Saturday 2nd February 2002, 12.00pm

FA Premiership, Pride Park

DERBY COUNTY 1 (Morris 44)

Oakes - Barton, Higginbottom, Riggott, Zavagno - Ducrocq, Powell, Valakari (O'Neil, 80), Morris (Boertien, 75) - Christie, Ravanelli

Sheringham

Iversen

Taricco (Etherington 46)

Leonhardsen

Poyet

Sherwood

Davies (Anderton 65)

King

Richards

Perry

Sullivan

Subs not used: Kelly, Thelwell

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0

Referee: - Uriah “Heap of shite” Rennie

Attendance: - 27,721

Spurs put up yet another “non” performance and were beaten by a single goal by the worst team I have seen this season. While I am delighted that we are in the League cup final and have played well for the most part this season, we are in a worrying run which has seen us win just one league match our last eight and take only 5 points over this period to leave us looking more over our shoulder at the bottom three 7 points away as we are at the top 6 which are 10 points and more away.

These are the same players pretty much that were the heroes of Chelsea and let no crap about Derby having a new manager distract us from the fact that they were rubbish and only won the game because our players could do little more than turn up and ponce about this time.  Not good enough and for the first time under Hoddle were an insult to the badge.

Best away pub in the Premiership

Arriving at St Pancreas, the Spurs contingent was crowded out by a load of wanky public schoolboys and ex-pat Jocks who were forced on to our train to get up Scotland to watch some game played by other public schoolboys who are too fat to play football as their train from Kings Cross was cancelled.

As a result the train was packed and roasting hot. Getting out at Derby was a relief, as was finding the Brunswick open at 1015ish. The Brunswick for me is the best away pub in the Premiership, friendly staff, good atmosphere, good beer and the mixing of Spurs and Derby fans without any hassle. The one good thing about the result is that it could allow us another trip here next season!

The poor old awayday Jonah and I met up with Lynford, Haverhill Yid & Ben, as well as James Flinn & the pub rapidly filled with Spurs fans mixing amiably with the locals. Chiefy turned up later and as we walked to the ground we were fairly confident that we could get back to winning ways in the league.

Arriving in our seats we were surprised to see Leo running about in an Anderton less midfield (Shaggy had the flu and Sully had a calf strain and was only half fit). The rest of the team was as expected with Iversen – who is nigh on useless away from White Hart Lane – again chosen in front of Rebrov after his two in two record from our last two matches. Derby had a mixture of plodders and crap (Ravinelli excepted) – so bad that the arrival of the dwarf-shaped features of Warren Barton was seen as a cause for celebration.

The game kicked off with a swirling wind which whipped up 10 or so plastic bags and other bits of assorted litter on the pitch, the patterns of which, as they were blown up down and around, were often more interesting than the huff and puff of Derby and the softly softly of Tottenham.

Urinal Rennie takes his place amongst the most bollock-brained refs in the Prem and decided to book Sherwood for his first foul – again why can’t these idiots just apply the law. It was a foul, give the free kick and get on with it.

The Spurs fans started off noisily – competing well with the only noisy corner of the Derby ground, which for the first time since I have been coming here has several areas of empty seats. Derby pressed Spurs back early on - a victory of effort over talent – and had a couple of corners & Sully having to be alert to save at Christie’s feet to show for it.

Spurs settled into the match, but never looked convincing or threatened to take the game by the scuff of the neck. No urgency, and this against a team that we had managed 28 attempts on goal against back at the Lane in October. Our failure was one of intent, not talent.

We did manage to get the ball in the net when a Sheringham flick header from an Iversen cross went in, but some little no mark linesman ruled it out for offside. With ITV’s the Premiership giving over more time to people talking about Man U than they did showing highlights from the non-featured matches, I was not able to judge whether this was a correct decision.

In what was a desperate performance, midway through the half Spurs did manage to look half credible. Treacle who is still looking for his first Spurs goal after 85 appearances for Spurs did well to get on the end of an Iversen cross, but he could only head straight at the keeper. Soon after Treacle returned the compliment, this time for Leonhardsen – but Leo could only head straight at the keeper.

Sheringham had a couple of efforts – one a header on to the roof of the net from a Timmah cross and then a shot from the edge of the box, before the probably turning point of the match. Treacle, who had been unmercifully fouled throughout the whole of the first half was receiving attention on one of the few occasions Urinal Rennie awarded a foul in his favour. Sheringham took a quick free kick with their keeper in the back of the net wiping himself with a towel & Rennie ordered a goal kick after the ball curled just wide, but you just know that the cunt would have ordered a re-take if the ball had gone in. Good thinking by Ted, but he really should have got it on target.

And then it came. Derby worked the ball well thro the Spurs defence and Ravinelli held off Mr Ed to lay the ball back to Morris, who’s shot Sully managed to get a hand to but the ball squirmed from his grasp and trickled over the line before Richards to hammer it clear. A soppy goal to concede which deflated the mood at half time.

During half time Gorman worked with Etherington and it was clear he was to come on to give us a bit of pace down the left.

If the first half was poor, the second period was worse as Derby defended their goal advantage with spirit and purpose and our lack of urgency was not able to break them down. For much of the half, a second Derby goal looked as likely as Spurs goal and Sully did well again to save from Christie twice.

Too little & for the wrong man –Anderton was introduced at the expense of Davies and you can only think that Hoddle had forgot Poyet was playing as he was in the game so little as the reason why Davies was sacrificed. Still no sign of Rebrov until 10 minutes to go – you can’t have it both ways – moan about a small squad and then fail to make use of Rebrov

A Spurs corner in the second half that came to nothing

The best chance we had to equalise was right near the end when Etherington got beyond Barton and Sheringham swung and missed at his cross, before Poyet headed over the returned ball.

The final whistle came and not many of the fans bothered to acknowledge the half hearted applause from the few players that chose to applaud the fans from the halfway line & I have not seen Spurs fans as angry looking as this for ages.

The pissing rain on the way home did nothing to improve our mood, although it was reassuring to see that Rosie had not lost his touch – poncing a free can of Stella on the train home.

 

Not good enough – fail by giving 100% and there will be no problem from topspurs – but to be beaten by the other team wanting to win more is not good enough. While I’m fairly confident that we will get it right when it matters in the cups, everyone remembers Everton in 1995 and we are not destined to win fuck all unless they put in the effort and talent

The Word of Hod

"We had possession but didn't do enough to create chances with the possession we had. "It was a miserable feeling coming in 1-0 down at half-time when you've had that amount of possession but possession doesn't win games."

“It was an awkward time to come and play Derby. They were lacking in confidence and if John hadn't arrived, I don't think the support from the crowd would have been the same. They got their energies up for the players and were prepared to get behind them whereas a couple of weeks before it might have been a different story.

"But we knew about that, we spoke about it, that they would have an extra spring in their step and we would have to match it. We matched it in football terms in the first half but we didn't really have a driving force there. I just felt there was a little lack of real determination as a team to go out and win it. That's something we'll have to have against Bolton on Tuesday."

Sullivan (5/10) – Should have done better for the goal, but was ok otherwise

Perry (5/10) – On walking out of the ground I heard a Derby fan say “that Perry, just kicks it the way he is facing” and I could not sum up Mr Ed any better.

Richards (5/10) – Another shaky match. He does good stuff but you always feel over 90 minutes that there are a couple of cock ups waiting to happen.

King (6/10) – The most solid of our players anywhere on the pitch and is just about the only one to emerge from the game with any credit

Taricco (5/10) – Was persistently fouled in the first half and did not have much of an effect on the match, and was replaced at half time

Davies (6/10) – Remains a fine player, but did not have much joy again at wing back. With Poyet only going thro the motions, and already having swapped Leo and Davies around to good effect in the Cup at Fulham –Davies should not have been the one to make way for Anderton. A bad move by the manager unless Davies is carrying some sort of knock that we do not know about.

Sherwood (5/10) – Has been excellent since his return too to the first team but could not make much of an impact against Derby

Leonhardsen (5/10) – At least showed some effort which is difficult to criticise but without others showing similar effort with their greater talent, Leo could not make any impression

Poyet (5/10) – When Poyet scores, the whole world smiles with him. When Poyet does not score you wonder what he does for the whole match and how he is keeping Davies out of the young Welshman’s natural and best position.

Sheringham (5/10) – Another poor effort from Sheringham who appears to have a bagpuss effect on the team – when he is awake, everybody is awake. Would not be disappointed to see him given a rest for Leicester, although I would not want to be without him for the big cup matches.

Iversen (5/10) – Had to look up on the programme to remind myself who the other forward was – anonymous again away from the Lane.

Subs:

Anderton (6/10) – Not sure why he was left out, but did ok when he came on and hope he is fully refreshed for Tuesday in the Cup.

Etherington (6/10) – Did ok, but was mostly contained by Warren Barton and again you had the feeling that if Rebrov had have been given a whole half to strut his stuff, even at left wing back, he would have made more of an impact.

Rebrov (6/10) – Too little too late. He should have come on earlier and while Hoddle may go on about lack of numbers in the squad – he could have removed either of the “not interested” of Poyet or Sheringham or the “not good enough” Iversen to give Rebrov a go in a match like this.

Back to TOPSPURS

This report is copyright of TOPSPURS.com – do not us any of its contents on any other site or publication without permission.