh, joy.