PL: Spurs a Ratings & Reactions

[knoppy1987]

Spurs = boring long ball team

Villa = Ten men behind the ball, desperate not to lose team.

Well it would be absolutely stupid if we were desperate to lose.

Point gained as we didn't do enough to warrant anything more from the game. I am still expecting a little more from Downing at times but I think it will come.

I like the look of our run in towards the end of the season and just hope we can keep our strikers fit and hope at least one of them will start scoring a little more regularly.

[vreitti]

A valuable point gained, but that is not really the issue. We were very poor today, again. Apart from our back four, which was quite solid, we weren't able to produce anything worthwhile. Well, Milners shot in the first half was a good effort, but that was about all we could conjure up today.

Sadly, we cannot really impose ourselves on the better sides in the Premier League, mainly because our general play is very predictable and we don't really have the creativity nor do we have the ability to change things around, when they aren't going our way. If our ridiculous counter-attack-hoof-ball play isn't working out, we are more or less clueless, as is our wonderful manager. In my view our biggest concern is our midfield, which is overrun almost every game, especially by our direct rivals and the big 4.

Still spurs were only marginally better than us today. They can whine all day long, but the fact remains they too play very poor hoof-ball and are also largely predictable. Yet their determination and effort were far superior to ours today and we can really count ourselves lucky to have gotten anything from this game.

[TheSufferingVilla]

Job done neither team played well but our lads will be happier with the point. Thought Bale had the game of his career and Gomes played well but wasn't impressed with any of them, Defoe did about as much as our injured Heskey. Modric was pretty shit but we were by no means firing either, Milner and Downing were both poor. As for Spurs and their glorious football, everything was route-one.

[CrackpotForeigner]

Another immense performance form Dunne. How much did we pay for him again? I'm starting to have nightmares about what happens if he gets injured.

If he does, we play Collins and Cuellar in CM. No problemo, man.

For the people having a go at:

Downing: He was ok today. Truly shit free kick, but otherwise ok. He is an excellent player who can pick a pass, has pace, and adds creativity. He has improved our team big style.

Petrov: He is nursing an Achilles tendon. Not his best game, but he has been very good this season. Cut him a bit of slack for his injury please.

Carew: Mmmm, fair enough, he hasn't played well for a long time.

When was the last goal we scored from a free kick or corner? Those two free kicks of ours today were embarrassing.

[CBGB]

We were under the cosh most of the game but the defence held firm and got us a point we wouldn't have in previous seasons. That's pretty much it.

[Brumstopdogs]

The amount of times the ball was hoofed to Crouchy was amazing! Spurs are fast becoming the new Wimbledon..

[sellyoakvilla]

Quite annoyed because the ticket was expensive. Also annoyed because I hate Tottenham fans. Also annoyed because we didn't create many chances. Apart from that I would take a point away at Tottenham who were fourth before this game. Also why do Tottenham play so much long ball? It is unreal, I thought we played long ball but they just take the piss....Dawson to Crouch to Defoe, cleared aaaaand repeat.

[barry'sboots]

Great point. We are still well in there after a horrendous run of games and we have played Arsenal, Plop, Spurs and soon Man U twice now.

Terrible performance though and MON's lack of tactical awareness was shown up again.

- Friedel excellent.

- Defence was very good but we need to get Luke back to RB and a LB playing to balance it properly.

- Midfield too far apart. Petrov did very little and his lack of athleticism was shown up. Milner has to cover too much ground to compensate. Ash looks scared to take his FB on. DJ was ok.

- Gab worked his socks off and looked a constant threat. Heskey is a waste of space as a third midfielder. Carew is a waste of space.

- MON was hopeless. No plan B or effort made to get us into the game. Heskey's injury was a chance to get a third CM'er on - Delph or Sidders - and get on the ball a bit more and allow Jimmy to push on.

Spurs weren't much better. Palacios and Huddlestone are both playing deep. Defoe has nothing to worry a decent back line. Thought Crouchy looked ok.

[tonyh29]

whats wrong with beating them 3 times in a season?

nothing wrong with it at all .. .. we hadn't beaten them for 15 odd years and now suddenly we are going to win 3 out of 3 .... like i say his post was more a superstition thing and not him physically wishing we would lose

god - lighten up a bit!

anyway - three consective heads calls still means that the fourth flip is 50/50

You're the one jumping down peoples throats :-)

[RunRickyRun]

My neck is strained watching all the long balls played up to crouch.

[snowychap]

A very fortunate point.

Still, I'll take that.

[rjw63]

Sidwell has 2 MotM votes

Gingerlad obviously has 2 accounts on VT

[Ponky]

Problem for Downing is he has no right foot. He is constantly being pushed over to the right by Young who also prefers the left, but he ends up running the ball into the centre because he can't whip it in on his right.

I have been reluctant to condemn Carew this year but watching that game I was staggered at the number of times Gabby or Ash had the ball deep in the corners and Carew was sauntering along up field instead of bursting into the box to get onto something.

Heskey and his glass groin are just as bad. Certainly his contributions are better than Carew's but what's the point if he does a Ledley King every second game?

[srsmithusa]

I think it's nearly unanimous that the point is good but our play was blaringly short of standard. On a completely unrelated note. Boneheaded referee call of the night was Milner's hand ball. The key in the law is that it be deliberate. If it was deliberate, he contrived to have the ball run into his plant foot and bounce up and behind giving him the opportunity to swing his arm around behind himself and strike the ball further off the course of what looked to be a good counter attack developing. How many hours do you think he practiced that move, so he could handle the ball deliberately and stop what might have been one of the few moments we were really dangerous. ludicrous.... stupid decision by the ref.

Obvious lack of intent.

[thetrees]

I think it's nearly unanimous that the point is good but our play was blaringly short of standard. On a completely unrelated note. Boneheaded referee call of the night was Milner's hand ball. The key in the law is that it be deliberate. If it was deliberate, he contrived to have the ball run into his plant foot and bounce up and behind giving him the opportunity to swing his arm around behind himself and strike the ball further off the course of what looked to be a good counter attack developing. How many hours do you think he practiced that move, so he could handle the ball deliberately and stop what might have been one of the few moments we were really dangerous. ludicrous.... stupid decision by the ref.

Obvious lack of intent.

Not sure that it was 'boneheaded' or just common sense.

Sure it was accidental, but it was potentially giving us the best advantage of the game. The ref had to pull it back and was right to do so.

[theboyangel]

Not a bad result at all - if we win our game in hand we go above Spudzzz.

[thetrees]

Very disappointing performance.

Okay, Friedel was on top of his game, and all of the back 4 made some excellent last ditch challenges/blocks, but going forward we were sterile. Perhaps had Heskey not gone lame again we would have offered more, but Carew was awful and Gabby just didn't cause enough problems. Young/Milner/Downing offered nothing, with the latter having a very poor game.

I'm just not sure that we have anything in our locker to worry the opposition, particularly those placed higher than us in the league.

One final point on Defoe's 'penalty'. Lawrenson on MOTD has just said it was a definite one. If you watch the replay Defoe was going over before Petrov's leg came out. Another good decision from the ref.

[TRO]

We didn't play too well, although the same can be said for Surs in all honesty.

However, the important thing is that we got a draw. Good result at their ground and I'm quite happy with that.

The defence were brilliant once again. Friedel surely has to be the GK for the final now.

"We didn't play too well, although the same can be said for Surs in all honesty"

did you watch the game.... without 4 players on our side it would have been an avalanche....admittedly they didn't score, mainly due to extraordinary performances for 4 players.... but the rest of their outfield play completely eclipsed ours.

and it is slowly becoming the same 4 players every week, thats getting us out of jail.

Dunne

Freidal

Collins

Cuellar

that is worrying to keep relying on them guys.

[TRO]

Very disappointing performance.

Okay, Friedel was on top of his game, and all of the back 4 made some excellent last ditch challenges/blocks, but going forward we were sterile. Perhaps had Heskey not gone lame again we would have offered more, but Carew was awful and Gabby just didn't cause enough problems. Young/Milner/Downing offered nothing, with the latter having a very poor game.

I'm just not sure that we have anything in our locker to worry the opposition, particularly those placed higher than us in the league.

One final point on Defoe's 'penalty'. Lawrenson on MOTD has just said it was a definite one. If you watch the replay Defoe was going over before Petrov's leg came out. Another good decision from the ref.

good analysis im my view.

I would now like to see a few of the performances reflected in the team selection....like it seems is so easy with other personnel

[TRO]

Job done neither team played well but our lads will be happier with the point. Thought Bale had the game of his career and Gomes played well but wasn't impressed with any of them, Defoe did about as much as our injured Heskey. Modric was pretty shit but we were by no means firing either, Milner and Downing were both poor. As for Spurs and their glorious football, everything was route-one.

except without Dunne & co they would have won about 6-0

no i guess for most they didn't play well because they didn't score.... I thought they didn't play badly at all.

In boxing terms they completely out pointed us.