Tentative Tottenham - Football (Soccer) News And Picks

Tentative Tottenham
By Tim Robertson
Posted: 6:00 am PDT 2007-01-23

Tottenham's 1-1 draw with a shorthanded Fulham squad Saturday encapsulated Spurs' entire season to this point. It was a tentative performance by a group of players who failed to take advantage of open play.

The talented North Londoners should be in the mix at the top of the tables, yet find themselves lingering in a mediocre traffic jam and seem to be veering toward the off-ramp instead of the fast lane.

Granted, there is still ample time for Spurs to work their way into the UEFA picture, but they show no signs of living up to their potential during this campaign.

Spurs appeared indifferent early on in the Craven Cottage tie, uncomfortable in the windy conditions and listless with Robbie Keane and Aaron Lennon starting out on the bench. Apparently Martin Jol wanted to rest these two stars, anticipating an upcoming Carling Cup clash with Arsenal. This is a questionable decision considering Tottenham's disappointing position in the EPL standings against a squad only four points in arrears.

The door is still open for Spurs to move ahead of sputtering squads Reading, Portsmouth and Bolton, yet strangely Jol seems more concerned with external competition at this point in time.

Fulham was down to 10 men after only 52 minutes, but Spurs were simply indecisive and had to scramble to walk away with a point after conceding a PK goal late in the game. Yet Jol did not seem upset at a failure to take advantage of being a man up.

"In England, people talk about 11 v. 10 but if you play 4-4-2 and one striker comes off, there is no difference," said Jol. "The only difference is that either Michael Dawson or Anthony Gardner can play a long ball, and that's not our game."

Regardless of Tottenham's style, the general strategy must change to go after a full three points while playing a man up, and playing the long ball into dangerous areas cannot be ignored if the openings are there. There is clearly a tentative attacking approach, which undermines its ability.

It's as if the entire Spurs organization, top to bottom, wants to pretend it is not underachieving. It has only one win in January, which was a replay victory over lower division Cardiff City in the FA Cup. Tottenham is winless in its last four EPL games.

There are no more EPL matches for Spurs in January, merely a double-dose of Arsenal in the Carling Cup with an FA Cup contest vs. Southend sandwiched in between. Spurs will certainly be underdogs on WagerWeb.com for the Carling Cup fixtures, but be sure to check the site for updated betting odds.

A solid performance at home vs. Manchester United on Feb. 4 will indicate whether or not Tottenham has the desire for a strong league finish. No doubt the ability is there, the players and manager must simply shed the tentative mindset and let loose on the wings vs. Man U. Taking some chances with the talent it has will bear fruit if everyone is willing to step up.

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