BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SUNDAY 26TH OCTOBER, 2014
(1.30pm)
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1(1) NEWCASTLE UNITED 2(0)

Spurs scorer:-
Adebayor, 18

Newcastle scorers:-
Ameobi, 46
Perez, 58

Attendance:- 35,650

Referee:- Anthony Taylor
Assistants:- J. Brooks & I. Hussin
Fourth official:- R. East

Teams:-
Spurs (4-2-3-1):- Lloris; Dier, Kaboul (Capt.), Vertonghen, Rose; Capoue (sub Kane, 67), Mason; Lamela (sub Lennon, 78), Eriksen, Chadli; Adebayor (sub Soldado, 83)

Subs not used:- Vorm; Chiriches, Davies; Dembele

Booked:- Capoue, Rose

Newcastle (4-4-1-1); Krul; Janmaat, S. Taylor, Coloccini (Capt.), Dummett; Obertan (sub Ameobi, 46), Colback, Anita (sub Cabella, 46), Gouffran; Sissokko; Perez (sub Haidara, 79)

Subs not used:- Elliot; R. Taylor, Armstrong, Ferreyra

Booked:- Gouffran (foul on Dier), Colback (foul on Lamela), Krul (Time wasting), Janmaat

It was about remembrance and the old Spurs' soft underbelly.

Spurs chose this game as the occasion upon which they would formally commemorate the tenth anniversary of the passing of the greatest Spur ever, Bill Nicholson, who passed away on October 23rd, 2004.

The club produced a special programme, containing material written by the late Andy Porter, whose obituary also appeared in the magazine production. Many former Spurs players, including the truly legendary Alan Gilzean, made the effort to attend the occasion. Quite a few of the others in the line-up of legends are employed by the club on match days, including the still sprightly looking Cliff Jones.

On the day of Bill's passing, the team lost 2-1 at home to Sam Allardyce's Bolton. On another occasion, when Bill Nicholson way was named in the presence of the great man, we lost at home to West Ham. Sadly, on this special day, we managed to lose to a side that was in the bottom three - Newcastle. Now, Alan Pardew's side are higher up in the bottom half of the Premier League table, which now includes Spurs, who had aspirations towards more European football next season.

Even since Bill Nicholson's day, sides have enjoyed a trip to White Hart Lane, and fancied their chances against a team that traditionally plays open, attractive football. It is no different today. Any team playing Spurs justifiably fancies their chances. These days it is because we are so predictable, with the 4-2-3-1 formation, so favoured by many teams. It is also because we have a soft underbelly, with no hard men; a lack of pace in too many areas of the pitch; too much passing sideways and backwards, and too little bothering the opposition goalkeeper.

For all the control and possession we had in the first half (68%, I believe), we did not test Newcastle's goalkeeper Tim Krul. When Newcastle beat us last year in the corresponding fixture, Krul was required to give a hero's performance. Yes, we scored in that first half, but Krul did not have to make anything other than a routine save.

Then, just 8 seconds into the second half, came one of the most disgraceful failures of a Spurs team that I can recall. Newcastle had made a double substitution, with Sammy Ameobi and Cabella replacing Obertan and Anita. From their kick-off, Colback simply sent a speculative ball down the left channel, with Spurs' right back Eric Dier failing to pay enough attention, allowing Ameobi to seize the pass, and simply strike powerfully across Lloris for a dramatic, and morale boosting equaliser.

Dier, and his Spurs team-mates were culpable in other areas. Passes were too often short. In the first half, because the opposition was slow, or even more inefficient, the ball kept coming back to Spurs feet, even when the ball seemed to be running away from them.

There was some decent play by Spurs in the first half, with Mason not putting a foot wrong in my view, picking his passes well, and often getting an important and winning challenge in on his opponent.

Apart from the fact that Adebayor scored, I felt that we looked more likely to score when we had Harry Kane and Soldado on the pitch, but that was all too late in the game. Krul did at least have to make a save or two.

Lamela was a luxury player today. He was often too selfish, seeking to hold the ball; beat a player too many; run with the ball long, which most of the time meant he just lost possession.

Alan Pardew's side in the second half upped their tempo significantly, and closed Spurs down effectively. Having equalised so early, and taking the lead after 58 minutes, they could justify packing their half of the pitch. They hadn't finished worrying our defence either.

Bearing in mind the early Sunday kick-off, there was a strong contingent of Newcastle fans, who wholeheartedly joined in with the one-minute's applause before kick-off, and also the spontaneous applause around the ground at the end of a pre-match tribute to Bill Nicholson. There were less sympathetic comments aimed at Spurs, once the game got under way!

In the early stages, Mason, Chadli and Eriksen were involved in advances with potential, but no end result. Danny Rose won applause for determined and successful tackle in the Newcastle half. I would exonerate Danny regarding any blame for our defensive frailties today, and he was ever so determined going forward, delivering a number of good crosses.

Referee Anthony Taylor soon indicated that he was willing to allow a bit of leeway in challenges, and Vertonghen was allowed to be strong in the Newcastle half for an aerial challenge, which he won, carrying the ball forward, before having a long distance pop at goal, which wasn't far over the bar.

After 9 minutes, Adebayor headed back a long ball to Eriksen, who hit a snap shot outside the keeper's left post. Mason received a ball from the right, but his effort also passed over the bar.

Newcastle had a chance after 15 minutes, following a cross by Gouffran, a clearance from Obertan's challenge, before Colback pushed his shot well wide, when he should have done better.

Spurs took a lead which was deserved on the balance of play in the 18th minute. Firstly, Chadli had a shot blocked as he forced his way down the inside left of the penalty area. Then Eriksen's attempt to follow-up was blocked, before Mason put a well-placed short cross onto the head of Adebayor at the back post. Adebayor scored only his second goal of the season by heading past Krul.

Shortly after, Lamela received the ball from Eriksen, and made a determined run from right to left across the outside of the area, before managing to get the ball to Danny Rose, who fired over.

Danny Rose went down just inside the box after 25 minutes, and the Spurs crowd cheered, as it looked like the referee was pointing to the spot, but he was giving a goal-kick.

Chadli should have scored two minutes before the break when Eriksen lifted a free kick to him on the left of the area, in acres of space, and with loads of time to pick his spot. Chadli scooped the shot well over the target, and Spurs would pay heavily for their profligacy in the first half, after the interval.

Ameobi scored that dramatic equaliser 8 seconds into the second half, and whilst Spurs tried to respond positively, Newcastle had significantly upped their game, and closed us down well. Eriksen had several shots blocked or deflected in the second half. The first of these came after a Danny Rose cross on 52 minutes.

Newcastle grabbed the lead in the 58th minute. Spurs had been on the attack down their right flank, but Sissoko was allowed to run un-hindered down the inside left channel, all the way to the Spurs area. Substitute Cabella was with him, taking the move onward, and hitting a cross onto the head of Perez, who left Lloris stranded in the centre of his goal, and the ball in the net to his left. Those Geordies were ecstatic.

It wasn't long after that when Kaboul over-committed and Cabella got to the bye-line close to Lloris's right post. Cabella tried the shot from the tight angle, but a goal-kick was the result.

At the other end, Eriksen was again fed by Adebayor, but his shot was deflected again.

Pochettino's first substitution was to replace Capoue with Kane, and we set-up in a 4-4-2, with Eriksen beside Mason. Spurs had the ball in the net after an Eriksen corner, but the assistant referee indicated that the ball had gone out of play before reaching the goal-mouth, much to the frustration of the Spurs crowd, most of whom had a far worse position, of course.

Lamela did succeed with a trick, and kept possession as he cut inside on the right flank. Ultimately, the play was spread to Rose on the left, and his cross gave Kane a chance, which was straight at Krul. Eriksen had another shot deflected after another Adebayor feed.

Lamela's punishment for too often running into trouble was to be replaced by Aaron Lennon, but he had too little time to make an impact. He did have a good shot pass just over the bar after an Eriksen corner was cleared out to him. I was thinking of the old "we never lose when Aaron scores" statistic, but sadly, he didn't score.

Soldado was a late replacement for Adebayor, and Spurs had a little flurry, including a powerful cross by Kane that passed in front of goal, with no-one there to convert, and a half-hit scissor kick by Soldado.

It was all too little, too late. Maybe we could offer Mauricio Pochettino back to Southampton, and take Ronald Koeman off their hands? The Daily Telegraph has published a particularly scathing report, aiming its criticism clearly at club Chairman Daniel Levy (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/11188554/Tottenham-Hotspur-1-Newcastle-United-2-match-report-Alan-Pardew-guides-side-to-first-away-win-since-March.html)

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