Spurs (a); The Review

Biggest Positive

Yet again, the positive to take away – that we played lovely football, making good chances, and did so while playing with determination and grit – counts for sweet FA because we came away with nul points.

It is beyond frustrating that the league table does in fact lie. We may be rock bottom, but this is a remarkable team in many ways. It is shit that in years to come, few will remember anything other than we didn’t spend, and got immediately relegated.

Midweek Moan

Last night was my first big VAR moment while in the stadium, for the red card check and for the Pukki penalty.

Aside from hating VAR and everything it stands for, one thing that stood out for me during the interminably long check before the pen; several spurs players used the long wait to crowd around Pukki and give him grief. The referee was nowhere to be seen. The shambles goes on.

At least Pukki put them back in their box with a fine (just about) finish.

Moment of the match

There were four moments of the match: clear cut, well-worked chances, from which the stats show we had no (0) shots on target.

Random Star Performer

If you’ve spent any time in the NCFC fan groups, you will be familiar with a type of fan who loves nothing more than to spend their time brutally slagging our players, finding anything – anything – to pick them apart and give them grief.

Last night, I was stood behind an In-Real-Life Facebook fan group, and because of the absolute slating they were giving Todd for the two or three mistakes he made, I am going to pick Todd as the Random Star Performer for the game. Yes he wasn’t perfect, but he was his consistently good self, brave on the ball and setting up some of the chances that we should have taken.

All fans have a right to say what they think about players, and I have every right to think their views are absolute squit.

Atmosphere

I had high hopes for my first visit to Spurs’ newish ground. It is a genuinely beautiful stadium. Under the stands is decently done, there was a decent range of beer (which was cheap for London, let alone for a Premier League ground in London), and pleasant stewarding. It is a beautiful vista as you walk up the steps to the seats. Best of all, Spurs have all but installed safe standing, with very unobtrusive seats, and rails to lean on. A very good standing experience.

The atmosphere itself was so-so. Spurs fans I had a drink with before the game were insistent that they can make a racket (especially compared to the Emirates) but their team’s performances weren’t meriting that at the moment. They got a decent bellow going in the 88th, but that was it. The City contingent was big but didn’t bring the noise to accompany the impressive numbers.

Farke Watch

There’s nothing left to say. He’s getting his job right. All we were missing last night was taking just a couple of the golden chances.

Summary

This season is on the whole remarkably enjoyable given where we are in the table, but good grief it is also frustrating AF. Almost every game follows the same script: holding our own, playing lovely Farkeball, making good chances, not taking them, and then bang the other side nick one.

It is incredibly gutting to be *this* close to being the league’s most attractive attacking team outside the top four, but falling just short so consistently that we’re the basement boys.