BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2 NEWCASTLE UNITED 0
EYEWITNESS report by DAN CARRIER
From WHITE HART LANE
THIS was a big day for Andy Carroll.
Forget the need for struggling Newcastle to get points on the board, the 21-year-old Geordie forward had the chance to put in a performance that could change a friendly phone call from the wood-panelled surrounds of Daniel Levy's lair to Mike Ashley's mobile into a solicitors fax with a ten-figure offer. There is talk of a new centre forward in January, and Carroll's name keeps coming up. In the same way Bale has been the talk of the town down here, Carroll has been the talk of the Toon up there: he's hit enough goals to warrant a call-up to the England squad (admittedly that isn't exactly saying much) but his consistency in the penalty area means the Red Tops have gossiped that he'll be on his way soon.
Forget all the talk of the long-haired front man being happy in his native north east, if the offers big enough, he'll go: and he can always say to his mates on the terraces at St James Park that the sacking of Chris Hughton meant he had to move on. Mike Ashley, after all, is hardly the epitomy of loyalty, and Carroll could happily tell the Newcastle Chronicle that since Pardew came it just wasn't the same.
But is Carroll really what this adventurous Spurs team need? There has been much discussion about how far Harry's charges could go if we had a really decent centre forward - but with Pav, Crouch and Defoe all keen to play in the one spot available, if there is a January signing, it must be a real, clear improvement to what we have already.
Of the four we have available, Keano seems a busted flush - sad, as he will be fondly remembered, but the Irish forward just doesn't get the playing time any more that he needs to get into his stride, and if he leaves for one of Wolves, Stoke or Fulham in January, no one will be surprised, nor will there be that sense of utter guttedness that hit the pit of belly when he snuck off to Liverpool for six months.
Then there is Peter Crouch. His Premiership goal scoring record - one so far this term - overshadows his sterling efforts at holding the ball up, and the way he wins those knocks down for van der Vaart to bury. People love a moan at Crouchie - ooh, he's too slow, he can't head the ball powerfully, he makes us play it long all the time, and he just looks weird, you'll hear in the Bell and Hare after the game... but while he is certainly good for the squad, he is not a 20 goal a season player either.
And while every one bangs on about how Defoe is a truly top drawer striker, many regulars get frustrated at variouis aspects of his game: grumbles include his penchant for being caught offisde, his readiness to go to ground and his one mindedness that means he'll pull the trigger when a pass to an advancing teammate may be a better option.
Basically, he has yet to hit the magic 20 we demand, and with him looking the least comfortable foil alongside the undroppable van der Vaart, it is isn't going to happen this term. Finally of the foursome, there is Pav, who given a run has every chance of being a crucial player for the club - but it has taken Harry a long time for to trust him, and although he has started English lessons and has finally settled to life in London and put in some performances this term, he is not the first name on the team sheet.
So what, on today's performacne, does Carroll potentially offer? Carroll is very much like Mark Hateley in style: his team mates look to hit him early, and his job is to turn when he can and fire off snap shots, or keep a hold of it till the cavalry arrive: he isn't pacy, and in the first half hour, he looked no better at doing this job than Crouch. Dawson showed what Carroll was up against in the first 15, when he was beaten comprehensively three times by the Spurs defender to headers. He next became involved when he committed an ugly challenge on Palacios, and it took until 24 for him to have any sniff goalwards: a stooping header to flicked over the bar. It was to be his nly goal bound effort of the entire game. The only time in the first half he did get into his stride - on 38 - he looked very ungainly and was caught by Palacios as he tried to sprint clear. Carroll was given a dubious free kick, which he proceeded to tamely smack in to the Spurs wall.
In the meantime, Spurs looked busy, determined, and both Pav and VDV tested Krul in the Newcastle goal, Bale did one of those trademark Maradona-esque 'I'm going to take the lot of you on' runs and generally the home side painted patterns without quite finding the required finish amongst the packed United defence. It was summed up in the final minute of the first half when VDV misdirected a header from a good central position and seconds later Pav watched his own effort beat the keeper and trundle agonisingly along the goal line.
The second half was no better for the Geordie forward: Carroll went down clutching his head on 49 after Daws had yet again easily outleapt him - it was pure gamesmanship - and when he did find space on 53 he looked bereft of the barnstorming confidence required to make a bee line for the goal. Daws easily recovered to clear.
Up the other end, Redknapp's positive half time switch of Palacios for Jenas saw Spurs begin to show their quality, and the break through came on 57 when Jenas flipped a ball out to the right, Lennon touched it past his marker and smacked it in to the bottom corner.
Things got testy as the game progressed, with Newcastle players trying to bully Spurs, and some eye watering tackles went in that referee Anthony Taylor failed to get hold of. Eventually got so bad it ruined the game as a spectacle, and prompted Kaboul to stupidly react to a long list of Newcastle misdemeanours and get himself sent off, but it was a sign of Tottenham's dominance that basically the Geordies resorted to nastiness.
And it was from a sloppy little peice of play by Carroll that eventually led to the second: he ran into a Spurs cul-de-sac, had the ball nicked off his toes by Modric who then sent Bale off on one of the wingers trade mark runs. Modric steamed forward for the return, but Bale didn't need any help: he twisted his way into the box and fired it home. Carroll's frustration at his performance was summed up moments later when he went for a cross with Gomes, the keeper easily gathered and so he did a Dixie Dean type barge in to the Spurs keeper. It may be unfair to judge the forward on today's game, as his team were facing a very organised and determined Spurs side looking to get into the top four before the turn of the year, and he was marked brilliantly by Michael Dawson - but his work rate and determination seemed to suggest he'd enjoyed a lot of Kevin Nolan's missus's Chrimbo spread. With Joey Barton and Alan Smith in midfield, this is a spiky Newcastle side and Carroll was fed scraps. They are a very distant relative to the teams I'd enjoy watching when they came to Spurs under Kevin Keegan. The best thing about this lot now is their noisy fans.
Gomes, 7: Little to do but dominated his box in a way that was just not his style when he first came to England.
Hutton, 7: Love the move he makes when Modric looks up and he says: oi, Luka, smack it behind that defender and I'll bust a gut to get there.
Bale, 8: Two box to box runs he made was like me playing 'No Mercy' football up the Heath with my six year old and his cousin. When he gets it at his feet, he is unplayable. Super goal to cap off an awesome year.
Kaboul, 7: So solid, and neat when asked to play the ball. Will be hugely disappointed with the straight red. Up to the card, this was another great performance from a man who is not an automatic first choice. On 64, he intercepted a dangerous ball, went off on a run and showed his grit and skill to take it out of danger. But it all went wrong when he got in an unseemly tussle with Tiote that led to the card.
Lennon, 8: Frightened the life out of his markers when going forward, got back to help Hutton when required, and scored a sublime goal.
Pavlyuchenko, 6: Always wants the ball. Linked things well. You wouldn't swap him for Carroll. Sub: Bassong.
van der Vaart, 7: Not his most influential, but got no protection from the referee. One bit of control and subsequent back heel for Bale was Galatico class. Sub: Crouch
Palacios, 6: Got involved but was subbed at half time as Harry looked for some more attacking intent. Sub: Jenas
Modric, 8: While Bale will no doubt get the award for player of 2010, our Croatian is the fulcrum. On 70, we saw a prime example of Luka's ability. He won a tackle, fended off some snapping, scooped it past two opponents and then set Lennon off with an inch perfect ball into space.
Dawson, 8: They make his shorts with back pockets so he can keep the likes of Andy Carroll warm and cosy. When ever they went toe toe - or head to head - Daws came out on top with real grace and ease.
Assou-Ekotto, 7: Got forward so well to offer another left sided outlet, tearing past Bale on the overlap: a great cross at the end of the first half should have been buried by VDV.
Subs: Pletikosa, Jenas, Keane, Crouch, Bassong, Kranjcar, Corluka
