The Bordeaux
friendly in the picturesque town of Albertville
saw the first team debuts of Assou-Ekoto and a Bulgarian striker called Dimitar
Berbatov. As the players lined up at the start I struggled to recognise the
tall forward, as I had only seen him from pictures, and after ninety minutes,
wasn’t particularly impressed with his performance. Tottenham earned a
comfortable 2-1 victory at the start of what is always no more than a warm-up
period; Albertville will be best remembered for the stunning views from the
stadium than for the football on a rain and wind swept night.
Twenty four hours later Tottenham
gained an equally comfortable 1-0 victory against a poor Nice side in an
equally impressive stadium in the small town of Evian (yes, that from which the water is
bottled). As is the norm in pre-season friendlies more of the squad gained a
run-out. I received a lift from the local golf club to the stadium in a golf
cart from a lady who thought I and others were actually Spurs players.
I’m not sure what she thought when she saw us pay to enter the stadium.
The summer training camp ended
with another victory a few days later. A 2-0 win against Portuguese outfit
Celta Vigo in the town of Annecy
ensured that Tottenham headed back to Blighty in good spirits. Assou-Ekoto
looked assured in these friendlies while Berbatov did not. It just goes to
show that pre-season games should never be taken too seriously.
Next up was an oddly arranged
friendly at recently relegated Birmingham.
It was noticeable that the regular away supporters did not attend the
comfortable 2-0 victory. Both goals were scored by Berbatov, the second an
absolute screamer, as fans started to see why Spurs paid £10.9m for his
services. The regular pre-season game at Stevenage
followed a few days later and a 3-0 win made it five out five in pre-season.
Spurs could have scored any number of goals as we looked to prepare for the
season ahead in style.
A prestigious home friendly
against Inter Milan followed but the game failed to live up to expectations
as Spurs won 2-1 against an Italian team who saw the game as nothing more
than a stroll in the sunshine. A trip to Borussia Dortmund’s wonderful
Westernfallen-Stadion followed as the Germans ended our winning run with a
hard fought 1-1 draw. With a ticket that cost €10, the largest terrace
in Europe at the other end, the ability to drink beer in the stand, 50,000 in
attendance with 1,500 Spurs fans all standing and a wonderful atmosphere for
a friendly match, England
and the Premiership have a lot to learn when it comes to ticket prices and
crowd segregation.
The warm-up was completed with an
2-1 home victory against Real Sociedad. Whilst pre-season matches abroad can
involve the best trips of the season (well, when we’re not in Europe anyway!) home friendlies are usually the dullest
and this match was as equally bad as the Inter Milan game. The highlight was
a winning goal by Michael Dawson – my player of the season.
Seven wins and a draw in
pre-season meant that Tottenham went into the opening game of the year in Bolton in good stead. I was worried though. The start
of the season in recent years has usually been the exact opposite of
pre-season. Thus a good pre-season did not necessarily bode well.
Poor League start
and UEFA Cup
A tea-time kick-off in the season
opener saw Tottenham succumb 2-0 at the Reebok Stadium, a ground where Spurs
have yet to produce a league victory. Two quick goals at the start of the
match showed a number of faults that was to haunt us throughout the season; a
weak opening goal conceded from a set-piece, a long range shot that beat
Robinson with ease, and an inability to come back into the match against a
team who were stronger and more intelligent in midfield. Our inability to
stamp our authority on games is an inability to match and therefore break
into the elite group or “big four” in English football.
The start of a league season is
always very important and Tottenham bounced back quickly with a 2-0 home
victory against a poor Sheffield United team. It was probably our easiest
league win of the season against an outfit who were still struggling to come
to terms with life in the Premiership. Berbatov opened his account for the
Lillywhites as we gained our first three points of the campaign.
Everton travelled to White Hart Lane
without a victory in N17 for twenty one years to the very day in Spurs’
next League game. It came as no surprise therefore that we ended their run
with a 2-0 defeat. Despite only having ten men in the second half Everton
soon learnt that to beat Tottenham a team has to press hard in midfield, to
limit our attacking options to poor passing movements only. That stops our
scoring ability and eventually we will buckle and leak goals. We never looked
like getting back into the game and three points from a possible opening nine
wasn’t what the doctor ordered as we broke for internationals.
Old Trafford was next and the
obligatory 1-0 defeat followed. I’ve probably been to Manchester
United’s ground more than any other outside White Hart Lane due to England’s
appearances there, and it is one my favourite. Unfortunately Tottenham go
there in awe and fear and end up with a defeat. This time, although we
conceded another poor goal early on we had lots of possession for the
remainder of the game, and some good chances but, as usual, we failed to
convert them.
In spite of our poor league start
Spurs supporters had been looking forward all season to our first competitive
venture abroad for eight years and it duly came with a trip to Slavia Prague.
An excellent 1-0 victory capped with a long range shot from Jenas sent the
supporters home in raptures. It wasn’t a great performance but hard
fought nonetheless and the away goal crucial. It was to be the first of many
great European trips throughout the course of the season – thousands of
fans singing in Wenclas (sic) Square, a wonderful city and a great night life.
A thoroughly enjoyable trip, the highlight of which was getting free food and
drink in the VIP section of the stadium after the match.
Back in the bread and butter of
the league a rare 0-0 draw at home to Fulham followed. Out of all our matches
in the season it is one that I struggle to recall, and the scoreline suggests
why. We had a few chances at the end but struggled to break down a stubborn
Fulham and so a trip to Anfield in our next match was vital as we looked for
some League points.
Another game against one of the
top sides, another match decided in a moment of madness. After an hour of
good football with chances for both sides, a break down the side of the pitch
saw Jenas put through with the goal at his mercy but agonisingly he put the ball
wide when he should have scored. As I stood right behind the goal I knew that
was the defining miss of the game and, from the resulting goal kick, Liverpool rushed up the other end and scored. They
added two more for a 3-0 victory. Unfair but yet another good away
performance against a top side resulted in no points. Until Spurs learn to
win at the top sides we won’t become a truly top side again.
We needed something positive to
happen and it came with the UEFA Cup first round second leg at home to Slavia
Prague. Another game that will be remembered for the result than for the
ninety minutes of football resulted in another 1-0 victory. A 2-0 aggregate
win meant that Spurs could at least look forward to the group stages of the
UEFA Cup even if our Premiership season had got off to the worst possible
start.
The Winter Months
With just four points from our
opening six league games Spurs needed a win from anywhere and it duly came at
the start of October. A 2-1 victory over Portsmouth was just what was needed but it
didn’t come easily. We raced into a 2-0 lead early on but Pompey pulled
a goal back towards the end of the first half and, as happened throughout the
season, we struggled to kill them off. A nervous finish ensued but we held on
for the points.
A trip to Villa
Park followed and, on an emotional afternoon for me personally
after last season’s trouble at this ground, Spurs threw away two points
as a late Villa goal earned them a 1-1 draw. We were the more dominant team
but could not find a breakthrough in the first seventy minutes much to
everyone’s frustration. We were then reduced to ten men with twenty
minutes to go but took the lead thanks to a bizarre own goal. At this stage
however we sat back, let Villa come at us, and a cracking goal from their
central defender with ten minutes earned them the point. Many supporters felt
we had no choice but I personally felt we were far too negative in this
period, sat far too deep, and because of this two points were lost.
In a hectic season Spurs travelled
to Istanbul
for their first group match in the new UEFA Cup format against an unknown
Besiktas side. Despite losing £300 or so the night before the game in the
heart of the Turkish city the trip turned into one of the best I’ve
ever experienced. Spurs won 2-0 by producing what was one of the best away
performances I’ve seen for years. Against some of the passionate fans
I’ve heard we dominated the game for ninety minutes, probably the only
time we did so for a whole match in the entire season. Our passing was
sublime but what made the night was the movement off the ball and our control
of the game in midfield through crisp tackling and movement on the ball in
midfield. Only eight hundred Spurs fans travelled to Turkey for the match; past football violence
in Turkey
as well as cost resulted in a number of Tottenham supporters declining to
make the trip. Those that didn’t attend missed out on a spectacle that
they will rarely get to see again.
Back in the Premiership a few days
later as Spurs scrapped a 1-0 victory against London rivals West Ham. It was a typical
hard fought derby game with an excellent Mido winner late on in the first
half. The Hammers sat back throughout and Spurs struggled to break them down
although we did create a number of chances late on.
With more points in the bag Spurs
travelled to Milton Keynes for our opening
match in the League Cup at the MK Dons. My views on such a team can be seen
in my AFC Wimbledon article but suffice to say I was not particularly happy
at travelling to a team who, in my opinion, should not be allowed to play in
the Football League. Spurs had to be careful after the defeat at Grimsby a season earlier
and duly obliged with a 5-0 victory, our biggest of the season. Whilst the scoreline
suggests it was easy the goals came in a flurry and, on a rainy night, MK
Dons has numerous chances and could have quite easily pulled two or three
goals back.
Tottenham travelled to Watford to end October and another poor League display resulted
in a drab 0-0 draw. The highlight of the match was Watford
somehow blazing the ball over the bar from five yards out when they should
have scored. Tottenham did create two or three good chances and were kept at
bay by a lively Watford keeper. However
failing to win at the worst side in the League does not make a top four side
and Spurs left Vicarage Road
with another two points dropped.
Into November and three home games
on the spin starting with Club Brugge in the UEFA Cup. Despite Brugge taking
an early lead Tottenham fought back well and secured an excellent 3-1 victory
to all but confirm further qualification in Europe.
It was an excellent match and a good performance against a Belgian side with
a decent European pedigree. In patches, in matches…we have looked
fantastic this season with some sublime passing and movement, but just not on
a consistent basis.
All of a sudden we were on an
eight game unbeaten run and up next was a visit from Chelsea, the Champions.
I have written in depth before about the importance of overcoming a bogey
team or run if we are ever going to truly progress. Much was written in the
media after this game about referring decisions. However, since our failure
to beat them in the League since 1990 and since 1987 at home Chelsea
have had many dubious decisions in their favour – none more so than
when Hasslebank stubbed his toe in the grass to earn Chelsea the winning penalty a few years
ago. Thus justice was repaid and a superb Spurs performance earned a fully
deserved 2-1 victory. Chelsea
started the stronger by taking the lead and finished the stronger by hitting
the woodwork but in between Spurs were the dominant force and showed that it
is possible to beat a top team by showing dominance in the midfield. Our
winner came courtesy of a superbly taken goal from Lennon; the run was
finally broken and Spurs marched on.
Next up was a League Cup tie at
home to Port Vale. Jol fielded a weaker side who were not able to cope with
the initial pressure. Vale played well for large parts and deservedly took
the lead after an hour. Jol then brought on the big guns and, just when it
looked like another Cup shock was on the card, we equalised and forced extra
time. Vale tired and we deservedly ran out 3-1 winners AET. No competitive match
is easy in modern football and Jol learnt a valuable lesson; never field a
weakened team as every match must be taken seriously. Jol did not make the
same mistake again in the rest of the season.
After three home games came three
away games on the bounce and Tottenham went to Reading on the back of a ten game unbeaten
run and full of confidence. We took an early lead in our first league game
with the Royals outside of the war years since 1930. However Reading stormed
back to end our unbeaten run with a 3-1 victory as Spurs fell apart. As
before in away games we thought we had won the game at 1-0 but weren’t
good enough to kill Reading
off and buckled under the pressure as soon as they equalised. The goals we
conceded were poor, we were completely overrun in midfield and, despite our
good run, we had still failed to register an away league victory. Our
inability to dominate teams once again cost us three vital points.
A week later we travelled to Blackburn for a Sunday afternoon game hoping to gain
that elusive first away league win. Matches against Rovers are always tight
and this one proved no different as we struggled but came away with a point
in a 1-1 draw. It won’t be a match that lives for long in the memory
and unfortunately was typical of modern day Premiership football. Tactical,
turgid with poor passing and little skill – football has regrettably
changed forever from what it once was. Blackburn’s
goal was another from long range that Robinson couldn’t handle.
Our third away game on the spin was
another UEFA Cup trip abroad, this time to Leverkusen
in Germany.
The town reminded me of Middlesbrough and
the ground was much of a muchness. Spurs also produced a much of a muchness
performance despite gaining the 1-0 win that confirmed qualification into the
latter knock-out stages. We started off well but then struggled in the second
half against a well marshalled German outfit. Despite five wins from five in Europe it was a sign of what was to come when pitied
against a top European outfit. The trip too was average – much like
going to Middlesbrough.
November finished with a home
match against Wigan Athletic. Away matches tend to stay longer in the memory
but it was another game in which we came from behind, this time from 1-0 down
to secure a 3-1 victory. The goals again came in a flurry and Spurs
eventually secured an easy win with some great football. A week’s break
followed before the start of a very busy December.
A 9-game December
Playing Arsenal, in any
competitive match, has to be taken out of context from the rest of the season
because of the fact that it’s the derby. In recent matches
though there have been much more riding on them and, in our last match
against our North London rivals, in our last
ever game at Highbury, we earned the point that secured European
qualification via the League for the first time in just over twenty years.
This time though the only added incentive was to try and gain our first away
league win of the season. Instead we arguably produced our worst performance of
the season as we succumbed to a 3-0 defeat. All of Arsenal’s goals were
contentious but this doesn’t excuse our lamentable showing against our
rivals. We didn’t pass well, we didn’t shoot, we didn’t
tackle – we did nothing and, even now, at the end of the season, this
defeat still rankles.
It was fortunate that a home game
soon followed and a 2-1 victory against a poor Middlesbrough
side quickly put to bed the Arsenal debacle. Once again Tottenham dominated
the game and took the lead but couldn’t kill Boro off and they pulled
it back to 1-1. We got a late winner to gain the three points but in a match
where our chances were in double figures we really needed to take more of our
chances.
To be fair to Spurs we learnt our
lesson as, just a few days later still, we thrashed an abysmal Charlton side
5-1. After a slow start Spurs clicked into gear and, with the goals coming in
patches, we clinched our second consecutive win in the League for the first
time all season. Consistency, as I’ve consistently stressed in this
column, is the key to success. Both in terms of back-to-back wins and killing
off a far inferior team Tottenham showed why we finished fifth this term, and
why we would have finished higher still if we had done the same throughout
the season.
Next up in the busiest month of
the season was our most pointless competitive match of the season, our final
UEFA Cup group match, at home to Dinamo Bucuresti. We won 3-1 with a
full-strength team that produced a virtuoso display. Flicks, tricks, great passing,
superb movement, wonderful goals – the team and crowd were on a high on
a nice December night. However when all is said and done the game was
pointless with the only aim trying to give Spurs a slight advantage in the
draw for the knockout stages. In my opinion Jol should have played a weakened
team against Dinamo and a full strength team against Port Vale. Perhaps
though the category “A” ticket prices for this UEFA Cup game in a
season where Spurs have milked the fans for all we’re worth forced
Jol’s hand.
The fifth game in December saw us
travel to Manchester
City on the weekend
before Xmas. Spurs finally came away with their first away win of the League
season in a match of two halves. The first saw us dominate and take a 2-0
lead thanks in part to a wonder strike by Tom Huddlestone. The second saw the
typically nervous Tottenham concede a goal and then struggle to hold on; the
final whistle fortunately arriving before City’s equaliser. The 2-1 win
was viewed from the third row behind the goal as once again away season
ticket holders were afforded a very poor seat. We have though been assured
that this will change next season. Again, our inability to finish teams off
could have proved costly but as it was our third league win on the bounce was
a welcome one.
Next up was a League Cup fifth
round tie at home to Southend. On a freezing cold night Tottenham froze as we
couldn’t break down a stubborn United side. The Shrimpers didn’t have
the quality to score at the other end and so, on a night when most supporters
wanted to go home to get out of the cold, the ninety minutes came and went
without a goal. Into extra time and Spurs stepped it up a little, especially
in the second period, and were at last rewarded with a late (although
controversial) winner. Thus a 1-0 win AET meant we fell, rather than
strolled, into the semi-finals of the League Cup.
Two days before Xmas came a trip
to Newcastle.
For some fans a great trip at that time of year, for me, as someone who
doesn’t celebrate Xmas, a slight inconvenience with the lulls in the
public transport system. Tottenham lulled and lost 3-1 to a Newcastle side that we should have beaten.
There is nothing more frustrating than not learning from previous mistakes
and Spurs lost this same fixture last season in exactly the same manner
– we conceded poor goals at crucial times and missed good chances at
crucial times. We were 2-0 down in no time, got a goal back quickly, then
squandered other chances before conceding the killer third which ended the
game. We have to learn from past mistakes if we’re going to improve in
the future.
The traditional Boxing Day fixture
saw us clash with Aston Villa at home. An evenly matched game saw us pull off
a 2-1 victory in a traditionally bad time of the season for Spurs. It was one
of those games about which not much can be said – other than we took a
2-0 lead again, conceded late on, and held on nervously towards the end.
Again, we need to be more dominate in these type of matches.
Our final December match was at
home to Liverpool in the Premiership. We
came into the game on the back of an astonishing run of twelve consecutive
home matches in all competitions, a run that I don’t think will be
broken for quite some time. It was perhaps inevitable that we should succumb
to another top four side with another 1-0 defeat to end 2006 on a low. The
goal came in first half stoppage time at the end of an even half; a poor goal
at a bad time and we couldn’t equalise in the second half. A draw may
have been a deserved result but we couldn’t achieve it.
Halfway through the season,
handily placed in the league although not in a commanding position, in the semi-finals
of the League Cup, the last-32 of the UEFA Cup and with our FA Cup campaign
to start, the second half of the season still had a lot of potential. We had
to though turn the potential into achievement.
The Cup month
New Year’s Day brought with
it the traditional hangover and inevitability an away trip, this time to the South Coast
for a Premiership encounter with Portsmouth.
Standing in the only uncovered terrace in the top division it was also
inevitable that rain would follow and it duly did, although this time
accompanied by hailstones. The Premiership Plus crew in a box at the top of
the stand laughed as Spurs fans sung the likes of “we’re singing
in the rain.” On the pitch Portsmouth
dominated the first half and deservedly took the lead. After the break Spurs
were the better side and equalised early on. We had chances to win it late on
but a draw was probably just about a fair result in appalling conditions.
Next, as tradition dictates, came
the greatest part of the football season, the FA Cup 3rd round
weekend, and for Spurs a Sunday tea-time kick-off at Cardiff City. My first
trip to Ninian Park was instantly forgettable. In
even worse weather conditions and a poorer pitch than at Fratton Park neither
side could get their foot on the ball and the match came and went; a 0-0 draw
meaning that both teams would have to do it all again. I was impressed by the
set-up in the away end with rows of seats at the front for those who wanted
to sit and a terrace at the back for those (including myself) who wanted to
stand. The Premiership can never again have terracing but safe standing areas
in all top flight grounds are a realistic possibility for the future and
would be for the benefit of those who want to sit as well as those who want
to stand (for further information please visit http://www.standupsitdown.co.uk/).
The match was more memorable due to events off the pitch; fighting battles in
the street, police led frog marches to and from the train station and flares
being set alight. It was a throwback to the bad old days of football violence
near the stadium as opposed to miles from it and it is a relief that teams
like Cardiff
are not amongst the football elite in terms of League stature.
Newcastle visited White Hart Lane
for a Premiership encounter with memories of the reverse fixture still fresh.
In an exciting game for the neutral Spurs shot off out the blocks and
deservedly took an early lead. Against the run of play the Geordies equalised
quickly but Tottenham continued to dominate and re-took the lead early in the
second half. However, despite a plethora of chances, we could not finish
United off and White Hart Lane was stunned by two Newcastle goals in two
minutes mid-way through the half, the first an absolute screamer into the
roof of the net. Despite all of our efforts we couldn’t equalise as Newcastle stole a 3-2
victory. Two matches and no points from a team we should have beaten twice
showed that Spurs don’t quite have the killer edge needed to join the
Premiership elite as the result put Tottenham further down the table.
Cardiff came to the Lane for
the FA Cup replay and, with a decent pitch and decent weather, were no match
for a far superior Tottenham side. In another forgettable game (this time due
to its one-sidedness) Tottenham scored three times in the first half to wrap
up the match before adding a fourth to put a gloss on a 4-0 victory.
Tottenham’s record against
other London
teams has been poor in recent years and, with this in mind, a trip to Fulham
for a League encounter did not whet the appetite. In yet another dull
encounter Spurs were not at the races as we struggled to break down a hard
working Fulham side. When our passing game does not work, as on this occasion,
we do not have a back up plan and thus we spent the whole match giving the
ball away and on the back foot. Fulham weren’t good enough to break us
down and, with ten minutes to go, a second goalless draw against them this
season seemed certain. Then Fulham earned a controversial penalty to take the
lead before Spurs stepped up a gear and grabbed a 1-1 draw with a late
header. Our ability to step up was a sign that Tottenham could have perhaps
played better throughout the match, but, as always, we’ll never know.
In a rather disappointing January
Tottenham needed a boost and a visit from Arsenal for the first leg of our
League Cup semi-final was also going to be pivotal. In another game of two
halves Spurs stormed out of the blocks and, to the absolute delight of the
home crowd, scored early and then had the lead doubled by an Arsenal
own-goal. In between Berbatov went off injured and, given the fact that we
had failed to beat our local rivals in any fixture since 1999, it was a huge
blow. Arsenal did not field their strongest possible team but the side they
did play were still very strong and Spurs did not take full advantage by
getting further goals. Indeed, squandering a good opportunity at the start of
the second half was to prove very costly as a different Arsenal side emerged
after the break. In a hurtful footballing lesson the Gunners dominated
possession and the passing game and came back to score twice and equalise.
They nearly won it at the death but as it was a 2-2 draw going into the
second leg was a scoreline which hinted that Spurs had thrown away our best
chance of winning the tie.
Southend came back to the Lane for
the second time in the season, this time for an FA Cup 4th round
tie. In a much poorer display from Southend’s point of view Spurs
strolled to another comfortable victory against lower league opposition. The
trait of beating teams inferior to us on paper was the one that ultimately
led us to fifth place again and is a vast improvement on previous seasons.
The lead was secured early in the half and Spurs had various chances to
increase it before the break. It was though doubled shortly afterwards as the
Lillywhites looked comfortable. Southend pulled one back from a penalty after
we handled in the box but a goal in the seventy fifth minute settled the tie
and secured our place in the fifth round. Cerny played in goal for only the
third time all season and didn’t do anything wrong. Whilst the
unwritten rule in football is that goalkeepers are only dropped because of
injury, suspension or for a rest, reality is that Robinson had a poor season
by his standard and Cerny should have been given more of a chance.
Another busy month of football
ended with our second trip to Emirates Stadium for the second leg of the
League Cup semi-final, and a chance to get to our first final since 2001. It
could have been a defining game in our recent history, let alone the season,
had we won. As it was it was an utter humiliation as our arch rivals
completely outplayed us for all but five minutes of the match. Despite us
having a good chance early on Arsenal ran Spurs into the ground by keeping
the ball, passing at a high tempo, and creating numerous chances. In perhaps
a summation of their own season they failed to capitalise for large parts
and, with away goals only counting after extra-time, an extra thirty minutes
looked quite possible. However the killer punch appeared to come with twelve
minutes remaining; a goal for the home side meant they held the 3-2 aggregate
advantage much to the delight of their supporters.
Spurs fans couldn’t see a
way back but, having doing nothing all night, Mido rose from a Jenas cross
and headed the ball into the net with seven minutes remaining. 1-1 on the night,
3-3 on aggregate; Spurs fans were delirious as extra-time loomed. Then came
the moment. As the game went into injury-time Mido picked up the ball again
and produced a rasping shot that beat Arsenal’s keeper all ends up, but
agonisingly went past the post. Standing behind the goal I bent over double
and held my heads in my hands. Football is all about moments, moments during
games, moments during seasons. Had it gone in we would have beaten Arsenal,
got to the final and the whole season could have been different. So close,
but yet so far.
Arsenal had two good chances to
win it themselves in the throes of stoppage time but they came and went and
thus it was extra time. Spurs had to score again; Arsenal didn’t. Thus
followed arguably the worst thirty minutes of our season. Arsenal stepped up
again and Spurs completely fell apart. We couldn’t get the ball for the
first fifteen minutes and it was no surprise when Arsenal scored at the end
of the first period. They scored again in the second and Spurs fans trudged
out wearily. 3-1 to Arsenal after extra time, 5-3 on aggregate.
Losing to our rivals in a Cup
semi-final is bad enough. Twenty years earlier it happened again in the same
competition in the same round. Then we were much the better team and Spurs
fans were rightly distraught. This time around Arsenal were a class apart for
most of the tie and that, more than the defeat itself, hurt deeply.
The Turning Point
When a victory at all costs is
needed a visit by Manchester United isn’t the ideal scenario for any
team but that is what faced Spurs in the Premiership at the start of
February. For the first forty five minutes Spurs matched United all the way
in endeavour and work rate. Chances were few and far between but, as
half-time approached, Spurs would have been content to go into the break at
0-0 and try their luck in the second half. Instead the visitors were awarded
a penalty that never was in injury-time and converted it. A 1-0 half-time
deficit changed the complexion of the game; after the break the Champions
Elect stepped up a number of gears and scored three more goals to romp to a
4-0 victory. While the Arsenal defeat hurt Manchester United’s
brilliance in attack for forty five minutes was breathtaking to watch and was
of a style that Spurs must strive for if we want to step up another level
still. To go from penalty area to penalty area without hoofing the ball
forward and without squandering possession to score in the space of twenty
seconds, as United did for their third goal, is something that Spurs were,
and are, unable to achieve. To do so would be to come a Championship
challenging side.
A visit to Sheffield United
followed as Spurs needed to earn a victory from somewhere – anywhere.
In a typical Northern away game (bad pitch, bad weather) Tottenham
surprisingly took the lead in the second minute with a wonderfully lobbed
goal. It all counted for nothing though as a hard working Sheffield
team battled to cut Spurs out of the game. As we tried our usual flicks and
trips United started to create chances and deservedly equalised mid-way
through the first half. Into the second half and the home side took the lead
with another controversial penalty awarded against Spurs this season. Jol
played all his cards at once and, with two substitutions a few minutes apart,
threw all four strikers on the pitch at the same time, for the only time all
season. It was the wrong move as we resorted to hoof the ball forward on
countless occasions and created nothing. Time ebbed away and the final
whistle confirmed a 2-1 defeat and boos from the away section of the ground.
It truly was a shocking performance; Spurs had both been outfought and
outplayed by a supposedly inferior team.
At this stage of the season Spurs
were eleven points off sixth place and thus eleven points off qualifying for Europe via the League, and out of the League Cup.
Interestingly Sheffield United were ten points clear of safety and indeed
just two points behind us. The first leg of a UEFA Cup tie against Feyenoord
in the last thirty two of the tournament was meant to follow but, due to the
antics of Feyenoord thugs earlier in the season, the Dutch side were expelled
from the competition and we were, rather fortuitously, given a bye to the
last sixteen. This was to give Tottenham a week off for the first time in
ages and a week in which to relax and train. Looking back now in hindsight it
was to prove the turning point of the whole League season.
Following the mini-break we travelled
to Fulham again, this time for a fifth round tie in the FA Cup. Hopes were
low and, given the two previous fixtures against the West
London team earlier in the season, Tottenham supporters expected
another tight encounter. The first half was tight but, early on in it, Keane
scored a wonder goal from long range. Fulham had their chances though and a
1-0 half-time lead meant that the tie was evenly poised and still wide open.
Fulham started the second half in a brighter fashion but couldn’t find
the net. Then, again out of nothing, Keane walloped the ball into the net
from long range and Spurs had doubled the lead. Fulham nearly pulled one back
as the match sprung to life but, with thirteen minutes to go Berbatov made it
three with a close range tap-in to the delight of the Spurs faithful.
Berbatov put gloss on the scoreline with another sublime goal in injury-time;
it may not have been our best performance of the season but a 4-0 victory was
just what the Spurs faithful needed. Clinical finishing is the sign of a
quality team and the boost to our confidence was almost as important as
securing a place in the last eight of the world’s premier Cup
competition.
A mid-week trip to Everton
followed in the League. In a topsy-turvy intriguing encounter Everton started
the better as Spurs struggled to come to terms with the game and Robinson
produced a blinding save to keep the Toffees at bay. Then, just after thirty
minutes, a lovely ball from Lennon found Berbatov who belted the ball past
the keeper for his first away League goal of the season. This galvanised
Spurs as we ended the first half on the top and it came as a surprise that
Everton equalised minutes later with a fabulous goal of their own, this time
from a direct free-kick; it was 1-1 at the break. Everton were the better
team at the start of the second half and proceeded to dominate again with
numerous chances. They couldn’t secure their advantage and Jol made a
crucial substitution with ten minutes to go. For the first time in a long
time in an away League match Tottenham, rather than sit back and take the
point, stepped up a gear, and took the match by the scruff of the neck. We
ran at Everton, who looked shell shocked, and created two fantastic chances
to win, but couldn’t take either of them. Then, with a minute to go,
Jenas received the ball on the right and curled a brilliant strike into the
bottom corner of the net. It was sheer pandemonium in the away end; a last
minute winning goal in an away League match was something that just doesn’t
happen to Spurs. It was fully deserved though with our late attacking intent
and a massively important three Premiership points.
February ended with a League visit
from Bolton on a Sunday afternoon. Spurs
were full of confidence and showed it on the pitch with the best home
performance of the season. We took the lead early on, doubled it before
twenty minutes were on the clock, and were three goals to the good before the
half an hour mark. It was sunshine football, Spurs football of old; crisp
passing, fantastic movement and great finishing. Then, after thirty five
minutes, the match changed. Keane was correctly penalised for handling the
ball on the line but perhaps was harshly sent off for the offence. Bolton took full advantage by converting and all of a
sudden it was 3-1 and we had ten men. Tottenham never do anything easily.
What followed was even better. Spurs kept up the high tempo and, for the rest
of the match, continued to create numerous chances. Berbatov, up front by
himself, was simply sensational; he held the ball up, ran into space, laid
off to the midfielders and created chances. The whole team in fact kept the
tempo and pressure up and it looked like Bolton,
not us, had lost a man. The icing on the cake arrived in injury-time with
another goal to cap a superb 4-1 win. It’s impossible to play at that
level week in week out but Spurs must strive to do so nonetheless; it’s
better to fail aiming high than to succeed aiming low.
London Derbies
Three wins in a week meant that
Spurs travelled to West Ham for another League derby in high hopes. However
West Ham, playing in what is always their biggest game of the season, were
highly motivated and took the lead early on. We had a few chances ourselves
though and should have been level before West Ham shocked the Spurs faithful
by doubling the lead with a direct free-kick just before the break. Despite
our chances it was a poor first half from the visitors and, at the break,
there seemed no way back. However we got a rare penalty early on in the half
and converted to halve the deficit. A wonderful move and flick on then saw
Tainio receive the ball and belt it into the net; 2-2, still a quarter of the
game to go, and Spurs fans were delirious. However, having regained the
initiative Spurs proceeded to let it slip. We sat back again and West Ham
started to come at us. Tottenham could just not dominate for the whole ninety
minutes. Then with five minutes to go came what felt like the sucker punch.
An ex-Spurs player, who scored his only goal for us against West Ham, scored
for West Ham with five minutes to go. 3-2 down and all our hard work had been
undone. I was furious and disappointed. But it wasn’t over. With a
minute left on the clock we won a direct free-kick outside of the area and
Berbatov curled it into the top corner. 3-3. What joy, what emotion. I
couldn’t believe it and couldn’t contain my joy. Then the injury
time board went up and showed four minutes. The home crowd roared. Surely
they wouldn’t score again. Surely we wouldn’t throw away the
point? After ninety three minutes they ran forward and had the goal at their
mercy. I couldn’t believe it; but they shot wide. What a relief. Then
they won a corner with seconds to go. I held my breath. It was cleared.
Another sigh of relief. I looked at my watch; time was up. The ball was
cleared and all of a sudden Defoe was running down the centre of the pitch
with no one near him. I looked at the referee. He wasn’t blowing the
whistle. I looked at Defoe again. There was still no one around him. Then it
dawned on me what was going to happen. He shot; it was saved and the ball
rebounded. I was five rows behind the goal (a poor view with my away season
ticket) but I saw him. Stalteri. Running in. It’s very rare in football
that any fan knows that their team is going to score until they have, but
this was one of those moments. The feeling, even before he scored, was one of
the best I’ve ever experienced at a football match. When the ball did
hit the net I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. All feeling drained
out of my body. I lost control. It was pure utopia. One of the best
experiences I’ve ever had at a game. We had won 4-3, our third league
win on the bounce, and our league season, over a few weeks earlier, was back
on track.
Just two days later I travelled to
Portugal for an extended
stay in Braga
for the first leg of our UEFA Cup last sixteen tie. In another edge of the
seat game we controlled the first half against a woeful Portuguese side who
gave us far too much space and time but couldn’t, like in many games
this season, find the net and it was goalless at the break. After the restart
we made our dominance pay as we opened the scoring just before the hour mark
and doubled the advantage with twenty minutes to go with a well worked goal.
The tie, let alone the match, seemed all but over. However minutes later Braga, who had done
nothing all game, were awarded a disgraceful penalty which Robinson did well
to initially save but could do nothing about the rebound. Then with ten
minutes left Braga
were awarded a free-kick that never was on the wing. It was whipped in and
headed in and it was 2-2. Spurs supporters were stunned and it looked like
another opportunity had been squandered. However we continued to create
chances and, for the second game running, scored in injury-time again with
another excellently worked goal. It wasn’t in quite the same fashion as
West Ham but for the neutral it was another entertaining game. Despite
conceding twice a 3-2 lead was very useful going into the second leg. Braga was a wonderful
town; I had a lovely three course meal with drinks for a total of €10
on two different occasions, the people were friendly, the atmosphere was
great and the ground was amazingly situated in a valley with mountainous rock
behind each goal. I managed to walk around the pitch on the morning of the
game and it was a wondrous sight.
In a very important part of the
season we travelled to Chelsea
for our FA Cup sixth round tie. Supporters went there with trepidation but
hope. It turned to joy just five minutes in as we took a stunning lead with a
stunning goal at a ground where we hadn’t won since 1990. Spurs were on
fire and pumped up for the game whereas Chelsea
looked shellshocked and struggled to find their feet. They did though find a
goal against the run of play; a rather fortunate tap-in from close range
levelling the scores mid-way through the half. Spurs heads did not drop
though and we deservedly re-took the lead with an own goal brought about by a
wonderful Lennon cross. In what was developing into a classic Cup tie Spurs
cleared the ball off the line before attacking once more. Ghaly, one of our
more average players, went on an amazing run and, to the shock as well as the
delight of all Spurs supporters, smashed the ball home to give us a 3-1 lead.
Chelsea fired
a warning shot by heading wide just before the break but the two-goal cushion
was maintained as I went downstairs as I always do at half-time. There were
lots of muttering and chats but no one thought that the game was sewn up, least
of all myself. This sort of mentality is common amongst Spurs supporters due
to our inability to kill off the big teams when it matters and, as the second
half kicked off, our trepidation remained. Six minutes into the half
came another moment. Lennon ran through and shot at goal. He should
have scored but the ball was parried. We crossed the ball back in and Defoe
should have scored but the ball was cleared. Another season defining moment
and again Spurs fell short. Instead Berbatov was taken off injured and the
complexion of the match changed. Chelsea
stepped up and scored with twenty minutes to go. All of a sudden Spurs were
on the backfoot. We couldn’t keep the ball and Chelsea looked dangerous with every attack.
It was a case of whether Spurs could hang on rather than try to actually hold
onto the lead and, with four minutes to go, Chelsea scored again. It felt like a dagger
through the heart. At 3-3 I wanted the final whistle to go as Chelsea missed chances
to win the tie. Then, in stoppage time, near salvation. Defoe smashed a great
chance against the bar from long range. So close, but the final whistle blew
to signal a 3-3 draw and a replay. I was gutted; our chance, surely, had
gone.
In a season in which we had no chance
to recover from one game to the next Braga
visited the lane for the second leg. It was another thriller for the neutral
but in reality it was a strange game in which Spurs appeared to be rarely
troubled although the score was always close. It was also quite a dull game
but after twenty five minutes the deadlock was broken by Braga as we conceded a poor goal from a
set-piece, one of many throughout the season. 1-0 down on the night, 3-3 on
aggregate, it awoke Spurs from there slumber and three minutes we equalised
with ease to retake the aggregate lead. At the end of the first half with
Spurs now in complete command we scored another goal, this time a stunner, to
lead 2-1 at the break. Into the second half and if anyone looked like scoring
again it was Spurs but, on the hour mark, we conceded a free-kick on the edge
of the area and Braga blasted it in. 2-2 on the night and no one could
understand how we had conceded four goals in the tie to a very poor side. The
answer was that all had come from set-pieces, a problem Spurs must rectify in
the summer. Again the goal forced Spurs to step up a gear and that we did,
scoring again with fifteen minutes to go to earn a 3-2 victory and a 6-4
aggregate win. We were into the UEFA Cup quarter-finals with eight wins out
of eight in European competition. Somehow though it seemed all too easy.
Spurs hosted Watford
in the League just before the international break in a match that we were
expected to win easily. That we did in what was, in truth, a very poor game.
We took the lead just before half-time but, after an hour, the goal was the
only highlight of the match. Then Robinson took a routine free-kick to the
left of his penalty area and from the Park Lane end where I sit. He booted
the ball downfield where it took two bounces and bounced over a startled
keeper and into the net. As the ball went into the net it took me a few
seconds to realise what had happened; a goal from our goalkeeper! It was to
prove the highlight of the game. The match meandered on and Spurs got a third
near the end to wrap up the points. That should have been that but another
bad defensive mistake saw Watford deny Spurs
a clean sheet to take the gloss off a 3-1 victory. It was though our fourth
league victory on the spin and, although coupled between vital Cup matches, a
vital result. Spurs had shot up the League and all of a sudden European
qualification was back on the agenda.
Just two days later and the FA Cup
sixth round replay was squeezed in before the two week international break.
Many fans were hopeful of a result but, in top level sport, you only get one
chance against the top teams and Spurs had not taken theirs. The first half
proved to be very tight and, although fast paced and with lots of tension,
few chances were created as we reached the break at 0-0. The second half
started with Spurs on top. We had a couple of chances to take the lead as Chelsea look flustered.
Then, out of nothing, they broke and scored one of the best goals scored
against us all season ten minutes into the half. It was a truly breathtaking
moment, and a moment that only seems to happen to the top teams – which
is why of course they are top teams. The goal rattled Spurs and Chelsea, now on top,
doubled their lead with another quality goal just a few minutes later. If
there is one thing that the top teams are good at it’s holding onto
leads and, as Chelsea
looked to shut up shop, Spurs failed to get a grasp back on the game. We
received a lifeline towards the end with a penalty and we took it to halve
the deficit. It was though too little too late and Chelsea held on for a 2-1 win. Out of the
FA Cup; it was a bitter disappointment to take especially as it was a second
Cup exit to a London
rival. However our real chance came and went at Stamford
Bridge and Spurs thus went into a
two week break knowing that our only chance of winning a trophy rested with Europe, and the UEFA Cup.
Out of Europe
Reading came to North London on April Fool’s Day as Spurs looked
to extend their winning League run. In an entertaining afternoon Spurs’
batteries look re-charged as we dominated proceedings from the off. We had
numerous chances and should have all ready been ahead when, with five minutes
to go before half-time, Reading were penalised for handball in the area and
Keane slotted home. Reading
too had their chances and indeed surprised the Premiership this season by
playing smart attacking football throughout. Spurs harried and pressed
throughout the second half but could not create the second goal. Reading tested Robinson
throughout but Tottenham held onto 1-0, our fifth successive League victory.
