| S |
|
66.6% |
| P |
|
71.6% |
| U |
|
62.4% |
| R |
|
66.4% |
| S |
|
57.8% |
| = |
|
64.96% |
Form Guide Feb 2013
P W D L F-A GD Pts
5 4 1 0 11-4 7 9
Two Cup matches
Pos:- 3rd
· January 2013 figures
· Last year's figures
February 2012
We've had Bales of fun in February!
Last month, I suggested that Gareth Bale's equalising goal at Carrow road was the goal of the month and possible goal of the season. Bale has had a simply sensational February, and scored 7 more goals, three or four of which possibly supercede the quality of that goal at Norwich.
Firstly, there was his 67th minute winner at West Brom, which was a great left footed rising shot that beat Ben Foster all ends up. Then Bale scored both Spurs goals in the home win against Newcastle. The first was a superbly placed free kick that went over the Newcastle wall, and beat Krul to his far left. The second came after Gareth won the ball 40 yards out and made a bee line for goal, beating Krul with a low shot.
Next up was the first leg (at home) of the Europa League round of 32 against Lyon. Bale scored two sensational free kicks that had everyone talking about his new technique, where he seemed to manage to put dip and swerve on both kicks, deceiving the goalkeeper to move first one way, then find himself wrong footed for the actual destination of the ball.
Another element to the Lyon game was that it was the first of three consecutive games where we scored crucial match-clinching goals in the last minute of the game.
The week after the first leg, we travelled to Lyon, and after going 1-0 down, and potentially out of the Europa League due to Lyon's away goal, up popped Mousa Dembele to score another cracking goal, also with his left foot, thus neutralising that away goal, and securing the tie to give us another meeting with Inter to look forward to. Maicon has moved on, but no doubt there is another potential victim or two for our Gareth in both the San Siro and at White Hart Lane!
Finally this month, on Monday night, Bale scored what surely is his best goal of the season in the last minute at Upton Park to give us a 3-2 win and third place above Chelsea and four points above Arsenal, who we meet on Sunday. Spurs had to come from behind in this game, but Gareth had given us the lead with another quality goal. However that first goal was quite ordinary in comparison with the 30 yard rocket that hit the top left corner of Jussi Jaaskelainen's net on Monday night. That was one of the great football moments I have witnessed and it happened right in front of the away support!
The fact that Bale ran straight to the touchline to celebrate with his manager, and the unity displayed by the team in their celebrations of the goal and the match win can only augur well for the rest of the season. Bale's clear positive relationship with Andre Villas-Boas surely gives doubt to the rumours already starting about a Bale departure in the summer. Qualify for that Champions League Spurs, and Gareth will surely stay!
Bale was man of the match in every game we played in February (shared with three other players at Lyon), and has averaged a sensational 8.42 out of 10 over those five games. That is an unprecedented individual level in the history of Spurs Odyssey, and it will come as no surprise when I tell you that Bale has taken a clear lead in the accumulating Player of the Season vote.
P.S - Gareth Bale won the Premier League player of the month award, and for the second time this season Andre Villas-Boas was voted Premier League manager of the month.
...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 since November 2000!
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