The best thing that can be said about this game is that it means we're only halfway through the tie. Thankfully. This was a frustratingly poor Spurs performance.

The parade of the League Cup was less parade than wander around the ground a bit, but even the PSV fans clapped. Nice to see the Cup in our grasp but the matter in hand was to extract something - a two goal advantage in my book - from last night's performance to set us up for next week's trip to Eindhoven.

The omens were promising as far as team selection went. Pretty much full strength with King and Woody back, Jenas, Lennon and Keane all starting, and Gilberto making his debut at left back. The PSV line-up while not exactly household names was, no doubt, a strong one. They don't get to be top of the Eredivisie playing like muppets after all.

How I'd like to say that we started brightly. We didn't. It actually took until the PSV goal to get us going. I was shocked in the first half hour at how little tempo and rhythm we had. For the first five, maybe ten minutes, I could understand it. Two decent sides, feeling their way through, eager not to concede. But it kept going, and going, and going.

And then we made a shocking mistake on the edge of the box roughly on the half hour mark with Gilberto giving away possession. With Lennon (I think) having just won the ball back on the edge of the box to break-up a PSV attack, for Gilberto to then gift them possession was woeful. As the PSV player (only realised this morning that his name was Farfan) ran into the box the worst possible outcome - a high quality finish wide of Robbo to the far post.

Gilberto knew immediately he'd made a truly awful error. We'd just gifted the visitors a goal. Their fans - at The Lane in numbers - went nuts. As would we have had we been in the same position. Sadly, Gilberto's error came only minutes after he'd been done with skill and pace and was forced to haul down one of the PSV players as he ran into the box with a rugby tackle. Yellow card, no complaints.

It took us until conceding that goal to actually start putting a few passes together. Finally we seemed to come to life and started getting a few shots away. The best chance of the half fell to - or rather was created by - Keano. A long punt from Robbo, and minutes after I'd complained that he didn't really the skill to beat players close up when he'd given the ball up on the PSV touchline when trying to get into the box, he baffled the two PSV defenders, worked himself a great opening and only a one handed save from Gomes denied us the equaliser. It was a great effort by Keane, but an even better save. We were destined to go in trailing at half time.

At a goal down there's always a shout, even when its an away goal. The key to the second half would be to start quickly and I commented to my sister that this looked the ideal game for O'Hara. Somebody willing to get stuck in, run with the ball, create something. What we missed so badly in the first half was any kind of creativity or incisiveness in the final third of the pitch. It was like we'd progress to midway in the PSV half, then lose the plot. Very uncharacteristic. Sure, we'd had the better chances, and PSV had rarely threatened, but I just didn't get the feeling that we could score! Maybe changes were afoot for the second half?

Sure enough, O'Hara was thrown on at the beginning of the second half, replacing Gilberto. Ramos displaying his ruthless streak again? Possibly, but probably more likely that Gilberto was clearly off the pace having not played since the Bundesliga winter break.

We started the second half as well as anybody could have wanted surging forward to win a corner. This is the sort of thing that was needed. Retain possession, progress quickly, get your shot away.

It didn't last very long. While the second half was more open - probably a factor of us knowing we had to get something out of this game, thereby opening up space for PSV to exploit - it was still far from inspiring. I'd like to say that as in the first half we created the better chances, but really, that would be unfair. Robbo had to save brilliantly once, maybe twice to deny PSV a greater advantage, while we only worked Gomes once. The chances were there, make no mistake. The stats show we created almost twice as many as the visitors, but that feeling I had at half time, the one that said "How on Earth are we going to score here?", remained.

With about half an hour to go, Jenas started asserting himself more in the middle of the pitch, picking the ball up and running with it. A couple of times he made good progress, beating three PSV players in the chase but pushing the ball a little too far in front and having to attempt an awkward cross that Gomes claimed comfortably. About right then that with him coming into the game he should have to go off injured with about half an hour left.

As he pushed the ball wide from a central position about thirty yards out I caught a late challenge out of the corner of my eye. My sister was livid. I'd followed the ball, she stayed with the challenge. Now, I really didn't see it, but she was absolutely adamant that it was late, and bad. Bad enough for Jenas to be stretchered off looking to be in some pain. No foul. No card. Fingers crossed he recovers for the return next Wednesday. Maybe the introduction of Huddlestone would open up a few new channels with his passing? In reality, just as many misplaced as hitting their marker.

Talking of Gomes - in a roundabout kind of way! - while he wasn't too troubled in this game, every time we had a corner he punched. I was surprised at how little we worked him in the cross therefore. While his punches clear were good ones, its only a matter of time before one doesn't quite come off the flat of your fist. Maybe in the return leg.....

With about twenty minutes left Ramos took a very brave decision. Taarabt on, three at the back, try to give ourselves an extra man to do something from the middle of the park. PSV had been playing like that all night, except they'd gone one up front with Koevermans, who himself was withdrawn not long after.

It took bloody ages to get Taarabt into the game, but when he did pick up possession he ran with it and beat players. Thank God! At last somebody willing to try to create something. Sadly all a little too late and we just couldn't get him enough of the ball to make as big an impact as we needed. He almost helped, beating several PSV players before crossing from the right for O'Hara to smash a low volley just wide with Berbatov unable to connect as he slid in.

Four minutes of injury time..... the only thing they would be useful for was PSV trying to extend their lead. Thankfully they didn't, but we had been beaten.

This was a performance worse than Birmingham at the weekend. The scoreline wouldn't suggest it. After all getting thumped at St Andrews versus losing by one against PSV..... should be no contest. But frankly, we never looked likely to create the really good chances in the volume that was required last night, while on Saturday, despite our ineptitude we did look likely to score.

It was so frustrating. Half an hour, a goal to PSV, before we actually got going. We were poor, make no mistake. Completely lacking in creativity in the final third of the pitch, and bizarrely, even with five men to match PSV in midfield for the last twenty minutes, still unable to win possession in the centre of the pitch!

PSV, in contrast, were high quality, and good value for their win. What most impressed me was their quality of passing. It was slick, it was quick, it always found a man in red and white, and unlike another team in red and white who passed well but we'd demolished not so long back, PSV's passing actually had real intent. When they gave the ball away it was usually a misplaced pass put out of play. I don't remember them squandering possession. Something we were certainly guilty of.

They are a quality side. The years and years of European experience at Champions League level are telling. Sure, we have the beating of them, or probably any other team. On our day. PSV displayed a consistency and persistence last night that shows what you really need to have a long, successful campaign in Europe. Its something I hope we can strive for because on the evidence of last night's performance we have a way to go yet.

All is not lost. Taking a single goal deficit to Eindhoven next week is passable - just. So much for the two goal cushion I'd have liked, but I can see us winning there. It would only take a two-one. Only! Ha! We are certainly capable though. It'll take a massive improvement on last night, that's for sure, but I think deep down Ramos looks at this situation and probably thinks to himself - "This is where I prove what we can do. This is where we really earn our money".

At least, I hope that's what he thinks! More importantly, on the assumption that he does, he needs to transfer that confidence, that desire to win to the team that start next Wednesday. PSV, clearly, are favourites, but an away goal for us and things will get a bit tasty.

Of course, this was only our third defeat ever in Europe at The Lane. PSV join the illustrious Real Madrid and the less illustrious Getafe in having that honour. Twice this season we've lost at home in the UEFA Cup! Oh well, no point looking back at that.

Special mention has to go to the PSV support. The best I've seen at The Lane from a visiting European side for some time. They sold out, they sang from beginning to end, they enjoyed some decent banter with us. "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" and "Sing When You're Winning" two of the gems they came up with in the second half! Fair play. I hope to ram it back down their throats in Eindhoven next week. Man, this is going to be an awesome trip. To win the tie in Eindhoven..... that would be just fantasitc!

Oh, and did anybody mention we have West Ham on Sunday? Great. Just what's needed. If its any consolation, PSV play Ajax!