Looking Forward

Chelsea  (Home)

Premier League

Saturday 27th August 2005

The array of stars bought over the last two seasons by Roman Abramovich (a man who spends £70,000 getting a new engine for his yacht because someone put the wrong fuel in it !!) has been added to by the spending on defender Del Horno, £24.4 million midfielder Essien and £21 million Wright-Phillips.  In comparison our spending has been modest ... nothing for Tainio, Stalteri and Davids.  

So, how will we shape up against the Premiership champions ?  Pretty well I believe.  The bus will be left in the car park and Martin Jol's team will take the game to Chelsea a bit more this season.  I believe that Jol's tactics are very good and although we got hussled out of the game on Wednesday, Chelsea will be a different proposition and that is why some of the players were on the bench at Blackburn ... some suffering the after-effects of Saturday's game and some taking a blow before returning for this game.

With Terry keeping things tight at the back and Lampard and Makele running the engine in midfield, it will be a tough call to get something from this game, but we came close last year when a dodgy penalty and a late second goal won it for the Blues. 

Not having conceded a goal so far will inspire Spurs and the goals have been coming at the other end for Defoe and Mido, so it is just a shame that Routledge is not available, as it would have offered Spurs a route to goal.  But perhaps Aaron Lennon will come in and make a name for himself ... especially if Tainio is out injured from Wednesday's game.

Whichever eleven is put out, they will have a real go at Chelsea and maybe ... just maybe ... they might not like that sort of approach.  It will be an interesting tester so early in the season for Tottenham and one which might prove to be an indicator of what we can expect for the coming weeks of the campaign.  I for one am more hopeful than I have been for a while and even without one of our most potent attacking options, I think we have enough to unsettle the Pensioners ...

PREDICTION : -  Tottenham Hotspur  2    Chelsea  1

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

Coverage

TV :  
For coverage in all parts of the world, check here and here.
Saturday 22.10  Match of the Day - BBC One  (Highlights)
Saturday 20.35  Football First (full match) - Sky Digital
Sunday 08.10  Match of the Day - BBC One  (Highlights) repeat
Sunday 11.00 Goals on Sunday - Sky Sports 1 (highlights)
Sunday 2230   Match of the Day 2 - BBC Two  (Highlights)

Radio :
BBC Five Live 693 & 909 AM (Medium Wave) (second-half commentary only)
BBC London 94.9 FM (Live match commentary) - London area only

Internet :
www.spurs.co.uk   Live webcast  - subscribers only
BBC Five Live - Live second-half commentary only (UK only) http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/index.shtml?logo
http://play.www.planetfootball.servecast.net/downloads/sky/spurs-pl04-kean0.ram Free full match commentary

Robinson (c)

Stalteri
Dawson
Gardner
Kelly

Tainio (Lennon 46)
Carrick
Davids
Reid

Defoe
Mido

Unused subs: 
Cerny
Naybet
Brown
Keane

Cech

Ferreira
Gallas
Terry (c)
Del Horno

J. Cole (Wright-Phillips 64)
Essien
Makelele
Lampard

Duff (Huth 89)
Drogba (Crespo 68)

Unused subs: 
Cudicini
Gudjohnsen

Tottenham Hotspur

None 

Del Horno 40
Duff  72

       
Gardner (Drogba falling into him) 23
Reid (dissent)  64
Davids (foul) 75

     
Mido (violent conduct) 26

      
Essien (deliberate trip when goal-scoring opportunity) 21
Terry (pushing Mido) 26      
Cole (studs down Kelly's leg) 62
Drogba 

They might as well wrap up the Premiership trophy with blue ribbons and give it to Chelsea tomorrow, because with refereeing like this, it is a stone bonker that they will stroll this season.  Not because they are better than all the other sides in the league, but they will get away with murder, as Styles showed today.  The sending off of Mido was the turning point of the match and swung it decisively in the visitors direction, after an incident a few minutes before could have seen Essien walk off the pitch instead of be shown just a yellow card.

The frustration following this match isn't that we lost.  I can take that.  It was the manner of the defeat and that Chelsea were second best for periods of the game ... even after we had been reduced to ten men.  They resort to the long ball game, as has been claimed before and they do not appear to pass the ball well at times ... perhaps because of over-confidence.

Having said that they exploited the man in black's failings to the maximum.  Mido's removal left a hole in the defence from a corner and Del Horno's unmarked header might have been where our Egyptian striker would have been.  Gallas was on the far past as the bal went in, but he missed it and it bounced into the net off the post.  The second goal saw Wright-Phillips' pace wrong foot Kelly, playing at left back and his cross was mis-hit by Duff and typically in these games, the ball bounced past Robinson, as he dived the other way.

But up until the point where a red card was brandished at Mido, Spurs had the better of the match.  In fact, Mido might have put Tottenham 1-0 ahead, when he raced past defenders, but shanked his shot well wide.  A further chance came when Dawson rose highest at a corner and put it a couple of yards past the post and Defoe hit a firm drive with his wrong foot to make Cech save.  Once more, Tottenham's propensity to concede free-kicks around their area led to a couple of efforts from Chelsea, but one had the sting taken off it by the wall for Robinson to take easily, while the other went way over from the boot of Drogba.

The first controversial incident came in the 21st minute, with Davids running into the area to take Tainio's pass, he was tripped by Essien a yard outside the box.  With nobody in front of Davids, it was difficult to see how the official saw fit to wave a yellow card to the £24 million man.  Red would have been the least that a Spurs player in the same situation would have received.  Yellows came Tottenham's way in a torrent.  Every first challenge resulted in a card.  Drogba pushed the ball past Gardner and then threw himself at our central defender, because he knew he could not get it.  Yellow card.

Mido's first offence brought an even swifter response from the man in black.  A jump - admittedly a full bloodied jump - for a header with Del Horno saw the Spaniard hit the deck like a sack of spuds, holding his head.  Before he had even touched turf, there was a short fat man running across the pitch reaching into his back pocket for his red card.  Knowing his previous with Tottenham, I am surprised that he is still able to take the field for a match involving our club.  Anyhow, it was more a yellow than a red ... seeing as how he viewed the Essien incident.  Someone on the radio coming home described him as trigger-happy with his cards.  Never a truer word ...

The reduction to ten men was going to mean three points for Chelsea, with Spurs effectively playing for pride, which they did.  Carrick's free-kick brought a diving save right on half-time and that was the only opening we made after the 25th minute.

Tainio was substituted at half-time and Aaron Lennon brought on in the right midfield berth to add some pace to our attack.  And he made an impact on his full debut for the club.  He took a Terry header out on his chest and couldn't keep his volley down, but later, he ran onto a Defoe pass and it was only a last ditch effort by Terry that stopped him getting a shot away from just inside the box.  Michael Dawson improved his England chances with a heavy tackle on Terry, who needed knee treatment, but came back on and might have ruled himself out of the internationals next week.  Joe Cole nearly put Stephen Kelly out of football for a long time.  His tackle right in front of the benches was late, over the top and if anything could be described as "using excessive force in the tackle" it was this tackle.  That would have meant a red card, but no, the man in black showed yellow ... appropriately, considering a lot of his decisions today.

Mourinho knew it was a bad challenge and took Cole off before he got sent off for another one, bringing Wright-Phillips on.  His pace will trouble many a Premiership defender this season and he made two great chances for Crespo when he replaced the light-as-a-feather Drogba.  Luckily for Spurs, our England's number one Paul Robinson kept them out and on the first chance, also got up to grab SWP's low drive as the ball broke free.

Another free-kick awarded against Spurs; this time for Andy Reid bringing a ball down and a Chelsea defender bumping into the back of him, brought another caution, as Reid was expressing his disgust at the unbelievable decision in no uncertain terms.  Dawson had three headed chances with one just clearing the bar, as he was pushed forward to try and salvage something from the game and the last effort of the match saw Essien poke a shot wide, as Stalteri did well to put him off.

With a minute to go, Chelsea brought on Huth for Duff and for all the huff and puff about how great Chelsea are, they fail to show their class.  They played within themselves, because the man in black did all the hard work for them, including getting in the way on a number of occasions when Spurs looked like they might break forward.  But the reliance on route one and the insistence in playing the ball back to the keeper make them a team that will not go down in history as a great one.  Unlike Del Horno and Drogba, who will go down in history for their going down.

Edgar Davids lost his impetus in the second half and looked tired, so the two week break might have come at just the right time for him.  Carrick did well and Robinson maintains his high standards in goal, with honourable mentions for Gardner and Defoe, who battled on outnumbered in attack.  But it will need a new signing to come in up front and Kuyt is the obvious one now, with Mido facing a three match ban if the card is not rescinded ... but knowing the past record of this officious official, there is no way he will admit he was wrong, even though a number of "experts" have pronounced that it was worth no more than a yellow card.  As it was said on the radio, it is the sort of challenge Alan Shearer has been making fifteen times a game for twenty years and getting away with.  So why is it that a Tottenham Hotspur player doesn't get away with it ??

MEHSTG TOP MAN : - MICHAEL DAWSON

Phil Eastcott

Magic Man

That we never ever want Rob Styles to referee one of our games ever again.

That we should always put someone on the post from opposition corners.

That we shouldn't expect opposition players to get up once they have been tackled.

That we will gather three yellow cards each match (at least).

That Chelsea fans are glory hunters, who will disappear like their players when Abramovich gets found out.

That Martin Jol is an honorable man who will not complain like so many managers who feel they need to blame someone else.

That we will win more games than we lose if we can play like this ... with eleven men.

That in the past we would have got tanked having gone down to ten men so early in the match.

Joe Forbes

"One-Nil to the referee ! One-Nil to the referee !"

"Where were you when you were skint ?"

and

"Have you bought the referee ?"

Original ... well, much more so than the boring Chelsea "One Man" and "Celery", but then when have they originated anything ?  Apart from spending a Russian's fortune.

Benny The Ball

I thought after a few days reflection I may have got over the Chelsea game, but it would seem not.  How Mr. Styles could remove a card from his pocket so quickly just amazed me and many others I should imagine.   Perhaps he could of waited a split second because no sooner had he grasped it in his grubby paw than Delboy Horno was on his feet ushering Mido on his way well after shoving the rest of our players out of the way.  

Whilst on the subject of cards, I never knew it was a bookable offence when someone runs into you ... for example Drogba running into Gardner.  Now, I'm not a fan of the big telegraph pole, but even I was stunned at that one.  

On a brighter note (if there can be one) ... what a great display from Robbo in goal.  How the Goons and Mancs missed him I'll never know.  Just glad they did.

And a special mention to young Lennon.  I'm sure when he reaches sweet sixteen, he will be some player.  

Well that worked ... glad I got it of my chest.
Good luck for the rest of the season.
Come on U Spurs.

Richard Cook

I along with all Spurs fans were left in total disbelief by Mr. Rob (aptly named) Styles performance on Saturday.

From the kick-off, he produced more cards that a magician, and all in our direction !

How can he not have sent Essien off when he committed a 'professional foul' on Davids who was clean through on goal, then contrive to only book him when 95% of refs would've sent him off !

Then the major contribution to the game by the ref, who in his eagerness to get the red card out of his pocket so quickly, he nearly fell over.  He cheated us paying fans out of a eagerly awaited match and spoiled the game as a viewing spectacle.

How can Alan Shearer, over twenty years, jump into players with his arm extended into players faces and never get sent off, while Mido gets sent off (alright he jumped at the man from the side), but he never went in with the elbow, although Del Horno went down like he'd be run over, but managed to make a miraculous recovery when the 'argy bargy' kicked off ?

I have never 'hated' an opposition player whilst watching Spurs in over 30 years of going to the Lane, but John Terry is fast becoming the first !
His constant fouling, pushing players, hands in faces (isn't that a sending offence ?), he is a nasty piece of work, matched alongside Drogba (waste of money), Duff (diver), and Del Horno (cheat), they are fast becoming the most hated team in the land.

I heard Jol's interview after the game and I was surprised at his calm demeanour.  Can you imagine Fergie's response to Rooney getting sent off, we'd still be reading about it  !

COYS

Paxton Mark