Looking Forward

SCBC (Away)

FA Cup - Third Round

Saturday 4th January 2003

Neither side probably wanted to show their hand in the Bank Holiday game, but Beattie's prowess in front of goal and Niemi's good form in goal are not news to anyone.  How to overcome those players' performances is the question.

The return of Davies could see more of a hard running Tottenham performance, rather than the passing style that Bunjy employs.  Fernandes was not in the match that much on New Year's Day, but can influence play given space and time.  The pitch is likely to be heavy again, after all the rain at the end of December and more predicted for the rest of this week.

Finishing is what will win this game for Tottenham, as they will be able to create chances against an attacking SCBC side that leaves room to manouevre for their opponents.  I doubt if anyone will have been brought in by Saturday to partner Keane, so Sheringham and Robbie will lead the line as Les is still suspended, just when he might have been needed.  If we are to get rid of him, we should do so while he is suspended so that the Irons pay for him sitting around doing nothing.

The Spurs defence will need to sharpen up a bit too.  Perry has been doing OK, but Ledley has looked a bit out of sorts and with Deano coming back after a couple of games out, he needs to get back to mach sharpness too.

With Beattie looking the only one likely to score, as all the other chances were long range efforts and those close in were well off target, keeping him shut out will give Tottenham a great chance.  If we can get one on target and past the keeper, then I believe that the score will end up as ...

PREDICTION : -  SCBC   0   Tottenham  1

For more information on the opponents and their history, including full result history of matches between the two teams, click here.

Tottenham : -  Keller; Perry (Anderton 46), King, Thatcher; Carr, Davies (Doherty 73), Poyet, Freund (Iversen 65), Taricco ; Keane, Sheringham 
Unused subs. : -  Sullivan, Bunjevcevic

Tottenham -  Navy blue and black shirts, white shorts, navy socks with black turnovers

Tottenham -  None

Tottenham -  None 

To say that the match was one-way traffic does not do the nature of the play justice.  Having dominated the league match three days earlier and come away with a 0-1 defeat, this match was as complete a reversal of fortunes as you could wish to see (or rather wouldn't wish to see ... ever again).

Presenting the home side with a goal after 12 minutes set the tone.  Firstly, Bridge was allowed to run at the Tottenham penalty area without being challenged until Perry brought him down on the left hand corner of the area.  Beattie took it and it was obvious he was going to shoot.  Being in such good form, he believes he will score every time he touches the ball (unlike our players).  He hit the free kick well around the wall, but Keller was behind it as it sped off the turf.  But it did so with a nasty kick and the ball hit Kasey on the chin and as Perry and King rushed in, Michael Svensson got there first to prod the ball over the line from a couple of feet out.  

Spurs were all over the place right from the start.  We were giving the ball away and knocking it straight up in the air, with the defence especially guilty and looking to drastically miss the presence of Richards.  Beattie should have added to the score after 18 minutes, when he headed down a cross against Perry rather than go for goal and Keller managed to beat Delap to the dropping ball.

Spurs players were not moving to receive the ball and nobody was able to hold on to it.  It was 20 minutes before Spurs got a corner and then it was knocked too long.  Two minutes later, Keane had the first effort of note and his shot was wide of the goal.  Poyet then had a shot charged down by a defender from a Davies long throw.  Straight from that incident, the Saints broke away, with Beattie feeding Tessem, who turned Perry, but as he fell he got just enough on the ball to knock it out for a corner as the striker was about to shoot.

The lack of effort being put in showed every time Saints broke and no Spurs player put in a challenge.  Telfer strode forward and hit a low drive that Keller had save, then minutes after he dived to push wide a Anders Svensson drive from 30 yards out.  Tottenham's best moment of the first half came with seven minutes to go until the break.  Davies fed a high ball in to Gus Poyet, who tried to chest it down, only resulting in it dropping back outside the box for Robbie Keane to run on to and his shot was going well wide until it struck a defender.  With Niemi stranded for once, the ball arced up and towards the goal, but missed going in by about two feet.  From the corner, Sheringham had the ball headed against him and it went wide.

The half ended with an unseemly touchline tussle between Thatcher and Beattie, in which Thatch seemed the victim.  However, the next time the ball was played up to the Saints forward, Ben paid little attention to the ball and went straight through him from behind.  Surprisingly, the ref contented himself with a talk to the Spurs hard man.

Tottenham had been shut down to such an extent that they were happy to belt the ball anywhere and hope that a colleague might pick it up.  To redress this, Hoddle brought on Anderton for Perry and the team switched to a 4-4-2.  It made little difference, despite Dazza making a few tackles, which had been obviously missing from our first half display.  Within five minutes of the restart, Tessem had taken Beattie's pass on the left, having drifted in behind King and shot low past Keller.

Robbie Keane tried to take on the whole home defence on his own, but still managed to get a shot in that Niemi got a hand to and diverted to the far post.  Sheringham came in to hit a shot that was blocked (even though a square ball to Poyet might have been a better option) and Taricco's follow-up was similarly charged down.  There seemed no desire to take the game to the hosts, let alone win the match and on 56 minutes, sub. Anders Svensson picked the ball up in his own half and ran forward to shoot the third goal from inside the area.  No Spurs player had thought to try and get in front of him; they all just backed off further and further.

Funnily enough, Robbie Keane had two good chances in five minutes shortly after the goal.  One came his way at the far post, when Davies headed on a Sheringham cross, but Robbie snatched at it and it soared over the bar.  The second was self-made, when he took Anderton's through pass and rounded the keeper, but went too wide, ending up pulling his shot across the face of the goal.

Fernandes had been having a running battle with Taricco, but made him look foolish on the right wing, crossed into the six yard box, where defender Michael Svensson was.  He hit a volley that Keller did well to save from close range.  Spurs were under great pressure, with clearances just aimed away form the goal, leading to the ball coming straight back.  When Spurs did get the chance to move out, Sheringham and Anderton were conceding possession far too readily.

There were brief moments of respite, as the showboating didn't pat off and Spurs were allowed to break upfield.  Stephen Carr got past his man, but instead of picking out a blue shirt, he fired the ball in which ended up as more of a shot than a cross and Niemi had to clutch it at his near post.  The ball was deflected up into the air just after this and a weak header fell to Teddy, but his weak effort was comfortably saved.

As the game neared the end, Saints pressed forward with Spurs tiring and their passing making inroads into the side.  Fernandes brought a save from a fierce shot and Beattie shot well over when well placed.  He made up for it a couple of minutes later, when Davies crossed to find his head, but KK palmed the ball out.  It fell straight back at the feet of the forward who is on such a hot streak at the moment and he popped it back past the keeper into the net for 4-0.  Keller had more work to do in the last ten minutes, keeping out Fernandes again with a low save.

There is little to say about the Tottenham performance.  They certainly didn't look like a side who thought that they could win this match.  There was no pattern to the side's play and the players looked like they did not understand their role in the team.  Opponents ran past Poyet and Sheringham like they weren't there, with Freund and Davies both having completely ineffective games.  The defence played without any co-ordination and Keane ran hard, but did so without little support.  

You would normally say that we can concentrate on the league now, but personally, I would say that Hoddle has to concentrate on who he is going to bring in.  Sheringham showed that he is no longer the player he was and his days must surely be numbered. Gus cannot be expected to last the pace of a Premiership match.  Other areas of the team also were exposed as being lacking when it comes to performing on a regular basis.  Spurs have gotten away with it until Christmas, but once again the season looks like falling apart in front of our very eyes.  Now is the test of the manager and the resolve of the board to take the team on by bringing in new faces.  

The last ten days have told us a lot.  The days until the transfer window closes will reveal all. 

Barry Levington

No wonder we are out.

Trevor Lester

Could someone please tell me what is happening at Spurs? I don't know how much the likes of Mr. G. Hoddle or Mr. J. Gorman are on, but I'm damn sure I could field a team that could produce the performance's of the current team, don't you think it's time that Teddy gave up the captain's arm band if not the game ? I believe that Dean Richards should be captain.

The performance against Southampton was diabolical, there was not one minute when they were not on top, why are we always led to believe that we are so much better than we really are ?  We are just a run of the mill middle league team and this comes from someone who has supported them for 34 years, since I was 7, please reply and give me your thoughts ?  

P.S. If the rumour about Steve Carr turns out to be true and he follows the Judas that will be it for me, I couldn't take anymore, and I think I speak for a lot of fans.                           

pjoinme.

I know you agree from your reaction but last night's ritual dismantling and humiliation live on the Beeb by a "big" club (although we made them look like Real Madrid) was the worst I have ever seen.  I genuinely thought we were in there with a shot at the cup this year - on our day we can be a match for anyone - but the players clearly didn't agree.  I guess they fancy taking it easy for the rest of the season cos there's nothing much left to play for now and its only Jan 5th ... Oh dear.  And I've got 2 colleagues at work who support the "big" club who I've got to face tomorrow ........... Happy new year !!

Mila Coombs

David McMeekin

mehstg,

Good summary, lot of use of the word "out" when so many others were needed to.  That was probably the worst team performance I think I have ever seen by any team anywhere, ever.

The thing is, when your team lose, you at least want to be able to say well they gave it their all, tried their best but that was a disgrace.  If my mates played like that I'd coat them off, let alone someone on about 20 grand a second or whatever they get paid now.

I mean you have to stick by Hoddle (long term and all that) but after a performance like that we need to see some changes.  The performances shouted out "SELL ME" and the only ones to come out with any credit were Robbie Keane (at least he run for things 'cos no one else did) and Dean Richards 'cos he was injured!!!

If Davies was carrying an injury why play him ?  King seemed off form too, but will the other reserves ever get a chance?   Ricketts, Blondel, even Barnard ?  As for Rebrov, well I agree with the other comments above.  It's a shame, but Hoddle really doesn't like him and wont play him.  I like him, but that doesn't really matter !   When he moves it will be interesting to see what he says about Hoddle and Spurs as a whole.

What's going to happen ?  Are we going to keep hearing about all this young talent we've got then don't play it.  Let them go to places like Norwich on frees like we've done in the past, then watch them come back and haunt us in
a few years ?

Where was the pride in the shirt boys ?  You let us all down big time.

Grief

Click here for Alan Thatcher's reaction on the events.