Angeball?
Thomas Frank managed another rescue to get a point from defeat, as they came from behind for the third game out of the last four, in their second Champions League game against Bodo/Glimt.
Well, Frank has got this in his favour. Games that Spurs would previously lose, especially in two of these games where they were two down. But wouldn’t it be nice not to be in those positions in the first place?
So where has it gone so early? A series of poor performances have seen them go behind, as Frank has gone back to the bad old days of last season and the Angeball of fannying about at the back, creating problems for themselves in dangerous areas, their own box, while not being able to hang onto the ball, or pass to someone wearing the same shirt.
And thus it was against the Norwegians of Bodo/Glimt, who went two up against Spurs. It was lucky lead. Lucky for Spurs as the home team missed some sitters, including a penalty. One of the worse pens you’ll see.
The foul for the pen pretty much summed up Spurs on the night. Entirely self-inflicted and stupid. A completely idiotic lung by Bentancur who amazingly wasn’t booked for the foul but should have been booked for complaining about the pen decision. Much like van de Ven should have been booked for his protesting after pulling a Bodo player’s shirt that saw an undeserved Spurs equaliser, rightly, chalked off.
It all added to the air of “It’s only Bodo” and “Don’t you know who I am?” that permeated a dismal performance.
So much fannying about. So much passing backwards. So much passing sideways. So much taking the easy, cowardly, way out. So much playing themselves into trouble and then just hoofing the ball away to no one. Because no one was up front.
I understand Frank’s need to rotate – people would moan if he played the same team every game that he’s risking injury. Glad to see Sarr back in but he was completely anonymous. Bentancur might have had a high passing percentage but his passes were meaningless. Richarlison couldn’t hold up the ball the very few times the ball was actually played to him. Johnson did nothing. Odobert and Richy were pressing but it was all negated by Johnson sitting off and doing none, so there was always an out ball.
The only player who was doing anything was Bergvall, which made Frank’s choice to take him off so much the stranger. The changes Frank made on the hour should have happened at the break, 15 minutes wasted, but as said it shouldn’t have been Bergvall but Sarr or even Bentancur making way. There’s also the case, as I’ve said before of sticking Johnson up front, as he’s being so little other than scoring and putting Richy on the left, Odobert off and Xavi at 10.
The only surprise was that it took into the second half before Bodo opened the scoring. They’d had managed 11 shots before opening the scoring but only 2 on target. The goal though was a clear show of the difference between the two teams. It was fast flowing forward movement, with intent. And a nice finish. Saying that he had as much time and space as he needed.
The chalked off equaliser was a scruffy job. Bodo’s second was again a nicely worked effort from the same player, who looked a class above his team-mates and his opposition.
But it was a gift from Spurs. Again playing themselves into trouble, fannying about at the back, a needless backpass from van de Ven to Vicario, his hump out going sideways where Spence played the stupidest of balls, and Bodo were on the front foot again.
Just like the first goal Spurs finally did something right after the second. This time it wasn’t chalked off. Finally a decent ball into the box, with Spurs players actually in there – nearly every other ball into the Bodo box was utter crap – and Micky van de Ven, captain on the night, powered his header into the net. No shirt pulling this time.
Sarr was finally off for Palhinha. The changes had worked to an extent. Though Kudus was not as good as many would have you believe. He gets the ball caught up in his feet and is always turning back and running into cul-de-sacs. The next two changes helped, Gray for Bentancur and Udogie for Spence.
Gray made a good run down the channel and Porro found him with the perfect pass. The youngster’s shot was on target and caused the keeper to stretch out his foot and knock it onto his defender for it to rebound in.
They can do this. They’ve got fight. They can go on until the end. But you don’t want them to have to do this every damn game. Where is that fight, that press from the start like we saw against PSG? How about just going 3-5-2? Danso – Romero – Micky, Porro and Udogie as wingbacks, Palhinha, Bergvall, Xavi in midfield and Richy, Kudus up front?
And just stop fannying about at the back…