Stoked off! Spurs blow two goal lead

It’s a sign of the big money sloshing around even the Premiership’s nether regions when Stoke City have made almost three times as many signings as Spurs by the time these two met. Stoke showed up at the Lane with at least 4 Champions league winners, including Xherdran Shaqiri. Then again, Liverpool signed a Champions league winner in Mario Balotelli and I’m probably more popular on Merseyside than he is right now. Understandably, there is something exciting about bringing in players from Barcelona and Inter Milan, even if they turn out to be crap, or worse, just as good as our Academy graduates and it is hard for Spurs fans not to cast envious glances as one exotic signing after another pitches up at whichever premiership club they seem to have picked out of a hat. ‘Why didn’t Spurs sign that one?’ goes the cry after a few good games or even one good season. Michu anyone? Been there, done that, got the crap T-shirts. Alas! No more trolley dash. Every penny counts. There’s a big stadium to build you know. Anyway I’d at least wager a Euro cent that Clinton N’jie will end up being a bigger Premiership star than the Stokesy lot once Senor Pochettino does his magic on him.

Stoke had become a bit of bogey team for Spurs recently and took six points off the last season, the same amount by which a Champions league spot was missed. There was enough trepidation prior to kick off to wish for anything other than a defeat. In the circumstances, Spurs actually played quite well. Eric Dier once again acquitted himself very well in central midfield two good goals were scored and more should have been scored.

While the match turned on an uncharacteristic mistake from Toby Alderwiereld, this match showed up a couple of worrying signs. Harry Kane showed enough to suggest that in overall play, he could be even better than last season. He however needs to score within the next two games to ensure his mind is not affected by thoughts of a drought. That’s the good news. The bad news is that woe betide Spurs if he sustains an injury that causes him to miss two or more matches in a row. Daniel Levy is adept at transfer window brinksmanship but he simply has to get at least once out and out goal scorer in or he will be playing roulette with Spurs season. A like for like replacement on Saturday would have allowed Spurs to keep pressure on Stoke rather than allowing them to pile forward which transferred the pressure on Spurs. It doesn’t help that although Chadli scored, the front three behind Kane did not offer a consistent goal threat.

The second worrying issue was also on display last at Old Trafford. This is the apparent dropping of heads when a goal is conceded. While it is understandable to want to protect a one goal lead, a team aspiring to challenge the big boys should roll up it’s sleeves, regroup rapidly and focus on seeing the game out. Stoke did not equalise because they had better players on the pitch. Spurs simply allowed heads to drop and panicked. This was a team that specialised in last minute winners last season. Thy need to rediscover a swagger that says even if you come back to two all, we’re coming to get you.

All said, since I am a glass half full kind of writer, here is the positive spin, but for a couple of individual mistakes, Spurs could arguably have four points from their opening two games and no one would have said they were undeserved. And they are above Chelsea. I reckon Pochettino’s philosophy is in reasonably good nick. They’ll get into a groove soon enough. If not, just blame in on the pretty club doctor. Well, if it’s a good enough excuse for Jose…

Next up, Leicester city, the return of the Tinkerman. Should be fun.

Lucky Devils!

The Premiership's back! you readers are back! and I am back! So all is well. 

It’s been a weird summer at the Lane, players being sold by the bucket load without anyone asking for a transfer and the one player we are desperate to shift (Adebayor) refusing to move an inch. Common sense signings have been made and Daniel Levy will no doubt indulge in his usual last minute brinksmanship to get Pochettino’s other targets. With the football now underway, we can leave the transfer speculation behind.

I am always intrigued when Louis Van Gaal and Pochettino go head to head. This is because, had David Moyes not made a right horlicks of the Manchester united job, LVG will likely had been Spurs manager and since Daniel Levy would never have sanctioned the kind of trolley dash he been indulged at Old Trafford, how he would have got on at the Lane will remain one of life's unsolved mysteries. LVG appears more tactically adaptable and is clearly good for a touch of drama and a soundbite. However, he still has much to prove in the premiership given how much he has spent. LVG was lucky to escape with a point the last time he visited White Hart Lane. However, his team handed us a good stuffing at Old Trafford. It is now three games without defeat against Pochettino’s Spurs.

This match was a bit of a slow burner which Manchester united were very fortunate to win thanks to the luckless Kyle Walker. United had once shot on target all afternoon and looked like a team still trying to fire up, while Spurs looked at times like they all needed a couple of cans of Red Bull to give them wings. Having said that, they made the more purposeful start, played well in patches and had United hanging on a bit at the end once they got over their awe of Bastian Schweinsteiger and actually pressed him.

                                     

All in all, it was an encourage start to Pochettino’s second season. United spent £83 million this summer to improve their team and there was barely a £5 note between the two teams. Toby Alderwireld settled into the defence well and it already obvious that the Spurs defence which conceded the same number of goals as relegated Burnley will be much improved this season. Kyle Walker, perhaps spurred on by the challenge of the energetic Kieran Trippier played a very good match and was unlucky to score the decisive own goal. Eric Dier, while probably not the long term solution to the central defensive midfield position acquitted himself well. Nabil Bentaleb has received a lot of plaudits for his play since breaking into the team at the end of the 2013 season. However, his occasionally has lapses in concentration and Saturday’s lapse at a time when Spurs were on the attack with the full backs supporting him was disastrous. Bentaleb had a poor game on Saturday but he is better than that and he appears to have the drive that will ensure he bounces back from Saturday.

Everybody knows Spurs need some reinforcement upfront. Dembele and Chadli covered and pressed well but did not stretch an untested United defence enough. With a bit more gusto in the attack, this match was winnable and that is the frustrating thing. It would have been nice to have got all our players in before the season started but this is the beast that the transfer window is and we’ll have to see what happens at the end of August.

One thing that bordered me was the way heads appeared to drop collectively after the goal as united enjoyed their best period of the game. Spurs scored lots of goals last season, many in the last minutes of games so heads should never drop. At one - nil, against a side desperate not to lose, they are always still in the game.

Next up, those friendly bruisers from Britannia, Stoke. They took six points off Tottenham last season. We’ll like those six points this season please. Thanks.