Newcastle United (Away) 04.04.2021

Tottenham put in a half-hearted performance at St. James Park in a game that required only a little more concentration and application to see off Newcastle United instead of having to come away with a single point from a 2-2 draw.

Just over two minutes after kick off, Davinson Sanchez allowed a ball to bounce and then weakly headed it straight to Joelinton, who took the ball to the edge of the box and fired a shot straight down Hugo Lloris’ throat. Then a couple of minutes later, a foul on the left wing on Moura gave Lucas an opportunity to play a free-kick in that missed everyone but also missed the goal at the far post. Lucas was proving a problem for Newcastle and another free-kick came when he ran directly at the Newcastle goal from just inside their half and was brought down by Almiron 25 yards out. Being put down right in the middle of the goal, Kane could only hit the wall and the danger was averted.

Kane swapped passes with Reguilon on the left and drifted into the box on the left side, hitting a shot that Dubravka managed to push wide from a narrow angle. Spurs had a warning when Dwight Gayle headed over a cross off Tanganga’s head and the Newcastle striker should have done better when
another right-wing cross came in, this time from Shelvey and he got between Sanchez and Japhet. His header to Hugo’s right brought a full length stretch to claw the ball out and then when Gayle got to the rebound a yard out Lloris recovered quickly and touched the ball onto the post and then he fell back
trapping the ball under his back to then grab it. It was sleepy defending and Spurs could not be complacent and needed to be alert.

Murphy took on Reguilon and got to the dead-ball line but pulled it back to an area where there were three yellow shirts.  Not learning, sloppily playing the ball out from the back, Spurs handed the ball to the home side on the corner of the box, when Tanganga and Sanchez presented the ball to Longstaff, who played a square ball across the box to his right for Joelinton to slide the ball inside Hugo’s left hand post to give them the lead when the pressure on Tottenham paid off. It was a giveaway goal when Newcastle are struggling down the bottom of the table and they need all the help that they can get.

With the disappointment of letting in such a soft goal, it was going to be a long road back into the match, but the long road got a lot shorter when Hojbjerg passed to Tanguy Ndombele and his pass forward was Kane into the box looked as though the defence would get there first, but Emil Krafth inexplicably ran over the ball, confusing his keeper and leaving it for Kane to put into an empty net with 90 seconds gone since the ball was in the net at the other end. With Newcastle being so fragile, it was the ideal response, even if there was a slice of luck involved, but Spurs needed to ram their psychological advantage home against a side who had been playing well, but generally lack confidence and resilience.

Spurs suddenly sparked into action, with Vinicius getting to the line and crossing where Newcastle had to hurriedly clear the ball away.  When Spurs zipped passes into feet, they really caused Newcastle problems, so, when they repeated the move with the same three players who created the goal, Tanguy fed Kane inside the right hand side of the box. Harry took a touch and then fired it right footed low across the keeper to bury it in the opposite bottom corner of the net. It was a piece of clinical finishing that is now second nature to the Spurs scorer.

Rodon did well to cut out a low cross with Gayle coming in behind him and then Newcastle kept the pressure on the Spurs penalty area for a few minutes, as Spurs were not clearing the ball effectively.  Lloris had to run out of his box to beat Almiron to a ball when the home team forward would have been in the clear. Newcastle had a free-kick near the end of the half when Lo Celso got booked for baulking Almiron and it ended with Longstaff poking a shot wide at the far post and then Joelinton put a dangerous ball across the Spurs six yard box. Our defence was far too open and any side who could produce a decent pass would have made the most of the space between our back four. As it was Spurs reached half-time with a lead and I am sure that Jose Mourinho would have been getting them to tighten up for the second half.

That didn’t happen as it started like the first, with Sanchez putting a weak defensive header straight to Almiron, who tried to bend a shot around Hugo from their right corner of the box, forcing Lloris to tip it wide, although it might not have been going in. Having brought on Heung-Min Son for Vinicius, it wasn’t the start that Spurs had probably envisaged. Murphy was getting the better of Sergio Reguilon, crossing to the far post, where Spurs got it away and then Murphy popped up on the edge of the box and had shots blocked by Sanchez and Rodon, before Longstaff blazed it over the bar. It was a forceful
start by the home team and Spurs needed to start imposing themselves on the game.

Tottenham‘s passing was so sloppy for the first fifteen minutes of the second half and clearances were just hit anywhere, leading to the ball coming back onto the defence. Lamela came on and his first action brought a foul from Dummett. From the free-kick, Spurs won a corner and from that Tanganga headed back Dubravka’s weak punch back at goal and Almiron headed it off the line. Soon after Lamela picked out a ball to the left side of the box and Reguilon played it into the goalmouth, but Newcastle cleared the ball.

Joelinton had a great chance to equalise with just about 20 minutes left, when Krafth’s cross found the Brazilian unmarked at the far post. He brought the ball down with one touch and then put his shot wide of the other side of the goal, when he only had to get it on target from a couple of yards out. Spurs relieved the pressure with Lamela running at the Newcastle defence, but his progress was halted by a foul on him by Shelvey. Again, Kane hit the wall with the free-kick and a cross came in that was cleared, although when Ndombele picked the ball off and slid it into the box for Harry, it wasn’t quite
right for him to get a shot on goal, improvising a flick that Dubravka smothered.

A good ball into the Newcastle area by Lo Celso picked out Son, who tried to play in Harry Kane with a first-time touch, but might have had a go himself, being ten yards out. There were too many poor touches and weak challenges that could have caused trouble for our defence. When they did clear a corner, Almiron clattered Lo Celso, but the ref played on and Spurs broke on Newcastle with Lamela leading the way. He had Son to his right and waited for Kane to come up on his left. Harry cut inside and struck a low left footer that cannoned off the outside of the post. It proved to be a costly miss.

Starting in midfield Saint-Maximin played the ball left and the cross to the far post was headed back across by Joelinton and Ritchie’s header was blocked by Rodon and Sanchez but dropped for Willock to fire in off the crossbar for a late equaliser. It was more loose defending allowing the ball to
travel so easily without a challenge and once more the Magpies grabbed a late leveller against us this season.

A Spurs free-kick 28 yards out was taken by Gareth Bale who had just come on and he fired it too high, while at the other end, Longstaff had a shooting chance, but pulled it wide. Reguilon put a cross in that came through to Lamela at the far post and he put it into the side-netting.

It was another two points thrown away to a side we should have buried. Losing too many points from winning positions have cost us 15 points this season and the old story of not finishing teams off was re-told again today. Newcastle worked hard, but giving them a goal start made this a harder proposition
than it should have been.  For Mourinho to say “Same coach – different players” when asked how his sides used to be able to close out games like this is a little disingenuous.  His team selection, substitutions, his direction and management of the players during the game leaves him partially responsible.  Not totally, as the players have to take their share of the responsibility, as Mourinho cannot be blamed for mistakes players make.  He can however make the players better when he has them on the training ground.  His appointment was always going to be a marmite one.  The past might have weighed against him, but the present is what he should be judged on and at the moment, he has failed to improve the way the team has performed across this season so far.

Stanford Rivers

Harry Kane’s brace took him to 84 away goals scored in the Premier League – more than any other player in the competition.