Bolton Wanderers   1   Tottenham Hotspur    1      (Half-time score : 1-1)

22  Jaaskelainen

11  Gardner
  5  Meite
31  A. O'Brien
24  J. O'Brien

  4  Nolan (18  Alonso 70)
  6  Speed
  8  Campo
  9  Davies

39  Anelka
21  Diouf (10  Wilhelmsson 78)

Unused subs: 
26  Al Habsi
  2  Hunt
27  Braaten

  1 Robinson

  2 Chimbonda
20 Dawson
33 Rocha    
32 Assou-Ekotto    

15 Malbranque
  8 Jenas
  6 Tainio  (25 Lennon 80) 
  4 Zokora

  9 Berbatov   (23 Bent 73)
10 Keane (c)

Unused subs: 
12 Cerny
  3 Y P Lee
22 Huddlestone

Campo 40

Tottenham Hotspur

Keane 35

    
Assou-Ekotto (foul) 45
Rocha (foul) 70  

The worrying aspect of all this is that we are not taking the chances we are creating.  There were enough efforts which warranted a decent attempt on goal, which slipped through our fingers, but not Jaaskelainen's.  Ten shots on goal, with seven on target and eleven corners in an away match should yield something more than a single point against a tame Bolton side and one which was frankly woefully short on invention.  Relying on the high ball into the middle of the Spurs defence and long-throws and set-pieces worked for them, as a solitary Ivan Campo managed to get on the end of one and nod the ball into the net, but the creativity was limited and I would imagine that some players must be finding it difficult to play in this Trotters side.

The decisions of the officials left a lot to be desired as well.  Not just because the game was not allowed to flow, but also because the decision making was poor on both teams.  I do not have any knowledge of Mr. Marriner's background, but would suggest that he might not have played the game, as his interpretation of a foul, just because a player falls to the ground (and this is players on both sides), was not one which is widely accepted.

Without a number of players from Thursday's win over Anorthosis, Spurs once more had to adapt to the new personnel.  Teemu Tainio came back into the team and did what he does well.  Run around, get in the way and trying to break forward.  Jenas did what he does well.  Give lots of energy, but occasionally, frustratingly, gives the ball away cheaply.  Rocha did what he does well. Throws himself in the way and cleared one inviting ball in the six yard box when no-one else wanted to touch it, but he gives away a dangerous number of free-kicks around the penalty area, which teams like Bolton thrive on.  Zokora did what he does well, motor up and down the pitch, trying a shot that will not hit the corner flag and then producing a sublime chip for Jenas in the lead up to the goal.

It's not that the players are not good enough, but it is putting it all together to produce the best mix and the best end result.  I am not sure that we have that at the moment.  With Defoe sat at home, you have to worry about when he will get an opportunity, surely not against Middlesbrough in the League Cup ??  Jol said Keane scores vital away goals.  True enough, but Jermain, given the right service could score equally as many and hit a double at the Reebok back in 2004 in a League Cup tie.

Confusion spread among the crowd at the naming of the team faster than it runs through our defence as a dead ball is played into our penalty area.

For Tottenham to be successful and for Jol to stay in a job, it is necessary to pick up points from games such as these.  The murmurs of dissent at the final whistle from the home fans (such as they were, there were so many empty seats) signalled that they felt we were there for the taking, but that they were unhappy with their team's showing.  The lack of killer instinct has cost us already this season and did again today, as Bolton got away with it.

Their smash and grab style is effective against fragile teams like Spurs, but you feel there might be a longer road for them to travel than Spurs this season.  Having said that, there are still aspects of our game which need addressing.  Berbatov said in the newspapers this morning that he loves playing beautiful football.  We, as fans, love to watch beautiful football, but not at the expense of a few wins here and there.  Last season and in the one before, there was about the right mix to get us fifth place.  This season, as has happened at Chelsea, to get a winning formula with the entertainment factor rising up towards 100% is no easy task.

At the moment, Spurs are neither one thing nor the other.

Some desperate defending saw us stop Bolton.  Dawson put a Davies cross over his own bar and later Rocha blocked Nolan's effort, but too often, as we saw at Sheffield United last season, set-pieces cause us no end of problems.  In truth, Robinson hardly made a decent save today and not because he was poor, but because everything that came his way was knocked away and Bolton could not manufacture anything to test him.  When they did score, it was Campo rising above Rocha to head home Diouf's free-kick.  It was a cheap free-kick won by Diouf and suckered the referee, who failed to give each side a penalty during the second half.

The closest that got apart from that was a header just after the break from Nolan that looped wide.

Spurs had many more openings, but could not close out the game (another well-worn scenario that doesn't need re-writing).  Blocks from Miete and Andy O'Brien denied Berbatov and Malbranque, as the Frenchman had the best opportunities for Spurs.  He had a long range lob blocked by the same player and then, late in the game, Jaaskelainen punched out, but only to the edge of the box and Steed volleyed back, but just too high.

Tainio curled a shot wide when he strode forward in the first half and Dimitar Berbatov was denied by a good save, when he threw an acrobatic volley at a deep cross.  The goal that was scored was well-worked.  Zokora dinked a ball over the defence for Jenas, who timed his run well and hit a good shot that the goalie did well to keep out.  Berba's first go was blocked, but, as the ball dropped, Keane was onto it with a volley that beat the defence and hit the back of the net.

Too many of Tottenham's efforts on goal failed to sufficiently test the keeper or defence and this is something that must be addressed.  Converting a higher ratio of our chances into goals will help secure points and if that means Jol biting the bullet and bringing back Defoe, then that is what he will have to do.

It takes a big man to do that and I believe Martin Jol is a big man.

AIDENSBY QUERNHOW