While the Watford autopsies ranged from blaming Poch, to blaming players, to that annoying shadow on the pitch and the tides of the moon… what we saw at Old Trafford was Tottenham talking their chances with some aplomb.
Against Watford, the Hornets mascot looked more likely to score than Kane or Moura
So we might wish to assess the wastefulness.
No better area to address that corners.
This has been a consistent bane of Pochettino’s sides, however at Vicarage Road we got a tour de force of cluster bleeps.
07:00 Ben Davies took our first corner and this wasn’t actually too shabby, with Sanchez getting up, although failing to get his head on it.
14:49 The second was essentially a rerun of the first; Trippier’s ball was also designed to hit Sanchez, but again the execution wasn’t quite right and instead the ball went directly into two opposing defenders who headed clear.
28: 53 Just before the half hour Tripps took our third.
Arguably the best so far.
This time the ball avoided the scum o the 6 yard line and found Kane.
For a nanosecond, a repeat of his remarkable goal against Manchester United was on the cards, but he managed to get so far over it, it was effectively a defensive clearance.
31:59 Next up was Christian Eriksen with *deep sigh* a short corner.
Tripper took the ball to the byline and with his few yards advantage, still managed to put the ball into the 3 defenders between Moura and Dele.
Depressing.
35:08 Then Davies had another go.
This was aimed at Harry Kane, but one of 2 two Watford shirts in front of him got there first.
If we just pause here, and look back at the last 3 images we find a recurring theme.
Mousa Dembele (19) is in varying degrees of space and proximity in each frame.
Thoroughbred sadomasochists will also point out that all our corner kicks in the first half were with the sun in Watford’s eyes – again no discernible advantage was gained.
Number 6 at 41:32 was from Eriksen with Trippier on hand, looking like it might go short.
It went long and was aimed at Sanchez again.
I guess in training they aren’t practising with defenders.
The ball is headed out and finally Ben Davies volleyed it wildly away from goal.
7th time lucky?
43:24 and this one was Trippier, trying to find Toby.
Again, one of the 2 Watford defenders that were in front of him, got up before our man.
7 corners in one half is a lot.
7 corners that don’t prompt a single save, is also a lot.
64:51 and Trippier to Sanchez again.
This time a change of tack and the ball is lofted over to the Colombian.
Again, it’s intercepted.
83:20 Again Trippier and this one saw Vertonghen get into position near the far post.
Yet again the ball was walloped hopefully towards Kane who was marked and the ball again was knocked away.
94:39 and it’s full Martin Jol mode.
Winks takes the corner short – which gives tripper an advantage of approximately 2ft.
The ball is pumped into Llorente (18) who is like a magnate to Watford shirts.
Again, the ball is cleared away.
10 corners and very little to be appreciative of.
3 out of the 10 are categorised as ‘successful’ because a Spurs player made first contact with the ball.
If there is still time after coaching Serge Aurier on how to taking throw-ins, it might be a good idea to work out a corner taking strategy.
Currently, we don’t have one.
