N17 Awash in Hope & Optimism

Baltimore Resident and Spurs fan Marc Ashed gives his view on the current tidal wave of optimism engulfing WHL.

 

The average American spreads his love & passion across many sports and teams. New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Lakers...but it is becoming a more frequent trend that those team names include the likes of Manchester United, Barcelona and many of the EPL teams that are easiest to access. I chose to become a fan of the mighty Yid's, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and I was instantly reminded of my beloved Philadelphia Eagles. Great expectations, heated rivalries but disappointment.
 

 

It seemed only natural that Spurs would finish 4th and miss out on the Champions League, a script that could only be written for a few professional teams and followings in American sports. Oddly enough, with that disappointment, my passion for Spurs has only grown stronger and they have become my #1 sports team.  There is a very distinct difference among all of my teams and Tottenham, that is AVB and the hope & optimism that he brings to North London.

 

I cannot recall a leader who inspires not only his players but his whole fan base. With much to prove following his swift dismissal from Chelsea, AVB was cast as a complicated, stubborn coach that preferred Power Points to player interaction. Since taking over, he has led Spurs to a season where they picked up 4 out of 6 points against Manchester United, led a team to the unflattering statistic of the leaders of the premiership if the game ended after 80 mins, and since fixed the leaky last minute defence. Any doubts seemed to be erased after Gareth Bale's wonder strike vs. West Ham when he raced to the sideline and hugged AVB while the whole team followed and celebrated with the coach. Last minute goals, shrewd purchases such as Zeki Fryers and Lewis Holtby, the elevation of Gareth Bale to another level, Defoe & Lennon finding their form, and a fan base that believes that we can do no wrong as Arsenal falters and Chelsea implodes.

 

 

Going into the North London Derby, confidence was at an all time high and the club rewarded our belief to go up 7 pts on Arsenal. We set our sights on the Europa League and have progressed against big club, Inter Milan. We have our aspirations of being a big club despite our financial limitations of a 36,000 capacity stadium (which will soon be upgraded to elevate our spending potential) and we are achieving our goals one by one. As AVB leads us into the final 10 games, there is an odd sense of composure, confidence and belief that many clubs in our position wouldn't feel. There is a positive attitude around the club and a feeling that this is the beginning of something special.

 

 

Even non-football fans can enjoy this narrative; a once storied team, hiring a charismatic, multi-lingual leader with a top 5 player in the world that was bought at 17 and nurtured at the club, surrounded by a world class cast that was not bought by a Russian oil magnate or a sheikh. Tottenham has all the trimmings of an American favourite.

 

 Hope springs eternal at N17 and it is felt all the way across the Atlantic in Charm City--home of newest kit supplier Under Armour---Baltimore, MD.

 

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