After another dull, and pretty boring break in the fixture list for those who aren’t that interested in international football, the proper action is back for Tottenham Hotspur fans as we make the trip up to newly minted Newcastle United.
Following their recent majority takeover by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, but the Premier League being ‘assured’ the Saudi Arabian Government will not be involved in the running of the club – even though Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is the Chairman of PIF and it’s basically the states savings account whose raison d’etre is to secure non-oil based revenue for Saudi Arabia as a whole – what this actually means for our trip up to St James’ Park is open for debate.
Newcastle United fans will definitely be boosted after all their battles with Mike Ashley, but given the wealth of the new ‘non-Government linked’ owners, it’s easy to imagine there will be a good degree of uncertainty, both amongst management and players when it comes to their futures.
Having ended our three game losing streak with the 2-1 victory over Aston Villa, we will be looking to make that back to back wins again and given their start to the season, you’d have to make us firm favourites to do just that, as long as we turn up.
But of course, so far that has been the story of 2021/22 – will Spurs turn up?
Good points from the game; We won obviously, which makes our league position a lot healthier. The reaction after Newcastle blitzed us in the first 10 minutes was really good, no panic, we took control and scored three. Kane got his first of the season in the premier league which hopefully will jump start his season. N’Dombele got his first goal of the season but I’m not expecting the same from him.
The bad point was despite controlling most of the game we never quite killed it off, it ended up being harder work than it should have been.
After a brief whirlwind start by the home team Spurs had their easiest win of the season. Dier put himself in such a stupid position for a defender that he couldn’t avoid scoring. Our passing was the slickest it’s been so far and we probably deserved to win the game 5-1. There were lots of encouraging signs that the team is starting to settle and gel. All five goals were extremely well taken and a joy to watch!
funny to look at the table now. Fifth place looks okay after a really nasty patch, but on GD we’re competing with Arsenal, CP, and Southampton in the lower half of the table. We really need a few convincing wins by multiple goals or things like the Dier own-goal will return to bite us on the butt.
I expect Newcastle will be fielding a vastly improved team for the second half of the season …. or the far-too-wealthy owners will find themselves the owners of a championship club.
It wasn’t a must-win game, more a mustn’t lose one. For once we took advantage of the other results and put ourselves back in the mix. And, despite the score, we did it with some style.
TK – How often does it actually come down to goal difference ? It does happen but really not that often. Its about how many you win not the number you win by.
whether you win the cut for fourth place or for getting into the midget euro competitions we’re in now, GD can squeak you in or squeak you out. That’s the way the system is set up. if you don’t plan for winning within the rules of losing within them, you have to respect that they exist. Whether it happens every year of once every five years you need to prepare for it. It does matter at times. Right now we’re below the teams below us in terms of GD.
that’s embarrassing if not damaging. could turn damaging.
How often is a heart defibrillator needed at a football match? It’s good to prepare for those moments.
jod, I write so many comments that could invite disagreement, and this is the one you choose? lol
reputation well earned.
Full marks for coming back and taking control of the game but jeez, they were sh*t with 11 never mind ten. A great opportunity to improves our GD wasted. Better from Nd but still too apt to dither on the ball. Better from Reguillon too going forward at least controlling from difficult long passes and retaining possession. Lucas gets better the more he plays. Overall the team needs to realise that in football you can control a game for 89 minutes and 59 seconds and still lose. Killer instinct sorely needed.
but Love totty, didn’t you see jod telling us that GD isn’t worth the bucket of warm spit?
how often do you see a team lose to a goal at after 89 minutes and 59 seconds? not worth worrying about. Lol. Says so in the comments just above yours
TK….sorry but am with jod there, regards GD, when was the last time it actually decided anything, take yesterdays win, 3pts no matter, now think the same fixture last year, if my memory is correct it was a draw, so 1pt, the difference of 2pts would have got us into the CL and not the one we are in now.
I do understand what your saying but GD isn’t that important these days, where as continually winning is the most important thing of the 2 thoughts/reasonings. COYS
We’re about 2 points short of where we were last season after 8 games, however last season was much more settled plus we do have a lot of the big guns out of the way, any one can take points of any team in this league, that’s what makes it the most entertaining in the world, don’t forget last season after 8 games Man C only had 12 points.
Hopefully we get a settled spell now with no distractions and between now and Christmas we can rack up a few points.
Niall,
I’m hoping that in addition to racking up a few points we also can hack away at our GD deficit. I agree with Love totty on that one.
TK … AS you can tell from an earlier post I totally agree with you about the significance of the GD. The way this season is looking it could be crucial, and ours is the worst it’s been for several seasons. We need to improve it. If we’d won 5-0 yesterday it would have fairly reflected the game, but at least we played very well and the signs are encouraging.
One more win and we hit the two points per game average that virtually guarantees top four and a CL place. Reaching it is one thing, keeping it is something else. But it would put us well in the mix.
The year Leicester won the title their goal difference wasn’t great, certainly some of the clubs they beat had much better. But they kept winning matches by the odd goal and points always trumps goals. I’m struggling to think of the last time goal difference made a significant difference, other than the odd promotion race maybe.
But, It’s not just about winning the EPL, jod…
Just a couple of seasons ago, Spurs managed to pip Wolves to the Europa league by just a 3 or 4 more, GD, I think it was…
LOL. If we stayed out of relegation on GD I’d be quite happy that we hadn’t listened to your advise. But to say it doesn’t matter isn’t to say that it won’t matter in the one time that we get relegated or fail to enter the top 4 etc., on GD.
I don’t remember the last friend I lost to AIDS, but I still recomment wearing a condom when penetrating a stranger in the bathroom of a pub.
I still carry a space tire in my car even though i haven’t used one in many years.
I haven’t been asked by the police to see my driver’s license, but I always have it with me when I drive.
Not much to say about this game except a good 3 points. Some things to improve on, some promising signs – but isn’t that the case in every game?
4 thoughts:
Glad Kane has reminded everyone that he still knows where the goal is.
If Tanguy can produce this sort of display, why isn’t he doing it more often?
I cannot wrap my head around Dier’s own goal – shambolic doesn’t do it justice.
All the money is the world will serve for nothing if Newcastle are relegated by the end of the year. Which big star is going to want to join a relegation battle in the northeast of England in January? Which slightly above average player is going to want to join Newacastle for said relegation battle, if that player knows he is a stopgap at best, until Newcastle can go after big stars in the summer? Interesting times, but I feel it could get worse before it gets better for Newcastle fans.
PS: As much as I want to criticise Eric Dier for his football, his actions to save a man’s life should be recognised. Well done Eric, Sergio, and others involved.
i’m with you on the comments about Dier.
Perhaps Ndombele is more comfortable playing more forward, which he seemed to be yesterday. Or maybe is mother talked to him and told him to shape up. but that’s the best I can remember seeing him play. and it’s the best I’ve seen from HK this season.
Just before kick-off, I posted on here that I thought we’d “smash em”, 5-0. 15 minutes later and we’re 0-1 down. I had to laugh… I did actually laugh!
But we soon turned it around. And we could’ve easily smashed em. We should’ve smashed em! But we took our foot off the gas in the second half, and it was much closer in the end than it really should’ve been.
But we played well enough. Then again, the Magpies were pretty awful, apart from their all guns a blazing, first few minutes.
Harry and Tanguy looked a lot more like they should be looking. More of the same please, guys… All of them looked better…
But some looked dead on their feet toward the end. So why did Nuno not use any subs? But then again, given that Romero and Royal were still the other side of the world, playing football in the late hours of Friday and travelling home in the early hours of Saturday, I thought they both played well. Overall, the whole team played well.
Up the Spurs!
As for NUFC? Are they soon to be the most wealthiest team by far, in the Championship? Talk about there being a (financially) uneven playing field in the PL… that would be even more ridiculous!
HT …. I was waiting for Nuno to use his bench after 60 minutes, especially with a ECL game on Thursday and with WHU to follow. He had players to use. Not sure what his thinking was.
Agreed a good GD is always a bonus and can make a difference in league positions during the season which can help confidence.
Re Kane and N’Dombele indeed there was an improvement in their commitment and over all movement which was great to see and goals aside (which were welcome) they played much better.
Hopefully next week will see us gel even more.
Re Newcastle, many players want trophy and success over money, whilst Newcastle indeed will have loads of dosh, if they do manage to lure players (for the money)it will certainly take a season or two to actually build a winning team, so it could be a while yet before they see success at the toon.
What tough run of games coming up.
Before the end of next month we play Everton and West Ham away, Man U and Leeds at home, we’ve got 2 trips to Turf Moor (one in the league, one in the EFL Cup), and a couple games against Vitesse Arnhem and a trip to Slovenia in the ECL.
9 games in 38 days.
BS, its simple, that’s modern day Pro football lol!
Yes its a tough run, but we will come through or I’ll eat my hat! COYS
PY …. I’d get a tasty hat if I were you, mate! : – )
I’ll suggest a tasty little pork-pie hat!
Geof n HT, already got a tasty tifter, as HT said its a “Pork Pie” Trilby, I really do think its safe on its hanger. COYS