PLAYER RATINGS - West Ham 2:0 Tottenham

On a sunny, Saturday lunchtime, we travelled to West Ham aware that two wins in our remaining two games would see the club equal their points tally from last season.

We had just come off the back of an away win at Stoke, something only two other clubs had done all season.

We started solid and you could see that the link up play was there. But there was one problem, Andy Carroll. The English striker was getting his head on everything and it was causing Tottenham a serious problem. Kaboul was sent off early on as he challenged Downing and took him down. Younes was the last man and because of this, he was sent his marching orders. Things went from bad to worse, an Andy Carroll header deflected off Harry Kane and into the net.

Our French goalkeeper pulled off some world class saves before Stewart Downing doubled their lead. A simple free-kick managed to worm it’s way through the wall and beat Hugo at his near post. Lloris was simply outstanding today and without him, the result could have been even worse.

Danny Rose had a chance in the dying minutes to reduce the deficit but his close range shot was tipped over by Adrian.

Player ratings:

Hugo Lloris – 8 – Hugo was the best player on the pitch by a huge distance today. He made a handful of wonderful saves and deserved MOM.

Kyle Naughton – 6 – Kyle was fairly solid today and impressed me. Passing was good but was often out of position.

Michael Dawson – 6 – The skipper was solid again today but made no difference. Needs to take the long balls out of his game completely.

Younes Kaboul – 4 – Younes was having a good game until he was sent off. Having him on the pitch could have changed the state of the game.

Danny Rose – 5 – Danny showed no fear and was involved in the game lots today. Attacked well and was nearly gifted with a goal late on.

Aaron Lennon – 5 – Aaron was average again today. Showed his speed today but lacked the final ball.

Paulinho – 5 – the Brazilian midfielder was quiet today but was creative when he had the ball . Never really tracked back.

Gylfi Sigurdsson – 5 – The Icelandic player was quiet today. Was clearly told by Tim not to attack with the others.

Christian Eriksen – 7 – Christian was yet again creative today. Seemed like the only player who wanted to change the game. Put in a few dangerous crosses too.

Emmanuel Adebayor- 5 – Ade has been quiet for e past few games and today was no different. Had a great chance early doors but failed to take it.

Harry Kane – N\A – Harry was lively until he was taken off by Tim because of the sending off. Didn’t really get a chance today.

Subs

Vlad Chiriches – 6 – Vlad came on after the sending off and was solid today. Very calm on the ball but worries me sometimes as he can be too calm.

Roberto Soldado – 5 – Roberto came on looking confident. Had a couple of goalscoring chances but didn’t convert.

Sandro - 5 - Brought on for Paulinho in the 65th minute. Had little impact on the game, sloppy in possession.

We host Aston Villa in our last league game of the season next Sunday.

 

How did you give Paulinho and Ade 5 each, they were both the cause of the second goal, afraid to get hit by the ball, a couple of wimps.

 

It there is a worst full back than Danny Rose, I have yet to see him. The boy gets caught out time and time again. When Wet Spam broke for their first goal he was still over the half way line.

 

Paulinho is a disgrace and sums up this Spurs squad- Gutless, clueless, not defensive, not attacking, expensive and needs moving on!
Seriously the dreamers on here need to wake up if you think this crop will come good next season. The only class we have is Lloris who is going in the summer and who can blame him when we cant even put a wall together, and Eriksen who i cannot see wanting to stay with such a bunch of mediocre players around him.
Rose again was awful, Kaboul has had it, Paulinho useless, Lemon bit more decisive with his row z shooting today, Siggurdson whats the point? Adebyor back to his half hearted best, Soldaflop came on got booked dragged a shot wide and tamely miss hit a shot into the keepers arms one of his best performances so far.
We are going to struggle next season unless a number of these awful players are shifted and we get better ones with a proper manager.

 

Spurs are such a paradox. We have a talented squad of international players without fight, guts, or determination. The ideal is to have the talent and the grit, yet too many of our squad lack the single mindedness to do their talent justice. Wet spam were up for it and they hate us yet our players just werent . Expensive squad that really needs to look themselves in the mirror and ask themselves if their giving all they can.

 

It is going to be very hard for spurs to retain eriksen n lloris next season.....especially lloris wen rumors of his transfer are already surfacing everywhere....these are d 2 players that spurs must protect n build a squad around dem so that they hav any realistic chances of making it to d top 4 next season...

 

Modric and bale in champ league final. Huddlestone and livermore on their way to wembley. Spending 100 mill in summer but losing to west ham 3 times in 1 season and finishing 4th above chelski but losing out on champs league when they won it. Sherwood saying that the next manager has a tough act to follow then following up with a 2 nil loss to a pub team. These are ironies that are only achieveable by the total waste of space that is tottenham hotspur fc. A selling club that lives off the amazing fanbase and loyal following. A club which dangles the carrot of unrealistic targets in front of its fans, fake targets which it has no intention of meeting as the club will always turn a profit. A club which scours the world to find underavhieving lazy players who have no commitment.

 

The whole midfield and attack did not deserve more than a 2 or 3. Can't blame the defence when the rest of the team abandons them - they actually did well only to concede two. Ericksen maybe deserves an extra point for two long balls to Soldado in the second half, but why would anyone pass to the Spaniard anyhow. Kane was liveliest and he was removed to leave 'I can't be bothered' alone up front.
Great to see Pritchard in the squad but he didn't create anything from the bench.

 

I hate Tottenham fans it has nothing to do with our players it about the manager whos lack of any tactics and playing all our players out of position and having Dawson who is the worst cb in the league i would take Wes Brown over him and Danny Rose how can we expect to be top 4 with a terrible manager and 2 terrible defenders

 

If you hate Tottenham fans, what are you doing on here? The players, the manager and the chairman are all responsible for this mess.

 

Its both. It has everything to do with the players.

 

so its not about the players apart from the **** ones you go on to mention!

 

God the wet spam goal from the free kick where paulinho and ade turn sideways to avoid the ball. Someone tell them thats why there in the wall. For sixty grand a week you could kick balls at me all week ! Really poor show. Think we'll beat villa but would have beat the hammers ! Coys

 

All too easy for big sam, he knew what we would bring and how we would play. our defence is the same every week, Rose well out of position as usual, no DM at all. get ball to Carroll, simples. It was the second goal that left me gutted, sick to death of hearing about how wonderful Paulinho is, he is lazy, disinterested, and gutless. I can see now that players like him who think that he can get a free ride on reputation alone bring nothing to the team. did he and Ade really turn away from the ball. I saw it a few times but im having trouble believing it. disgraceful, get rid of. I know people can say that Sandro hasnt been at his best but hows he meant to get match fit and find form sitting on the bench. Lloris was a hero id hate to see what it could have been without those saves, even Naughton wasnt bad

 

I said it before and I'll say it again, I'm a HUGE fan of Tim Sherwood as a man, and as a potential manager, but at the moment his decisions are leaving him looking a little bemused by it all.

It's becoming a regular occurrence this season that the sight of the team-sheet has become a symbol of utter dread. Because if it isn't AVB lining up with Naughton and Sigurdsson, playing on the left side of the team, it's Sherwoods COMPLETE inability to recognise the NEED to have someone sitting, protecting a flimsy looking back 4.

To be perfectly honest, I can name you at LEAST 10 combinations/systems Spurs have used, that have unbalanced the team, and today was the turn of Paulinho and Sigurdsson in the engine room, facing off against Diame, Noble and Nolan...I could of told you 30 mins before the game that, that is a complete mismatch.

On TOO MANY occasions this season, Spurs managers have been GUILTY of asking players to perform roles that don't fit their skill-set, or come naturally to them.... and until that changes, this Spurs team will continue to underachieve.

Our defending under Sherwood has been a COMPLETE mess for weeks/months now and still he fails to utilise a NATURAL DM to help assist/protect/shield the defence, which I find staggering!!!

Anyone who watched the game today would have noticed the MASSIVE impact Sandro had on the team with his arrival in the last 30 mins. The Brazilian epitomises EVERYTHING this current Spurs team are lacking. GUTS, RESILIENCE, LEADERSHIP, COMMITMENT DESIRE, PASSION, STRENGTH, PHYSICALITY, ENDEAVOUR, BRAVERY, POWER and HEART...and yet for some unknown reason, he continues to play 2nd fiddle to a player who has yet to CONSISTENTLY show ANY of those attributes, in Paulinho.

Management is NOT rocket science,but my word our managers have made it look like it this season.

The Downing goal was so POOR that it was LAUGHABLE. When I first saw it I was FURIOUS. 2nd time EMBARRASSED.... and the 3rd time I was just simply AMUSED....Hey if you don't laugh, you'll cry!!!

Ade's face and response was PRICELESS, and ultimately indicative of the Spurs' teams PERFORMANCE and ATTITUDE all season. Too many people have been all too quick to pass the buck, and that is a BIG part of the reason Spurs have failed to deliver on their potential. Nobody has shown, any, LEADERSHIP, or a sense of RESPONSIBILITY (bar Townsend and Lloris), CONSISTENTLY throughout the course of the campaign.

Yes Ade and Eriksen found some form towards the middle/end of the season, but where were they against Liverpool, Man City, West Ham (home) and Chelsea (away)?

Looking forward to this season finishing, and just getting on with bringing in a manager who is ready for a role at Tottenham Hotspur.

As for Sherwood, I hope he does stay in management, learns he trade and perhaps returns one day when he realises the importance of TEAM BALANCE.

But for now, lets just bring in POCH!!!!

 

Most spurs fans would agree about the caretaker manager and the damage he's done to the club. I dont think that Dawson is the worst CB in the league but thats your opinion. so why do you hate spurs fans?

 

No one could ever say Sandro lacks guts and commitment yet week after week weve seen the same shambles in the middle. siggy, chaldi, Paulinho, none of them are DM. dont tell me paulinhos a box to box player. its never worked we are always vulnerable and hello theres sandro sitting on the bench. the problem with sandro on the bench is you dont normally bring him on unless your in trouble of falling to pieces. most games we conceed early and have to chase the game, bringing on a holding MF often looks desperate especialy when we need goals. Sandro's a starter and does a job that every team needs. playing away to any team the way we set up is an open invitation to attack. its arrogant and even a bit insulting to arrive with no intention to use DMs. we even did it at anfield!

 

the simple answer to that is "No" Rose cant defend, gets caught out of position ALL the time. Meant to be a left back but spends more time crowded in the middle next to the CB or halfway up the field like an attacking midfielder. **** him off along with Lennon, Chiriches and Dawson. Daws is all heart and soul but now to old and slow

 

Gday Adelaide, I am of course assuming that like me your from oz. Its great that finally we get the game at a respectable hour, not so great when we play like that. agree Rose is always out of position and as a result we always get slaughtered on the left. its not rocket science every team does it week in week out. you might think that TS being the self appointed best manager weve ever had and a hard act to follow he may have noticed this reoccuring problem and maybe address it, but no. next week TS will roll out exactly the same. Rose for the last time. hopefully.

 

I will judge this squad next season when we have a decent manager who hopefully play more expansive football. How a modern day manager cannot see the need for a def mid which I believe is the most important position is beyond belief..OK Sherwood is young and inhis first job but you have to adapt your beliefs and philosophy especially when things clearly ain't working. Tim doesn't seem to have this in his locker or maybe just plain stubborn. This is what cost both hoddle and redknapp their jobs and TS will inevitably head thru the same door