I was there at the City Ground on Wednesday and, well, it was a really tough one to watch for us Spurs fans. Just one of those nights where nothing goes right at all, you know? They beat us 3-0, Forest did.
Honestly, it might’ve been our worst game all season. Thomas Frank has Forest playing well, they’ve won three on the bounce now for the first time in ages. And they did it against us. Callum Hudson-Odoi scored two of their goals, and the first one came from a bit of a mistake from our Archie Gray, which was unlucky. Hudson-Odoi’s second was this cross that sort of floated over Vicario’s head, which was strange to see. Then Ibrahim Sangare hit one from way out and it flew in. Vicario had a busy night, under pressure a lot.
I spoke to someone from the club after, and they said the performance was “simply unacceptable.” They’re right. The person said the lads didn’t show the fight we expect, and that the supporters deserve much more. It’s hard to disagree.
So many of our players just wasn’t in it. Pedro Porro and Richarlison, they usually brings so much, but they fell flat. And poor Randal Kolo Muani up front, he was just left hanging there most the time, never getting the ball. We couldn’t find any rhythm or link our passes proper. The Forest crowd got louder and louder, and it felt like it got to our boys.
The spokesperson said there was too many individual errors and that you can’t afford that against a team like Forest. It’s true. That last goal from Sangare, he had all the time in the world to line up his shot. No one closed him down.
It’s a bad time for a result like this. We needed to build some momentum, but now there’s only pressure. The coaches and the players, they’ve got to figure this out fast before the next game. We’ve got to see a big change, and soon, or this season’s final bit is going to be very long indeed.
You could just feel the energy drain right out of our lot after that second goal went in. The whole team’s shoulders just dropped, like everyone knew it weren’t going to be their night. It’s a lonely feeling as a fan in that away stand when that happens, watching the players lose their belief.
What do you even say about the tactics? Sometimes a plan just doesn’t work and you have to change it, but we never did. We kept trying the same slow buildup and Forest just ate it up every single time. They was faster and stronger in every duel, and I think our boys was just surprised by it.
I keep thinking about last month’s performance compared to this one. It’s like watching two completely different teams wear the same shirt. Where does that consistency go? A club spokesperson can talk about fight, but you either have it on the pitch or you don’t. And Wednesday night, we simply didn’t.
There’s this one moment I can’t get out of my head, it was in the second half. A loose ball fell right in the box and three of their players lunged for it, but only one of ours. That’s the difference, really. Wanting it more. They wanted it more than we did, and that’s the hardest part to accept as someone who cares.
Now we’re left just waiting and hoping for a reaction. The training ground must be a quiet place this week. It has to be about how you respond, doesn’t it? This season’s story isn’t written yet, but pages like the one from the City Ground, they’re hard to tear out. You just have to try and write over them.
