there’s always new depths to plumb.
Well, there’s a trophy that Conte won’t be bringing to Spurs, as another limp, dismal performance saw his side embarrassed by a 2-0 defeat that, believe it or not, could actually have been more embarrassing.
When I saw the team sheet, I can’t say Iw as expecting anything other than the usual passive, dismal effort from Conte’s XI, I did though expect them to at least perk up after going behind, or the standard two goals behind. Well, for the fifth straight domestic game they went two goals down, but the fightback never materialised.
That staring XI. Well, after watching Perisic not work alongside Kane up front at the weekend, Conte decided to watch the repeat. With Sessegnon failing at LWB and Doherty not exactly setting the world, or even Nottingham, on fire on the right, the usual question arises of why is he picking them?
You can’t tell me that it would have been any worse a performance if Gil had started up front, Perisic to his usual position, with ex-Forest player Spence at RWB. I mean this was the ideal game to play Spence. But no.
So it’s the same old wash, rinse, repeat, from all the previous games and previous posts about those games. There’s nowt new to say. Apart from Fraser Forster, making his debut, in goal kept Spurs in it. He’s a big bugger, and he was using all of that frame at times.
The only real surprise was , yet again, that it took the opposition that long to score. It was 5 minutes into the second half before they beat Forster. No surprise that the goal came from Spurs’ right, where Sanchez was stationed in defence. Stationed, well he was stationary as the Forest player kicked the ball past him. He put far more effort into blaming others around him, than actually defending.
Would this kick Spurs on? No. It did give bottom of the table Forest a boost. A boost that doubled their lead just a few minutes later. It did actually start with Spurs going forward. Dier, who again had an awful game, burst up the pitch, played a one-two with Perisic, got the ball back on the edge of the Forest box and passed it backwards. 20 seconds later it was in the back of the Spurs net.
Just woeful.
Well, yet again Spurs are two down, will this now get them out of their stupor? No.Even when forest went down to 10 men it looked more like the home side would get their third, rather than Spurs clawing one back. Before that happened Conte had made some changes, Bentancur had come on at half time, then just after the second goal Richarlison, Kulusevski and Gil came on for Skipp, Perisic and Kane. The latter indicating that Conte had given up on the game.
The only difference maker on the night was the introduction of Spence, for Doherty, just after the hour. But in the end he just summed up everything wrong with this Spurs. With his first real touch, he charged forward, got into the Forest half looked about and shrugged his arms out at the sight of no one there to help him.
It all just petered out. Not even the real hint of a comeback. Without Forster it would have more than likely have been 3-0, than 2-1 or 2-2.
What does Conte ask of his players? Is it to play like this, or are they ignoring him? Either way, it’s not good. Have to ask is Conte looking for that Levy payoff from being sacked…