For the first time this season I am HAPPY with my game
(Come on then, Harry, give us a few smiles...)
UPON completing their warm-up, tottenham Hotspur’s players were summoned by Harry Kane for an impromptu huddle before heading inside.
Whatever was said was private, but you suspect the stand-in captain’s instructions included making sure they prove they are still playing for manager Mauricio Pochettino.
this was far from vintage tottenham but the troops did their jobs. they fought and won, bouncing back from three straight defeats.
Kane admitted that, for the first time this season, he was pleased with a performance. It was not the prettiest, but it was workmanlike and professional.
It had been a testing two weeks for Pochettino following losses to Watford, Liverpool and then Inter Milan. In modern football, it does not take much for the vultures to start circling.
Pochettino understands it is the way of the world. Criticism comes with the pay-cheque. Kane accepts the knee-jerk nature of football too. He knew only a win over Brighton would provide respite.
‘It was a big win for us,’ Kane said. ‘the energy was there, everyone was working hard. A lot of people speak about tiredness and fatigue, but we all feel fine. It was important we showed that.
‘As a striker, you go through good spells, bad spells. As a striker you are going to be under the microscope more than everyone else. that is the life of the striker. You will get chances, miss chances, feel you can hold it up better. All you can do is look forward and try to improve.’
After a handball in the box by Glenn Murray was spotted by referee Chris Kavanagh, Kane scored tottenham’s opener from the penalty spot — his third goal in six Premier League games.
For your everyday striker, that might be satisfactory. For England’s centre forward, it is not. ‘I have scored three goals this season, which is not terrible,’ he said. ‘Obviously when you set standards in other seasons and other games, people will talk if you do not reach them. I am the first to analyse my game and see what I could do better.
‘Of course I feel I could have done better in most games this season. this was probably the first game I was truly happy with my all-round performance.’
tottenham’s players turned up at the Amex dressed head to toe in slick dark suits that would have impressed ‘the Man in Black’ Johnny Cash. they looked the part, putting on a serious front for the cameras, but the performance had to match their steely faces. their finishing was suspect, as they relied on substitute Erik Lamela to finally double their advantage ahead of Anthony Knockaert’s consolation strike in stoppage time.
Pochettino, though, had a message for his critics after his side’s mini-slump. ‘Football is not two plus two equals four,’ the Argentine said. ‘that is the problem sometimes. Sometimes you are so happy with the way you prepare a game, then you go to play it and you lose. Sometimes you can only prepare the minimum, then you play fantastic.
‘What pleased me is the spirit. they showed me that, “We are here, we are going to fight for you gaffer, we are going to fight for tottenham, for the fans”. the team fought. I am a person that accepts all the criticism and understands that when you don’t play well, when you don’t win, and you are at a club like tottenham, of course you are not going to receive prizes.’ Brighton felt defeat was harsh but the statistics said otherwise. Chris Hughton’s side only managed 28.5 per cent possession and eight shots — half as many as the visitors. they might have snatched a draw at the death, however.
After scoring in the third minute of stoppage time, Knockaert had another opportunity, but aimed his shot directly at Paulo Gazzaniga, tottenham’s third-choice goalkeeper who had been a commanding presence earlier when Brighton tried to expose them at the set-piece.
On the touchline, Pochettino was puffing out his cheeks, as Hughton looked to the heavens. Up next for Brighton is a visit to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
‘that’s part and parcel of the game,’ said Hughton. ‘We said with Liverpool that they don’t come much harder, but it is probably the same with Manchester City.’
So after a month of waiting, Pochettino has that winning feeling again. Only time will tell whether this 2-1 win by the seaside was what sparked tottenham’s season back into life.