Tag: spurs

On Spurs: In awe of the sublime wizardry of Tanguy Ndombele

As an adult, being a sports fan can be an exercise in tedium and dross. Most of the time we devote to watching sports can seem mundane and rather unordinary. Yet, the reason we tune in regularly is that every so often, we are reminded of why we fell in love with sports in the first place. It can come through a fleeting moment that makes us feel something bigger than ourselves, or can arise through an action of incomprehensible genius.

For Tottenham Hotspur, recent matches have largely been tedious affairs, as manager Jose Mourinho has siphoned off the free flowing football that has long been the trademark of the club, and has replaced it with a more conservative and tepid version. Too often, Spurs look unimaginative, as they concede possession and rely on their brilliant duo of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min to exploit their opponents on the counterattack.

This stark conversion would be altogether tolerable if Spurs were consistently achieving positive results, yet that remains a contentious claim of late. While Spurs now sit fifth in the Premier League table after 18 matches, and only four points behind leaders Manchester United (who Spurs smashed 6-1 at Old Trafford mere months ago), Mourinho’s side that is now purportedly embedded with his “winning mentality” has bled away leads against inferior opposition five times this season after 70 minutes (most recently, last week at home to bottom feeders Fulham) and have lost 10 points from winning positions.

And yet, in the midst of this negative football, there remains many flickers of inspiration that make the entire watching experience somehow worth it. The brilliance of both Kane and Son individually, and as a combination, have been espoused on these pages before. But week in, week out, the other player that grabs your attention and replenishes your joy for sport is the dazzling French midfielder, Tanguy Ndombele.

Ndombele arrived at Spurs in the summer of 2019 as the club’s most expensive transfer (£55 million from Lyon), and spent much of last season trying to acclimate to the physicality and pace of the Premier League, amidst the tumult of a significant managerial shift and a three month lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

After a positive start in which Ndombele scored in the opening match against Aston Villa, the season progressively turned into a nightmare. Dealing with a string of hamstring and groin injuries, Ndombele completed 90 minutes for Mauricio Pochettino only four times before he was sacked in November.

Under Mourinho, Ndombele could never fully settle last season. After playing 90 minutes against Norwich at the end of December, he became an increasingly peripheral figure at the club. In the brief appearances he did make, he appeared portly and woefully out of shape (by Premier League standards of course), huffing and puffing after a few sprints, and unable to provide the defensive contributions that Mourinho seeks from his midfield players. Ignominiously, Ndombele was subbed off at half time against Norwich, in Spurs’ final domestic match before the coronavirus lockdown. He appeared lost and his transfer was widely panned as being a flop.

After football returned in June, there were rumours of a training ground dust up between manager and player, and genuine questions were raised in regards to whether Spurs were ready to move on from their record signing. Paris St. Germain and even Barcelona were reported to be interested in taking him on.

Fast forward to 2021, and here we are, the entire situation has turned. Ndombele has become an indispensable figure in Spurs’ attack, has taken on the mantle as the creative engine, and has left fans agog over the array of skills he has to offer.

The Frenchmen has an almost childlike bliss to his game, as he confidently flits around with the ball. It appears almost tied to his feet as he bamboozles opposition defenders, and launches his teammates into attacks with cheeky flicks with the outside of his boot. His complete control of the ball, his ability to juke and turn with it, gives me the picture of a young Tanguy, with the ball at his feet as he emerges from his bed, eats breakfast, walks to school, sits at his desk and goes about his day. Plain and simple, he is a wizard with the ball, and watching him provides us with moments every match that we simply thought were not possible.

One such moment came in yesterday’s Premier League match at Bramall Lane against Sheffield United.

Video should start with the Bergwijn/Ndombele interchange. If it does not, skip to 2:29.

Along with Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Ndombele helped Spurs control the midfield battle for the first hour. At the 62 minute mark, he played a quick 1-2 with Stephen Bergwijn, and launched into the Sheffield United box. Taking the pass, slightly behind him, and with two defenders marking him out, Ndombele adjusted his body, fell back and hit an audacious chip with the outside of his right foot. The ball sailed over a helpless Aaron Ramsdale, and helped seal Spurs’ 3-1 victory.

The goal was quite simply, stunning. It was the best goal of Spurs’ season, and one of the best goals of the Premier League season. It was also wholly exemplar of the skill, panache and boldness that Ndombele demonstrates on a weekly basis.

Ndombele has rededicated himself at Spurs this season. He appears much leaner, more spritely and committed to the work that Mourinho demands, even contributing in the defensive phase, late in matches. His dedication has been rewarded as he has started 14 of Spurs’ 18 Premier League matches this season. Against Sheffield United, he completed the full match for the first time since that match against Norwich in December 2019.

Watching football every week can remain tiresome and feel perfunctory, and on many such occasions, you truly wish you did just about anything else to fill those two hours. Yet, the true artists like Tanguy Ndombele ensure that you tune in every week, because he is able to share some of that joy that he plays with and reminds you that football can indeed be fun and worthwhile.

Jaideep Kanungo

On Spurs: In praise of Dele Alli

For the players at Marine AFC, a semi-professional club plying their trade in the eighth tier of the English football pyramid, being star struck in their Third Round FA Cup fixture yesterday would have been rightfully expected.

Marine, through a series of heroic performances in the earlier rounds of the competition, earned the privilege of lining up against the relative Premier League giants of Tottenham. The match was the biggest mismatch in the 140 year history of the venerable competition (161 places separated the two clubs).

In spite of the gulf in stature, two time Champions League winning manager Jose Mourinho, dispensed a healthy dose of respect to Marine and the FA Cup competition, by starting a professional lineup, which featured multiple internationals and stars that played for Spurs in the Champions League Final less than two years earlier.

That list included the once prodigious Dele Alli, who you may recall, captured back to back PFA Young Player of the Year awards in 2016 and 2017, and who is currently mired in the most difficult season of his career.

The first 24 minutes of this Hollywoodesque match, played in a charming community stadium boxed by the back gardens of many residents (who came out with champagne flutes in hand, peering over and through their fences), provided some genuine drama. Spurs appeared tentative, adjusting to playing on the wobbly pitch, and Marine nearly pulled ahead, when a residential plumber named Neil Kengni, unleashed a speculative shot from distance that floated beyond Joe Hart, and clanked off the crossbar. It was an early shot across the bow. Gradually, Spurs awoke, took over the match and marched into the Fourth Round with a comprehensive and professional 5-0 victory.

In such a mismatch, the spectacle of the event became the attraction, rather than the quality of football on offer. That said, Mourinho and Spurs’ supporters should be heartened that at the centre of it all, Dele Alli was the engineer-in-chief, pulling the strings, gliding through the midfield and effortlessly playing 1-2s with various teammates in the breathtaking build up.

Indeed, it was Dele’s graceful runs and visionary passes that helped set up three of Spurs’ four first-half goals, all coming from the Brazilian striker, Carlos Vinicius. On the first, Dele played a crisp and tidy 1-2 with Gedson Fernandes, before playing the ball to Vinicius in front of goal. On the second, Dele lofted a ball onto right back, Matt Doherty, who volleyed a shot on goal, resulting in a rebound on which Vinicius rabidly pounced on. Finally, on the third goal, Dele once again played an elegant 1-2 with the young midfielder Harvey White, and found Vinicius near goal, who hit a chipped shot over a helpless Marine goalkeeper, Bayleigh Passant.

This effervescent version of Dele Alli is the one that Spurs’ supporters have seen flashes of in the past, most notably at the height of the Pochettino era of 2016-2018, but that has gone inexplicably missing this season. It has truly been a nightmarish season, as prior to this match against Marine, Dele had started only four matches in all competitions. In two of those matches, (v Everton in the first match of the Premier League season, and at Royal Antwerp in the Europa League) he was dispiritingly hooked off at half-time.

In his last start, in the League Cup Quarter Final against Stoke last month, Dele was arguably Spurs’ top player in the first half, looking spritely in his preferred number 10 role, the highlight of which came when he nutmegged Stoke’s hapless defender Tommy Smith on two occasions in the 26th minute. However, despite entertaining and energizing Spurs’ fans over those first 45 minutes, he was promptly admonished for his role in Stoke’s equalizer.

With Spurs firmly in control of the match in the 54th minute, in midfield, Dele tried to play an audacious flick, which was easily intercepted. Stoke’s speedy winger Jacob Brown quickly transitioned up the right flank, and put in an inch perfect cross to Jordan Thompson, and the game was level. For a manager that prides himself on defensive solidity and complete focus in all phases of the game, Mourinho simply could not tolerate this complete lack of judgement. Mourinho said after the match “for a player in that position, he has to link and create… not to create problems for his own team.”

Dele remained in the game another twelve minutes, but this point, his confidence had eroded. In the 64th minute, he was sprung on a counter, and had Kane and Lucas as genuine passing options within his sight, but the ball limply fizzled off his foot through a mix of hesitation and uncertainty. It was his last action of the match, and the last action of his miserable year. At one point, superstardom had all but seemed assured for Dele, but he saw 2020 close with only one non-penalty goal in 30 matches, and his assured place in the team, completely lost.

Part of this fall off can likely be attributed to the evolution of Spurs’ tactics over the last three seasons. Under Mourinho this season, Spurs have sat progressively more deeper, and are more reliant on the counter attack to create goal scoring opportunities. Under Mauricio Pochettino’s high press system, Dele looked most comfortable playing just behind Harry Kane, and being perched in the perfect position to unleash his outstanding playmaking tools. Yet, in a deep lying team, it is Kane that has taken on more of the midfielder playmaking role, as he tries to spring passes onto his blazing teammates in Son Heung-min, Steven Bergwijn and occasionally, Lucas Moura.

It is not to say that Dele cannot play for Mourinho at all. He did after all score four goals in Mourinho’s first four matches in charge last season. Yet as Mourinho continues to put his imprint on the team, and plays more matches with his defensive structure, there appears to be less space for Dele to play his free roaming game.

As Dele turns 25 in the coming months, and has seen himself fall out of contention for a spot in the England team in the upcoming European Championships, he surely will angle for a move to get more first team opportunities, in a system that optimizes his talents. Rumours of a loan move to Paris St. Germain have persisted since last summer, and took on more credence after PSG hired Pochettino as manager at the end of last month.

Personally, I would prefer that Dele remain at Spurs and fight for his spot in the team. Over the last several seasons, Spurs have had other players that were deemed as malcontents, and out of good graces and plans of their managers, destined for a move away. Moussa Sissoko was a figure of derision in the first season he joined Spurs, but through his hard work and understanding of Pochettino and then Mourinho, has been recast as an effective (though, inelegant) central midfielder. Although he is far from a perfect midfielder, he has become somewhat indispensable for the club.

Similarly, Tanguy Ndombele, who came to Spurs in the summer of 2019 as the most expensive player in club history, struggled through all of last season, and was thought to be back on the market last summer. Yet, through renewed commitment, mutual trust between he and Mourinho, has now become a regular fixture in Spurs’ starting eleven, and has arguably been the most eye catching player of the season.

Perhaps the positive memories that Dele made for myself and fellow Spurs’ supporters over the years is what makes us reluctant to move on from him. Although his most recent exploits were against an 8th tier side, the vintage performance offered a glimpse into his immense talent, the whimsical joy that he plays with, and the hope that he will do good again.

Maybe in the end, amid all the pixie-dust and “magic of the FA Cup” chatter, it was us who were star struck by that potential that Dele Alli offers.

Jaideep Kanungo

On Spurs: Oh Gareth, where art thou?

It all seems a like a hazy, distant dream now.

It was only three months ago, where he stood, triumphant, refreshed and relieved to come back to the club where he first made his name. He returned as a conquering hero, with all his fans reliving all the glorious pictures of the past, attempting to recapture even a sliver of the warm feelings he made them feel in those days of yore.

Gareth Bale had returned to Spurs a four time European Cup champion, owner of some of the most spectacular goals in European Cup history, and a bonafide global superstar of first order. With his return, immediately, Spurs’ attack became the envy of world football. Surely, adding Bale to a lineup featuring Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura, Steven Bergwijn, Dele Alli, Eric Lamela, Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele, gave manager Jose Mourinho a wealth of options that his predecessor, Mauricio Pochettino, never had the luxury of even dreaming of.

Yet, nearly three months since Bale returned to Spurs, the Welshman has failed to make any tangible impact on the club, and his merely average performances during this span are starting to create some anxiety over what Spurs actually have underneath the hood.

The mounting stress results from a dreadful week for Spurs, in which they won only one point in three Premier League matches; drawing Crystal Palace 1-1, losing at Liverpool and falling at home to Leicester (2-0). The sequence of bad results saw Spurs plummet from first in the table, to sixth, underlining just how competitive and tight the margins in the Premier League are this season.

Much of Spurs’ early success came from the otherworldly, sheer brilliance of Kane and Son, who combined exceptionally well to take Spurs to the top.

However, over the past week, although the two have scored (Kane against Palace and Son against Liverpool), there has been a slight lack of synchronization and sharpness from the pair. Part of that can be explained by opponents recognizing the dependence of Mourinho on his counter-attack, prompting them to neutralize the transition from the back to the midfield, nullifying opportunities for Kane to drop deep, and distribute for Son. This was evidenced in all three of the matches this past week, most recently with the dodged and determined efforts of Wilfred Ndidi and Youri Tielemans to conquer the midfield battle for Leicester.

Yet, in the few goal scoring opportunities that Spurs have managed over the past week, both Kane and Son have more often than not flubbed their chances, and with it, altering the narrative that follows. Against Liverpool, Kane mishit a header from a perfectly placed corner, straight into the ground, rather than at goal. Similarly, against Leicester, moments prior to Serge Aurier’s foul on Wesley Fofana which resulted in a Leicester penalty (and a 1-0 lead), Kane hit a pitch perfect Son corner with his head once again, but this time, well over the Leicester goal. Kane is credited for being one of the most clinical finishers in Europe, but his finishing was left wanting this past week.

Similarly, against Leicester in the first half, Son had a series of opportunities, where he chose to play a cross or head for an opponent, rather than take the prime opportunity for himself, squandering some of the rare dangerous opportunities that Spurs were able create.

Had any of these chances been taken (as they were in earlier matches this season), the story would be different. Yet, when Kane and Son are slightly off, based on Mourinho’s wealth of attacking options, it would be reasonable for others to occasionally take the burden off the sensational duo.

Much of that expectation should fall on Gareth Bale, who even with Spurs covering approximately 40% of his salary, is still the Premier League’s highest weekly earner. Sadly, Bale’s time at Spurs thus far has been unremarkable. He missed the first month of his return, recovering from a slight knee injury, and it feels like he has never fully settled since.

Since coming into the team against West Ham in mid October as a substitute (and watching the Hammers storm back from a 3-0 deficit, to equalize 3-3, in his 18 minutes on the pitch), Bale has only appeared in three Premier League matches (against Brighton, West Brom and Leicester). Although he did score a sitter against Brighton, his impact has been nominal. Bale has done most of his work in the Europa League group stages, where he featured in all six group matches, scoring once (against LASK in Linz), but never playing more than 82 minutes in a match.

Bale’s playing time at Real Madrid was cut short last season, as he gradually fell out of favour with manager Zinedine Zidane. As the club chased down another La Liga title, Bale featured in the team only twice since the return to play following the coronavirus lockdown, with his last action coming on 24 June. Given the long absence from playing top flight football, it was reasonable to expect that Bale would take some time to regain his fitness, especially with trying to acclimatize to a league that plays at a break neck pace like the Premier League.

Though harsh, it is completely fair to say that thus far, Gareth Bale looks merely a shell of the player that absolutely electrified the crowds at White Hart Lane many years ago. With the Wales national team, Bale often appeared like an all conquering, all action hero, involved in all phases of the game. His performance at Euro 2016 was scintillating, out of this world, as he guided his small country to the semi-finals of the competition.

Increasingly, in his return, Bale looks isolated on the right wing, seemingly out of sync with the rest of the midfield. In general, he looks far too languid, and bereft of the explosive thrust that marked his game during his first spell at Spurs. Perhaps at age 31, our expectations of him rampaging down the right flank were miscalculated. Perhaps, his history of muscle injuries have created a sense of hesitation and tentativeness, which has robbed him of his attacking flair.

Indeed, Mourinho has preferred Steven Bergwijn and occasionally Lucas Moura, to play in Premier League matches since Bale’s arrival. This season has brought a greater buy in of Mourinho’s tactics by the team. Over this time, it has become clear that much of his defensive philosophies require attacking players to track back and contribute to the defensive phase. This has been of paramount importance as Spurs now have attacking fullbacks on both flanks.

Over recent weeks, it has been Bergwijn who has demonstrated the requisite work rate and commitment to defensive duties, providing reinforcement for Serge Aurier at right back, while still having the pace to burst out on attack during the counter-attacking phase. Son Heung-min has also provided a similar service to help support Sergio Reguilon on the opposite side. Until now, Bale has yet to show Mourinho the level of fitness, pace and defensive acumen that he expects of his wingers, to earn a spot in his starting XI, week in and week out.

Against Leicester, after trailing 1-0 at the half, Mourinho brought on Bale to change the complexion of the game, substituting him on for Spurs’ creative spark, Tanguy Ndombele. It was quite unfortunate that mere minutes after that switch, the other creative spark, Giovani Lo Celso was injured with a muscle strain, and also had to be substituted (for Lucas Moura). Within such a short period of time, Spurs were without two of their most creative players, who could unlock a defense, and find space in contexts devoid of it.

The once feared trio of Son, Kane and Bale failed to make an impression, their play so disjointed, so static, so listless, and Leicester gradually took over the match. It truly was no contest at the end.

Given the wealth of attacking options that Mourinho has at his disposal, it is unfair to expect Kane and Son to provide all the offensive impulses for Spurs going forward. Yet as this season has progressed, it appears that without their contributions, the rest of the team has been unable to provide a similar lift.

Counting out Gareth Bale and Spurs now seems somewhat rash, and it does not appear that anybody is keen to partake in that, considering how tight the Premier League is at the moment. But for Bale to maintain the sheen of genius and upkeep the striking legacy that he left in his first spell, it would serve him well to find, if only a mere glimpse, of what made him special all those years ago.

If Bale can find that quality, and ultimately contribute towards a veritable title challenge for Spurs, perhaps that dream can last just a little bit longer.

Jaideep Kanungo

On Spurs: Disappointment and 0 points after a top of the table clash

Moments after the final whistle of Tottenham’s 2-1 heartbreaking defeat to Liverpool at Anfield tonight, the cameras panned to the ritualistic handshakes between Jose Mourinho and Liverpool manager, Jürgen Klopp. It initially appeared to be a civil exchange, but clearly Mourinho had said something inciteful, which caused Klopp to look at him with a toothy grin of disbelief.

After the match, it was revealed that Mourinho had told Klopp that “the better team had lost.”

Although the run of play, the possession dominance (76% v 24%) and shots on target count (11 v 2) all favoured Liverpool in the end, from a Spurs perspective, it felt hard-done by not coming out of that match with at least a draw, if not with complete victory.

It was clear to anyone that had watched Tottenham this season, that Mourinho would set Spurs up in this defensive, low-block posture, trying to wait for Liverpool to lose possession, and then marching up the pitch with explosive and clinical counterattacks. It was entirely expected that Liverpool would win the bulk of possession, take the majority of shots (most of which being low percentage in nature), and the match played out almost exactly to Mourinho’s best laid plans.

For much of the first half, Liverpool comfortably hemmed Spurs in their own end. Spurs’ back line was under significant pressure, and failed to provide any service to either Son Heung-min or Harry Kane in the few flits of possession. After a series of grazing Liverpool shots which were comfortably stopped by Hugo Lloris, in the 26th minute, it was Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, who pounced on an errant clearance at the edge of the box, and took a dangerous shot which took a slight deflection off Toby Alderweireld, and floated over a frozen Lloris. The Kop celebrated in delight. Advantage Liverpool.

In the brief moments Spurs did win the ball after the Salah goal, Liverpool harangued Spurs’ backline with its usual ferocity. On one occasion, Serge Aurier was guilty of giving the ball straight back to Mané, to recycle a sequence of possession for the Reds, and Trent Alexander-Arnold had his way, with an audacious nutmeg of Son. Everything seemed to be going well for the defending champions, and the Anfield crowd, all kept in the Kop end, were in their usual rapturous delight.

Spurs were able to release some of the fizz from the can in the 33rd minute. The equalizer came from a goal kick, that was quickly taken, and retrieved by Giovani Lo Celso in midfield. Lo Celso played an excellent through ball to Son on the left flank, and he exploded past Liverpool’s back line and hit a tidy right foot past the on-rushing Liverpool keeper, Alisson Becker. It was a textbook example of ” route one football,” and in a match where Spurs simply could not hold onto the ball, it was a brilliant goal that brought them back into the game.

While the first half was decidedly one sided, and Spurs managed only two counter attacking opportunities, where Spurs feel hard done by the end result, is that in the second half, they missed a series of high quality scoring opportunities. Of note, straight after the restart, Alderweireld launched Bergwijn on an attack down the left flank. On another day, Bergwijn would have finished, but sadly today, he fired well wide of goal. The look of regret was painted on his face, as if he sensed that such a glorious opportunity would not come again against such a high quality opponent.

As Spurs continued to valiantly defend, Bergwijn did indeed get another opportunity to score. This time, in the 63rd minute, Kane headed a goal kick onto Son, who flicked onto Bergwijn. With time, space, and his head up, Bergwijn hit a shot which incredibly went off the far post. That should have put Spurs up. While that was easily the best chance to go ahead, the next best chance came seconds later, when a Spurs’ corner found its way onto the head of an unmarked Harry Kane. Rather than hit it convincingly, it glanced off Kane’s head, took a heavy bounce on the grass, before being calmly collected by Alisson. Back to back chances, gone in an instant, nothing in hand.

Liverpool continued to turn the screw, ratcheting up the pressure, but Spurs generally coped with this tension well. The front three of Liverpool of Mané, Firmino and Salah were frenetic in their movement and danger. Most impressive of the three was the Senegalese Mané, who had a catalogue of turns, flicks and shots, but who was largely contained by his Ivorian rival, Serge Aurier.

Kane, who had missed his golden opportunity minutes earlier, like Bergwijn had a chance at redemption. He brought down an Alderweireld ball in the 79th minute, and even with seemingly endless time and space, he seemed to hesitate (possibly because he may have brought down the ball with his arm, or possibly because he could not believe the fortune that allowed him to be in such a wide open position, without being offside), and mishit the ball. Once again, for the fourth time in a half-hour, chance gone.

Spurs genuinely had a constellation of incredible opportunities, all flubbed, and so in the 90th minute when Firmino was first to the ball on an Andy Robertson corner, and placed a well timed and placed header past Lloris, it all felt slightly heartbreaking and unfair. They defended generally well, Aurier, Ben Davies, Dier and Alderweireld had been brave and overall, solid. Hojbjerg and Sissoko were exemplary in their reinforcement. All the attacking players made commendable defensive contributions. Yet, Liverpool took their chances, while Spurs misfired on theirs.

Mourinho’s quip to Klopp, that “the better team had lost” may seem petulant, and out of touch with reality to observers that looked at the box score, and saw the one sided possession and shot totals. Yet, for nearly the entire second half, Spurs had the growing belief that they could indeed eek this match out, and create a gap at the top of the table. The 90th minute winner popped that bubble.

To walk away from Anfield with a point would have been acceptable. For Spurs to leave with nothing from that brave match, to lose their place at the top of the Premier League table, it all feels slightly empty.

Jaideep Kanungo

On Spurs: Realism sets in as Spurs drop points

Truly for the past week, everyone at Tottenham had every reason to hold their heads up high. Spurs were top of the Premier League, powered by the league’s top goal scorer (Son), playmaker (Kane) and best defense, and had just come off resoundingly humiliating their North London neighbours.

Yet despite the positive feelings and overall good vibes, the week also brought along some genuine buzz kill moments, as manager Jose Mourinho attempts to guide Spurs to their first English top division title since 1961.

Firstly, The Athletic‘s doyen of tactics, Michael Cox, highlighted that Tottenham are currently outperforming their expected xG numbers and that a regression is to be expected. He writes (prior to this past weekend’s match at Palace) that Spurs had scored 23 goals, although their xG would expect 17 goals. Defensively, Spurs would have been expected to concede 12 goals, compared to the 9 goals that they actually conceded. Their defense would be 5th in the league in the xG table, rather than the best in the league as it stood. Most astonishingly, Son Heung-min was highlighted as significantly overperforming his xG. The South Korean has scored 10 in real life, when his expected goals was only 3.5. Surely, Cox and other football data-heads insist that Spurs simply cannot maintain this “mirage.”

Additionally, some football pundits such as the eminently forgettable ex Spurs’ midfielder Jamie Redknapp, and the classic “good football man”-cum-curmudgeon, Graeme Souness, commented that many of Spurs’ attacking players must be down on playing such a negative style of football. Interestingly, Spurs teams of the past had been criticized for playing an attractive attacking football, as compared to their rivals, but they lacked a general defensive solidity and winning nous that would make them legitimate title threats (is this not what critics panned Mauricio Pochettino for?). This manifested in a series of soul-crushing losses on some of biggest stages. Finally, enter a manager that has tightened up those areas of weakness, with a group of committed players, and witness the wrath of the “protectors of the proper way” to play football.

Yesterday’s 1-1 draw to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park may have served as vindication for those skeptics. Spurs’ run of good form against good teams, and clean sheets (they had not conceded a goal in their previous four Premier League matches) took a sizeable hit, as it occurred against an opponent that sat 14th in the league table prior to the match.

The match was poised to be an interesting tactical battle for Jose Mourinho, who had set his team up in his classic low-block shape in the preceding three matches, against Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal. It was reasonable to assume that all three of those rivals felt comfortable playing with the ball, and that Mourinho could set up his team to play on the counter. However, Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace offered a much different proposition, themselves preferring to play Mourinho’s favoured style. Palace boasts a trio of tricky attacking players in Wilfried Zaha, Eberechi Eze and Christian Benteke, that could also be devastating on the counter, as demonstrated by their five goal explosion against West Brom in the prior week.

The match was played in a seemingly uncomfortable setting (judged as such, from the comforts of our warm, cozy home), with the rain pouring down for the entire 90 minutes. Palace also had the benefit of 2000 boisterous fans in their bandbox stadium, for the first time since the coronavirus lockdown. (Admittedly, I have always admired Selhurst Park. It has always seemed from afar as the stadium with the tightest confines, with one of the best atmospheres in the Premier League).

Spurs got the better of Palace for much of the first half, including a couple of breaks for Son (on a tidy direct ball from Alderweireld) and Steven Bergwijn (who was the beneficiary from an incisive Kane ball), which failed to result in a goal. The half was punctuated by yet another terrific goal from Harry Kane. Kane took a feed from Son in close space, just outside the Palace box, and hit a swerving right footed strike that proved tricky for Palace keeper, Vincente Guaita.

At that point, it seemed a game that Spurs would comfortably win, but as the second half wore on, they seemed sapped of their energy and any inventive attacking ideas. It would be easy to suggest that Spurs should have attacked more, and played more on the front foot in the second half. In his post match comments, Mourinho admitted that these were his exact instructions to the team.

Yet, to be fair, it was Palace that made it difficult for Spurs to play from the back, harrying Spurs backline, forcing many bad decisions and turnovers. Midfielders Hojbjerg and Sissoko were forced to defend more, and were unable to link with the attacking players. Distribution to Kane and Son was completely nullified. Crystal Palace were allowed to dictate the tempo and they continued to mount a series of chances.

The most eye catching Palace player was the electric Eze. A complete revelation, Eze was lean, elegant, with an almost balletic quality, and left Spurs’ midfield for dead on several occasions. As the second half wore on, Spurs badly faded, and were forced to concede multiple set pieces. Luckily for them, Christian Benteke continued to lack finesse in completing pitch perfect delivery, otherwise, the equalizer would have come much sooner. Eventually, in the 81st minute, Eze floated in free kick which proved a difficult knuckleball for Hugo Lloris. Jeffrey Schlupp was in proper position, to pounce on the rebound and smash it into the back of the net. Palace had equalized, and it was the first league goal Spurs had conceded since 1 November.

It felt that the goal was inevitable, based on the run of play. Although Spurs have been resolute in defending in recent weeks, they did concede late goals to Newcastle and West Ham in the first month of the season in an eerily similar fashion. In both those previous occasions, they had conceded late free kicks, near the edge of the box that resulted in a penalty (Dier’s controversial handball while trying to defend Andy Carroll of Newcastle) and a wondergoal (Manuel Lanzini’s smash and grab thump for West Ham). For a manager that harps on set piece defending and prides himself on his defensive record, seeing this equalizer come after a sequence of cheaply conceded set-pieces must have made Jose Mourinho completely (and rightfully) apoplectic at full-time.

It should be mentioned that despite their largely tepid performance in the second half, Spurs had two occasions to win the game late. In the 86th minute, Serge Aurier whipped in a hard cross, which took a quick deflection off Kane’s head. Remarkably, Guaita’s razor sharp instincts and quick movement prevented an otherwise sure goal. Palace once again relied on Guaita’s quality, when in the 93rd minute, he made an astonishing leap to deny a dipping Eric Dier free-kick from the edge of the box. The Spanish goalkeeper, who was panned for his movement and read of Kane’s first half strike, had thoroughly redeemed himself and was likely the Man of the Match by the end.

Luckily for Spurs, the disappointment of the afternoon was mitigated by the fact that all of their “Big 6” rivals dropped points during the weekend as well. Chelsea fell to Everton, while the Manchester Derby ended in an uninspiring, insipid 0-0 draw. Liverpool was flat against Fulham, and Arsenal continued through their woes, losing humiliatingly at home to Burnley.

Admittedly, Spurs did not look like a league leading side against Palace in this match. The passage of time tends to burnish our collective memories of how outstanding some of the great teams of the past were, and fill us with an apocryphal illusion that they played some version of a champagne football every time they graced a pitch. The reality remains that many great teams find ways to snatch victory in ugly games like this Palace game proved to be. Spurs nearly did, had it not been for the sublime brilliance of a Spanish goalkeeper. Yet, perhaps the skeptics like Michael Cox do provide a timely warning, that Spurs need further tactical refinement before being a true title contender. They cannot expect to play the same way against a Manchester City or Chelsea as they do against Crystal Palace, where they are rightfully expected to do more.

Championship teams show a tactical variety and an ability to get results in different ways. Perhaps a simple tactical change of playing nimble, quick ball distributors that can cope with a press, like Giovani Lo Celso or Harry Winks (rather than a heavy footed Mousa Sissoko), in front of the back line, could help provide service to the attacking players? Given the depth and variety of Mourinho’s bench, surely there is a Plan B or Plan C in the squad to handle teams that pose a significant challenge to break down.

This draw may have felt like a loss, considering the form that Spurs were on leading into the match, and the heightened expectations for what this season may bring. Yet, the way their other rivals have sputtered and have looked fatigued as the fixtures mount, Spurs have been given a true reprieve. They remain top of the table for now, and have been provided a reminder that they should seek some different ways to win games in the coming weeks.

Jaideep Kanungo

In a strange year, Spurs are on top of the league

Much has changed since my last correspondence on this mostly deserted, infrequently visited, uninspiring looking website.

Most strikingly, our understanding of the planet has been challenged, as a ‘once in a century’ pandemic has wreaked havoc on the world’s health and economies, and has thrust a spotlight on the range of social inequalities that many have ignored for far too long. In football land, the once antiquated, much maligned Jose Mourinho is now manager of Tottenham Hotspur, and against a backdrop of trendy pressing and high-line rivals, Spurs find themselves tied atop the Premier League table after eleven matches played in this most unusual 2020-21 season.

Many other excellent writers (namely Charlie Eccleshare, Jack Pitt-Brooke and Michael Cox of The Athletic, David Hytner and Jonathan Liew of The Guardian) have contributed exhaustive pieces for the reasons for why Spurs are top of the Premier League table for the first time since August 2014. In an effort to get back into writing, I will provide a succinct explanation, with hopefully more regular pieces to follow in the coming weeks and months:

Trusting the Manager

Undoubtedly, the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino in November 2019, was a jolt to anyone associated with the club. In his five full seasons at Spurs, Pochettino became a legendary manager, imposing an attractive style of football, developing several youngsters into star-calibre players, and taking the club to four consecutive ‘top 4’ finishes in the Premier League. His crowning achievement was leading Spurs to an unlikely Champions League Final appearance in 2019.

Unfortunately, during the peak of Pochettino’s era, as the club made the move from White Hart Lane to the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium (with a prolonged, inconvenient sojourn at Wembley Stadium), for a two year period, Spurs failed to invest in new players for their manager. Even though the 2019 summer transfer window brought new midfielders Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso to the club, the rest of the squad had grown old together and had become stale. Pochettino’s high energy system placed extreme physical demands on his players, that by the end, many likely felt burned out after years and years of his training methods (it is somewhat surprising to see that in the 18 month period after the run to the Champions League Final, four significant players (Danny Rose, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen (at Inter Milan) and Fernando Llorente (at Napoli) no longer play regular, first team football) Through the early fall of 2019, results petered out and Pochettino became increasingly irascible and without an answer for his team’s mounting woes.

His sacking was an emotional blow for Spurs’ supporters, who experienced such heights under the Argentine manager (rivals will gleefully point to an empty trophy case), and the feelings of ill-will were further compounded when chairman Daniel Levy appointed Jose Mourinho as manager. Mourinho was loathed by a large segment of Tottenham supporters, from his tenure managing rivals Chelsea and most recently Manchester United, where he spectacularly flamed out with the club’s supporters and some star players. It became a genuine talking point in online forums, about what was more dour, Mourinho’s tactics, or his mood on any given day.

Mourinho’s first several months at Spurs were a mixed bag, as his footballing philosophy could not be more different to that of his predecessor. His job was made more difficult with significant injuries to his stars, Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min. Before football shut down in mid March due to the coronavirus pandemic, Spurs had fizzled out of the FA Cup in penalties to Norwich, were rendered impotent in the Champions League last 16 to RB Leipzig and were likely going to plummet down the Premier League table as well.

However, the three month lockdown on football, allowed Mourinho learn the idiosyncrasies of his squad, provided him the opportunity to indoctrinate them on his tactics, and allowed his star players to regain their fitness. With both Son and Kane fully fit, Spurs managed to claim points in all but two of their final nine matches, and finish a respectable sixth in the Premier League (Spurs had been 14th when he took over). His players were starting to buy in to his message, and even a malcontent like Tanguy Ndombele (the club’s most expensive transfer acquisition), who once appeared to be a lost cause and in the transfer heap, has rediscovered his joy and purpose.

Learning the Tactics

Over time, Mourinho has come to learn all the gadgets on his dashboard, and has had the opportunity to impose his tactical vision onto Spurs.

Of note, Mourinho has found confidence in his back line, which has been bolstered by resurgent performances from Eric Dier and Toby Alderweireld. While both players lack the pace and nimble footwork of a modern centreback, they make up for it with their excellent football intelligence, and extremely well timed challenges. Spurs also now have three dynamic, roving full backs in Sergio Reguilon (left back), Matt Doherty (right back) and Serge Aurier (right back). Last season, following the transfer of Kieran Trippier to Atletico Madrid, full back was a position of weakness for Spurs, with Ben Davies and Serge Aurier being the only consistent first team regulars (Japhet Tanganga filled the role admirably in spot duty, and Ryan Sessegnon and Kyle Walker-Peters proved to be too raw for full time duties). Mourinho felt comfortable playing a lopsided fullback system, where Ben Davies (left back) would remain deep and static (forming a back 3 in attack), allowing Aurier to roam forward and play as a right wing back, providing overlaps and crosses. This required Mousa Sissoko to drop back from his central midfield duties and occupy the right back role when Aurier was caught high up the pitch.

This season, with two roaming full backs, Spurs have been able to drop Sissoko and the impressive Danish central midfielder, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg into the back line to provide further reinforcement (Michael Cox has pointed out that against Chelsea, this took on the shape of a back 6). Højbjerg has been a revelation for Spurs this season, playing as a classic ball-winning, box to box central midfielder, the type that Mourinho had in his disposal in his previous table topping clubs. After defeating Southampton (at St. Mary’s) 5-2 and Manchester United (at Old Trafford) 6-1, where Spurs exposed the opposition high-lines and erratic defending, they have felt more comfortable conceding possession and playing Mourinho’s classic low-block shape for the bulk of their matches.

This structure has proven to be extremely effective. Thus far, after 11 matches, Spurs have conceded just nine goals, representing, for the moment, the best defense in the league. Impressively, in Spurs’ last three matches in a difficult series of fixtures, at home to Manchester City, at home to Chelsea, and at home to Arsenal, they did not concede a goal. Impressive stuff for a team that was hemorrhaging goals against toward the end of the Pochettino era.

Of course, low-block defensive football alone cannot win football matches consistently. Spurs have benefitted from explosive counter attacking options, led by the intelligence, skill and graft of their leader, Harry Kane, and the blinding pace and sublime clinical finishing of Son Heung-Min.

Whereas in previous seasons, Kane spent much of his time in opposition boxes, terrorizing defenders, playing more as a classic number 9, over the last year under Mourinho, Kane has evolved into a more complete player, and plays more as a number 10, who is involved in all facets of the game. He is often the player that clears balls out of his own box on opposition corners and has shown an incredible work rate, building on Mourinho’s tenet of having his attacking players involved in the defensive phase.

Kane’s game appears more complete this year, as he is often found in midfield areas bringing down balls from Dier or Alderweireld, briefly holding up the play, allowing Son to overlap him, and sending him perfectly placed and weighted passes into space behind opposition defenders. This simple, yet effective tactic has yielded superlative results, and remains largely unplayable (Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka were the most recent victims, in the North London derby). After 11 matches, Son is on 10 goals (second in the league to Dominic Calvert-Lewin) and 3 assists, while Kane is on 8 goals and an eye-popping 10 assists (first in the league).

Having Squad Depth

Unlike under the final month of the Pochettino era, Mourinho has already earned the trust of a fawning chairman Levy, and has received greater investment in the squad. In addition to Doherty, Reguilon and Højbjerg, Spurs reinforced at centre forward with Carlos Vinicius (from Benfica), who has shown a touch of skill and pace in his Europa League duties, and centre back Joe Rodon (from Swansea). All of these new faces have blended in well at Spurs, and provides Mourinho with a veritable list of options, as the fixtures pile up in the coming month. This is true, without having even mentioned the return of Spurs’ progigal son, Gareth Bale, who came to Spurs as a raw, string bean 18 year old in 2007 from Southampton, and left six years later to Real Madrid as a fully developed world beater. Four Champions League titles on, Bale is back at Spurs (on loan, as he had not been able to get into the Madrid side, and quarreled with his manager Zinedine Zidane) with his smile intact, and his mood apparently lifted.

Curiously, Bale has yet to settle fully on the pitch, missing the first month due to a muscle injury, and only really appearing in Europa League matches, and occasional Premier League substitute appearances. Although he has scored twice, he has looked devoid of the thrust that defined his game during the apotheosis of his Spurs career. Thus far, he also does not appear to have the fitness to perform the level of defensive commitment that Mourinho seeks in his wingers (and what he has unlocked in Steven Bergwijn and Lucas Moura, who appear to be getting more Premier League looks).

Spurs overall look to be on the up after eleven matches. Too much football remains to make definitive conclusions, but reassuringly for us famished supporters, Mourinho appears to have bought the trust of his players, instilled them with his philosophies, unlocked the world class potential of Kane and Son, and has a bench full of hungry and committed players who will likely push their rivals to the end.

It really has been a gruesome year, but football once again reminds us, that there may be light at the end of the tunnel after all.

Jaideep Kanungo

On Spurs: Is it time to panic?

Coming back into a new Premier League season, there was much optimism amongst supporters of Tottenham Hotspur that this would finally be the season in which the Mauricio Pochettino project would reap some long awaited silverware.

The club had just gotten to the pinnacle of European football by reaching the Champions League Final, after a series of stirring and improbable performances in the quarterfinals against Manchester City and the semifinal against Ajax.

The club finally made the long awaited return to the majestic new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (corporate name incoming?), and appear to be feeling comfortable with having a permanent home ground after two seasons toiling at the sterile behemoth that is Wembley Stadium.

Perhaps most exciting was that for the first time since January 2018, Spurs were active in the transfer market, smashing their club record transfer fee by splashing out £55 million for Lyon’s central midfielder, Tanguy Ndombele. Spurs also secured the services of Argentinean attacking midfielder Giovani Lo Celso (in a complicated loan for one year, with condition to buy deal) from Real Betis, and young English full back Ryan Sessegnon for £ 25 million from Fulham.

Pochettino was lavished with praise for his stunning work over the last few seasons, and with finally some new, expensive toys and a best-in-class new ground to play in, all appeared healthy and well in North London. That was all true, until the football started.

Spurs have played three matches thus far in the 2019/20 Premier League season, and for a club with title aspirations, already sit five points behind league leaders Liverpool. The next fixture is on 1 September, which is always a difficult and emotional one; Arsenal at the Emirates.

Most concerning for Spurs is not even the results themselves, but the overall flaccid and insipid nature of the performances.

In front of an excited partisan crowd at the Lane in the opening match against newly promoted Aston Villa, Spurs found themselves down after nine minutes on a John Mcginn goal. It was not until the 73rd minute that Spurs were able to break down the Villa resistance, when new boy Ndombele hammered in his first goal with the club. It further took control of the match and the three points, with two late Harry Kane goals. Though Spurs won the expected three points with a 3-1 victory, it came with much consternation.

Christian Eriksen, who’s place at the club continues to be under much debate as he is in the final year of his contract and has expressed his desire to move on, started the match on the bench. Despite owning the lion’s share of the possession, Spurs had managed just 12 shots in the first 64 minutes. Upon Eriksen’s insertion at that point, Spurs fired 19 shots in the final 26, and it was his creativity and vision that helped pry open the Villa defense. Until Eriksen entered the match, the team looked slow, ponderous, lacking signs of sharpness in attack. It was a similar pattern of play that was evident in the final months of the last Premier League season, where Spurs lost to Burnley, Southampton, West Ham and Bournemouth, and needed last minute winners against Fulham and Brighton. Something appeared to be amiss.

In Spurs second match of the season, at the Etihad against reigning champions Manchester City, Pochettino elected to play conservatively. It was a match that did have some of the end to end action of last spring’s epic Champions League quarterfinal round, as Raheem Sterling and Eric Lamela traded goals in the first 25 minutes. But overall, the match demonstrated the gulf in quality between City and Spurs that still remains, in spite of Daniel Levy’s summer outlay. The match was dominated by Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, who carved up Spurs’ defenders repeatedly, and had them on their backheels for the entire match. Spurs were lucky to escape with a point after a 2-2 draw, after another last second winner was nullified by a VAR decision, as the cameras spotted an Aymeric Laporte handball helped set up what would have been Gabriel Jesus’s winner. It was a scene reminiscent of last spring’s Champions League quarterfinal, where a Sterling goal at the absolute death was called off by a slight offside in the buildup.

Spurs escaped, just barely, and could hold their heads high at having won a point in arguably the most difficult fixture of the season.

Yet, Spurs would disappoint even further with their 1-0 defeat to Newcastle at home, in the third match of the season, this past weekend. Newcastle had been derided all summer, after unceremoniously sacking manager Rafa Benitez, and hiring the now clown like figure that is Steve Bruce. However, after watching this match, you could not help but admire the ex-Manchester United player for setting up such resolute defending.

Like the match against Villa, Spurs dominated possession against Newcastle. They controlled 79.8% of the possession, yet managed only two shots on target (only one other team with more possession has lost a Premier League match since 2003/04, that being Liverpool in 2016 in defeat to Burnley). As was the case against Villa,Christian Eriksen started the match on the bench, and came on in the 62nd minute. This time however, he failed to leave his mark. Spurs were unable to breakdown Bruce’s 5-4-1, and other than Lucas Moura missing an absolute sitter in the 80th minute, created very little.

This lack of incisiveness has become an increasing concern for Spurs in 2019. Too many clubs recently feel content to allow Spurs to play with the ball, comfortable that Spurs will create very little. This is being done by not only teams in the bottom half of the table, but Liverpool arguably set up this way in the Champions League final (although that match was turned with a goal in the second minute). There were late minute winners last season (Winks against Fulham and Eriksen against Brighton) that may have hid this inability to breakdown teams. Likewise, the near miraculous run to the Champions League final also obscures the overall poor quality of play Spurs ended last season with.

The solutions are not immediately evident. Spurs have been without Dele Alli for the first three matches this season, who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury. In prior seasons, Dele’s ability to put a slight touch on a ball, and create opportunities for himself and his teammates has proved instrumental (if there is any doubt of this, simply watch Lucas Moura’s last second winner in Amsterdam in the Champions League semifinal). He is thought to be nearing a return, perhaps as early as this coming week’s North London derby.

Another aspect that may have taken a dip this season is that Spurs are slightly weaker at fullback than they were over the last several seasons. Danny Rose has lost a step, since his peak two or three seasons ago. Furthermore, though Kieran Trippier had a difficult season from a defensive standpoint last season, where he was directly responsible for goals against in the Champions League knockout round to City and in the Premier League to Chelsea (and subsequently sold to Atletico Madrid for £20 million), his ability to deliver a deadly cross is missed. 22 year old Kyle Walker-Peters is attempting to fill his shoes, but appears a less effective player, who is also trying to find his feet in his defensive duties (though he managed reasonably well against Sterling, with a couple of excellent sliding tackles late in the match).

Spurs are also without Fernando Llorente, a player who was quite limited in terms of creativity and pace, but who provided Pochettino a more direct, Plan B towards the end of last season, when they were unable to breakdown their opposition.

What makes the performances even more concerning is that there appear to be mounting distractions away from the pitch. Pochettino continues to be consistently grumbling at the fact that the European transfer market closes a month (2 September) after the English window (8 August). After the match against Newcastle, Pochettino reiterated that there are some tensions within the club involving players that may be looking for a move elsewhere. Christian Eriksen’s situation remains up in the air, as he would prefer to move to a Spanish club for lifestyle purposes and a better opportunity to win silverware, and the fact that he will be a free agent next summer. Daniel Levy would prefer to sell him on now, in fears of losing him for nothing next summer. Eriksen could always sign a new contract, but given that he can be acquired by a European giant for free, his wage demands will (justifiably) be exorbitant, and it is unlikely that Levy would disrupt his well planned wage structure for a 27 year old.

Eriksen’s situation will likely come down to the wire on 2 September, as Real Madrid and Juventus, the two most rumoured suitors, have a glut of players that they still need to move on from (Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, Paolo Dybala, Blaise Matiudi, Sami Khedira are all available if you want to pay their wages), before even considering taking on Eriksen. Likewise, these clubs may prefer to wait for the opportunity to sign him for free starting in January.

As a result of this distraction, it appears as though Pochettino has not been overly eager to insert Eriksen into his starting eleven (he has only started one match this season, the 2-2 draw with City). He will be faced with further questions leading up to the Arsenal match, which occurs a day before the European window closes.

Pochettino’s ire also appears to be directed at defender, Jan Vertonghen, who has yet to feature at all this season. Vertonghen, who proved to be a pivotal player in last season’s Champions League run, is also in the final year of his contract. Pochettino remains coy on the reasons for why Vertonghen has been left out of the team, but it could be that the Belgian defender is pining for a move like Eriksen, or has sought outrageous contract demands. Additionally, there has been some discussion that perhaps he was not fully physically prepared for preseason training and that Pochettino is taking his time to get him back into the lineup. After watching starting centreback Davinson Sanchez make a few miscues in the first three matches, there is reasonable bewilderment that Pochettino continues to not play his best side due to these issues at the club.

While many outsiders continue to marvel at Spurs overall consistency over the last five seasons under the helm of Mauricio Pochettino, where the club has qualified for the Champions League for four consecutive seasons, the club’s performances over the last several months, combined with the disenchantment from some of key players may reveal that there are definite cracks in the armour.

Jaideep Kanungo

On Spurs: About that final, and what’s next

It was the match for the ages, one that we had been anticipating for weeks on end. And then it ended, just like that. Our wildest hopes and dreams crushed instantly. It was the sport’s grandest stage, and one that our club may never see again, for a long while.

It has been a few days since Spurs dropped the Champions League final to Liverpool by a 2-0 scoreline in Madrid.

Ever since Lucas Moura scored the final second winner in Amsterdam in the Champions League semifinal on 8 May and put us all into a dream-like state, 1 June was circled on the calendar. Even though Spurs had finished 26 points behind Liverpool in the Premier League (97 points to 71), there was a growing sense of belief among Spurs supporters that perhaps, in fact, that the club could pull this out.

They had, after all, seen two incredible, breathtaking, heart stopping ties in the prior rounds, against a vastly superior Manchester City side, and an upstart and uptempo Ajax team, that had scalped Juventus and Real Madrid en route to the semi-final.

The match also marked the return of Harry Kane and Harry Winks to the Spurs lineup, both of whom played their last matches in the first leg of the Champions League Quarterfinal against Manchester City, on 9 April (Kane had been injured with yet another ankle injury, while Winks was recovering from a groin injury, which required minor surgery).

In the sweltering heat of Madrid, all it took was 23 seconds for the cascading tide of good feelings to come to a sudden halt. Sadio Mane’s attempt to cross the ball met an unfortunately placed, errant Moussa Sissoko hand, and a penalty was given to Liverpool. Mohamed Salah, who himself had the Champions League Final tragically ripped away a year earlier through injury inflicted by the villainous Sergio Ramos, stepped up to the spot, and coolly slotted the ball past Hugo Lloris, putting Liverpool ahead 1-0.

The rest of the match seemed to be played in quicksand, whether it was due to the oppressive Spanish summer heat, the three week hiatus from football both clubs had endured, or the extreme stakes that were on the line. With the early lead and the experience of playing on this stage, Liverpool felt increasingly comfortable sitting back, allowing Spurs to play with the ball (Spurs finished the match with 65% possession). Liverpool also had a paltry 64% pass completion rate. Yet in spite of this, Spurs never really threatened.

Spurs finished the match with eight shots on target, yet it appeared as though Alisson Becker, Liverpool’s brilliant keeper, was hardly tested.

Harry Kane was largely ineffective, managing only 26 touches over the entire match, the fewest of any player who started. Lucas Moura, the hat-trick hero from the semifinal, came on in the 65th minute for Harry Winks, and managed two shots on target during his time on the pitch, while Kane managed a single one. Son Heung-min, who had also been instrumental in Spurs’ run up to the final, was also ineffectual. A brief glimmer in the 75th minute saw the usually explosive Son sprung on a loose ball, offering a possible opening for Spurs to re-emerge in the match. Liverpool’s calming force, Virgil van Dijk, had other ideas. He kept pace with Son, eliminated his space, and casually overtook the ball. It was a brilliant bit of defending, a prime example of van Dijk’s quality and impact in containing Spurs’ attack.

A Divock Origi goal in the 87th minute killed off any hope for a Spurs comeback. The last few minutes played out as if Spurs were in on the coronation for Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp’s side had avenged their heartbreaking defeat suffered on the same stage a year earlier.

In the aftermath, much has been made about Mauricio Pochettino’s decision to start Harry Kane in place of Lucas Moura, and play him for the entirety of the match. Starting Kane was a risky proposition, forecasted in the buildup to the match, as Kane had not played in nearly two months, and was overcoming his second injury to his left ankle since January.

Additionally, Spurs managed to play well without Kane in the Premier League this past season, winning seven of 11 matches, and winning Champions League knockout ties against Dortmund, Manchester City and Ajax. When Kane returned from his first ankle injury in January, the team fell into a swoon. Lucas Moura meanwhile had filled in admirably, making his trademark darting runs in between defenders, scavenging loose second balls and using his quick twitch foot to keep goalkeepers on edge. His hat-trick goal to see off Ajax in the semifinal was the iconic moment of Pochettino’s project thus far at Spurs.

And yet, when Harry Kane is on, he offers Pochettino so many additional options and threats. Not only can he poach goals from seemingly dead balls in the box, but he can hold up the play, and can also drop back and play in a number 10 playmaking role. In a one match, winner take all situation, this surely is a tantalizing proposition. However, this form of Harry Kane was completely absent in Madrid. In the 25 and more minutes that Lucas played, he clearly seemed the more lively, threatening and effective player. His tears after the final whistle were palpable for anyone that watched his euphoria after the triumph in Amsterdam three weeks earlier.

In retrospect, not starting Lucas, substituting him so late, and playing Harry Kane the entire match seemed the total wrong decision. Yet, it is hard not to also make the counter point that had Lucas started, and Spurs lost, that Pochettino would have been criticized for leaving his Golden Ball winner and his certain goals on the bench.

This is the difficulty of being a manager. The outside observers seem to know best.

In the days since the final, it was revealed that Christian Eriksen, who will be entering the final year of his contract this upcoming season, is looking for new football challenges. He and his agent have revealed that he would like a “step-up” and are open to seeing if another club will come calling. It is rumoured that last summer, two Spanish clubs and another English club were interested in his services, and in his statement, Eriksen has spoken about how Real Madrid would be an example of the step-up.

This would be a deja-vu scenario for Spurs, as the club has also seen previous talismanic stars, Luka Modric and Gareth Bale move on to Real Madrid in successive years, and become bonafide global superstars, exceeding the accomplishments and profile that Spurs provided them.

Eriksen is now 27, has spent six seasons at Spurs, and has played more minutes and has run more kilometres than any other player in the club during this time. Perhaps this is the best time for Spurs to cash in on the Danish star, with the risk of losing him for free in six months, and the ongoing burdens of having to pay for the new stadium. Spurs’ chairman, Daniel Levy, has set a steep price of £ 130 million, which would help find some younger replacements (similar to how the Gareth Bale sale re-stocked the club in 2013), but it remains to be seen whether there will be a suitor at that cost. Eriksen has also stated that if there is no club that presents a “step-up” opportunity, that he will consider re-signing with the club. And why not? Spurs are a far different proposition today, than they were when Modric and Bale left.

Much of that will also depend on the future of Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentine manager has been heaped with praise from the footballing world for his work this year on a shoestring budget (compared to the financial giants of European football), for managing a team without a home ground for the majority of the season, and for adapting his team in the face of injury. Achieving another top four finish (the fourth year in a row the club has achieved this) and a Champions League Final appearance in the face of these pressures is a reflection of a masterful job. Yet, Pochettino himself has declared that these accomplishments are unsustainable if the club does not put in the appropriate investment into player recruitment and retention. It may seem like a missive to Daniel Levy to do just that.

My feeling is that Pochettino would prefer to be at Spurs long term, it provides him the autonomy to make footballing decisions, he has imposed his identity and culture in the club, and the club now has the best facilities in all of Europe. Yet, whether Pochettino commits long term will be dependent on whether Levy will offer him the resources to keep up with his rivals. Without the deep pockets of an Arab sheikh or a petroleum giant, this could be the sticking point going forward. Many of the jobs that Pochettino was linked with earlier this season (Manchester United and Real Madrid) appear to be occupied for the moment, but potential openings at Juventus and Bayern Munich (where Nico Kovac continues to receive mixed reviews), means that Levy will need to provide Pochettino with some concessions to keep him away from the growing competition.

So here we are. Less than a week after the biggest match that many of us supporters have seen our club play, we have experienced the utter disappointment of coming so far, and leaving empty handed, and also having to deal with endless questions about the club’s future.

Getting to the Champions League Final was an incredible accomplishment, one that left many permanent indelible memories of why we love this game. Yet, the news of this week also reminds us that getting to this stage was an incredibly rare feat, one that requires the genuine alchemy of talent, shrewd management decisions and a bit of luck.

We can only hope and dream that we rediscover this combination again, to get back to this stage and re-live it all again.

Jaideep Kanungo

On Spurs: What a ride

Riding a roller coaster presents you with a variety of emotional experiences. There is that sense of trepidation as you are secured into the seat by a much too young looking attendant, the palpable dread as the car ascends a seemingly endless distance, and a stomach turning thrill as it harries wildly downwards.

The ride puts you through a series of these lifts and drops, and by the end, you feel a veritable buzz, a deep sense of satisfaction felt to your core, and a strong desire to do it all over again.

The second leg of the Champions League semi final featuring Spurs and Ajax played in Amsterdam provided exactly that experience.

I have supported Spurs for over a decade and have never experienced the full range of emotions I experienced during those 97 minutes on Wednesday. By the end, it was the best kind of thrill ride; one that takes you from the troughs of dread and despair to the heights of ecstasy and joy. It has me positively giddy for the next one, which will be played on the grandest stage of them all… (remarkably!) the Champions League Final, on 1 June in Madrid.

Certainly, by now, news of Spurs’ unlikely and miraculous 3-2 victory in Amsterdam, capped by a 96 minute winner (and hat-trick) by Lucas Moura is not news. In the hours that have passed, there have been excellent recaps of the experience written by some of my favourite journalists.

Jack Lang (The Athletic) wrote about how Mauricio Pochettino willed this rag-tag team to such immense glory. Rory Smith (NYT) in his excellent piece, which mostly describes the cruelty of the loss for a young and confident Ajax team (ever more so in the context of UEFA discussing the possibility of making the Champions League more exclusive for the elite clubs in coming years), also explains that Pochettino “now stands on the cusp of one of the unlikeliest, finest managerial achievements imaginable: winning the Champions League in a season with, by modern English standards, the scantest resources imaginable.” Finally, Kevin Clark (The Ringer) describes how the pejorative term “Spursy” is truly dead based on this most recent string of performances in the Champions League.

I certainly will not rehash the match events, as I have done in previous posts, but I do intend to share where my emotions were throughout the lead- up to the match and beyond.

In spite of losing the first leg at home last week 1-0, I initially felt slight optimism that Spurs would find a way to win in Amsterdam. For one, the pace of Son Heung-min would return to the lineup after suspension, and stretch the Ajax defense. He also would help provide a cutting edge, and the ability to turn the game on its head with a single counterattack as he had done so often this season. Secondly, it is a fact that Spurs played well in the second half of the first leg. This was powered largely by the substitution of Jan Vertonghen for Moussa Sissoko, and it was Sissoko who provided excellent transition play allowing Spurs to build confidently from the back.

Yet, all of that optimism was swept away as Spurs limply fell away to Bournemouth 1-0 on the weekend. It was a match Spurs should have won, to assure themselves of a top four finish, however, two red cards (to Son and Juan Foyth) proved too difficult to overcome. What should have been an aperitif, a light workout for the team prior to bigger matters in the Netherlands, turned into an energy sapping disappointment. It was just another loss in Spurs’ ongoing prolonged slump in the Premier League and raised questions about the team’s diminishing energy levels, lack of depth, and yes, its “Spursyness.”

As anticipation for the match grew, I sensed the dread that this would be Spurs’ last European match of the season. However, that negative tide was gently swept away the night before, as Liverpool incredibly overturned a 3-0 deficit in the first leg in Barcelona, and came out as 4-0 victors at Anfield. It was a profoundly inspirational performance, one which saw Liverpool play the perennial favourite for the Champions League off the park, and which gave even non-sports people the belief that anything is truly possible. Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, was quite calm the day prior to the match, well aware of the difficult situation the club was in with a 3-0 deficit. Yet in a contemplative and pragmatic manner, he said defiantly that Liverpool would give it all they had, and that “[they] win tonight or fail beautifully.”

After watching Liverpool rise up to his words, it felt like Pochettino and Spurs’ were also lifted by it. Despite the poor pattern of play in the Premier League in recent weeks, there was a sense of optimism and hope.

It may not have seemed that way, when Ajax went up 1-0 in the fifth minute on a Matthijs de Ligt goal, or after the 35th minute after the brilliant Hakim Ziyech put the hosts up 2-0. In fact, it seemed like Spurs were done and dusted at that point. I myself lost hope and in dismay texted a few colleagues at half time “it’s over.”

Yet, in the second half, Spurs demonstrated such a fierce and incredible fighting spirit that has rarely been seen in previous iterations of the team. Lucas Moura, became a club legend and scored all three goals to give Spurs the win, but it seemed like all his teammates also deserve a share of the credit as well. Whether it was Fernando Llorente who provided Spurs with an aerial threat throughout the second half, keeping Ajax’s defenders on edge, or Dele Alli who played more forward up the pitch than in recent matches, and who made several key runs, feigns and flicks, which directly led to two of Moura’s goals. Mention must also be made of Jan Vertonghen who played courageously with a face mask after breaking his nose a week earlier, and Hugo Lloris, who even when Spurs looked to be taking over the match, was forced to make several game stopping shots, including one from Ziyech in injury time.

After the match had ended, the emotional scenes that played out on the pitch were a culmination of the intense drama and theatre that we were privy to watch. Pochettino, with his jacket far flung and necktie unfurled, was overcome with emotion, collapsing to the ground and then when lifted up, applauding the traveling fans and imploring them to give the hosts a round of applause. He embraced his players, with tears streaming down his face, proud of the fight and courage they showed. Clips emerged from the change room, where the club triumphantly and openly drank Heineken, and where the celebrations were punctuated with a stirring and slurry rendition of Oasis’s Wonderwall. Social media was littered with clips from supporters groups all over the world, where supporters celebrated in ever more wild and surreal ways, never really seen previously amongst the current generation of Spurs’ supporters. And of course, there was a great clip of Steve Nash, forever a Yid, brought to his feet with a jolt of excitement and then a face full of tears after the Moura winner.

I have long wondered whether my obsession with sport, particularly football is healthy and productive. There is no question, that it may detract from other aspects of my life. But every so often, you are afforded with moments like what we felt on Wednesday. Moments that make you feel like the end of the world is near, situations in which there is no hope to be found. Yet with a bit of human skill, ingenuity, inspiration and of course, a bit of luck, you are reminded with the flick of a ball, that everything is okay, and that everything is indeed possible.

Onto the final then.

Jaideep Kanungo

On Spurs: Limping to the finish

For a club that had a brief surge after opening arguably the finest football stadium in the world this past month, that is a victory away from reaching the final of the Champions League, and that has remained in a top four position in the Premier League for much of the season, Spurs’ recent form is quite shocking as it is disappointing.

  • 23 February: Burnley 2 Tottenham 1
  • 27 February: Chelsea 2 Tottenham 1
  • 2 March: Tottenham 1 Arsenal 1
  • 9 March: Southampton 2 Tottenham 1
  • 31 March: Liverpool 2 Tottenham 1
  • 3 April: Tottenham 2 Crystal Palace 0
  • 13 April: Tottenham 4 Huddersfield 0
  • 20 April: Manchester City 1 Tottenham 0
  • 23 April: Tottenham 1 Brighton 0
  • 27 April: Tottenham 0 West Ham 1
  • 4 May: Bournemouth 1 Tottenham 0

Spurs have lost seven of their past 11 Premier League matches, and had this been any other season, with any other challengers, surely this recent run of results would have knocked Tottenham out of European football for next season. Yet, while Spurs have struggled and have gained only three of a possible 12 points since 20 April (thanks to Michael Caley for the stat!), Chelsea have claimed only five, Manchester United only two and Arsenal (appallingly) only one.

Premier League table, following matches on 6 May (source: http://www.premierleague.com)

Although Spurs, who played with nine men for 43 minutes, were defeated by a beach bound Bournemouth side with nothing on the line this past Saturday, it was Arsenal’s 1-1 tie with Brighton and United’s 1-1 draw with Huddersfield the following day, that nearly assured Spurs’ fourth consecutive Champions League qualification. Arsenal will need a Spurs defeat to Everton, and will need to overturn an eight-goal difference in victory against Burnley on the final day. This seems highly improbable.

Spurs recent downturn in form can likely be explained by a few factors, which underlie why performances, other than a few moments of magic, have been largely staid and static over the last several weeks.

Injuries and lack of depth

Much has been made of Spurs’ lack of transfer activities this season, and they are the first and only side in Premier League history to not make a single transfer in the lead up or during the season. This was largely justified, as the club’s financial resources were tied up in expenses related to the new stadium, and the cost for the most marginal of players was deemed overly indulgent and not financially prudent (eg: Wilfried Zaha or Jack Grealish for £50 million). Likewise, the acquisition of Lucas Moura and Moussa Sissoko in recent windows proved that Mauricio Pochettino’s system takes some time for even the most cultured footballer to acclimate to, as neither player was successfully integrated into the squad immediately, despite the high price tags. Yet, as the season has worn on, Spurs have experienced an injury crisis that they have been unable to effectively cope with.

Eric Dier has played a handful of matches since Christmas, and has looked a shadow of his best self (including a 45 minute horror show this past weekend against Bournemouth, in which he surely should have been sent off).

Harry Kane first injured his left ankle in January, late in a 1-0 loss to Manchester United. He hurried back in time for the North London derby in early March, never looked fully fit, and then reinjured the same ankle on 9 April, in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal against Manchester City. Kane, not only poaches goals, but is crucial in the club’s efforts to press and harangue opposition defenders, provide holdup play for the Spurs’ other creative players, and can also provide tactical flexibility, as he has the ability to drop back and make critical, incisive passes. Spurs have survived in the Champions League without Kane, largely due to the explosive pace of Son Heung-min and his devastating counterattacks. However, when Son misses matches (as he did in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal, or in the second half of the match this past weekend against Bournemouth, as he was sent off), Spurs look slightly beyond their best in trying to cope with an energetic but inefficient Lucas Moura, a lumbering Fernando Llorente and even the much maligned, long forgotten, Vincent Janssen (who has made two recent, late substitute appearances in recent weeks).

Harry Winks has proven to be an indispensable and more important link in Spurs’ buildup play over the last two seasons, and has notched a few memorable moments namely his performance at the Bernabeu in the Champions League group stage in 2017, and his late second match winner this past January at Fulham. However, Winks suffered a groin injury in early March, and other than featuring for 21 minutes against Crystal Palace in the first match at the new stadium, he has been out of the lineup. Winks underwent surgery on his groin late last month, and has been unable to contribute to this deep European run. Without Mousa Dembele, who was sold to the Chinese League in the January window, and without a healthy Eric Dier, Spurs have had to use Moussa Sissoko relentlessly in the second half of this season. Sissoko himself was hurt in the Champions League quarterfinal, second leg, and the much less mobile Victor Wanyama was forced to cover. Winks’ vital role in the squad was exposed during this period.

Erik Lamela (who has not played since the North London derby in March) and Serge Aurier (who has missed ten matches in a row) have been also injured with groin and hamstring injuries. Although neither player have been starting many matches this season, they have proven to be reliable covers at their respective positions, their absences further compounding Pochettino’s issues with squad depth.

Diminished performances from Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Kieran Trippier

Much of Spurs’ success over the last four seasons has been due to the quality of performances delivered by Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen. Because of the issues related to injury and the lack of depth, Pochettino has had to rely moreso on Christian Eriksen to provide the club with some quality and creativity, particular when Kane, Son and Dele have been out. Eriksen is second on the club in minutes played this season at 3,859 in all competitions (only Toby Alderweireld has played more at 4,093) and has been the leader in minutes played over the last four seasons. Surely coming off a long summer, in which he captained Denmark to an appearance in the round of 16 at the World Cup, there must be an element of fatigue. Eriksen’s performances have been largely inconsistent and he has shown a lack of quality at times, hitting errant passes or misfiring shots over the target. Though he has notched nine goals this year, including big goals in the Champions League to help the club qualify for the knockout stage, he is behind last season’s 14 and the 12 he scored in 2016-17.

Dele Alli has also been wildly inconsistent this season, missing time in January through March with a hamstring strain, and fracturing his hand against Manchester City in the Champions League quarterfinal. Dele has scored only seven goals this season, and only once since Christmas. This pales in comparison to the 22 goals he scored in 2016-17. Additionally, due to the injuries in midfield, Dele has had to play in various roles in the midfield, from the wing, and into more defensive roles (as he did against Manchester City, when Moussa Sissoko was injured in the second leg of the quarterfinal). He continues to generate chances, as evidenced this past weekend with multiple attempts on target. However, the cutting edge has been largely lacking.

Kieran Trippier, who was viewed as a golden boy and one of the best right backs in the Premier League after his impressive showing with England at last summer’s World Cup, has had a disastrous season. Trippier’s strengths include his crosses and set pieces, both of which have failed to live up to the same standard he provided last season and during the World Cup. Additionally, he has been a liability defensively, prone to taking an extra, careless touch. Stats provider, Squawka, noted Trippier gave away possession 28 times in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal against Ajax. Pochettino could have relied on Serge Aurier to fill in for Trippier, but again, Aurier has been injured for much of the second half of the season. Kyle Walker-Peters has also slotted into right back duties this season, but his inexperience and defensive frailty have also been part of the reason he has been held out in the more important matches. Pochettino has also been forced to play Juan Foyth out of position as a right back, most notably against Manchester City.

With all these issues affecting the club, it is a wonder how Pochettino has managed to guide the squad to such accomplishments this season. He has certainly received a bit of luck in the league with the collapses of his biggest rivals for top four position, and a bit of pixie dust in the Champions League quarterfinals (VAR anyone?), but based on the most recent results in the league, the worry is that the clock will strike midnight for Cinderella later this week.

Jaideep Kanungo