being Spursy.
Spurs started the new season in a way every Spurs fan has seen so many times before and knew exactly what was coming as soon as it started, with their one all draw at newly promoted Leicester.
It was all there. Everything that has led to disappointment not just last season but for so many seasons. The inability to see off teams when on top and the inability not to cough up a lead to the oppositions first attempt.
The first half was all Spurs, well three quarters of it. During which Spurs actually had shots, even shots on target. They had 10 shots, half of which were on target but the keeper didn’t have a save to make. Oh yes, he took the ball but he didn’t have to make a save, as everything was basically just a weak back pass to him. There was no highlight reel performance form their custodian.
Our new, exciting striker had two of those shots. But he wasn’t bought to score goals, no he was bought, for £65m plus, because he can run around a bit and press. And this is what you get. A classic Levy buy. Levy loves a one hit wonder. A player who had one good season, one good tournament, or even just one good game – see Sissoko.
We have one good season Solanke. An underwhelming big purchase. Whose performance in front of goal was second only to those that talked him up after the game.
The same old problems were there elsewhere. It was all crammed in the middle. Ange and his inverted fullbacks all pulled in to the width of the area, time and time again it was screaming for an overlapping left-back, as most of the attacking came down that left side. But time and time again, Son or Maddison were in the box, on the left, facing a pair of defenders and nowhere to go, with acres of space behind them wide, where someone could very easily swing a cross in from, but that person was closer to the penalty spot or the D, than somewhere useful.
It was no coincidence that when the goal came in, on the half hour, it did so from a ball into the box to a player who made a late run into the box, not a ball from a player who was already there to another player who was already there. Nice cross from Maddison, who was looking more like the first half of last season, than the last half, in the first half at least And Porro was running in to head it home.
It was funny one player coming in for stick was Johnson, mainly because he’d been chosen ahead of Kulusevski – who they kept saying had a great preseason – but when in the first half, Johnson got back and put in a great tackle to win the ball but was faced with acres of open space to use his pace, he chose to cut back, fall over and lose possession. People seem to have forgotten that was Kulusevski’s whole routine last season. It was prime Deki that.
56 minutes in and the home side had had one attempt, it wasn’t on target. With their first attempt on goal, they equalised. It was Vardy, it had to be Vardy and while Porro was getting the blame, everyone was overlooking the “best defender in the world” Romero going walkabout and leaving Leicester’s only real danger all alone. Leaving him free at the back post to nod in the cross.
This of course brought about the usual response from Spurs. Blind panic. Spurs no unable to string one pass together, never mind two or more. Unable to get out of their own half. Headless and clueless.
The only thing that calmed things down for them was yet another Bentancur injury at this stadium. This time, a serious head injury that saw him looking spark out and laid out for a while, as his team mates looked on a bit shocked. Leicester player laughing. He eventually got himself onto a stretcher while sucking on oxygen. But Ange didn’t get the subs on immediately and it took an age for the ball to go out of play, before he could make his changes.
three came in one change, then another shortly after. It’s the most action we’ve ever seen from Ange. With Bentancur leaving, it meant that a concussion sub was used, so it meant he still had two more subs at his disposal.
The stricken Uruguayan was joined by Johnson and Sarr, seeing new boys Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall come on with Werner. The German taking up an unusual right wing position, with a switch of formation from 4-3-3 moving to 4-1-4-1, with Gray doing the anchor role. Kulusevski shortly arrived. And for all the talk of the Swede now having to play in the next game, he didn’t impress. Yet again, when he should have shot, he passed, when he should have passed he tried to shoot. When he needed to move the ball on quickly he hung onto it before losing it. And when he should have held onto it he rushed his pass and gave it away.
In the end Vicario had to make the better saves than the Leicester keeper, Spurs could quite have easily lost this one. They could quite have easily won it. A late chance for Richarlison, who came on late in Ange’s last two subs, with Djed Spence. Another wasted chance that actually brought a touchline reaction from the Aussie.
They started last season with a bit of a disappointing draw away but it all showed that Spurs haven’t addressed any of the problems of last season. haven’t come close.