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| photo by Bods | via PhotoRee |
James makes a return to these pages, in search of the silver lining in Spurs' weekend's loss to Stoke:
Spurs' fantastic league run had
to end some time. And in gazing at the schedule through the last few
weeks there were two games that popped up as troublesome: Chelsea at the
Lane next week and our trip to the Britannia last Sunday, a notoriously
difficult place to play for reasons that are well known. The "cold
Tuesday at Stoke" expression seems particularly profound after the events
of last weekend.
Although the location, support and weather are clearly
factors in Stoke sitting 8th and for Pulis never having been
relegated despite negligible budgets and talent levels, the main reason for Stoke's recent success is their Neanderthal style
of play in a league that, overall, is evolving from the hoof and throw
mentality. But not the Potters, who not only employ the style but seem to
happily embrace it. This is so even for their fans, who are famous for chanting
"we only score on throw ins" and taunted Spurs at the end of the
first half on Sunday with "2 nil to the rugby team."
Of course none of this is a surprise for those that follow
the Permiership and certainly not for Harry Redknapp and his Spurs. But there they
were in the first half looking like they were continually trying to play chess
in the middle of a game of checkers. Credit to Stoke who came out ready
to play, vastly more so than the Lilywhites. They consistently beat Spurs to
loose balls, bullied them all over the pitch and took full advantage of Spurs'
sloppy marking (the second goal was the otherwise sublime Scott Parker's worst
moment so far in a Spurs' shirt) to race to their first half lead. Even
when Spurs made the occasional counter attack, it appeared that a cross would
come aimed haphazardly at Adebayor in the box surrounded by four red and white
striped trees. It was during the first half of this game that I realized
how short a team Spurs are, particularly without Dawson and King in the back,
while, for some reason, Gallas and Kaboul, for all their virtues, seem
genetically unable to get more than six inches off the ground. Stoke took
full advantage of this in the first half and did all the annoying things the
Potters do - one could read whole chapters of "War and Peace" while Shotton
dried the ball with his special ball-drying shirt during any one of the
hundred throw ins Stoke executed.
Even more troubling was the seeming reluctance of the Spurs'
players to aggressively take on Stoke on their numerous set pieces. Granted
that is not necessarily their style, but there is also no doubt that the likes
of King and Dawson would have at least been in their faces more.
Regardless, none of this should have been a surprise going
in. So perhaps, in hindsight, we should have started with the formation
that Harry went to at half time. Although the sight of Bassong sent
shivers in light of recent performances, credit to Redknapp for brilliantly adjusting
at the half by moving to a 3-5-2. He replaced Assou-Ekotto, who had been
torched by Shotton (who looks a fine all around young player), with Bassong,
and the ineffectual Lennon with Defoe, and the game completely changed.
With the three center backs protecting the middle, clogging up set
pieces, freeing up the now 5 man midfield and benefiting from the refreshingly
aggressive performance by Bassong, Spurs were free to do what they do best -
attack. And attack they did - creating numerous chances and unarguably
putting themselves in position to at least take one, if not three points, from
this game.
That is, but for the absolutely atrocious performance by Referee Chris Foy. It will indeed be difficult, even for the neutral, to
witness a more poorly officiated game in any sport than the excrement laid by
Mr. Foy on Sunday. There is no doubt that Tony Pulis will send him a
fruit basket after this - or perhaps a new set of man bras (note to Foy: you
are an EPL referee, not Art Donovan) - because Foy literally gifted the Potters at
least two points. The incidents are numerous and well documented and
include: at least three missed Stoke hand balls, a missed blatant penalty
in the box on Kaboul in the 66th, yellow on Kaboul for complaining, second yellow
and sending off for a borderline foul on Kaboul, a missed blatant corner for Bale in the 70th, his linesman disallowing the Adebayor equalizer even though
Adebayor was at least two yards on side, and many, many more. Stoke fans
will complain that they were victimized on the Modric penalty. In fact,
Modric was compared to Suarez of all people on this very website. After
observing the play several times, however, clearly contact was made.
Could Modric have stayed on his feet? Perhaps. But it was a
clear penalty nevertheless. To compare Modric based on this incident to
the Biter/Racist/Diver/MiddleFingerGiver is hyperbole in the extreme.
In the end, though, this was a predictable loss at a location
where the Gooners had been defeated and United held to a draw already this
year. So, the streak ended not surprisingly but under frustrating
circumstances. And more troublesome, it looks like Kaboul is gone for the
next two key fixtures at home to Sunderland and Chelsea after his ridiculous
red card. Regardless, Spurs fans will hope that Ledley King will be
ready.
But all is still there for the taking for Spur,s who remain
who remain only seven points out of first with a game in hand.
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