Beware the ides of March... Spurs death march continues with a trip to Anfield, where we have only won 3 times in the past 113 years. Amazingly, Igor Tudor will get another opportunity to pick the wrong team and play the wrong tactics. Romero and Palhinha are unavailable because they are in the concussion protocol, Vdv is suspended, and Bissouma is not available. For some reason, the idiot manager brought on Palhinha Wednesday with the side trailing 5-1.
From the mouth of Igor Tudor: The ownership is the ownership. The club is there. The owner is the owner. They are always right and they do what they want with the club. It is always like that but the problems are of everyone. Not just the player or the coach or the staff it is everyone’s problem. Remind you of anybody?
I knew Romero would find a way to be unavailable. Such a great captain. It would be so Spurs to get some kind of result here. Or to get hammered again.
It was the spursiest thing that 2 of our players would concuss each other in stoppage time of a 5-2 game.
Vicario Sarr Danso Dragusin PedroPorro Souza Gray Spence Tel Solanke Richarlison Simons, KoloMuani, and kids on the bench.
2 goalies on an incomplete bench. No defenders at all that I recognize*. Things are really, really bad. Looks like back 3 with Porro RCB. Difficult with so few fit players, but I still don't understand Sarr over Xavi. Gallagher didn't make it. At least the traffic cone RKM is dropped. * I needed Google, but apparently Rowswell is a defender.
I say this with all earnestness, we should take the 3-0 forfeiture result. There are only bad outcomes from this match in the form of suspensions or injuries.
We've created some decent chances. And while we haven't been exactly tight, we've not been as wide open as in weeks (months) past. It's been quite a bit better than what I'd expected, and while you wouldn't bet on it, a result isn't out of the question.
HT 1-0 Szobiszlai scores from a free kick that should never have been, but Vicario with a limp-wristed attempt fails to claw out the ball, which was closer to the middle of the goal.
Richarlison with a couple of headed chances, one wide and one saved by Alison. Souza with a long range strike forces another save. Why Simons is not in the XI is beyond me.
We've been much better in the second half. Pressured the ball well, compared to what weve seen. You've got to wonder if we'll run out of gas in the next ten minutes or so.
Tuned in for the 2nd half... and we've not been awful, but certainly not good, either. Finally a draw away. If we can hold it for these last several minutes... well, it matters.
Commentators acting like this saves Spurs. No, silly boys. It's better than a zero and definitely an acceptable outcome on the day. But, we will be asked questions to the last day of the season, IMO.
That's far, far better than an acceptable outcome, given the dynamics at play. We were well worth that point. Had we played like that at all over the last month+, we'd be singing Tudor's praises. And if we play that way going forward, we'll be fine. But will we?
FT 1-1, Richie saves it with a goal in the 90th minute from some great hold-up play by Muani. It wasn't always pretty, but finally some spirit from the group.
So it’s stations held at the bottom then which is far more than I expected from this weekend. Next weekend might decide Spurs fate.
Get in!!!! Something to build on, at last. Sometimes it's about narrative and momentum - this result is a chance to change that.
Danso was quite good today. Dragu less so, but not awful. Still, a better combined performance from our centerbacks than anything the Romero/VdV combo has given us in 2026.
I think it was Tim Howard (though it may have been Robbie Earle) who said prematch that Tudor apparently 'doesn't trust him'. Or maybe he just doesn't rate him, but I'd guess Tim was right. Have a look at the Liverpool break (the one coming off of our corner) in the last minute of stoppage time. When the ball falls to Liverpool, only two Spurs players are 'behind' him on the pitch. They break, and everyone's hauling ass back (or forward, in Liverpool's case) ... except Simons, who starts back, puts in a few hard steps, and resumes a more leisurely pace. He's got the freshest legs on the pitch, and by the time they get a shot off, there are seven Spurs players behind him. At a huge - potentially decisive - moment in the match. If you watch it, it's not exactly inspiring. I certainly agree that Xavi appears to have more in his locker than most everyone else in a Spurs shirt. You can see it often. But far less often (as in, almost never) do you see it bear fruit. He's been as guilty of careless touches and giveaways as any of them (and they've all been plenty guilty). In short, and not unlike the rest of the squad, he's been pretty shite all year, even if he's looked a bit better at it. Now, I don't say that to rip Xavi. I agree that he is (or at least should be) better than most of what we have. I'm not saying he shouldn't start. And I wouldn't be complaining if he did. I want him to succeed, obviously. But the manager - who is clearly trying to impress upon this fragile squad of lace doilies the importance of effort and commitment - sees him every day. And if what he's seeing (and I'm not saying it is) is anything like those last moments in today's game, well ... that might help solve the mystery, anyway.
Of course, it was Xavi who took off Richie for that corner, brought on a defender, and then only left 2 men back, knowing full well we could be vulnerable to a counter.
That's really not the point, is it? I'm not blaming Xavi for their late break; only for his effort. But you know, f*ck it. You're right. It's a total mystery as to why Xavi didn't start. Utterly inexplicable. He's been awesome.
Right, says the bloke who rates Davies and other shit players. Why do you only call out Xavi? He was the only player in our attack who actually kept the ball and didn't give it away. Tel was shit, Solanke was shit, Gray and Sarr couldn't complete a pass to save their lives.
Do you even process anything that doesn't fit your narrative? Read the post. "They've all been plenty guilty" ... "not unlike the rest of the squad" (he's been shite). I'm not 'calling out Xavi'. I was simply responding to your utter mystification as to why he didn't start. If you had said "why Kolo Muani isn't in the XI is beyond me", I suspect that I might have suggested a potential answer for that, as well. And really, who the f*ck are you to suggest that anyone shouldn't call out a player? You do it all the time. You rate the rubbish players ... Richarlison: played 105, 23 goals, 12 assists Tel: played 30, 4 goals, 1 assist Odobert: played 32, 3 goals, no assists Johnson: played 99, 26 goals, 14 assists That's you not only ripping players, but posters on here for liking them. Well, here's one for ya: Xavi: 24 prem matches, 1 goal, 4 assists. Now, I'm not going to criticize you for liking him. But by the criteria that you use to call our players shite, he's been f*cking shite, mate. I agree that he's got qualities that have only shown in flashes. I hope he comes good. I'd love that. But get off your effing high horse. If I want to like Davies, I effing will, whether you rate him or not. Frankly, he's done 20 times more good for this club than Xavi, and I've never seen him jogging in a crucial moment - or any moment, for that matter. And if you can't bear anyone commenting on such a blatant lack of effort, maybe a footy message board isn't for you. Or at least stop ripping on players, yourself. Have a look in the mirror, man.