There’s nothing like proving critics wrong, and shoving it right down their throats. Tottenham, who have been exceptional all season long, looked completely helpless against us today and we could have won by even more than two goals. I’ll be honest. I’ve been one of the critics. Every morning, I wake up and check to see if Rafa’s been sacked. But the more and more I think about it, the more injuries have certainly thrown Rafa “a curveball.” Gillett’s statements, which came from about as inside as you can get, put a bit of ease into my soul about our situation. All of us want stability, and if Rafa can perform for us, that’s better than having to find another manager and pay him out. And this 2-0 win was certainly a performance, both from the manager (although selecting Degen was slightly baffling) and from the players.
Dirk Kuyt’s double, and it probably should have been at least three from him to be honest, gave us the win and it puts us only one point behind Tottenham in the Premiership table. After last week’s stale 1-1 draw at Stoke where we blew it in the last minute, we needed a morale booster. The booster came after only six minutes, as well, which was a massive relief. Solid play from Aquilani led to the Italian laying it off slowly to Kuyt at the side of the “D” and Kuyt’s accurate side-footer was placed deliciously into the lower far corner. 1-0. After that, the match stalled out and it wasn’t until about midway through the second half where we started to lay down the hammer. The introduction of Ngog did the trick, and his pace and forward-thinking play gave Spurs all sorts of headaches, which eventually led to our penalty. Ngog was clumsily knocked down in the box in the 91st minute by Bassong, and Dirk Kuyt stepped up to take the PK. He made it, but was forced to retake it. Fortunately, he kept his composure and it was 2-0. What a massive result. We not only needed it for points, but to hopefully shut up all of the critics and let us get on with things… myself included!
It seems that the news on Rafa’s future will let up now that Gillett has come out and said he rates Rafa and that it is just a blip. It also helps that Gerrard has quelled any rumors of his departure. Additionally, it helps that we beat Spurs at home because now 4th is actually legit… not just “hope and a prayer.”
Bring on Wolves on Tuesday!
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