Tottenham Hotspur 4 – 0 Everton
As always, out early for the morning walk. I wasn’t sure who was walking who, so let them roam as I thought about the match, trying to maintain my optimism that we could get something. Drenched in the rain.
Onto London and N17. Finding the place Rob had sent me was a challenge. I walked in circles until I found it, I must have put a mile or two, or steps to coin a modern phrase. I went in and there was a good mix of Everton and Tottenham supporters mingling together, but I didn’t manage to catch Rob. Drenched again in the rain. My hair looked like I had been electrocuted!!
I made my way to the stadium and waited for Neil outside the away entrance. I was looking up and there were two tiers of very plush-looking corporate hospitality suites with people sat in actual restaurants having a meal. And that was just above the entrance to the away section. I’m sure it was the same all around the stadium. I was sat on a metal bench with a bottle of Pepsi that I picked up from Sainsbury’s around the corner.
Neil met me and we made our way in. A strange occurrence as we approached the stadium entrance. Some young lad was shouting at stewards and threw his chips onto the floor, which I thought I was going to stand on, but managed to avoid. We just moved on.
Into the ground and a lot of optimism and singing on the concourse.
Onto the players and performance. Or should I say lack of. There’s no getting away from it, we were dreadful, and it was a painful watch. Tottenham bossed the midfield with ease and battered our flanks, giving the full-backs a torrid time by stretching the pitch.
I missed the first goal due to a call of nature. As an old friend of mine once advised me, when you get to a certain age, go when you get the chance.
Okay, 1-0 down, but if we decide to wake up, we’re still in it. Jordan makes two great early saves, but then has a brain fart, dithering on the ball. Son didn’t need asking twice and was straight on him for a simple tap-in.
Pickford’s punting was frustrating and, on more than one occasion, he booted it straight back to the Tottenham keeper. When I got home, my son was commenting that he doesn’t do it for England, so he either doesn’t trust the players in front of him or is under instruction. I suspect the latter.
Tim Iroegbunam didn’t play well and if he’s going to challenge, don’t obviously push players in the back with both hands and give away free kicks.
Harrison ran around a lot without having much effect. He missed a good chance in the first half by smashing it rather than placing it.
McNeil kept running himself into channels and was often crowded out by two or three Tottenham players, but he didn’t really have many options.
As for Doucoure, I honestly turned to the young lads next to me when he got subbed and said that I didn’t realise he was on the pitch.
I’m sure many will disagree, but we did on occasion get into goal-scoring opportunities. But we were shot shy. No one took responsibility and opted to pass it somewhere else, which played into the Tottenham defence’s hands.
I’m not sure what is going on with Dominic Calvert-Lewin. He just didn’t look right. He kept giving the ball away, but wasn’t the only guilty party, most were in his company. He kept falling over, so something must have been wrong with his boots. And as some have said, he’s up there on his own and chasing his own flick-ons.
The two centre-backs again looked like they hadn’t played together and I suspect Tarkowski was playing with an injury. For a very brief period early in the second half, I thought we played better, and if we could snatch one, we could be back in it.
But then the killer-blow third. Tarkowski and Keane wide apart with the Tottenham player approaching like a cruise missile. By the time they tried to get in the way, he just bullied them and brushed them out of the way. Let’s hope we keep a fit Branthwaite and bring in O’Brien. Jake has an eye for goal.
I’m not a Dyche basher, but following his comments last week and with his tactics, he is starting to lose the supporters and possibly players? My son is convinced something has gone on behind the scenes between Dyche and the players. No evidence, just speculation.
But who would we replace him with? I think he’s here until the end of the season unless new owners come in and do something in January? I know what is coming: calls for Moyes – but not from me personally. My Kopite brother-in-law asked me how it went and what I thought about the manager situation. We always talk football. I jokingly said Klopp is available!!!
Give Pickford his due. Despite him costing us and he knew it, he came straight over. He passed his gloves to one young supporter in the front row and his shirt to another. As always, Mykolenko didn’t shy away.
Although it made me think how much I’d like to have him back, it was a really nice gesture to see Richarlson come close to the remaining Evertonians at the end and give his shirt to a young supporter and applaud those of us still in the ground. He got an equally warm reception.
I know the tickets for the Doncaster match are only £15 and I think only £4 for kids. Well, even though I know it won’t happen, the club should be putting on free tickets after that.
With the uncertainty of the ownership and a now deteriorating relationship with the manager, they need to regain trust with us. I know we are only two matches in and it isn’t time to panic just yet, but give us something, Everton.
Thank you to Neil, appreciated. Nice to see John and others and I caught Rob briefly at the end. Sorry I didn’t make it to Euston in time. That queuing system to get into White Hart Lane station is brutal and takes an eternity.
Difficult to pick a man of the match when just about every player was below par. Mykolenko didn’t do too bad considering the pressure he was under with little protection from McNeil. But I have to go for young Dixon. He’s the only player who comes out of that with any sort of credibility.
Sorry I can’t be my usual self, but that was a painful watch. Still, we march on to the next one. There is a long season to go. It’s not done yet.
Respect to those 3,000 supporters who made the trip. I spoke to a young lad on the way out. He was saying he never wants to watch us again. I said to him, “You’ll be back.” His simple response was. “I know!”