This was a frustrating game. The key here is to understand that it was a frustrating game for Newcastle United and not for Tottenham Hotspur.
Spurs arrived without any reinforcements and hampered by Moussa Sissoko – the big galoot suddenly a default starting XI player. Dear Lord.
Make no mistake, Newcastle have been through the mill and this Toot team was one that hadn’t suffered any passengers since …Sissy’s departure.
I initially though that Dele was play acting in respect of the Shelvy red card, after all he’d been looking for a handbags gangster moment prior to it. I was wrong and the bald gypsy was guilty of not only standing on Alli’s ankle, but doing so in direct sight of the referee.
Plaudits for Walker-Peters will undoubtedly rain in from people who don’t understand football. He did well enough, however Spurs were lucky they weren’t playing anyone good enough to rip a hole in his naivety.
Why Poch is playing KWP as an attacking wing back when the lad has no pace is beyond me. A change of personnel means a change of skillsets and therefor a change of tactic. No?
Thankfully the restricted talents of Rafa’s boys didn’t hurt us in this respect; Dembele and even Kane on occasion had to mop up after the boy.
Anyone pronouncing this a ‘routine win’, needs to get over themselves.
The good news? We demonstrated the instincts of a championship winning side.