The Away Form Continues

Fulham are one of those teams that you can never be too sure what the result will be. Some years they are tough and difficult to play. especially at home, and we have been lucky to come away with a draw. Mostly though we go to The Cottage with high hopes of an expected win, only to have those hopes dashed by resilient Fulham and a late goal.

Even without Harry on the sidelines, Spurs got off to our usual high-impact start with Adebayor & Kyle Walker once again carving an opportunity out of nothing down the right hand side. Walkers pace destroyed the Fulham defence, allowing him to get to the by-line and making a smart cutback to Lennon, who's well placed shot was parried by Schwarzer into the path of an on-rushing Bale. The Welsh Monkey God need no second invitation to unleashed a fierce shot that cannoned off of Baird and into the back of the net. Ten minutes played and 1-nil up...

Fulham had their chances during the first half, with Granddad Friedel making some great saves from the likes of Dempsey and the like-wise aging defender, John Arne Riise, (I thought he had retired...?), but Tottenham were strong through the midfield, and ended the half strongly. So strongly indeed, that in injury time Lennon popped up on the left after a neat interchange with Bale, and weaved his way past a defender before shooting across Schwarzer and into the net on the far-side. CRACKER... and into the changing rooms at half time 2-nil up....

The second half followed the now usual script, with Fulham coming out strongly and immediately putting the Spurs back 4 under pressure, which eventually led to a goal. Much like the goal conceded the week before against QPR it came from a corner that was not effectively cleared, and Kings wayward header clipped Kaboul on the back and deflected past a stranded Friedel.

From then on it was all Fulham, and at no point for the remainder of the half was I confident that Spurs would come out on top. There was one almighty classic goal-mouth scramble, where at one point, Walker was on the ground at the feet of the players holding the ball to his chest...? How we got away with that one I don't know. Luka Modric, who had done almost nothing all game, managed to save a nailed-on goal from Dempsey whilst guarding the post at a corner, when he somehow scooped the ball off the line and put it round the post... Amazing....

Even with a minute to go in injury time I was still not convinced we were going to hang on for the win, when Defoe, who had come on for VdV, was presented with the slightest of chances from a deflected Adebayor cutback, that he wasted no time in dispatching into the back of the net for a very unlikely 3-1 score line.....

Although I have complained over the past few weeks about Tottenham' inability to put a game away when we go ahead, we have at least done enough to seal the win eventually on each occasion, whereas in previous season we would have collapsed under the pressure. It appears that this season, Spurs are a different proposition away from home, and I think the addition of Parker in midfield has given us a resilience that he have not seen at Spurs for a good couple of decades. Even though I do not really enjoy the closeness of some of these games, and I would prefer to see my beloved Tottenham win in style every week, I'll take a win every day of the year....

Come On You Spurs....

My player ratings are: -

   

• Friedel - 8.0 - Another great performance that kept us in the game
• Bale - 7.5 - Starting to cause some real threat and score on a regular basis
• Kaboul - 7.0 - Couldn't do much about the goal, but a generally good game
• King - 7.0 - Probably could have done better with the goal, but I can overlook that...
• Walker - 8.0 - Great build up play for the first goal. A career in Rugby may await...
• BAE - 7.0 - Quiet but solid game, just how a left back should be
• Lennon - 8.0 - Working well with Bale and popping up in new positions. Great goal
• Sandro - 6.5 - Bit-part performance, which strengthened the midfield toward the end
• Parker - 8.0 - Another gritty game from our midfield lynch pin
• Van der Vaart - 7.5 - Lots of industry this week, just not the end product
• Defoe - 7.5 - Did nothing but score... I'll take that...
• Modric - 7.5 - Seems a little out-of-place in the midfield. Great goal saving stop though
• Adebayor - 7.5 - Still no goal but some great touches. Strong in defence as well

To Russia with Love...??

The return match between Tottenham and Rubin Kazan was played live on ESPN at 6:00am on Friday morning here in New Zealand, which gave just about enough time for me get up, watch the first half, shower at half-time, watch the second half, and head off to work before 9:00am. In reflection, I am not sure why I bothered...?  I knew that this would the Spurs Europa League 'B' team playing away from home in the far distant Russian hinterland, in a game in which the result was less important than previous games, as long as we didn't get spanked... But for some reason, I put some money of a Tottenham win, (because of the good odds), and watched anyway.

The first 20 minutes was an object lesson in keeping the ball from Spurs, the Ruskies hardly got a look-in, but even with all that possession we did nothing with it, just endlessly recycled the ball around the midfield & defence. Suddenly and with little warning, the game sort of opened up and the Russians started to apply some serious pressure on our decidedly second string defence. In particular, the playmaker Kasaev look very very dangerous, along with Natcho and Ryazantsev, and if it was not for a fine series of excellent saves from the age-defying Cudicini in the Spurs goal, we could have been 3 or 4 down by half time.

My season long disappointment with Roman 'the Pavlova' Pavlyuchenko contiued, as he spent the first 45 minutes running around aimlessly, only to make a half-hearted effort to poke a foot out at a great cut back from Defoe, the solitary opportunity Totteham had in front of goal. I know he scored a corker in the home leg, but he needs to at least look like he is trying, he can't keep drifting through these games.... He made Obafemi Martins look industrious....!

The irony of the whole game was that this time it was Rubin Kazan that scored from an excellently taken free-kick, from an almost identical position from where Pav scored in the home leg. This time it was Natcho who stepped up and neatly curled the ball over the wall and into the corner of the net, past a stranded Cudicini.

From that point on, it was all Rubin Kazan, and if it had not been for the single-handed heroic's of Cudicini in goal, the Ruskies may garbed a handful of goals to help with their goal difference. He pushed away Ryazantsev's shot and kept out a Karadeniz header before instinctively stopping Nelson Valdez's rasping effort. To add insult to injury, (or in this case, injury to insult), Gallas went off injured half way through the second half, replaced by Parrett, who had 20 minutes he would most likely like to forget.

At the final whistle I was glad that Tottenham had only lost by a single goal as it could have been so much worse. The result was bad enough, but when the stats showed that Spurs never had a shot on goal, it felt very disappointing. Looking on the bright side, we have POAK at home next, and I bet we will have a far stronger team on display for that match. This will be followed by an away game with Shamrock Rovers, which may end up being a dead rubber, but if not, expect to see a full strength team making their way to Ireland.

On a night where the keeper was our best player, it was a game that only die-hard fans will remember, and one we should really try and forget.

My player ratings are:-

• Cudicini - 8.5 - World-class goalkeeping display. Saved us from embarrassment
• Gallas - 7.0 - Our strongest defender who played well enough before going off injured
• Parrett - 4.0 - Useless, like a dog chasing a paper bag....
• Bassong - 6.0 - Mediocre performance with far too many mistakes
• Livermore - 6.0 - His best move was tackling the pitch invader, not direct enough
• Townsend - 6.0 - Never really got going, no penetration on the wing
• Pienaar  - 7.5 - Our best out-field player, that has to say something....?
• Fredericks - 5.5 - Some promise, but needs more time before his next start
• Carroll - 6.0 - Good individual skills but always looks a little out-of-his-depth
• The Pudding - 2.5 - Lazy, Lazy Lazy. Needs a good kick in the arse or a transfer
• Kane - 5.0 - Not enough of a run out, but did at least put some effort in
• Defoe - 5.5 - Lonely and lost up front, and forced to come too deep
• Falque - 6.5 - Lively and at least wanted to take the ball forward

Double Bubble

Spurs made a welcome return to White Hart Lane, and a welcome return to the style of football I love, with a 3-1 win over fellow Londoners QPR. After the nervy and discordant display at Blackburn Rovers the week before, it was markedly better game that had Bale finally on the score sheet this season, and our seventh undefeated game in a row.

As per usual, Spurs started very strongly, and but for the fine goalkeeping display from QPR's Paddy Kenny, we could have been at least 2-nil up within the first 10 minutes, with both VdV & Adebayor going close. It was clear that the result was never going to be in any doubt, and Tottenham didn't have too long to wait before we went ahead. Adebayor linked nicely with Van der Vaart on the right, who fed a clever ball in-field to Lennon, who easily picked out the unmarked Bale coming in from the left, who lashed the ball into the back of the net.

Bale very nearly scored a second a minute later from a well executed run & cut-back from BAE, but ended up putting it over the bar. Our second goal had a certain element of luck associated with it as Leadley Kings wild off-target shot landed right at the feet of an onside Van der Vaart, who easily slotted past the helpless keeper, for his fifth goal in as many games.

As is the Tottenham way, instead of nailing our advantage and scoring a hatful of goals, the Spurs team gave out a collective sigh, as if to say, "well that's it, we have done enough", and proceeded to take their foot off the gas. This was not helped by QPR's manager Warnock shuffling his pack at half time and adding a bit more steel to his attack by adding the extra man up front, and consequently applying more pressure on the Spurs Defence. This paid dividends 15 minutes into the second half when new boy Bothroyd easily nodded-in a corner in front of a static defence and a Goalkeeper that didn't do more than flap at the ball. Disappointing.

If we had continued to play the way we did after Blackburn scored last week, I could see QPR getting back in to this game. I think the the difference this weekend was that Spurs were playing in front of a home crowd, and instead of letting our heads-drop, the team upped their tempo and started playing with some intensity again. VdV had a couple more chances before an excellent move, again involing VdV, Lennon & Bale culminated in an excellently dispatched side foot into the top corner. The relief was palpable, and at 3-1 I could now start to enjoy the game again, which was made more enjoyable as I had a bet on a Spurs win and more than 4 goals... Double bubble...

Even though QPR are firmly rooted in the lower half of the league, this was a good game for Spurs that helped to highlight some of the progress we have made since the poor start against the Manc's. It was good to see Bale starting to recapture some of his mojo, and Lennon being involved in most of what was good about the game. Even though he didn't score, Adebayor also played well enough for a mention as did Parker & Walker. What was most pleasing to see was the all-round teamwork exhibited by all the Spurs players, that bodes well for the rest of the season.

My Player Ratings are: -

• Friedel - 7.0 - Maybe could have done more to stop the goal, but not bad overall.
• Bale - 8.5 - The Welsh Monkey God's best performance this season. More Please...
• Kaboul - 7.5 - Good performance, works well with Leadley
• King - 7.5 - Accomplished performance from our irregular hero
• Walker - 7.0 - Not as much influence on this game as previous games, but still strong
• Assou-Ekotto - 6.5 - Bit of a mismatch marking Bothroyd at the corner, but solid otherwise
• Lennon - 8.0 - Looked good coming in off the wing for both of Bales goals. Sweet....
• Parker - 8.0 - Central pivot around which a strong team performance was delivered
• Sandro - 6.0 - Always good to see our Brazilian 'Destroyer', even if it was for only a few minutes
• Van der Vaart - 8.0 - Great Goal and a full 90 minutes, who would have guessed...?
• Modric - 7.5 - Nothing too flashy this week just a solid game for the team
• Adebayor -7.5 - Should have scored, but on balance contributed more than he missed

Winning Dirty

The line between winning and losing is sometimes a very fine one, and Sundays game was a great example of just how fine that line can be sometimes. Whilst in retrospect Spurs had the upper hand in the stats over the course of their encounter with bottom-of-the-table Blackburn Rovers, any self-respecting Spurs fan would have been biting their nails down to the quick throughout most of the second half. I cannot even pride our back four on some stout defending as Spurs seemed to lose all semblance of shape throughout the game, and it was not for Blackburn's poor quality in front of goal, it could have been a different story....

Looking at the team sheet I thought this was the best line up we have fielded for a while, and the game started brightly enough with both teams looking up for a competitive game. Hoilett made a few early penetrating runs through the left side of the Spurs defence, but he ultimately squandered with poor passing. At the other end both Bale & Adebayor came very close within the first 10 minutes, which took some good work from the Blackburn defensive backline to stop an early goal.

Fifteen minutes in and Adebayor released Walker on the right-hand touchline who started off on one of his now familiar athletic runs to the bye-line, where he skilfully picked out the waving Van der Vaart, who majestically slotted the ball passed the flying Robinson, into the bottom corner. Praise was due almost in it's entirety to Walker's run, and VdV acknowledged this in his celebrations.

One-nil up and Spurs started to play expansive football, with Bale terrorising Lowe on the left flank, putting in crosses that were causing Rovers all sorts of problems. Adebayor had a nailed on chance gifted to him from a Bale cross, but he seemed to scuff his shot, allow the ex-Spurs goalkeeper time to deflect it wide. At this point I thought that this game could go one of two ways; either we ran away with it and racked up a cricket score, (as Man City had done earlier in the day); or we would take our foot-off-the-gas and make hard work of retaining our lead.

As is now becoming routine on the road, we made it difficult for ourselves, giving away a needless foul 25 yards out, that allowed Pedersen to send the ball straight on to Samba's massive head, and nod it down to the waiting Formica to slide in from inside the area.... Bugger..!  Whilst we had a few chances to regain the lead after the half-hour mark, but Blackburn kept coming back at us, keeping the pressure on, and if it had not been for some good work from Friedel, we could have gone it at half time behind.

I like Harry, I think overall he has been very good for Spurs in the 3 years he has been in charge, but I am sceptical that he is able to put the 'fear-of-God' into the players during the halftime break like some other Managers we know. I always picture him sitting around in the changing room having a cup of tea and a biscuit, saying, "Don't worry lads, we'll come out on top, won't we...?", oh to be a fly on the wall.

Anyway we came out unchanged for the second half, and immediately started to look under pressure. Even the goal seemed to be against the run of play to some degree, as a poor pass ran loose on the edge of the penalty area, where fortunately VdV latched on to it and planted a sweetly hit ball into the back of the Blackburn net.

At Two-One I again foolishly thought that his may be a turning point in the game, but after the goal it was almost all Blackburn coming at us with wave-after-wave of high balls, poor passes and wasted chances. No-one in the Spurs defence seemed to be able to put their foot on the ball and make a cultured pass out of defence, it was all scrappy long ball stuff, hoofed away to anywhere on the park. All this did was invite the pressure back on Spurs, and we never really looked like we would be able to kill the game off with a third goal, but the spectre of a Rovers equaliser was ever-present.

For the final 30 minutes I watched in agonised despair as we desperately clung on to that slender one goal lead, and resisted all Blackburn attempts to breach our goal, even if Friedel did spill the ball, Bennie came close to giving away a penalty, and Samba accidentally back-heading the ball almost beyond our flailing keeper.... Towards the end we brought on Rose & Defoe to no avail, and Rovers brought on the ever-muscular Yakubu who bullied his way around our 6 yard box, and even he missed a chance to steal it at the death, poking the ball wide.

Four minutes of injury time went on for an eternity, but in the end the Ref blew his whistle and we survived to take home the 3 points. Pundits often say that a championship winning team needs to 'win-dirty' in a campaign in order to go the distance, but this 'ugly' win against a team at the foot of the table was far from convincing.

My Player Ratings: -

• Friedel - 7.5 - Not his best game, but he did keep us in it with some fine saves
• Bale - 7.0 - Had a good 30 minutes in the first half , but faded from the game after that
• Kaboul - 7.0 - Another that didn't play to his normal level, did just enough
• Bassong - 6.5 - Average performance, cant say much more than that
• Walker - 8.0 - Much better going forward, but just about covered his defensive duties
• Assou-Ekotto - 6.5 - Poor showing from our usually dependable left-back
• Lennon - 6.0 - Look good in patches, still hunting for the form of old
• Rose - 6.0 - Added very little when he came on
• Parker - 6.5 - At fault for the Rovers goal, average performance at best
• Van der Vaart - 8.5 - As long as he keeps scoring, he should be in the starting line-up
• Defoe - 6.0 - Wasted substitution, should have brought on Sandro
• Modric - 6.5 - Had few opportunities to shine, less than usual quality from the wizard
• Adebayor - 6.5 - Should have done better with the handful of chances he had

Revenge of the Pudding

I have really developed a deep disliking for our mercurial Russian striker, Roman 'the pudding' Pavlyuchenko, this season, as he meanders through games, shuffles aimlessly around the penalty box and occasionally pokes a shot high, wide, and seldom handsome.

So yesterday he starts in the Europa league game against 'Rhubarb' Kazin, continues his directionless forays in and around the area for the first 30 minuets, and then steps up and scores the best free-kick by a player in a Tottenham shirt since Gazza against the Scum in 1991...!

I'm not quite sure what Walker was doing behind the wall and whether or not he was interfering with play, but the keeper could have had a thousand attempts to stop that shot, he would never had made it. Unfortunately ther is only one word to describe it, and that is 'Sublime'...

That pudding has given me indigestion....

PS. I will not be doing a full review as I had to watch the game, (and I use the term loosely), on a combination of a dodgy internet feed, and BBC London 94.9 on the iPlayer... Not recommended....

My Player ratings :-

• Gomes - 6.5 - Equal parts comedy & brilliant, just what we have come to expect
• Bassong - 7.0 - The best of a make-shift defence
• Walker - 7.0 - Athletic performance, all over the park
• Lennon - 6.5 - Good to see Azza playing himself back to fitness
• Modric - 5.5 - 15 minute Cameo of no great note
• Rose - 6.0 - Had a bit of an up-and-down sort of game, needs more polish
• Livermore - 6.0 - Some good touches but not really a Centre-back
• Sandro - 8.5 - IMMENSE, what more can I say
• Kaboul - 6.5 - Brought on to bolster the defence. Job Done
• Carroll - 6.0 - Still looks like a boy amongst men, but still a prospect
• Pavlyuchenko - 9.5 - Nine of those point are for the free kick
• Giovani - 6.5 - lost of running, just wish he would take the ball with him
• Assou-Ekotto - 6.0 - Another brought on to bring a better defensive shape in the 2nd half
• Defoe - 6.5 - A couple of good efforts, needs some more heading practice

I'll take an away draw....

After two weeks of international break, i was starting to get withdrawal symptoms..... I am impatient for Spurs to continue the good start to our season and make our way back into the Top 4 where we belong.  Having said that, it was not going to be a push over for us, as we have not beaten Newcastle United away in six seasons or so, and they have had a good start to the season as well. With an unbeaten run of 7 games, this game against the 'Toon' looked like it would a good test of our resolve and allow us to see how far we have come.

Our team formation has settled down recently, and apart from the inclusion of Livermore in midfield, it's pretty much that same squad we have used in the Premiership over the past month or so. Having said that, not sure why VdV could not start in central midfield and allow Defoe to start up front with Adebayor..? I mean is VdV really an attacker or a midfielder/supporting striker, he does spend a lot the game coming deep most of the time...? I guess Harry knows what he is doing....

The first half was a cagey affair, with both teams feeling each other out for weaknesses & openings, which were few & far between. Whilst there was some good build up play from Spurs in midfield, the Newcastle defence was resolute and easily contained our efforts to break through on goal. The major 1^st half event was losing Leadley King to another injury, as he pulled up with an abductor strain, and was replaced with Bassong. King has been immense in the past 4 wins, and this was a big blow for our defence.

Livermore & Modric at the heart of the midfield were both fairly quiet for the first half hour, but equally there was little for Friedel & the defence to worry about.  That all changed on 40 minutes when Livermore stole the ball from Cabaye and nudged it through to Adebayor running through on the box, where Steven Taylor clipped the tall striker, who took the opportunity to go down for the penalty. It looked like a pretty weak foul, but Taylor was nowhere near the ball, and after a moment’s hesitation, or intervention from the linesman, the Ref pointed to the spot.  Van der Vaart stepped up and took a finely executed penalty, sending Krull the wrong way, and planning the ball firmly in the back of the net.

The second half was an altogether different story, with Newcastle taking the gloves off and coming at Spurs right from the whistle. Gutierrez was given far too much space on the left and easily strolled to the by-line before delivering a neat lofted pass into the area where Demba Ba was on hand to slide in an push the ball past a sprawling Friedel. The marking on the goal was a bit random and Newcastle were given far too much space and time to walk through the defence, Walker & Modric did little to stop Gutierrez on the left, and Bassong & BAE did not pick up Ba’s run into the box.

The good news was that the equaliser happened early enough in the 2^nd half that Tottenham had plenty of time, and inclination to came back at Newcastle in equal measure.  Adebayor was unlucky not to put Spurs back in front a couple of times, the closest chance being a low angled shot that beat the keeper but went narrowly passed the upright. Harry threw Defoe into the mix, replacing a ‘leggy’ VdV, which paid immediate dividends, when a neat through ball found him with his back to the goal and being closely marked by Taylor, but with a quick spin inside, he managed to let loose with a fierce low shot that Krul could not react quickly enough to.

At 2-1 up, it was game on, and while Tottenham look like they wanted to put the game to bed with a 3^rd goal, Newcastle were also doing all they could to get that vital equaliser and save their unbeaten run. Spurs had a couple of efforts and if Defoe & Adebayor had been a little less selfish, we could have scored. The game had gone end-to-end with Newcastle coming close with some long range efforts from Tiote & Ryan Taylor saved by Friedel, but Spurs  were holding on valiantly. That is until substitute Shola Ameobi was given just a little bit too much room on the left and launched a missile of a shot that Friedel had no change of saving.

Even at 2-2, it was still a very open game and it could have gone either way. Defoe has a couple of chances to score, and Newcastle kept coming with Coloccini going close, but in the end I think it was overall a fair result,  and it was good to come away with a point where in the past we may have capitulated at the end. Newcastle, while not being flashy, look very solid and hopefully will continue their good run of form.

My Player Ratings: - 

• Friedel – 7.0 – Not much to do in the first half, but was he too slow to get down for the second goal.
• Bale – 6.5 – Pretty much anonymous, and didn’t look comfortable on the right
• Kaboul – 7.5 – Very solid at the back and looking like becoming a regular in the centre-back pairing
• King – 5.5 – Always a sad sight to our heroic talisman hobble off yet again….
• Bassong  - 6.5 – Slotted in nicely but should have picked up Ba for the first goal
• Walker – 7.0 – Looked good going forward, but may need to keep focus on his defensive role as well
• Assou-Ekotto – 7.0 – Some good forward forays and look dependable at the back
• Parker – 6.5 – Not his best game in a Spurs shirt but still adds a lot of strength in the middle
• Van der Vaart – 7.5 – Great penalty, but still not looking at his best
• Defoe – 8.0 - This week’s super sub, reasonable to ask why he was not playing from the start..?
• Modric – 6.0 – Sub-par performance from the Croatian
• Livermore – 6.5 – Nothing sensational, a little quiet at times, but still a good game for the lad
• Adebayor – 7.5 – Could do with being a little less selfish sometimes, but still plenty of chances
• Pavlyuchenko – 5.0 – Why do we persist with this clown…?

Player Ratings - The story so far...

If you have been reading the blog you will know that after each game that I actually manage to watch on TV, I will rate the players performance for that game.

In the interests of understanding who our best performers have been so far, I have added up the individual rating for each game, (removing the lowest & highest scores), and divided this total by the number of games played, (assuming more than 2 games played this season)

This gives the following weighted value for my rating of each player for the season so far: -

• 8.50 Parker
• 7.63 Friedel
• 7.50 Adebayor
• 7.20 Walker
• 7.00 Van der Vaart
• 7.00 Defoe
• 7.00 King
• 7.00 Sandro
• 6.83 Corluka
• 6.75 Kaboul
• 6.75 Assou-Ekotto
• 6.75 Kranjcar
• 6.67 Modric
• 6.63 Bale
• 6.50 Livermore
• 6.50 Bassong
• 6.00 Pavlyuchenko
• 5.50 Lennon
• 5.50 Giovani

Note: Of the 31 players have been rated so far this season, only the above 19 qualify for rating as they have played more than 2 games

"It's all gone quiet over there....."

There is always a frisson of excitement about the North London Derby, and this years encounter was not going to disappoint. The Red Scum have had a terrible start to the season, not just in terms of results & injuries, but the loss of Fibreglass" & Nasri has destroyed the heart of the Arsenal machine and the replacements are either just not up to the job, or have yet to gel properly. Either way, it's been many a year since Tottenham went on to a derby with Arsenal as the favourites, and even with the favourite tag, you can never be too confident as a Spurs fan.

Tottenham got off to the now regular flying start, taking the game straight to the Arsenal with some good initial forays through what was looking like a fragile & un-coordinated defence. Six minutes in, a mistake from Song gifted the ball to Adebayor, whose neat through pass put Parker one-on-one with the keeper, only for Scotty to fire the ball directly at Szczesny and the ball to roll harmlessly wide.

Arsenal extra midfielder started to put their foot on the ball and wrestled the possession stats away from Spurs for large parts of the first half, but no matter how much possession they had, they failed to anything meaningful with it. On the other hand, when Spurs did get the ball, every attack looked dangerous, and it was only a handful of quality saves from Szczesny that kept the Scum in the game. Arsenals only real chance of the first half came from a pulled shot from Gervinho that really should have at least hit the target.

10 minutes later, Tottenham punished the meandering Arsenal with a great move through the heart of their weak defence. Adebayor brought the ball forward in to the Arsenal half while Defoe made a run to the right dragging the central defensive pairing with him, leaving Van der Vaart running through on the left. Adebayor found VdV with a delightfully floated cross ball, that the striker controlled on his chest, (with maybe slight help of his arm....), and bringing the ball down and stabbing it past the diving keeper. Goal.....!

VdV celebrated the goal with some passion, almost as if it were the winner in the World Cup final, but isn't that what we fans like to see when one of our hero's puts one past the Scum. It is always great to go into the half time break one goal to the good, high on elation and hope for the second half.

Unfortunately, it was only six minutes into the second half when Song cruised easily to the byline and crossed low & hard for Ramsey, who had done bugger all up until that point in the game, made a late run into the box to poke the ball home. There has been a lot of finger-point towards VdV for not tracking back to stop the cross, but it is unrealistic to think that the support striker would have been able to do anything about it. I question who was tracking Ramsey's run in to the box...?

The goal seemed to spark Spurs back in to action, and we very nearly got a goal back almost immediately when Bale eased down the left and released Adebayor inside the area, whose shot was saved with another excellent save from Szczesny, who was single handily keeping the 'Arse' in the game.

Harry decided to stiffen up the midfield with the introduction of Sandro for the now tiring Van der Vaart, who left the pitch to a rapturous applause from the Spurs faithful. When Sandro came on, and in combination with Scotty Parker who was having a great game, he set about disrupting the Arsenal midfield and breaking up play. Sandro was instrumental in the second goal when he was given far to much time to cross towards Modric, whose shot cannoned of a defender into the path of Walker, who took one touch and unleashed a rocket of a shot from all of 35 yards. The ball stayed low and fast and swerved wickedly just as it reached Szczesny, leaving the keeper on his arse as the ball whipped past him.

At two-one, we looked well in command and I was confident now that we would either hold this lead or even go on to grab another goal or two, as by now the Scum were broken. Bale came very close to scoring when the cart-horse combination of Mertesacker & Song let the ball bounce over them, allowing Bale to sneak in and only just slide the ball past the post.

Five minutes of extra time could not end quickly enough, and even with Szczesny joining the attack in the final minute, the game was ours.

It was a fine win, that helps push our claim to be top 4 material, after all we have not lost to the Scum for 3 years in the Premier League. In the hot, nervous, high energy atmosphere of White Hart Lane, we played well enough to deserve the game on balance and it showed that we can take a lead and hold on to it. We created by far the best chances in the game and if it had not been for a string of fine saves from Szczesny, we could have had a hatful of goals on the day, and given the Arse a real spanking.

Only one thing left to say.... North London is ours...., North London is ours...., F**k off back to Woolwich, North London is ours....

My player ratings: -

• Friedel - 8.0 - Granddad has added some certainty to our defence. Solid game
• Bale - 7.5 - Doing what Bale does best, scaring defenders & excellent crossing
• Kaboul - 7.5 - Very solid game. Developing an impressive partnership with King
• King - 8.0 - Immense at the back, nothing less than we expect
• Walker - 8.0 - In control for the full 90 minutes. Great game to score you first team goal
• Assou-Ekotto - 7.5 - Bennie doing what he does week in, week out
• Parker - 8.5 - Another immense performance. How did we ever do without him...?
• Corluka - 7.0 - Calm head in defence
• Van der Vaart - 7.5 - Did well for the 1000th Tottenham goal, tired later in the game
• Sandro - 7.5 - The Brazilian always makes an impact. Did not disappoint
• Modric - 6.5 - Workman like performance. Not his finest work by far
• Adebayor - 7.5 - Always dangerous, nice link up play for the first goal
• Livermore - 6.0 - Limited time to impress
• Defoe - 7.5 - Good all-round performance, unlucky not to score

Luck of the Irish....?

Did anyone really think that Shamrock Rovers would challenge Tottenham in this Europa League group match..? Tuning in to the ESPN 'less than average' HD coverage, once I saw the team selection I did have a small concern. Harry obviously had an eye on the upcoming North London Derby match this weekend, but with Defoe coming back and the inclusion of Lennon amongst the younger players, it gave me hope that we could take all 3 points from the Irish part-timers.

The first half was an all-action affair with Spurs well in control. If it had not been for the
Rovers keeper Richard Brush pulling off a great save from Defoe after 17 minutes effort, Danny Rose hitting the woodwork and well saved effort from Dos Santos, we would have surely gone ahead. Roman "The Pudding" Pavlyuchenko was doing everything he could to look as inept as possible, and even the ESPN commentator mentioned 'Banjo' and 'Barn Door' in the same breath.

.
I was expecting that fatigue and tiredness would kick-in for the part-timers during the second half, but I was stunned, as was every Spurs supporter at the Lane when Rovers scored just five minutes after the restart in front of their away fans. A fiercely hit free-kick from McCabe was parried by Cudicini, and the ball dropped nicely to Twigg on the edge of the box, and his shot was deflected past the keeper by Rice.

The Rovers dreams lasted all of 10 minutes, before Jimmy Two-Saints, who was having his best game for a long time in a Spurs shirt, whipped in a great cross that even Pavlyuchenko couldn't miss with his head. This was added to only two minutes later when Townsend's cross was sweetly put away by Defoe, and Dos Santos planted a third, five minutes later, after some good approach work by Defoe.

Overall, we cruised past the Irish minnows, much in the way I expected, it's just a shame we had to let in a goal to wake us up. Well will need to do better against Ruban Kazan...

My Player ratings :-

• Cudicini - 7.5 - Not much to do but pick the ball out of the net
• Bassong - 7.0 - Still not looking as good as he did during last season
• Corluka - 7.0 - He maybe slow but he is a gifted right-back
• Walker - 8.0  String showing, excellent marauding runs up front
• Lennon - 5.5 - Looked short of match fitness, still a ways to go
• Townsend  - 8.5 - Changed the game when he came on, great on the wing & laid on a goal
• Rose - 8.0 - Some signs of quality from 'Broadway' Danny Rose, more games needed
• Kane - 6.5 - Didn't add very much when he came on in the last 10 mins
• Livermore - 7.0 - Average performance from the midfielder
• Carroll - 7.5 - Solid game in the middle from our number 46
• Pavlyuchenko - 7.0 - Still a Pudding, even after scoring Spurs opening goal
• Giovani - 8.5 - Given a chance which he took with both hands. Great game for Jimmy
• Defoe - 7.5 - Quick, Strong, lively and on the score sheet
• Falque  - 5.0 - Not enough of a showing

A Game of Two Halves

A trip to Wigan is always an interesting prospect, but the result is never a foregone conclusion. Some years we have been there and won comfortably, and other years we have simply failed to deliver at the DW stadium, you just never know what you are going to get. With our season starting to take shape, hopes were high that we could get another away win and push for the top half of the premiership.

We could not have got off to a better start with a mistake at the back by Figueroa, pounced on by Adebayor, who unselfishly crossed the ball square to Van der Vaart to score. GOAL, 1-nil up after 3 minutes...

Was this going to be another nine goal epic...?

Wigan looked very shaky at the back and Spurs were soon in ascendency, moving the ball around at will and playing the game effectively in the oppositions half.  One-nil is never a safe place to be with Spurs and even though we had lots of build up play, that all important second goal could not come along soon enough. I didn’t have to wait too long..... A well taken corner from Modric was met by flying Bale, running a diagonal across the box to plant a well struck header past a helpless Al Habsi. Woo Hoo.... 2-nil and now we were getting in our stride....

As in previous matches, Spurs have spells in the game were they are so in control, that another goal seems imminent, and how we didn't score before the break is beyond me. After Half time, Martinez made a change by replacing Gomez with Ronnie Stam, and the Dutchman made an immediate impact as he played a crucial role in a Wigan goal.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto's is usually imperious at the back form Spurs but from time-to-time he seems to lose a bit of focus and hit wild passes or make rash tackles. This time his attempted clearance at the edge of the box was knocked down by Stam, and the ball made its way to Diame, who brushed easily passed Kaboul to drive a low shot inside the left-hand post.

Suddenly Spurs had gone from being totally in control, to running around like headless chickens, and the one goal lead looked in trouble. Fortunately Gohouri was shown a second yellow card for another tough tackle on Bale, and Wigan's day was over.

Of course Spurs should have extended the lead, but once again we slipped into a low gear and started to play out the remaining time, even if Kaboul hit the crossbar with a free kick.

I can't say I was overly impressed with the game as even when we were 2-nil up, I still felt sure that we were going to concede, and when we did or shape dissolved and we looked even more likely to let one in. As in previous games, when the opposition go a man down, Spurs lose the killer-instinct, we really need to learn to put things to bed.

Still it was a 3 point away win that took us up to 6th place in the Prem, so it was not all bad...

My Player ratings :-

• Friedel  - 8.0 - Once again very solid between the sticks. Could do nothing about the goal
• Bale  - 7.5 - Coming back to form with some great runs and a well taken header
• Kaboul - 7.5 - Maybe could have done better on the goal, but overall played well
• King - 7.5 - Another Rolls-Royce performance
• Walker - 8.0 - Now starting show strongly on the right, excellent all round
• BAE - 6.5 - His uncharacteristic mistake led to the Wigan goal
• Parker - 7.5 - Dependable defending the midfield, starting to look dangerous going forward
• VdV - 7.5 - Great opening goal, but tailed off later in the game as usual
• Giovani - 5.0 - Still no great break-through from Jimmy Two Saints
• Modric - 7.0 - Cultured midfield general coming back to his best
• Sandro - 7.0 - Strong and disruptive, shame about the hair
• Livermore - 6.5 - Looked lively from off the bench again, needs more game time
• Adebayor - 7.5 - Starting to bring all the qualities that made us hate him as a Gooner

But can he do it mid-week on a rainy night at Stoke...?"

Well the answer for Spurs is no, we couldn't do it, and so this seasons Carling Cup Run falls at the first hurdle, as we go out on penalties to Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium.

I can't go into much detail about the game as there was no TV coverage or even dodgy Asian internet stream to watch, so I had to make do with the Radio BBC London 94.9 coverage over the internet. I don't know about anyone else, but I find it difficult to follow a game on the radio in the same ways as I can on the TV. Goodness only knows what they did before the age of TV...!

Anyway, what I can say is that it sounded like we had plenty of chances of going ahead, especially in the second half, but we did not make the most of our opportunities. Other highlights, (or should that be lowlights), were that Gomez was up to his old tricks again, Pavlyuchenko sounded like he wanted to be somewhere else, and we lost on Penalties, 7-6, after substitute Massimo Luongo, on his debut for Spurs, had his penalty saved by Sorenson, to give Stoke the win.

Imagine, I got up early to listen to that...!

Four Goal Thriller

What a difference a couple of days make in the life of a Tottenham football fan. Thursday's uninspiring draw in Greece with the reserves team, was in stark contrast to the spectacular demolition of our Top 4 rivals from Liverpool. From the moment I saw the team sheet I was confident that we were going to get a result and continue our short run of beating Liverpool on a regular basis, with an almost a full strength team lining up. I personally think that we are a more attacking and stronger team with Van der Vaart or Lennon in the midfield somewhere, in favour of Krancjar, and maybe with Charlie at the back instead of Walker. We certainly have some depth in this department this season.

From the kick-off it was all Spurs...., but haven't we seen this a few times in the recent past, where we have flown out-of-the-gate with our typical 900mph start, only to fail to capitalise on it. We were all over them like a rash, and unlucky not to go ahead when Adebayor shot just wide from Kranjcar's through ball, but we didn't have to wait long for that vital first goal. Bale had the measure of Skrtel on the left, cut back to Defoe who lost the ball in the tackle, only for Modric to pounce on the loose ball and fire a medium size exorcet missile in to the top right hand corner of the net. KAPOW...! What a goal, completely unstoppable...

For the first 25 minutes Tottenham were in complete control. Bale & Walker were both allowed to run freely on the wings, throwing crosses into the box from either side, with Defoe, Krancjar & Adebayor all looking very dangerous and going close. Bale was having some particular success getting past Skrtel, and it was not long before both he & Charlie Adams got Yellow cards for some poor tackles on the flying Welshman.

Liverpool finally started to get a foot hold in the game and were close to getting an equaliser with a goal from Carroll pulled back for offside. But a minute later, their hopes were dealt a severe blow when another rash tackle on Scotty Parker got Adams his second yellow and the subsequent red card. An 11-man Liverpool were making hard work of dealing with a rampant Spurs, and going down to 10 men was not going to make their task any easier. The rest of the half went by with a couple of wasted free-kicks from Spurs , and a yellow card for Suarez who was losing his temperament by the minute....

I was hopeful that the 2nd half would bring a much needed 2nd goal for Spurs, as even though we were playing very well, a single goal lead is never safe, especially if you are a Tottenham fan. I also had placed a bet on BetFair that there would be 4-or more goals in the game, so I needed a few more in the back of the net to win that one. The chance of me getting the goals I needed improved when Skrtel received his marching orders after going through the back of Bale for the umpteenth time.

A 9-man Liverpool were soon punished after a great through-pass to Defoe, who turned his defender and shot low & hard past Reina for his 3rd goal of the season. This was closely followed by Reina failing to gather a shot from Defoe which Adebayor cleverly chipped over the prostrate keeper to make it three. Now we were 3-nil up and facing just a 9-man Liverpool, and we should be able to bag a hatful of goals right...? WRONG.... Unlike Man United or Chelsea, who would have gone balls-out and rack up a cricket score, the Spurs players lost all interest in scoring and played some very nice possession football, but created little threat in front of goal.

As we moved into extra time, I could see my BetFair account evaporating money if we didn't score a 4th goal, and low and behold, just when the whistle was about to be blown for full-time, Adebayor popped up alone on the right side of goal, and blasted a shot past the hapless Reina. 4-nil... Bet saved. Did I ever imagine that I would be celebrating Adebayor scoring a last-gasp goal at White Hart Lane..., NO I DID NOT...

My Player ratings: -

• Friedel - 6.5 - Would have probably rated higher if he had anything to do all game
• Bale - 7.5 - Finally a performance from our Welsh Winger... More Please
• Kaboul - 6.5 - Solid, even if he did not have much too do
• King - 6.5 - Another classy performance
• Bassong - 6.0 - Given a run out when there was not much left to do
• Walker - 8.0 - Great performance on the right, key to a lot of what was good
• Assou-Ekotto -7.0 - Solid, had Suarez in his pocket from the kick-off
• Parker - 8.5 - A real lynchpin in the midfield, solid and commanding
• Modric - 8.0 - Like Bale, the magician finally showed some of this real talent
• Kranjcar - 7.5 - Played well, strong and mobile on the right hand side of midfield
• Van der Vaart 7.0 - Looked spirited but never really got into the game
• Adebayor - 9.0 - The consummate goal poacher who scores where others have missed
• Defoe - 8.5 - Industrious and at the heart of nearly all the goals
• Giovani - 6.0 - Once again, not given enough time

Europa League - Day One - Who are ya...?

I don't know who is more dedicated, the handful of fans that went to Salonika, or me for getting up at 5am in the morning to watch the Tottenham reserves hang on to a deserved away draw with PAOK Salonika...? My vote goes to the away fans that braved a 28,000 strong crowd of intimidating shirtless Greeks that didn't stop singing all match, but I come a close second.

 

Harry has always said that the Europa League was not a priority, and I guess the early group stages are even less so, and this was reflected in a completely changed squad from last Saturdays win at Wolves. With the likes of Andros Townsend, Tom Carroll, Falque & Harry Kane lining up for a start, this was very much a second string team. I consider myself a reasonably knowledgable Spurs fan, but even I struggled to recognise the Tottenham bench of

Gomes, Stewart, Barthram, Fredericks, Nicholson, Pritchard, & Parrett....?? Still, as long as we didn't get tonked, any result away from home could be salvageable in the home leg, so I was not expecting too much.

 

As it was the game got off to a good start with some neat passing and control from the Spurs youngsters, and more importantly, some good periods of possession. We even had a couple of chances to press for the lead, particularly Townsend crossing in from the left, and Livermore made some progress down the right, cutting back inside and setting up Falque for a shot that was cleared off the line. Five minutes later, we had a 'nailed-on' penalty when Kane was brought down in the box, but the ref waved it away and even booked poor Harry for simulation....!

 

Missing out on a penalty at one end, Cudicini immediately gave away one at the other end, with an unecessary ankle tap on Athanasiadis. As is generally the case with Spurs, penalties are rarely straight-forward, and this was no exception. Lino stepped up and firmly planted the ball in the back of the net and wheeled away in celebration, only to find the Ref had blown up for encrouchment. Take two, and the striker out-thought himself by tryiong to go the other way and pushing the ball pash the right-hand upright. For once in a penalty situation, we came on top.

 

The rest of the first half of went by without too much incident. Pavlyuchenko went close from a free kick, but generally he squndered possession whenever he had it, and like Dos Santos, was rarely in the game. Half time came, and we looked comfortable, if somewhat unexciting.

 

The second half settled into a similar pattern, with the heat maybe playing a part in the slowing down of the game a touch. Pavlova wasted another couple of free kick opportunities, before handing over to Harry Kane to do the same. As the game wore on the Greek players started to come into the game and look a little more dangerous, with a couple of good efforts on the Tottemham goal. As the game entered the last few minutes, PAOK came on strong, and if it was not for the heroic of Cudicini, who must have save or deflected a handful of goal-bound shouts in injury time, we would have come away with nothing. But as it was, the youngsters survived their first out in Europe and came away with a creditable draw and a point in the bag.

 

My Player ratings: - 

• Cudicini -  8.5 - Very strong, made some telling saves to earn the draw
• Bassong - 6.5 - Solid defensive duties done well
• Corluka - 6.5 - Looked well in control
• Walker - 6.0 - Lots of industry, not a lot of results
• Livermore - 6.0 - A bit anonimous in the midfield
• Townsend - 7.5 - Very lively on the left, some great runs and crosses
• Carroll - 7.0 - Classy player, great skills, need to get forward more
• Pavlova- 5.5 - More of a pudding than a striker
• Giovani - 5.5 - Played too deep and never really made any impression
• Parrett - 6.0 - Not given enough time to do anything
• Falque - 6.5 - Looked good in the first half, faded in the second
• Fredericks - 6.0 - Had some good touched in the few minutes he was on
• Kane - 6.5 - Another classy player in the making, good showing from the 18 year old

The Season Starts Here

Finally we are off the mark with our first 3 points of the new season, and an away win against Wolves under our belt. The result however was somewhat flattering to an unconvincing display, but taking in to account that this was an away game where we have had problems in the post, I am happy to take these much needed points.

The team selection & formation was interesting with the inclusion of 2 of our new additions, Scotty Parker & Adebayor, both making their debut in the white of the Spurs shirt. With the current crop of injuries, we kicked off the game with a patched up backline, including the surprise re-appearance of the Rolls-Royce that is Leadley King. In midfield, Kranjcar was deputising for VdV, Bale lined up on the right to cover the missing Lennon, Modric on the left, and Scotty Parker slotting in the middle. Up front, Defoe and Adebayor started a new Tottenham strike partnership that will hopefully bring back the free-scoring games that were so common-place just a few seasons ago.

During the first half, both Spurs & Wolves had their chances, but the game failed to really come to the boil. The Spurs team looked like they had only just met in the changing room about half-an-hour before kick off, and that this was the first 45 minutes they had played this season. Only Parker stood out for Spurs in the first half, he looked up for a game and started well with some bite & determination in the midfield. Wolves looked comfortable at the back, and had threatened up-front, with the Ex-Spur Jamie O'Hara at the centre of everything good.

After the break, Spurs looked a little more comfortable and confident going forward, but for all the good possession and control, we still did not look like we were going to make the breakthrough. Modric still looked sluggish and out of position on the right, as did Bale, who seemed impotent on the right wing. Kranjcar was having a better game, and making some good movement through the middle and linking up nicely with the front pairing. It was exactly this sort of play that led to the opening goal in the 67th minute, with a good interchange of passes that ended up with Parker at the edge of the box pushing a sharp toe-poke goal wards, and excellent awareness from Adebayor to slip the defenders, stay on-side, and slot the ball in to the net passed the Keeper.

One-Nil.... Where did that come from..?

The goal appeared to settle the team, and a more free-flowing Spurs started to play the ball with more confidence & style. Ten minutes from the end the same formula was repeated, this time with Kranjcar & Defoe swapping a 1-2 pass to break the defence and a strong, low shot from Defoe past the keeper into the bottom corner. At this point I thought we could go on and and grab another couple of goals, but I think the team gave out a collective sigh and decided that 2-nil was more than enough and played out the last 15 minutes with little invention.

Overall the game was a good outing for the boys and showed signs that all was not lost for our season. Having said that I did not think that we looked convincing though, but with a few more games and a few players coming back from injury, we should start to gel and play the way we know we can.

My Player ratings: -

• Friedel - 7.5 - Solid and stable at the back, just what the defence needs
• Bale - 6.0 - Out of position and still out-of-sorts
• Kaboul - 6.0 - Reasonable performance
• King - 6.5 - Looked a little rusty, but a good first run-out for the season
• Walker - 6.0 - Never looked comfortable, always chasing the game
• Assou-Ekotto - 7.0 - Solid as rock, except for one mysterious back-pass
• Parker - 8.5 - Great combative performance in the middle for the new boy
• Livermore - 7.0 -Always looks energetic when given the chance
• Modric - 6.5 - Better, but still not back to his best
• Kranjcar - 7.0 - Linked up well, hand in both goals
• Adebayor - 7.5 - Did what he does best, a good Debut goal
• Defoe - 7.0 - In & out of the game at time, but a goal will help
• Giovani - 5.0 - Not enough time to show what he has

Transfer Update

Blatently stolen from the BBC website:

Players in: Brad Friedel (Aston Villa, free), Cristian Ceballos (unattached), Emmanuel Adebayor (Manchester City, season loan), Yago Falque (Juventus, season loan), Soleymane Coulibaly (Siena, undisclosed), Scott Parker (West Ham, undisclosed).

Players out: Jonathan Woodgate (released), Jamie O'Hara (Wolves, £5million), Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy, £3.5million), Steven Caulker (Swansea, season loan), Paul-Jose M'Poku (Standard Liege, undisclosed), Kyle Naughton (Norwich, season loan), Bongani Khumalo (Reading, season loan), Ryan Mason (Doncaster, season loan), David Bentley (West Ham, season loan), Callum Tapping (Hearts, nominal), Wilson Palacios (Stoke, £6m*), Alan Hutton (Aston Villa, undisclosed), Jermaine Jenas (Aston Villa, season loan), Peter Crouch (Stoke, £12m). 

Welcome to the Horror Show

I remember fondly the sensation I used to get on attending the first home game of the season, the trudge through the bowels of White Hart Lane and a long walk up a dark stairwell, only to step out into the pristine chapel of Tottenham Hotspurs,the August sunlight reflecting the brilliance of the perfection of the green playing surface. It was almost religious…

Now that I am 11,000+ miles away in self-imposed exile, the ritual is somewhat diminished…. I record the games off the Sky satellite overnight and wake pre-dawn on a Sunday morning to a darkened living room, the chill of a winter’s night not quite passed, with only a mug of tea and a TV for company. No cathartic transition from darkness to sunlight, no chance to absorb the smell of a new coat of paint or the freshly mown grass, no atmosphere, no buzz, just the bright glow of a TV in the dimness of a cold New Zealand morning….

And on this day, not even the comfort of a good result to take the edge off...

After switching on and listening to the team selection, my hopes were buoyed by the inclusion of Modric in the starting line-up, and perplexed by Crouchys call up. I know Crouch has some form against Man City, but even though we had lost the previous weekend, I would have rekoned that Defoe looked to be a better choice than just a single lanky bean-pole up front.

The game kicked off and Spurs took the initiative right from the very start with 2 very good attacks in the first few minutes. VdV looked sharp, and was unlucky that Joe Hart was in good form to push away a couple of good chances. For a few minutes I began to believe that we actually had a chance in this game that is until the Man City front line started to move up a gear. Friedel was once again called into action early on to tip away a shot from Silva, but with Nasri and Aguero orchestrating some flowing moves from midfield it was not going to be too long before they unpicked the lock on our defence. After a good break on the wing, Nasri crossed perfectly for Dzeko to poke home in front of a hapless Kaboul.

Even at 0-1 down we had a couple of quality chances, and I thought that we could get back in this game. Firstly Bale was found at the back post but somehow ended up blasting over the bar, and a few minutes later, this time Bale was the supplier and his superb cross was met by Crouch’s header, only for the ball to sail fractionally past the right-hand post. But then almost immediately a well worked header from Dzeko, where he headed the ball backwards against the direction of the keeper, and we were 0-2 down. Once again, for the second week in a row, our heads dropped and Spurs slipped out of the game.

Despite a Second half revival, and Kaboul scoring Tottenham’s first league goal of the season, Dzeko ended up netting 2 more goals with Aguero getting on the score sheet to make it a 1-5 drubbing. Worse still, Modric didn’t look engaged, Lenno went off with a groin strain, and VdV walked off with a hamstring. 

When it rains it pours…

It was a poor performance all round, even taking into consideration the excellent movement of  Man City’s midfield, and the newly found quality of Dzeko’s attack. Even if we expect both Man United & Man City to be in the top 3 at the end of the season, and dropping points against them was to be expected, the manner of the 2 defeats don’t bode well for the upcoming away game against Wolves, (never an easy trip).

The only solace I can take from the day is seeing Arsenal go down 8-2 to a rampant Manchester United. Even we only let in 3 goals....

My Player ratings: -

• Friedel – 7.0 – Played well even if he did have to pick 5 goals out of the back of the net
• Bale – 5.5 – Uninspiring game, 1 big miss and very few crosses
• Kaboul - 6.5 – Apart from the gaol, not one of his best games
• Dawson – 5.5 – Missing in action for most of the game
• Corluka – 6.0 – Average performance, but Nasri had him in his pocket
• Assou-Ekotto – 6.0 - Average performance
• Lennon  - 5.5 – Some good movement early on, but then went AWOL
• Van der Vaart – 6.5 – Best of a poor bunch until he pulled a hammy
• Modric  - 5.0 – For God’s sake get a grip man...!
• Kranjcar  - 6.0 – Average start to the game, tailed off in the 2^nd half
• Crouch -5.5 – Should have done better, but really unsupported
• Huddlestone – 6.0 – Not much he could do, some good passes but all too late
• Defoe – 6.5  - Should have been on from the start
• Livermore – 6.5 – Looked lively when he came on, better than Modric on the day