Wednesday 16 February 2011

The performance we all wanted to see

As a Spurs fan, it's hard to get much better than that. Winning at the San Siro is one thing but winning in a composed and disciplined fashion proves what a lot of people had doubted - that we can cut it at this level.


Regardless of what we did 50 years ago, this Tottenham squad are on unexplored terrain. The fans are also on new ground; for the first time certainly in my lifetime, none of us really know just how much the side is capable of. Each month, each week, the bar is set higher and the possibilities are widened.


We all hoped that we were capable of getting a result in Milan but nobody knew we could do it like this, 1-0 - a scoreline famed by the old enemy. But it wasn't boring, boring Tottenham. Far from it. As Harry Redknapp promised, we "had a go" and we played the Tottenham way.


What Harry didn't let on was just how prepared we were. In the press, we looked a bit on the back foot, like a nervous challenger. In the ring, we looked like the new breed.


We would have to attack, said harry, as it's all our players know. Injuries had us down to the bare bones and we had no Plan B. Well, either Plan A worked a treat, or injuries actually played into our hands. 


The supposedly makeshift midfield of Sandro and Wilson Palacios provided the defensive mindset that these big away games necessitate. The largely inexperienced pairing guarded the back four almost without interruption, keeping Milan's front two from getting a sniff of the action and bringing the ball forward or playing it out wide when, in the past, a panicked punt up the field might have been enough.


Personally, I didn't think the first half was as "all Spurs", as has been touted. True, we started strong and we used the space and time on the ball, afforded to us by a lazy Milan side, to rack up long periods of possession and to settle our nerves. But at no point did I feel we had Milan on the ropes, as our high balls never held too much threat, so ineffectual were Crouch's knockdowns.


The big man is undoubtedly priceless in the Champions League; opponents don't know how to deal with his game. But with a little more precision, common sense and killer instinct, instead of just winning the ball or getting his header away, he could be unstoppable.


The second half was our big test as Milan's attacking substitution fell flat and their tactics turned dirty. Mathieu Flamini knows he should have been sent off, Gennaro Gattuso knew that the crowd needed stirring and Milan's reputation as European royalty allowed them to get away with murder. 


Bigger sides than us have fallen foul of a big occasion turned nasty and for a while Spurs were rattled. The sight of Vedran Corluka stretchered off, and Gattuso grabbing Joe Jordan round the throat introduced our players to a big bad world where they had no protection - for a while it felt like the wolves were closing in.


Stoking their own fire and flaring their own tempers proved eventually to be Milan's own undoing. Spurs gathered their thoughts and took a deep breath. Crouch reacted cautiously when provoked by Gattuso and Milan's desperation was summed up when Lennon raced clear to set up the winner. 


If Mario Yepes' wild, all-or-nothing lunge would have connected with Lennon it could have been the end of the winger's season, so it's testament to him he was aware of Yepes and of Crouch's position, silencing the critics who have fairly slated him for running with his head down by hurdling the knee-high tackle before playing in Crouch to cap off a memorable night.


"If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, you'll be a man, my son."


Regardless of the outcome in the return leg, last night was the moment this Tottenham side grew up, they should now have the confidence that we go anywhere and get a result and, once again, the bar has been raised another notch.


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