BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 9TH MAY, 2015
(3 PM)
STOKE CITY 3 (2) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0 (0)

Scorers:-
Adam, 21
N’Zonzi, 32
Vertonghen o.g., 86

Attendance:- 27,104

Referee:- Mark Clattenburg
Assistants:- J. Collin & S. Beck
Fourth official:- G Scott

Teams:-
Stoke (4-2-3-1):- Butland; Cameron, Shawcross (Capt.), Muniesa, Pieters; Whelan (sub Sidwell, 88), N’Zonzi; Walters (sub Odemwingie, 84), Adam (sub Ireland, 73), Arnautovic; Diouf

Subs not used:- Sorensen; Bardsley, Wollscheid; Crouch

No bookings

Spurs (4-2-3-1):- Lloris (Capt.); Dier, Fazio, Chiriches, Vertonghen; Mason, Bentaleb; Lamela (sub Dembele, 76), Eriksen, Chadli (sub Soldado, 61); Kane

Subs not used:- Vorm; Rose, Yedlin; Townsend, Stambouli

Booked:- Chiriches (foul on Walters)

Sent off (50 mins):- Chiriches (second yellow – foul on Diouf)

Spurs were the clowns here

Last year there was an excellent drama based upon Stoke fan Neil “Nello” Baldwin, entitled “Marvellous”. The nickname “Nello” originates from Neil’s former occupation as a circus clown. Neil was no doubt in The Britannia Stadium today to watch his beloved Stoke team win 3-0. I suspect he would have regarded the Spurs team he saw today as rubbish, and he would not be far wrong. Certainly they were the clowns here.

The last team to make Stoke look this good (three goals better) was League One side Rochdale in the FA Cup in January. The last Premier League team to make Stoke look this good was relegated Fulham, who lost 4-1 last May. The last time Spurs made Stoke look this good was in April, 1935 (that’s 80 years ago folks), when “The Potters” beat us 4-1 in a season when we were relegated from Division One. This season was the first time Stoke have achieved a league “double” over Spurs. I asked a Stoke fan after the game if he could remember beating anybody 3-0, and he couldn’t. That’s how bad we were.

In his post-match interview, Charlie Adam, who scored Stoke’s opening goal, observed that Spurs played with four centre-backs. It is a mystery to me why Mauricio Pochettino left Danny Rose on the bench, and did not use him, especially when Vlad Chiriches foolishly got sent off early in the second half for a second bookable offence. Rose has been arguably the form player for Spurs in recent games. If not fit, surely he should not have been on the bench. Another full back, DeAndre Yedlin, yet to establish himself at his new club, was also an unused substitute.

Spurs have failed to score in four of their last six games now, and hero Harry Kane has only scored once in those games. You know, I even harboured the thought that perhaps Pochettino would surprise the physical Stoke side with a bit of muscle up front, and yes, I mean Adebayor, who was absent even from the bench. If you ask me, one of Pochettino’s failings is that he is so, so predictable, as is his team. We move forward (sometimes, because it is more often backward or sideways) tentatively, whilst opponents (even Stoke, who have less than us to play for) seem capable off more penetrative play. Certainly, their left winger (remember them?) Marko Arnautovic gave Eric Dier a hard time, and was one of Stoke’s best players.

The Stoke announcer was gracious enough to mention Jimmy Greaves before the game, wishing him a full recovery from his serious illness, and the Stoke fans applauded this gesture before the game, and joined in with Spurs fans who chanted Greaves’ name and applauded him early in the game. Greaves once wore the Stoke kit back in the sixties, when invited to play in Stanley Matthews’ testimonial game.

Spurs were on the back foot from the outset, with Hugo Lloris having to tip over Muniesa’s shot from a preceding corner. Another Muniesa shot following a corner was also blocked in the Spurs area, before at last Spurs managed to cobble together a meaningful attack when Bentaleb fed the ball to Kane on the right. Kane crossed, but it was too deep. Chiriches got his first booking for stopping Walters in his tracks just inside the Spurs half, as Stoke broke clear following that Kane cross. Chiriches had been caught on the wrong side of the striker, and made the sacrificial foul.

Lloris then had to save low to his right from a shot by Arnautovic, being afforded too much room on the Spurs right flank. After Spurs cleared, Stoke came back at us from their right flank. Diouf crossed from the right, Walters tried to get a touch, but it was probably Vertonghen’s touch which fell nicely for Adam to head in at the back post. Lamela won a free kick about 35 yards out, and from the kick a Stoke player got a touch which goalkeeper Jack Butland had to tip over. Butland was being labelled “England’s number One” by the home fans, but he hardly looked so good, with several uncertain defensive touches. Unfortunately, Spurs failed to test him enough.

Lloris held another shot by Arnautovic, before the Spurs goalkeeper and Eric Dier had a mix-up over a ball that came from the right, and was allowed to reach N’Zonzi, who was allowed a clear shot at goal, with Lloris and Dier stranded. Those two shouldn’t have to bear all the blame though, as the move had started from deep in the Stoke half, when their player was allowed to advance diagonally into the Spurs half, without even a challenge, or what you could call close marking. Eriksen could be considered blameworthy in this respect.

Ryan Mason had a right footed shot held by Butland, after Kane had passed back, before Mason again had a shot saved and cleared following good work by Eriksen, Lamela and Kane. Yet another Arnautovic shot gave Lloris work to do, he couldn’t cleanly save first time, but picked up after parrying the ball along the right bye-line.

There was a one-man pitch invasion at the start of the second half, and it took an age for any of the Stoke stewards to put in a challenge. I was reminded of the Spurs team’s lack of ability to effectively challenge in midfield and win the ball. Eriksen did have a shot pushed away for a corner by Butland, but it wasn’t long before Chiriches got his marching orders for a foul on Diouf out on the Stoke right wing. The challenge and result was foolish, irresponsible and unnecessary. Pochettino’s adjustment was to put Bentaleb at left back, reducing his midfield manpower.

Again, Arnautovic got the better of Spurs, crossing from deep on the left. Adam’s back post effort was well saved by Lloris. Chadli was replaced by Soldado, who hardly got a touch of the ball in the half-hour left. Mason and Eriksen were involved in a good move towards the left side, before Eriksen crossed, and Dier’s header was deflected over for a corner. Pochettino only used one other substitute, and this was Dembele for Lamela, but 10-man Spurs were making little headway.

Lloris made a very good point blank save in the middle of his goal from Walters, following a Shawcross ball. At the other end, Eriksen took a Spurs free kick, but it passed safely wide of Butland’s post. Stoke wrapped up the game in the 86th minute. Arnautovic crossed, and Diouf had the successful shot at the near post. (This goal has since been deemed to be a Vertonghen own goal)

Southampton lost at Leicester today, so they are apparently trying as hard as Spurs not to qualify for Europe. Swansea could yet overtake both teams, if they get the right results. Next week, we host Hull, who are now favourites to be relegated along with Burnley (confirmed) and QPR (probable). On current form, Spurs are likely to gift Hull three points next Saturday.

In the aforementioned drama “Marvellous”, Stoke manager Lou Macari (who actually employed “Nello” as Stoke’s kit man) had a conversation with Neil Baldwin, who said “If bad things happen, you think about good things”. Macari asked “Like what?”

“Like the best signing you ever made…………..with shorts. The cleaner their shorts, the better the player. They stay on their feet better”

Well, I cheer myself up by thinking of my all-time hero Jimmy Greaves, but some of the Spurs players today could have got their shorts a bit more dirty.

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