Spurs 1 Newcastle 2
Much needed win for Eddie Howe. Both teams came into this one badly needing points so I was a bit surprised Eddie Howe didn’t start the likes of Sandro Tonali, Lewis Hall, Nick Woltemade or Yoanne Wissa but it didn’t stop Newcastle dominating the first half and putting real pressure on Spurs to find that opening goal. Newcastle thought they opened the scoring through Joe Willock just before half-time but he was judged offside from VAR, just 5 minutes later before half-time Malick Thiaw scores from a scrappy corner to give Newcastle the lead before the half. The second half was much improved from Spurs who equalised from a corner through Archie Gray in the 64th minute, just a few minutes later Spurs throw it away and Jacob Ramsey finishes well past Vicario for Newcastle to retake the lead. Spurs had a few half-chances to equalise but Newcastle saw the game out to take a well deserved 3 points on the night.
Times up for Thomas Frank. By the time your reading this he could already have been sacked but to be 5 points off the relegation spots in February is quite simply scandalous from a Spurs manager with this team, some of the football this Tottenham plays is the worst I’ve seen for some time. Over the last 10 or 15 years Spurs have been grown playing fluid attacking football and taking the game to just about any team in Europe that they’re playing whether that was under Mauricio Pochettino or Ange Postecoglu at the start, there was an identity to those teams that fans could look at and go, ‘ I’m proud of my team’ whether they won, lost or drew. Of course injuries have played a part but the football for most of the time has been putrid to watch even as a neutral, if you play like this you have to get results or else fans will turn on you before you even know it and that’s what has happened to Frank at Spurs, surely it’s time to sack him.
Can Newcastle play without an out and out number 9? Newcastle were completely dominant in the first half and should have probably been 2 or 3 nil up if they more clinical, which is why I pose the question at the start as to Anthony Gordon playing as a striker more often in this Newcastle team. Nick Woltemade’s form has been up and down so far this season but I couldn’t help but think that with the amount of crosses Newcastle were putting in that he would have thrived in a game like this especially in the first half, the same goes for Wissa but I can understand Eddie Howe not starting him every game after his injury struggles so far this season. It didn’t matter in the end as Newcastle took all 3 points but I’m not sure there is a long-term solution in playing Anthony Gordon as a striker.
Another long-term injury for Tottenham? It looks like there will be another injury added to the list for Tottenham as Wilson Odobert was involved in a collision in the 30th minute that forced him off and it didn’t look good to be honest. Obviously I’m not a medical expert but it did look similar to the one Connor Bradley suffered against Liverpool last month which ended up being an ACL injury that will force him miss 9-12 months of football. If it is an ACL it is yet another Spurs player that suffers a long-term injury in addition to James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Lucas Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentancur, Richarlison, Mohammed Kudus etc who are all not coming back for Spurs any time soon, there has to be inquiries going on as to why over the last two seasons Spurs have had so many injuries and what they can do to prevent it because its been ridiculous and is costing Spurs every game.
Surely relegation isn’t a possibility for Spurs? This win for Newcastle moves them up to 10th and 3 points off Liverpool in 5th but the loss for Tottenham has them staring at the possibility of relegation right in the face on their current form. They now sit 16th in the league and could go to 17th if Nottingham Forest beat Wolves tomorrow night, they are 5 points away from West Ham in 18th and it easily could have been 3 points if Sesko didn’t rescue a point for United in the 96th minute. It’s kinda hard to fathom just how bad Spurs have been in the league this season and I have no doubt that if they stick with Thomas Frank that gap to 18th is going to shrink over the next month with Tottenham playing Arsenal next. There’s no way Tottenham get relegated this year, right?