EYEWITNESS: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0 MANCHESTER UNITED 0, Barclay's Premier League

 

Such beery Spurs bastions as The Bricklayers, The Two Brewers and The Bell and Hare may in a couple of years just be run down pubs on a non descript north London High Road, due to the possible move, instead of a key component in a pre-match ritual.

 

The need for a bigger ground is certain, as we could sell out 55 k each week and I spend an inordinate amount of time at the end of the match waiting for my female mates who are queing for the inadequate ladies facilities: but oh how I love our dinky Lane, with it's utterly superb atmosphere. And while the move east just seems intrinsically wrong, it looks likely to be out of our hands and the club won't listen to the protests, of which there were some at today's tussle. There is genuinely not a Spurs fan in the country that wants the move. But there is also a point that is bigger than football. Tottenham is in the five per cent of the most deprived areas in the country. Stratford and the surrounds will already benefit from the massive investment from the Olympics: how this bit of Haringey could do with a similar scheme.

 

Forget all the romantic notions about history and all that, no matter how compelling argument that is - Tottenham needs Spurs. Some good old fashioned Keynesian public investment in better transport, coupled with the club's cash, would raise things in this area. If we need to shuffle the plans about to make them more affordable, then so be it. If we need to borrow Wembley, that white elephant on the North Circular, for a season or two to make the logistics of rebuilding the Lane easier, then so be it. So let's take it slowly, and stick to plan A. This is a long game. Everyone, except the bean counters at Enic, want it to end in Spurs staying put.

 

Back to the action. This was billed in the run up as a must win, if we are serious about being top four contenders again. And on paper, we've a got team that could match United, especially at home. It shows the progress. Fergie plucked Carrick and Berbatov from our ranks and oh how he'd like to take Bale, Modric and van der Vaart back up north with him too.

 

In an entertaining opening half, the trio were at the heart of all that was good about Spurs, with Modric particualrly sparkling, his contribution even more impressive by the fact he was alongside Palacios, who for all his sweaty chugging around often gives his central midfield partner a little extra work to do because he loses the ball in areas that require care.

 

Spurs had good possession early on and found space on the flanks, but floundered as they got in the positions that matter. Crouch had little joy against the challenge of Vidic and Ferdinand in the air: his closest moment came early on after nine minutes when he snuck in front of his markers and got off a near post shot on the deck. Van der Vaart sent a header in to the side netting, while both he and Bale tested the keeper with long range free kicks.

 

At the other end, Rooney shanked a couple in the general direction of the Spurs goal, but generally Daws and Gallas kept the team in red at arms length. As usual, the best of Spurs was at the twinkly feet of Luka Modric. He didn't put a foot wrong.

 

The second half saw Spurs again sweep forward, Uniited only occasionally spluttering towards Gomes's goal: Bale began to get the measure of things, Lennon was cycinally chopped as he advanced in to the box, and Modric, uncharacteristically, sliced an effort as he carved open space in a good position.

As the clock ticked down, things opened up: Spurs lacked the nous to break through while United never got round  Daws and Gallas when they did get up the pitch. Yet the home team seemed to be running out of ideas when a cynical foul by Rafael on Assou-Ekotto brought a second yellow. Rafael had been at it all game and he deserved to march.

 

It gave a further spur to the Spurs and Harry put on an extra striker in Jermain Defoe to see if that would mix things up: it meant van der Vaart dropped a little deeper and instantly the Dutchman found space between the United defence and attack. He  drove a wonderful effort narrowly past the upright two minutes after Defoe's introduction. Yet it was a brief spark. As the clock ticked, it became a little up and under, hit and hope, with some balls dropped into the United six yard box but the rub of the green just not going the home sides way.

 

A draw is not too bad: United are in a commanding position at the top of the table, and we matched them. It is a measure of how far we have come to say there was a tangible sense of disappointment that this was not a hard won three points, and United further advance into the season without a defeat on the board.

 

 

Gomes, 7: Confident handling. Lovely sprawling stop from Rooney on 51, then a great ruash-out-and-gather at the end.

 

Hutton, 7: Amazing how happy he looks now. Kept sneaking timely interceptions in his defensive sector and knew when to steam forward. Little moments such as his tackle then scooped one two on 46 showed the confidence he now enjoys.

 

Bale, 7: Pace took him into dangerous positions, but if only his right was as sweet as his left: he was funnelled across the box regularly and isntead of opening up and hiotting it, he kept wanting to get it on to his stronger peg.

 

Lennon, 7: Good work rate. Needed to get into the box more and draw tackles. 

van der Vaart, 7: Theatrical - in both a good and bad way. Always looking for something thrilling when in possession, but also petulant when decisions went against him instead of picking himself up, dusting himself off, etc.

 

Palacios, 6: Getting into tussles and trying his hardest to break the United rhythm. Good shift, but his starting palce shows how much we miss the injured Huddlestone. Sub: Defoe 

 

Gallas, 7: Strong when it's near him, but a hidden advantage is the base he gives others, something King used to provide simply by lacing his boots up.

 

Modric, 8: Another man of the match display. I can imagine Fergie being reminded of Paul Scholes at his best. What a player.

 

Crouch, 6: Had an aerial duel on his hands. Had a chance in either half that could have settled things.

 

Dawson, 7: Great display against his tricky former team mate Berbatov.

 

Assou-Ekotto, 7: Got to love Benny's attitude. Likes nothing more than a good battle and thoroughly enjoyed getting in amongst Rooney. He stopped the striker at the death with a wonderful tackle.

 

Subs:

Cudicini

Jenas

Pavlyuchenko

Defoe

Basong

Kranjcar

Corluka