|
|
Two points dropped or one point gained? Tottenham make uncertain start to 'easy' run of fixtures but have reasons to be cheerful
Saturday's 1-1 draw with Swansea may be seen as a missed opportunity given results elsewhere, but Harry Redknapp's Spurs can take the positives as they head into 2012
Jan 1, 2012 9:00:00 AM
Getty Images
COMMENT
By Jay Jaffa
In the context of the match, a goal conceded with six minutes left to play will always lead to feelings of frustration, but Harry Redknapp's comments post-match were telling – a point at Swansea is a good result for Tottenham.
The 1-1 draw at the Liberty Stadium was in complete contrast to Spurs' away trip to Norwich earlier in the week as the title hopefuls were made to chase the ball for large periods of the game. Where Spurs enjoyed 60 per cent of possession at Carrow Road, in Wales the Swans dominated overall and thoroughly deserved their point.
Scott Sinclair's late goal seemed an appropriate end to a pulsating half of football that saw Brendan Rodgers' side get their reward for trusting their mantra of possession football. It was also befitting of a New Year's Eve that produced a number of shock results. Not often do Manchester United and Chelsea lose at home on the same day, but thanks to resurgent Blackburn and Aston Villa sides, the record books will now be scrutinised once more.
It is fair to say that Arsenal will be most pleased with Saturday's results as they leapfrogged Chelsea and made up ground on the top three. But it is worth reminding ourselves that Tottenham have taken four points from two tricky away games. Meanwhile the Gunners have taken their four points from two home games – on paper a simpler task. Yes, Arsenal also won at Norwich, but they have yet to travel to Swansea, and as Redknapp said: “There won’t be many teams that come here and get an easy game.”
Fans at the Liberty Stadium have borne witness to a hugely creditable style of football that is not only aesthetically pleasing on the eye, but also effective on the ground. Redknapp was effusive in his praise for what Rodgers has cultivated and it is surely one of the success stories of 2011 to see Swansea rise to the Premier League playing so stylishly and most important of all – retaining the style in the face of all-comers.
Their form on their travels may well be Swansea's downfall – they've yet to win on the road – but the manner in which they stuck to their principles and stifled Tottenham was vastly impressive – more so given the dazzling display Spurs produced for the cameras against Norwich.
The 2-0 win at Carrow Road saw the plaudits handed to Gareth Bale who was in irrepressible form that night. In his first game back at a Welsh club since a trip to Cardiff with Southampton in 2007, Bale was badly off-colour and booked for diving in the first half. Aaron Lennon's absence on the opposite flank meant no further threat from wide existed. Sinclair and Nathan Dyer pegged Kyle Walker and Benoit Assou-Ekotto back for the most part and as such snuffed out plenty of the third-placed side's creativity. This defensive nous has been a cornerstone of Rodgers' style.
The Swans' record at the Liberty Stadium thus far is impressive for a promoted side. The goal scored by Rafael van der Vaart was only the fourth Michel Vorm has let into his net this season. They have yet to concede more than one goal in any of the ten games they've hosted – a record that only Manchester City can equal (and in one less game).
Tottenham faced a Swansea team that have completely broken the mould of promoted Championship sides. The only side comparable would be Blackpool from the first half of last season, but for all their attractive football, the Seasiders had a decidedly leaky defence and after ten home games had shipped 19 goals.
A trip to the Liberty Stadium will be a tough game for any side in the Premier League and it is telling that the only away team to secure all three points was Manchester United – the team that have won more away games than any other club in the league.
It is rare to see any team work so hard to obey their manager's wishes and even after Angel Rangel's horror pass that led to the Chicharito goal in their loss to the champions, Swansea have shown that they'd rather risk keeping the ball under pressure and concede a goal than to whack the ball from danger and concede possession. Possession is, after all, the essence of the style they value so highly.
For Tottenham, they left Swansea knowing they had seen less of the ball than in any other away Premier League game they have played this season - including the 3-0 beating they received on the opening day of the campaign at Old Trafford. Joe Allen, the Welsh side's very own Luka Modric, was the glue that linked the defence, midfield and attack – enjoying more touches than anyone else on the pitch.
Spurs may have left with a feeling of disappointment but as 2012 begins, they have a run of three consecutive home Premier League games to help lend weight to their title credentials. West Brom, Everton and Wolves all journey to White Hart Lane and could provide the kind of fodder needed to propel the club even closer to the league leaders. Though they failed to fully capitalise on favourable results, Redknapp won't mind reminding his rivals that taking a point at Swansea is a good result.
By Jay Jaffa
In the context of the match, a goal conceded with six minutes left to play will always lead to feelings of frustration, but Harry Redknapp's comments post-match were telling – a point at Swansea is a good result for Tottenham.
|
Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
|
Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
Sign up with Paddy Power - Bet £10, Get £20! |
The 1-1 draw at the Liberty Stadium was in complete contrast to Spurs' away trip to Norwich earlier in the week as the title hopefuls were made to chase the ball for large periods of the game. Where Spurs enjoyed 60 per cent of possession at Carrow Road, in Wales the Swans dominated overall and thoroughly deserved their point.
Scott Sinclair's late goal seemed an appropriate end to a pulsating half of football that saw Brendan Rodgers' side get their reward for trusting their mantra of possession football. It was also befitting of a New Year's Eve that produced a number of shock results. Not often do Manchester United and Chelsea lose at home on the same day, but thanks to resurgent Blackburn and Aston Villa sides, the record books will now be scrutinised once more.
It is fair to say that Arsenal will be most pleased with Saturday's results as they leapfrogged Chelsea and made up ground on the top three. But it is worth reminding ourselves that Tottenham have taken four points from two tricky away games. Meanwhile the Gunners have taken their four points from two home games – on paper a simpler task. Yes, Arsenal also won at Norwich, but they have yet to travel to Swansea, and as Redknapp said: “There won’t be many teams that come here and get an easy game.”
Up for the fight | Spurs dropped points at Swansea but are still in the title scrap
Fans at the Liberty Stadium have borne witness to a hugely creditable style of football that is not only aesthetically pleasing on the eye, but also effective on the ground. Redknapp was effusive in his praise for what Rodgers has cultivated and it is surely one of the success stories of 2011 to see Swansea rise to the Premier League playing so stylishly and most important of all – retaining the style in the face of all-comers.
Their form on their travels may well be Swansea's downfall – they've yet to win on the road – but the manner in which they stuck to their principles and stifled Tottenham was vastly impressive – more so given the dazzling display Spurs produced for the cameras against Norwich.
The 2-0 win at Carrow Road saw the plaudits handed to Gareth Bale who was in irrepressible form that night. In his first game back at a Welsh club since a trip to Cardiff with Southampton in 2007, Bale was badly off-colour and booked for diving in the first half. Aaron Lennon's absence on the opposite flank meant no further threat from wide existed. Sinclair and Nathan Dyer pegged Kyle Walker and Benoit Assou-Ekotto back for the most part and as such snuffed out plenty of the third-placed side's creativity. This defensive nous has been a cornerstone of Rodgers' style.
| SPURS' NEW YEARS UNDER REDKNAPP |
|
|
|
|
| JANUARY 1, 2009 |
|
| GAMES PLAYED POINTS |
20 20 |
| JANUARY 1, 2010 | |
| GAMES PLAYED POINTS |
20 37 |
| JANUARY 1, 2011 | |
| GAMES PLAYED POINTS |
19 33 |
| JANUARY 1, 2012 | |
| GAMES PLAYED POINTS |
18 39 |
The Swans' record at the Liberty Stadium thus far is impressive for a promoted side. The goal scored by Rafael van der Vaart was only the fourth Michel Vorm has let into his net this season. They have yet to concede more than one goal in any of the ten games they've hosted – a record that only Manchester City can equal (and in one less game).
Tottenham faced a Swansea team that have completely broken the mould of promoted Championship sides. The only side comparable would be Blackpool from the first half of last season, but for all their attractive football, the Seasiders had a decidedly leaky defence and after ten home games had shipped 19 goals.
A trip to the Liberty Stadium will be a tough game for any side in the Premier League and it is telling that the only away team to secure all three points was Manchester United – the team that have won more away games than any other club in the league.
It is rare to see any team work so hard to obey their manager's wishes and even after Angel Rangel's horror pass that led to the Chicharito goal in their loss to the champions, Swansea have shown that they'd rather risk keeping the ball under pressure and concede a goal than to whack the ball from danger and concede possession. Possession is, after all, the essence of the style they value so highly.
For Tottenham, they left Swansea knowing they had seen less of the ball than in any other away Premier League game they have played this season - including the 3-0 beating they received on the opening day of the campaign at Old Trafford. Joe Allen, the Welsh side's very own Luka Modric, was the glue that linked the defence, midfield and attack – enjoying more touches than anyone else on the pitch.
Spurs may have left with a feeling of disappointment but as 2012 begins, they have a run of three consecutive home Premier League games to help lend weight to their title credentials. West Brom, Everton and Wolves all journey to White Hart Lane and could provide the kind of fodder needed to propel the club even closer to the league leaders. Though they failed to fully capitalise on favourable results, Redknapp won't mind reminding his rivals that taking a point at Swansea is a good result.
How do you stay up to date with football when on the move? With http://m.goal.com – your best source for mobile coverage of the beautiful game.
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power - Bet £10, Get £20! |
|
Inside Goal.Com
-
Discover football's best & worst pledges
Goal.com takes a look back at some of the best and worst promises made by members of the football fraternity over the years
-
Spain's Euro 2012 hopes hit hard by Villa blow
The Barcelona striker will be out of the continental competition after failing to fully recover from a broken tibia sustained in December's Club World Cup. He will be sorely missed
-
Cartoon: Drogba waves goodbye to Chelsea
The Ivorian confirmed his intention to leave Stamford Bridge on Tuesday after eight years at the club, meaning his final kick for the Blues sealed Champions League glory
-
Conte claims Serie A Coach of the Season award
The Italian led Juventus to the Scudetto with an unbeaten record and is deemed the best trainer on the peninsula by the readers in our end-of-term vote
-
All the players available for free in England
A host of big-name Premier League stars are out of contract at the end of the season and Goal.com gives you the top five bargains who will be snapped up for absolutely nothing
