Bear with me on this…
West Ham v TottenhamSpurs get relief this week from their “Wembley Woes” by travelling to another multisport stadium of discontent.
Recent form folk will notice that Spurs have been good away, winning 2-0 at Newcastle (xG of 2.29 – 0.41) and 3-0 at Everton. Wham haven’t lost at home this season, starting with three away fixtures and then beating Huddersfield in the league and Bolton on Tuesday in the Carrier Bag Cup.
Wham have the mercurial Slaven Bilic, whose position has been under threat for what seems like an age. I know a chap who watches all the Wham games and his frustrations about the boss’s tactical approach have been a constant topic of conversation.
Currently, his main gripe is what Bilic must have said to Chicarito, to get him to sign for a team below his level, only then to play him on the left of a three, with Antonio on the right. “Why not play Carroll and Chicarito as a 9 and 10, with Antonio and Cresswell as wingbacks? Is it so bad to play players in their best positions?”, he plaintively sighed.
I rate Bilic’s tactics about as highly as I rate Soccer Saturday pundits’ analysis of live events.
And yet, here’s the rub: he seems to have the wood on Pochettino. And Wham generally get up for their cup final:
May 2017 – Wham 1 Spurs 0
Nov 2016 – Spurs 3 Wham 2 (but two late goals from Spurs)
Mar 2016 – Wham 1 Spurs 0
Nov 2015 – Spurs 4 Wham 1 (that was a hammering)
Feb 2015 – Spurs 2 Wham 2 (Spurs 2-0 down and scored in 81st min and then an injury time pen)
Aug 2014 – Wham 0 Spurs 1 (Dier scored an injury time winner)
May 2014 – Wham 2 Spurs 0
Dec 2013 – Spurs 1 Wham 2 (League Cup)
Oct 2013 – Spurs 0 Wham 3
Feb 2013 – Wham 2 Spurs 3 (the Gareth Bale wonder strike in injury time)
Bilic has been in post since 2015 and Poch since 2014.
Bilic has found a way to play a press game against Spurs that we do struggle against. Liverpool also use it to good effect but few teams have the energy to keep it up through the 90 minutes. The home crowd makes for a tough atmosphere and, for whatever reason, Spurs consistently look the second best team in this fixture, particularly away from home. I’ve seen the last few of these games and I consistently come away (the 4-1 game aside) thinking we should have had a worse result than we did.
I can’t help but feel the market has latched on to our away form, perhaps thinking Wham are worse than Everton and Newcastle. It’s a derby and the first fixture Winstone, Brand and Corden will look for. Form is not a steady guide. The Wembley stuff is being overstated (just ask Dortmund); it’s tactics more than anything. Spurs are still experimenting with formations, often with two or three per game. Last weekend, Son moved at half time from left back to right centre forward. Davinson Sanchez looks excellent, Aurier doesn’t look fit yet, at least by Poch standards. We are still missing Danny Rose on the left. The midfield is energetic but not firing completely…oh and Sissoko keeps getting on the pitch.
Spurs have started slowly this season and have struggled to break down well organised systems (Burnley had two banks of four and created challenges for our attackers; Swansea similar). Bilic’s midfield will set a challenge for us and Wanyama has missed a few games now, so Lanzini will present a challenge for him.
I’m really surprised Spurs are -0.75 on the Asian Handicap. This can’t be right.
Marathon will offer 17/5 Wham Draw No Bet, which is (I think…) better. I propose £30 on this(Can accommodate if Fred doesn't have Snickers...)
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Fonte and Lanzini share a joke.
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