or get found out.
Spurs winless streak after going a head in the game extended to five as Wet Spam won their cup final, with all the help Spurs players could give them.
It was a game of two halves, one half where the visitors didn’t turn up and Spurs didn’t punish them, then a second where West Ham put in a performance but relied on Spurs just handing them the goals that see Spurs pick up just 1 point from the previous 15 available, after being ahead in every single god damn game.
Some of that stuff in the first half was excellent right up until they had to do something. Then it just all fizzled out with another faffing about sideways/backward pass for passing’s sake.
The chief problems were Hojbjerg, Kulusevskie and Bissouma. The latter was looking more like his old self but once he got near the WH area it was sideways or backwards. Hojbjerg was just seeing far too much of the ball, while Lo Celso wasn’t seeing enough – Hojbjerg’s highlight being just a few minutes in when he went to cross the ball it bounced off his standing foot as he took a swinger and completely missing the ball fell over.
Can’t believe this is a professional footballer 🤣 pic.twitter.com/ubOpFRarFd
— Dirty Footballer 👊 (@DirtyFootbaIIer) December 8, 2023
And Kulusevski.
Well the morning after people are acting like this was an aberration from Kulu. Like this hasn’t been going on all season, all season in which he’s started every game and played most of those games, just a few subs of a minute here, a couple there, just one longer at the 60th minute against Chelsea. A season in which he’s scored four but only registered one assist and that latter number isn’t down to players missing chances he’s laid on. No, it’s like this game, he didn’t lay anything on.
No, he dithered, he cut inside, he either lost the ball or passed it sideways/backwards. It was a prime example of abrogating responsibility.
That first half saw Spurs with three quarters of the ball register shots, shots on target but only one goal. And that came from a corner. Porro had put in some good set pics, when his 11th minute out swinger was brilliant headed by the returning Romero, looping into the far corner giving the keeper, any keeper, no chance of saving it.
But that was all at the break, when the game should have been over, hell it should have been over before the half hour never mind half time.
While Moyes lot stood off Spurs in the first half and let them fanny about at the back, after the break they put some effort in and were closing down. Spurs weren’t finding it quite so easy to fanny. But while they did this Spurs were still keeping possession, except when Kulusevski kept giving it away. But again, even with having the same amount of the ball as the first half Spurs out-shot the visitors but crucially on;y managed one attempt on target in the second 45.
The equaliser was a classic bit of Spurs as the West ham shot ricochet off Romero onto Davies right into the path of Bowen. It could have gone anywhere after hitting Romero, it could have gone anywhere after hitting Davies but it had to go there.
A quarter of an hour later and Ange made a change that had to be made, Hojbjerg came off for Richarlison but at the same time he made a change that didn’t have to be made, that shouldn’t have been made. As Lo Celso made way for Skipp. The Argentine had just really got into the second half, removing him just removed all creativity. You needed guile to create that chance, we got Skipp huffing and puffing.
Richarlison was now up front, with Son behind and Kulusevski and Johnson where they were before. Why do they never swap? Why does Ange not have them move to the opposite wing every so often? It’s just too damn predictable at times.
And it’s not like bringing on Skipp shored up the defence as the winner came shortly after. And again came from a Spurs’ gift. A weak backpass by Udogie left Vicario stretching his punch on the floor fell straight to Ward-Prowse whose first attempt came off the post straight back to him to score. Again the ball could have gone anywhere but of course he went straight there.
It could have been different when a little earlier Porro – who was having an excellent second half, playing basically as the right winger and actually getting crosses and balls into the dangerous area – put another cracking effort in only for Richarlison to do his Richarlison act and miss a sitter.
There to be won. Should have been the end of that streak, back on winning ways, level on points wit City. The good will for Ange will wear if they keep doing this. Yes it’s all fun and games when it’s all fun and games but when they just fanny about for fannying about sake, it’s tiring. Doing the same thing time and time again and expecting a different outcome is the sign of insanity or Kulusevski on the right wing.
The cheek of Moyes celebrating like he or his team actually did anything. No David you had it handed to you.