Match Report: Spurs 1 Scouser’s 2 (what can one say!)
A not-very-good Scouser’s team came to our stadium and allowed us to shoot ourselves in the foot.
Again, we played the game, first-half tactics, poor, second-half tactics better… only this time, we failed our tried and tested (erm?) strategy (to get a goal); with a little help from our friends (Dier), we instead stuttered all the way to the end of the game, giving the final cheer to the Reds.
Granted, we were better in the second half, but we all knew that we would eventually get caught out with our second-half strategies. The Scousers haven’t won away from home in the league all season, so when they were planning their game plan, they must have done it with a smile on their faces… and it worked (again, with a little help from us).
We have now dropped down to fourth in the league. Newcastle beat Southampton 4-1 to claim our third spot. Yankee-Chelski – with Harry Potter in charge – got beaten by the Woolwich-Mugswampers 1-0. While United got hit by the reinvigorated Villa with Dick Emery (“oh, you are awful”) in charge.
Yes, even Yankee-Chelski, with the magic of Harry–Graham–Potter, couldn’t even overcome the Woolwich Mugswampers. What is the world coming to? Disgusting!
Back to our failures…
More Salad struck twice in the first half as the Scousers secured their first away win in the Premier League this season with victory over us. Yes, the Mersey Bin Dippers had lost their two previous league games to struggling Forest and Leeds United but managed to come to Tottenham and do what he had failed against do at those relegation-zone strugglers. I bet the bearded Klopper (yes, the Klopp’s went back last weekend) was pissing himself all the way back to the streets of the Mersey Sound.
We were without injured Son, nevertheless, we always looked in the game as Ivan Perisic hit the woodwork on either side of half-time before Harry Kane pulled one back with 20 minutes still on the clock. But our trademark tactics of correcting our first-half faults/ or crap schemes failed to materialise this time. We were left with eggs on our faces, to the delight of the Dole queuers, who turned up to watch their team get their first away Premier League win of the season. “Three points, anybody? Then take on Spurs”. I bet coming to Spurs was better for Klopp than speeding around the Mersey area trying to get stopped so he could get three points. As for our fans, most started to leave early, while others booed the team.
My thoughts
We once again made life difficult for ourselves by falling behind early. The Scousers took advantage of the wide open spaces on the right flank, which had been exposed several times even before we went behind.
Dier’s mistake left us floundering. But we can’t totally blame him, even though we might have got a draw out of the game. The whole team was culpable.
We had a clear case for a penalty; nonetheless, our exasperation increased when referee Andy Madley awarded a free-kick for an almost identical incident shortly afterwards. Obviously, he was a Reds supporter.
Even without the injured Son, we controlled most of the second half. Still, we could not take advantage of the opportunities we created, with Dejan Kulusevski showing what we have been missing when he returned from injury to set up Kane’s goal moments after coming on.
I accept that we showed plenty of heart and spunk (shooting all over the place), but we paid the price for gifting More Salad the goal that meant the Bin Dippers were always able to stay just out of our reach.
What more can one say… other than before the game, Mel and I went Christmas shopping in the Spurs shop before entering our arena of supposed dreams. After the match, we analysed everything… not that that did any good… and eventually went home.
We cry today, but hopefully, everything will be sorted by the time we face our next two opponents (Forest in the League Cup on Wednesday (A), and then back to our territory to face Leeds United on Saturday).
We’ve got to be optimistic, otherwise, we’ll just put our heads in our hands and cry all the way to the fish shop… Haddock anybody?
COYS!
Glenn
