That would have been the cherry on top of the cake. But beating Stoke on their special day, with Charlie Adam being sent off will have to do.

Oh you mean you didn’t know there was other games on this weekend. Premier league fixtures, league play-offs and the F.A. Cup final. Yes there was more, far more than Slur Alex Ferguson of Puceface’s goodbye from the club he single-handedly built from nothing – including the stadium which was a piece of scrub land before 1986. Matt Busby you ask, who’s he?

Another come from behind performance, another goal conceded from a set piece, another important goal from Dempsey, another goal from Adebayor and yet another away win. The pluses outnumbered the minuses.

Stoke boss Tony Pulis stated They’ve [the fans] turned up to watch a great game of football and it’s been taken away from them. He was claiming the ref prevented it from being a great game when in reality it was him and his mob of clodhoppers who spoiled proceedings.

There can be no one who would shed a tear if Stoke had gone down this season. You look at those sides fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table and all of them at least try and play football. All of them would be preferable members of the top flight than Pulis’ ugly mob.

The Premier League some claim is the best league in the world. Well it isn’t the best footballing league in the world but it has excitement and it has it’s fans, who tune in, in their millions all around the world. How many of them tune in to watch Stoke clog about, kicking, grabbing, holding, shoving, barging, hacking and hoofing?

Anyway things started badly for Spurs after a Stoke style challenge by Dempsey. What followed was more classic Stoke and pretty much classic Spurs. Set piece goal. Inept defending from zonal marking. Adebayor lets the scorer run off him, while Parker and Bale just stand there doing bugger all – nothing new for the former.

Was it going to be one of those days?

Well things took an up turn not long after. Dempsey was close to equalising with a nifty back heel, but was just offside. Before Parker played an overambitious – for him – forward pass that was going to get nowhere near Lennon’s excellent run into the box. It was simply cut out by the defender who found Dempsey wit the clearance, with the ‘keeper coming out for he original pass he was out of position and Dempsey with a lot to do, did it.

Yet another important goal from Deuce. He either scores equalisers or winners. And still get stick.

After that Stoke reverted to type and started racking up the yellow cards. Hacking, grabbing, holding. All here by the usual suspects. One of whom was back just after the break, Adam, when he had yet another hack at Vertonghen. Pulis whinged. Was there contact. Well the likes of Pulis are tying to make excuses they usually cite the lack of intent and he’s not that type of player. Well we all know Adam is that type and he knew he couldn’t legitimately take teh ball off Vertonghen with his position and lack of tackling ability. So there was just intent to hack.

A righteous and well deserved red card.

Stoke then put their flat back nine wall in place. While the baying mob jeered and booed the various Spurs players who had the temerity to be hacked down over the years by Stoke players.

With Stoker offering absolutely no attacking threat AVB unfortunately dithered again in making the necessary changes. There was absolutely no need for Parker to be on he pitch, slowing things up, giving the ball away and generally butchering situations.

And someone needed to come on with one of those little notes for Adebayor, telling him to stick to the box, stop dropping deep and drifting wide. Against 10 men there was enough Spurs players in those positions what here wasn’t was a focal point with Adebayor missing. Lennon was criticised when he made a run to the byeline, for not doing it enough but when anyone had made a run like hat there was never anyone in he box. All those in blue were circled around the red and white striped wall.

Dempsey and Bale had good chances. One tipped over one just wide. Again it was looking like one of those days. Then with less than 10 minutes to g0 a Bale ball into he box deflected into Dempsey’s path for him to centre for Adebayor to tap it in.

Justice. Never mind what the commentators or Pulis say, Stoke deserved nothing from his game for the anti-football they inflicted on it. Holding out for set pieces, cynical fouls, hoofball is that what their fans and ex-players came to celebrate? Ex-players who saw out their last days at Stoke or moved on from Stoke to see better days.

Now we just need Wigan not to have a hangover after their excellent victory to win the F.A. Cup and it’s back in our hands.

Stoke City 1 - 2 Tottenham Hotspur

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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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A game meandering to a one nil loss, at best. A season petering out into disappointment. Changed in seven minutes by one manager introducing three players and awakening another.

After an initial bright few minutes by the host, they looked up for it, Citeh broke forward, Tevez getting the better of Vertonghen who should have done better. The Argentinian then played a ball through to Milner, completely lost by Parker who finally caught up with his England colleague and fouled him in the box well after Milner had passed to Nasri for the opening goal.

From that moment it looked like game over as those in white meandered through the motions.

A pedestrian performance not helped by starting two players down. Yes the usual suspects. Scapegoats you scream. No, just two players who make the side worse. Parker and Adebayor.

Parker slows up everything and butchers any forward momentum. Prime example in acres of space in the Citeh half with plenty of simple forward outlets, running and passing, he does one of those inane pirouettes and proceeds to pass back half way into the Spurs half. Of course those simple forward outlets are simple for others but I lost count of the number of times Spurs players had to stretch out to take a five yard pass from Parker.

The other just loped around uninterested for most of the afternoon. Slow of thought and deed. Hiding in plain sight and with the amazing inability to trap a bag of sand. Footballers need a focal point. Even teams like Barcelona with their false nine have Messi, when playing, who is their focus. Look at the recent Champions League games against PSG, without the goal machine they lost focus. There’s no way you can focus on a big dolt dragging himself into places he can be of no danger.

With absolutely no pace – and no intention of putting a spurt in – it didn’t matter about the lack of width fans were screaming about. For width to work you need someone there in the middle to take advantage. When that player is yards from the box, hiding behind a couple of defenders what has wide player on the ball to do?

Spurs had the ball but did nothing with it. The odd half chance here and there but nothing to give you the confidence they were going to turn things about. While at the other end Lloris again was showing what an asset he is with some sharp saves and incisive smothering of danger.

Things were just going on smoothly for Citeh with help from the home side and the ref. The latter should have sent Nasri off for an over the ball challenge on Walker – but then he could have done BAE for a two footed that luckily for him Zabaleta didn’t overplay it.

Then with an hour gone AVB made the difference. Removing Sigurdsson who hadn’t featured really and well at first it looked like Dempsey – which brought a sigh here – but was in reality Parker – which brought a cheer – for Holtby and Huddlestone.

With the new personnel came a shift in formation. From 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3 which has worked better lately. Bale was now on the right and there was more emphasis on looking forward. There was only one more thing required. The removal of Adebayor. That did take 10 minutes to come. It was the final piece of the puzzle.

With Holtby providing the snap in midfield, chasing down, harassing, harrying and causing Citeh more problems than Parker had in the previous hour, Huddlestone was providing the forward momentum that other player doesn’t give you.

Now yes I criticised Huddlestone early in the season. He did seem to come on late in games and Spurs immediately conceded a goal with him being close to the scorer. Parkeresque. But the last few games he’s come on and changed things for the better, providing some impetus. It also helps that his introduction results in Dembele moving forward and being far more influential in better areas. Don’t know why they seem to play with Parker more advanced than Dembele.

All three substitutes played a major part in what followed.

The Kraken awakes. But it all started with the awakening of the monster.

A ping out to BAE from Dawson – one thing not covered by the Adebayor apologists was the lack of aimless humps up the park once he was removed – His cross was cleared to Walker, initially looking like he would centre the ball he knock it out to Bale. A beautiful outside of the left boot cross right across the danger area was met by Dempsey at the back post.

All the Dempsey haters too busy celebrating that yet again he turned up in the right place at the right time. Three goals against the top two sides. Three important goals. One winner and two equalisers.

Four minutes later after more midfield harrying Hotly played a great ball to Defoe – a focal point and one with pace who could run the defence. Bizarrely shown inside by Kompany the striker struck. A glorious shot. The type that makes you think he should be undroppable until you remember all those offsides, hit ‘keepers and woodwork.

Citeh were gone. Spurs were flying and the coup de grâce was delivered three minutes on. Huddlestones sublime ball bisecting two Citeh defenders to Bale – speaking of flying – and the Welshman dinks the ball over Hart to finish things off in style.

It’s no embarrassment to lose to the current league champions who assembled at great cost were at the time were 10 points clear in second place but this was meek capitulation. A performance that would have signalled the end of the season’s hope. Seven minutes changed all that.

Yes AVB may have got his starting XI wrong but he changed that and changed it dramatically. Can, will he learn from it? I do hope so. The less defensive formation, with players who look forward first, players with pace, it’s when Spurs are at their best. It may have only lasted 7 minutes but it was enough to blow Citeh away. It would have done it to most teams.

Tottenham Hotspur 3 - 1 Manchester City

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This Europa League campaign has been a bit hit and miss. Some glorious stuff, some lacklustre. Most of it edge of the seat, last second, so you just knew the only way it would go would be penalties.

And you knew it wouldn’t end well.

First up over the two games the best team won. Spurs were better last night than in the first leg, Basel weren’t as good but they didn’t reach the depths of woeful of Spurs in that home tie. It was a fighting display by Spurs but one which again they inflicted much of the woe on themselves.

A comfortable start with the hosts seemingly happy that the pair of away goals would see them through. Things were restrained from Spurs, considering players missing as well as players playing. Don’t know what Benny has done but for AVB to keep playing Naughton at left-back it can’t be good. Added to that the feeling of being a man down with the gift that keeps on giving as a “striker”.

Absolutely hammering it down with rain Vertonghen played a ball straight down the middle that should have either been intercepted by Dragovic or left to his ‘keeper was played nicely into the path of Dempsey who was doing what a striker should do and anticipating things. Not on his heels hiding somewhere. Round the ‘keeper and one nil.

But as soon as Spurs scored they did what they have done too much this season. Try and play about at the back, confident of holding that one goal lead. It didn’t last long and was very predictable when it happened. Some aimless passing resulted in a hopeless ball by Dembele just giving it away. Passed on to Salah who is wide open with Naughton in the Basel half, Friedel came to the six yard line and no further. Far too simple, far too predictable.

The host were as up for it as in the first leg but when their front three clicked they really did look the part, and looked like they score at any time on the break.

Second half didn’t start too well. Just four minutes in and more slack defending from a corner, as in the first game, Friedel just palms the ball at Dragovic’s foot who makes up for his earlier error.

Spurs then toiled but there seemed to be just too much missing. Naughton had a shot but wasn’t helping Sigurdsson on the left who was left two on one a lot and didn’t have the pace to round Basel’s right-back, Degen. AVB made his changes earlier than at the weekend. It was the right move again to introduce Carroll, though don’t know if it should have been for Dembele, who had tried with a nice curling shot that brought one of the few saves from the home ‘keeper. The little youngster showed great composure on the ball and improved things with his passing.

Wasn’t his fault the passing was sometimes to Adebayor. Some people are trying to stick up for Adebayor by claiming his roaming about wide shows his team ethic and work rate. When it isn’t. It’s him hiding. If he’s out wide he doesn’t have to read play, anticipate like Dempsey did earlier. Doesn’t even have to bother about trying to score. Doesn’t really even have to bother about controlling the ball. Which is lucky because a pas to Adebayor isn’t even 50/50. It’s about 80/20 in the oppositions favour. And that’s with his feet, with the head it’s about 99/1.

At times though there was too much passing. A number of occasions those in white with acres of space in front of them chose to pass to no one rather than keep the ball and go forward. They were more likely to pass into space rather than run into it.

Huddlestone’s introduction was a timely removal of Parker, who again offered absolutely nothing either going forward or defensively. With little less than 10 minutes to go he launched one of the very few balls into the Basel box – well if your striker isn’t going to be in there why bother? – which Demspey squirmed via the ‘keeper’s arm into the net. Those screaming about him being crap, were they doing so now?

Spurs were on the up, looking to have far more intent on finishing things before the extra 30 minutes. But again it didn’t last long. As yet again a goal was followed by some awful defending. Streller through the middle, clearish on goal and Vertonghen fouls him. Needlessly. Very poor from the player who seems to be struggling after winning the player of the month award for March. Walker maybe could have caught Strellar but the ref has to give a straight red for that.

It immediately lifted the hosts who were on their knees while deflating Spurs.

Saw out normal time and then saw out 30 minutes of extra time with some dogged defending. That at times looked more secure than when they had 11 men. But it was mostly a case of Spurs humping the ball out for it to come straight back at them. Adebayor even more hopeless, bar a couple of occasions, of holding onto possession.

So to the inevitable. Even with this campaign being a series of last gasp get out of jail moments Spurs haven’t won a penalty shoot out for years and even when they get penalties in games they tend to miss more often than not.

Huddlestone no blame, was a decent enough go, power but just the right height if the ‘keeper goes the right way which he did.

Adebayor on the other hand was as what had gone before so predictable. And inexcusable not matter what those that try and excuse it claim – for one he hadn’t run about for 120 minutes so that can’t be used. Meanwhile Basel were banging theirs in with ease, Friedel only really close to the first one though had little chance of stopping it.

It’s all AVB’s fault. That’s what happens when you take the Europa League seriously, when you don’t treat it with contempt and bin it off as a two bob cup. You create the hope of winning something. Hope of your captain standing there with a trophy held above his head. How dare he give us that hope.

To dare is to do…

We are extremely happy for setting a great example for English football and how to approach this competition. To change the mentality towards this competition from one season to the other is very difficult.They have done it like heroes, played it like heroes because it was never an excuse for underperforming in the Premier League. - Andre Villas Boas

Ten days now to get things back on track, again a break that couldn’t be better timed, thank god Chelsea won that FA Cup quarter final. It would have been tough to go to their place just three days after this game.

Basel 2 - 2 Tottenham Hotspur

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Last season I said it was the two games against Norwich that cost Spurs. This time round was it the two games against the Toffees and the solitary point taken?

Back in December cruising with a one nil lead only to lose two goals in stoppage time. On Sunday Spurs were losing going into the final few minutes they got the equaliser but couldn’t manage that three point grabbing winner.

Back then I complicated about AVB’s substitutions, nothing strikers and defensive howlers and I’m gonna be at it again here.

After it all started off so well. Scored too early. Couldn’t manage hanging onto a one goal lead for 90 minutes. Well even longer than 90. 33 second for the opener. Great cross by Vertonghen, just out of the tentative legs of the Everton defence but Adebayor was actually there in the right place at the right time and doing the right thing. Though of course he tried his best to bugger up even this, with all the goal to aim at he hit the ball onto Tim Howard’s legs.

What followed was the pattern of the game. The team that conceded got the upper hand.

It was now all Everton, until they got a corner. Baines swinging the ball onto Jagielka’s head. The Everton defender is all over Vertonghen, pulling him down and back. While Anichebe proved a large obstacle for Lloris to get round, so when he arrived at the back post he wasn’t ready for the ball to go between his legs. Should have been a foul. Should have better defender.

Two goals also provided a pattern for the game. While Anichebe caused problems for the Spurs’ back pair all afternoon, those in white hardly had another attempt on goal from inside the area. It was as if someone told them to shoot on sight, that Howard was susceptible to long shots. He wasn’t.

Of course it might have had something to do with missing players and the limitations of others. Spurs really can’t play the no Bale and Lennon card as the visitors were without Fellaini and Pienaar who are as equally important to them.

Some ot over excited about Adebayor’s performance. Man of the match I saw from at least one. He hasn’t scored because there hasn’t been the crosses came one after that opening goal. But for the rest of the match he was never in the position to be on the end of one of those crosses. One big reason why no others came after being shown to work.

Getting excited about this performance just shows how shockingly awful he has been up to now.

After the equaliser Spurs came out on top. It was just possession though and winning that doesn’t win you games even if Brendan Rodgers thinks so. Shots from outside the box. Far too many. lacking that extra bit but then even with Bale and Lennon they miss it at times. Not enough triangles.

Not long after the second half started Moyes made a change, positive change and well there was an immediate change in the score even if the new man didn’t play much part. It was an omnishambles. Ball bouncing free, general dithering by Dawson and Parker, Vertonghen clueless as to the eventual scorers whereabouts – he’s beside you. Parker ambling back attempts a piss weak tackle – if he’s not going to do last ditch tackles what is the point of him? Mirallas weaves Caulker into knots and scores. Only one of the back four (plus Parker) wasn’t at some fault for it.

Again as soon as they scored Spurs took control. Though AVB didn’t. Moyes changed things with a positive substitution, AVB waited and waited and waited and then. Then he brought off Dembele for Huddlestone. Met with boos. For the player being removed. I did say I couldn’t understand his changes in the reverse fixture, couldn’t understand it again.

Dembele had been moved further up the pitch in this game and it worked. He was on the ball far more and more influential. Had almost scored as well but from a sharp bit of ‘keeping from Howard. Parker should have gone, as mentioned earlier if he ain’t gonna tackle there’s no point him being on the pitch, especially if you’re desperately needing a goal, because as per usual he butchered every forward move he got involved in. While his dithering slowed down good attacks.

There was screams for Holtby to be replaced by Ceballos. All on the basis of a few minutes of YouTube highlights in an under 21 game. And the irrational belief that Holtby was having a stinker.

Huddlestone did OK, with some nice passing but it was no surprise that like the opener the equaliser came from good play out wide. All the stuff crammed in the middle just didn’t work, as Everton defended that with ease.

Walker on the right had one of his best games of the season, against one of the best left-backs about. He didn’t have to deal with much defensively and kept Baines occupied with little help either way – not the same help he gets with Lennon. Running down the flank he nicely flicked the ball round Baines, mugged him, and getting on the end cutback for Dempsey to step over and Adebayor have a shot which of course he Defoe’d – hit the post – for Sigurdsson, who’d had a tenacious game – to put in the rebound.

They could have won it, Anichebe did Dawson yet again but Lloris’ legs saved the day.

Could have been worse, again should have been better. Point gained or two dropped? Hard to say, but it’s only one against Everton this season. Good break before the next league game, small fact of the Europa League second leg to content with, just hope AVB changes things up with the spare time.

Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 2 Everton

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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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