A lot is being made of good start to the game. But isn't that just standard NLD procedure?

[TRENT COLTON]

They've often started those games like a train. Even against our best sides http://www.awimb.com/images/smiley_icons/shrug.gif

[ArseMart - Enjoy every sandwich]

Into it before the sending off.

Also Spurs completely capitulated after we scored.

[JJSB]

They also had a lead to defend at the time. We've seen plenty of matches where 10 men are harder to break down, and so the result isn't always inevitable.

[TRENT COLTON]

What a shame

[Mc Gooner]

[Peter]

[Bergkamp's Brain]

In the past we have conceded goals against the run of play or flukes. This was the first time they really came out at us and stopped us from moving the ball, for a very long time.

I don't think we were coming back into it before the sending off, at all. We would have got back into the game eventually because no team can keep that level of pressure up for more than 35 minutes. The question is, would the score have still been 0-1?

[Peter]

Hugely, in fact.

[Bergkamp's Brain]

[ArseMart - Enjoy every sandwich]

Couldn't quite get clear.

The reason we couldn't string 2 passes together for some of that initial period of the game is that we're a bit **** these days. Could have happened if we were playing Tourquay.

[Bergkamp's Brain]

Perhaps I should watch the game again.

But I agree that they cannot use the sending off as an excuse for losing that game.

[Nicosia Gooner]

and had them under pressure

[Luis Anaconda]

anyway could see that

[David Pleat AHADF (Royal Welsher and monkey lover)]

[Nicosia Gooner]

[Peter]

[Peter]

One goal, one chance, and a massively offside goal. Wow.....

I wasnt massively worried at 1-0, any more than i believed that once adebayor was sent off a romp was inevitable.

What would have happened had he stayed on is up for debate. But we will never know unfortunately.lets not try and pretend that we do.

[Peter]

It was simply a matter of us settling down. We were actually pressing the ball quite well for some of the opening spell.

[Bergkamp's Brain]

we were playing poorly at that point. We were giving the ball away far too easily. Some part of that was due to our own ****ty play, some down to their pressing. The 30 minutes after the sending off, we were outstanding.

[Peter]

The stats dont tell the whole storey. A ball that was inches away from putting theo clean through shows up as an incompleted pass. It was as good a sign as any that there was plenty in the game for us.

They were playing well but this was relying on a physical pressing game that was bound to cost them with cards or catch up with them in tiredness. Adebayor's idiotic tackle was part of that, and both sandro and lennon could have been inmtrouble by half time with a sterner ref.

[Bergkamp's Brain]

I still maintain that we were playing really poorly until the sending off.

[Nicosia Gooner]

[Nicosia Gooner]

[David Pleat AHADF (Royal Welsher and monkey lover)]

tat 15 minutes from the end.

[Nicosia Gooner]

http://www.awimb.com/images/smiley_icons/hehe.gif