Too Much Is Being Asked of Bentaleb
Friends, Romans and countrymen. Lend me your ears. Or at least an explanation as to why Kyle Naughton is now considered Spurs’ specialist corner-taker when Christian Eriksen, perhaps one of Europe’s finest liberators of a static football is parked on the bench looking sad. It’s not Kyle’s fault that Norwich won on Sunday, of course, the game wasn’t decided by the number of set-pieces which failed to clear the first man. But it did rather encapsulate the afternoon. Kyle Naughton. Taking all the corners.
There’s something about Nabil Bentaleb starting every game that doesn’t quite add-up, either. Let’s be clear, the Algerian teenager looks a fine prospect with every attribute in his jodhpurs to become a first-rate kickballer, and, by and large, he’s played quite well since Tim took over; but why on earth are Tottenham in the position where he’s suddenly become undroppable, or even unsubbable?
There’s having faith in youth and there’s playing 180 minutes in four days to the benefit of precisely no-one but Sherwood and his ego. Sure Bentaleb plays a neat sideways pass and intercepts with the best of them, but is he really the indispensable force which will determine a game’s outcome? If you’re nodding your head saying yes, the boy will win you matches then hold tight for a second, let me forward you the email address of Dr. Mawusi Kofi of the Internet Bank of the World. You might have won the Ugandan lottery.
Is Michael Dawson aware that since the beginning of time, through the ages of reptiles, Man and the Enlightenment, not once have one of his fifty-yard raking balls reached a team-mate? Not once. In four-and-a-half billion years of the earth’s existence, never has a Dawson-brand pumped long-ball harvested the desired result.
On an upbeat note, it’s doubtful Spurs will be capable of playing this feebly again. Live betting fans will only have to wait until Thursday to find out whether this is the case as Dnipro come to town for the second-leg of the Europa League knockouts. Tim has guaranteed goals and a handsome margin to secure progress would be most welcome.
12 Responses to Too Much Is Being Asked of Bentaleb