steps forward.
Another infuriatingly dull performance from Conte’s Spurs as they did just enough against third division Portsmouth to advance to the fourth round of the FA Cup.
There’s lies, damn lies and statistic.
But two stats don’t like about Spurs in the third round, home tie, in the FA Cup against a mid table third division side. Spurs had over 70% of the ball. They had one shot on target.
One shot. The same amount as Portsmouth manages with their less than 30% of the ball. Lucky they did very little, only mustering 3 total shots, as Conte had changed his back line, with a back five you wouldn’t want featuring in well any games. Royal, Tanganga, Sanchez, Davies, Sessegnon. A five that’s pretty clueless in defence and probably worse in attack.
What did Conte get from seeing Emerson Royal turn out again, that he hasn’t seen previously in the games in which the Brazilian has been useless? Did he really need to watch him be inept for another 90 minutes?
Of course bar the goal, the best chance fell to the player you wouldn’t want anywhere near a good chance, his back post header bouncing off the far post and somehow not crossing the line.
Conte really doesn’t like Spence. Why wouldn’t you give him a run out against a third division team in the cup? Well, it looked like they were keeping him from being cup tied before shipping him out this month on loan. Until Conte decided to bring him on with 15 minutes to go.
But of course not for Royal, no, Conte had to see how bad Royal could be on the other side of the pitch, so Sessegnon made way. Sessegnon having another clueless outing, where he looked scared of his own shadow.
You have Harry Kane and you provide him with Sessegnon and Royal, who couldn’t deliver a pizza, between them.
How many times have I said on here what Spurs need is more one-twos, more triangles?
Well, here comes the goal, Kane plays the ball to Sarr, gets the ball back and fires in the winner. The area was packed with blue shirts, as so often it is against Spurs and this is how to combat it. So why don’t we see them doing this every game? We didn’t see it here before or after. Why?
It was a cracking bit of pure Harry Kane. The one high point.
His sidekick in the goal, Sarr, looked decent again. Funny, read someone say all he needs to do is bulk up a bit. On the weekend when there was talk of Dele Alli’s loan being ended by his Turkish club. Dele kinda started his decline when he bulked up. He was a wiry kid when he scored that goal against Palace. But when he got that injury he bulked up his upper body and wasn’t the same after that.
And as Gareth Bale announced his retirement today…
— Gareth Bale (@GarethBale11) January 9, 2023
I’m thinking his injury problems came after he bulked up. While, Harry is still banging them in, he also bulked up and hasn’t scored a hat-trick for over five years now.
Anyway, it’s the cup, all you have to do is win and that’s what they did – to be away to Preston in the fourth round. You just hope this drop off doesn’t affect them for the next league game because it’s you know who…