Saturday night at White Hart Lane was the place to be. The euphoria, anxiety and rollercoaster ride was all in a days experience at White Hart Lane. It looked all but certain that we would lose our unbeaten record at the hands of our struggling rivals until the drama that unfolded in the 89th minute turned the game on its head.
The Good
For those expecting a child with little ideas in the way of boy names, Harry might be a decent name choice. Harry Winks and Harry Kane were the names on the scoresheet and they both contributed immensely to the cause against our bitter rivals West Ham.
Harry Wink’s inclusion in the starting line-up attracted raised eyebrows from some sections for obvious reasons. It was not the throwing the lambs to the slaughter scenario that it could have been. Harry Wink’s glowing overall performance justified his position in the team and makes you wonder what could happen in the next 18 months if he continues to develop as expected.
In hindsight, it should not be really surprising that our frustrating winless steak coincided with Harry Kane being absent from the team. When he is around, it is clear what he brings to the team and his continued presence will surely give us a fighting chance in mounting a serious title push over the coming next months. We finally won a game too. That deserves a shout and the team deserves credit from battling until the very last whistle. Son also deserves a mention for his relentless direct running that caused havoc.
“Harry Kane is always very important, he is our main striker and one of the best strikers in the world. You miss that type of player when he does not play for 10 or 11 games. The table looks much better, we are three points off the top and 12 unbeaten from the beginning.”
Mauricio Pochettino
The Bad
We were turgid for large parts of the opening 45 minutes. To say we were uncreative in the first half would be a compliment. We were predictable, static and barely bothered Darren Randolph. Not to be overly critical of Janssen as he was as spirited and determined as ever. But he again did not score and was the culprit in giving West Ham the soft lifeline penalty which they scored from. Janssen needs to demonstrate a willingness to patrol around the opposition area a bit more to benefit from his predatory in box qualities.
Christian Eriksen has also played better games in a Spurs shirt. Nearly all the fans I sat next to were baying for him to be replaced at half time. Bar a few eye catching passes and a free kick that fizzed harmlessly wide of the post, our creator in chief looked like a man invited to make a guest appearance on the pitch.
The Ugly
On a slightly depressing note, Janssen’s profligacy in front of goal creates a mounting cause for concern. He is a player with immense ability. There is no doubt about that. The worry is that the last fox in the box we had, frighteningly scored his first ever Spurs goal by a penalty, struggled unceremoniously after that and also wore the number 9 shirt. Hope is a big element in life and we have not lost faith in Vincent just yet.
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