Sunday 10th March 2002, 4.00pm

FA Cup 6th Round, White Hart Lane

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0

Sullivan
King
Richards (Rebrov 62)
Gardner
Davies
Sherwood
Poyet
Anderton (Taricco 62)
Ziege
Sheringham
Ferdinand

Subs not used: Keller, Perry, Etherington

CHELSEAh4 (Gallas 12, Gudjohnssen 2 (49, 66), Le Saux 54)

Cudicini, Melchiot, Babayaro, Desailly, Gallas, Le Saux, Lampard, Petit, Gronkjaer (Dalla Bona 80), Gudjohnsen (Jokanovic 84), Hasselbaink (Forssell 89). Subs Not Used: de Goey, Zola

Referee: - A D'Urso (Billericay).

Attendance: - 32,896

Spurs crashed out of the FA Cup with our biggest ever home Cup defeat and the second 4-0 defeat in a week in a dismal afternoon against a load of wankers at White Hart Lane.

Spurs lined up with Davies in at right wing back and Gardner in for Thatcher at left centre back – both very popular moves with the Tottenham fans, and Hoddle was not to be disappointed with the performances of these two, who along with King and possibly Anderton were the only ones to emerge from the match with any credit.

Gary Doherty has probably heard how great it is in Block 27 and before the match he emerged to take a seat near the front of the stand to the adulation of those who recognised him. Lets hope him and Carr are back soon.

Chelsea must have won the toss and decided to upset the normal pattern of Park Lane/Paxton attacking for Tottenham by reversing the ends & rain started to fall as the game kicked off on a blustery afternoon.

The match was littered with carry overs from the previous match in the first few minutes and all sorts of tackles were going in from both sides, but it was very clear that Chelsea were well up for this one. Sheringham had the first chance of the match, but he looked unconvincing as he lifted a Ziege cross over the bar. Richards was lucky to get away with only a booking when he could not cope with Gudjohnson just outside the box as he was in on goal. Nothing of the shambles of Weds night at Old Trafford, although there was a big kick off when Pony head Petit went into the ref to get Richards sent off – what a wanker, once a goon….. We escaped when Hasawank hit his free kick into the wall and we cleared.

The reprieve was short-lived as Sully for some reason stretched to get a Hasawank corner, but rather doing the old fashioned safe thing of finger tipping the ball over the bar for another corner, he flicked it the other way into play. The ball hit Melchiot spindly legs and bounced back across the 6 yard line and Gallas appeared to knock it in from a yard. It was a shite goal to concede and Sully must take his share of the blame. Again we were left chasing an important game by conceding the first goal and we do not come back that often!

We took a while to get back to our rhythm and Chelsea looked the stronger side for about 10 minutes and could have gone further ahead when Hasawank and Gudjohnson played a one two and while Sully and Richards dithered, Hasawank nipped in to prod the ball goalwards. Fortunately the ball hit the bar and went to safety but our two are not looking like retaining his player of the year award or justifying his £8.1m price tag.

After this Spurs had our best spell of the match coming up to half time as the niggle went out of the game and the football took over. We had plenty of half chances and nearly’s but the one we should have equalised with fell to Ferdinand and just as in recent weeks, when we really needed him to score – he did n’t. Davies worked the ball to Anderton, who swung an inviting cross to Ferdinand who was unmarked 12 yards out at the back stick, but although he did well to guide his header downwards and away from the keeper – he only hit the post and they cleared. If that had of gone in who knows – it did n’t and we’re out!

In injury time at the end of the half. Another good ball in from the left from Ziege found Sheringham, but again – like and earlier 20 yard free kick, just found the Paxton without actually looking like he was going to score.

At half time we were down but very much still in the game – but we needed to score the next goal. Spurs started the second half brightly, possibly too well as Gudjohnsen sprung an offside trap leaving himself one on one with Sully. This time last year – Sully was brilliant in one on ones, denying allsorts of Garliced Goons in the Semi, but this time he had no answer and Gudjohnsen scored in the end where his old man missed the penalty in 1984.

2-0 down was bad – but we were doing ok and if we got one back there was definite hope for an equaliser – that was until Sherwood stepped in. Sherwood has been called many things in his time at the Lane but since the semi was undergoing a mini revival with decent performances – but all that ended when he mishit a pass to the putrid Le Saux on the edge of our box. England’s 6th choice left back fired home and that was that – two was difficult but do-able, three was all over. Sherwood lay face down on the turf for a while after the goal – no one went over to him.

Soon after this – the lino that was copping a lot of stick for missing what many people thought was an offside for the second goal, called the ref over and handed him what looked like a metal object thrown from the crowd. Whoever did this you are a fucking prick and if anyone saw them do it, shop them – we cannot afford these cunts in the ground spoiling the good name of Tottenham. Reading between the lines, I think we are on a last warning on this, and if the little nobodies in black take this further I think we are going to be done by the FA. Just hope that it is a fine rather than matches behind closed doors or a points deduction. Knowing them it will be all three & being banned from the FA Cup!

Hoddle did n’t think it was all over and removed Richards for Rebrov. This was interesting in as much that he kept Gardner and King on the pitch but removed his £8m signing who was meant to be “leading the defence”. I have not been Richards biggest fan and while he tries his best he is not very good – Perry with bells was how I viewed him and while I take no pleasure that he is not doing well, I am relieved to see that the money thing has not blinded Hoddle who kept his two best defenders on the pitch.

Opinions vary on Rebrov – this round last year he was the big hero getting two goals as we polished off West Ham on a rainy afternoon in East London – but great moments like this have been few and far between. Soon after it was a lot worse, without Richards we were stretched at the back and another through ball from a break from a Spurs attack sent Gudjohnson thro and he scored again. A load of part timers left – leaving the die hard real Spurs fans to grin and bear the final 25 minutes of what was becoming an embarrassment.

One bright spot of the last few minutes was the red card for Le Saux, who did a dangerous lunge on Treacle who’d come on to rest Anderton’s hamstring. No doubt the papers will somehow work this so that Treacle is the villain.

In the last 10 minutes, those that remained sang “Glenn Hoddle’s Blue and White army” – and all credit to them – although I hope this is the last time for a while we have to do it in defiance at the wrong end of a 4-0 score line. In injury time, the luckless Sheringham sent a good header goalwards, only for Cudicini to produce a fine save.

A day to forget – but lessons to be learnt by Hod and the board when we are building for next season.

The Word of Hod

"If anything we were over-committed. We didn't pass the ball anything near like we know we can, we played too long and too passionate, with too much commitment. I am disappointed with the way we gave away the goals and the fact we have been knocked out of the competition, but I am more disappointed that we never gave ourselves a chance in the sense of the way we normally play here.

"If anything we were too hyped up for the game, if you can be too hyped up. It doesn't help that the pitch is not a nice passing surface, but that is not why we lost today. We shot ourselves in the foot with the goals we conceded; we could have averted all of four of them. If you do that in such a big game you are going to pay the price, and we did. We weren't at our best and we didn't perform well enough to win the game Chelsea deserved to win."

Sullivan (5/10) – Another error for the first goal and although he did a couple of decent saves later in the match, we cannot afford errors like these which

Gardner (7/10) – The major plus point of the match was the performance of Ant who looked excellent defending and comfortable with the ball. We need him to stay injury free and then it is perm any one of Doc, Perry or Richards for the other centre back spot with Ledders.

Richards (5/10) – Not good enough too often

King (7/10) – Like Gardner, had a good game despite the score line.

Ziege (5/10) – Not really on his game today, and when he is not firing, his “relaxed” playing style does not go well with defeat.

Davies (7/10) – Gave a spirited display on the right but was let down by his elders and better paid members around him. Glad Hod has given him back his position as right wing back and I hope he retains it

Anderton (6/10) – Did ok in the match - ran and battled hard and is the only senior player than comes out of the match with any credit

Sherwood (4/10) – Fucked up bigstyle for the killer goal and while he got stuck in, that moment was decisive

Poyet (5/10) – Did ok but was not good enough on the day

Ferdinand (5/10) – Missed another crucial chance, and while his other play was ok – this was a major factor is Spurs losing again.

Sheringham (5/10) – His touch has deserted him and his lack of form is dragging the rest of the team down. I just hope and pray he rediscovers it soon

Subs:

Rebrov (6/10) – Did some nice touches but was only on the pitch when the game was lost

Taricco (6/10) – Did ok

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