Looking Forward

West Bromwich Albion  (Home)

Premier League

Monday 27th March 2006

Having seen off third bottom Birmingham City last week, you would hope that it might be possible to string two wins together against those haunted by relegation to consolidate our placing, with Arsenal not playing yesterday because Portsmouth's pitch was waterlogged and Blackburn Rovers moving onto the same points total with their win.  Traditionally, Spurs have struggled against the strugglers, but the new regime will instil in them a desire to come out of the game with all the points.  Bryan Robson will seek to get his side in Tottenham's face to upset any rhythm they might try to play with and there will be little time on the ball or space to play in unless we get a couple of goals ahead.

With a full squad to choose from, Spurs should have enough firepower to overcome WBA. But when needs must, the visitors might turn it on, like they did when we performed poorly at the Hawthorns earlier this season.  It will need more resolve and it might be necessary to grind a win out of this match, but that is what the team have to do to get where they want to be at the moment.

With Chris Kirkland having broken a finger in training, which will keep him out for the rest of the season, Tomas Kuszczak has taken over in goal.  The young Polish goalie has received some acclaim for a number of outstanding saves he has made, but he has had a lot to do playing behind a defence that has conceded 45 goals so far this season, but their real problem has been up front where they have scored only 27 goals and just six of those have come away from home.

Diomansy Kamara has a hamstring injury, so he might be out of the game, but if his miss against Brum two weeks ago is anything to go by, Spurs might be better off with him in the side.  That leaves veteran ex-Gooner Kevin Campbell to muscularly lead the line, with Nathan Ellington playing off him if WBA go with two up front.  Campbell will act as the target man and he will use his strength to hold the ball up, but the real goal threat might come from Ellington, who strikes me as a Defoe in the making.  A little more unpolished, but he has a good scoring record throughout his career and he knows where the goal is when he hits a ball.  Nippy and a good touch on the ball, he will need the full attention of Dawson and King.  The only other option up front, since Geoff Horsfield has gone on loan to Sheffield United, is Kanu.  Gangly, unco-ordinated and looking like no footballer you have ever seen before, he usually turns in his one good performance of the season against Spurs, so we will have to hope the one at their lace was the one.  Another ex-Gooner.  In all reality, I only expect Albion to have a lone striker and bring on a second man up front if they need to get goals after going behind, so Campbell or Kanu will be ahead of Ellington in the side Robson chooses.

The defence features a player who stepped up to the Premier League this season, but looks like he has played at this level for ages.  Curtis Davies came in from Luton Town and has won rave reviews with his defensive performances and he has also scored a couple goals from dead ball situations mainly.  It will be interesting to see how he copes with Mido, as I am sure the Egyptian will start, as he is the main aerial winner in the Albion back four.  Right back Martin Albrechtsen will try to get forward to support the front man, while Paul Robinson will do the same on the other flank.  Robinson is a tough tackling defender and he will try to put Aaron Lennon off his game, but the diminutive Spurs right sided man has learned to cope with such treatment this season and will provide a stern test for Robinson, whose attacking forays might be curtailed as a result.  Former Chelsea defender Neil Clement could be utilised in the middle alongside Davies and he has a deadly free-kick repertoire, so Spurs need to keep the fouls well out of range of goal ... and that means about 30 yards for Clement.  The other option in the centre is Ronnie Wallwork, who has been employed in midfield too this season.  A ball-winner whose strength is tackling like a brick wall, his mobility is limited and Keane or Defoe will be able to pull him out of position.  Thomas Gaardsoe seems to be out of favour with Robson and has not featured much this season.

Junichi Inamoto (yes another former Arsenal player) has been used in midfield by Robson and he works hard, getting forward to support the attack when he can and he scored a long range effort against Fulham, so he needs to be closed down if he gets in range.  Former Man U youngster Jonathan Greening has a lot of skill and operates in wide positions, where he can whip the ball in for the front man/men and similarly, Zoltan Gera can do this.  The Hungarian has a trick or two in his locker and that makes him a very difficult customer, but he needs to be picked up as he makes runs from deep to arrive in the box to meet crosses from the far side.  Veteran Steve Watson is still ploughing a furrow up and down the pitch and his effort will be the anchor for the midfield, while Darren Carter, signed from dread rivals Birmingham City, is a mobile player, with an eye for a pass and a good shot on him too.  Strong and good in the air, his injury record is the only thign that has stopped him becoming a more influential player.  Jan Kozak is a strapping 6' plus midfielder who came in from Bratislava Artmedia in January on loan.  Will win balls in the air against our midfielders, but what he does with it when it is at his feet will await to be seen.  Don't know much about him apart from that, but he will stand out.

If Albion go ahead, you will see everyone pulled back behind the ball to guard their lead, but it will need an opening goal from Tottenham to open them up and make them come out.  With the goalscoring ability we have in midfield, it should be possible to get men forward, as WBA will have five in midfield and they will have to track our runners back should they get through.  The options wide will be important and I foresee Stephen Kelly being given another run out in the right back slot to add attacking width on the right, which can allow Lennon to switch sides.  A tough game for Spurs, but one we can win and with an early goal, we could go on to record a vital win ...

PREDICTION : -  Tottenham Hotspur  3    West Bromwich Albion  1

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

Coverage

TV :  
Sky Sports 1  (Live coverage)
For coverage in all parts of the world, check here and here.

Radio :  
BBC LONDON 94.9FM, Digital Radio and Sky Channel 0152 (live coverage all in the London area only)
BBC Radio Five Live (live coverage)  606/939 MW

If available on BBC radio, it can be heard in these countries on these stations ...
Australia (Melbourne) SEN  -  116 AM  Live Transmissions: TWI, Saturday. 12.45 & 1500 matches
Australia (Syndey)  Radio 2  -  1611AM  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 12.45 Match
Singapore Media Corp Radio  -  93.8 FM  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 15.00 Match
South Africa  SABC (Radio 2000)  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 15.00 Match
Uganda  Radio 1 (English) 90.0 FM, Radio 2 (Lugandan) 87.9 FM  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 15.00 Match
North America (USA, Canada, Mexico, Carribean)  Sirius Satellite Radio  Live transmission: Saturday - 12.45, 15.00 (TWI) & 17.15 (BBC) Sunday - 14.00 & 16.05 (BBC) Mon, Tue, Wed - Various times (BBC)

Internet :
www.spurs.co.uk   Live webcast  - subscribers only
Planet football - http://play.www.planetfootball.servecast.net/downloads/sky/spurs-pl04-kean0.ram (free - only available when match is on)

Robinson

Kelly (Mido 60)
Dawson
King (c)
Lee

Lennon (Tainio 89)
Jenas
Carrick
Davids (Murphy 86)

Defoe
Keane

Unused subs: 
Cerny
Gardner

Kuszczak

Albrechtsen
Watson
Davies
Robinson

Greening
Wallwork
Johnson
Kozak (Inamoto 64)

Ellington (Gera 86)
Kanu (Campbell 83)

Unused subs: 
Hoult
Clement

Tottenham Hotspur

Keane 69
Keane 89 (p)

Davies 20
 

Greening (handball) 31
Kuszczak (foul) 89   

The edge of my seat at White Hart Lane will need replacing come the summer if I have to go through a match like this again this season.  Ludicrous defending saw Spurs have to chase the game, but their will to win got them the vital three points to keep them pushing at the top of the table for the fourth place slot.

Never ones to do things the easy way, Tottenham went behind to a 21st minute West Bromwich Albion goal that could easily have been avoided.  A free-kick on the left wing looked a fairly innocuous place to defend the situation from, but with only three defenders in the area against five Albion players, the odds were always on the visitors winning the header and when Greening swung the ball in, Davies rose to beat Dawson and beat Robinson.  Not that either had much chance.  Dawson had half an eye on an unmarked player behind him and Robinson could not reach the ball that went in just inside the post.  The away fans went "Boing, Boing, Baggies, Baggies", but they could not have possibly seen the bounceback Spurs would spring on them.

Then for a long period, Spurs looked like they would be unlikely to break through the massed ranks that WBA put in front of them when they attacked.  Albion played some mice triangles to pass the ball around, but at other times their passing was atrocious and the ball was played into touch without a team-mate near it.  They came with an intent to get something out of the game, starting with Kanu and Ellington up front, but while the ex-Gooner is a difficult player to play against (all elbows and gangly legs) and Ellington is a powerful striker, there was little to threaten Paul Robinson's goal other than the goal.  Every time he took a goal-kick, the Baggies fans behind the goal were booing him for doing so quickly, in response to the Spurs fans' barracking of the slow-motion Pole's goal-kicking.  They were having a great time, but that was to back-fire on them later.

Tottenham had started with a neat little free-kick that seemed like they had messes it up, but Keane scooped the ball over the wall to Defoe, who tried an overhead kick that was lacking power and Kuszczak held it without too much trouble.  As Spurs backed off Albion's forward running players, both Wallwork and Ellington fired shots on goal, without getting the ball on target and Dawson rushed out to throw himself in the way of a Watson shot to stop it getting to Robinson. 

With Defoe and Keane starting up front, a lot of long balls were played in their direction, but the weight and height on them left them little chance to latch onto them.  With Aaron Lennon on the right, we were also failing to use him or get him into the game.  With a little attack, it was difficult to play through a hard-working Albion side who put in a lot of effort in stifling the Spurs midfield.  As Davids had a day best forgotten and Carrick's usually accurate passing was off target, it was a subdued first half performance that took until the 49th minute to bring a real save from Kuszczak.  A low ball into Robbie was stepped over to give Jermain the opportunity to turn his marker and fire in a shot that the keeper did well to turn over the top.

This prompted an urgency and a short spell of pressure leading up to the break.  Dawson was the recipient of a Carrick corner at the far post and his shot was blocked out for another corner.  This time, it fell to King at the far post and when the ball came down, he shot, only for the other Paul Robinson to dive in to take the ball over the bar.  Just as the half was coming to an end, Lennon, now on the left wing, cut inside and struck a low 25-yarder that the keeper stretched to push wide.

It was a good end to a poor half and it looked like Spurs might push for something more in the second half, as Albion had been time-wasting after they scored and looked content to defend their lead and try to score on the break.

Two minutes into the half Carrick put in a dangerous free-kick, but as is swung across the face of goal, no-one attacked the space to gamble on the ball being there and the ball flew wide.  With Jenas now pushing up on the right wing, he broke forward and struck a shot for the near post top corner and only missed by a small margin.  His link play with Kelly on the right was looking good, with the Irishman getting into crossing positions, one which was headed just wide by Keane in the 57th minute.

Not that everything was going towards the Albion goal.  A long ball dropped kindly for Kanu, who hit a shot that ripped just over the top from 25 yards out and when Inamoto came on, he tried his luck, but was way over.  In between, Mido had entered the play for Kelly and with his first touch, Defoe's pass was slid across goal and although the shot beat Kuszczak, it just rolled wide of the post by about a foot or so.

The switch made a difference, as Keane moved out to the right and with Lennon on the left and Mido and Defoe up front, the pressure was on the Albion defence.  With the 9th minute arriving, the ball was worked down the left and Lee played the ball to Davids, who moved it onto Defoe.  He played short pass to Carrick, who sent an inch perfect pass through to Keane.  Turning Watson, he was faced by the keeper bearing down on him and he skilfully lifted the ball over him and into the net for the equaliser.

It should have signalled a spell of Spurs forcing the pace to get the winner, but Albion moved forward with a string of corners, one of which went into the six yard box and luckily, no Baggie was on the spot to finish and Robinson gratefully took the ball into his arms.  Ellington struck a low shot, but Robbo took that comfortably too. 

A scramble from a free-kick saw Defoe and Mido try their luck, with Kuszczak grab the Egyptian's effort, with a similar dead-ball situation at the other end leading to Paul Robinson leaping up to take Kanu's header near the angle of post and crossbar.  The Spurs keeper took another Ellington shot in front of his face before Murphy replaced Davids to add some fresh legs to the midfield, as the Dutchman tired.

Again, Albion manouevred the ball on the right to allow Greening to cross and Gera got his head to the ball, but Robinson clutched it and launched another attack.  As a long pass went through and the ball fell to Kuszczak, he took his time clearing outside his area and the ever-vigiliant Defoe charged it down.  Spurs had a bit of luck in that the ball bounced towards goal and as the keeper turned, Jermain was quicker to the ball and preparing to knock the ball into an empty net, Kuszczak flattened him.  The ball ran to Mido who fired it into an empty net, but the referee had already blown for a penalty.  Robbed of the goal, the referee then made another blunder by allowing the goalie to stay on the pitch by only showing him a yellow card.  The fact that he should have already been cautioned for his time-wasting left the Spurs crowd furious.

With Robbie Keane taking the ball and putting it on the spot, Kuszczak had to go onto the line to face the spot-kick.  How would the crowd react if the villain of the piece had produced a save I wondered ?  But justice was done twice over.  Keano lifted the ball over the goalie and hit the back of the net and the keeper, who was responsible for running down the clock conceded and let in the losing goal for his side.

Even then, Albion had a last fling and Robinson was called on to save before the final whistle went to joyous celebrations.  Not a classic, nor a great performance by Tottenham, but the three points were in the bag.  It will be necessary to win as many games as are left and it won't matter how that is achieved.  Grinding out wins is the way to get success when you are not playing particularly well, but Robbie's skill and ability to cope with the pressure of a last minute penalty earned Spurs the points and got him his 50th Spurs League goal and his 100th Premiership goal. 

Credit to Martin Jol for his substitutions, which lead to the build-up of pressure on WBA's defence and he is developing the happy knack of pulling games out of the fire.  I hope that since he has given up smoking, the fire won't be going out any time soon.

MEHSTG TOP MAN : - ROBBIE KEANE

Purcell Cole

I think Monday's game signalled a real shift in the England World Cup selection.  In my view, Jermain Defoe is a must to go to Germany.  No, he didn't score, but he worried the hell out of the Albion defence.  From the moment that he turned and hit a shot on goal with no back-lift that brought a good save out of Kuszczak through to his hassling of the goalkeeper to bring about the mistake for the winning goal.  Following the same result at Birmingham City, such behaviour will be most alien to a lot of the defenders who will face him in the World Cup, so he will frighten the life out of them, as will his ability to score out of nothing.

The other thing that stood out in my mind that nobody else has mentioned is the fact that when Defoe was rugby-tackled by Kuszczak, the referee pointed to the spot and immediately, Ronnie Wallwork removed his shirt as he thought he was having to go in goal, with his keeper about to be sent off and all three WBA subs having been used.  I think that says more about the decision of the referee than anything else, as most players know what decisions should be made.

Still, great that the man who cynically fouled Defoe for the penalty had to pick the ball out.

Also, Carrick didn't have the greatest game, but he did provide a perceptive pass for Keane's first goal.  One which was vital in the context of the game as it stood at that time.

EAST STAN

Dear oh dear. Out-played, out-thought and out-fought for much of the 90 minutes by little West Brom.  Astonishing.  On paper, once again, we should've buried them.  Put to the test, however, maybe they should've buried us.  Sure, this time we didn't have Stalteri, Gardner, Brown and Rasiak in the side, but we still struggled desperately.  It was an improvement on the display at the Hawthorns but only just and thanks to one man in particular, Mr Robbie Keane.

Does this man ever tire ?  Again, his running off the ball was superb and much later on, his willingness to switch to the  right flank was crucial in us turning the tide.  Could you see Defoe willing to do the same, for the good of the team ?  No, but God bless him 'cos he worked his socks off too and won the penalty.  However, the little men didn't have such a good time of it up front, not until Mido came on and Keano switched to the flank.  As hard as Defoe tried, I would suggest to Mr. Jol that he reinstate Mido for the Newcastle game.

Elsewhere, I would also call for Jenas to be dropped, to the bench at least.  He was completely ineffective in the first half and only improved when moved to right-back in the second half.  That brings me to Stephen Kelly, the man that we all hope will force Stalteri out of the side permanently, however, he failed to shine last night.  His passes were misplaced or too long and he was getting turned frequently by Ellington and even Inamoto !

I must hand it to Jol because I didn't get it right away when he took off Kelly and moved Jenas there.  I wondered if he was going 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 before I remembered that Jenas had played right-back many times for Newcastle.  Clever man, that Jol.  Our midfield was poor, especially Davids, but little Lennon was again the shining star.  We started so poorly that Lennon didn't touch the ball for 15 minutes until he moved to the left wing, which goes to show that someone wasn't doing their job.  Lennon is no ball winner and it's up to Carrick, Jenas and Davids to feed him, which they rarely did until West Brom took the lead.

It was a rare mix-up between King & Dawson that resulted in young Curtis Davies heading home for 0-1.  I liked the look of Davies and with Naybet, Gardner and possibly Stalteri exiting in the summer, it wouldn't be a bad move to sign him, especially if West Brom are relegated.  However, our pressing priority should be to sign either a world-class left-back or at least a Premiership standard left-back, because Lee is neither.  The Korean had a real stinker last night and didn't get forward as much as we'd have liked him to.  I feel for him though because I recall that he was an excellent right-back in Holland for PSV, who wanted to keep him.  That explains the absent left foot then, but still, his passing was errant and tackling non-existent.

Apart from the goal, King and Dawson were solid and Robbo didn't have a great deal to do, if only because of West Brom's poor finishing.  Davids looks very tired and God knows he has earned his wage this season (we're 4th, you know) but it's time he was dropped.  I say throw Murphy in there, otherwise why the hell did we sign him.  Provided he's fit, I think that Tainio should be recalled immediately.  At least until the Arsenal game, Davids must be rested.  Carrick took awhile to get going and didn't have a particularly good game but did provide an exquisite pass for Keano to latch onto and finish superbly to make it 1-1.

Funnily enough, West Brom then had their best spell of the game, winning back possession with ease and going close from set-pieces.  Kanu was giving Lee the monkey and looking dangerous.  Spurs were vulnerable and at that point I figured that maybe a draw was a fair result, should we hold on. 

What I didn't reckon for was the WBA keeper making an almighty cock-up from a back pass, allowing Defoe to wriggle past before bringing him down for the penalty.  In the scramble that ensued, Mido buried it to put us 2-1 up ... or so I thought.  Jumping all over the room, in a second I froze to the spot, smile evaporated and my heart stopped as the referee instead blew for a penalty.  Why not just play the advantage ?  I was as incensed as Mido but, luckily, we had Ireland's greatest ever striker on hand to step up, cool as a cucumber, to bury the spot-kick.

Out of nothing, the three points were ours.  It was a dramatic finish, as it all happened against the run of play but we did what had to be done to win.  In summary, we were poor.  Did we win ?  Yes.  Was it spectacular ? Absolutely not.  Crucially, were we at least solid doing it ?  Hell no, and that's where we need to be concerned.  West Brom didn't exactly do a job on us like Blackburn did, but then again, they didn't have Thierry Henry up front.  Arsenal do and we all know that the Highbury game will end up as the crunch match, the decider for that 4th spot.  If we don't improve quickly, it could be us on the receiving end of a Fulham style 5-1 caning.

SEAN JACKSON