| S |
|
61.28% |
| P |
|
66.14% |
| U |
|
53.14% |
| R |
|
57.85% |
| S |
|
48.71% |
| = |
|
57.42% |
Form Guide April 2011
P W D L F-A GD Pts
7 1 3 3 9-14 -5 6
Pos:- 6th
2 Cup Matches
· March 2011 figures
· Last year's figures
April 2010
Yesterday's Dreams
Despite moderate form at the end of February and during March, when the one outstanding performance was the home draw against AC Milan, we went into April with some hope of getting a decent result against our Champions League quarter-final opponents, Real Madrid.
The league form did not improve in our opener of the month at Wigan, where we drew 0-0, but our hopes were well and truly dashed in the Bernabeu, when Peter Crouch got the lowest individual score I can remember (1.9 out of 10), after his two yellow cards, leading to that early red. Incidentally, these were Crouch's only cards of the season so far. Gomes' gaffe with Ronaldo's goal at The Bernabeu did not lead to his lowest score of the month, but he got punished by readers a week later when letting slip Ronaldo's shot at The Lane, and then in the last game of the month when Lampard's "goal" controversially stood.
Spurs have won just one of their last 11 games, and despite the achievement of reaching the last 8 in the Champions League, the knives are coming out for players such as Gomes, all of the strikers (Yes - all of them), and of course Jermaine Jenas, who has been everybody's favourite scapegoat almost since the day he arrived at Tottenham.
Crouch redeemed himself with a super two goal performance in our one win against Stoke, and Defoe finally got his 100th Spurs goal, which was also his 100th Premier League goal in the draw against West Brom. He'd had a T-shirt prepared for so long that he forgot to wear it when the goal finally came. Once a Spurs favourite, JD has scored very moderately in the eyes of our readers this season.
We've seen glimpses of magic from Van der Vaart, who got two goals in the marvellous North London Derby game, but overall, he has slipped in our season ratings, as has Gareth Bale, perhaps blighted recently by his injury problems, but opponents also seem to have been working him out more easily.
Tom Huddlestone made his come-back against Stoke, and scored a cracking and vital goal against Arsenal just before half-time, but it's two other midfielders that have once again caught the eye this month. Luka Modric leads the pack now outright over the course of the season, but this month he has been very marginally edged out for Player of the Month by Sandro, who has't even been first choice since Huddlestone returned. Sandro was voted man of the match at Wigan and in the last game of the month at Stamford Bridge, where he scored his first senior goal for Spurs. He most definitely is not one of the squad that depressed Spurs fans want shipped out in the summer.
A word too for Benoit Assou-Ekotto, who is racing to regain fitness before the season ends. He shared man of the match honours in the Arsenal game, with Van der Vaart, with a fine defensive display, but perhaps primarily for some superb forward play and the number of accurate long passes he made.
Some of those perhaps cynical and depressed Spurs fans don't even want us to qualify for the Europa League now, describing it as a needless burden upon the club's hopes of improving their league form next season. Liverpool have indeed overtaken us on 1st May, which I have reflected in the league placing above. There is though surely still plenty to play for in our remaining four games, which include two mouth-watering away games at Eastlands and Anfield. It will surely be time for us to start beating moderate opposition in our two remaining home games against Blackpool and Birmingham, won't it?
Don't forget to check out the cumulative appearances and grades for the players as the season progresses - below. The grades are based upon a mark out of ten.
...if you want to read reports of the matches played during this month, then links are on the Spurs Odyssey Fixtures page here. By working your way back through the previous month's figures, you can review the performances over more than 10 years!
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