From Russia With Love

While Sam Allardyce was paying the ultimate price for chatting to a man with a large video camera and boom mic sellotaped to his forehead, the brave charges of Hotspur were busy marching on the Motherland and getting their Champions League campaign on its feet.

After the disappointing loss against Monaco a fortnight ago, a hard-wrought 1-0 win over CSKA Moscow was just what the doctor ordered.

Once again Heung-min Son showed his considerable worth to the side. We’re still no clearer as to the extent of Harry Kane’s ankle woes, so the South Korean’s hot streak couldn’t have been better timed. That’s 5 in 5 for him now.

In news that will surprise no-one at all, it turns out Son is a rather popular member of the squad. Jan Vertonghen revealed all last weekend:

“He’s a great guy. He’s always smiling, everyone loves him. He’s a great character around the training ground, he’s good with everyone, very social. Everyone just loves him.”

Sometimes, things are just how you imagine them. You can almost picture Hueng-min Son, skipping around Hotpsur Way in a denim jacket and backwards cap, high-fiving everyone as he goes. Players, staff, kitchen porters. He’s probably got a skateboard. The lovable scamp.

Elsewhere Dele Alli was unfortunate not to add to his sum for the season. Just after the half-hour mark, a firmly hit 25-yarder thunked agonisingly off the crossbar with Igor Akinfeev beaten.

Victor Wanyama and Toby Alderweireld both excelled. Not too much of a surprise in a game which was always likely to require a few no-nonsense, sturdy hands on the tiller. In an inexperienced side, the two relative veterans of Champions League football didn’t disappoint.

We saw a glimpse of Georges-Kevin Nkoudou. A blistering half-hour cameo. Pochettino mentioned after the game that his introduction in place of Vincent Janssen was to inject more mobility to the side.

Well he certainly managed that. In addition to being quick as f*ck— as it’s known in the business— the young Frenchman, handily, appears to know in which direction to aim himself, rather than just firing himself mindlessly out of a speed cannon on whatever course he fancies. More of him, please.

Here’s the boss with some final words:

“It is very open but it is too early to say what the team can achieve in this competition. Only to be free and feel all is possible and try to win games. It will be very important to try to go to the next round. Step by step is very important now.“

Preach.