Tottenham 3 City 0
One thing that we have been able to rely upon in recent games - when we have not been playing well - has been the ability to get back into games when required, something that has preserved our unbeaten run.
Not tonight though. Through a combination of our own lacklustre play (comfortably our most poor of the season) plus an impressive Tottenham performance, our unbeaten run came to a shuddering halt tonight at White Hart Lane as Tottenham laid their claim to be a far more likely candidate for a potential Champions League spot.
In the preview, I wrote that it was an intriguing match-up given how evenly matched both sides were. I was particularly interested in both sides going forward, given the pace and urgency available. Apart from the opening fifteen minutes though, the absence of Bellamy and Wright-Phillips ensured that it was only Tottenham who carried any purposeful threat in attack. Our lack of pace was telling, and Tevez and Ireland aside, we had little in the way of creativity or threat to carry the game to Tottenham, who played exactly the game I expected, and it was one we simply couldn't match.
Tottenham's wide players - Kranjcar and Lennon, emerged as the first half wore on, and aided by the industry of Huddlestone and Palacios were able to create opportunities. The first was scored by Kranjcar, after Lennon had again got the better of Sylvinho, and the second, a smart finish from Defoe after a long ball bemused both Onouha and Toure.
At 2-0, for a long time the game merely drifted, and it was only with the introduction of Santa Cruz, and latterly Petrov, that we managed to muster a threat to the Tottenham goal - most notably through Petrov's free kick and a good opportunity that Adebayor couldn't convert, and it was Tottenham, again through Kranjcar, who capped what was in truth a deserved and convincing victory.
From the highs of last week, we have come down to earth with a bump with only one point from two games which has now seen us slip to eighth place in the table and six points outside of the top four. There were more than a few home truths tonight about exactly where we are as a side, something that has been perhaps staved off in recent weeks.
The TV cameras focused heavily on Mark Hughes tonight, and post-match attention will inevitably fall on him too. Plenty to contemplate for him then as we now head into a crucial month or so of the season, a period which will really define the remainder of 2009/10 - and possibly, his future.
9 comments:
Good summary mate, fair reflection of the game. Surprised Santa Cruz and Petrov don't get more of a look in, as Robinho and Adebayor seem pretty vacant away from home for you guys.
Good game of football though, and glad my Spurs came out with the 3 points :)
Good Arfticle mate, although I think maybe it was more to do with a poor city side than a great spurs performance. As a spurs fan it has been nice to see this article along with one of the villa websites the other week giving an honest opinion of a game. I would have been worried if Bellamy or Wright Phillips had of played for you. Dawson had Adebayor in his pocket all game, tevez worked hard without any service and Ireland worked hard without having any options wide of him, you wont play that bad for a while though..
Spurs fan here just back from WHL. Good summary. However, the good times will roll at City and you lot deserve it. Only your second defeat of the season remember...I hope one of us makes the top four and breaks this Sky top four shit. Good luck to Citeh.
Good summary. I feel that after spending such an amount of money on established premier league players, the team struggled and didn't show any sign that it is top 4 team! The number of draws are just ridiculous and the performance against spurs was a disaster. Hughes is a great guy but still lacks the experience in managing a bunch of stars in my opinion. For us to prosper, only 1 solution. Sack Hughes and get someone like Hiddink (which we can afford).
I'm sorry but change of manager is a short-sighted solution at best, especially as there are no readily available managers who would actually be an upgrade over Hughes. Hiddink's ties are too tight to Abramovich for him to come to City and anyone who really believes a fervored ego like Mourinho would consider coming to City are deluding themselves. There's plenty of time for Hughes to sort it out. Impatience is our biggest enemy. A change of manager is not the only solution.
As someone who's been crying out for patience with Hughes from day 1, last night was a bit of a turning point for me. Hughes' tactical lack of awareness scares the Hell out of me. When Steve Claridge (!) Can see a problem with De Souza not pulling his weight and the manager can't, I get the fear.
Why is Hughes so afraid of making changes before 60 minutes? Great managers admit when their system is wrong and amend it to make it work. Hughes really doesn't ever do this. Once we're on our way to defeat, there seems to be no way off it. I am deeply concerned for our chances of even Europa qualification.
Money can't buy you love. City have spent millions on superstars but they don't love the club and certainly don't love playing on a freezing cold rainy Wednesday night. I'm a spurs season ticket holder and watching some of your players efforts last night, especially robinho, was laughable. I don't think that 4-3-3 formation works for city either. You'll get there, as we are striving to do also, but you need a core of committed players not a heartless bunch of expensive mercenaries.
I worry that Hughes, in trying to accomodate the array of attacking talent we have, is failing to get the best out of Stevie Ireland. The fact that he has started so few games and hasn't had the impact that he had last season reflects poorly on the manager. He's an exceptionally talented player who has the club in his heart, exactly the kind of character that can drive the club forward. IMO the team should be built around a central midfield 3 of Ireland, De Jong & Barry, which would give us the steel and the artistry to compete.
Ummar01
While we need to get Vincent back producing the form he showed last season, you're right that our best midfield combination is Ireland pushing forward, Barry holding, and de Jong deep - almost a sweeper. If we can see it...
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