Former Tottenham Hotspur star Stephen Kelly didn’t hold back when criticising a ‘frail’ showing from Ange Postecoglou’s side in the first half against Ipswich Town on Sunday afternoon.
The London outfit finished the first 45 minutes 2-0 down to the struggling Tractor Boys thanks to goals from Sammie Szmodics and Liam Delap in front of a home crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. A win would move Ipswich Town out of the relegation zone while Spurs would pass up the chance to leapfrog Aston Villa, Fulham, Arsenal and Chelsea in the table – although the latter two sides face off this afternoon.
Szmodics opened the scoring after 31 minutes in the match with a spectacular bicycle kick after the hosts struggled to deal with a Jens Cajuste cross. The former Blackburn Rovers man was unmarked from six yards out as he netted.
A second followed just over 10 minutes later as Delap managed to prod the ball over the line following a defensive melee that almost saw Tottenham defender Radu Dragusin turn the ball into his own net. Former defender and Republic of Ireland international Kelly wasn’t impressed by the organisation at the back.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Kelly said: “They have struggled in the final-third. They have been off it slightly. The passing and that crispness that we’ve seen in the past few games has been lacking and they are going to have to up it a lot. They have looked defensively frail and Ipswich have punished them.”
It’s been an inconsistent few weeks for Postecoglou and Spurs. The North London side beat Aston Villa 4-1 in an impressive showing last weekend but defeats against Brighton and Crystal Palace in recent matches remain fresh in the mind, as well as midweek disappointment at the hands of Galatasaray in the Europa League.
WHAT TOTTENHAM BOSS SAID IN FIRST HALF
Ange postecoglou in his frustrating reaction told friend he is disappointed in Romero display says he embarrassed him on the field its time to push him out of spur
It’s time for player ratings as the whistle has been blown and the first half of football between Spurs and Ipswich has come to a close, with the visitors on top at the interval.
Goals from Szmodics and Delap have helped Ipswich to a healthy first-half advantage in North London.
If results go their way, a win for Spurs could see them climb as high as third, whereas opponents Ipswich are still on the hunt for their first Premier League victory this season. The Lilywhites will be desperate to continue their fine run of home form ahead of yet another international break, but Ipswich will undoubtedly prove to be a tough test for Tottenham.
The two sides last met in the summer of 2020, when Jose Mourinho and Son led Spurs to a 3-0 victory in a friendly against the Tractor Boys. Competitively, however, Spurs are winless in three against Ipswich, with a 2-1 defeat in 2002 being the most recent occasion the clubs have met in the top flight.
Tottenham player ratings vs Ipswich
Guglielmo Vicario: The Tottenham goalkeeper wasn’t heavily troubled however he failed the first test that was thrown at him. Later, he parried a ball that could’ve been caught directly into Dragusin that led to Ipswich’s second. 4.
Pedro Porro: Porro bombarded down the right side throughout the first half, looking to make some form of attacking impact. None of his crosses were at all effective and were often claimed by Muric. 5.
Cristian Romero: After an injury scare last weekend, the Argentine has recovered in time for Spurs’ final clash before the international break. His poor clearance fell perfectly for Szmodics who opened the scoring. Outside that, he hasn’t been great at keeping the Ipswich forwards quiet. 4.
Radu Dragusin: Looking to make amends after a dismal display in midweek, Dragusin returns to the eleven today. The Romanian effectively assisted Delap for the visitors’ second goal and he isn’t silencing any critics so far. Poor once again. 3.
Destiny Udogie: Combined well with Son and Spurs’ left flank but didn’t cause Ipswich too many issues, neither offensively or dfensively. 5.
Rodrigo Bentancur: The Uruguayan linked the defence and the forward line effortlessly, looking comfortable as ever in the 6. He swept up an abundance of loose balls with strong challenges. 7.
Pape Sarr: Sarr’s recent run of form has kept Maddison at bay as the Senegalese retains his spot in the starting eleven. He enjoyed plenty of the ball in the first forty-five, but was particularly wasteful with it. 5.
Dejan Kulusevski: The Swede has taken up a position on the left wing on multiple occasions, perhaps in an attempt to involve himself more. Spurs’ main creator hasn’t received the ball enough to create anything real, however. He will be disappointed in his first-half display. 5.
Brennan Johnson: Missed a golden opportunity extremely early on, poking the ball just wide of the post. Can’t remember him doing anything else notable. 4.
Dominic Solanke: Spurs’ striker continued to be effective deeper on the pitch, linking up with Kulusevski and Sarr cleverly. His hold-up play was exceptional as always, however Solanke will be desperate to receive more service in the final third. 6.
Heung-Min Son: The Spurs captain has looked threatening coming off of that left flank early on, floating in a number of crosses, as well as utilising his trademark drive inside. As the half drew on, the South Korean was slowly phased out of the game. 6.
Leave a Reply