Spurs 1 Wolves 1 – Spurs miss chance to go joint top of the table
Saturday, 14th January 2012
DAN CARRIER thinks TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR resorted to 'kitchen sink' football too early in their attempts to break down WOLVES at WHITE HART LANE this afternoon.
IT is time to talk Dutch.
While this has been a season of great team play, our magical Netherlander Rafael van der Vaart has so often added that extra spark when we've needed it. Van der Vaart has won two titles – both with Ajax – and has been schooled in that style of football that great footballing nation is renowned for.
He is important enough to the team to keep Jermain Defoe out of the side. Admittedly he plays a wholly different game from the pint sized striker, but while he loves to go here, there and everywhere, he also chips in with a load of goals too. His game is so different to Defoe's. While JD likes to sit on the shoulder of the last man and cut inside to get a quick shot off, VDV loves to chase the ball and knit things together from deep. All day long you watch him dart back towards the centre backs and demand the ball to get things moving.
His talents were desperately needed today, As we have seen so often, the opposing side had come to Tottenham determined to stop us playing and hopefully nick something – and for Mick McCarthy's charges it worked a treat.
It was all Spurs in the opening 20 minutes, with van der Vaart at the heart of all things good. He showed his team mates the way forward with clever space creating and jinking runs. WIth VDV on this form, it looked likely that he'd orchestrate a big victory.
But disaster struck when Wolves forward Matt Jarvis powered forward and though he ran out of space, the ref seemed to think it was a corner (replays suggest otherwise…). A deep cross wasn't sufficiently dealt with and Stephen Fletcher stabbed home from a yard out.
Up to then Spurs had shown class but without the finished product. On 11 VDV's clever combination with Modric – a cushioned header and a neat run for the return – showed how his role as a secret striker gives him that freedom to go where ever the mood takes him.
And after going a goal behind, VDV's determination went up even further, as if he were trying to drag his teammates singlehandedly into the game again. On 25 a neat one two with Bale created space, but he was off balance when he shot over. Moments later his cheeky boots led to a great set of passes on the edge of the box: it fell to Bale but his effort was charged down. VDV then lit up the Lane again on 30 with a glorious dipping volley that had goal wirtten all over it – yet once more a Gold-clad body bravely threw itself in the way.
It would take something special to get back into this and VDV started the second period as he ended the first: drifting all over the shop and at the heart of everything that was good. His left flank cross on 46 was so nearly converted by Adebayor, and then it was his twist and turn in the box that made the space for Modric to drive home an equaliser on 50.
Then it was as you were: Spurs storming forward – and creating more chances than they did in the first half – but Wolves defending resolutely with bodies behind the ball and no end of determination.
Van Der Vaart continued to offer trickery but it was not enough. With a full 40 minutes on the clock to get a second, the tactic of throwing the kitchen sink at them instead of just holding the ball and drawing the opponents out shows that we need to keep our feet on the ground if we are going to offer City a proper challenge. It was all too gung-ho and despite VDV's cuteness, it wasn't enough.
The importance of picking up maximum points at home with the business end of the season starting wasn't lost on Redknapp. He had made a point of trying to keep his players concentrating on the job in hand- a victory would draw them level with leaders Manchester City, albeit having played a game more – and he has been talking down any premature talk of Spurs really being title challengers. With away games against Arsenal, City, Liverpool and Chelsea to come, it was vital to get the winnable ones under the belt – and full marks to Wolves for making it so tricky.
However, the sense of disappointment, not least because of another goal being dodgily disallowed (the third in as many weeks) was palpable. It will take all of Harry's motivational genius to pick his charges up after this one, with Manchester City away next week.
