Spurs fans need to get over it!
There have been a lot of Spurs knives out and aimed at table-topping Leicester City after this week-end's apparently decisive round of results.
I wrote several weeks ago (and I have always held the view it since the prospect was raised this season) that I have never truly believed Spurs could win the title this season. Regretfully, I still firmly hold that belief, although, of course, I want to believe in the dream of a first title win for 55 years.
Leicester have un-charitably been labelled by some Spurs fans as boring, thanks to the run of 1-0 wins (their last five wins, and two others in the league this season), and now lucky, thanks to getting the rub of the green on Sunday when referee Michael Oliver did not give a penalty against Danny Simpson's block. There was also a penalty claim against Robert Huth. Had those decisions gone in favour of Spurs, those fans would not be complaining. For the record, I certainly do not think Simpson's "handball" was anything other than "ball to hand". Having not watched the whole game, I cannot speak for the Huth incident.
However, didn't Southampton goalie Fraser Forster make two truly great saves? Wasn't Wanyama somewhat fortuitous not be to be sent off for being the last man when committing a professional foul upon Jamie Vardy?
As a Spurs fan, I'd love to have had Leicester's run of results and their consistency. They've lost only to Arsenal (twice) and Liverpool (away). They lost to us in an FA Cup Third Round replay, and had the benefit of concentrating purely on Premier League success since January. Of course, it hurts if we do come second in the Premier League, and only to a team that has never won that title; never won the top flight title, and hasn't even spent that many seasons in the elite league.
However, the table does not lie, and whilst it will hurt us more than the fans of other teams that we will hear constant "fairy tale title win" stories, we have to get over it and applaud Leicester's achievement. Of course, they may yet do a "Devon Lock", but I don't think they will.
As for Spurs, I wrote in my preview that my prediction of a win at Anfield was optimistic, and my head always told me that a draw would be the best we could hope for. That's how it finished. Doesn't the fact that Hugo Lloris won our man of the match vote say something about the game? It's been a while since Hugo did win this vote (ironically, the last was in our crucial home defeat by Leicester in January), but it is a fact that his saves kept us in this game, and not for the first time this season.
Despite our position, there are still things that irritate the hell out of me about this team of ours. These include passing backwards from advantageous free-kicks or throw-ins, often all the way to the goalkeeper; an apparent lack of knowledge of the offside rule when taking attacking throw-ins, and often passing into danger. They say it's a sign of quality that we often try difficult passes to players surrounded by three opponents, but we lost possession several times on Saturday due to this, and put ourselves under unnecessary pressure with quickly taken, and ill-judged free kicks. Leicester's goal by their captain Wes Morgan did follow a set-piece situation where he had gone up into the penalty area. That set-piece had been nearer the half-way line than the penalty area. We don't put our big men up like the Spurs teams of the old days for such free kicks that used to be swung in by the likes of Dave Mackay. Our first thought is "possession is key", aand that often means back passes.
I've said before, and I'll say it again, that I will be truly satisfied with a top three finish this season. Of our remaining games, I fear the away fixtures against Stoke and Chelsea more than I fear our next game against Manchester United.
COME ON YOU SPURS!
· See the spursometer in full
Results 02-03.04.16
A. Villa 0-4 Chelsea
Arsenal 4-0 Watford
B'mouth 0-4 Man City
Norwich 3-2 Newcastle
Stoke 2-2 Swansea
S'derland 0-0 West Brom
West Ham 2-2 C. Palace
Liverpool 1-1 Spurs
Leicester 1-0 S'hampton
Man Utd 1-0 Everton
Barclays Premier League Table
P W D L F-A GD Pts
1. Leicester 32 20 9 3 55-31 24 69
2. Spurs 32 17 11 4 57-25 32 62
3. Arsenal 31 17 7 7 52-30 22 58
4. Man City 31 16 6 9 56-32 24 54
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5. Man Utd 31 15 8 8 39-27 12 53
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6. West Ham 31 13 12 6 49-37 12 51
7. S'hampton 31 13 8 10 41-32 9 47
8. Stoke 32 13 8 11 36-39 -3 47
9. Liverpool 30 12 9 9 46-41 5 45
10. Chelsea 31 11 11 9 49-41 8 44
11. West Brom 31 10 10 11 30-37 -7 40
12. Everton 29 9 11 9 51-41 10 38
13. B'mouth 32 10 8 14 38-54 -16 38
14. Watford 31 10 7 14 30-36 -6 37
15. Swansea 32 9 10 13 33-42 -9 37
16. C. Palace 31 9 7 15 34-42 -8 34
17. Norwich 32 8 7 16 35-54 -19 31
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18. S'derland 31 6 9 16 36-55 -19 27
19. Newcastle 31 6 7 18 31-58 -27 25
20. A. Villa 32 3 7 22 22-62 -40 16
