So there we go. Bournemouth showed plenty this afternoon, particularly in the first half, and I’m sure they’ll stay up. Spurs, though, played with the confidence of a side which properly rates itself, and eventually their class told. Thanks for your company and comments – sorry I couldn’t use them all – and enjoy what’s left of the weekend. Ta-ra.
Full-time: Bournemouth 1-4 Tottenham Hotspur
Excellent from Spurs, who go above Liverpool by a point and now sit third. Bournemouth stay 12th.
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90+5 min Spurs enjoy the closing seconds, while Bournemouth do not.
90+3 min This has been a really good effort from Spurs, who lost their best player and talisman when a goal down. Alli, Son and Eriksen have really taken responsibility, while Pochettino made a very good call to bring on Lamela when he could easily have gone for Llorente or Moura.
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GOAL! Bournemouth 1-4 Tottenham Hotspur (Aurier, 90+1)
Sissoko trips over the ball 30 yards out, but recovers it in time to roll nicely into the path of Trippier. He caresses a fair cross into the middle but Begovic really should do better than palm towards the back post - where Aurier nods home from an acute angle.
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90 min There shall be five additional minutes.
89 min “Nice one Sonny” sing the away fans with all the gusto of a support who’ve happened upon a new tune. Surely it hasn’t taken this long to come up with that?
GOAL! Bournemouth 1-3 Tottenham Hotspur (Son, 87)
Lewis Cook overruns possession and all it takes is once pass from Eriksen, well inside his own half, to send Son in on goal, at inside-left. Alongside him, Lamela is pounding through the middle so he shapes to roll him in, then drags the ball around the keeper the other way - we don’t see enough keeper roundings these days - then rams a finish high into the net. Great finish, fine player.
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87 min Sissoko is basically that kid in the playground who hits puberty first and chases faster and harder than everyone else. He’s already conceded a free-kick.
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85 min Alli has hurt himself so is replaced by Sissoko, after taking roughly 69,027 minutes to amble off the pitch, loving each and every one of them individually.
84 min Ball launched towards the box and Ake wins it; Wilson shoves Sanchez and pokes home, but fails to hoodwink Mikey Dean. Oh, you’ve to get up very early in the morning to pull that one off, yes you do.
82 min Francis humps long and Wilson sets off in pursuit; that Alan Parry alters the pitch of his voice tells you how threatening Bournemouth have looked this half, and Lloris collects easily.
81 min Danny-danny Rose has hurt himself, so Kieron Trippikiyay comes on. He goes to right-back, and Aurier steps across to the lleft.
79 min Ibe floats in an absolute dog, and Spurs clear easily.
78 min Spurs are sitting a bit deeper now, but Bournemouth are struggling to use the extra space. But they find Ibe, who darts a clever pass into Wilson; Vertonghen opts to slide in and cede the corner.
76 min Eddie Howe sends on Jermain Defoe for Junior Stanislas; he comes on with a note for Dan Gosling which seems to read “YOUR MUM”.
74 min Nice from Smith, jinking by a couple of men down the left and moving it onto Cook, who squares for Francis. 20 yards out, he has a decent sight of goal, but flings his whole body into a drive which wafts over the top.
72 min Lovely feet from Dembele, three lovely touches in a confined space setting an attack away. Nothing comes of it, and in any case I wonder if his hot streak is over now; at 30, does he still have scope to find the consistency he needs to be a top player?
71 min Rose is coming onto a game, and he weaves forward, rushing the ball into Alli, who finds Son. He shoots and the effort is deflected behind, but the prospect of a corner doesn’t spare him a telling for not having passed.
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69 min What kind of player is Dele Alli going to be? He can be great in a free role, but if he’s not scoring or creating, doesn’t contribute much. I’ve always thought that a player with his attitude and physique needs to be involved in the game as much as possible, so should play in midfield.
68 min A double change for Bournemouth: off go Daniels and Mousset, on come Ibe and King.
66 min Lovely from Lamela, beating Stanislas along the by-line then rolling his studs over the ball to take it away from Daniels before prodding against Ake, whose unwitting deflection concedes another corner. It comes to nothing.
64 min Son has, over the last couple of months, progressed from useful accessory to must-have staple. Not many players can play across the front line and fewer still are as two-footed; he now has six in four games, and there he is again, running the channel on the right of the box, stealing a march on Cook and rattling a shot into the near post which Begovic shovels around the post.
GOAL! Bournemouth 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur (Son, 62)
Spurs have passed it really well this half, showing great composure. Son is involved in the move early, and in the middle when the ball arrives at Alli, loitering on the left of the box. He looks up and picks over a lovely pass, which Son volleys into the ground, a dodgy contact enough to deceive Begovic.
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61 min Rose reaches a loose ball before Gosling who, committed to the tackle, has no option but to foul him. He’s booked.
60 min How long till Pochettino makes another change? On the one hand, Spurs are playing pretty well, but on the other another body in the box might help. Do they really need Dembele and Wanyama?
58 min Lovely from Stanislas, nipping the ball away from Aurier, who sells himself for a burton because he simply cannot help it. As 63 defenders rush over to resolve the situation, Stanislas knocks it square to Gosling who, faced with a lunging Rose, drags a low shot wide.
58 min Eriksen plays into Lamela and glides forward, accepting a square pass and immediately whipping a low shot which Begovic saves.
56 min Alli turns up on the left wing, nicking the ball away from Francis who ploughs through him. No foul, reckons Mikey Dean – we don’t see it, but I’m hoping he indicates as much by uncrossing his arms – let’s assume.
54 min Son plays a delicious little pass out to Alli, who lankily saunters inside before feeding a return into the box. As he accepts the ball, Daniels kicks through him and down he goes, but Mikey Dean sees nothing; fair enough in a sense, it probably didn’t hurt much, but it did probably contravene the laws of the game.
53 min Spurs are back to dominating possession, sweeping the ball from right to left via Eriksen and Son. But Rose can’t control his cross on the run, which sails behind.
52 min This is fantastic. Football is the greatest.
The game comes to a stop in the 13th minute as everyone pays tribute to Davide Astori.
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 11, 2018
Beautiful 💜 pic.twitter.com/6HPo5P4jrc
50 min Eriksen swings in a cross from the right and Alli shapes to hook it home, but Cook, after reacting slowly, does superbly to insinuate himself between man and ball, his crucial touch allowing Francis to slam clear.
49 min The ballboy who got telt in the first half has an identical twin sat on the opposite touchline.
47 min Bournemouth have started then second half as well as they started the first, and when Sanchez tickles a clearance, Francis puts his foot through it swiping hard; Lloris saves easily enough, and from the resultant corner, curled in by Stanislas, Aurier heads against Ake’s face. The ball flies wide, and Ake stays down for treatment.
46 min Francis curls a long pass into the channel, missed by both Vertonghen and Wilson. But Smith can’t pick it up, and Spurs clear.
46 min Off we pootle once more.
Kane has diddled his right angle – possibly the ligaments of. That’s bad news for Spurs, but might be ok news for England, provided it’s not too serious.
“Speaking of stepping up, it really feels like Bournemouth is just one top-drawer attacking player away from challenging for European places,” emails Kari Tulinius. “I wasn’t too convinced by them last season, but they seem to have adapted really well this time around, but they need to score more goals.”
Easier said than done, but I really like Wilson, who must be a proper aggravation to mark, and Lewis Cook.
“Not sure four sub appearances, one goal & two assists makes Moura an inferior player to Lamela,” tweets Mike, “who needed two seasons to ‘settle in’ to his ‘form’, which seems to involve a lot of clumsy fouls and very few goals. Problematic favouritism from MoPo. Is it cos he is Argentinian?!”
I very much doubt that. As far as I can see, Lamela leads the press and offers clever passing and balance.
Looking at the Kane injury, Begovic’s whole body went through his ankle looking to smother the shot. He’ll be resting up for a while, I shouldn’t wonder.
Half-time: Bournemouth 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur
That was a really good half of “Premier League football”. Bournemouth set about Spurs early and their goal reflected the balance of play, but Spurs slowly inched into things and were in the process of improving when Kane went off. They then equalised and more or less dominated thereafter; the second half should be decent.
45 min There’ll be two additional minutes.
45 min Eriksen in low and fast to Lamela, who tees him with a deft touch - the shot scoots wide.
45 min Vertonghen steps forward and misplaces his pass, Wilson snapping into it and heading for the vacated space. But various defenders converge upon him and the danger is averted.
43 min Peter Raleigh is back, and he says: “Fair play, this step certainly doesn’t get to last forever, but I think it can reasonably last longer than it has. Your intro says it is ‘long since time’ that Spurs seriously contended for top honours - so when did that time arrive? Their first season in the top 4? Their second? Maybe this is the reality of modern football, but that seems like it’s permitting them a very small window in which to develop. It’s not as though there aren’t already signs of year-on-year improvement.”
Naw, not a reality of modern football, simply that teams generally operate in four-year cycles. In that context, if it’s a season overdue, that’s significant.
41 min Spurs look really confident in possession now, Eriksen doing his best David Silva impression by popping up all over the show. Bournemouth are sitting pretty deep now, rather than engaging the men with the ball.
40 min Wilson is a really good player, and he moves the ball onto Smith, over towards the left from the right flank. But he deices not allow it across his body, the shape of which forces him to sweep wide.
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38 min That goal will have shaken Bournemouth, who had been comfortable until that point. But three quick passes can be enough to undo any team.
GOAL! Bournemouth 1-1 Tottenham Hotspurs (Alli, 35)
These is a beautifully constructed goal. On the right, Lamela feeds Son, who snaps a pass into Aurier’s stride and suddenly Spurs are around the back for the first time. Immediately, Aurier curls in a low cross between keeper and back four, and Alli cleverly controls a finish for his first goal since Palaeolithic times. He celebrates in the correct manner, goading the home fans via hand cupping ear.
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33 min Lamela is stripped and ready, and on he comes. That doesn’t say much for Fernando Llorente, and I’m also surprised that he comes on ahead of Moura, an inferior player but one who might ask Bournemouth a few different and more pertinent questions.
32 min Spurs have Bournemouth pushed back now, but Kane, off to get treatment, slopes down the tunnel! Where’s Vincent Janssen when you need him? Anyway, Eriksen and Aurier combine, the former teeing up the latter to cross, and as the ball drops, Alli swipes at fresh air to widespread mirth.
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30 min Kane hurt himself colliding with Begovic, so accepts treatment. In the meantime, here’s Matt loten: “Perhaps one thing Spurs need is more of a ‘Lads, it’s Tottenham’ quality: an almost arrogant self-belief that they are going to go out and dominate a match against inferior opposition. They often turn up against the big teams, but they seem to sleepwalk through the opening months and drop silly points against teams that title winners would swat aside, like they’re threatening to do today. I don’t buy into the theory that they ‘have’ to win a trophy to breed that confidence; I think a few of their players (Eriksen and Alli are prime examples) need to look at Harry Kane, and take heed of his desire to leave his mark on every single match, regardless of the opposition.”
I think they have that – what they don’t have is the attacking options that redeem a poor performance, or a first XI quite good enough to beat a good team playing well.
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28 min Clever, disguised pass from Son, gently down the line for Alli. He keeps things moving, the ball reaches Aurier, and when his square ball is wayward, Spurs are quick to regain possession. This is much better from them, and when Son finds Eriksen on the right, he curves a clever pass into the middle for Kane to turn home. He’s offside, but the flow of this game has changed.
27 min Son wins Spurs a corner down the left, and when the ball is cleared back to him, a low cross finds Vertonghen. He drags a shot from around his spectacular buttocks, but Daniels flings himself into a challenge which is enough to force him to fire high.
26 min “If Spurs thinks they can afford to let Alderweireld go,” emails Paul Binns, “Wednesday and today is proof that they are deluded. Sanchez has been good but can’t compare to Alderweireld’s commanding composure and organisation.”
I doubt Spurs think they can afford to let him go, but that probably isn’t in their control - if a better team, or one with more money make an offer, chances are he’ll take it, and who can blame him?
24 min The game’s gone a little quiet, which might suit both teams. Bournemouth will happily see time elapse in its characteristic style, while Spurs have a chance to find themselves. Feel free to send in any further existentialist thoughts.
22 min “Peter Raleigh and other similar thinking members of the fanbase are the reason we won’t push on,” reckons Alistair Donegan. “Having the sixth-biggest spend and finishing above sixth is nothing to celebrate - winning is. The point is, spend a bit more and we could win it. By celebrating noble failure you’re enabling Levy and ENIC to always, ALWAYS sell us short.”
I agree with this, more or less. Of course it’s great to finish above teams with bigger budgets, but that’s not what the competition is there to measure.
21 min We’ve not seen Kane, Eriksen or Alli yet, largely because we’ve barely seen Wanyama or Dembele yet. Bournemouth are giving them very little time or space, while Wilson and Stanislas are sending for Sanchez and Vertonghen. Meanwhile, a ballboy gets a mapolleh for chucking one at Vertonghen’s knees.
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19 min “Admittedly, I am an absolute outsider with no investment,” emails Matt Dony, “but I think patience and development are the key necessities for Spurs, for Pochettino as much as anyone else. He rightly gets plaudits as a manager, but he’s still relatively young, and before the Spurs gig hadn’t worked at any great length with players of an Eriksen/Kane sort of quality. He will improve and learn, which will bring more out of his players. The first XI might not be comparable with, say, City, but they are certainly good enough to win a few trophies.”
I think that’s fair, provided he keeps the team together. But if the aim is to challenge for the big pots, there’s work that needs doing.
18 min A long ball out to the right finds Wilson, sealing in front of Sanchez, who consolidates his error by selling himself, forcing Rose to foul. He’s booked, but the free-kick from close to the right touchline, is rubbish and Spurs clear.
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16 min Spurs knock the ball along the back four before finding Son down the left. He’s really stepped things up this season - perhaps his incremental improvement will obviate the need to sign another winger – and his low cross is decent, but shoved away by Begovic.
14 min Spurs are gently easing themselves into this.
12 min “Why can’t Spurs finish taking THIS step before we start asking why they can’t take the next one?” asks Peter Raleigh. “Spurs have never finished top 4 in consecutive PL seasons before, let alone three in a row as they may do now. I suppose I should be grateful for the rapid promotion to ‘team which ought to be criticised for not winning the league,’ but we’re resolutely 6th in revenue and wage spending, and clearly punching above our weight as it is. An upward trajectory needn’t have reached the very top to be recognised as such.”
I think you’re conflating two things here. Obviously they’re doing very well for what they’ve spent, but that’s not really relevant when discussing the need to improve. And how long does this step last? Inferior teams to Spurs have won competitions they’ve been in recently.
10 min “I’m a Spurs fan and am very proud of what the club have achieved in the last few seasons,” emails Mike Rayment. “However there are definitely replaceable players in that first XI. Going forward we’re incredible, it’s the foundations at the back that are questionable. Dier was poor on Wednesday night and Dembele’s form dropped off significantly in the second half when Juve pressed.
Man City, Chelsea and Man Utd (the three most successful English clubs of recent years in terms of trophies) aren’t afraid to get rid of players who don’t cut it, Spurs should be the same. The problem for Spurs is that we don’t have the luxury of endless money to replace players on a whim.”
Yes, agree with most of that. I wonder if Alli could play in midfield, allowing a proper number 10. And on Dembele, he’s very old for someone still to prove an ability to cut it consistently at the highest level - though a brilliant talent.
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8 min Bournemouth have started really well here; Spurs haven’t even started. And though they’re the only side in the league not to lose in 2018, they have yet to win from a losing position this season.
GOAL! Bournemouth 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur (Stanislas, 7)
No mistakes this time! Smith takes a great touch down the right, back to Rose - he flicks the ball around him, turns, fetches, and crosse on the runs. Meanwhile, in the middle, Sanchez is out of position, Aurier doesn’t call him back, and Stanislas chests down to spank a low drive just inside the far post!
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4 min What a miss! Exceptional! Bournemouth break and one pass is all it takes to send Mousset screeching away down the middle, Stanislas alongside. Sanchez is in pursuit so he squares to leave Stanislas a tap-in ... except Lloris does really well to get over and dive in front, forcing a lifted finish ... of which Stanislas gets too much, and the ball bashes the face of the bar!
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3 min Today represents a big chance for Danny Rose. There aren’t many places better to play than Spurs, fewer still who want and can afford him, so he may have to stay where he is - in which case he’ll be wanting to nail down a spot in the side.
1 min Christian Eriksen is into the game immediately, prompting around the Bournemouth box. But he’s crowded out and the home team are away.
1 min Bournemouth set us away.
Bournemouth huddle, to discuss whether entry to the single market is possible after Brexit.
The crowd sing Sweet Caroline. Is Daryl Gurney in attendance?
I remember thinking similar about Rio Ferdinand who, towards the end of his career stayed back while Patrice Evra went up and revealed a talent for scoring with headers.
Vertonghen hasn’t scored in 5 years for Tottenham! They have had 1182 corners in that period. He is coming up at all corners...
— Jan Aage Fjortoft (@JanAageFjortoft) March 11, 2018
Great points by @SimenAxel at TV2-studio
The players are ready in the tunnel, tracky tops on and everyfink. Here they come!
On the same topic, here’s William Hargreaves: “As a Gooner, I enviously admit they need only to carry on as they are and ensure that spirit grows. Wenger has tenacity, ability to embody the spirit needed to win a trophy. Poch et al will get there soon, I fear.”
I’m not sure the team is strong enough not to need strengthening. The question for me is in what position – perhaps alongside Dembele.
“In answer to your question,” tweets Mike, “not playing Aurier and playing Moura would be a start! MoPo’s done pretty well, but often seems a bear of little brain, especially his lack of tactical flexibility and defending cheating. His own red card record (13) isn’t inspiring.”
Not sure about that last bit – the best side is rarely the cleanest side – and not sure Aurier is the reason Spurs haven’t taken the next step.
Eddie Howe explains that Josh King has a neck problem, and hopes that his players will start the game well. Asked about controlling Harry Kane, he explains that “As I always say, when you’re dealing with individual players it’s about the team.” Not sure I’d be so keen to assert ownership of that insight, but there we go.
“Is this about character for Spurs today, Tim?”
“Yeah, it’s about dusting themselves dahn.”
Skill is, of course, entirely irrelevant to this enterprise.
Mauricio Pochettino accepts Sky’s commiserations for Spurs’ European exit – it’s a touching moment, I can tell you. He explains that Davies is fatigued but says Rose is ready, and that he’d like his team to improve their position - “the competition does not wait” for them to finish mourning the loss to Juventus.
Tim Sherwood is in the Sky studio.
I ask this question a lot, because I don’t know the answer, so: what do Spurs need to do take the next step? Their first XI is nailed down with high-quality players, so it’s tricky to advocate replacing any of them. Yet, quite clearly, it’s not been good enough to contest the major prizes, so does Mauricio Pochettino just wait for his younger players to improve sufficiently? Or change something, whether personnel, formation or both?
So Bournemouth make one change, Mousset replacing King. Spurs, meanwhile, make three changes from midweek, Trippier, Davies and Dier stepping out to be replaced by Aurier, Rose and Wanyama.
Police and Thieves
Bournemouth (a studied 4-4-1-1): Begovic; Francis, Cook S, Ake, Daniels; Smith, Cook L, Gosling, Stanislas; Mousset, Wilson. Subs: Boruc, Sermon, Arter, Fraser, Ibe, king, Defoe.
Tottenham Hotspur (a drilled 4-2-3-1): Lloris; Aurier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Rose; Wanyama, Dembele; Eriksen, Alli, Son; Kane. Subs: Vorm, Trippier, Dier, Sissoko, Lamela, Moura, Llorente.
Leading man: Mike Dean (Wirral)
Preamble
Not many of us marry our first, second or sixty-second love, let alone make a go of it. Rather, we learn from experience, hope to get there in the end, and either do or don’t.
So it makes little sense to chastise Spurs for their naivety in losing to Juventus, nor to decry them as bottlers. It is possible for one good side to shade another just because, because football is like that; it is also possible for one good side to shade another because they have better players, able to turn it up at clutch beyond the scope of their opponents. And for all Spurs’ virtues, they don’t have a defender as good as Giorgio Chiellini, nor an attacker as dynamic as Paulo Dybala.
On the other hand, it is long since time that they asserted themselves to the tune of substance. For all the fuss, they have not even come close to winning the title or a cup these past three seasons – not because they weren’t strong enough at the end of the race, but because they didn’t start it in the proper manner. So they need to recover their poise this afternoon, to keep on track for next season’s Champions League and to prepare them for a taxing Cup quarter with Swansea next weekend.
As for Bournemouth, they’re doing ok. January wins over Arsenal and Chelsea lifted them away from the relegation struggle, but sketchier recent form means that they are only six points above the bottom three. They should have more than enough to stay up, but the longer it goes, tiddly-pom, the closer it goes, tiddly-pom, the more who stays and who goes, tiddly-pom, can be determined by relatively little. So they need the points, and can be relied upon to try and take them.
Kick-off: 4pm GMT
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