and possession…
…you’ve had a bad game and are damn lucky to get away from Lancashire with three more points.
When you look at the fact that Blackburn had 10 more goal attempts – 19 to 9 – and twice the possession – 67% to 33% – you also know this was yet another poor display by Spurs. Three and half on the trot now that have been masked by the results. Only one coming in for any criticism is the Newcastle game which didn’t end in a win. Coincidence. I think not.
After an initial bright start, during which Walker’s stock rose as he skinned Givet and cross for van der Vaart to coolly open his body and slide the ball into the far corner for the opener. Where the ball would have ended up if Defoe had started is anybody’s guess.
From there it descended into the sloppy rubbish we’ve seen of late and from very early on the calls for Sandro’s presence in the middle of the park was being screamed out for. Those with any sort of clue were calling for the big Brazilian to start and felt that is absence was a big mistake. Now after ‘Arry said Sandro was injured and couldn’t be risked, might have resulted in him missing a greater number of games. Why then was he on the bench?
We had to be grateful I suppose that ‘Arry didn’t use his standard genius tactic of playing Bale and Lennon on their wrong flanks – he couldn’t resist in the end as Rose came on for Lennon and Bale moved wings. Though in reality it didn’t make much difference as Lennon was given no service of much use and what he did get resulted in very little, bar a Bale air shot. While on the other side the Welshman just couldn’t run past anyone all afternoon.
So Blackburn started mounting the pressure. Yes Blackburn! Parker gave away yet another stupid foul, Blackburn pile all their big lumpers in the box for Pedersen to float the freekick right onto the head of the biggest, Samba. Now Parker had picked up Formica right on the penalty spot at which point he chose to follow the ball instead of staying put. In doing so he got right in Kaboul’s way giving Samba the easiest of knock downs to guess who? Yes Formica to equalise. So Parker responsible for each of the three parts of that goal. On the day he was given the armband. Too many people have been taken in by this substandard lower league player.
First half carried on with them looking more likely to go ahead, bar some attempts from Modric. The little Croat accounted for most of the on target shots but as we’ve already seen one league goal from him this season there was little chance of him scoring here. Second half, and everyone is screaming for Sandro, started off like the first, better from Spurs. A lovely ball from Adebayor – who was generally quite on the day, is he carrying an injury? Though with the fact they had the ball he didn’t have much chance to shine – through the channel to Assou-Ekotto – what Lennon would give for such service – Benny cuts inside a lucky rebound off his leg and van der Vaart curls in a beauty from outside the box.
Van der Vaart versus Defoe. Why are we even having this discussion? A guy who score one every two for Spurs versus one every three. A guy who creates for others versus a guy who does very little and misses a lot.
But it was down hill after that as Blackburn turned to their one real tactic of lumping it into the big fellas in the box, from free kicks, throws etc. And you can see why they did it because Spurs were all over the place and looked more likely to concede than hang on to the bitter end.
It was a minor miracle that they didn’t, concede that is. Friedel while making some good saves had a few Gomes moments, coming out, going back when getting no where near the ball, flapping, running into his own defenders. Shakiest game so far. Nerves? Ah what would have given for a calming head in there? In other words Ledley. Bassong was weak and flaky under the pressure. Kaboul bullish and doing his bet with little help, it was his aimless Dawsonesque humps down the park that marked him down on the day.
Sign of true champions is winning when not playing well, winning away even more so. But this? No. A very poor and limited opposition who have dead man walking written all over them, it shouldn’t be a back to the walls last 20 desperately hanging on situation.
Can’t let results mask inept displays.