prepare for the apocalypse.
Spurs got their first league win of the season with a 3-1 home win over Coventry, which saw a number of firsts.
It started with Coventry having the opening chance but then reverted to the usual pattern of having all the ball, all the pressure, some chances but not taking any – again things not helped by starting with 10 players and having no striker up front.
Yes Solanke was on the team sheet.
It had all the hallmarks of previous league games, playing a basket case – who had a bit of a lift recently – looking lively, playing decently but having no end product before coughing up an opener to the opposition.
But no. “No?”. Yes, no.
Then a quarter of an hour and the first first. Kudus for once runs past his defender instead of into, then cuts the ball back to Maddison, who on his first start since Keith Richards was a child, swept the ball in the far post. A cracking goal and the first time Spurs have taken the lead in the league this season.
Saw someone say how great Kudus was. He waan’t, he was his usual self. Maddison’s presence was making a difference. Always available, always looking to create, looking forward.
Of course this being Spurs they couldn’t manage the clean sheet. No, we had the same dawdling, inept defending which saw the equaliser just after the break. Van Hecke doing his Van Hecke thing. I’m not the only one who just doesn’t see this signing, the money spent or even why they went for hom.
In another first Spurs retook the lead, another decent one, a nice knock round the corner from Robertson, Marmoush turned his man – who ran into his elbow and tried to use that to get the goal chalked off – and banged in a screamer for his first goal for the club. This is why he was brought in, we need to see more of it.
Ten minutes later and Maddison departed. Gallagher is no matter what his media mates say not a like for like replacement. You’re taking away creativity and putting on headless running about. Spurs dropped, up until that point they had more of the ball and more of the chances. After, it was pretty even.
The return of Kulusevski didn’t massively improve things, now if he could return to the level of when he first arrived at the club, not the dithering player everyone was wanking themselves over when he was injured.
There was time for Spurs to secure things with the third. Ben Davies flicking his left foot at the ball, it dribbling through the Coventry keeper.
Firsts, lead, retaking the lead, three goal game, and win. Out of the drop zone.
Now imagine that if they had 11 players an actual striker and hadn’t weakened the defence…