Charlton Athletic 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur

[funster]

And so our quest for European qualification continues. A two-nil win at The Valley (my first - and who knows? - possibly final visit there) means we climb to sixth, a point behind Everton and with a game in hand.

Today's companion for the game was my mate James from Sweden. A Spurs fan I met many moons ago when I used to travel around Europe for work. He's in the UK this week as we're both 'educated' about the stuff we're supposed to work with. Funny thing. We've been working with it for the best part of eight plus years! But never mind, a good excuse for him to get along to the game.

Arriving at the ground in plenty of time the sun was shining and the miserable, dull, rainy, windy start to the day had been long forgotten. Pre-match entertainment was supplied by some opera singing Charlton supporter who did his best to liven up the home crowd. His second choice of song though was a dubious one as it basically allowed us to start chanting "Dimitar Berbatov! Dimitar Berbatov! Dimitar Berbatov! Dimitar Berbatov!". Not being operatically inclined I have no idea which song it is, but there you go!

We lined-up at pretty close to full strength with Rocha filling in at left back again. You're never sure what to expect with a Spurs away game against a club that has to win to avoid relegation. Let's face it, we don't have the greatest record playing against sides facing the drop. One particular game many years ago (1996-97?) springs to mind against Coventry at home. My mate Stu (a diehard Mackem) has never forgotten that!

So, with Charlton having to win to stay up, and with us needing the points it was going to be an interesting game. We started well. James and I had talked while travelling to the game about the lack of control we exert over the central midfield. Why is it that with Jenas, Tainio and Zokora all available we can't take control?

Intriguingly, that's exactly what we seemed to do in the first twenty minutes or so. The centre of midfield was an almost exclusively Tottenham domain and the amount of space and time we found there was astonishing. Frankly, I think it showed why Charlton are in such dire straits. When Reading can come to the Lane and give us a hard time in the middle, yet you can go away to The Valley and really take control of that part of the pitch, it says a lot.

Leaving that aside, Berbatov and Keane were in the sort of form we've come to expect from them of late and the defence was barely worried. It wasn't long before we took the lead - Berbatov latching onto a long ball, flicking it neatly one side of the Charlton defender, spinning the other, making up the ground to get to the ball first, holding off the defender, then, even when seemingly having pushed the ball too close to the keeper, getting to it first and netting! Great great goal. The lad is just a class apart.

That was only seven minutes in and we continued to dominate for another fifteen minutes or so - although without really creating that many really good chances - before Charlton began to find their way back into the game.

As half-time approached Charlton piled on the pressure and we held our breaths hoping we could go in ahead. And we did. To be fair, Robbo was never really seriously troubled, but we did start falling into the old trap of sitting too deep and giving the ball away a bit too cheaply. Not like the Arsehole game, but still.

The second half started scrappily and remained so for the first twenty minutes or so. Very very scrappy. No real structure of precision, but equally no real threat from Charlton. With about twenty minutes go to Charlton's level of urgency was increasing rapidly and they began throwing more people forward and seemed to be getting more committed. Funny, I'd have thought they should've been 100% committed from the off given where they were!

Unfortunately, they didn't throw sufficient numbers forward to really make much room for us to exploit easily, but with Berbatov and Keane up front (the latter to be replaced by Defoe) there was always a great outlet. Berbatov, in fact, was having a stonking good game. So engaged was he that he was regularly to be found coming back to tell the defenders what to do and he was clearly frustrated by their inability to clear the danger a number of times. Not even frustrated not to receive the ball, just frustrated by their defending!

One particular touch of brilliance in the second half was when he flicked the ball with the outside of his boot and went round the Charlton defender in one slick movement only to be called offside. Even so, resounding applause from the Spurs contingent was well deserved!

As the time ticked out for Charlton their supporters finally found their voices and seemed pretty much resigned to their fate. Late on Defoe broke clear, hit the ball from long range, and from where we were standing, seemed to get a bit lucky with a dipping shot that didn't seem to go that high. But looked a good goal in any case. Two-nil and that was the end of Charlton.

James and I pegged it at the final whistle to beat the queues at Charlton station and begin our long trip back to Heathrow. And so our European quest continued. A great way to set ourselves up for the final two games of the season.

Tonight Berbatov was superb. How many times have I said that? His first touch, his involvement, his vision, his leadership. Just superb. While I single him out for particular praise, a lot of praise also goes to Jenas tonight. I've been thoroughly disappointed with his performances of late (Arsehole particulary), but tonight he was very very good. Chasing back, making strong tackles. That's the sort of Jenas I want to see every game. What he needs to do is reproduce that form against the Uniteds, Arseholes, Chelseas and Liverpools.

So, onward and upward. I hope that's set the boys up well. I hope they go out on Thursday night with the attitude that a win against Blackburn seals our place in next season's UEFA Cup and that'll really allow them to enjoy the finale on Sunday against City. Here's hoping!

Oh yeah, and a clean sheet! Now there's a novelty!

[RiverWire]

Great review Funster and a game that i think we all expected to win but as you said a side against relegation is never an easy match . Saying that i didn't think Charlton ever looked like challenging for anything, and as the commentator said about 40 mins into the match there is a major difference between these two teams in quality and fitness.

Again our front men impressed but then again it is very rare for Berba to have a bad game or at least come out with something special.

Off the topic a little, i think that Jol saying that Dawson is his player of the year is massive boost for Dawson and i think Jol should be praised for his recognition of Dawson's contribution this season, it couldn't have been easy to have a different partner so many times with King being side lined.

As i only saw half the match and listened to the other half on the radio i can really say much more but touch wood we are in Uefa next season , it's there for the taking and we are favorites with the games we have left as Bolton and Everton have tougher game's and we have a game in hand. :10:

COME ON YOU SPURS

WE ARE TOTTENHAM , SUUPPPERRRR TOTTENHAM !!!!!!!!!

[vilo]

great game really shows how well we do with king and dawson partnership.

we still need a natural left winger as that was where things were not working that well, the team is starting to gel and there is only good things left to come

COYS

[Cozzy]

i agree we really need a natural left winger i personally think Leighton Baines would be a class signing for us!.Even tho hes a left back the way he comes forward be a great winger :5: but the main thing is to keep the team together dont sell anyone !


yid army :6: :6: