than fraud’s ending.
Spurs finally managed to beat a newly promoted – favourite for relegation – team as they overcame Burnley with a go forward performance that again showed how it’s better when the players area actually coached.
The Fat Fraud only managed to beat one newly promoted team in the whole of last season, Thomas Frank managed it in his first. The Fat Fraud struggled to beat two newly promoted teams during his “Glorious 10 Game Run”, needing added time to come from behind to beat Sheffield United.
It made things so much more enjoyable having a team going forward, instead of fannying about. For all the talk of Ange’s attacking instinct, there was so little of it really. Yeah, game after game they’d have all the ball but game after game they wouldn’t have any damn shots.
The opening 10 minutes saw a much changed team from midweek – well, Burnley aren’t exactly PSG, they might have had a decent defensive record, but managed just 1.5 goals a game – with all the ball and three shots, two on target and one goal. Franks method at Brentford was get the ball up there, get it into the box and score goals. Loves crosses and well, they didn’t really appear much under the Fraud but they were here in abundance and were paying off. Kudus playing in Bergvall and then Kudus had the ball taken off him, won it back, got to the byline cut it back for Richarlison’ level with the penalty spot – absolutely perfect – and the Brazilian finished it off brilliantly.
By the end of the half Burnley had had some shots, actually more on and off target but Vicario wasn’t exactly troubled. It was the hour though before the lead was doubled. Same guys. Same brilliance but just a notch up. Kudus dropped his shoulder from a standing start, totally did his defender, again to the byline and cutting back a cross to about the penalty spot area. Richy was more back post and had to go up higher for a quite magnificent finish. He really looked Brazilian.
The smile on his face after that one. That’s how he has to play, with that smile and staying fit. Keep those two things and he can be a great asset for the club. One reason being it keeps the bum Solanke off the pitch.
The third came shortly after. Johnson had been pretty anonymous for most of the game, indeed most of Spurs play did seem to come down his old station, the right but with Kudus there last season’s top scorer was on the left. From there he put in a run for Sarr’s excellent pass to clip the ball past the keeper, with yet another well taken finish. It was a move started off by Richarlison fighting to hang onto possession – you know, the way Solanke didn’t against PSG – before Sarr picked it off him.
Solanke had one chance, after he replaced the disappointed Richarlison, after turning well, he shanked his shot well wide.
This is what Spurs fans wanted not the aimless faffing about of Angeball. Doing stuff with actual purpose. Though as before Burnley had chances, just were toothless – Spurs registered their first clean sheet in the league since the middle of February. At the end of the game shots on and off were close to being level but then as Frank showed here, he’ll play the situation. The likes of Palhinha and/or a back three will no doubt be back for more difficult games – this was a side with a midfield trio comprising of two 19 year olds and a 22 year old, the front six average age is just under 23. Frank knows his opposition, whereas you felt Ange didn’t have a clue who they were facing until he saw them at kick-off. This team now looked coached.
Yes more is required. Still need another striker, more creativity, the addition of Eze would be nice, shame they didn’t get Gibbs-White. But it’s a good start, yes harder games to come, I mean Scotty Parker was a joke at Bournemouth in the league and at Brugge. The Championship looks very much his level.
One thing, it came as a great surprise that Spurs were actually the recipients of the first corner given for the keeper holding onto the ball for longer than 8 seconds. You would have put money on it being the other-way round.