Tag: Martin Ho

Just because Liverpool scored in the the 94th and 95th minutes, that does not Spurs were unlucky. They were not robbed of a hard-fought away point. This was an atrocious performance long before Mia Enderby scored. It was by far the worst, and most inexcusable, showing since Martin Ho took over and revitalised the team.

Tottenham could have been behind from as early as the second minute, as Auriéle Csillag hit the bar. She went on to have other chances, demanding saves from Lize Kop. It was Ceri Holland who was the real danger, though. Josefine Rybrink simply could not stop her, and there is a strong case that Ho should have replaced his fullback.

Spurs’ only good chance was spurned by Signe Gaupset, put clean through on goal. The only players who return to north London with any credit are Drew Spence and Bethany England. The former has been one of the team’s best performers this season and again worked gallantly to get things going from midfield. The latter tried to lead from the front, but found herself having to do far too much defensive work. She only really had one decent chance – a difficult header at goal that cause ultimately little trouble. 

Ho had a face like thunder at the end. It said everything. The away loss to London City Lionesses earlier in the season was frustrating. Sunday was unforgivable.

Failure to Hurt Opponents

Data generated using Twelve Football’s Earpiece tool underlines the issues with the Tottenham performance. Almost every facet of their game was worse than the average for the season. Interestingly, they had 54% possession and their overall attacking play was better than the season avearge. However, they struggled to make clear cut chances, ending with just one shot on target and an xG of 0.9.

At the other end of the pitch, Liverpool were able to get into the area and had 16 shots. Six of these were on target, leaving them with an xG of 3.26 and, more importantly, their first win of the season.

Spurs Must Bounce Back After Liverpool Disaster

We cannot dismiss the progress that has been made in a short period of time, nor how hard it is to bring a number of new players all at the same time. However, this was a game that really had to be won if Tottenham had any aspirations of being in the Champions League next season. That dream is done now, with both Man Utd and Arsenal pulling away.

The key question now is whether Ho and his players can learn from the mistakes and get back to winning ways against West Ham. They need to show that the defeat to Liverpool was a blip, not the start of a season derailing.

It was clear in the summer that Spurs needed to move on from Robert Vilahamn. The 2024/25 season had been little short of a disaster. Tottenham only survived in the WSL thanks to the dire state of Crystal Palace. Such a shambles could not be repeated.

The question then, was not whether to reset things, but how. I confess I knew nothing of Martin Ho before he turned up at Hotspur Way, but it just a few short months he has revamped and revitalised a group of players that looked out on their feet. From the ground-out victory against West Ham and impressive away win against Everton to start the season, to the battling recent draw against Arsenal, each performance has shown us something different about the team’s development. The mood has changed and it’s clear the players are willing to give it all for the Liverpudlian. That last gasp win against Aston Villa would never have happened last season. (How many games have we said that after?)

Hold Shines, but Attacking Concerns Remain

The standout player so far has been Olivia Holdt. She has found new levels and everything good Spurs do going forward flows through her. This chart, generated using Earpiece from TwelveFootball, shows that clearly:

In Tinka Tandberg and Beth England, the team has two strikers who can both hold the ball and finish. However, it is also in attack that thing are slightly lack.

Quality, no Quanity, of Chances:

There has not been an uptick in attacking performance from last season:

Defensively things have not changed that much either:

   
So where have things improved? It is, in no small part, about the quality of chances. The data show that Tottenham Hotspur women are now creating 2.27 high opportunity shots per game in the WSL. With Tandberg, Holdt and England around, that can lead to goals. Last season, the team was struggling to turn possession into shots. 

Collapse Against Man Utd

It’s hugely frustrating. Such a win would have been a real statement. Perhaps Spurs will knock Man Utd out of the League Cup on Sunday, but a WSL win would have really demonstrated progress. It’s understandable that after getting hammered by Man City there has been a focus on defensive against “the big four”. However, in future, Ho will have to be a little braver and push his players forwards if they are going to get such a win.

Overall, it’s been a better start to the season than anyone who follows Spurs might have imagined. The mood around the team has totally changed. Martin Ho and his players can genuinely be proud of what they have done so far. January reinforcements are both expected, and needed, if things are going to kick on.