Match Report: AS Roma (Europa) & Preview Fulham (League)

 Match Report: AS Roma (Europa) & Preview Fulham (League)

When relegation strugglers Palace and Ipswich beat us – humiliated - I said we would beat City, even though everybody predicted another loss for us. Of course, I didn’t realise the scale of our victory… but we did good. With that victory, we were buoyed up and ready to take on anybody. Of course, we all should have known that since Levy took over, the word “Spursy” has come into our vocabulary, English dictionary and folklore. In other words, as night turns into day, nothing is what we wish for at Spurs… which brings me nicely to our game against AS Roma…

… but before all that… the day had to start. I was up and ready for the game by 1 pm on Thursday, car parked outside, waiting for my friend Mel to turn up. At 1.30 on the dot, he parked in the car park next to my house. Once parked up, we started our 2-hour drive to the Tottenham stadium, popping into Costa’s on the way to get fuelled up… then continued. Once at the stadium, we travelled around and around until our car park was open… I parked up… made my way to the stadium’s Spurs shop while Mel stayed in the car to twiddle with his mobile phone…

I managed to purchase the yearly Spurs handbook and some clothing from the shop before hooking up with Mel and his attached iPhone. We then waited in the queue at Antrim 4 before the doors opened…. We entered, searched for anything that might go off and cause damage… then went through…

Once in, we got our free programmes, climbed the escalator to our booth, and waited for the food dispensary to open to see what amazements were on offer. But to the game…

When it was time for the kick-off, the stadium lit up with lights, flags, and screams of excitement that wafted through the night's darkness. Then, the team news screamed at us from the giant screens scattered around the stadium before we settled down for that night's adventure.

As I said above, we’ve been indoctrinated with Levy’s “Spursy,” mindset, so nothing goes as planned. Their veteran defender Mats Hummels snatched a late equaliser for Claudio Ranieri's Roma to frustrate us in the Europa League. Yes, they managed to get a late equaliser in the dying minutes of the game (in extra time). We shouldn’t have really been surprised, as that result was etched into Daniel Levy’s bought property.

Yes, the 35-year-old German international, playing his first European match since the Champions League final in July, gave away a penalty in the fifth minute but made amends in stoppage time, tapping in Angelino's whipped cross. At that moment, our tightly crossed fingers slackened as the inevitable was realised… at the same time as our heads dropped, the blood flowed back through our hands…

Of course, we had been the superior side for much of the game – as we were against Brighton, Arsenic poisoning and Newcastle - after Son turned in the penalty that Hummels gave away, who was slow to a loose ball in the box and brought down Pape Matar Sarr.

Brennan Johnson, who has been unable to stop scoring of late, also struck a good first-time finish after a Dejan Kulusevski cutback after defender Evan N'Dicka had equalised.

Stephan El Shaarawy also struck an excellent volley, which VAR ruled out for offside; this was one of three goals that went against them that night (but saved our bacon).

We should have extended our lead further in the first half as Johnson had a shot cleared off the line, Dominic Solanke saw a shot saved, and Son blazed over a rebound after the in-form Kulusevski hit the post. The game felt comfortable for us (which should have been a warning sign), we should have built a bigger lead, but a flurry of second-half efforts from Roma, including former Manchester City wing-back Angelino hitting a first-time volley onto the bar, were warnings.

Our previous goal scorer, Porro, also struck the woodwork with a second-half free-kick, and Solanke hit the post.

As for what we had on the bench… Ange Postecoglou had limited options, making four changes from his side, which impressed us away to Manchester City on Saturday amid a spate of injuries.

We did make substitutions, such as Yves Bissouma, Timo Werner, James Maddison, and Lucas Bergvall, who came on too late, but we couldn't stem the relentless Italian pressure.

We are now ninth in the Europa League phase standings, outside the top eight that avoid a play-off match. We have matches against Rangers, Hoffenheim, and Elfsborg to come… and this is with a growing injury list… that is what I call deep shit! As they say, it doesn’t just snow over our team… but instead of snow, an avalanche hitting us from a great height…

Roma, meanwhile, impressed in a chaotic season where they are on their third manager. Former Leicester and Chelsea manager Ranieri, 73, came out of retirement to manage his boyhood club for the third time. This is the second time… or was it more, who managed a team that gave us a few tears in our long quest for something we can call silverware? At least – as Daniel Levy would say – we, as a club, have become an entertainment hub, and the footballing side is just a small part of that entertainment hub… so cheer up and think of the money raining in on our boardroom magicians… and to forget anything above the minor League Cup.  

Next up is Fulham… who have a similar record as us and sit one point below. Fulham are another Palace or Ipswich (ok, slightly better) waiting to happen. Why can’t we play City every week… or something that doesn’t resemble relegation fodder… where the omens perch over us and prompt our fate?

Team news against Fulham

It is unlikely that Cristian Romero will return from a toe injury on Sunday, but Dominic Solanke is fine despite the striker feeling "a bit sore" after Thursday's draw with Roma. Guglielmo Vicario faces a spell on the sidelines after fracturing a bone in his ankle, so Fraser Forster will make his first Premier League appearance since May 2023. Rodrigo Bentancur serves the second game of a seven-match domestic ban.

As for Richarlson… he is where he always is… getting treatment for an injury (better)… then entering the field of play and going off quickly again for another injury… another great asset for us… and we’ve had our share over the years…

Match facts

Head-to-head

Fulham beat us 3-0 in March, ending a winless run of nine Premier League games against them.

Fulham hope to win consecutive league fixtures for the first time since a three-match streak between 2003 and 2004.

Our sole defeat in our past 14 top-flight home games against Fulham was in March 2013, when Dimitar Berbatov scored the only goal against his former club at White Hart Lane (D3, L10).

We have alternated between victory and defeat in each of our past seven league matches.

We have scored a league-high 27 goals this season and have netted at least three times in six of our 12 matches.

We have lost seven of our 16 Premier League London derbies under Ange Postecoglou (W6, D3), equal to 44%. Among managers to have taken charge of at least 10 such derbies for the club, only Glenn Hoddle has a worse record, with 48%.

Dejan Kulusevski has created a league-high 33 chances this season, while his tally of three assists equals his final total from 36 matches in 2023-24.

My prediction…

I shall be optimistic and say that we shall beat the Cottagers by 3 goals to one.

I am not going to mention what happened on this day (1st December 1990…)—thirty-four years ago, but I remember it well…

…OK, maybe mention it a little (at past calamities… which were rare in those days… but more often under Levy)… our team coach was towed away from outside the team’s hotel, and because of that, we were late for our game against the Russian puppies, Chelski. The club then was fined for being late…

Even though Lineker and Gazza scored on that day, we still lost 3-2. I hope nothing like that happens against Fulham… i.e., losing… well, we are at home, so there is no chance of a bus or anything else being towed away… unless… no, forget it… think positive!!!!

Let us hope our fortunes have changed, and it all started at the City ground (and that AS Roma was just a blip – I’ve got a whole host of excuses waiting to be aired) ). Amen!!

Up the Spurs!

Glenn

With Paul Coyte at a Spurs event