whimper.
Spurs third straight loss saw them put in another feeble display to fall 2-0 to Pochettino’s Chelsea all of which can be put on Ange’s shoulders as he finally showed some life on the touchline.
At the end though it wasn’t the inept football, it wasn’t conceding at yet more set pieces, it wasn’t the lack of shots, it wasn’t the cluelessness of it all, it was one yellow card. One. It’s Chelsea and they only managed to pick up one booking.
Tell me they didn’t bother without telling me they didn’t bother.
It’s just petering out. This was the third straight loss, of the last 10 games they’ve lost half of them, while only managing to pick up wins against newly promoted teams that are relegation fodder and a team that was in relegation trouble and a Villa side that just didn’t turn up. A win that masked many a fault.
The predictability started early, with Ange’s team sheet. With Davies now joining Udogie on the injury list, you just knew he’d put Emerson Royal in. Well, he has to the only other option is Dragusin in and play Micky at left back but his whole defensive strategy is having Micky cover the whole of the spurs half and rely on his pace and tackling ability.
The other predictable move was with Werner also out injured and all the chatter about Maddison’s dip and that he needs to be dropped, Ange dropped him, and moved his favourite little ginger Swede into the middle. It did mean Richy up front, with Son on the left and Johnson on the right.
This all led to a nothing burger of a first half from the visitors in which they managed just four shots, one off target the rest blocked so none on. Well, when they have the vast majority of possession they can’t register a shot on target so why expect anything different when the possession is about equal. In fact most the stats they normally parade were level except the hosts had created far more chances and taken one.
Yeah look mate it’s not set pieces, he says as another set piece sees Spurs concede.
A free kick to the back post where a number of Chelsea players are lined up to nod it home. Yes, Johnson is blocked off for what should be a foul but mate, this is Spurs what was the point of even looking at VAR they aren’t gonna bother chalking it off?
Spurs showed more life at the start of the second half. It didn’t lead to anything. Ange made changes into the second half. It didn’t lead to anything. Well why would it? Kulusevski on the right and Johnson on the left, it hasn’t worked before why does he think it would now?
Ange had thrown a hissy fit in the first half, actually showed some life on the touchline instead of standing there impassive, look at his feet. The rest of the ineptness did see any more life from him.
But yeah look mate, set pieces aren’t the problem. As 72 minutes in Palmer smacked a free-kick off the woodwork and as Vicario gathered himself off the floor, Son and Hojbjerg were the only two in white to react as the Chelsea striker who only scores against Spurs nodded the ball over their heads into the net as they just watched on and practised for Strictly Come Dancing…
"You dancing?"
"You asking…" #COYS #THFC https://t.co/EqZC6x4ULq— Toxic Web (@Toxic_Web) May 2, 2024
For some unknown reason Ange followed up this second goal by bringing Bryan Gil on. Yeah, me neither. Meanwhile Lo Celso sat on the bench until the 85th minute, I mean the game was gone well before then, as Spurs saw it out with only one booking to their name and that was for a professional foul by Micky. No kicks, no stamps, no punches thrown. A complete capitulation with a whimper.
Spurs and games in hand… not worth the paper they’re written on…