x

Saints At Tottenham Hotspur The Verdict

This result will be seen of typical of this season, exhilarating attacking play all to no avail due to some awful defending, Saints came out of this game with pride and a sense of injustice but sadly nothing else.

Saints had the bad luck to have not one but two setbacks in the first half when firstly the ball struck Jack Stephens and wrong footed Angus Gunn to give Spurs a lead they did not deserve and then shortly after Shane Long had struck an equaliser . James Ward Prowse was the victim of a 50/50 challenge that cut his knee to the bone.

But Saints showed spirit to fight back and completely dominated the second half and when Danny Ings scored a cracking goal after a briliant run by Nathan Redmond had put him through, you thought that only one team would now win the game.

But Spurs rallied in the final 12 minutes to score two goals that really should have been defended better, the second a controversial penalty after Son Hueng Min clearly dived over the outstretched Angus Gunn and with the penalty dispatched there was little time for a Saints come back even if the fight was there.

There was plenty of good things to say about this game, from the great Saints support that drowned out Spurs who are fast showing they have opened a second branch of North London Libraries Ltd alongside one in the Highbury area, to the way Saints counter attacked on the break and caused a lot more trouble to the home goal then they on ours.

But yet again all the good work was undone by kamikaze defending and we can say all we want about certain players, but the fact is we have conceded soft goals all season, going forward we are a top 10 side, defending we are rock bottom.

People sometimes accuse me of being biased against certain players, perhaps I am and it is for good reason, they cannot defend.

There could be exciting times ahead for Saints, but only if we buy the right central defender, perhaps even two in the summer, if we do that then we can challenge for the top 10, if we don't then it will be deja vu, a case of what might have been if we had defended better.

Yes the penalty was an atrocious decision, at the game I'm not even sure it went to VAR, but the fact remained that Son was right through on the keeper and really shouldn't have been, as I have said all season some weeks we get away with it others we don't.

WE have to accept this season may either be spectacular in the rest of the Premier League season or it may turn out to be a damp squid with soft goals conceded all the way, but we can look forward to next season when we might just march forward again.

They have their critics, but Nathan Redmond, Pierre Emile Hojbjerg and James Ward Prowse have been magnificent in recent weeks and dragged us up the League table, they can be the backbone of this side, if we make the right additions in the summer then next year it may be different, it has to be !

What to read next:

TVOS Preview - Rochdale v Tamworth
Rochdale AFC’s matchday programme – The Voice of Spotland – is back for Tuesday’s Vanarama National League fixture against Tamworth.
Refwatch - Rochdale v Tamworth
Dale’s home game versus Tamworth on Tuesday will be refereed by the familiar figure of DARREN DRYSDALE.
Refwatch - Dagenham & Redbridge v Rochdale
Dale’s first return fixture of the season at Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday will be refereed by the superbly named ALAN DALE.
Refwatch - Leamington v Rochdale - FA Trophy
Dale’s FA Trophy tie at Leamington on Saturday will be refereed by WAYNE CARTMEL.
Refwatch - Rochdale v Manchester United U21s - Daft National League Cup Thing
Dale’s second group game in the National League Cup on Tuesday against Manchester United U21 will be refereed by JOHN MULLIGAN.
Refwatch - Gateshead v Rochdale
Dale’s trip to the Gateshead International Stadium on Tuesday night will be refereed by PAUL MARSDEN.
TVOS Preview - Rochdale v Oldham Athletic
Rochdale AFC’s matchday programme – The Voice of Spotland – is back for Saturday’s Vanarama National League fixture against Oldham Athletic.
Refwatch - Rochdale v Oldham Athletic
Dale’s lunchtime local derby against Oldham Athletic on Saturday will be refereed by GREG ROLLASON.
Dale Drawn Against Leamington In FA Trophy
The draw for the 3rd round of the FA Trophy took place on Monday and Dale have been drawn away from home.
Refwatch - Wealdstone v Rochdale
Dale’s trip to Grosvenor Vale to take on Wealdstone on Saturday will be refereed by STEPHEN PARKINSON.