EYEWITNESS: Dan Carrier's view on Tottenham Hotspur 0 Hull City 0
SPURS 0 HULL CITY 0
EYEWITNESS report from WHITE HART LANE
By DAN CARRIER
WHILE the quicksilver feet of Kranjcar, the goal scoring exploits of Defoe, the vision of Huddlestone and the creativity of Modric grab the eye, this current Spurs side contains an unsung hero whose performances week in, week out have made him as vital to anyone in our current campaign.
Playing in the least fashionable position on the pitch, today was full back Vedran Corluka’s 30th consecutive Premiership appearance, having not missed a game since last March when he appeared in our 2-1 win against Chelsea.
Even more remarkable is the fact that the full back held a similar record at Manchester City - he was ever present in the Blues first team in the 2008 season, before switching south.
His heavy footed style and languid running gives the impression that he lacks pace, but while not the quickest his positional sense means it matters little: it’s a rare sight to see any forward get to the by-line on his watch. Add to the fact the winger playing in front of him is usually Aaron Lennon, he has a team mate able to provide speedy assistance should he require a helping hand.
With Hull still lacking the mercurial talents of jinkin’ Jimmy Bullard, Corluka was up against the spiky Stephen Hunt. Hunt, who has the air of Paul Allen about him in the way he makes up a lack of tricks with a dogged determination, is one of those players for whom the term ’honest pro’ seems to have been invented.
His head-down-and-charge-forward attitude to wing play meant the Croatian had him in his pocket throughout, and allowed Corluka the freedom to offer width when Spurs were in possession.
Hull’s zoom up through the leagues is football fairy story - although on current form one where they do not live happily ever.
Just 10 years ago they were struggling at the wrong end of the old division three - and last autumn, Phil Brown’s charges found themselves sitting pretty at the top of the Premiership - a remarkable feat. It did not last. They escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth last term and having lost seven away from home before today, are firmly ensconced in the bottom three.
Many neutrals had a soft spot for the club when they came up and gave some big names bloody noses - victories last term at both Spurs and Arsenal made them heroic underdogs. But as the New Journal’s Arsenal columnist Richard Osley noted when City visited the Emirates over Christmas, this Hull team have developed into a bunch of angry, spoilt children who appear out of their depth in the Premiership and therefore squabble their way through games.
Time wasting mid way through the first half does not win you friends - the fourth official played nearly five minutes added time at the end of the first 45, and then seven at the end of the second - while going down and clutching your head whenever you are out jumped is another annoying habit. Further more, swarming the referee when the most minor call goes the other way reminded of the dark days of George Graham’s Arsenal.
And it is a shame the Hull team got the Spurs fans’ backs up: we love welcoming back former players - the reception given to Paul Robinson on his return with Blackburn was so warm, it reputedly had the keeper in tears in the dressing room afterwards.
But because of the side's behaviour, any happy memories of Nick Barmby and Anthony Gardner’s days at Spurs were forgotten.
Barmby was a key member of Ossie Ardiles ‘Famous Five’, and played with Klinsmann and Sheringham in Gerry Francis’s team. A favourite with the crowd, his sale to Middlesborough just days before the start of the 1995 season due to homesickness for the north robbed the squad of a key player.
Gardner joined Spurs from Port Vale as a teenager and then came through the ranks with Ledley King. At one point he seemed to be on the same trajectory for success as the Spurs skipper, winning an England cap in 2004. But injuries restricted his playing time and was eventually shipped out by Martin Jol. With Harry preferring Keane and Defoe to Crouch, Gardner had little difficulty in dealing with high balls into the box but looked a little shakier when Modric and Kranjcar began to feed little passes along the deck.
With Spurs slipping to fifth after Manchester City’s emphatic victory against Blackburn in mid-week, a solid home performance against opponents who should really be brushed aside was vital.
However, with home defeats against the likes of Stoke and Wolves this term nothing could be taken for granted, and in a first half that saw Spurs huff and puff but create few real chances, there were worries vocally expressed in loud groans from the crowd when attacks floundered for want of a little more incisiveness.
The opening 15 saw Spurs trying to gain an early foothold: Kranjcar drove one effort over while Modric had an effort well blocked by Andy Dawson.
But the home side rarely found their range. Crosses from both flanks were over hit or too close to the keeper to cause any bother.
It took until the 37th minute for Spurs to really test Hull’s keeper: a wonderful striding run by Palacios created space for the midfielder and he drove a shot towards the bottom right hand corner. Myhill saved at full stretch, then clambered to his feet to acrobatically tip Keane’s well struck effort away from the rebound.
Hull also had chances. A sloppy cross field ball by Kranjcar on 56 gave Hunt the ball in an attacking position. He found Barmby but the veteran could only drive his effort into the side netting. Still, it was an important moment, a warning that the home side needed to step it up or face another defeat by a struggling team.
But Spurs could not find a way through. Myhill was again the hero on 76 when he palmed away a drive from Modric: he did the same again in added time from Crouch. If there is a plus side, this was Tottenham's sixth clean sheet. But it’s two points dropped rather than one gained, and a disappointing afternoon as the business end of the season approaches.
Move of the Match: 47 minutes: Luka Modric takes the ball the entire length of the pitch, gets into the box, tries a give and go with Defoe but instead of playing it back and tee-ing up his team mate the chance to score a spectacular goal, Defoe decides to hammer a shot in from an acute angle himself. It is blocked easily: Modric’s exasperation is understandable.
Hero: Disappointing all round, but Corluka has to get the nod - another clean sheet for the defence, and much of this has to do with his ability to calm things down when needed.
Special mention to Myhill for his great goalkeeping, and Phil Brown for organising his team. Annoying it may have be, but he arranged his men to play to their strengths, namely, lots of hustle, graft, kicks and niggles.
Villain: The entire Hull team deserve a brickbat for their gamesmanship. I can’t imagine how mind numbing it must be to watch this lot week in, week out.
In white shirts, you can’t help but be disappointed with Huddlestone’s inability to rise above a niggly game and dictate things with his brain rather than chuck his brawn about. It shows a lack of experience.
Spurs:
Gomes (g), Bale, Huddlestone (y), Keane (Crouch, 61), Palacios (Jenas, 54, y,), Modric, Defoe, Bassong (y), Dawson, Kranjcar, Corluka.
Subs:
Alnwick (g), Bentley, Jenas, Pavlyuchenko, Crouch, Naughton, Rose.
Hull:
Myhill (g), Dawson, Gardner (Capt), McShane, Fagan (y), Barmby (y) (Kilbane, 64), Geovanni (Vennegoor of Hesselink, 74), Hunt, Garcia (Mouyokolo, 82) Boateng, Zayatte.
Subs:
Duke (g), Mendy, Kilbane, Mouyokolo, Ghilas, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Cairney.
Att: 35, 729
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0 HULL CITY 0