EYEWITNESS: Fulham 4 Tottenham Hotspur 0, FA Cup
FA CUP FOURTH ROUND: FULHAM 4 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0
EYEWITNESS report from CRAVEN COTTAGE
by DAN CARRIER
IS this what life could look like if Gareth Bale takes the Milan millions in the summer? It was quite extraordinary, how Fulham took Spurs to pieces in the first half: Inter Milan at the San Siro had been a rather uncomfortable lesson, being a man and four goals down early on, and the same thing happened here, but this wasn't the home of the European Champions with the likes of Samuel E'to to watch, this was the little tin-bucket of a ground that is Craven Cottage.
Spurs just looked utterly unprepared for a ding-dong FA Cup London Derby, and with Gareth Bale rested - bad back - there was simply no outstanding individual filled with that insane self-belief that four nil doesn‘t mean game over.
As a regular spectator, I have often get the feeling that Spurs enjoy a bit of adversity, a bit of struggling against the odds. We sometimes seem to have such an genetically ingrained propensity to self-explode, then tidy up the mess later. Often, it’s almost like in the pre-match on pitch huddle the players discuss what size of a head start we should give the opposition, just to make it interesting. The problem of doing this in the FA Cup is one false move, and your peering into the oh well, maybe next year, abyss.
But while two early penalties gave Fulham a generous leg up, Spurs had forgotten to pack all their fire and belief in the kit bag. It wasn’t as if anyone had seen this coming. Fulham away is always the nicer of the London games, as we have done well here recently.
Craven Cottage is a bit of a grief to get to from Kentish Town, but it's always fun when you get here. We’ve had cup joy against them, too: a draw last year and then a thumping back at home, and then there was the 4-0 caning we handed them in 2007.
But today it seemed the XI picked were in no mood to waste their Sunday getting their knees muddy, (and, let’s hope, they were thinking Blackburn on Wednesday in the league is the one that really matters). The first came when Alan Hutton barged into Clint Dempsey as he wriggled into the box. The chance came as Michael Dawson gave the ball away disastrously easily. The 10th minute penalty - and it was a clear barge by the Scottish full back – taken by Danny Murphy gave Fulham the early impetus.
Then, just two minutes later, Dawson was given his marching orders when he caught a big handful of the back of Dempsey’s shirt in the box as the US striker made strides goalwards. Another Murphy penalty. Two nil. As so often is the case with Spurs, it was a comic start - except this lot from west London are hardly Inter Milan, and the faces got redder when Fulham should have had another on 15 when Andrew Johnson snuck in again, and it was simply a brief respite.
The third came again from comically bad defending, this time a corner that dropped into the six yard box as Spurs defenders just gazed at it, allowing Brede Hangelaand a free jab from close range to finish it. Three nil down and not 25 minutes played: no Bale on the bench to do the Superman thing and bring us back into it.
The fourth was not so much a mistake - although leggy defending was involved. Instead hats off to Fulham's Mousa Dembele, who had been a handful throughout. As the first half ticked down, he strode 40 yards with disinterested Spurs players popping over to see what he wanted rather than make a tackle. He took the ball forwards into the wide open spaces left by the Tottenham midfield, and finished well from over 20 yards. It was all Fulham really deserved. Spurs had just decided comprehensively not to turn up. What a weird way this was to go out of the Cup. With Wigan or Bolton awaiting in the fifth round, a victory would give either victor a tough but do-able home route into the Quarters.
This make things even more unbelievable, this was a pretty strong side, the only non-first teamer really being Sandro. With two points from nine, and out of the Cup, now is the time for Harry’s charges to knuckle down and go on a run to ensure the fine autumn and winter form does not melt away in the Spring thaw.
SPURS PLAYER RATINGS
Gomes, 5: Can’t be blamed for the goals, though the cross that led to number three could have been dealt with.
Hutton, 4: Shaky. The nine minute penalty decision started things off badly, and found Clint Dempsey a game opponent. Second half, much improved.
Lennon, 4: Nothing really worked for him today. Lacked the supply to worry his opponents.
Van der Vaart, 4: Needs to be the tick tock of the team, and instead huffed his way through this one. Seemed to have three Fulham on to him as soon as he received the ball.
Modric, 5: Just couldn’t carry a side with so many off colour.
Defoe, 3: Did anyone remember to buy a forward this transfer window? Defoe’s first half display shows why he has scored precisely, erm, no league goals this season. He lacked movement and when the ball came to his feet, he was out muscled. Sub: Crouch, h/t.
Bassong, 5: In the first half Andrew Johnson loved chasing the ball over his shoulder.
Dawson, 3: What’s all that about? Mr Reliable makes a slip which leads to the Fulham opener, then let’s himself get tied in knots two minutes later, prompting him to concede the penalty and earning the red card.
Sandro, 5: Taken off for Gallas before he had the chance to touch the ball.
Assou-Ekotto, 4: Steady but nothing going forward, when the game was crying out for the full back to get going.
Pienaar 4: Pretty dire stuff. Hustley and bustley but at no point seemed unhurried - very much the opposite.
Subs: Cudicini, Jenas, Pavlyuchenko, Gallas, Crouch, Kranjcar, Corluka