Europa League: Spurs 0 Hearts 0

Published: 26 August 2011
by PAUL COWLING

Europa League Play-off Second Leg
Tottenham Hotspur 0 Heart of Midlothian 0 (Tottenham win 5-0 on aggregate)

TOTTENHAM's place in the Europa League group stage was confirmed after 30 minutes of last week's first leg in Edinburgh. Spurs' slick, one-touch stuff was too much for Hearts, and the eventual 5-0 scoreline highlighted the huge gulf that exists between Premier League clubs, and their counterparts in Scotland.

Last night at White Hart Lane, Hearts hit the crossbar, and Tottenham missed a penalty, and that was really the sum total of attacking intent from both sides. Spurs boss Harry Redknapp had put Rafael Van der Vaart and Jermain Defoe on the bench, just in case Hearts raced into a 4-0 half-time lead!

The pair (who destroyed the Jambos at Tynecastle) were not needed, and were saved for more taxing matters at home to Manchester City on Sunday. Instead youngsters Andros Townsend and Jake Livermore continued in midfield, while three further England youth players were handed their full first team debuts.
Two of them, were involved in Spurs' brightest first half moment on 29 minutes. Midfielder Thomas Carroll fed striker Harry Kane who charged down on the Hearts goal, but was brought down by visiting keeper Jamie Macdonald.
Showing confidence, Kane stepped up for the penalty, and drove low and to the keeper's left. But Macdonald atoned for his error with a fine save. Cue bedlam from the vociferous visiting fans.
"You're not very good" they belted out as one. If for no other reason, the Jambo fans deserved a grand day out in London, and the satisfaction of holding Spurs away to a goalless draw. Some sort of honour had been restored.

It could have been even better for Hearts, a few moments before, as Czech midfielder Rudi Skacel thumped a shot onto the Spurs crossbar, with Carlo Cudicini well beaten.

Spurs' other Academy debutant, Ryan Fredericks had a promising first start too. He wasn't afraid to run with the ball to the bye-line, and whip in a cross, but on each occasion, the Hearts defence easily dealt with the threat. Their coach Paulo Sergio had made eight changes from the first leg, and there was clear intent to go away from White Hart Lane with heads held high. "There's only one team in Europe", came the shouts from the Hearts fans, on hearing (literally) with fifteen minutes to go, they were the last Scots standing in Uefa competition.

Niko Kranjcar injected some much-needed impetus into Spurs' play in the last quarter, but on the two occasions they breached the visitors' defence, Roman Pavlyuchenko blasted well-wide of the goal. The Russian international won't have too many chances to feature from the start this season, and on this performance, he won't be leading the line much.

One player who will, is new loan signing Emmanuel Adebayor. Watching his new team mates from the stand, Adebayor won't be eligible to play over the weekend. The Togo striker is surplus to requirements at Manchester City, but won't be facing his parent club. If Spurs play anywhere near as bad as they did against Hearts, then expect them to still be bottom of the Premier League table by Sunday evening. There is one consolation though, they can look forward to Thursday night football, courtesy of the Europa League: cue more headaches for Harry!

Tottenham: Cudicini, Corluka, Dawson (Kaboul, ht), Bassong, Townsend; Fredericks (Kranjcar 61), Livermore (Nicholson 76), Huddlestone, Carroll; Kane, Pavlyuchenko.