It Could (And Did) Get Worse

Well. Sunday was quite an eventful day in the world of Spurs. Let's just get straight into, starting with the bad news first. I promise there is good news later on!

In this issue:  Newcastle recap | Ryan Mason era, pt. 2 | Aston Villa recap | Previewing Manchester United |

Newcastle 6 - 1 Tottenham

It's a mark of how apathetic I had become about the Men's team this season that this result didn't even surprise me. Which doesn't mean that it was easy to experience as a fan, far from it. But it helped that there was a far more competitive match happening with the Women's team on my second screen to shift my attention to and lessen the blow.

I don't think there's any point in going into the goals conceded in any great detail (and to be totally honest, I haven't looked at the highlights yet, nor will I!); it was a complete breakdown of the defense that had as much to do with tactics as it did with mentality. It should be acknowledged, however, that the shift to a back-4 with currently available personnel was a failed strategy from the start. Perhaps if Ben Davies and Emerson Royal become available soon it could be revisited, but for now, I think we have no choice but to stick it out with the back-3 and hope that the attack can make up the difference.

There was a glimmer of hope in the second half as we regained a bit of control and got a goal back through Harry Kane shortly after the match resumed. It would have been nice to score a couple more to reduce the hit to the team's goal difference, because that could become important if we somehow manage to draw even with Manchester United on points by the final matchday (Newcastle's goal difference advantage is sadly insurmountable at this point). But after winning the first have 5-0, Newcastle scored one more to make the final result a lopsided 6-1.

This embarrassment on the pitch was the last thing the club needed right now. It seemed like there was no alternative but to sack the interim manager, Cristian Stellini, and get the last vestiges of Antonio Conte's influence out of the environment. So it came as no surprise when the club did just that on Monday. The "Club update from Daniel," as it was titled, did seem to be Daniel Levy's attempt at taking responsibility for the numerous missteps this season (and in the years preceding).

It's up to individual fans to decide how sincere the message actually was, but I at least appreciated that he didn't totally throw Stellini under the bus and thanked him for his professionalism (I believe Stellini was just in over his head and put in a bad situation besides, even if I wasn't in favor of his original interim appointment), as well as giving Ryan Mason a vote of confidence as he begins his second interim manager stint. His sendoff of "COYS, Daniel" has proven to be somewhat controversial amongst the fanbase, but it didn't bother me. Levy has said a lot of other things, mostly around the Women's team, that have bothered me much more this week, but I'm going to save that rant for a bonus post because this one would get far too lengthy otherwise. Standby.

Ryan Mason is back in the hot seat

And the seat is scorching!

Part of me feels a little bad for Mason being put in such a difficult position again (you may recall his last period as interim manager started the week before the League Cup final), but at the same time, it appears to be a challenge that he relishes. And you can never doubt his commitment to the club, that is for sure.

I put off publishing this post until after his first press conference had been released 1) to hear how confident he sounds (or not) and 2) to hopefully get a fitness update on Ben Davies ahead of tomorrow's game against Manchester United.

On the first count, I thought he came across quite well and has a good sense of perspective and prioritization. Indeed, he's cool as a cucumber in the face of probing questions from reporters and kept the focus on the two most pressing matters, the Manchester United and Liverpool matches within the next four days. He also reiterated several times that he is "ready" for this moment of stepping up to the head coach position, albeit temporarily, and also hinted that he would likewise be ready to take over the position permanently if the forthcoming results deem him a suitable candidate to the board. This is all what you would like to hear, ideally, so no complaints from me.

(Side note:  I revealed this slightly hot take to my Tottenham Depot group chat yesterday and I might as well share it here, too. I would honestly love to see Mason take over the Women's team next season. It keeps him at the club as he gains the "first team experience" he lacks that has made the board hesitant to promote him to full-time head coach of the Men's team thus far, and most importantly would give the Women's team a manager who is fully invested in the club's success—I worry that some of the alternative choices could be of a more mercenary nature. Do I think this scenario will happen, realistically? Not at all. But I can dream.)

On the second account, Mason was less concrete. Davies will be assessed in today's training session before a determination is made as to him being available for the matchday squad to face United. I know I would feel a lot better about that matchup if Davies was included in the side, even if not starting, but he also cannot be risked if not fully fit. Clément Lenglet is also doubtful, but would be an unquestionable boost to the starting lineup compared to last game's.

I genuinely think the fanbase received a boost in confidence and enthusiasm the last time Mason took the helm, and I hope it will be the same this time. There are many reasons to be frustrated and even angry with Levy and the board at the moment, but it does no good to let that negativity seep into the matchday atmosphere, especially not at a time when the players need all the support they can get.

If we're being realistic, Mason has not been set up to succeed in terms of a top 4 finish. Perhaps if he had been given the reins immediately after Conte's sacking he would have had enough time to implement some small but significant tactical changes and change the course of the table finish, but instead, Stellini stayed behind to continue along the same general path as Conte would have taken. We can't go back to play those games again and pick up any of those costly lost points. So for me, a positive end to the season under Mason and his staff involves:

• an improvement in mentality amongst the squad

• an effort towards a more progressive style of play, albeit with the limitations of current squad availability limiting how much tinkering he can do with the formation

• a finish in a Europa League qualification spot (please god, not the Conference League again!)

I think we all know the squad has been underperforming to its talent and capability, regardless of the injury crunch, and Mason seems well suited to getting some belief back in them to perform at the level of expectation. We can't ask for much more in this difficult situation the club has put him in.

Okay, now it's time for the good news.

Tottenham 3 - 3 Aston Villa

Okay, it's not a win—though it very nearly was!—but considering that we fell to an early 0-2 deficit against the "best of the rest" team in the WSL this season, I will take the comeback point happily. It puts us one step closer to safety in the league and this wasn't a match I necessarily expected (or even hoped) we could pick up points in.

As I alluded to earlier, squad mentality is an important factor when it comes to getting results. There was a lot of communication from the club, primarily from the players themselves, that the international break had been a positive one for the team and that they were approaching each of the remaining WSL fixtures as "cup finals." Sure, that's a bit of a cliché, but I actually believe it was a genuine rallying cry after seeing the performance they put in on Sunday.

A performance that wasn't flawless, to be fair, but a marked improvement over recent form. Most importantly, there was a sense of intention in the buildup for the attack that has been missing in the majority of Spurs Women's games this season. While the team's overall passing accuracy still leaves something to be desired, I noticed increased ball movement in the attacking third. The decision to play a 4-4-2 formation surely contributed to this more proactive approach.    

One of the two strikers, Eveliina Summanen, is far from accustomed to that role but really shone in it on Sunday. She scored a brace with goals coming in the 27th and 47th minute. The first reminded me of a goal Nikola Karczewska, our "fox in the box" striker, would score, capitalizing on a free ball in the box by beating out three Aston Villa defenders to slide in a shot (we might have been awarded a penalty for the Villa keeper's tackle on Ash Neville if she hadn't scored). The second goal involved a linkup between herself and Beth England at close range in the box. Their partnership has been developing nicely in recent games. Neville and Drew Spence's partnership continues to be key as well, as they kept the ball moving off the throw-in for the buildup to that second goal. Summanen's transformation from playing as a defensive holding midfielder early in the season to now being a focal point in the attack is as surprising as it is exciting, and a testament to her self-confidence that she has pulled it off with aplomb.

Celin Bizet was another top performer. She seemed to be involved in every attack, with her ability to run past her marker and put a strong cross in from the wing coming in handy, particularly on Spurs' third goal in the 59th minute. After her cross connected with Neville in the box, it was one-touch football from there, from Ash to Angharad James to England with the finish.

A few other players I want to highlight briefly:

• Asmita Ale finally returned to the starting lineup for the first time since the reverse fixture with Aston Villa on January 14. She showed some clear signs of rust early on (such as getting turned by Hanson for Villa's first goal) but grew into the game and was back to her typical form by the end of her 59-minute shift. I think we are much better equipped as a side to play progressively when she is starting, so hopefully she will continue getting chances through the end of the season—and hopefully a contract extension.

• Kerys Harrop had a bit of a horrid time defending Kenza Dali and later Alisha Lehmann on the left flank of Spurs' defense, but I think on the balance it was more useful to have her starting at left-back so Ash Neville could be moved up into the attack for this match. We had missed Neville's presence in the wide midfield, and she made an assist in her first game back in this role.  

• Becky Spencer got a second consecutive start for the first time since the difficult pre-winter break stretch of games. There does seem to have been some tactical instruction for Spencer to be less involved in build-up play, because rather than her trademark short passes or throws out from the back she preferred to send long balls forward in this game (which weren't successful on the whole). Honestly, it's hard to understand what the strategy is with the goalkeeping corps this season. We could easily see Tinni Korpela return to the starting XI for the next game without any indication of a reason for the change.

• Angharad James has come under a lot of criticism this season (including from me), largely because of high expectations after pre-season, but in this game we finally got a glimpse of what she can bring to the attack—if not the defense. Like Bizet, she was heavily involved in the goals and even registered the assist for England's goal. Her positioning looked much better than it has been and was even proactive at times, in contrast to the many times in past games where she was caught out and struggled to make up for lost ground.  

England's go-ahead goal could have been the winner if not for a late set piece goal concession in the 84th minute. It was Rachel Daly's second of the game (and second from a set piece). Much like when we faced Bunny Shaw with Manchester City, some strikers really just are inevitable. I am glad that we had at least done enough to come back from the earlier Kirsty Hanson and Daly goals to secure a valuable point.

And it will definitely prove to be valuable if we are able to beat Brighton this weekend. At that point, I would consider us safely out of the relegation fight. I'll wait to preview that game in the Friday post, but we can already breathe a little easier after this unexpected draw.

Mason leading at the Lane

In Ryan Mason's first return to the touchline as interim manager, Spurs Men take on Manchester United at home.

As mentioned earlier, there is a slim chance that Ben Davies returns to the squad, and a slightly more likely chance of Clément Lenglet being available. Hugo Lloris' status is also up in the air, but personally? I would be fine with him sitting out the remaining games this season. I trust Fraser Forster a little more at this point, and frankly, Lloris hasn't provided the galvanizing leadership required of the team's captain.

On the off chance that Davies and Lenglet are both available, I would like to see a back-3 of Romero-Dier-Lenglet and have Davies immediately slot back into the left wing-back spot. Perhaps that's a little unfair to Ivan Perišić, who has been a lot better going forward in recent games, but he's too much of a defensive liability against a team like Manchester United. So is Pedro Porro on the right, but we don't really have an alternative for him at the moment, barring a surprise shift of Dejan Kulusevski back to wing-back. At this moment, I feel like most of our forwards are in decent form and I don't have a huge preference on who starts in the front-3, but it will be refreshing if we see more proactive substitutions from Mason than we had from Stellini or Conte. I should note that Lucas Moura is available again for selection after serving his red card suspension, but I don't want him anywhere near the pitch.

There is some cause for optimism when it comes to scoring enough to compensate for our dysfunctional defense, because United are without both of their preferred starting center-backs in Raphaël Varane and Lisandro Martínez. They could also be without key midfielder Bruno Fernandes as well, though Christian Eriksen has recently returned from injury. The midfield battle is likely to be key to the result, so we're going to need much better performances from both Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Oliver Skipp no matter who United starts.

United did not score in either of their last two matches, a Europa League second leg with Sevilla that saw them knocked out of the competition after taking a 2-0 lead early in the first leg, then an FA Cup semi-final with Brighton that saw United advance on penalties.

In many ways, United have had similar issues to Tottenham this season. Both teams have inconsistent forward lines and leaky defenses. United have the slight form advantage going into this matchup, but it truly could be anyone's game. And you can't underestimate the factor of Spurs having huge motivation to bounce back after a shameful loss and restarting under a new (interim) manager.

Catch me hyperventilating at 2:15 pm CT tomorrow.

COYS

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