hyperbole is alive and kicking.
Spurs woeful start to the Premier League season got even more woefuller with the 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle but the headlines are a bit misleading.
For a start look at the title of the video, that’s the title Sky decided for YouTube, “run RIOT”, yet they had one shot on target each, scored with each, they were the only two shots Newcastle managed on target.
Spurs were again piss poor but there’s not much riot running there.
Piss poor. Why do they always start off on the back foot? It just seems from the kick off they drop back into their own half and let the opposition dictate, while not being able to string two passes together to get out of it.
From memory Villa last season, when the home team rested all their players for their EL final, is the only game where they didn’t start so passively.
And so again here, they just gifted Newcastle the upper hand, though it wasn’t a riot, they did have chances. When Spurs did get into the opposition half the ball unfortunately came down the left side. Which meant everything stopped with Tel. Robertson was making runs off him, overlaps and such but all Tel could do was be greedy and clueless. Cutting inside, having a shot, cut inside running into defenders, falling over and losing the ball. If only his ability matched his confidence.
His performance was highlighted by a later free-kick, which he took great time and effort lining up, to then fall over as he ballooned it into row Z. Ego. That’s all he’s got and it ain’t getting Spurs anywhere. I wonder, if he keeps starting, when Robertson will stop passing to him or stop making runs expecting the ball back.
On the other side De Zerbie decided to keep Gray as fullback and play Porro as winger. Porro had a couple of decent chances. There was better link up play between the two, overlaps seen and played to but it still didn’t work.
Anyway back to the left and Robertson was getting the blame for playing Newcastle onside for the opener. It took them over an hour for that riot – Spurs had had 10 attempts, four on target by then and had the kind of shout for a pen that saw them concede pensa last season. Anyway, route one nodded down a turn and shot off the post, dribbles and curls over the line. Three white shirts around him.
Ten minutes later and another nod down and a player surrounded by whites shirts flicks in their second.
They got lucky with a couple of balls, no rioting. But Spurs have problems and how many of them are De Zerbi’s fault. The slow start to games can only be down to him. Playing Tel is down to him. Playing players out of position is partially down to him. Savio’s muscle fatigue after 20 minutes midweek doesn’t help.
Interesting to hear the pundits that just a few months back were saying Tonali was one of the greatest midfielders in the country now saying he’s pony.
Solanke and Kudus won’t make things better, no matter how many fans think they will. People excusing Kudus because it was his first game back for months, forgetting this rubbish was seen regularly before his injury.
New boy Marmoush looks lively but is he what they need up front? Would he be better wide left with a target man in the number 9 spot. But is there a target man available? Who knows because they only seem interested in buying winger/10 types, with their pursuit of Ndiaye.
So the narrative is set. Bottom of the league. No goals scored. Five conceded. Passive performances. No pattern of play.