Back to the Lane

So, how did international week end up?

England made full use of Paul Robinson and Aaron Lennon, who started both games. Jermain Defoe came on as a substitute in both games and, it has to be said, all but scored the winner agaist Andorra. 0-0 against Israel (with a Defoe goal ruled offside) and a 3-0 win against Andorra was the final outcome for England.
Tom Huddlestone came on as a substitute for England U-21, in their 3-3 friendly draw with Italy at the new Wembley.

Dimitar Berbatov’s Bulgaria only managed a 0-0 draw with Albania, despite a fair amount of efforts on target. Teemu Tainio did not start in Finland’s 1-0 defeat to Azerbaijan due to still struggling with injury. Robbie Keane played in the Republic of Ireland’s 1-0 win over Wales, but was suspended for the subsequent 1-0 win over Slovakia.

In Africa, Hossam Ghaly scored the last goal in Egypt’s 3-0 win over Mauritania and Didier Zokora’s Ivory coast cruised to victory over Madagascar.

Lee Young-Pyo’s Korea were beaten 2-0 by Uruguay, but came back and beat Uzbekistan with the same score line a few days later. Paul Stalteri scored one of the goals in Canada’s 3-0 friendly with Bermuda.

And so, we are finally back to normal, the lads are back in training together – bring on Reading!

(Image from www.tottenhamhotspur.com)

The Return of Zlatan

In the Swedish media the build up to this game, and indeed the discussion surrounding the entire Sweden campaign, had centred around Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Do we love him or hate him? Do we desperately need his services or is the team better off without him? And so on. The notion that Sweden might lose against Northern Ireland, either way, never seemed to enter into the discussion.

I’m not a huge Zlatan fan, even if I understand people who are. And in this game he reminded me again why I’m not crazy about him and why it seems that whatever he does in his club, and whatever the club does around him, is harder to replicate in the Sweden team. He had an, at best, indifferent game. The Swedish tactics, which never really gained momentum, did not seem to incorporate him very well. Whose fault that was is up for the jury to pass judgment on, but even his arguably hard work up front seemed to be ‘not really what we want from him’, as one of the Swedish commentators put it. Significantly he played no part in Sweden’s only goal, a solid team effort by Svensson and Alexandersson, with a lovely finish by Elmander.

The unfortunate fact then is, that Zlatan’s eagerly anticipated return to his national team also became that team’s first defeat in a sparkling qualification campaign. Why were Sweden bad? They struggled with a pitch which made the ball bounce and must surely have been affected by the electric atmosphere at Windsor Park. Oh yes, and Northern Ireland were actually quite good. The defence was solid and they played a direct kind of attacking football, able to create chances as well as take the ones handed to them by defensive errors.

If Zlatan Ibrahimovic struggles to replicate club form for his country, David Healy appears to struggle with the opposite problem. He may not have had many clear chances on goal, but the ones he got he put away. Mellberg and Hansson going after the same cross, colliding in the air and tumbling down was a comical error and one which fed the ball straight to Healy. His finishing, however, was superb. The second goal, as well as an attempt just before the end, also revealed his predatory instinct and finishing touch. He is now the top scorer of the entire qualification campaign and has netted as many goals (9) as, for instance, the entire England team.

I have published a match report on Sportingo, you can read it here

England, Israel and the definition of shambles

Having read many, a person with some sense of healthy proportion would say too many, reports and takes on the latest effort by the England national side I am starting to wonder if I watched a different game. What is it about the England side that inspires a brand of journalism which seems to one-sidedly look for faults in the team, almost gleefully writing their every effort off as below the expected standard? 40 years without a world cup trophy? A mediocrity which clashes with the great expectations of a nation which fervently loves its national sport? A mediocrity which proves again and again that an England side is never as good as the sum of its highly-paid parts? All of the above in a demanding mixture which means that football journalism about the England national team is a different genre of writing from football journalism in general? Probably. To do anything but call the performance of yesterday a complete shambles would be a professional error. So England, according to all reports, were unequivocally rubbish again.

Qualifying is starting to look a bit tricky for England, but the sense of impending doom still seems somewhat over the top. As does laying the entire blame on the team’s performance, even if it is another disappointment in a long history of disappointments. What I mean is quite simply that if this had been a league game between, say, Manchester United and Watford the reports would have been different. Man U, the arguably stronger side, with the bigger pressure to win and the larger amount of high-profile international stars with proven abilities, would certainly have been faulted for the inability to find the net. A 0-0 draw after dominating possession, chances and pretty much everything else at Watford would have been called quite pathetic. But somebody would also have picked up on the incredibly defensive play of the opposition and faulted them for not even trying to win the game!

I listened to Israeli football journalist Shaul Adar being interviewed by Danny Kelly of The Times about his national side and their play earlier in the week. Maybe this influenced me, but his predictions were absolutely spot on. He was critical of his team, but spoke from experience when he informed the listener that aside from one defeat (against Croatia and characterised by uncharacteristic play by the team) Israel has not lost at home for 7 years. What he labelled as the ‘most boring invincibility in the world’ takes the form of draws and a something approaching national pride in the fact that ‘Israel can draw against any team’. All this according to him down to a lack of true ambition.

I of course know very little about the Israeli team, but the style of Israel’s performance yesterday proved Adar right in at least this one instance. Apart from early capitalisation on England’s initial disorganisation, as well as a few attempts when England lost the ball, Israel spent the game gradually withdrawing into their own half. At the end it really looked like they were playing 7-2-1 in an effort to hold on to the 0-0.

England were a bit feeble at first, but gradually, especially in the second half, got into the game. Adar had jokingly said that Israel’s left-back was invisible, and even if no names were mentioned, this seemed to be true when Aaron Lennon outran the Israeli defence and was repeatedly able to cross in towards the middle. His elegant crosses, however, came to a halt in the congested penalty area. Should England, with their whooping and telling 68.2 % possession, have been able to unlock and beat a 7-2-1? Probably, but there are two sides to a story and two sides to a football match. If one team appears determined to make it a goal-less draw you might very well get just that.

This is not really a defence of Steve McClaren; there might certainly be things which, done differently could have won the game. Leaving Aaron Lennon on? Starting with Micah Richards or at least adjust to the situation by putting him on a lot sooner? Putting Defoe on sooner – possibly by removing one of the midfielders instead of Johnson and playing an aggressive 4-3-3 with more spirit? I don’t know, and thankfully I’m not the England manager so I don’t have to worry, but I still think that England were less of a shambles than the Israeli’s attitude to the game.

Israel
Aouate, Ben Haim, Gershon, Ziv, Benado, Spungin, Badir, Benayoun, Ben Shushan (Alberman 87), Tamuz (Barda 75), Balili (Sahar 69).
Subs Not Used: Davidovitch, Golan, Toama, Antebi.
Booked: Benado, Ben Haim.

England
Robinson, Neville (Richards 72), Ferdinand, Terry, Carragher, Gerrard, Lampard, Hargreaves, Lennon (Downing 83), Rooney, Johnson (Defoe 80).
Subs Not Used: Foster, Barry, Carrick, Dyer.
Booked: Carragher, Rooney.

Attendance: 35,000.
Referee: Tom Ovrebo (Norway)

Aaron Lennon in his first England start, a great individual performance (Image from www.tottenhamhotspur.com)

International calls for Spurs

Back to international week again and the emptying of clubs. Rumour has it that José Mourinho only has a couple of goalkeepers left at home this week – the joys of being Chelsea manager apparently includes simply having a week off when the players are out on duty for their countries… Martin Jol has a few more at home, but most of our first team is also out travelling.

Paul Robinson, Jermain Defoe and Aaron Lennon are in the England squad, trying to qualify for Euro 2008 while Tom Huddlestone, Ben Alnwick and Wayne Routledge are part of the England under -21 squad which take on Italy in the friendly at Wembley. As the first competition to be held in the new stadium there is history in the making. History is of course also made at Croke Park, where the foreign game soccer will be played for the first time as The Republic of Ireland, captained by Robbie Keane, take on Wales.

Dimitar Berbatov captains Bulgaria against Albania and Teemu Tainio joins Finland against Azerbaijan. Didier Zokora as well as Hossam Ghaly and Mido are playing African Nations Cup qualifiers with the Ivory Coast and Egypt respectively. Paul Stalteri and Lee Young-Pyo are playing friendlies with Canada and South Korea.

After having been told daily about Steve McClaren’s fears regarding his England choices’ health, especially concerning Aaron Lennon, it is now our turn to worry and hope that all will go well. Aaron better not come home from England duty with his knee in pieces! Waiting for the lads when they come home is our home match against Reading, the first game in a new congested fixture period: 7 games in 28 days of April including Chelsea, Arsenal and Sevilla twice…

Striking Beauty

Ending an unbeaten run against Chelsea, in a game of equals, must be considered an honourable defeat. If there was a defence able to close down our in-form strike force it was this one. But despite one defeat, the fact remains that Spurs have finally found a finishing touch – 27 goals in 9 games – and that is a comforting thought after losing out on the FA-cup.

Kevin McCarra, chief football correspondent for The Guardian, recently commented that perhaps ‘Tottenham are the new Arsenal’. Hardly the best way to ingratiate oneself with Spurs fans, regardless of which aspect of the Gunners inspires the comparison, but he did redeem himself somewhat this week by saying that ‘Spurs are the most attractive team in the premiership at the moment, since Arsenal are in the doldrums’. Quite so. And that this is very much due to Dimitar Berbatov is no longer a secret, but the stuff of daily headlines. Female football fans predictably swoon in masses but then again, so do the male ones: I feel better about my covetousness knowing that James Richardson suffers from the same condition…

Mr McCarra’s original point was that Spurs are like Arsenal in that, while attacking with energy and style, ‘they seem to resent the idea that they’re being forced to defend’. The striking lack of clean sheets and the goal difference in the Premiership still in the negative certainly supports the idea that the upsurge in form has more to do with accomplished attacking than a bolstered defence, despite Michael Dawson’s increasingly excellent performances. Needless to say, this is not the doing of one man; Berbatov’s settling into the English game has coincided with the midfield play getting stronger and a more consistent ability to win the ball, retain it and push it forward obviously means that the front men have more to work with. But Berbatov’s ability to read the game, be in the right place, set up his strike partners or finish it off himself has been the pivot in the newfound attractiveness of Spurs. Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane, both very talented strikers in their own right, look even better players for being alongside him.

Berbatov’s performance in the 4-1 against Bolton, which sparked the recent media frenzy around him, epitomised his resourcefulness. Playing alone up front for half of the game in a 10-man team, he seemed to be everywhere, controlling the ball as with a magnet and never stopped creating chances from all angles. He was rightly applauded as man of the match by an amazed press and has risen from relative obscurity to being hailed as the best forward in the Premiership along Didier Drogba. Gone are the days where people sceptically commented that he was a bit too ‘lightweight’ for the English game – but then again, utterly gone are also the days when defenders managed to push him off the ball. The Times published graphics of the first FA-cup game between Chelsea and Tottenham which showed where Berbatov (and Drogba) had touched the ball. They revealed the versatility of his game, his movement and ability both in linking up play from different positions and in finishing in the penalty area. He transpires as the ultimate all-round centre forward – and a 26 year-old still improving one at that.

"Not only has Dimitar scored goals for us, he has been a leader," Jermaine Jenas told the Telegraph, "He has helped in terms of the work ethic we think we should put in - he tracks back, works hard, takes responsibility, and now he is getting his rewards."

The leadership abilities add an important piece to the puzzle. During the ‘slump’ in form, indeed since Ledley King got injured, a lack of leadership on the field appeared to be the main malaise of Spurs. A ‘softness’ which partly had to do with winning the ball, but mainly was a mental one. Cue inconsistent performances. The comprehensive 4-0 beating of Fulham in the cup was a turning point for the team, a game in which direction and responsibility abounded – to the point where the players shouted at each other. Good results breeds a good mood and confidence, and there is not need for shouting at the moment. Instead there is a strong sense of common purpose, visible in team play which was always showed skill but was inconsistent in execution. It is all coming together, the new players settled in, all players settled with each other and natural leadership allowed to flourish. Spurs have rediscovered the art of striking beautifully.

Following in the wake of the sudden mass of attention on Berbatov as the talisman and engineer of Spurs striking capacity are fears among us fans of epic proportions. Do we get to keep him or will he be cruelly snatched away? Is this love affair doomed by the powers that be to end in tragedy, in a ‘fearful passage of their death-mark’d love’, or is it, could it be, a comedy ending in marriage, ‘ever true in loving’? Whichever will be the case, Spurs fans can at the very least live in the moment, take pleasure in the football played by the team and gaze in wonder and amazement at the striking beauty of Dimitar Berbatov.

Celebrations at the Fulham game in February (image from www.tottenhamhotspur.com)

FA-cup replay: Tottenham 1 - 2 Chelsea

For Tottenham Hotspur this FA-cup will be the one that got away, an opportunity missed when a game that the team had dominated turned into a draw and a replay. For Chelsea these two games became, apart from a continuation of a propitious cup run, further proof of John Terry's importance. The game at Stamford Bridge was characterised by defensive mistakes on both sides, this game, conversely, was won by the team with the strongest defence. Not because either team played defensively, but because neither did. Less erratically entertaining than last week’s, perhaps, but a stunning display of tactical matching and flowing action from end to end.

It was pointed out last week that John Terry could use a recording of last week's game as a bargaining tool in his ongoing salary negotiations; now he can add a recording of this one and the deal is in the bag. Without me -- with me. "£130 000 per week? Certainly sir, and can we also offer you a castle and a small country?" With the England captain back in the middle, Carvalho looked good again, Mikel was great in a holding role in front of them and Diarra and Cole at right and left respectively were much more effective. Where the Spurs strike force Lennon, Berbatov and Keane had last week found holes to play through there was now a wall. On the opposite side things had also improved; Michael Dawson put in a sterling performance, one of his best for Spurs. His colleagues also did well and were helped by effective ball-winning by the midfielders.

The game started brightly for Spurs who dominated possession and had a fluency and width which made Chelsea look congested in the middle. The elaborate attacks forced Cech to make some saves but most attempts, however, inevitably did not make it past Terry and it was increasingly apparent that the moves which had paid off in the previous game where getting Spurs nowhere. Lovely crosses into the middle by Lennon, Jenas and Chimbonda could not find the heavily marked strikers. Berbatov, placed at the very front, saw conspicuously little of the ball as the game progressed – even if he performed his magical moves whenever he did. Cech remained the busier keeper as Chelsea’s shots failed to hit target and the first half ended 0-0.

Chelsea started stronger in the second half, but the first chances fell to Spurs and Cech had more saves to make. Lennon was having trouble with Diarra on the left, but managed to cut through at times – similarly Shevchenko had struggled all through the game to make it past Malbranque on his right. The first time Malbranque lost his mark there was instant punishment as the Ukraine striker curved the ball into the top corner with what for a second actually looked like a misfired pass to Drogba, who was waiting in front of goal. Either way – in it went, Chelsea were ahead and soon doubled their lead. A long ball from Ashley Cole was chested down onto the ground by Drogba and Wright-Phillips took a great shot past Dawson and Robinson. Spurs continued to create fluent attacks and when Berbatov got hold of the ball and cut fully through the centre of defence Carvalho took him down with a challenge and awarded the home team with a penalty. It was expertly converted into a goal by Robbie Keane. Despite frantic efforts by Spurs to the very end it was to stay at 1-2; the Chelsea players, celebrating profusely, now have a date with Blackburn and the Tottenham players were left with the meagre consolation of at least having played very well. But the sense of an honourable defeat affords little comfort when so much hard work yields no result.

Tottenham
Robinson, Chimbonda, Young-Pyo Lee, Dawson, Rocha (Stalteri 84), Lennon, Zokora, Jenas, Malbranque (Defoe 64), Berbatov, Keane.
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Ghaly, Huddlestone.
Booked: Chimbonda.
Goals: Keane 79 pen.

Chelsea
Cech, Diarra (Ferreira 90), Ashley Cole, Carvalho, Terry, Wright-Phillips (Kalou 86), Lampard, Ballack, Mikel, Shevchenko (Robben 81), Drogba.
Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Boulahrouz.
Booked: Diarra, Drogba, Cech.
Goals: Shevchenko 55, Wright-Phillips 61.

Attendance: 35,519
Referee: M Atkinson

A day at the office

We all know Paul Robinson has a fiercely good shot. Perhaps a bit too good. Often have I lamented the fact that his distribution of the ball in 97,3 percent of goal-kicks are balls so long and hard that they end up with opposition defenders or even opposition goal keepers. I habitually comment that if there was an Olympic sport in kicking a ball as far and fast as possible, Paul would be up for a medal. Sometimes it works, of course, a long ball hitting the right head or foot – twice in one game against Fulham recently – and it shuts me up for a while. And I think I’ll be quiet again now. When he went for the free kick and it looked for a split second as if it had been taken too hard to hit anything but the far post I nearly sighed, only to see it go into the net. A freak goal or the outcome of a very cunning plan well executed? Probably the former, and quite entertaining at that. Even Ben Foster looked more amused than annoyed. What fun the lads will have in the England camp…

We really are scoring “from all angles”, as Jol jokingly put it. Despite having a diminished squad because of injuries and having a tight fixture schedule the lads have really come together as a team and are full of confidence. The ability was always there, but the team spirit seemed to be missing at times. Finally, however, it all seems to fit and we are getting results. And getting results of course boosts confidence and inspires new wins. It was a novel and lovely feeling to be able to afford having the star strike force waiting in the wings, just in case. And very nice, of course, that they were not needed in what must be considered a “routine” day at the office amidst all the cup games. Bringing Lennon on for Malbranque was a rewarded tactical choice because of Lennon’s contribution in the final goal, but it mainly seemed wise in testing Lennon’s knee and forcing Malbranque to rest a little – he was highly energetic throughout and will be needed tomorrow.

Jol’s team selections over the past weeks have paid off in the way that seems to be the intended one, we have a reasonably fresh team of key players to field against Chelsea tomorrow. It is tempting to speculate that only the injuries to Berbatov and Lennon, forcing them off in what were not tactical substitutions, lost us the win against Chelsea a week ago. Then again, perhaps not, and perhaps the cup will be lost tomorrow with John Terry back to sort out his defence colleagues and a rested Drogba hungry for action. We are suffering from defensive weakness at the moment, with Rocha as the only available partner for Dawson – on whose health and reliability all our hopes rest. Ricardo is doing quite well and had a great game against Chelsea last week, all considering that he has hardly had time to settle into the English game, but tomorrow will be tough. Only clumsiness allowed Watford to score yesterday; Chelsea are a threat even against more astute defending. Until Rocha and Dawson are completely settled with each other, or, even better, Ledley King comes back, our best hopes to win the upcoming games will be scoring more goals than the opposition. Attack as defence. And looking back over the last few weeks that does not seem impossible.

Tottenham 3 - 1 Watford

The sun was shining, but there were no clean sheets out to dry this afternoon. Spurs hoped to secure this increasingly elusive treasure, finally taking their goal difference in the league to 0, but relegation candidates Watford managed to break through and grab a last-minute goal. By that time, however, the result was in the bag and another day at the office over. After a slow start the game came into being and Spurs scorers Jenas, Robinson and Ghaly ensured another victory for the in-form home team.

Like Chelsea manager José Mourinho, Martin Jol had decided to rest some key players for all or some of the game, in preparation for the FA-cup clash on Monday. The feeling was that this was a game that had to be won by as little effort as possible, result more important than performance for Spurs. With strike force Berbatov, Keane and Lennon on the bench and Watford in defence mode the game hardly looked like it was going to be a classic match of beautiful football. The first half was initially sluggish, Watford effective at breaking up Tottenham’s play and trying to capitalise on defensive mistakes by the home team rather than create great chances. Spurs had the better attacking moves, especially on the left side where Malbranque and Lee linked up beautifully, but their efforts where to no avail as nobody came to meet their crosses. The Spurs strikers, Mido and Defoe, where well closed down by the Watford defence and Hossam Ghaly was missing in action on the right.

A nice pass by Lee to Jenas, who fed the ball to Defoe forced a great save from Ben Foster as the England striker made an equally great shot. A few moments later Watford nearly went ahead as a weak back-pass from Pascal Chimbonda, who was not having the best of days, was intercepted by Priskin – but Michael Dawson and Ricardo Rocha blocked his efforts. The crowd erupted in deafening cheers when Keane and Berbatov went for a little warm-up run, but in the end that was all the action required of them. A few minutes before half-time Spurs made it 1-0, as a beautiful cross from Chimbonda was expertly headed in by Jermaine Jenas.

The game came to life in the second half, with the Spurs players looking more comfortable in their positions and their passing. More fluent in attack, the home team tormented their visitors and tested their defensive abilities. Ben Foster had ample opportunity to display his goalkeeping skills ahead of going into the England camp next week. But it was England’s number one who made the evening one to remember after all. Taking a free kick from over 80 yards away, Paul Robinson hit it hard, high and far and the unfortunate Foster had to watch the ball take a bounce over him and into the net. It was all smiles as nobody could quite believe what had happened. Foster good-naturedly said that he would avoid the papers today. Probably wise, but the goal should not detract from an overall great performance by the young keeper.

Mido, struggling to make an impact on a game which was an opportunity for him to make a case for a starting position, missed a great opportunity on 73 minutes. Ghaly, much improved in the second half fed in to Huddlestone, whose powerful shot was blocked by Foster. The rebound fell to Mido’s feet, but the Egypt striker managed to miss the open goal and instead hit Foster’s foot. With six minutes to go Spurs made a display of lovely team work; substitute Stalteri fed a ball to Defoe, who neatly passed it to Lennon. The winger, who had come on for Malbranque (presumably to rest the energetic midfielder) gave the ball to Ghaly, allowing the Egyptian to shoot past Foster.

Spurs were cruising, but erratic defending at the very end opened up a chance for Watford. Chimbonda, deputising at left back for Lee, lost his mark and the ball and Smith passed it in to Henderson, standing alone and unmarked in front of goal. The Watford striker tapped it in to make the final score 3-1. Still without a clean sheet in the league since October, Robinson may be forgiven for feeling that this was a great game nevertheless.

Tottenham

Robinson, Chimbonda, Dawson, Rocha, Young-Pyo Lee (Stalteri 80), Ghaly, Jenas, Huddlestone, Malbranque (Lennon 71), Mido, Defoe.
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Berbatov, Keane.
Goals: Jenas 41, Robinson 63, Ghaly 85.

Watford

Foster, Mariappa, Doyley, Shittu, Powell, Chambers (Kabba 77), Mahon, Williams (Rinaldi 62), Smith, Priskin (Henderson 56), Bouazza.
Subs Not Used: Lee, Williamson.
Goals: Henderson 89.

Attendance: 36,051.
Referee: M Halsey

UEFA cup quarter final draw

Tottenham are now the only remaining British side in the UEFA cup after Rangers met their fate in Osasuna and Newcastle were knocked out by AZ Alkmaar on away goals. Going into the final stages of the competition are three Spanish teams, including current holders of the cup Sevilla; two German sides, Dimitar Berbatov's former club Bayer Leverkusen and current Bundesliga second place team Werder Bremen; Portuguese team Benfica, Ricardo Rocha's former club and currently second in the Portuguese league and Dutch side AZ Alkmaar, also currently on second place in their domestic league.

The draw yielded the following result:

Quarter-final draw

AZ Alkmaar v. Werder Bremen
Bayer Leverkusen v. Osasuna
Sevilla v. Tottenham
Espanyol v. Benfica

(Ties to be played on 5 and 12 April)

Semi-final draw

Espanyol or Benfica v. AZ Alkmaar or Werder Bremen
Bayer Leverkusen or Osasuna v. Sevilla or Tottenham

(Ties to be played on 26 April and 3 May)

Sevilla, currently doing very well in La Liga (on level points with Barcelona in the top of the table), are arguably the toughest test out there, despite having lost a few games throughout the competition. The Spanish title contenders finished second in a group which also saw AZ Alkmaar and Braga continue to the last 16. But Tottenham Hotspur, especially on current form, present a challenge for anyone and this draw brings two of the favourites to win the competition together in what will undoubtedly be an exciting game, possibly a battle of skill between former Spurs striker Frédéric Kanouté and new Spurs hero Dimitar Berbatov.

I'd be nervous if I had any nerves left to be nervous with...

Tottenham 3 – 2 Braga (Agg: 6-4)

Four down, two to go. So far the hectic fixture list has not taken an undue toll on Tottenham Hotspur, still able to produce exciting games for their fans – most of whom presumably will need pacemakers by the end of the month. Despite conceding two goals, however, this evening Spurs never looked like losing and now cruise on in the UEFA-cup, having won all their eight games.

Martin Jol, faced with an intricate selection situation over the week, started with what was arguably his strongest available side in an effort to secure a victory in the competition which still looks like the team’s best hope for a trophy. Pascal Chimbonda filled in at central defence, due to Anthony Gardner’s fractured leg and Ricardo Rocha being cup-tied, a role he played quite well – albeit in a game which saw most of the action happening elsewhere. Aaron Lennon started on the right and Steed Malbranque on the left with a central midfield pair consisting of Didier Zokora and Tom Huddlestone. Robbie Keane, back from injury, started up front together with Dimitar Berbatov, apparently sufficiently recovered from the emerging groin injury which forced him off ahead of time against Chelsea.

Set pieces have been the main problem for the Tottenham defence and proved to be just that again, first when Tom Huddlestone’s head connected with Luis Filipe's free kick and the ball found its way into the corner of the goal, putting Braga ahead at 25 minutes, and then later again when Andrade smashed a free kick through the defensive wall from 20 yards. By that time, however, Spurs had equalised through some stunning cooperation between Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov, the former beautifully holding the ball away from three defenders while the latter ran to the left hand side of the area, awaiting the pass. When it came Berbatov elegantly and with uncanny precision slid it past Santos, making it look so easy.

Spurs continued to dominate possession and closed off the first half with another stunning effort by Berbatov who remained neatly onside when Tom Huddlestone took his free kick, then met the ball, took it down with his chest and kicked in the volley with his right foot from 18 yards. Perfect control in one movement. Santos could just watch, the fans could just cheer and Martin Jol and Chris Hughton hugged, presumably as moved as the rest of us.

The second half started better for Braga, and the equalising free kick goal came on the hour mark. But Tottenham never slowed down and continued to push forward, with Defoe replacing the newly recovered Keane. The winning goal came on 75 minutes; nice flank movement by Lee, who passed in to Malbranque. The Frenchman nipped it across to Berbatov who stylishly lifted the ball over the bemused defenders, allowing the advancing Malbranque to shoot it past Santos with his right foot.

Tottenham

Cerny, Stalteri, Dawson, Chimbonda, Young-Pyo Lee, Lennon (Ghaly 81), Huddlestone, Zokora, Malbranque, Keane (Defoe 66), Berbatov.
Subs Not Used: Alnwick, Tainio, Mido, Taarabt, Charlie Lee.
Booked: Berbatov, Malbranque.
Goals: Berbatov 28, 42, Malbranque 76.

Braga

Paulo Santos, Luis Filipe, Paulo Jorge, Rodriguez (Nem 40), Carlos Fernandes, Frechaut, Madrid, Joao Amaral, Joao Pinto (Cesinha 74), Ze Carlos (Maciel 74), Wender.
Subs Not Used: Dani Mallo, Castanheira, Ricardo Chaves, Bruno Gama.
Booked: Joao Amaral, Joao Pinto, Luis Filipe.
Goals: Huddlestone 24 og, Joao Amaral 61.

Attendance: 33,761.

Referee: Laurent Duhamel (France)

Manchester United 4 - 3 Europe XI

A night of miscellaneous commemorations it certainly was. Was it also a night to remember? Not as much. The event, co-organised by the European Commission, UEFA and Manchester United was a charity game in celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the EEC founding Rome Treaty and the 50^th anniversary of European football for Manchester United. It was also an opportunity for former United legend Andrew Cole to pull on the shirt once more, for new United legend Henrik Larsson to play at Old Trafford one last time – as opposition striker - and for David Beckham to come on the field and thank the fans for their support during what he described as ‘the best time in my footballing career’.

The Europe team, coached by World Cup winning Italy manager Marcello Lippi, comprised a fair few stars even if colourful characters like Ronaldinho had withdrawn. United started with practically their strongest available eleven, as promised by Sir Alex, but the stars of the first half – Rooney and Ronaldo – were replaced at half-time. As were almost the entire Europe team, Lippi fielding his players for the night in two teams. It was a friendly in all senses of the word, smiles instead of tackles and if the referee had remembered to bring a whistle he barely had to use it. If the game in the second half became a bit dull it was still quite sweet to watch all these international stars playing with a ball and each other. The only unfriendly aspect about this friendly was the Manchester fans booing the Liverpool players, very uncalled for.

Manchester United started on a roll against opposition which, for obvious reasons, could never match their tactical togetherness. The scoring began after only a few minutes with a lovely pass from Scholes cutting through the Europe midfield and met by a perfectly timed run by Rooney, who easily put it past the advancing Carnizares. Four minutes later United scored from a corner kick which was converted to a cross after some magnificent work by Giggs, allowing Brown to tap it in. Europe then equalised through a great shot by Malouda from 25 yards. Ronaldo did his best to entertain the audience with his moves during his 45 minutes, partly by foot movement which inadvertently turned into a break-dance act which lost him the ball and partly by scoring with a wonderful free kick and putting the score up 3-1. The free kick came after Pirlo had brought down Park, one of two offences in the game. The second came a few minutes later, when Brown fouled Ibrahimovic in the box and thereby awarded Europe with a penalty. The Swede took the penalty – and sent it full force into the bar. Two fouls, but many more comedy moments. The entertaining first half closed in style as Ronaldo made a nice run in the centre of midfield and crossed expertly to an unmarked Park. The South Korean put the ball in the box for Rooney, who shot it in.

The second half saw Europe initially looking stronger, mainly due to Gerrard as a midfield engine, but both teams lost some of their attacking flair and when they began defending better the action became more restricted to the middle. Paul Scholes nearly gave Europe a goal by some humorous fiddling with the ball outside his own goal: he practically gave the ball to Sweden midfielder Källström, whose attempt at getting it in was saved by 21 year-old keeper Heaton. The ovations and cheers from the home fans when Larsson was replaced rapidly turned into boos as his replacement turned out to be Robbie Fowler. Even if there were some nice individual moves by the players the entertainment slowed down and an attempt by the Old Trafford audience to create some action by a seemingly never-ending wave was about as fluent as it got. Andrew Cole’s accomplished crosses were missed by new recruit Dong, keeping the score at 4 for United, and Europe only got a goal through a penalty (taken by Diouf) awarded for handball by Heinze.

Innocent family entertainment involving superstars and a ball, which was watched by 74 343 people at Old Trafford (along with heavens knows how many more across Europe) and raised 1.25m for charity. From a Swedish point of view it was nice to see not only Larsson and Ibrahimovic, but also Kim Källström get international recognition. And Gianluca Zambrotta is always good value. But essentially this was a night for Manchester United fans to remember and for the rest of us to forget.

FA Cup Semi-final Draw

The four balls yielded the following semi-final pairings:

Blackburn vs. Chelsea or Tottenham
and
Watford vs. Middlesbrough or Manchester United

To be played on the 14th/15th of April.

An obvious reaction from a Spurs fan is, of course - thank God we didn't get Manchester United at this stage! That is of course highly disrespectful to Middlesbrough, the team which Man U after all will have to beat in order to make it. It is also, of course, assuming that Tottenham will be able to beat Chelsea on Monday - a Chelsea which by that time will most likely have John Terry, and with him organisation, back. I would love an FA-cup final between Tottenham and Middlesbrough, by no means an impossibility. But the immediate thought here, for anyone who isn't an optimistic Spurs fan, is that it might very well end up being a final between Chelsea and Manchester United. So, Carling Cup final between Chelsea and Arsenal and FA-cup final between the reigning champions and the new champions? A bit dull, and sorely lacking in amusing upsets.

Then again, this is football, anything can happen and there is time yet - Blackburn against Watford in the final? From a Spurs point of view it is an indication of the refound form of the team rather than the tradition of the team that inspires the feeling that Blackburn in the final would be more of an upset than Spurs. Blackburn did, after all, beat Arsenal - something Spurs have yet been unable to do this season. But the team found its feet again and stayed in the cup; the first game of the current happy spell being the comprehensive FA-cup beating of Fulham - a team which previously in the season had been a stumbling block.

The spring sun shines on our hopes and nothing seems impossible.

Armbands

Another game to remember – the recent run of rampant form hardly at an end, even if we only came away with a draw. Paul Robinson cheekily commented that he wouldn’t want to be a Spurs fan at the moment because “if you've got heart problems you're in trouble”. Indeed. Jermain Defoe nearly delivered a late winner which set this Spurs fan’s heart on an internal journey. The whole game had, of course, been conducted in a similar fashion. Flashes of brilliance alternating with comical mistakes, great football and never ever a sense that the game had been decided. Exciting football or excruciating nervousness – all depends on your vantage point.

Happy as I am that we did not lose and that, despite conceding three goals, the lads were the better side in a way which only a couple of months ago seemed impossible – the replay is still a bitter pill to swallow. This game could and should have been won by another goal or two in the first half, or perhaps by more organised defending towards the end. As it is the replay on Monday will be the sixth in two weeks, followed by a midweek Euro 2008 qualifier for some of the lads. I’m not of the opinion that replays should be scrapped in order to help teams who are busy in many competitions, quite the contrary, nor do I want to whinge about the fact that we are still in three competitions OR that my team comprises a fair few international stars. I just feel for the lads and worry about their physical health in a very womanish sort of way. Sorry. Can’t help it. Makes me tired just to think about it. The busy schedule make the injuries that we have a bigger problem than they would be otherwise. Horribly Berbatov had to be taken off with a renascent groin injury – we can only hope that he will be back soon. Very soon.

I still marvel at the central midfield action of Tainio and Zokora these days. Gone, it would seem, are the days (again, not that long ago...) when we seemed to be playing without a midfield at times. They were superb, aggressively winning balls and setting up a wall which the opposition had to try to break down. Ricardo Rocha had a great third game for us; if he keeps up this rate of development he should win a starting position soon. He was on Drogba like a leech and made many key clearances.

The significant armbands on the day were the captain’s armband on Michael Dawson, a sight which made me very happy. Captain, vice captain, and even third choice captain were out injured but it felt like a recognition of Michael’s hard work and ability that he was allowed to lead his team onto Stamford Bridge. I can only refer back to what I wrote last week – I’m really impressed with him and think that he would make a great captain someday. Hopefully for Spurs.

Dimitar Berbatov, who would probably be my first choice captain after Ledley King, also wears an armband – but for different reasons. It says “You are not alone” and refers to the international campaign of solidarity with the wrongfully convicted Bulgarian nurses who await a death sentence in Libya. Action has been taken by governments as well as organisations such as Amnesty and The Red Cross, the latter of which recently organised a demonstration in Bulgaria.

The official website of the campaign can be found at:

http://www.nestesami.bg/main/index.php

and more information on the Bulgarian Red Cross website:

http://www.redcross.bg/

FA Cup: Chelsea 3-3 Tottenham

The spring sun shone as Chelsea clashed with Tottenham in an exciting match which had both sides of fans disbelieving their eyes. A bright first half for Spurs, which ended 1-3, was followed by a tough second half which saw Chelsea come back and equalise to secure the replay neither team really wanted.

Tottenham started strong with superb moves from Aaron Lennon, employed for the day in a central free roles, and were rewarded with a goal just five minutes into the game. A succession of beautiful passes from Defoe, to Lennon to Berbatov ended with the Bulgarian elegantly firing past Chelsea keeper Cech. Spurs continued on the attack and Chelsea’s first chance came from a Frank Lampard free kick which Essien headed just over the goal. Didier Zokora and Teemu Tainio effectively closed down the midfield, Chelsea were getting nowhere. A second excellent chance for the visitors came when right back Paul Stalteri fed a ball to Berbatov who crossed from the right to Defoe, placed in the middle but unable to reach the ball in time.

Ricardo Rocha, on his third start for Spurs, did a good job in marking Chelsea top scorer Didier Drogba and perhaps it was inevitable that only a corner situation would allow the home team to equalise. A somewhat awkward shot by Michael Ballack was put straight into the goal by Chelsea vice captain Lampard who found himself unmarked in front of goal. Some minutes later it looked as if Chelsea’s worst fears had been realised when Drogba landed awkwardly on his foot and needed medical attention. He continued playing but looked somewhat uncomfortable throughout. Half an hour into the game Chelsea’s woes deepened as sturdy midfield action by Tainio and Ghaly fed a ball to Lennon. The young star crossed beautifully in towards Defoe and Berbatov, both waiting on the left hand side of the box, but the irresistible cross was put into the net by Essien before it got that far.

A game which was characterised by marvellous attacking moves also became one of defensive disorder. Michael Dawson, Spurs skipper on the night, nearly repeated Essien's mistake when he went after a cross by Arjen Robben and just about headed the ball in over Radek Cerny’s attempts to save it. Fortunately for Spurs, Stalteri was there to clear it away. Mourinho responded with the first of a series of substitutions which seemed to suggest that attacking resolve is the best form of defence when one’s defence itself is in shambles and Paulo Ferreira was replaced by Shaun Wright-Phillips. A few minutes later Hossam Ghaly finished off a great run from deep in midfield in style by coolly putting the ball past the advancing Cech, making it 1-3. At this stage the home defenders were simply nowhere to be found and the camera went to the harassed face of John Terry, watching in the crowd. The first half finished off with some near chances for Chelsea as Shevchenko shot over goal and another Essien header nearly found the net. A Drogba free kick straight into the arms of Spurs keeper Cerny closed proceedings before the break.

The second half began with the first of six yellow cards, an indication of the mounting aggression in the game. A free kick taken by Robben and met by Drogba gave the Spurs defence an immediate taste of action. Some minutes later Zokora initiated an attack which forced Cech to save twice as his initial block came back. Chelsea, who had been in curious disarray throughout, with an insecure defensive line, an ineffective midfield and a line of forwards not quite able to open up any space, made some more substitutions and placed Khalid Boulahrouz alongside Ricardo Carvalho. Salomon Kalou replaced Ashley Cole in the final signal that attacking and never say die was the only option left. The reward came on 70 minutes when another corner went via Ballack to Lampard, who thumped the ball into the net.

To this Jol’s only available response was an attempt at defending the advantage; Berbatov had been replaced by Mido due to a re-emerging groin injury and Lennon had been taken off to save his power for the remaining games in a busy week. Anthony Gardner came on as an extra defender, replacing Ghaly, but to no avail. With four minutes to go the champions hammered in the point that they simply will not be beaten at Stamford Bridge. Pretty or not, the team claws its way back, possibly in fear of Mourinho’s reaction to a home defeat. Carvalho cut the ball in to Drogba who headed it from the far post to Kalou. The Ivory Coast forward sharply volleyed it in. Despite fatigue starting to show, Tottenham nearly pulled off a third consecutive stoppage time winner, but Jermain Defoe’s powerful shot hit the bar and an even later attempt by Zokora was saved by Cech.

For both teams the added fixture is bad news, adding to an already busy schedule. Spurs now have to play Braga, Watford and Chelsea at White Hart Lane within a week, the FA-cup replay becoming the sixth game in two weeks, and have to rue the fact that this game could have been won by just one more well taken chance and some sturdier defending. Sheer exhaustion might force next game to be played at a slower pace, but spectators cannot be blamed for looking forward to another sparkling game of football between the two London clubs.


Chelsea

Cech, Ferreira (Wright-Phillips 34), Essien, Carvalho, Ashley Cole (Kalou 64), Diarra (Boulahrouz 57), Lampard, Robben, Ballack, Drogba, Shevchenko.
Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Bridge.
Booked: Diarra, Carvalho, Ashley Cole, Kalou.
Goals: Lampard 22, 71, Kalou 86.

Tottenham

Cerny, Stalteri, Dawson, Rocha, Young-Pyo Lee, Ghaly (Gardner 81), Tainio, Zokora, Lennon (Malbranque 76), Berbatov (Mido 66), Defoe.
Subs Not Used: Burch, Huddlestone.
Booked: Ghaly, Zokora, Young-Pyo Lee, Stalteri, Cerny.
Goals: Berbatov 5, Essien 28 og, Ghaly 36.

Attendance: 41,517

Referee: M Riley

Europe matters

Tottenham's unbeaten run in the UEFA cup continues and coming up is the second leg of the last 16 - at White Hart Lane. Premiership colleagues Newcastle beat AZ Alkmaar 4-2 at St James Park and now have to go to Holland.

The full results ahead of next week's fixtures:

Wednesday, 14 March 2007

Bayer Leverkusen v Lens (agg 1-2)
Osasuna v Rangers (agg 1-1)
Tottenham v Braga (agg 3-2)
Werder Bremen v Celta Vigo (agg 1-0)

Thursday, 15 March 2007
AZ v Newcastle (agg 2-4)
Benfica v PSG (agg 1-2)
Espanyol v Maccabi Haifa (agg 0-0)
Shakhtar Donetsk v Sevilla (agg 2-2)

In the Champions League three of the Premiership sides made it to the quarter-finals; Liverpool knocked out Barcelona despite losing at Anfield, Manchester United scored another goal to secure a win against Lille and Chelsea beat Porto with two goals at Stamford Bridge. Arsenal were overcome by PSV Eindhoven due to a draw at the Emirates and the goalless games between Celtic and Milan finally ended with Milan scraping a goal in added time at the San Siro, kicking the Scottish side out of the competition.

In the draw the English sides managed to avoid each other, creating the possibility of an all-English final.

Quarter-final draw
AC Milan v Bayern Munich
(First leg 3 April, second leg 11 April)
PSV Eindhoven v LIVERPOOL
(First leg 3 April, second leg 11 April)
Roma v MANCHESTER UNITED
(First leg 4 April, second leg 10 April)
CHELSEA v Valencia
(First leg 4 April, second leg 10 April)

Semi-final draw
Roma or MANCHESTER UNITED v AC Milan or Bayern Munich
(First leg 24 April, second leg 2 May)
CHELSEA or Valencia v PSV Eindhoven or LIVERPOOL
(First leg 25 April, second leg 1 May)

Braga 2 - 3 Tottenham

What a result! Three away goals, a win, a great performance against a very good side... wonderful. Marvellous goals, Lennon absolutely on fire, showing why premiership defenders of all teams generally opt to take him down. Great ball work by Keane and very quick thinking and reacting by Malbranque.

Because I was unable to see the game I was left with reading the BBC text (and seeing highlights afterwards) - a slightly surreal experience. Events sound very clinical - allowing for a very statistical and dry analysis of the action. Dimitar Berbatov terrorised the Braga goal quite a bit, even if he, sadly, did not end up on the score sheet. And according to the accounts we had one central defender. Michael Dawson cleared everything - while Anthony Gardner committed a foul and gave away a penalty... The man needs to work on elegant tackling, methinks. Especially with people who are light on the feet.

We go into the second leg happily and with an advantage, even if we are back to a busy fixture list which will be hard work. The moment of revival came, according to Martin Jol, after finally getting a few days off from cup competitions (courtesy of the Feyenoord fans) - now we have five games in two weeks, of which tomorrow is number three. Chelsea away, a fixture which at the best of times is daunting, but our recent form inspires a budding confidence that the inevitable defeat at fortress Stamford Bridge perhaps isn't, indeed, inevitable. Dimitar Berbatov repeated his philosophy from last time we played (and beat) Chelsea - they are only a football team. It’s 11 against 11. And they don't have three legs. Naive? Well, possibly not.

Jol has some difficult choices to make in selecting his teams for the remaining three games, and I will try to not make it my headache as well. The gaffer knows what he is doing. Surely? And we can only hope that our good spell does not end, in true Spurs fashion, with a home defeat to Watford. It wouldn’t surprise me. But I also know I wouldn’t find it in my heart blame the lads.

Braga
Paulo Santos, Luis Filipe, Paulo Jorge, Rodriguez, Carlos Fernandes, Joao Amaral, Joao Pinto (Maciel 80), Castanheira, Bruno Gama (Cesinha 69), Ze Carlos, Wender (Diego 69).
Subs Not Used: Dani Mallo, Nem, Paito, Ricardo Chaves.
Goals: Paulo Jorge 76, Ze Carlos 81.

Tottenham
Robinson, Chimbonda, Dawson, Gardner, Young-Pyo Lee, Lennon, Tainio (Huddlestone 74), Zokora, Malbranque, Berbatov, Keane.
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Stalteri, Ghaly, Defoe, Taarabt, Charlie Lee.
Booked: Berbatov, Chimbonda.
Goals: Keane 57, Malbranque 72, Keane 90.

Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Yuri Baskakov (Russia)

Springing

Today felt like the first day of spring. The sun was shining for the first time in what seemed like months (time is a highly relative concept) and there were smells! My nose went mad with excitement. So I took the bike and cycled the 25 kilometres or so to the pub, the sun shining in my face all the way. I couldn't help smiling at the beauty of the world, and at anyone unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity. Before the game I had a little picnic on a bench in a park, eating a runny kebab with increasingly cold hands. It was lovely. By the time I couldn't feel my feet anymore it was time to go to the game anyway.

I had had daydreams about this game, in which West Ham were going to play just as badly as they did a week ago and my boys were going to play just as well as they did a week ago. In my dream the final score was something like 10-0, with Berbatov scoring at least a hat trick. I also had nightmares, in which this was the game where West Ham finally picked up their form and arose, transformer-style, suddenly becoming the team they could be and hammered (pun almost not intended) us. Reality was somewhere between the two, and the outcome was nerve-racking.

Initially, when West Ham looked very good and Spurs looked a little disorganised I thought for a while that my worst fears had in fact been realised. Two down at half-time... away from home... when was the last time we crawled out of that kind of mess and lived to tell the tale? An injured Steed had left us with an erratic Ghaly and it was reassuring when Tom Huddlestone came on at half time. Tom immediately made an impact with his calm directing of the ball and suddenly the midfield looked like a midfield again. Tainio had been good throughout, working at his tackling best. Jenas, not at his sparkling best, had to be replaced as well (due to injury feelings?) and the combination of Chimbonda and Stalteri on the right was surprisingly effective. The response to falling behind which the team displayed was admirable, and just what we have been missing for a while. Rather than falling to pieces, the team regrouped, adjusted and played on.

Lennon was mesmerising and even if his runs became predictable to the point where four West Ham players started marking him whenever he touched the ball they still found that the only way to stop him was to take him down. 3 bookings, a few free kicks and a penalty were all the result of fouls on Lennon. The second goal was poetry in motion. Berbatov again dazzled with his sublime ball control, collecting it and sending it over the penalty area right at Lennon's feet. Lennon's clever little flick - no idea how he managed it - then found Tainio's feet and Teemu fired his lethal shot straight into the goal. Just amazing.

I also feel a need to praise Michael Dawson a little... Perhaps a game in which the team conceded three goals is not the best time to praise the defenders, but then again, perhaps it is. (One goal was a free kick and the other two were well executed by the opposition, not due to defensive errors.) I don't praise Dawson enough, nor do others. And I think the reason is that it is easy to forget how good he is, or, rather, take his efforts for granted. He has been building a great partnership with the older and more experienced Ledley King, which was attracting attention and praise before Ledley got injured. Ledley out, all of the sudden Michael was expected to step into his captain's shoes and be the stable man alongside Davenport, Gardner and new recruit Rocha. We trusted to him to sort it all out somehow. And Michael, who is after all just 23, has done just that, with increasing confidence in his own ability to marshal the defensive line. It is an impressive and hope-inspiring sight. The way he has handled things in Ledley's absence has been so good that we forget about it. Well, I just wanted to say that I haven't forgotten. Well done, Michael.
(Incidentally he was mentioned on Fighting Talk when, in response to the question - who, when John Terry is out, is the best central defender in England - one contestant said: "you know that lad at Spurs... what's his name... Dawson - he's very good isn't he?")

Ok, back to the game, where Dimitar Berbatov, who of course had dazzled throughout with an unsurpassed elegance, scored from a free kick. And showed that he does that just as skilfully as he does everything else, making it look easy... It was so pretty and I cried a little, as did a West Ham fan sitting next to me, though for opposite reasons. Her sobbing continued until, with 5 minutes of ordinary time and my nerves frayed like a silk scarf run through a blender, I watched in horrified amazement as West Ham scored again! The girl's scream of joy was deafening. Surely that was it - the most hard come by draw of the season. But no, time for more action and again the team responded beautifully to every opportunity. Four minutes into injury time, just after a free kick for West Ham, and with practically all players in the Spurs half, Defoe gets the ball. And makes a run for it, followed by a clean line of team mates. It was timed and positioned like a military operation. They charged across the field and when Green blocked Defoe's shot (which he had also taken past the only defender in place) Stalteri was there to kick in the rebound. The West Ham fan left, in tears, as did the West Ham players on the field. And in the midst of my own ecstatic joy and pride I still felt immensely sorry for them.

West Ham 3 - 4 Tottenham

This was always going to be a battle. West Ham, desperate to improve from last week's disaster and in equal desperate need for a home win to comfort the fans and try to crawl out of the relegation swamp; Tottenham, eager to prove that their reignited form is here to stay, looking for another away win and points to start climbing the table again. And what a battle it was.

West Ham started strong, forcing Robinson to a save almost immediately, and showed all the determination and skill which had been so sorely lacking from their previous Premiership encounter. Curbishley had made quite a few changes to his side, even if Matthew Upson had to be replaced by Calum Davenport after only 11 minutes. Creative attacking from Spurs forced a couple of brilliant saves from Robert Green, but the first goal fell to West Ham as a cross from Konchesky was forcefully put past Dawson and Robinson by Mark Noble after 15 minutes. Spurs attacking attempts yielded little result as the West Ham players seemes determined to win every ball. Their aggression showed in the six bookings as well. On 38 minutes a West Ham free kick was superbly taken by Carlos Tevez, who had a very good game. His extravagant celebration in the crowd promptly got him booked, but he must be forgiven for the need to celebrate - and West Ham fans were ecstatic.

A list of injuries had limited Jol's choices somewhat and made for some creative re-shuffling as the game progressed. The erratic Hossam Ghaly was replaced by Tom Huddlestone at half time and ten minutes later Paul Stalteri came on to replace Jermaine Jenas, who looked as though he was having trouble. Chimbonda moved up to midfield. The second half opened with some dazzling runs by Aaron Lennon, the second of which was stopped by a Bowyer foul. The penalty was coolly taken by Jermain Defoe, making the score 2-1 and opening for a second half which looked like it was going to be all about Spurs. 10 minutes of great attacking football from Spurs finally rewarded an equalising goal. An amazingly accurate cross from Berbatov on the right hand side found Lennon who cleverly flicked it into the middle where Teemu Tainio was ready to fire it past Green.

West Ham, however, did not give up but created a few chances and Nigel Quashie had a shot at goal before getting injured and helped off the field by Robinson and a West Ham physio. Subsitute Kepa Blanco was dangerous in the following corner. It was to be a game of fouls and free kicks. West Ham took the lead again with a well taken header by Zamora as the result of a free kick on 85 minutes. Two minutes later it was Spurs turn. Adel Taarabt, making his Spurs debut in replacing Chimbonda with 6 minutes to go, was brought down just outside the penalty area and the ensuing free kick was beautifully taken by Dimitar Berbatov to equalise yet again.

The last minutes of this exciting game were a display of frenzied action. West Ham had a great chance when a shot by Tevez went inches outside of goal. A free kick in injury time could not change West Ham's fortunes, as Konchesky misfired. The ball finally fell to Defoe who made a run, accompanied by 3 team mates, to the other side. His great shot was well blocked by Green, but Stalteri was there to fire in the return and draw the curtains on the scoring and West Ham's evening. It was impossible not to feel for the disconsolate West Ham players, who had put on a brave fight for their fans.

West Ham
Green, Neill, Upson (Davenport 11), Ferdinand, Konchesky, Bowyer, Noble, Quashie (Blanco 80), Etherington (Zamora 83), Tevez, Harewood.
Subs Not Used: Walker, Spector.
Booked: Noble, Tevez, Bowyer, Neill, Konchesky, Quashie.
Goals: Noble 16, Tevez 41, Zamora 85.

Tottenham
Robinson, Chimbonda (Taarabt 87), Dawson, Gardner, Young-Pyo Lee, Lennon, Jenas (Stalteri 57), Tainio, Ghaly (Huddlestone 46), Defoe, Berbatov.
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Rocha.
Booked: Chimbonda.
Goals: Defoe 51 pen, Tainio 63, Berbatov 89, Stalteri 90.

Attendance: 34,966
Referee: M Dean

Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d49VGZtgNKY

Misfiring

Great comedy moments of the weekend, which simply must be mentioned...

Cesc Fabregas, in what one must assume was an attempt at showing Mark Hughes once and for all just how to play Barcelona football, elegantly scoring an own goal in such a clever fashion that not even Lehmann managed to block it.

John O'Shea, Manchester United's second choice goal keeper, perfecting the art of finishing off games in style. Nothing really funny about the goal except for the fact that he was the one to score it. In Ireland "a few pints will be sunk over that" ventured John. As if the Irish needed another excuse.

Then there was the fabulous Scholes controversy. No, not the sending off, nor the violent conduct which preceded it. Not even the fact that he had, as so often, gotten away with fouls earlier on and had this one coming. No the comedy and indeed the controversy arises from the revelation that this seasoned midfielder has a right hook as powerful and accurate as that belonging to a little old lady on her third gin and tonic. Shocking.

Carlos Tevez got an ecstatic response from his fans upon scoring a stunning free kick. He then ruined the aesthetic beauty of the event by taking his shirt off and charging into the crowd. Anyone but a loyal West Ham fan would have recoiled in horror at the sight, but the Upton Park faithfuls embraced him. For so long, in fact, that it looked as though he had been lost in the crowd, never to emerge again.

And finally, my own lads supplied a true comedy moment as a throw-in near the opposition goal took longer than the three last goals of the game put together. It took three players (no names shall be mentioned...) four attempts at passing the ball to each other before it finally ended up at its destination and was thrown in. Thankfully, the passing skills improved once the ball was in play again...