Brian Judson wrote this additional report
Sunday, September 13th, 1998
FA Carling Premiership
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (0) 0 MIDDLESBROUGH (2) 3.
Tottenham Hotspur : Baardsen; Calderwood, S Campbell, Tramezzani; Carr,
Fox (sub Sinton, 55), Nielsen (sub Saib, 50), Berti, Clemence (sub
Armstrong, 46); Ginola, Ferdinand.
Substitutes *NOT* used : Segars, Vega.
Booked : Carr, Ginola.
Middlesbrough : Schwarzer; Gordon, Vickers, Pallister, Cooper; Festa,
Mustoe, Gascoigne (sub Kinder, 84), Townsend; Ricard (sub Branca, 65),
Beck (sub A Campbell, 89).
Substitutes *NOT* used : Beresford, Stockdale.
Goalscorers : Rickard 25, 32; Kinder, 87.
Referee : Mr S Dunn (Avon).
Attendance : 30,437.
At the outset, I must declare this report comes courtesy of Sky, which
enabled me to witness yet another depressing afternoon in the death of
Tottenham Hotspur. I had hoped through the throes of my traumatic summer
that this season would finally see the renaissance of Tottenham Hotspur,
particularly as I had seen for myself the promise of Moussa Saib prior to
my untimely admission to hospital. All that was lacking in this game was
the advent of the witch that used to precede Frankie Howerd's revelations
from Rome in his 70's hit TV show.
For in truth Tottenham were awful. They seemed to be incapable of
stringing two consecutive intelligent passes together. And, much as I
admire Baardsen, I fear he has to be blamed for two of the three goals
conceded. But the defenders in front of him cannot snigger : they were
equally woeful.
Middlesbrough need not look smug either. If they believe their troubles
are over, I am here to say they are not. For Middlesbrough were in truth
almost as poor as Tottenham. The Sky Executive who plumped for this match
should hang his head in shame and admit the fare on view breached the
Trades Description Act as being woefully unentertaining. Even Gazza, whom
one would have thought would have been fired up by the thought of his
long-awaited return to Tottenham (not counting the Lazio friendly),
seemed anonymous in the ping-pong going on around him.
I could not decide whether to laugh or cry when Middlesbrough's Ricard
scored their first two goals. Ricard, as regular viewers of Sky and
Middlesbrough matches will know, is not the sharpest of goalscorers. He
has sometimes taken a pot shot in front of a goal and seen his shot
ending up as a throw-in closer to his own goal than the oppositions.
Mikkel Beck had already fired a warning shot by forcing Baardsen to a
desperate save even before Spurs collapsed and surrendered. Then, twice
in the space of six minutes, Calderwood and Campbell gave passable
imitations of Lot's wife as a pillar of salt as they allowed Beck and
Hamilton, whose first ball is not the easiest to trap, to swap passes,
leaving Rickard to score both goals. I think Baardsen had the second shot
covered but allowed it to spin out of his grasp.
Despite a series of desperate substitutions in the second half, Tottenham
could not change the pattern of play. Even Ginola seemed unable to
produce magic on a very poor afternoon for Tottenham's faithful.
With the exits jammed with Tottenham supporters, Kinder broke through the
Tottenham ranks and unleashed a long range shot. Baardsen seemed to have
it covered but fluffed it again and the ball ran into the empty goal with
the entire Tottenham defence stranded in midfield.
On an afternoon of such indifferent football with no one showing any sort
of skills, Sky said that Hamilton Rickard had been voted Man of the
Match. When presented with the champagne, Rickard said, "Liverpool,
brilliant, pleased" and departed for the dressing room. One wonders how
on earth Robson, in his thick Geordie accent, communicates with his
striker. Even through an interpreter, his instructions must lose
something.
And so to another week of purgatory for Spurs fans. Where do we go from
here? I suspect the players are feeling smug with themselves following
Herr Gross' departure from Tottenham. They may yet come to look back on
those afternoon training sessions with a feeling of regret for what they
have lost, particularly if they found themselves breathless in the wake
of the opposition because they preferred to play cards and pool instead
of keeping fit.
Cheers, Brian
· Spurs Odyssey match report
· Read the preview for this game
Top of page | Back to Fixtures and Results
