Tottenham defeat left another feeling of what might have been - Ian Hart

I didn't make it to the Amex last Saturday on account of marking two friends' landmark birthdays in Benidorm.
Action from Albion's defeat to Tottenham on Saturday. Picture by PW Sporting PhotographyAction from Albion's defeat to Tottenham on Saturday. Picture by PW Sporting Photography
Action from Albion's defeat to Tottenham on Saturday. Picture by PW Sporting Photography

Watching any game in a bar can be different from watching it live or even at home. At the end of the game I was once again left with feelings of what might have been. That was reiterated by three of our Spanish party, who all support other teams, thinking the Albion were unlucky and should have got a draw.

It was only returning home and sitting down on Sunday and watching it all again that my perspective on the 90 minutes changed.

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When will the Albion side actually realise that the game is played over 90 minutes?

For the second game running, the Albion were all but non existent in the first half. On Saturday they gave Spurs far too much respect and given Tottenham’s current poor run of form, you would have thought the Albion would have gone on the front foot from the first whistle?

Had they attacked their opponents, clearly low on confidence after three straight defeats, from the outset, it may well have been a different story. But instead the Albion produced a tepid first half showing, culminating in Glenn Murray conceding a 42nd minute penalty with a needless handball.

Granted the Albion did go at Spurs in the second half for periods, but with Tottenham doubling their lead – although Anthony Knockaert did pull one back in injury time – again, it was that feeling of what might have been.

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Come the final whistle against Manchester City at the Amex in May, will that feeling be even more significant?

Talk by certain sections of the Albion support about jettisoning Chris Hughton is on the cusp of ludicrous and laughable.

In Hughton, we have a good manager, who knows this league. Down the years a number of his detractors have cited his shortcomings being based around the perceived negativity of his football. Clearly it is a game of opinions be he can only work with the current squad at his respective club.

There’s no doubt that Hughton possesses a better all-round squad than he did at either Newcastle or Norwich, whose fans make up the overwhelming majority of his detractors on this issue.

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Like all of us, he’s flawed, and will make mistakes. But ultimately I still believe we have the best man for the job.

Next up it’s Man City away on Saturday, another one of those Premier League ‘free hits’. We can’t really expect to come back down the M6 with anything, other than the level of the performance.

None of us will have any complaints if the Albion acquit themselves, even in defeat, in a way that gives us optimism for the rest of the campaign.

That remains to be seen. But the visit of West Ham on Friday week is without doubt a real six pointer. More on that next week.

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