View from the Lane
By Nick Griffiths
The nightmare start to the potential best of seasons reached its nadir with the 3-0 defeat at Anfield, despite us looking the better side in the first half.
What went wrong? Had we gone out there thinking the world owed us a living (or at least a top four Premiership spot and a Uefa Cup)? It seems feasible. Then salvation. Something clicked. (Possibly the realisation that the world didn’t owe us a top four Premiership spot and a Uefa Cup.) Ten unbeaten games on the trot, including a couple of amazingly comfortable European victories and – begin drooling Pavlov’s Dog-style, now – that 2-1 against Chelsea at the Lane. Brilliantly, I managed to be on a plane, watching You, Me and Dupree, when that historic result happened, and it wasn’t funny. (Neither was missing the game. Boom boom.)
What broke that run? Losing 3-1 to Reading. Yes, Reading – the week after Chelsea. Having controlled the game, 1-0 up and cruising. At least the following week’s Blackburn match was amusing, though referees should consider giving Robbie Savage a yellow card shortly before kick-off, just so we don’t have to wait for the bit where he gets all indignant-lady-haired on someone’s ass.
Where are the problems? Our passing veers from slick to over-casual and, though we build up attacks readily, too often the killer pass fails to materialise. In the absence of that, why are so many players scared to have a punt? Look at Tugay’s goal. Where is Erik Edman when you need him? Our defence is inconsistent. Individually, King and Dawson could be relied on to keep junior shoplifters away from newsagents, but as a unit the players have a habit of going awol. Those Reading goals were appalling.
Equally worrying is the lack of goals. At the start of the Blackburn game, our top scorer was one of eight players on a single goal apiece. Defoe now tops the table on two, given a well-taken penalty. Bloody Kanu’s had eight – for Portsmouth! After his spell at West Brom, you might have been forgiven for thinking he’d retired from football. Keane has been a shadow of his former self, though you sense he’s on the verge of turning it around. While that happens, quit the rotation and give Berbatov and Defoe a run up front. They’ll score.
With those problems ironed out, there is everything to play for, still. Huddlestone is the season’s revelation, then Ghaly, who often manages to force the issue when others are too timid. No one is having a ’mare. The results are coming. A mid-table Premiership finish would be readily excused by a win in one (or all three) of the Cup competitions we remain in. Spurs just need that assassin consistency enjoyed by the likes of Manchester United and Chel… No, hang on – we beat them.
TEXT QUOTE: ‘so we don’t have to wait for the bit where he gets all indignant-lady-haired on someone’s ass’ |
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