to maybe 6 more games.
Spurs scraped their way past the 6th best Dutch side, after losing the first leg, of their last 16 Europa League game in another performance that got the Angesexuals excited but was again thanks to the opposition.
It’s the story of Spurs’ Europa League campaign. Facing teams that would put them away if they could put chances away. Alkmaar could have, should have put the game away in the first leg, but they only managed to score once and even then they didn’t actually do that, Spurs did it to themselves.
They didn’t have so many chances in the second leg, they still had enough but again had to rely on a gift from Spurs for their only goal. They were poor.
The quarter finals though will see Spurs play Eintracht Frankfurt who beat Ajax 6-2 over the two legs of their last 16 tie. That’ll be the Ajax who are currently top of the league Alkmaar are 6th in, some 20 points behind.
Spurs started this game like a house on… smoulder. For 25 minutes they had all the ball but didn’t muster a single shot, never mind one on target. It’s funny that during that period everything seemed to break down with Son. Dithering, cutting inside into a wall of defenders, losing the ball. But when the moment came it was Son’s press that brought the goal. Blocking the attempted clearance the ball deflected off to Solanke who turned and headed to goal but squared the ball for Odobert to get his first for the club.
Spurs controlled the rest of the half, while the visitors looked useless. But it still could have done with changes at the break but of course none came. With van de Ven and Romero back in defence, Archie Gray could actually play in his position but no Ange went with Sarr, who was noticeable only for his anonymity.
Of course Ange did bring the youngster on, at the hour for van de Ven, so yes out of position yet again. Meanwhile Micky’s erstwhile partner was doing his can’t be arsed routine. At the start of the game he was giving the ball away with stupid passes. People asking how he is after his return from a lengthy layoff. Well, he’s much like he was at the start of the season the only difference being back then his head was in Madrid, now it’s in Argentina.
Spurs had doubled the lead before vdV’s departure. Porro won the ball, then was dragged down, his poke played it to Odobert who after a bit of a run pushed it forward to Maddison, who after a bit of a run pushed it forward to Son, it had gone from right to left and the captain looked to take a shot but squared it back to Maddison who put it inside the far corner.
But from there with vdV now gone, Spurs slacked off and despite still having 2/3rds of the ball, Alkmaar were now having chances. Ending with a gift. Gray did well to turn Parrott back, his squared ball was cut out by Odobert running into Bergvall the young Swede – who otherwise had a stormer of a game – for some reason tried to play the ball back to Odobert, giving the ball to the Alkmaar player who gave Vicario no chance with the ball.
It was 2-2 on aggregate. Well, at least away goals don’t count these days. Ten minutes later go forward football. Go forward with pace. When they do this it works. Fanny about. When they do this it doesn’t work. It starts with a strong run by Maddison from deep in his own half, squared to Spence, onto Son then down the line for the overlapping Spence, his cross is met by Solanke but his attempt is going nowhere near goal but is going to Odobert for his second.
Of course this saw Ange take Maddiosn and Odobert off. Ten minutes later Begvall went off, with what looked like cramp, with Ben Davies coming on it finally meant Gray could play in midfield. Before that Alkmaar had their best chance. It took a save from Vicario and then a flying block from Bissouma to prevent them equalising on aggregate.
So Ange’s trophy boast survives. But will it survive the Germans…