It’s been an overwhelmingly disappointing couple of weeks at Spurs and while the players’ comments after the game at Goodison were positive, it’s hard not to feel flat as our gap between the fourth placed side could be reduced to just one point tonight.
After the game, manager Harry Redknapp was genuinely mystified by the reverse.
“How did we lose that game?” said Harry after the match. “In the second half they didn’t come out of their half. It was completely one-way traffic.
“There wasn’t much in it in the first half. They created one or two chances, we created one or two chances and we conceded a goal. It wasn’t as if our keeper had a lot to do.
“In the second half we picked up the pace, got after them and penned them in. We made chances, missed chances, battered them. We just couldn’t get the goal.”
But lose it we did and the gap is closing. However, after a run of tricky games there are only ten fixtures to go and Chelsea aside, they are all winnable. Starting with Stoke at home on Wednesday week, it’s time for this squad to get back to three points.
I’m as guilty as the next man for feeling we’re nailed on for top 4, but 10 games to go, 30 points at stake, Arse hitting form, Chelsea on the up…
… it’s not too late for us to throw it away big style. My bum is squeaking.
My bum is also squeaking :-/ need to beat chelsea otherwise that is are season over! Newcastle supporter tonight!!!! Come on you magpies……
there were only 2 players that for me showed any pride in the game.defoe and ekotto.ade continues his period form for arsenal and city.by disappearing for long periods.after praising his efforts early in the season.how can a striker go a whole game without worthwhile shot.who ever is manager at the end of the season.just forget him.
Our remaining games, on paper at least, are not too bad. Chelsea and Sunderland away are the 2 really tricky ones. The remaining 8 are largely against teams in the bottom half. Harry just needs to play the simple game (Bale on left, Modric in the middle etc) and we need a quick win to get the confidence going. I am positive we will take 3rd.
‘Arry,
You lost the game because Everton scored a goal and Tottenham didn’t! Simples!
Its definately the Harry for England that has caused uncertainty and negativity in “everyone’s” (players coaches and Harry) mind. If any company is doing much better than in the past due mainly to a new MD joined 3 years prior and suddenly there is a possibility that he may move somewhere else, the companies efficiency / performance will worsen.
I have never been more proud of a team that has lost than that team on Saturday. Every single one of the lads (except for Adebayor) showed real passion and heart. That lost nearly killed Kaboul, and for mysake I can feel a good run of league form starting at the Lane against Stoke.
COYS!!
My days in the sun were the last that managers didn’t require speed at any cost – nowadays, managers will say they have their eye out for the fast kid, nerver mind the skills, since they can teach them. Well, it is true that speed is hard to mark and cover. And there are exceptions for the gifted visionary who can see–and deliver– that pass that single-handedly breaks the defense and leaves the striker little to do but slot it home.
But give me a “soccer rat” any day – someone who knows you don’t play defense by trying to the win the ball at every opportunity but by being near-impossible to get around (ie, making individual attackers and team attacks have to do something extra-ordinary to off-balance you). Walker has incredible speed to be able to recover from blown assignments, but even he should not be risking so much so often. And of course Kaboul shouldn’t be throwing himself forward at his man at the top of the box. You commit to a tackle when you are 100% sure and any other time is a mental error, and potentially putting all your other teammates at risk. This may not be Soccer 101 but it is only Soccer 201 and every man on that team should know it, practice it until they are composed players, and feel it in their gut as well.
Conversely, for defending flighted balls, like set pieces/corners, the gut has to know what it’s like to be a hungry striker, how little of a gap needs to be opened up to flick on a header to the net – here the defenders must play not with composure but abandon, in order to get there first (leave it to the other 5 guys to position well for the mis-hit, the rebound, the unfortunate bounce to their man), to know the situation is do-or-die.
I’m afraid that such basic soccer knowledge is woefully lacking the last several springs and it keeps us from winning the games that good teams win even when they are not playing well (offensively). As offensively-minded as Harry is, it is not the come-from-behind games than the top teams are known for, it is being incredibly solid in defense that allows them to win with goals that come against the flow of the game.