Tottenham news: Spurs 2-1 Leeds: Gary B reports

By Gary Beaumont
August 24 2003

From the moment I arrived at White Hart Lane I found myself with an unusual amount of confidence. I took up my seat and waited for the team to be announced on the jumbotron.

Normally I find myself and my fellow supporters cheering louder for the same old favourites; Davies/Keane/Carr etc and usually a name or two crops up which gets a slightly more muted applause/cheer, however in all the times I have been at White Hart Lane I have never found myself cheering equally for each name as they were announced; Keller, Carr, Tarrico, King, Gardner, Richards, Davies, Redknapp, Ricketts, Postiga and Zamora. A sudden shiver of optimism rode down my spine as I thought to myself “We could do well here”.

Onto the game;
This was going to be something special as from the moment the game kicked off you could tell the fans were up for it and there was a fantastic atmosphere within the stadium. Within the early stages Spurs pressured the Leeds goal and you could tell they were looking for the early opening. Play seemed to concentrate itself on the left flank, namely because Tano was being pushed up the field by Gardner, who was covering behind. Ricketts was lending a hand on the left and helped the atmosphere with his endless enthusiasm/energy (He reminds me of the kid that drinks to much fizzy pop and eats all he sweets at a party). Although we were on top in the initial stages nothing came to fruition and as usual we were punished when against the run of play Leeds scored from an Alan Smith shot. Incidentally this was their first (and I use this term loosely) attack of the game, blinking typical that is! The visiting Leeds fans were jumping all over the place and although it was painful I still watched them as they cheered for joy. The shock hit me instantly and I felt numb as I looked around the pitch and saw our players trudging back to take up their positions. Within seconds the Leeds fans started the usual chorus of; “You’re not singing anymore” Blah blah blah…However the Spurs faithful took exception to this banter and within seconds 30,000 yiddos responded by drowning out the opposing fans by singing up Tottenham like never before. Infact it was rather surreal and you could have even been mistaken for thinking WE had scored. This obviously lifted the team and they continued where they left off by attacking the Leed’s half of the pitch. Chances came and went and half time was fast approaching, normally at this stage I start to think to myself, “Will we ever get the lucky break we deserve” and “will it just be another one of those days”, however this doubt did not even cross my mind and the unusually strange amount of optimism continued to reassure myself that we would score, it was purely just a matter of time. Then just as the first half was being concluded a moment of inspiration arrived in the form of a small Argentinean. Morris Tarrico received the ball on the left; he looked up to cross, but changed his mind! He then proceeded to cut inside and skip past two defenders (perhaps a little nervously) and then thumped a right footed shot into the top corner of the goal, leaving Robinson for dead. The fans went absolutely mental as we realised all of our optimism had finally been rewarded. Shortly afterwards the whistle went for half time and no sooner had this whistle been blown for the break, the same whistle was being blown to recommence battle. Often Spurs find themselves playing well in one half and not so well in the other however this was not the case as spurs took up where they left off and continued to advance into the Leeds area. Shots were coming in form all angles and it was only a matter of time before we scored the winner. Then Kanoute from off the bench took the bull by the horns and decided enough was enough. A few mins after his arrival he received a ball in the area, teed it up and then turned and volleyed into the far corner of the goal…2-1 Spurs! What a strike, what a goal, infact what a debut! He sent the Tottenham faithful into an absolute frenzy ensuring all of last weeks frustration was finally left behind. The final whistle blew after Spurs continued to outplay Leeds in all areas of the park. We did not even allow them the obligatory final sniff at goal (although this wouldn’t have been the case if King hadn’t made a last ditch tackle in the dying moments). A cracking performance by all the players and although its only 3 points it was a game that will hopefully be a sign of things to come. This result was a real confidence booster especially to those who were writing the club off after just the first game. Let’s hope it continues, along with the promise of our youngsters.

Player ratings:
Keller: 6 Not much to do, didn’t have a clear sight for their goal. Otherwise did what he needed to do.

Tano: 8: What a game, what a goal and he helped silence his critics with a sterling all-round performance. Was supported and pushed up the field by Gardner and Ricketts and this allowed him to produce his best performance in a long time.

Gardner: 7 Composed and assured. Solid as a rock!

Richards 7: Ditto

King: 7: Same as above and did not put a foot wrong. The defence looked world class and he was also allowed to venture forward a few times.

Carr: 7: Aggressive and full of running. Worked the flanks tirelessly, he also put in a number of dangerous crosses.

Davies: 6; some good work although not as prominent as the others.

Redknapp: 7: Helped re-enforced the defence, but after a while realised that this was not needed and pushed up a little. He helped link play tremendously (between defence and attack) and sprayed his passes around. More often than not he brought the wide men into the game with great cross field vision. Not afraid to put a foot in either

Ricketts: 8: Worked tirelessly for the cause, a real gem has been uncovered. His enthusiasm is second to none at the club and will be a real star if he keeps this up. Although slight he is not afraid to get involved and it is great to see a player at White Hart lane who doesn’t know how to jockey! No-nonsense play it’s what I like to see. Although putting his energy and enthusiasm to one side, what I really like about him is the fact he is a team player. He supports players who are on the ball and gets us out of potentially tricky situations. He helps out both the left flank and the central midfield, which gives the impression we have extra men on the pitch. Who needs Van Bommel!

Postiga: 7: worked hard and got stuck in. Had a few real quality touches but needs a few more games before his real quality comes through. Got better and better as the game went on and there is no doubt this will continue to be the case throughout the season?

Zamora: 6: Worked hard and showed a lot of raw talent. Good solid performance.

Kanoute: 7: One piece of magic that’s all it takes. King Kanoute delivered this one piece with maximum effect. Top quality goal from an awkward situation. More of this please!

Marney: 6: Showed energy and fight in the short space of time that he was on.

Overall this was one of the best games I have witnessed in a long time. The score doesn’t really reflect the true nature of the game and we never let Leeds have a moment’s peace on the ball. We showed real fight and enthusiasm and this was an evident factor throughout the team.
I would say the reason for our great performance was due to; yes, wait for it…our midfield and when was the last time this could be said????
Games are won and lost in this area and if our boys show this desire throughout the season we could be in for a good time. The ball is in their court now!

Come on you YIDS, bring on Liverpool.