A mixture of Spurs modern and Spurs of old as the season ends on a high and on a low but with promise.

Seventy two points, six points off second place but a point behind those that finished fourth – and celebrated doing so like they’d won something, I don’t know when they’ve scheduled their open top bus parade, obviously they see finishing above AVB’s team as a great achievement.

Spurs of old was on show again as they struggled to score against a side that’s been in and around the relegation fight up until last week. It’s was the strugglers with their flat back 10 at The Lane that caused problems this season look at the top of the table and it’s a different story and a new one for Spurs…

Points gained vs teams in the Top 4 #EPL twitter.com/georgebann/sta…

— George (@georgebann) May 20, 2013

This game also saw something new we’ve seen this season. The last minute winner. Days of yore it was the last minute equaliser or winner conceded. Under AVB it’s been the reverse.

So Sunderland at home for the final game of AVB’s first season in charge. Just needed to win, baby, everything was irrelevant and out of their hands. It’s just that first part took some doing. All the ball, all the shots, all the penalty shouts, all the inept officiating. It was all there.

None of the goals, as per usual wasn’t.

There was something missing. A bit of control. Was a touch harum scarum. With Sunderland offering very little going forward it was unnecessary to have Parker in there – this hopefully his last outing in a Spurs shirt. Dembele may of course not been fit to play long enough to start, so Holtby could have been a better option, easily cover the tackling duties what little there was.

Generally pinging the ball about from the back from Dawson and Vertonghen was Beckenbauering proceedings, with Huddlestone dropping between the two centre-backs and the fullbacks as wingers it was all out attack.

Twenty minutes in and a common sight this season. Bale through, into the box, hauled down by the defender Larsson, who first grabbed Bale’s arm and then pushed him to the ground. Nailed on penalty for everyone – look at the Sunderland players who walk away head down resigned to the fact – except of course for the inept officials. Andre Marriner showing yet another undeserved yellow to the incredulous Bale.

Bale’s got a reputation. It’s a reputation that’s perpetuated by refs getting it wrong. He’s been booked half a dozen or more times for diving this season and all bar about one have been fouls against him, like this.

Marriner then preceded to cover himself in more glory by turning two more stonewall penalties for handballs. Hell if the clown co-commentating, an ex-ARSEnal player and Sunderland chairman thought they were nailed on it tells you how obvious they were.

Through all this Sunderland had a couple of chances, mainly brought about by slack Spurs play. I do like it when a player has the ball taken off him easily and then just stands there lamenting his luck. Thankfully Lloris was in goal and a couple of good saves, well one good one a cracker kept the clean sheet. I have to admit no matter how great Bale has been this season i have tended to go for the ‘keeper as player of the season. Wonder how many games he would have played under ‘Arry.

So it looked like being one of those days, especially when Newcastle couldn’t do their job properly. Then a cheer went around the ground. I can only think they were mugged by a stupid Tweet from Alan Sugar – titles only recognised here when you earn them not buy them – who seems to know less about the game than when he owned the club. An embarrassment. Still get what you deserve following that clowns Twitter account.

No goal was coming. When Parker had a shot cleared off the line straight to Lennon who repeated the feat for the ball then to hit the post it really looked like being all she wrote. Even when the ref actually got something right with Vaughan’s sending off I was somewhat resigned to the fact.

Than a opposition player did what a number have done this season, allowed Bale, on the right, to come inside on his left get a yard of space and bang one past the ‘keeper into the top corner of the net. Another Bale wonder goal.

Glory.

Well at least they’d done their job. Toon didn’t, them lot celebrated. The ‘Arry lovers came out of the woodwork. Forgetting that their beloved had just picked up 2 points from 9 games with a squad of 20 full internationals. That AVB side has amassed more points than he managed without Modric, van der Vaart, Ledley, Kaboul, Sandro for a large part, BAE for a large part and a striker for most of the season. They talk of a seven point gap over turned forgetting it was 10 points last time around. Also conveniently forgetting this side could have contained Charlie Adam, Kenwyne Jones and Anton Ferdinand if ‘Arry had his way.

And as predictable as the ‘Arryites were the doom mongers, especially those in the media, talking about how this means we can’t hold onto Bale or attract decent players. Well Vertonghen, Lloris, Holtby, Dembele etc all came without Champions League football. And unlike that other club our star player doesn’t seem that desperate to jump ship as soon as possible. Rumours of a new contract, though what are they worth these days.

Win the Europa League next season and all this will be forgotten while celebrating an actual trophy, hell if that Russian mob can do it.

Just gotta put up with all the transfer speculation crap now. Just get it done and done quickly Daniel.

Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 0 Sunderland

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Not as easy as it being out of our own hands. And not as easy as gifting it to others. Ah, the Spurs’ way, as seen at White Hart Lane and Stamford Bridge over the last few days.

The abject performance against Southampton at home pretty much guaranteed Spurs wouldn’t lose away to Chelski. Gifting the home side two goals ultimately meant Spurs didn’t come away from there with the required three points to keep Champions League qualification in their own hands.

Two simple, unremarkable goals, brought about by slack play. It’s one thing when a moment of greatness costs but when it’s handed on a plate.

No surprises from the boss in the line up. Big game so you knew Demebele wouldn’t be fit and that Parker wouldn’t stay unfit long enough. But a trio of Parker, Huddlestone and Holtby were going to have their problems with Oscar, Hazard and Mata – no surprise either that two of the could have been playing in white shirts on the night, to go with the navy shorts which were thankfully used.

Defoe hadn’t done enough to keep his place in the last game, so it meant he return of Adebayor. Now here was the surprise. From the off he looked interested. Put himself about, was actually trying not just appearing to try.

While there was a few good touches Spurs struggled to get hold and keep hold of he ball, Lennon and Bale uninvolved, lot of Parkeresque sideways and backwards passing.

The form a corner the first gift. Dawson completely misjudges things letting Cahill nod the ball on freely to scar who just saunters away from the inept Parker. Glenn Hoddle in the studio said Parker was looking at the ball and not the man bu hen if he was looking at the ball why didn’t he do something about it coming towards he Chelsea player? Again e modern footballer was too busy trying to hand off the player than play football.

Slackness at set pieces would carry on all game. As soon as the ref blew the whistle the Spurs players were just milling around no paying particular attention to anything. Of course unsurprisingly the ref generally blew in favour of the home side. Spurs denied nailed on fouls and on the wrong end of the usual inept linesmen’s offside flag.

The one time Spurs got a break from the officials he ref played the advantage after some nice harrying from Holtby as Adebayor picked up he ball in his own half and ran towards goal. Chelsea just backed off, you can see why on his past performances this season – helped somewhat by Lennon’s run distracting them. But something strange happened a few yards from the box the lanky striker struck. A beauty into he top corner over Cech in no man’s land.

Where the bloody hell did hat come from?

The situation didn’t last long as Chelsea came back. Spurs defence all seemingly dragged to the left while Parker, far too far up he pich again, just not up to the job of covering someone like Ramires. The Brazilian’s early toe-poke beating Lloris.

Things needed changing for Spurs and AVB did and again they changed things for he better but again you felt he left it a little later than he should and he didn’t quite go far enough with the changes. Sigurdsson again came on to make the difference for he rarely seen Lennon but an hour gone seemed too long to wait. Dempsey was brought on for Holtby. The latter was all over the place and 100 miles per hour and did some good stuff just unfortunately a number of times those in white weren’t bright enough to be on the same wavelength. So step overs, dummies, flicks just didn’t come off.

One flick did. Again from hat surprising source. Benny chips into the box to Adebayor with another good run, his back heel finds Sigurdsson who coolly curls it round Cech.

Two cracking goals compared to two gifts. And the one man in Spurs team had barely appeared.

Yes Chelsea could have finished it off, Ramires luckily slipping and planting his face into he turf when clean through. Benitez also helped removing Oscar and Hazard for two inferior replacements. Unfortunately AVB didn’t use his last change to remove his inferior man and so Spurs had chances butchered by Parker.

But then hope started to appear. One last chance. The ref actually giving Spurs a foul in the Chelsea half. And Bale. Done very little all night but could grab all the headlines with one kick. One kick that softly looped into the ‘keeper’s arms.

Normally you’d be happy with a 2-2 at their place. Them full strength, you missing important players, while others being unfit. A battling performance, coming back from behind twice, with he greater amount of possession and equal number of chances – god hat sounds Brendan Rodgersesque. But this. Well it all means we’ll be Wiganistas at he weekend.

Now I Tweeted last after Adebayor’s wonder goal that Do I take it all back?. After that and the assist there was a lot of I told you so and we should support the player in the shirt about. But that performance showed what the player had been doing to the fans, he club and the shirt during the season. Pissing on the lot. That performance was obviously there just he couldn’t be arsed putting it in. Now there’s talk of offloading him in the summer what better shop window than a top four battle against Chelsea. How convenient, all of a sudden he thinks he’ll bother.

Chelsea 2 - 2 Tottenham Hotspur

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You do bugger all for nearly 90 minutes, then when all looks lost you pop up and score yet another goal of the season candidate.

One man team. Yeah our one man has Spurs within touching distance of your fabulously crafted 25 man squad.

Oh your player didn’t celebrate scoring against his old club. Well maybe that’s because his old club means more to him than your club does.

Now I have to admit I missed the first half an hour of the game – bloody interweb – and from what highlights there was of that opening 30 minutes it looked like a good thing. In front of Ricky Villa and Ossie Ardiles the visitors, Southampton, had come to play while the host looked like the two Argentinian legends, both aged 60, could quite easily get a game and improve the side.

Southampton’s play should have come as no surprise. They’ve beaten Chelsea and Citeh, while losing and drawing to teams those victories suggest they should have done better against. They lift themselves for the big teams.

And were it not for the fingers of Lloris, with yet another great save in a fantastic début season, Bale wouldn’t have been scoring the winner later on. One of Pochettino’s main problems is that Ricky Lambert takes great free kicks but a number of times he could really do with the striker being on the end of them as well.

That could happen and Southampton could have been out of sight.

But then if the officials had half a clue Spurs could have been ahead slightly earlier than they were. Bale down the right cross was cut out in trying to retrieve the ball in the box the winger was clearly fouled. But of course with Clattenberk officiating nothing was given. Certainly not Spurs’ first penalty of the season.

Five minutes later for some unknown reason Southampton players let Bale come in from the right, get almost in the middle and have a bang at goal. A bang the flew past Boruc’s outstretched hand as it went from curling in to swerving away from the ‘keepers attempt.

That’s why he’s the player’s player of the year, young and old and the writer’s player.

But while the plaudits rightly come his way, you can’t forget Lloris’ early saves and the fact AVB yet again changed a game for Spurs, with tactical switch and a switch in personnel – though his early tactics seemed to be letting BAE make up for all those games missed with all the ball, only player on the park with triple digits touches. While it was good not to have to watch a game with Parker involved, it was a joy not to have to put up with Adebayor for too long either. But the striker did some decent stuff when he came on. Layoff to Bale for the penalty shout and a nice little touch for Dempsey to balloon over the bar.

It all worked to drag this one out of the mire and keep it all in our own hands.

Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 0 Southampton

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Only team that the new league champions haven’t beaten all season. Just come off a moral boosting defeat of the previous champions. Struggle against relegation fodder Wigan to finally take one point off them this season.

It pretty much sums up Spurs, as Julie Welch did in one Tweet(*)…

Spurs. Driving me nuts since 1961.

— Julie Welch (@DameJulieWelch) April 27, 2013

A nothing performance – you knew something would be up when Spurs are kicking off at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon – gifted both goals by the hosts while AVB got a number of things wrong.

The team that finished the previous outing with a 3-1 win over Citeh looked the only option for the manager. An XI with life and purpose and players playing in positions and a formation that suited them. But no Andre decided to change things about, sticking with that same 4-3-3 bizarrely Nuaghton was back in at left-back which again didn’t work – don’t know what BAE has done to AVB but it looks terminal.

And then probably an even bigger mistake was the inclusion of Parker in that midfield trio. Not only in there but as one of the forward looking pair with Huddlestone guiding things from the middle.

AVB keeps getting Parker’s inclusion wrong and even worse than having him in there he plays him as an attacking player. Once again this game showed the folly of that and leads you to think AVB can’t do that again. But then you thought that last week and the week before and well I’ve been thinking it since the dark day we signed Parker. Glad to see there’s an ever increasing number who have come around to the same conclusion – lot of ponderous pirouettes out there.

He was here at it again. Butchering up every forward move with his dithering and inability to provide a forward pass with any quality and then when he’s clean through with the goal at his mercy even more dithering and ineptitude.

This tied up to a distinct lethargy and Wigan fighting for their life added up to a lacklustre performance where Spurs had the the ball but for the most part did bugger all with it. Only positive, bar fighting back and picking up a point, was not having to suffer another abject Adebayor mope around the park – followed by he does more for the team than just score.

So the gifts. A nice bit of Parkeresque Chuckle Brothers passing between Wigan defender, Figueroa, and ‘keeper, Robles – to me, to you – Defoe initially closed down the ‘keeper, couldn’t see Adebayor doing that, then Bale came in to help, stuck his leg out and Robles’ clearance bounces off his foot straight into the net.

My Tweet about now hanging on for 80 minutes with a one goal lead had the usual effect of an equalising goal. Some slack marking at a corner. Vertonghen caught out. And a simple header sees another game without a clean sheet. Lloris has been in goal when quite a number of goals have been conceded since he became number one and it’s hard to remember many that were his fault.

Wigan then clamped Spurs down. A very effective job too, especially on Bale. The thing is prior to the opening goal the visitors had showed exactly how to overcome this smothering. Push and run. One two. Give and go. Walker inside to a midfielder, sets off and takes the return ball in plenty of space. At the time I Tweeted it was the perfect method and that I doubted we’d see it used again. It was and we didn’t.

Wigan took the lead with a cracker from McManaman, via some inept defending from Naughton. Heard some whinging from the Wigan boss after the match about Spurs eventual equaliser. He didn’t mention that one of his scorers shouldn’t have been on the park but sill serving a long suspension after that horror tackle he got away with. Nor the fact that his side should have been down to ten men after a head high foot assault on Holtby by Gomez. Gomez was already on a yellow could have easily got a second but it should have been a straight red, it was for Zamora a couple of weeks ago. Haven’t heard Martinez say anything about it, nor seen anything in various match reports in the media.

Gomez challenge on Holtby

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No Martinez saved his comments for the coming together between Walker and Beausejour near the end. The equaliser coming from the resulting free kick. They say that officialdom are trying to make football a non-contact sport but there’s more contact now than there’s ever been. You watch the old 70s and 80s stuff repeated by ITV on their Big Match Revisited programmes and you don’t see and grabbing of players. There’s not the hand contact that goes on now. Goes on and spoils teh game as players first instinct is to impede their opponent with an arm across, shirt grab or push off.

Walker goes near Beausejour and they’re both grabbing at each other. Cut that out and the game would be so much better. Martinez’s player tried to stop Walker with his hands, he had absolutely no interest in playing the ball, he came off second best. No sympathy.

Huddlestones’ free-kick bounces off a Wigan player to draw the scores level. He could have won it shortly after. Bale’s free-kick coming out to Huddlestone to pile drive a shot that was somehow kept out.

Could have really done with that smash and grab three points, don’t care about all the pundits claims that Wigan were robbed – yes I’d prefer them to stay up and Stoke to go down – still in Spurs’ hands even after ManUre buggered up their lines.

Just have to hope AVB has learned from this. No more right-back at left-back. No more Parker. Not rocket surgery.

Wigan Athletic 2 - 2 Tottenham Hotspur

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* Of course she meant the second half of 1961. First half was a bit better.

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But the aftermath could be the killer. Spurs keep putting in these insipid displays in the Europa League. So far they’ve dug themselves out of trouble with last gasp efforts. Going to have to do it again after drawing 2-2 at home to Basel.

AVB wants to win the trophy, apparently the players want it as well. Last night Basel wanted it more.

A frustrating night where there seemed no life and you didn’t want to see far too many players on the ball – Gallas, Naughton, Parker and Adebayor – while those you did, barely figured – Bale and Dembele.

Things didn’t get off to a promising start when shortly into proceedings when a dithering scramble in the Spurs’ box Gallas could have easily cleared the ball but chose to turn inside, towards his own goal and create a far more dangerous situation. It was a night when the defence collectively kept making the wrong choice.

BAE dragged inside leaving the Basel right flank wide open for continuous attacks. Vertonghen, usually the class act, committing himself and far too often missing tackles letting players past him, struggling to catch a number. Dawson playing some strange balls when under no pressure after he came on for BAE. Naughton doing that modern way of defending where the player can quite easily reach the ball, play the ball, but instead starts to try and play the attacking player. Slowing down to block the attack, who nips round them now they are on their heels and nips away with the ball. Man and ball are lost, Naughton left trailing in their wake. Why? For what reason?

Most of these failure were present in Basel’s opening goal. A cracking piece of play from the visitors even if helped out by the hosts. For the second there wasn’t much covering in glory by those in white. Quite a lot of white shirts in the box for the corner not so many blue and red yet after Vertonghen flicks the ball on Frie has a free header.

By the time of the opening goal Spurs had already been disrupted by the loss of Lennon. The first injury on the night that could have consequences down the road. Because as has been shown over the last few weeks Lennon is missed when not available. Missed more than some care to believe, not only with his attacking but also this year his defensive work.

It was a well earned lead. One team wanted it and the other were just cruising around. Just got to turn up. Parker fannying about giving the ball away – one prime example, under no pressure all on his lonesome in the middle of the park he kicks it out for a throw with a pass about 10 yards behind the advanced Benny on the left wing. Getting into attacking areas and then seemingly giving up attacking. Though you can’t blame people for not putting crosses in for example when there’s nobody there to be on the end of them.

One time they did get bodied in there it ended up in a goal. Just about. Cross from Bale on the right – oh he was playing – Adebayor completely misses it. Parker is running about and has a scuffer going nowhere, luckily bounces up and for once Adebayor isn’t on his heels, has somewhat read what’s happening, amazingly gets his foot in the right place and knocks it in.

Amazing to think that pile drivers from Naughton looked like Spurs best chances in the game, bar an effort by Parker that looked like the miss of the season – or a standard Parker butchering moment – but was deflected by Holtby…

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…saying that I didn’t think it was going in. All that goal to aim for and he seemed to aim for the post.

Basel had a number of chances to probably put things out of sight, what with the number of away goals it would have meant, but just before the hour Sigurdsson equalised. A nice run by Vertonghen, now at left-back after BAE’s withdrawal by the manager opened up the space for Gylfi to have a pop, a deflection looping it nicely over past the ‘keeper.

After that Basel again looked the more likely to score as those in white could barely string two passes together. Don’t half have these periods of play when they’re just overrun and cannot get any ball control. They were somewhat helped by the visiting manager, who removed Streller and Salah who had caused the back four all kinds of trouble all night. The latter especially. They had a front three that really worked together.

AVB’s substitutions didn’t help either I don’t think. Yes bring Dempsey on but don’t leave Adebayor on and remove Holtby.

Then things took a turn for the worse, all three subs used, Bale rolled his ankle in an innocuous challenge – oh he was playing. He stayed down, but then we’ve seen that before but this time was removed from the pitch on a stretcher. Which is never a good sight. Bit of luck he might be back in a couple of weeks they’re saying. When have we ever had luck.

Gallas also limped off, this was no great loss and he was lucky not to have been given his marching orders by the ref earlier for what should have probably been a second booking.

So Basel were up for it and excellent, Spurs were crap, ended with 9 men and it finished a two all draw. It could have been worse. Yes they’ll be tough at their place but it’s not dead and buried. After all what good did it do Spurs having inter dead and buried in the last round?

Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 2 Basel

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While most managers in the league were whinging and crying about their players going away to play in World Cup qualifiers, Andres Villas-Boas probably couldn’t be more grateful.

After a run off three defeats, two in the league, he just needed that little break to get things back on track. While hoping those that went away didn’t come back crocked it was a couple of weeks to get those on the treatment table back in action.

Though it got a bit dodgy there at times it eventually worked out well.

Not many teams have come away from Swansea with all three points and even though they’ve dropped off a bit after their League Cup victory this was still a good victory after those three loses. And a good game between two teams that play a proper game, though it got a touch niggly in there at times.

After an opening when Swansea dominated possession without looking like doing anything, Jan Vertonghen charged through the middle of the pitch with some sort of intent. Laid off to Bale he carries on the charge into the box where Bale finds him with a glorious chip, beautiful first touch by Vertonghen to bring the ball under control then slides it past Vorm.

It was glorious all round.

What followed 15 minutes later was also glorious. Starting with Lennon pressuring Vorm – this came very shortly after Lennon had done some good tracking back to help out the defence – into a hasty kick to his defender who headed the ball into space, via another Swansea player’s head. Space in the middle of the park that Vertonghen was very quick to pounce into, while others stood and looked. Vertonghen played the ball to Bale who controlled it and banged it in, in one move.

Glorious.

The two goals and what happened in between though highlighted Spurs’ problems for the rest of the match.

While Vertonghen and Bale’s first touches at shots during the goals were excellent we have a striker whose first touch and shooting ability are worse than a central defender. Adebayor when he wasn’t losing the ball, or doing nothing, ran through the Swansea defence only to present Vorm with a back pass “shot”.

Short of confidence they all cry. Do me a favour and stop making excuses for a player who has had a dog of a season. All of his own making. The argument seems to be though that because Defoe hasn’t exactly been great somehow that makes Adebayor indispensable. No.

Adebayor was useless for an hour and Defoe for half an hour. So the latter touched the ball only 11 times -and did hus usual trick of hitting the ‘keeper with a shot – the former wasn’t much better really. And during that half hour Defoe was on he didn’t exactly get much service as Spurs were doing their usual hanging on for dear life to a one goal lead. Some blaming Defoe for Spurs struggling in the final period when Swansea were on top, yet they did the same at the end of the first half when Adebayor was on the pitch. Saw some argument about the number of times Adebayor is dispossessed of the ball, I wonder what the figure is for the amount of times he dispossesses himself.

That under the cosh final period also brought into focus another problem area on the park. Left back. Naughton was there again and again he was found wanting in what isn’t his position. But as I mentioned for the second goal Lennon had been doing his working in defence on the right, whereas Naughton had no help at all for most of the game. Sigurdsson just wasn’t there for him.

It was a weak spot for Spurs and the Swansea manager had obviously set it as a target area, Tiendalli having the freedom of the park on that flank most the game. It was where they created most of their chances from.

Though at one point when a cross from the right was headed onto the bar from six yards by Dyer, the rebound hitting the same player to bounce out of play you just thought Spurs might be getting the rub of the green. When Swansea took a very quick free kick and Friedel was the only Spurs player alive to it and made a great save you just thought it might be their day.

When Michu scored and you figured he was lucky to be on the park at that time, after a couple of leading with the elbows and general falling overs, you start to wonder.

Much talk earlier about Spurs losing late goals but I feel this season they’ve held on during periods of being put under pressure at the end of games with a goal lead than previously. And AVB is better prepared for the run in and stopping the rot quicker than say the previous manager couldn’t last season.

Still would prefer for that third to go in before they pull one back.

It wasn’t a great display over the 90 minutes. During the first half around the time the two goals went in Spurs played some good stuff. But Dembele and Sigurdsson were quiet, latter could have got the third with a curler – Adebayor just standing there watching as it was saved and then Bale crossed from the right. Lennon had little service and was in and out as an attacking force. Parker gives you nothing going forward. Dawson was a bit Bambi on ice and culpable for the goal as well as a couple of other chances.

Still 3 points and back up to 3rd.

Swansea City 1 - 2 Tottenham Hotspur

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Spurs’ home defeat to Fulham was limp, lifeless, lacklustre. And probably even worse – predictable.

Can the extra time against Inter Milan on Thursday be used as an excuse for this nothing display at home to Fulham? Well people are trying but Bale didn’t play midweek, had a whole week off and he was more anonymous for most of the game as anyone.

Adebayor might have been on the pitch for 120 minutes against Inter but it’s not as if he did anything then, or indeed on Sunday that could induce any sort of fatigue. Inept not tired. When the commentator stated Adebayor was on his heels after one decent cross from the left, it could pretty much describe his whole season.

Is there a less instinctive player? He hasn’t a clue. Goals like Thursday’s are more luck than judgement.

As I Tweeted during the game…

Adebayor’s first touch. Berbatov’s first touch. Contrast and compare.

— Toxic Web (@Toxic_Web) March 17, 2013

…one is class the other is a waste. Instant control compared to a second touch being someone else’s problem because the first touch has bounced yards away. After a nice bit of play Adebayor’s flick into touch just summed him up. Even if he could do it he can’t be arsed doing it.

Things don’t get much better with the only other striker available. Defoe does though bring some life to proceedings though compared to Adebayor that’s not saying much a dead dog would bring more life. Yes he runs around more and gets in better places to score than Adebayor but he hits the ‘keeper with those attempts. Two good ones here and both went straight at Mark Schwarzer.

What was that about predictable?

Another piece of predictability was Scott Parker. Running around doing nothing. Then going through Ruiz leading with his arm, much in the way Gerrard went through Bale the previous week. Of course this was predictably met with nothing from his fanboys and chuckles from the media.

The middle of the park was lifeless until the arrival of Tom Carroll, late on. It was one of the few things AVB got right, after yet another odd selection of players.

At home to Fulham, notoriously bad travellers, he picks five defenders. Even with BAE positioned as a winger it seems strange. When the team was announced I wondered at a back three formation, 3-5-2 or 3-4-3, but no it was the usual 4-4-1-1 and it didn’t work. Might have worked a bit better away to Inter.

The substitution of Dawson for Dempsey at half-time didn’t make sense either at the time. Until finding Dawson was unfit I couldn’t see the point of withdrawing him. Withdrawing Parker for someone with energy, Holtby or Carroll, moving BAE to fullback and using Vertonghen as the holder looked a far better option. But then Jan had started feeling his hamstring after one surge forward early on and looked to be looking after it for much of the game after.

Other predictable moment was Berbatov scoring the winner. Predictable it came from a Spurs attack, that finally led to Schwarzer having to make his first save then coming straight down the park for Berbatov to scuff it in.

Vertonghen steps up and completely misses Dejagah, rest of the back four is all over the place and Walker’s pace is missing to maybe cover up the cracks. Just too easy.

And that’s the way it was for Fulham most of the afternoon. Too easy. They defended reasonably well but with little effort, didn’t have to do much attacking because Spurs just didn’t create enough to threaten them taking a point from a nil nil or or all three points as it turned out.

Three defeats on the bounce, luckily the international break is upon us. Couldn’t have come at a better time, couple of weeks break, players like Dawson and Lennon – who again like previous seasons is so badly missed when out – missing the international games – too much to ask for a Parker injury with England? Time for the manager to sort things out and get things back on track like he did last time three defeats came on the bounce. A run in like that would help.

Tottenham Hotspur 0 - 1 Fulham

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Someone needed to get a cab round to Inter’s hotel last night, because they didn’t turn up. There was just some useless mob trying to be Arsenal in red that were thumped at The Lane.

On the 35th minute of the Champions League group game at the San Siro, Samuel Eto’o scored to make it 4-0 against the 10 man visitors. Since then Spurs have beaten last night’s Europa League opponents 9-1. For the third straight game they put 3 past the team that just 3 years ago were champions of Europe.

But this wasn’t the champions of Europe. This wasn’t the Inter anyone expected and not just because I Nerazzurri were wearing some horrible red kit.

This also wasn’t the same Spurs we’ve seen so far in the Europa league. Previously there’s been a seemingly going through the motions, lacklustre approach to this competition. Whether it was visit of the famous name from Italy or a realisation that winning this trophy would be a good place to start I don’t know but this looked like the Spurs who lit up the major European competition just a couple of years back.

From the off Spurs looked interested in this one.

And this wasn’t a one man team. Even if he did open the scoring. Scoring early, it’s never too early these days is it, helps a lot, it might have set the campaign on fire if they’d done so against Lazio in the first group game.

Six minutes in it started here. Gylfi Sigurdsson playing a nice little pass to himself then swinging in an excellent cross onto Bale’s head for the “winger” to glance the ball into the bottom side netting. Un-savable.

Little over 10 minutes later the Icelander turned from provider to scorer. Dembele in majestic form played a nice little dink through two defenders to Lennon, a little scamper then he cut it back to the onrushing Sigurdsson. But the ball was cut out by Defoe who proceeded to do what he does so often, no, not what the media tells you he does so often but what he really does. Makes great room for himself and then hits the ball straight at the ‘keeper. He’d already done it once before on the night.

Luckily Sigurdsson had kept on onrushing, jumped out of the way of Defoe’s attempt – not block it Adebayor style – and put the ball into the net. Twenty minutes in and 2-0 was beginning to flatter the visitors.

But it wasn’t looking like being enough as shortly before the second goal Bale was shown yet another yellow for simulation and so will miss the second leg of the tie. This time unlike the other’s he’s picked up this season it was probably deserved – media keep telling you the numbers not how many were actual dives. Yes there’s contact but caused by Bale dragging his leg not the type to justify going down.

So without Bale for the return leg two nil just wasn’t enough. Though the most important thing was to keep that clean sheet.

Back to the scorer though, all of a sudden those decrying his signing are now singing his praise. Yes he now looks like the player we thought we were getting. Well that’s the we that thought we were getting a decent player, not the muppets that think he isn’t good enough for us. Not a big enough name for some even though it’s 10 letters. Yes he wasn’t at his best at the start of the season but is now showing his value. Excellent work for both goals and great all round performance including a number of tackles.

There was a little slack period by Spurs just before the break but even though they got one player clean through he didn’t actually trouble Friedel enough for him to have to make a save. After the break there, fortunately, wasn’t a continuation of that slackness but rather something new from Spurs. Potency from set pieces.

Following on from Bale actually scoring from free-kicks there was Caulker’s attempts from corners against the Spam. From a free-kick Bale won he found Vertonghen at the back post, who just missed. This seemed to be the plan, Jan at the back stick. From a corner moments later Vertonghen moved unmarked from the back post to the middle of the goal to meet Bale’s cross with perfection.

He was pretty much untouched. This isn’t an Italian side defending surely. Where was the grabbing, the pulling, the smothering, the hugging, the sly nudge? They weren’t even watching the man but the ball. Does that happen these days? Well it just did.

Unfortunately that’s where the scoring stopped, though it could also be said fortunately as Inter had a great chance later on. Taking a quick free-kick, Spurs were found napping but Friedel saved excellently with his foot, especially considering what little had to do previously.

Three nil was flattering the visitors. It could have, should have been more. Bale, Defoe, Lennon all missed good chances. Lovely little nutmeg by Lennon on the edge of the box, he should have hit it straight away but went n a little run. Charge out by all the Spurs’ speed merchants, Lennon, Bale, Walker and Defoe was butchered by Defoe being greedy.

Typical Defoe. Yes he hit the ‘keeper, yes he was greedy. But he looked bothered, far more bothered than Adebayor has looked of late. All that was missing was a goal, because we know he’s streaky and needs to get that streak started.

Sigurdsson was my man of the match, followed quite quickly by Dembele, Lennon, Vertonghen and Bale. Others gave it to Parker because he ran around a bit. He was given plenty of space and time to move forward with the ball because Inter were far more interested in the host’s dangerous players, tactics shown to be right by his butchering nearly every forward move he was involved with. Usual ponderous pirouettes were there, while we saw on Tuesday Modric turning away from his opponent and creating plenty of space for himself, Dembele was doing it last night as well, Parker just creates trouble for himself and others.

But he ran around they screamed, almost as if ‘Arry told to. Back to his England form. But you watch how many times he does that running without actually doing anything. The appearance of doing something. Running behind someone running with the ball, never quite interfering with their run, then slowly fading off to mince about in an area of no influence.

After the substitutions things became more fractured and not so fluid. Downer on the night, far worse probably than Bale’s suspension considering the 3-0 lead was Lennon going off with a hamstring injury. AVB apparently had asked the winger, and Bale if they wanted to stay on. Hindsight.

Three goal lead to take to Italy is a strong position, especially as Spurs are the only ones who can get away goals now – score once and they need five – and the away form has been good this season. Spurs playing Inter at their ground and everything is optimistic. Something wrong here.

Tottenham Hotspur 3 - 0 Inter Milan

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March 4th 2012 after his 40th game in charge of Cheatski the fidgety Russian showed AVB the door – well he had a minion do it. One year later after AVB’s 40th game in charge at Spurs he’s enjoying football.

Tweeted yesterday that Spurs better not “Redknapp” this game. In that I meant chuck it away much like the former manager did in a certain defeat and the final run in after amassing that 10 point lead. You feel AVB is the type not to capitulate so easily.

Saying that both this season’s North London Derbies have ended up like last season’s. Scoreline wise with the away fixture, though this time there was extenuating circumstances that can be used as an excuse – unlike last time round. The home game was fairly similar in both score and actual game.

Right from the off, actually even before Spurs going in as favourites with the manager just announced as the previous month’s Manager of the Month. Then when the game started they had most of the play. Parker running around in rings chasing shadows. And too many longs balls. It was all a bit too much ‘Arry.

When Spurs did get the ball Parker lingered before passing back, when he got the ball back he did his usual pass straight back where it came from. The visitors closed in, it may have been the tactic to draw them out but all it did was lead to Parker panic and passes to Walker, Dawson, Lloris or BAE that put them in a situation where they just launched the ball up field. Where it went straight to a red shirt. Adebayor doing his usual useless target man routine.

Couldn’t trap a bag of sand. This match looked for one instance like it may have gone the way of the away game when Adebayor, yet again, butchered his first touch and in desperation lunged out to retrieve his error. With refs these days you just didn’t know what card could be shown for a recklessly stupid challenge.

Through it all though their passing may have been off the back four were doing what they are mainly paid for. Defending. Vertonghen looked like Jan the Man from the early part of the season. I had wondered about employing him in the middle of the park as the blocker but he looked a lot happier yesterday. Maybe being back in the centre in a big game brought the best out in him. Alongside Dawson was the steady rock. The captain.

The defence had to be on top because off all that away possession, some 61% and the fact that our so called midfield general while running around like a headless chicken only managed one whole tackle. Some quarter that of his midfield partner who you’ll see marked down in out of ten scores. It was half the tackles put in by Lennon.

But even though the scum had the ball, Lloris didn’t have much to do. In fact he didn’t have much to do save wise all game. While they had the ball, Spurs had the chances. Clear cut ones that were missed and you’d think previously would have been punished, just seconds after they were missed.

Two goal lead at half time came almost exactly the same way. First time it was Gylfi playing a cracking ball from the left through their static defence for Bale to run onto and bang past the ‘keeper to the side he wasn’t expecting.

Minutes later the same ball, this time amazingly from Parker – who actually managed a forward pass to a Spurs player – to Lennon, for him to round the ‘keeper and slot home. We don’t lose when Lennon scores.

Road out what little they had and saw in half time. Second half was though back to that sloppy post break few minutes. Parker gives away another stupid foul. Walnutt’s free-kick goes in via their defender and Bale’s head. The scorer having being marked by Adebayor who just let him go without any effort.

After giving away such an easy goal like that in the past to cut the deficit we’ve seen Spurs fold. As said before they didn’t here. More than holding on they should have wrapped it all up making those last few minutes a touch more bearable.

First up Bale should have finished it. Nice little triangle on the right, finds it’s way out to Dembele. BAE is wide open on the left flank, his first time cross is missed by Adebayor but finds it’s away right across goal to Bale who balloons the shot with his left.

Then after an injury to Adebayor he was replaced by Defoe who was found by a glorious outside of the foot ball from Bale in defence. The striker passed to the advancing Sigurdsson, again in acres of space, straight through on goal for some bizarre reason decided to dink the ball to his right, presumably for Bale who miraculously was up with play. Why he didn’t have a shot himself, who knows? Defoe also had an attempt that just curled past the post.

It should have been 4-1.

But that would have been too simple for the watching Spurs fan. Walnutt had a chance from a free-kick that was far too close for comfort just before the end of the 90 minutes. Then the fourth official put up the board with 6 minutes on it. From where we do not know.

But see it out they did, to some great joy.

After his 27th league game AVB was sacked by them lot, he moved above them with his 27th league game at Spurs. It’s the same as his 40th game for both in all competitions. Thanks Frank, John, Ashley, Petr, Didier and Roman.

But we’re not getting carried away. What was 10 points last season is still just 7 this. Just feel AVB won’t “Redknapp” this one.

Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 1 Arsenal

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Pissing on the Spam’s parade there’d only be one team that the late Bobby Moore would have wanted to play for last night. Not the hoofball merchants representing his former club, the one he wanted away from to join a classier side.

Sam Allardyce got his ProZone knickers in a twist and claimed that they only lost because of Gareth Bale.

Well yes he did score two pretty damn good goals but he didn’t contribute all of the greater possession Spurs’ had, the football the visitors played compared to the hoofball from the other side. He didn’t have the host’s main striker in his pocket, he didn’t make any great saves like the Spurs ‘keeper and he didn’t have all the shots that Allardyce’s man between the sticks needed to save to stop it being a cricket score.

It was a close call who was the West Ham man of the match. Jaaskelainen, Scott Parker or Adebayor.

Spurs started poorly. Walker a bit nervous at the back, helped give West Ham some impetus to go with them being up for their cup final. Hugo Lloris the first ‘keeper to be called into any real action with a fine save. Spurs didn’t get going until the chants bout Bale resembling a monkey started. He’d had one attempt just before met by jeers. The second wasn’t.

Defenders know what he’s going to do, he’s been doing it for the last couple of months now, yet they still back off and let him do it. Get on his left foot and have a bang. Which he did after nicely being gifted the ball.

The lead should have lasted longer than 10 minutes but with the ball in the Spurs’ area and a bit of panic about Parker did what he usually does in moments of blind panic. A stupid reckless challenge. This is not something new, he did this last season, just got away with it a bit more and the worshippers glossed over it. Not here, clear penalty. Carroll giving Lloris no chance with the spot kick.

Just before the half Jaaskelainen produced one of those saves, from a Caulker header from a corner, that makes you think it’s going to be one of those nights. He continued to do it throughout the second half, from two more Caulker headers at corners and shots from all parts.

He didn’t have to do much for what looked to be his most important save. Ten minutes into the second period after a good save from Sigurdsson’s deflected curler, Adebayor was faced with an open goal. He calmly nodded the ball straight into Jaaskelainen’s grateful hands.

It pretty much summed up the “striker’s” night. His season. Pathetic. Apparently though we have to support him because he wears the shirt. A shirt that belongs to a club he’s mugging off. We all knew Adebayor’s M.O. We all knew this would happen, yet some expected it to go differently. Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Adebayor scores that sitter and what followed it wouldn’t have happen.

One minute and twenty seconds later from being what should have been a 1-2 scoreline it was now 2-1. Vertonghen showing what can happen when you have a centre-back at fullback he played Joe Cole onside, when with his pace and Cole’s lack of it he could have cut Cole off. Cole finished well and again Lloris didn’t have much hope.

Say it again Adebayor scores and that doesn’t happen.

And so he joins Jaaskelainen and Parker as their best players on the night. Jaaskelainen made more game saving saves before the tables were turned. Taylor was clean through on the Spurs’ goal but as he had done all night – during which he’d commanded his area under high balls and played the sweeper – Lloris rushed out and smothered the shot. Game saving.

Couple of minutes later from a Bale free-kick panic in their area lead to Adebayor completely air kicking another great chance, only for this time for it to fall to Sigurdsson to bundle in, for the Icelander’s first league goal for the club. He certainly played his part after coming on for Holtby early in the second half and was well deserving of the goal.

It was an all out siege on the West Ham goal now. But Jaaskelainen was still at it.

Until just before the end of the 90th minute, when after picking himself up, Bale shuffled to the left and banged another beauty into the net. Was going to take something special to beat Jaaskelainen and that it was.

One man team? Certainly a team when you look how they celebrated with Bale as he charged towards the manager – remember him the one the media told you the players hate – though reports of Adebayor’s whereabouts during this celebration haven’t reached us yet.

Must win game, won in the last minute of normal time. Who’d have thunk it?

One man team? Lloris, Gylfi, Dawson, Caulker say no.

West Ham 2 - 3 Tottenham Hotspur

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That’s the team Bobby Moore wanted to join when he wanted desperately away from Upton Park.

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