Tottenham Hotspur (a) Stuck in the middle
Not much to say about this game really is there? So this will be fairly brief-
Back 4 picked itself, front 2 picked itself, Gomes is guaranteed a game in this midfield. Davies back in for Gordon, Gylfi & Iwobi kept their places.
Taking the emotion out of this result & performance has been quite difficult, because ultimately Spurs were there for the taking. They were no better than Everton, even with the countries best striker and a midfield that was far superior in mobility, they were no better. And the ghosts of performances past revisited.
Spurs got lucky with Keane’s deflection, anyone watching or playing in that game would tell you that. Up until that point, although being slightly second best, Everton had comfortably coped with everything Spurs had to offer. It was now about how they would react. In truth it was a pitiful reaction, it was a reaction that was called out and shamed on national television.
For the glimpses of the technical attributes Sigurdsson shows, he has no heart. To be branded a bottler in live commentary is the same as having your professionalism questioned. At any level be it park’s or professional football, if you can’t firstly give everything for the man standing next to you, how can you give anything for 36,500 supporters every other week. In order to play for the badge you have to be committed to your teammates. Sigurdsson has not made a successful tackle or ball recovery in 195 minutes, in a Premier League midfield. The reaction to his performance, not just by Gary Neville, but on other media platforms has been wholly justified.
Personally, I would remove him from the rest of the seasons squad and play Baningamie instead. Sigurdsson needs to either accept he has to affectively work and contribute for this team or accept that he simply isn’t good enough to start in this league now. HT 1-0
Gordon on for the second half for Iwobi, a tad harsh considering Sigurdsson’s problems, but the switch allowed Everton to be able to run from deeper and draw fouls. Set pieces seemed to be the way for Everton to get back into the game, but delivery from Digne always attracted a Spurs head that micro second before an Everton head. Again further frustration.
Winks and Sissoko, like Tielemans and N’didi the game before had now full control of the middle of the pitch and Spurs were moving Everton around. Lo Celso who’d somehow managed to wrack up more unpunished fouls than Fabinho did in the Derby was finding the despicable Son and Kane in the channels. At the other end of the pitch, DCL had reverted to dropping into midfield to try and get the ball, whilst Richarlison was coming out wide more often than not.
We had become blunt again, the speed, power and sharpness that this pair have shown since Ancelotti arrived had completely disappeared in this game. Mina on for an injured Holgate, and instantly becomes our playmaker.. just a quick note on Gomes, he’s never going to be the player he was last season without someone breaking up the play and allowing him the freedom to drift, it’s what Gana did, it was what Gbamin was supposed to do.
Sigurdsson finally and mercifully off for the equally ineffective Bernard and Moise Kean for Davies to try and spark some life and get an equaliser. Not forthcoming sadly, and Sidibe for Coleman added no further dynamism to the right hand side.
Kean had a shot, Gordon now in central midfield had a shot, free kicks came and went. Spurs bored the game away. FT 1-0.
It’s comfortably the worse we’ve been in a league match under Ancelotti. Even the performance in the Chelsea defeat was better than this, because you could argue that they were a far better team on the day. It’s hard to understand if Ancelotti has raised our level or whether Mourinho has lowered Spurs’s level at this point during the re-start. I’m sure the truth is somewhere in between.
The facts in front of Ancelotti are conclusive, out of a regular match day squad of 18, he has less than half that are fit for purpose, and a club record signing that is making a mockery of the badge he wears, the money he’s earning and the supporters who would do it all for nothing in place of him. Let’s face it, you might not have Sigurdsson’s skill level, but I’d put my mortgage on any of you having more guts and passion. There’s been a quitters mentality at this club that stems back to Moyes, and probably further than that. If there’s one thing as important as a new central midfielder in the summer, it’s ridding the club of this gutless, cowardly mental state.
A chance to bounce back on Thursday, no doubt the manager had some thinking to do, and some players have a lot of soul searching to do.