Watford away, 28.10.06

Last updated : 29 October 2006 By SpursMAD

News of the World: Watford held Tottenham to a 0-0 draw.

Aidy Boothroyd's side took a deserved point.

Neil Silver, The People: Only a lack of quality was displayed at Vicarage Road.

The idea of having a secret weapon like Aaron Lennon - even when the secret gets out - is to deploy that weapon in his natural position and let him wreak havoc on the opposing defence.

So why Spurs boss Martin Jol played the England right winger on the left flank - with Egyptian Hossam Ghaly on the right - was something of a mystery, because it didn't work.

Lennon was Tottenham's best hope of unlocking the gritty Watford defence but the young flier looked out of sorts on the wrong flank, always having to cut inside and get on his natural right foot to cross the ball.

To compound the problem, Spurs didn't get enough of the ball wide to Lennon, so created little for Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane.

John Aizlewood, The Sunday Times: A strange afternoon. After 90 goalless minutes, both teams trooped off feeling equal parts relief and frustration. Watford had failed to transform their first-half whirlwind into goals, yet by half-time they were spent. Tottenham, who could have been three goals adrift by the interval, had created enough chances to score three themselves by the end.

The game set off at a frightening pace and Watford could have been two up before the first minute had passed. The game was most certainly on and those early forays could have ended with a goal.

Watford centre-half Danny Shittu made a thorough, ongoing nuisance of himself in the opposition penalty area, although the traffic was not wholly one way.

The first period belonged to the hosts. If Watford could not eclipse Tottenham on mere ability, they could most certainly outrun and outfight them.

Thus, the tireless and fearless Gavin Mahon, a captain plying a captain's role, did the work of two men in midfield.

Alongside him, Damien Francis adopted a thou-shalt-not-pass attitude to Jermaine Jenas and Tom Huddlestone and Smith's impishness remained untrammelled and soon Huddlestone was forced to drift back from midfield to assist the often overrun Benoit Assou-Ekotto.

Tottenham seemed rather taken aback by the fire in Watford's belly. Their aim was to reduce the home side's storm to a gentle breeze and to canter to half-time with Robinson's goal intact.

Hossam Ghaly was all latent menace and keen intelligence but constantly imperilled by the yellows, as half-time relief grew closer, Spurs bent but did not break and they took their half-time tea shaken but level.

If Watford's new-found tendency to surrender possession cheaply did not sufficiently surrender the initiative, Danny Murphy's introduction cemented Tottenham's ascendancy.

For all their territorial advantage Tottenham never quite matched the head of steam Watford offered in the first period.

The hosts suffered the succour but not humiliation while Tottenham were grounded by their lack of firepower.

Star Man: Aaron Lennon

Arindam Rej, Sunday Telegraph: Tottenham's inability to construct threatening passing moves in the final third, and a lack of creativity elsewhere, ensured Watford never looked unsettled.

Watford's profligacy was the reason Tottenham escaped with a draw.

Aaron Lennon was impressive despite being deployed out-of-position on the left flank.

But his natural tendency to drift right was regularly in evidence and Jol may have regretted switching him to accommodate the uninventive Hossam Ghaly.

Jol's rotation policy also did little to help matters. Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov proved ineffective replacements for the in-form Mido, who was left out of the squad, and late substitute Jermain Defoe. In the strikers' defence, too little was played to their feet and scant space created for them by team-mates.

For all Tottenham's flaws, credit was due to Watford for their tenacity. Their aerial threat shone through in the opening stages.

There were few cohesive Tottenham moves.

Tottenham were more purposeful after half-time. The game suffered a lull in intensity until a late, unproductive flurry from Tottenham, leaving Boothroyd the happier manager.

Anna Kessel, The Observer: Watford struggled with an embarrassment of chances. In the opening minutes the home side won three corners in quick succession, but failed to convert. It was to prove an irritating tic. Tommy Smith's excellent early opportunity was preceded by quality passing in the box and Watford created a good six openings against an unusually porous Tottenham defence, Smith in particular showing up a jittery Benoit Assou-Ekotto.

Watford's activity eclipsed Tottenham's efforts in the main, but the visitors' attack was not without its merits. Tom Huddlestone fed balls through from a deep midfield position and from there Hossam Ghaly and Jermaine Jenas provided opportunities for Aaron Lennon, whose electrifying runs brought three fine chances - all saved by the in-form Ben Foster.

As the game wore on Tottenham's passing became slicker and it looked as though the visitors might just nick it.

But in the end, it was mission unaccomplished.

Ronald Atkin, Independent on Sunday: Watford could and should have done better against a lacklustre Tottenham so devoid of urgency, commitment and, it appeared at times, interest.

Heaven knows what Keith Burkinshaw made of it. He was on the side of the better, if not better quality, club yesterday.

Watford hurled themselves into action and never flagged until the dying minutes. What was surprising was that Spurs should have been startled by this, as if the video machine at their training ground had broken down last week.

Spurs' midfield strolled around as if it was practice time while the Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster was alert and excellent.

But in the second half, for all Watford's chasing and eager harrying, the best chances fell to Tottenham.

Aaron Lennon's switch to the right gave Spurs better balance and he should have claimed the winner.