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I don't know what it is about a cold, windy Saturday afternoon in autumn
in Lancashire, but I am getting the feeling that it would be better
spent elsewhere. The trips to the North-West are getting almost as
bad as the ones to the North-East, with a lack of success and in
particular here, where, like Old Trafford, we have yet to win a Premier
League match. Today's performance at least showed a bit of
fighting spirit to come back from behind on two occasions, but with a
bit more to start with more might have been gained from the meeting with
Bolton Wanderers instead of the draw.
With the wind blowing the rubbish around the
Reebok Stadium pitch, it looked as though Spurs wanted to blend in, with
a slow start and a meek first half that saw the home team dominate,
mainly because we let them push onto us and gave them too much of the
ball. The lack of urgency to close down Bolton players and the
caution in Cudicini's goalkeeping left the back four tremulous every
time he came (or didn't for a ball). It led to the first goal and
a string of free-kicks, corners and throw-ins conceded around the
Tottenham penalty area. It was just asking for it.
Tottenham kicked off and the ball was
played long that shot off the wet pitch and went for a goal kick to
Wanderers. From that a throw-in was given away and the ball found
Gardner running without a decent challenge to win a header on to Chung
Yong-Lee. The Korean shot at goal from a narrow angle at the far
post and Carlo got to it and should have done better than knock it out
into the path of Gardner following in and he shot high into the roof of
the net to put Bolton 1-0 up inside three minutes. It was a soft
goal to give away and one that left Spurs chasing the game.
Spurs pushed forward, as that might
looked to be the best way to keep the ball away from their goal.
Crosses missed out the Tottenham forwards, while any ball into the Spurs
box caused panic, with Cudicini's height being against him convincingly
getting to many of the balls in. Starting with Crouch to give the
home defence something to think about, the striker headed Kranjcar's
free kick wide and then at the other end, Cudicini got a bit of luck,
when a neat move between Gardner and Cohen saw the latter shoot and the
Italian keeper got something on the ball before Tom Huddlestone hacked
it away.
There was a lack of determination in
tackles and the ball was hard to judge in the wind, which left passes
over-hit and headers mis-judged. Every time the ball headed
towards the Bolton goal, it seemed to come straight back. 25
minutes in and Kranjcar was played in for a 20 yard shot by Jenas, but
it was deflected wide and Spurs wasted the corner. Meanwhile at
the other end, Jenas was there to get in the way of Gardner's long range
shot and when there was a chance to break away, from a blocked Taylor
free-kick, Keane dallied too long on the ball and was caught in
possession (something he did a fair bit of today).
Just after the half-hour, Cohen committed
a back tackle on Palacios from behind and got booked, while the PL's
most fouling player - Kevin Davies - was up to his usual tricks in
jumping at players when he has no chance of getting the ball and getting
to the tackle a little bit late, but not too late as to persuade
referees to book him. How he gets away with such behaviour
designed to antagonise the opposition I don't know. Anyway, it all
led to their downfall, as, from the resulting free-kick, Palacios dinked
the ball back in and Crouchy nodded the ball down for Niko Kranjcar to
show good balance to shoot home from 12 yards out in the 34th minute.
It was much against the run of play, but what the heck, it is not like
Tottenham to score from a free-kick.
Jenas picked up a yellow card and played
the rest of the game seeming like he was doing his level best to get
sent off. Meanwhile, Hud just managed to recover his ground to a
ball over his head to stop Kevin Davies getting a shot on goal and with
three minutes of the half left, Cohen should have added to the Bolton
tally when he was played in by Davies, but he could only toe end the
ball at goal, but the ball went too high over the bar as he tried to
lift it over the keeper. Right on 45 minutes, a ball over the
defence was laid through for Matthew Taylor to chase, but Carlo Cudicini
was too sharp out to just beat him to the ball.
The second half started with Bolton
kicking off and pressing on goal. Cudicini had to take a cross at
his near post to stop any further threat and then ten minutes into the
half, Lennon broke inside from the right wing and hit a low shot that
Jaaskaleinen pushed out to Palacios ten yards out from goal, but it came
quickly and Wilson could only hit his shot wide. Tom blasted
hopefully high and handsome from 30 yards out and Crouch tried to curl a
long throw from Corluka past the Finnish Bolton keeper, but put the ball
wide instead.
With 35 minutes left, a Wanderers corner
was headed over by Gary Cahill, with no string challenge to his jump,
but then Spurs hit back with Jenas thumping a shot wide from outside the
area and Harry Redknapp decided that more goal threat was needed, so
brought on Jermain Defoe for Robbie Keane.
The change had almost the immediate, but
opposite result that Harry might have hoped for. A decent move
involving a chest down from Gardner, a neat bit of skill from Lee, who
back-heeled the ball for Tamir Cohen to lift a far post cross to Davies,
who got on the end of it with Assou-Ekotto not realising he was
attacking the ball behind him. It was an untypical Bolton goal and
one which again arose from sloppy defensive work.
It left Tottenham 21 minutes to get
something out of the game. Within three an equaliser almost came
when Defoe's shot was spilled out by Jaaskelainen, who could not hold it
and Crouch pounced to shoot low, but the ball caught the underside of
the keeper's thigh and bounced down into the ground and up onto the
underside of the bar and out. It was only a brief respite for the
Trotters, with Spurs launching another attack that saw Kranjcar play a
long corner and Corluka rise at the far post to put a header back over
the goalie and into the net to make it 2-2 in the 73rd minute.
There were chances for both sides in the
closing stages. Cudicini did enough to stop a header from Matt
Taylor; Lennon's shot was thought to have hit Mark Davies' arm, but play
was waved on and BAE struck a shot well off target; Defoe played a
delicate cross form the right into Crouch, who took a touch, then shot
only to see Jasskelainen out to block the effort at the near post and
with three minutes left, Defoe struck a shot wide when well placed.
Klasnic had a late shot that went wide across goal and Gardner headed a
cross back into the danger area, but nobody was there into injury time.
Even then, as the final whistle was poised, Kranjcar put a corner into
the Bolton box and the ball bobbled around, with Spurs players claiming
handball. But in the final analysis, Spurs will be pleased with a
point in the end, having played for the bulk of the first half with
little shape nor a great deal of intelligence.
The same game last season saw Spurs lose
out in the last minute after coming back to 2-2, so perhaps there is a
positive to take form the result and although they rode their luck, they
did stick at it, but will need to put in more effort against teams like
Bolton (and there are a few) in the Premier League, otherwise, they will
drop more points that might hinder their intended final finishing
position.
east stan |
Bolton
Wanderers
(Away)
