Let’s get this out of the way right at the start – just as some women think there’s no such thing as an ugly rich bloke (how else would Tevez have children?), some footballers think that there’s no such thing as a rubbish rich club. Some( one already mentioned) will continue to follow the money for the rest of their careers. I’ll admit to calling Bent a rude name when he scored against Denmark on Wednesday – as he’ll continue to do for club and country as long as they play to his strengths – while cheering England’s win, but then had to listen to Capello’s ridiculous statement that Bent had improved his England chances by going to Villa. Without wishing to enter into a lengthy debate on which club is the bigger, as it’s not the point, a simple glance at the league table and Bent’s scoring record last season should have told the England boss most of what he needed to know. Maybe being close to Heskey will make him look that much better. Basically, if you play for Sunderland, you’ll have a real struggle to get in the England squad, and even if you do, the manager will make a disparaging comment about you and leave you out next time.

Rant over, what about Spurs? The produce more football in ten minutes than Stoke do in a month, so a bit more traditional football was on the menu. So what did we get?

Gordon (freshly battered at Stoke)
Onuoha Bramble Mensah Bardinho
Sess Hendo Steed Muntari
Rico
Gyan

Which is what we’d expected. There was a decent spurs turnout, as you’d hope with their current league and European achievements, and the game set off at a very good pace. We had a more than decent shout for a penalty early on, but just got a throw, then we played it about a bit. After a few good passes, Steed fired wide on the volley, then it came in from our left and Gyan held off his man, turned inside, and fired in sweet and low. Lovely, and only eleven minutes gone. After that, we had a few shots saved, and passed it about really well, and then the ref decided to take (mis)control. For thirty minutes in the middle of the game, he would have happily have sold his granny for a Spurs free-kick. We produced several moves with great passing, and brought a good save from Gomes – and more of him later. There were shots over, shots wide, and saves at both end, and the game was one of the best in terms of movement that we’ve seen this season. As it approached half time, there was another Spurs corner and Michael Dawson (twin of Michael Turner) got in the softest header of all time to equalise on 43. Both sides survived the added minute, then set off in the same heart as the first half. It’s just a shame that the ref had decided that he’d continue to hoy every decision the way of London.

In terms of football, we did well, but you have to wonder what would happen if the likes of Cappello didn’t make it perfectly clear that anything from the North East is rubbish and as such should be ridiculed. We had chances and they had chances, but we should be strong enough to get the better of that sort of stuff. What we didn’t have was someone who would happily fall down and claim a free kick at every opportunity, which might be rubbish, but it’s apparently part of the modern game. In Gomes, Spurs have the biggest coward ever to have pulled on a shirt (and that includes Pythickoras who turned out twice for the Bittermen in the early eighties without getting his shirt dirty) and I’m just getting sick of the whole theatrical rubbish that wins games these days. OK, spurs had shots, crosses, and runs, and put in decent tackles, but how easily they went to ground and how easily the ref fell for it.

So we lost 1-2, and so the Spurs will head south with three points. Good luck to them, but what can we do to win some games honestly? I honestly don’t know, and with refs as soft as we’ve had for the last couple of games we have no chance. At times like these, even though we knocked the ball about as well as I’ve seen us in the last thirty-odd years, I wonder what football is requiring of a team. Pantomime, I suspect.

Man of the Match? Probably Sessegnon, for out-Steeding Steed in the burrowing midfield department.

Keep the Faith anyway

Sobs, not a happy bunny

Sobs' Book click here...