Southampton 0-5 Tottenham Hotspur: The Afterthought
“I don’t care about Levy,
He doesn’t care about me,
All I care about is Kulusevski.”
We heard this chant loud and clear at the game. While it didn’t overshadow the game, it does look like the Spurs fans are looking at the bigger picture. It’s not just Ange Postecoglou who is responsible for the current predicament of Spurs. Let’s talk about what we learned from Spurs’ demolition of the Saints.
There’s still life…
“It was only against a struggling Southampton team.” well, yeah, but you have to beat what is in front of you, and Spurs did it convincingly. If Spurs had struggled to beat the bottom team, then you could’ve had a debate. As things stand, there is life in this Spurs squad, and the result couldn’t have come at a better time: the League Cup quarters are around the corner.
Spurs looked sharp from start to finish, a quality that has been missing for almost the entirety of this campaign. Tottenham dominated the game so much that the St. Mary’s faithful booed Russel Martin out of the building and eventually sacked.
The Seniors are alright…
Ange pointed out how Son and Maddison were the catalysts for the win against Southampton, and he was right. Son has disappointed the most alongside Maddison this season, but he seems to be returning to his best. We are not just talking about the creative side of the game; we are also talking about the defensive side. Son has also been chasing back and helping the defence with full rigour.
Son might have taken criticism on the chin because he returned like a man possessed, which is good for Spurs. They are already running out of things to win this season, but anything is possible if the seniors, especially Son and Maddison, step up for the next half of the season. Let’s start with the quarter-final tie against another rejuvenated side, Manchester United. If Spurs win that game, there is a definite chance of winning a silverware this season
More chances for Djed Spence…
Porro might have been rested against Southampton with one eye on the quarter-final tie, but his replacement, Spence, looked really solid for the time he was on the pitch. While Porro had to come on because of the injury to Udogie, Spence was taken off in the 77th minute as
well; we might see the young Englishmen in the left-back role against United.
Djed Spence deserves a consistent run in this Spurs side. He looked promising earlier in the season and pre-season, but Porro’s experience trumped him. However, it now seems like this is the time for Spence to stake a claim on this Spurs team. Do a job against Manchester United, and he might as well nail down a regular position in this Spurs side.