phespirit.now: games

Spurs Armchair Diary, season 2009/2010. The transformation from relegation certainties to Europa League nearlies has surely stiffened everyone's resolve never to plumb such depths again. Crouch and Bassong are not exactly marquee Premiership signings, but the club starts this season with a bigger, better squad that has good options in every position except the left-wing. Always the left-wing. The pundits generally have Spurs to finish 6th or 7th, which would be fine. Let battle commence.


	Sunday 14th March 2010 [16:11 GMT] Spurs 3 - 1 Blackburn Rovers : A good result. Beating Blackburn is never to be taken for granted, irrespective of what the form book may decree. Both sides had good chances and hard luck, but on balance this was a fair scoreline, and Spurs continue to play attractive, attacking football. Gareth Bale is by far the most improved player this year. Saturday 6th March 2010 [19:39 GMT] F.A. Cup Quarter-final: Fulham 0 - 0 Spurs : A fair result. Not the greatest of spectacles, but a decent tactical battle in which the teams pretty effectively neutralised the other. The replay probably won't be much different. Sunday 28th February 2010 [20:05 GMT] Spurs 2 - 1 Everton : A bit lucky to get away with all three points in the end. Excellent first half, nervy second. Hopefully this will be Gomes's first and last daft game in an otherwise outstanding season. Friday 26th February 2010 [19:15 GMT] F.A. Cup Fifth Round replay: Spurs 4 - 0 Bolton Wanderers : Never in doubt. Another two for Pavlyuchenko, who - common sense dictates - must surely now enjoy a good run in the team at the expense of Crouch. Sunday 21st February 2010 [20:09 GMT] Wigan Athletic 0 - 3 Spurs : A much needed good result. The F.A. Cup win at Leeds had been followed by an 0-0 at home to Villa that deserved more, an appalling 1-0 defeat Wolves, and a salvaged 1-1 draw in the cup at Bolton. The build-up to the game inevitably centred on Spurs' 9-1 home win against Wigan in November. The scoreline in this game could only ever be worse for Spurs, so it was pleasing to see it still turn out so well. Pleasing, too, to see Pavlyuchenko have such a positive impact. Thursday 4th February 2010 [20:42 GMT] F.A. Cup Fourth Round replay: Leeds United 1 - 3 Spurs : Not a great deal of credibility to be gained by boasting about a Premiership team's victory over a League One side. Still, it has to be said Spurs played some lovely football on a lousy night in a hostile stadium. Bentley has looked a different player over the last three matches, like the Bentley that came good at Blackburn. Kranjčar showed some sublime touches and control. Gomes is imperious in goal. Defoe scored a hattrick, missed another, and put another in the keeper's hands. Good stuff. Erased the disappointing memory of Birmingham's stoppage time equaliser in Saturday's game at St. Andrew's. Sunday 24th January 2010 [16:42 GMT] F.A. Cup Fourth Round: Spurs 2 - 2 Leeds United : By every single measure of comparison between the two clubs, Spurs should have won this one. And by every measure of performance on the day, Spurs should have won this one. By every measure, that is, except 'goals scored'. Leeds equalised with a penalty awarded in the fifth minute of stoppage time, which was a marginal decision but probably correct. Nonetheless, Spurs should have been given an identical decision in the first half, and where did those five minutes of stoppage time come from? There was were no injuries, was no time-wasting, and although there were six substitutions it still shouldn't have gone beyond four minutes at most. But moaning about the injustices doesn't alter the fact that if just half Spurs' chances had been converted this would have been over as a contest at half-time, and a drubbing at ninety minutes. Defoe missed a fourth successive penalty, so if only one positive comes from the game it should be that Defoe is never again allowed anywhere near a spot-kick. Give it to Modric. Sunday 17th January 2010 [10:07 GMT] Spurs 0 - 0 Hull City : In bygone years Spurs would be undone by a striker or 'mercurial' midfielder who would save up their one outstanding performance of the season for Spurs' visit, or their trip to White Hart Lane. At least in this match it was the goalkeeper, Boaz Myhill, who decided to have the game of his life. It feels like a miserable two points dropped, but it could be looked on as a point gained that was lost last season ..... nah, it's two points dropped. Disruption to the fixture list caused by snow and ice over the past fortnight means only one other match has been played in 2010. That was in the third round of the F.A. Cup, and finished Spurs 4-0 Peterborough United. Pretty comfortable stuff. Leeds United will be the visitors in the fourth round. They sensationally won 0-1 at Old Trafford to progress, but have since only drawn at home to Wycombe and lost away to Exeter in the league, and their top goalscorer wants out, so it could still be a good draw. Monday 28th December 2009 [16:15 GMT] Spurs 2 - 0 West Ham United : And that's a fourth successive clean sheet and by all acounts a completely dominant performance. Even so, it was a relief to hear the second goal had gone in. The Spurs march on. Sunday 27th December 2009 [15:03 GMT] Fulham 0 - 0 Spurs : There's always a slight tinge of sadness when points are dropped, but in the cold light of day - especially now having seen the match highlights - this is unquestionably a good point gained. Most teams visiting Craven Cottage this year will come away with less. And, whilst reflecting on bright sides, three successive clean sheets for Spurs is not bad either. Sunday 20th December 2009 [11:53 GMT] Blackburn Rovers 0 - 2 Spurs : Two tricky fixures; six points for Spurs. A solid 3-0 hiding for Manchester City on Wednesday night is followed by a rare and equally solid rolling over of Blackburn on their own ground. Two clean sheets as well, albeit in both games the opposition had a couple of decent chances to find the net. Spurs took their chances and are now back on the rails. Next up: the Christmas London derbies. It's going to be difficult at Fulham, but Dawson and Kranjčar are playing particularly well, and the strikers seem comfortable in the scoring boots, so anything's possible. Sunday 13th December 2009 [09:19 GMT] Spurs 0 - 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers : On a day when every result was an upset, this result was the most upsetting. After the flying first third of Spurs' season, packed with huge wins, now it's just starting to feel like those many bygone seasons of one part flattering flair, two parts feeble fragility. Next up, at home to Man City in midweek - which won't be easy - and then travelling to Blackburn, the fixture that arguably cost the team a place in the Europa league at the end of last season. Sunday 6th December 2009 [19:14 GMT] Everton 2 - 2 Spurs : Two-nil up and still creating chances with with twelve minutes to go, this ought to have been three points in the bag for Spurs. But shit happens, and Everton are a spirited side, so it goes to two-all but Spurs get a penalty in stoppage time. Again, it ought to be three points in the bag until up steps Defoe. He is to striking what David James is to goalkeeping: second to none in split-second instinctive situations, but liable to let the side down when he has time to think. He scuffs the spot kick straight down the middle and the game finishes as a draw. Probably second only to the one-nil home defeat against Stoke in terms of disappointment. Since the extraordinary 9-1 win at home to Wigan a fortnight ago - in which Defoe scored five - Spurs haven't won in three. Albeit those three were away to Aston Villa (a dominant performance only earning a one-all draw), away to Man United in the League Cup (a lethargic two-nil capitulation), and away to Everton. Next up is at home to Wolves. They must be punished. Sunday 8th November 2009 [13:22 GMT] Spurs 2 - 0 Sunderland : A fortnight after having wiped the floor with Stoke only to come away nothing, this match was the absolute reverse. Sunderland had the better of the play, the majority of chances, and showed the greater ambition, but their reward was two goals conceded, a missed penalty, and a goalkeeper with a broken arm. Such is football. Sunday 1st November 2009 [16:50 GMT] Arsenal 3 - 0 Spurs : No real surprise in this result, except perhaps the awfulness of Spurs' performances at centre-back. Missed Defoe, who is still a twat for getting sent of needlessly at Portsmouth. Missed Lennon, whose pace remains more dangerous than Bentley's crosses. But most of all, missed Modric. Only one league win in six since he broke his leg against Birmingham. OK, so three of the four defeats were against Chelsea, Man United, and now Arsenal, which may well have been defeats even with Modric at his best, but the team is more likely to be competitive and dangerous with him than without him. Sunday 25th October 2009 [08:54 GMT] Spurs 0 - 1 Stoke City : First bad result of the season, although perversely it was one of the better performances. All that it lacked was the finishing. The performance for last weekend's 2-1 win away to Portsmouth wasn't nearly as dominant yet they came away with all three points. It's a wake up call, and perhaps needed ahead of the midweek League Cup against Everton. Spurs will not finish in the top four this season - that was never on the cards, however positive the start - but they still look comfortable for the top seven. Indeed, making a prediction at this early stage of the season, the top half of the table ought to finish: Chelsea, Man United, Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Spurs, Everton, Wigan, Sunderland. As always, the truth remains to be seen. Sunday 11th October 2009 [18:45 BST] It's a been a while, but taking advantage of the international fixture weekend, here's the last month's worth of results. 03/10/2009 Premiership: Bolton Wanderers 2 - 2 Spurs 26/09/2009 Premiership: Spurs 5 - 0 Burnley 23/09/2009 League Cup: Preston North End 1 - 5 Spurs 20/09/2009 Premiership: Chelsea 3 - 0 Spurs 12/09/2009 Premiership: Spurs 1 - 3 Manchester United Notwithstanding a couple of unfortunate reversals against the big boys, that little lot leaves Spurs placed third in the Premiership and in the fourth round of the League Cup, drawn at home to Everton. Things aren't so bad. Saturday 29th August 2009 [23:08 BST] Spurs 2 - 1 Birmingham City : An exciting open game, like all Spurs' games this season. Still no clean sheet, the Brum equaliser coming from a proper cock-up in defence. Spurs are 100% victorious and 50% riding their luck. Great goal for the win, but the fifth minute of stoppage time is cutting it fine. Now second in the Premiership, behind Chelsea on goal difference. Wednesday 26th August 2009 [21:47 BST] League Cup: Doncaster Rovers 1 - 5 Spurs : Bloody hell. But it surely can't last. Donny hit the woodwork a few times, and Spurs are still without a clean sheet, but these are happy days. Four matches, four good wins, four goals against, fourteen goals scored. Nice! Sunday 23rd August 2009 [19:17 BST] West Ham United 1 - 2 Spurs : Yet another win, the third on the trot after last weekend's domination of Liverpool and the Wednesday night thrashing of Hull. It's the the first time since the double-winning season of 1961 that Spurs have opened with three wins. That was a legendary team that went on to win the next eight league matches as well. This one won't, but they ought to win at home to Birmingham before trickier looking fixtures against Manchester United and Chelsea. There is only one slight dampener on the assumption that this year's team is playing much better than last year's, and that is the fact that last year's team also took nine points from these three fixtures. It never felt quite this good, though. Saturday 22nd August 2009 [10:35 BST] Hull City 1 - 5 Spurs : What a magnificent start to the season. Two excellent performances, two victories, only the second time in fourteen Premiership seasons that Spurs have opened with back-to-back wins, the first time in four years that Spurs have topped the Premiership table. Fantastic: 1. Tottenham Hotspur (played 2, 6pts, +5) 2. Chelsea (played 2, 6pts, +3) 3. Arsenal (played 1, 3pts, +5) 4. Liverpool (played 2, 3pts, +3) =================================== 5. Manchester City (played 1, 3pts, +2) =. West Ham United (played 1, 3pts, +2) 7. Wigan Athletic (played 2, 3pts, +1) ----------------------------------------- 8. Fulham (played 1, 3pts, +1) Sunday 16th August 2009 [19:11 BST] Spurs 2 - 1 Liverpool : At long last, a feelgood start to a Spurs season. It makes a change not having to play away on the opening weekend, but this was still a difficult-looking fixture. Last year Liverpool played Spurs off the pitch at the Lane, yet Spurs nicked it 2-1 - one of only two league defeats for Liverpool all season. This time Spurs have played Liverpool off the park to the extent that it could have been over by half-time, yet at the death Liverpool might have had a penalty to equalise. At full-time, however, the score and the result were the same, and that's the main thing. Three points in one match. Last year it was two points from eight. Things are looking up.

phespirit.now: games

Year 2009/2010 Spurs armchair diary (Phespirit supports Tottenham Hotspur F.C. from the comfort of his armchair)