Lamela goal the most pleasing
That was my first viewing of Bournemouth and they weren't very good to put it mildly, the beauty is we were not dragged down to that level.
Jurgen Klopp is well documented as a manager that when playing against a better team tried to drag them down to his teams level to have a greater chance of getting a result. There are many a story in football of teams doing everything they can to drag other teams down to their level by reducing the size of the pitch, not cutting or watering the grass, adding extra sand, turning the hot water off and much more, quite apart from the on field crunching tackles to frighten players right at the start of a game.
Football has moved on and now certain standards are expected while a coach like 37-year-old Eddie Howe likes to play football and provide entertainment. He provided entertainment for Bournemouth supporters for the wrong reasons though, plenty of goals for Spurs. We at last found some scoring boots and put away a side in a manner I have been suggesting we need to start doing for years. Trouble is we have done this before, we need to follow it up and do it regularly.
Their keeper had a howler and gifted us goals, what I found important though was that we were in the right place at the right time. Erik Lamela scored because unlike the last game he got into the penalty area again. He started this season in ordinary form, then he started making runs into the box and added a goal threat to his game as well as decisive passing. That fell off in the last league game where Eriksen centrally seemed to prevent him coming inside.
Against Bournemouth we once again saw him making runs into the box and he was on hand to score a tap-in dropped at his feet. Last season he wouldn't have scored that goal because he wouldn't have been there. each goal he gets boost morale, the quality of the strike is not as important as being in the right place to have the chance to strike. He is no superstar yet, but he has clearly turned a corner because he is consistent putting himself in scoring positions.
With Harry Kane grabbing a hat-trick as well to lift pressure we all hope the side can improve that 10% to turn some of the draws into victories. We sit 5th on home form, 8th on away form and 6th overall, just one win away from West Ham and Manchester United in 3rd and 4th.
Next up in the Premier League is managerless Aston Villa who sacked Tim Sherwood after 6 straight losses took them to the bottom of the Premier League.
Back to the old Townsend - right angles and no goal threat, mentally poor
We have to marry strong defence with attack - a rather appropriate article given the defeat last night to Anderlecht
Is Eriksen causing problems at Spurs? - and why Dembele, Eriksen and Lamela, Eriksen can't play together
Further reports of Spurs scouting - MacKenzie scouting 9 games in 4 days
Post a Comment