Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Blackburn Rovers

[funster]

Ah, back to winning ways. Just as well too as anything less than three points, and a second successive League defeat, would have seen as starting to look at the table with doom and gloom.

Early kick-offs are never the most fun for me. Travelling up by train for a 13:30 on Sunday means getting up far too early - for a Sunday - and coupled with blimmin' engineering works on the railways, cold weather, and rain..... give me a nice 3pm in August or May any time! Still, pitching-up in all weathers, throughout the season, come rain or shine - that's what its all about.

Given the engineering works I found myself bereft of the usual two cans of beer accompaniment on the journey up to Waterloo. Curse my luck! That was rectified with a couple of pints near the ground - as is customary - and it was good to see that the rain that had pounded down earlier had cleared to leave blue skies and sunshine.

Team news ahead of the game was no real surprise. With Modric injured pretty much everybody expected 4-4-2, and Bale's injury playing for Wales during the week meant a return for BAE. After last week's awful performance from the Welsh international it was probably just as well he was injured. He may have been dropped otherwise. Or so you would believe if you applied the same rule so many Spurs supporters seem to these days with Gomes..... More on that later.

Interestingly both Lennon and Bentley were deployed on the wings so it was going to be enlightening to see who would fill in on the right side, and who on the left.

Spurs team huddle before kick-off


Blackburn's appearance at The Lane also meant the return of Paul Robinson and the army of travelling Rovers fans. Errrrr..... OK, so the former is very much true, the latter, well..... don't think I've seen such a small contingent of away supporters since Getafe came to White Hart Lane last season! They could only have numbered in the mid-hundreds at best. Quite embarrassing for a Premier League team really, although I suspect ticket prices, the current econonic climate, and the 13:30 kick-off didn't really help.

Is that all you take away?


It didn't take long once the game was under way for us to take the lead. Lennon had adopted a position on the right, meaning Bentley was on the left wing - I wonder if he felt aggrieved at that given it was against his old team?

Anyway, with Lennon deployed on the right, it was about nine or ten minutes in when he picked the ball up and ran with some pace, beating a couple of Blackburn players en route to the byline, riding a challenge in the box rather than going down, and cutting the ball back superbly for Pavlyuchenko to slot in. Yes! Get in! After last week's performance at Fulham it was nice to see us taking the lead again, something that has happened all too rarely this season.

Lennon's run, with the ball, at pace, beating two Blackburn players, riding a challenge in the box, and then pulling the ball back to find Pavlyuchenko..... well, it deserved significant merit.

Pavlyuchenko's finish was a worthy finish to the move. It was only when I saw the replay at half-time that I realised just what a classy finish it was. Great strike with the instep to direct the ball into the furthest corner of the net giving Robbo no chance at all. Now that was the finish of a multi-million pound striker who had a very good European Championship. High class!

From here it felt as though we should go on to dominate, and for long periods of the first half it looked as though we might just do that. Not long after the goal we won a free kick on the left which Bentley angled in and Pavlyuchenko came oh so close to doubling the score only to see his glancing header come back off the base of the post. A short flurry followed before the offside flag was raised.

With Tottenham, though, things are never quite as simple as they should be. From almost having doubled our lead we conspired to present two great chances to the visitors. First a break down their right and a diagonal ball into the box that Gomes came for - mistakenly. He was never going to get anywhere near it but the lob, though well judged, was cleared by Woodgate.

Gomes got some stick then and there. It was clearly not a ball he should have come for, but then again, the net didn't bulge and we were still in the lead. Sure, you want your keeper to make the right decision every time, and yes, it knocks his confidence and that of the defensive unit around him when he does that, but the scoreline of 'Blackburn nil' was still the case, so it was disappointing to see so many Spurs fans giving Gomes stick.

The second chance presented to Blackburn came from the opposite wing. A low cross slung in that McCarthy got on the end of only to direct his shot over the bar from little more than six yards out. He should have hit the target. Mind you, the bloke next to me commented that had he hit the target, Gomes would probably have pulled off a miracle save!

More worrying about that chance, though, was the fact that McCarthy was allowed to get goal-side as easily as he was. By King! Of all people in that central defensive position, King would be the one you'd least expect to get caught like that. A let-off for sure.

So, the thoughts of dominating and increasing our lead in the first half were diminishing. While Blackburn were not really threatening much after those two chances, there was that niggling feeling that at just a goal up things were not as comfortable as they could be.

After the early errors in defence, no chances were being taken. That was epitomised by King passing the ball back to Gomes about as far right of goal as was possible while still keeping it in play! Probably had something to do with the fact that he wanted to ensure there was no chance of a funny bobble to heap even more pressure on the keeper!

Hilariously, Gomes then launched an enormous throw from the back - as is his trademark - to the left side. He put so much effort into it that he actually fell over and rolled twice! Can't fault him for putting everything into that!

Throughout the first half it had been clear that Lennon was likely to provide our best avenue for success. His pace was troubling the Blackburn defence as had been clear when he set up the goal, and also when Martin Olsson picked up a booking for upending Lennon. With about five minutes to go, the ball was once again spread to Lennon who sparked into life, drew another foul from Olsson, and that was the end of the Blackburn defender's game. A second yellow card and really very little in the way of complaint. The resulting free kick could easily have led to another Spurs goal, but didn't, and as it was the half-time whistle blew with us a goal up.

It wouldn't have stretched the imagination too much to have seen us go in two, or maybe even three goals to the good. The chances were there, and while Blackburn could probably have had one too, the single goal margin wasn't really a fair reflection of the passage of play.

The hope was that we would add to the score in the second half, thereby giving us the cushion to not worry about any defensive frailties.

The start of the second half brought little more for Blackburn than more of the same. More defending, more of Spurs pressing them back, especially from the right wing where Lennon was still sitting, Redknapp apparently resisting the tempation of a fair few in the crowd who thought a switch of wings may prove beneficial.

Much of the best Spurs play was still coming down the right side, and when Bentley did find himself on that wing, a terrific ball into his feet from Corluka should have led to the ex-Rovers player getting a shot away, only for him to take a touch too many and the chance was gone.

Huddlestone then decided to try his luck from the left side, but his shot from the left flew high and wide. Despite that he was helping us to dominate in midfield. While I'd like to think this was entirely down to our excellent play in that area I think it had just as much to do with the fact that Blackburn really lacked the quality to put up much of a fight in the central areas.

It was exemplified when Bent was released from central midfield and although the through ball was deflected, he used his pace to beat the defender, but saw his shot deflected over.

Given the poor Blackburn performance in the central areas of the pitch it was a surprise that we hadn't attempted to exploit the avenue to Bent through that channel more. Mind you, with Lennon playing as well as he was on the right, there probably wasn't all that much need to! Still, I'd have liked to have seen us use more of that dimension to our play.

As if to prove the point that we could get more gain from the right wing, Lennon broke again with pace but played the wrong ball, crossing for Pavlychenko, when a little cut through ball to Bent would have been the better option.

Not to be disheartened, Huddlestone then hit a superby forty yard ball cross field to Lennon on the wing. At one stage it looked like it would sail over his head, but we all know what Tom's capable of with those long ranging passes, and this one was no exception. It found Lennon perfectly, but this time his cross was just too close to Robbo.

The chances were still coming. Woodgate should have added to the score but could only head over the bar from pretty much right under the bar from a Bentley free-kick. It was a great clearing header for a centre-half!

Then, following a rare Blackburn foray into the Spurs half, Jenas was released deep inside Spurs territory and carried the ball fifty or sixty yards down the right only to come a cropper because of the complete lack of support. There were plenty of people around me having a pop at Jenas for this. Blinded by their dislike for him I'm sure. Its justified in some ways, of that I'm sure. We want to see him get through more work than he does. One good performance in ten isn't up to scratch, but blaming him for not being able to do something with a ball he'd carried half the length of the pitch, when surrounded by three Rovers players? Come on!

Shortly after this Pavlyuchenko was sacrificed for Campbell. That turned a few heads. Bent had been relatively ineffective. Due in no small part, I think, to the fact that so much of our attacking intent was down the right side with Lennon. The couple of times we had released Bent from the centre he'd done well to beat the Rovers defence, but overall Pavlyuchenko seemed to be offering more. Still, we had to remember that he'd played pretty much an entire season already, not had a break over the summer, and as he went off, he seemed to be getting an ice bag on his thigh. Fair enough.

It didn't take Campbell long to get involved. One of his first breaks came from the left side as he, rather brilliantly I thought, held off three defenders before Bent hit the shot just wide.

Campbell could, and probably should, have scored himself when he timed his jump superbly to meet a cross that followed a cleared corner. From six yards he really shout have hit the target. It was an even better chance than the one presented to Woodgate earlier in the game.

So many chances, and still only the single goal to show for it. The worry was that, with the minutes ticking away, we'd screw things up and end up taking just a single point when all three were deserved.

One of the many late chances


Tempers flared briefly with a bit of set-to that Jenas was the centre of down the left. He didn't take too kindly to the tackle, or indeed the afters. The push when he got up..... well, I've seen red cards produced for those, but the (relatively) sensible option was taken of producing a yellow card for Jenas, and also for the Blackburn player.

With no more than a couple of minutes remaining we presented one last chance to Rovers. Probably the best since the two in the first half. This time Jenas was at fault, playing a very poor ball when well advanced down the left. Possession so cheaply conceded gave Blackburn a great late opportunity to take a point, but King headed clear superbly as the ball came into the box.

That, pretty much, was the last action of the game. A game where we should have won comfortably by two or three, but conspired to present Blackburn sufficient chances to take a point, ultimately getting what we deserved - all three points, even if it was with a scorline as slim as turned out to be the case.

Blackburn were not good. Really not good. Whether that's down to Paul Ince, or whether its down to him to pull them out of this, isn't really our business, but my observation was that this was a team, or more correctly a performance from a team, where we should have accepted nothing less than all three points. They have it all to do, and while they had chances to score, the spark that was there from the like of Pedersen last season, just wasn't in evidence yesterday. They were physical - much as they were when Hughes was in charge - but they lacked that certain something to get anything out of the game.

A troubled(?) Paul Ince standing on the sidelines in the second half


What was pleasing, given their relatively physical game, was that we coped well enough with it, and did ultimately manage to win and haul ourselves that little bit further up the table.

This was not a sparkling Spurs performance, of course. We are still to see one of those under the Redknapp regime, but equally we are not 'winning ugly'. While Liverpool will have felt hard done by, yesterday's performance certainly merited the win. A far cry from Fulham the previous weekend.

Particular plaudits go to Lennon. His performance was of a level we've not seen from him for a good long while. His pace was electric, his control of the ball on the run very, very good, and he even managed to find Pavlyuchenko with the pull back that led to the winning goal! Too often in positions like that he's squandered possession.

He even had a couple of shots in the first half. One that went wide, the other well saved by Robbo, although I suspect he knew next to nothing about it as his legs got in the way following a huge deflection.

Not since Lennon was sitting Ashley Cole on his arse on a regular basis against Chelsea a couple of seasons ago have we seen a performance from his as good as that. It would be foolish to say he's back to what was being promised two years ago off the back of one performance, but you can only hope he'll build from that.

What David Bentley will think having seen Lennon produce that on the right wing is anybody's guess!

There wasn't anything else all that notable yesterday. We got it wrong defensively a couple of times, caught out too frequently for my liking by balls angled in over the top. Corluka was a picture of calm - again - but didn't have anything like the level of involvement he has recently. More down to the the lack of Blackburn's attacking prowess than anything else.

Jenas had a game where he summed up every ten game run in the space of ninety minutes. He started off full of effort, closing down, throwing himself into challenges, and then from about twenty minutes on, his inolvement went down, and down, and down!

So, onto one final point. The goalkeeper. Or in this case - goalkeepers.

Gomes has been much maligned lately. Rightly so in some respects, hysterically in others. He made one mistake early on yesterday, coming for a ball he shouldn't and being lobbed. Woody cleared away, and the clean sheet was left intact.

Blackburn, unsurprisingly, targeted him at every corner with balls swinging under the bar. He clearly wasn't comfortable with that - but I ask you? Which keeper would be? It was superb accuracy from Pedersen to put the ball where he did. Result? No goals conceded.

Robbo responding to what was sometimes an overly warm reception in the second half


At the other end, Robbo was barely tested. He had no chance with the goal given the quality of finish applied by Pavlyuchenko, and he'd have been nowhere near the ball had it snuck inside the post from Pav's header, or indeed if either Woody or Campbell had hit the target with their headed chances in the second half.

The one seemingly good save he did make with his legs he knew next to nothing about.

Why then, did large chunks of the Spurs support persist with chanting "England's Number One"? Particularly from the shot he did keep out from Lennon? Just who were you supporting? Was it somehow bizarrely pleasurable to see us not scoring because our ex-goalkeeper managed to keep the ball out?

I'm confused.

The hysteria that's been whipped up about Gomes has clearly influenced plenty of people. I'm not saying for one minute that he's the great goalkeeper we want. Those who read my reports and comments will know that he has disappointed me with his errors, and the two most striking that led to goals - against Villa and Fulham - are not to be excused.

But what possible benefit is there in sarcastically applauding and cheering when he claims or punches successfully, while during the same game chanting his opposite number's name?

People have very short memories. I can remember only too well after the debacle of Robbo carrying the ball over the line against Reading in the Cup, the calls for his head. Very few people argued with his exclusion from games after that, including Prague away, and the two legs against Arsenal. The disquiet about his abilities was there across many Spurs supporters following that horrible missed kick against Croatia.

But he's gone. He plays for Blackburn and its not our job, regardless of how much you might bizarrely remember his better moments, to build him up, while at the same time knocking our own shot stopper down.

He got a reception the ilk of which I remember only for the likes of Hoddle and Waddle. Less affectionate, but strangely more vocal.

It was embarrassing if I'm honest. I was never one to call for his head last season, but I've moved on. Gomes takes his place between the sticks for us now, and regardless of how much rapport we'd built up with Robbo over the previous years, cheering his saves against us is - and I use this word with care - pathetic.

There. That's my rant over.

So, getting back to the game..... in summary, three points well deserved, and hopefully we're back on track. Saldy I won't be in Nijmegen this week. Did I tell you it was 538 loyalty points?! I'll be back again on Sunday against Everton. Another physical game I suspect, but one in which I expect the opposition to be better organised, and pose a greater threat than Blackburn managed.

[LLOYDY]

thats more like it, were showing we can bounce back after a defeat., were showing character as a team again

[Defoe at the Lane]

Excellent report. The game wasn't shown here, unfortunately, so I've only seen highlights. Apart from his setplays, and the one situation (which was on the right) did Bentley do much on the left?

Would love Lennon to retain his right wing berth...

[funster]

Excellent report. The game wasn't shown here, unfortunately, so I've only seen highlights. Apart from his setplays, and the one situation (which was on the right) did Bentley do much on the left?

Would love Lennon to retain his right wing berth...

Cheers mate.

As far as the Bentley left wing thing goes, well, no, he didn't really do much, but two points on that:

1. Blackburn didn't exactly press down their right wing other than one or two isolated incidences in each half, so BAE didn't have to break-up play and push on to Bentley, and,

2. We focused so much of our play down the right - an obscene amount really - that Bentley didn't get enough of the ball on the left to do much.

I doubt he was all that happy really. I didn't see it, but I gather he went straight down the tunnel when he was substituted.

[Defoe at the Lane]

Cheers mate.

As far as the Bentley left wing thing goes, well, no, he didn't really do much, but two points on that:

1. Blackburn didn't exactly press down their right wing other than one or two isolated incidences in each half, so BAE didn't have to break-up play and push on to Bentley, and,

2. We focused so much of our play down the right - an obscene amount really - that Bentley didn't get enough of the ball on the left to do much.

I doubt he was all that happy really. I didn't see it, but I gather he went straight down the tunnel when he was substituted.

I guess that the BAE-factor has been quite significant as you say. Just cant see Bentley on the left, he isnt one of those pacey wingers who can play on either wing, and switch feet as he pleases.

Cheers again for the report and response. It's excellent to be able to read an in-depth report like this, when you can't watch the games.

[funster]

.....Cheers again for the report and response. It's excellent to be able to read an in-depth report like this, when you can't watch the games.

No worries. I'll try to keep churning 'em out! Can't say they'll all have this level of detail. Amazing what a difference two cans fewer of beer on the journey up make to your memory of events!

[Defoe at the Lane]

No worries. I'll try to keep churning 'em out! Can't say they'll all have this level of detail. Amazing what a difference two cans fewer of beer on the journey up make to your memory of events!

Haha - beer must take priority, I completely agree.