was it.
Spurs dropped to the bottom of the league table after losing 2-3 at home to another basket case of a club, Villa.
I asked after the midweek cup loss if Spurs could beat Villa, a club that was such a basket case after selling the spine of their team that they sat below Spurs in the league before this meeting.
The answer was of course no.
It was the same ol’ story, having the ball, doing very little with it but when they did they couldn’t finish things off, along with some classic Spurs, the opposition keeper doing his best Tim Krul, while the officials were turning a blind eye to every stonewall foul.
The former saw the new Villa keeper keeping out a number of attempts from Spurs, well that made a change, the heel to deflect Gray’s chance – Grey coming on for Porro who went down injured early on, his second injury already this season. And some for the cameras flying saves, including a cracker of a volley from Savio.
The latter saw Marmoush barged in the back when through on goal, also Fernandes being pushed in the back knocking him off balance just when he was about to take a shot in the area. Both so obviously fouls that the TV commentators said so – now you know it’s a stonewaller if they side with Spurs. Both incidents would have seen cards, one a penalty. Things then are so different.
Of course that is if the penalty is scored. Don’t know who the pen taker is for the club, it’s been so long since they were given one. It could be Solanke. Then there’s no guarantee of anything.
There are people out there that Solanke is gonna lead Spurs up the league even when they see him being completely surprised by a cross into the box, that he buggers up yet another easy chance. It’s about the only thing he did in the match. A lazy performance from a bum of a player.
Lazy performance, something we saw at the other end from Van Hecke. Imagine being so bad that Jackson is running rings around you. That’s what happened. Jackson is a Solanke level bum but the Spurs player made him look world class.
Is it laziness or just out and out cowardice doing that thing where they go to block a shot but actually they go to look like they’re doing it but don’t, stopping short putting their hands behind their back and and pulls away from having the ball hit them?
Just on the verge of half-time and a hump into the box is nodded on by a Spurs head, Robertson tries to prevent the corner and just meely squares it to a Villa player, who pulls it back where Tonali ponces out of blocking the shot/cross gifting pretty much a tap in.
Spurs were of course hindered by being down to 10 men. Van de Ven having to go off for that mandatory 1 minute for receiving medical attention on the pitch. He got an elbow in the face, it’s an obvious real injury, the law stating this still requires the minute off the pitch is ridiculous. He’s not trying to slow down the game, or game the situation.
Villa were far more in ot when they doubled the lead. Van Hecke having his arse handed to him by Jackson, staring with the Dutch defender standing just behind Jackson playing him onside, when he could so easily have played him off. He was then useless in the build up, as was van de Ven as they, as said before, made Jackson look world class.
Spurs defenders do like to let the ball bounce.
Spurs could have been equal at this point, after finally putting the ball in the back of the net but again Robertson was offside before putting his cross in.
The Villa third had elements of the first, this time though it was Maddison who ponced out of blocking the shot from outside the box. Anyone doing that should be fined by the cub and pilloried by the fans.
There was still time though for two crack covering goals, one from Gallagher and one from van Hecke. The latter must be why I saw someone say he had a great game.
With Fulham’s point on Sunday it dropped Spurs to the bottom of the table for the three week international break. Three weeks for De Zerbi to ask himself if it is at all possible to get out of that bottom three. Two defeats by basket cases and another is the first game after the break. Why would anyone be confident. De Zerbi hasn’t a clue what his best starting XI is, he’s still playing players out of position, he’s still paying for a poor transfer window not buying the right type of player and letting the wrong ones go.
But there’s still some out there thinking there’s going to be some miraculous change…