So Spurs returned to earth with all the grace of a Qantas flight this lunchtime, with a 4-2 defeat away at Bolton. This is partly written out of anger, and partly in an effort to demonstrate that I'm not entirely biased, and that I can lay into my team just as happily as I can praise them. This, after all, is what being a football fan is really all about: taking the bad as well as the good. Today was definitely one of the bad times.
To save writing a summary of each individual performance, I will instead direct you to read the accounts in 'Why last night mattered', substituting an expletive followed by a negative comment in place of each positive remark. Essentially, each player's performance was the exact opposite of their efforts on Tuesday night. The team, as a whole, lacked any real creative spark or drive. There was no passion, and we allowed Bolton to dictate the tempo of the game. Each player seemed to be playing at 50%, and the most disappointing aspect was that there seemed to be no thought as to how best to break down the opposition. Time and again we would win the ball, only to give it away through a sloppy pass or a wild defensive clearance. We gave away too many fouls, including a completely unnecessary penalty, which in itself was the result of one of the aforementioned wild defensive clearances by William Gallas. It was as if the team was hungover, incapable of stringing a decent move together. On the rare occasions when Modric or Bale did manage to spark a bit of life into the midfield, there was simply no end product. It highlights our need for a top class striker (or, at the very least, for the return to fitness of Jermain Defoe) - it's all well and good having midfielders who can leave the opposition choking on their dust, but if our own strikers can't keep up with them to convert the chances that are created, it seems like a bit of a waste.
Don't get me wrong, the two goals we did score were terrific - an excellent run from Alan Hutton finished off with a delicious, curling effort from the edge of the area from the Scotsman's weaker left foot, and a delightfully timed volley from Roman Pavlyuchenko. Yet those moments really gave too much credit to our overall performance, which was undeserving of such moments of brilliance. It would not surprise me if Hutton's effort made the November goal of the month list, but I'm sure anyone associated with Tottenham would have traded it for a tap-in akin to one of the goals on Tuesday night if that meant that Tuesday night's performance went along with it. We can point to the absence of Rafael Van der Vaart and Aaron Lennon as a possible reason for the poor display. The presence of the former's skill and movement, and the latter's sheer pace and ability to terrorise defenders, would surely have given a lift to an otherwise lacklustre display. We can't expect Bale to be brilliant every game (even God had to rest on the Seventh day), and Modric gave a good account of himself. But what of the rest? Sandro did nothing of note, Kranjcar was a real disappointment, and neither the introduction of Bentley nor Huddlestone seemed to give any added impetus to the team. Palacios actually played rather well, and it was a little surprising to see him replaced at half time by Pavlyuchenko, who, aside from the consolation goal, was a peripheral figure. Yet the real criticism must lie with the defence: Assou-Ekotto's touch was about as subtle as napalm, and Gallas and Kaboul played with all the skill and experience of school-children, repeatedly committing needless fouls, hoofing the ball clear with no real aim at almost every opportunity, and, worst of all, failing to coordinate with each other on numerous occasions, leaving the Bolton attackers with acres of space in which to work. This was evidenced in all 4 goals - the ease with which the opposition broke free was in stark contrast with the tight marking and constant pressing that characterised the Inter game.
Perhaps this is the crucial point though. Perhaps we simply did not give Bolton enough respect. In fairness, even most Bolton fans would admit that their team is, at best, an average Premier League side. They certainly don't have the ambitions of the Tottenhams, the Manchester Citys, the Evertons and the Villas of the league. But they still have good players, as witnessed today. The result did not flatter them, it was a scoreline that they entirely earned. If anything, the two goals that we scored were something of an injustice to Bolton's overall performance.
I'm not going to sit here and say I think that Spurs are a terrible team because of that performance. Anyone who witnessed Tuesday's match will admit that, when on form, we have a side capable of competing with and beating the very best. What I do find frustrating is the regularity, or rather lack of it, with which we display such ability. We have struggled to really get going in the league this season, and this is cause for concern. As wonderful as our performances in the Champions League have been (the first leg against Young Boys and the first half of game 1 against Inter aside), and as free-flowing as the goals in that competition might have been, 13 goals in 11 premier league games is simply not good enough for a team who wish to challenge for a top 4 place, particularly when those goals have come at the price of 14 conceded. To put that in context, we have scored 13 goals in our last 4 Champions League games. Our defence is questionable, and we know this, but our strike force has given a magnificent account of itself in that competition. It is often argued that most European teams play at a slower pace to the Premier League, and this is why it is easier for English teams to score goals in European competitions. Yet Inter Milan have one of the best defensive records on the continent over the last few seasons. We put 6 past them in 2 games. How is it that we then failed to even score once against Wigan, at home, a team we beat 9-1 less than 12 months ago?! I can't answer that specifically, as I did not see that particular game myself, but I can suggest an idea or two in response to the performance I have just witnessed. Bolton were not quicker than us. On the rare occasion that we broke them down, we did so with style, looking dangerous and giving them little chance of response. Yet the crucial word here is 'rare'. We needed to put together 60 or 70 minutes like that, not the occasional 2-3 minute spell. We simply lacked the intensity demonstrated against Inter. This is not good enough, and above all, it's disrespectful. Why should we go out and play with such passion against Inter, and yet play with half that intensity against Bolton. Do they not deserve to face the best that we can produce? Are they not worthy of the performance that we gave on Tuesday?
We have a hugely talented squad, of that there is no doubt. You can blame injuries or fatigue as much as you like for performances such as today's, but ultimately our squad should be up to the task. Players will undoubtedly have off-days, but for the whole team to play that poorly is pretty unacceptable. If Chelsea, Arsenal and (albeit to a lesser extent this season) Man Utd can do it, there are simply no excuses for us. If not quite on the same level as those teams yet, we are certainly not far behind, and if we want to be considered their equals, then we have got to start acting like it. Seasons are not made or broken on individual performances. They are the result of 38 weeks of hard work. As great as Cup and European victories might be, the ultimate judgement of a successful season lies in the team's performance across the 3420 minutes of league football, and we would do well to remember this. We beat Inter Milan, and that was fantastic, but unless that is all we want to show for our season, we need to start playing with that level of intensity again in the league, just as we did last season. If not, our Champions League experience will be something of a one-hit wonder, and all the effort that has been put in to get the club this far will have been for nothing.
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