That’s it. That’s the newsletter. Just this photo.
…
Just kidding. But seriously, what a statement goal from Dele! Is there a better way to emphatically state “I’m back!” than to score from a bicycle kick? I think not. I shrieked in glee. I may have even shed one single tear of joy. Dele was one of the biggest reasons I started supporting Spurs, so to say I’m thrilled for him is putting it mildly.
After such a tough/frustrating/worrying start to the season for our beloved #20, it was heartening to see him not only score a world-class goal but also tally two assists in Spurs’ 4-0 victory over Wolfsberger, clinching Tottenham’s spot in the EL round of 16. If Mourinho was waiting for a sign that Dele is ready to start games regularly again, this was definitely it. Even if it came against a lesser opponent (insert obligatory farmers caveat here), Dele still demonstrated his growing confidence and the intelligent style of play that he can contribute to the team.
And if there were any doubts that Gareth Bale is also back in form, this game should have quelled those too. It only took four minutes from subbing into the game for Bale to score from a superb strike, assisted of course by Dele. With every (seemingly) effortless goal contribution from Bale, his return to form feels less and less like a fluke. Fingers crossed he can maintain this run of good performances because we really need his quality to finish out the season strong. It’s also just nice to see him smiling and eager to play—a marked improvement from his situation at Real Madrid.
It’s still hard to say how much of a role Carlos Vinícius will play in the remainder of the season, as our opponents in the Europa League will gradually become tougher (kind of—more on that later) and Harry Kane is obviously our first choice striker for most—if not all—Premier League matches. The only way I can realistically see him getting more minutes is if Mourinho tweaks the formation to play him alongside (or rather in front of) Kane. And with the ascendency of Dele and Bale, that seems unlikely to happen, too. It’s all a bit of shame, as Vinicíus has performed better of late, and netted two goals against Wolfsberger. It’s a little too early to say, but my hunch is that Spurs will not be renewing or converting his loan for another season with the club because he doesn’t seem to be exactly what Mourinho is looking for in a second striker. In any case, it was nice to see Viní finally crack a smile.
Stray observations from the match:
Credit where credit is due to Doherty for a fabulous cross to assist Dele’s goal. While I still prefer Aurier for first-choice right back, it’s good to see Doherty is finally showing signs of meshing with the team and justifying his transfer.
It could not be more obvious that Mourinho is hyped on Dane Scarlett. And for good reason! He wasn’t the only youngster to get some minutes in this game, but he definitely shined the brightest and contributed an assist for Viní’s second goal. He’s come a long way…
What a relief to have a game where Kane & Son didn’t play and I wasn’t worried, not for one second. 💆🏻♀️
🚨Joe Hart clean sheet🚨
Really need Bergwijn to get a goal soon, for his sake and ours.
Overall, I’m glad that Spurs got the good results we were expecting with this Europa League tie and that the matches provided further opportunities for a few players to build up confidence and get us closer to having a fully fit & ready squad for the final stretch of the season.
With each season I find a new way to realize how fully COYS I have become. Yesterday that took the form of getting up before 6 am central time to watch the Europa League round of 16 draw. Seeing Dele’s overhead kick in the round of 32 goals recap video helped wake me up, at least. I don’t know much (anything) about Dinamo Zagreb, but from what I understand they should be easy work for Spurs. It seems a bit miraculous that we continue to get favorable draws in the cups (Everton in the FA Cup being the obvious exception), but I’m not going to complain. We could have faced an extra NLD or an early rematch with Man U if the draw had not gone in our favor. Having this easier matchup means we should see Vinícius for at least one more EL outing.
Up next: a depleted Burnley
In theory (which is not always the same thing as reality when it comes to Spurs), this should be a fairly routine win at home.
We’re aided by the fact that Burnley have been struggling with injuries to several key players, including Chris Wood and Jay Rodriguez who are both game time decisions, and Ashley Barnes who will not be featuring at all. On Tottenham’s side, we just have Serge Aurier as a maybe (hopefully!) and Lo Celso still out for at least a couple more games, according to Mourinho.
After a couple of impressive wins in January, Burnley have only won one game in their last six in the league. And with the exception of their 3-0 win over Crystal Palace, they’ve simply struggled to score goals (having their top-scorer Wood out didn’t help). Hopefully, we can finally get another PL clean sheet. But if Mourinho has the gall to employ a low block against Burnley, I will have some choice words for him in the next newsletter. For one thing, we need to win by at least three goals if we want to leapfrog Aston Villa in the table and end the matchday in 8th. That match in hand we have with Villa is starting to look really important.
It probably goes without saying after my commentary on the Wolfsberger game, but my ideal lineup would include all four of Kane, Son, Bale, and Dele. But like all Spurs fans, I know we aren’t allowed to have nice things, especially where Mourinho’s lineup decisions are concerned. I would love to be wrong! But something tells me we’ll be seeing Moura or Lamela starting in place of Dele. José gonna José. It would be nice to see Aurier back in the starting lineup, but I do think Fulham will be a tougher game for us defensively than Burnley, so if he just gets eased in with a second half appearance and starts Thursday instead, I’m perfectly fine with that.
COYS
They did what we expected them to do...finally! If they keep building the chemistry between Bale Son and Harry...who knows..?