Tottenham 1-0 Slavia Praha

---------------Robinson---------------
-Chimbonda---Dawson---King---Lee-
--Jenas--Murphy--Zokora--Ziegler--
-----------Keane-----Mido-----------

Tottenham: Robinson, Chimbonda, Dawson, Davenport, Young-Pyo Lee, Jenas, Murphy (Ghaly 71), Zokora, Ziegler (Tainio 63), Keane, Mido.
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Huddlestone, Ifil, Assou-Ekotto, Charlie Lee.

Booked: Tainio.

Goals: Keane 80.

Slavia Prague: Kozacik, Krajcik, Latka, Suchy, Hubacek, Janda (Vlcek 63), Jarolim, Hrdlicka (Kalivoda 74), Svec, Svento, Fort (Necid 78).
Subs Not Used: Divis, Dosoudil, Gaucho, Aracic.

Booked: Latka.

Att: 35,191.

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7-YFPFMVHQ

Much like the first leg of this UEFA Cup 1^st round tie, it was job done for Spurs with a professional, but unconvincing performance. In the context of the season so far, this has to go down as a missed opportunity to gain some momentum against a functional Slavia side.

Jol made three changes to the starting line up from the Liverpool game recalling Mido and Lee Young Pyo. The biggest surprise was a first start of the season, and indeed for well over a year, for Reto Ziegler. It may have been expected that the thinking was for Ziegler to provide the natural width on the left that players such as Tainio and Davids, who have started there this season, could not. However, Ziegler drifted into the centre as much as either of those players do, which can only lead to the conclusion that Jol is making a direct decision to play with a compact non-expansive midfield, rather than through the necessity of having no real left winger in the squad. Ziegler himself failed to make the kind of impact that a player who has been out of consideration for so long would have liked to. His whipped set piece deliver, which has been effective in recent reserve games, gave a nice variation to the numerous corners and free kicks that Slavia conceded, but his general play and link up with Lee on the left was disappointing.

A brisk start saw several chances for Spurs to assume control on the night with an early goal. Keane, in particular had two fairly straightforward opportunities to break his duck for the season in the first half. Unfortunately he was unable to get a touch on Davenport’s header from a Jenas corner and later shot straight at the keeper following Murphy’s cross from the right.

The second half saw an increasingly nervous Spurs allow Slavia to get into the match, with their right back Krajcik going close with two powerful drives that sailed over Robinson’s goal. Frequently, Spurs looked simply to keep possession and kill time, to the apparent frustration of the home crowd expecting a different attitude on a much anticipated return of European football to White Hart Lane.

The catalyst for a change in emphasis was Hossam Ghaly, who entered the fray on 71 minutes for the dwindling Murphy. The Egpytian, as he had done against Manchester United, immediately looked to be direct and progressive playing from the right flank and put in several decent balls, before chesting down Zokora’s cross in the area for Keane to fire home. The relief at the goal which secured a place in the group stages of the competition was tangible, no more so than on the Spurs bench. With the burden lifted, Spurs started to play some decent football, most of it channelled through Ghaly who created another goal for Keane which was ruled offside and crossed perfectly for Mido to miss a point blank header in the dying minutes.

Spurs man of the match: Hossam Ghaly – it says something about the way the match panned out that a player who was on the pitch for merely twenty minutes was Spurs most effective player. Ghaly has surely shown enough in his two appearances this season to suggest that he could finally be given a run in the team

Liverpool 3-0 Tottenham

----------------------Robinson----------------------
-Chimbonda---Dawson---King---A.Ekotto-
---Jenas-----Murphy----Zokora-----Tainio---
-----------------Keane--------Defoe----------------

Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Hyypia, Agger, Riise, Gerrard, Alonso (Carragher 84), Sissoko, Gonzalez (Aurelio 77), Bellamy (Luis Garcia 68), Kuyt.
Subs Not Used: Dudek, Crouch.

Booked: Hyypia.

Goals: Gonzalez (63), Kuyt (73), Riise (89).

Tottenham: Robinson, Chimbonda, Dawson, King, Assou-Ekotto, Jenas, Murphy (Mido 79), Zokora, Tainio (Davids 61), Keane, Defoe.
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Lee, Huddlestone.

Att: 44,330

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r9QHjhDVJQ

Once again under Jol, Spurs put in a decent performance against a top four side but failed to find a victory and once again this season Spurs’ failure to take their chances cost them. Murphy retained his place in central midfield and put in his best display in a Spurs shirt, though still looking a little too lightweight to play in a central midfield two. Mido was dropped and Defoe returned to partner Keane, but neither of the diminutive forwards really did enough to justify the decision.

The turning point in the game, after an hour where Spurs held their own and created some decent chances, came when Davids, on as sub broke onto Defoe’s excellent through ball to centre the ball to Jenas. With the the goal at his mercy, Jenas somehow managed to slice the ball wide. Even taking into account the 80 yard sprint he had made to get on the end of the move it was a shocking miss. Liverpool almost immediately went up the other end and scored, essentially striking a psychological double blow on Spurs and killing the tie as a contest.

Assou-Ekotto, who has had a decent start to his Spurs career, was at fault for both the first and second goals, whilst Robinson should have made the task of finishing both goals more difficult for Gonzalez and Kuyt. Otherwise the defensive performance was again pretty good, with Dawson and King’s partnership bringing solidity and Chimbonda continuing to look good value for money. Unfortunately, the continuing lack of ruthlessness in the box means that the poor start to the season continues.

Spurs’ man of the match: Danny Murphy – although it is unclear whether the level of his performance was proving a point to Spurs fans or the Liverpool fans that gave him a warm welcome on his return, Murphy did offer the link up and incisive passing in the final third that has been lacking in recent weeks.