Tag: Tottenham

Sometimes games just come down to raw qualities like hunger.

Sometimes it just comes down to who wants a 50-50 more, a loose ball more, the game more.

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Tottenham’s players won more of their duels with a disappointing Manchester United and deservedly won this Premier League game.

Djed Spence, the player of the match, was too quick and determined for Bruno Fernandes with a couple of runs down the left.

Lucas Bergvall, outstanding for an hour from box to box, ghosted past Joshua Kirkzee.

James Maddison ran back and slid in on Rasmus Hojlund, reclaiming possession, and triggering roars of approval from Spurs fans and sighs amongst the long-suffering United support.

Ben Davies comfortably won a 50-50 with Zirkzee. Pedro Porro muscled Bruno far too easily off the ball late on.

Spurs won because more of their players stood up to be counted than United’s did.

And when Spurs looked to be flagging, their supporters sensed the danger and lifted them over the finishing line with long bellows of encouragement.

Ange Postecoglou was also able to freshen the team up with a raft of subs.

Tottenham’s head coach has been saying for months that he and his team can be properly judged only when he has more of his A-listers fit, and they looked so much the better with Guglielmo Vicario back in goal, making three good saves, and Maddison back in midfield, always positive, always looking to pass forward and scoring a poor game’s only goal.

Postecoglou was even smiling afterwards.

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The only negative for him was the sight of Rodrigo Bentancur icing his knee afterwards. The only other negative for the club was the sizeable protest outside the ground before kick-off of fans voicing their anger with the chairman, Daniel Levy.

There were sporadic chants against him during the game and also two more banners held up in the South Stand and East Stand after the final whistle.

In front of them, the advertising hoardings promoted six concerts being hosted at the stadium by Beyonce. It rather reinforced the Spurs fans’ point that their magnificent stadium has become as much about gigs as football.

If Beyonce generates fortunes for the club, according to Levy sympathisers, then the football and team benefit.

It’s not a flawless argument as Spurs fans demand more substantial investment in the squad. Injuries leave them exposed.

Another advertisement rolling across the pitchside boards was for INEOS, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s petro-chemical company who co-own United.

His head coach, Ruben Amorim, could point to his lack of options with players sold, loaned or injured, and the latest loss of Amad Diallo and Kobbie Mainoo is particularly frustrating for United’s head coach.

Diallo has been Amorim’s best player. Mainoo is a vital part of their future.

The two rows behind Amorim resembled a sixth-form college and a supply teacher from Sweden. Eight teenagers and Victor Lindelof.

Given United’s travails, why not give some of them a chance? Would 19-year-old Sekou Kone have been less of a presence in deep midfield than Casemiro, a shadow of his former athletic self?

Would Chido Obi-Martin, the 17-year-old Danish forward, have done less than Hojlund?

You won’t win anything with kids? History has shown that’s debateable and they would certainly show some more fight.

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Maybe Amorim simply didn’t want to throw youngsters into a confidence-free, losing team but the history of United is about backing youth, albeit usually with stronger characters around them.

Maybe Amorim was simply making the point about the need for as much investment as PSR permits in the summer.

His one addition to date, Patrick Dorgu, began at left wing-back, where he is far more at home than on the right where Amorim had tried him out.

Dorgu did okay, was quick and mobile, willing to overlap although his runs were ignored a couple of times by Alejandro Garnacho.

But Dorgu was caught out when Spurs, having been grateful to Vicario for denying Hojlund and Garnacho, raided upfield after 13 minutes.

Porro sent Bentancur down the right, and the Uruguayan holding midfielder’s appearance wide startled Dorgu. Bentancur’s cross reached Heung-Min Son, who picked out Bergvall. Andre Onana couldn’t hold the stinging drive, and Maddison played the poacher and then the darts-thrower.

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His usual celebration was a poignant dart back at those who’d criticised him.

United’s defending was poor. Matthijs de Ligt didn’t react, partly because Maddison ran from deep, and also because he was now playing left of the back-three with Lisandro Martinez injured.

Up front, United had no cutting edge. Garnacho shot over, Hojlund spent too much of the game playing with his back to goal, not turning and running in behind, and he had the pace to beat Davies.

A stretching Zirkzee headed wide when Hojlund was better placed, which summed up United’s lack of composure and communication.

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Amorim finally gave Obi-Martin three minutes of added time. Like Obi-Martin, Amorim himself deserves more time, for all the critical headlines.

But United are a hard watch at the moment, appearing to lack belief in their manager’s system.

Lacking hunger is their responsibility, and they failed to match Spurs’.