Phil Thompson: Missed chances for Spurs
Sprus will rue a lot of these chances that they have had in this game. It was so easy for them and that was the problem.
Phil Thompson said that Spurs should have been 'out of sight' before letting in two late goals that cost them an away victory at Fulham.
Spurs took a 3-1 lead in the second half when Gareth Bale scored his first goal since signing from Southampton, adding to Younes Kaboul and Dimitar Berbatov's goals in the first-half.
Clint Dempsey scored for Fulham before the break and it was late efforts from Alexei Smertin (77) and Diomansy Kamara (90) that earned Lawrie Sanchez's side a hard-won point.
Thompson, talking to Soccer Saturday, said that Spurs should have had the game wrapped up before Kamara's late intervention and wondered if perhaps the game had become too easy for them.
"I don't know how they have not won this game," he said.
"I should be sitting here saying what a fantastic performance it had been, talking about how many of the better players on the park were Spurs players. A tremendous performance, Martin Jol lifts everyone up.
"I am not, I am sitting here saying it is great for Fulham, that they have clawed their way back, but Spurs should have been out of sight.
"They will rue a lot of these chances that they have had in this game. It was so easy for them and that was the problem.
"They got a little bit sloppy in everything and Lawrie Sanchez was great, he threw (Collins) John on and (David) Healy on, and took a real chance, and they got back into it."
Thompson also said that Martin Jol probably saw the writing on the wall when an element of luck allowed Fulham back into the game at 3-2.
He said: "It was a fantastic goal that has levelled it for Diomansy Kamara, an overhead kick right in the top corner, but I think it was probably 3-2 and Smertin's goal that said everything for Martin Jol.
"He hit it, the ball came off (Ricardo) Rocha and just spun right over (Paul) Robinson into the back of the net.
"He (Jol) must have said, 'Well, I can see what is going to happen, we are not going to win this game'."
| Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
| Sunday 22nd November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Tottenham vs Wigan |
| Saturday 28th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 17:30 | Aston Villa vs Tottenham |
| Tuesday 1st December | |
| Carling Cup | |
| 20:00 | Man Utd vs Tottenham |
| Sunday 6th December | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 16:00 | Everton vs Tottenham |
| Saturday 12th December | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Tottenham vs Wolverhampton |
| Wednesday 16th December | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 20:00 | Tottenham vs Man City |
| Saturday 19th December | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Blackburn vs Tottenham |
| Saturday 26th December | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 13:00 | Fulham vs Tottenham |
| Monday 28th December | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 12:45 | Tottenham vs West Ham |
| Sunday 10th January | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 16:00 | Liverpool vs Tottenham |
| Saturday 16th January | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Tottenham vs Hull |
| Tuesday 26th January | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 19:45 | Tottenham vs Fulham |
| Saturday 30th January | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Birmingham vs Tottenham |
| Saturday 6th February | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Tottenham vs Aston Villa |
| Tuesday 9th February | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 19:45 | Wolverhampton vs Tottenham |
| Time | Result |
|---|---|
| Saturday 7th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Tottenham 2 - 0 Sunderland | |
| Saturday 31st October | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Arsenal 3 - 0 Tottenham | |
| Tuesday 27th October | |
| Carling Cup | |
| Tottenham 2 - 0 Everton | |
| Saturday 24th October | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Tottenham 0 - 1 Stoke | |
| Saturday 17th October | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Portsmouth 1 - 2 Tottenham | |
| Saturday 3rd October | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Bolton 2 - 2 Tottenham | |
| Saturday 26th September | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Tottenham 5 - 0 Burnley | |
| Wednesday 23rd September | |
| Carling Cup | |
| Preston 1 - 5 Tottenham | |
| Sunday 20th September | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Chelsea 3 - 0 Tottenham | |
| Saturday 12th September | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Tottenham 1 - 3 Man Utd | |
| Saturday 29th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Tottenham 2 - 1 Birmingham | |
| Wednesday 26th August | |
| Carling Cup | |
| Doncaster 1 - 5 Tottenham | |
| Sunday 23rd August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| West Ham 1 - 2 Tottenham | |
| Wednesday 19th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Hull 1 - 5 Tottenham | |
| Sunday 16th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Tottenham 2 - 1 Liverpool | |
| Sunday 9th August | |
| Friendly Match | |
| Tottenham 3 - 0 Olympiacos | |
| Sunday 2nd August | |
| Friendly Match | |
| South China 2 - 0 Tottenham | |
| Friday 31st July | |
| Barclays Asia Trophy | |
| Hull 0 - 3 Tottenham | |
| Wednesday 29th July | |
| Barclays Asia Trophy | |
| West Ham 0 - 1 Tottenham | |
| Sunday 26th July | |
| Friendly Match | |
| Tottenham 0 - 2 Celtic | |
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Arsenal | 11 | 25 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 12 | 25 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 12 | 22 |
| 5 | Aston Villa | 12 | 21 |
| 6 | Manchester City | 11 | 20 |
Sunderland fan Lucinda Gittins was strutting her stuff in the Soccer AM studios this week.
Pictures from Arsenal's impressive victory over North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates.
Gorgeous QPR fan Katie Moran was strutting her stuff in the Soccer AM studios this week.
Heurelho Gomes has accused Darren Bent of diving to earn his missed penalty at White Hart Lane.
Darren Bent is in the England squad to face Brazil, while Stephen Warnock and Tom Huddlestone have also been called up.
Darren Bent missed a penalty as Spurs staved off some heavy pressure to beat Sunderland 2-0.
Harry Redknapp was pleased with the way Tottenham ground-out their 2-0 win against Sunderland.
Aston Villa and Tottenham made their Champions League aspirations clear as Arsenal also won but Man City were held by Burnley.
Comments (5)
Steve Brimson (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...
Why does every one keep picking on jol. He has made one mistake and that was buying bent. He has picked the side if they dont perform on the pitch thats down to the players. The team he has out there can beat any team in the premiership if they perform. How can you keep blaming jol. We have englands number one between the sticks and some games he looks more suited to playing for accrington stanley. Leave jol alone and let him do his job we started the same way last season and still finished fifth. He also cant help bad ref desicions like against utd if we would of got the two clear cut penaltys we would have three points more. GIVE JOL A BREAK
Posted 00:45 11th September 2007
Ryan O'sullivan (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...
Although i do believe that Jol has made some terrible substitutions in his time, primarily at Chelsea in the F.A Cup last season, i do not think we can blame him totally for this result. The players are professionals and mostly internationals and just did not stand up to be counted against a poor Fulham side. It is not the managers fault when he sends on two big players like Dawson and Defoe and the team concede two late goals. The team are experienced enough to toughen up and see out the game like true professionals should do, so theres no sense blaming it all on a single person.
Posted 19:09 4th September 2007
David Sidney (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...
i have seen too many poor substitutions by Jol, and i am sick and tired of it. The Fulham game is a classic example, when will he learn some tactical nouse?
Posted 21:57 3rd September 2007
Sean Good (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...
I completely agree with your comments Adam. As a Season ticket holder myself, I was at the Fulham game, and we will continue to suffer them results why jol is in charge as he continues to make negative substitutions, and deploy bizzare defensive tactics. Love the guy, and he loves Tottenham but he has taken us as far as he can. Like Raneri did with Chelsea, their fans were in up-roar when he got the sack, however no Chelsea fan is complaining now Mourinho has taken them further....Problem is where do we find such a manager, and the board have really messed their timing.
Posted 11:01 3rd September 2007
Adam Kern (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...
The fact that spurs managed to draw a game they should have won is solely down to Jol, his tactics are predictable, substitutions are poorly timed and he manages to unsettle the whole team with one sub moving 3/4 players to accomodate one, he has acheived as much as he is capable of and now a new man with greater nous needs to move Spurs on, the board decided this after the chelsea defeat in the fa cup but levy stood up for him then after the sunderland game changed his mind and handled the situation in his most unprofessional way that he and his board do. I as a home and away season ticket holder hope we as a club can be more professional in the future and bring some finesse to a club that did have class once before!
Posted 14:45 2nd September 2007