Article by Jack CummingListen to the latest e-Spurs Podcast
By 'boo boys' I am of course referring to the group of fans booing after Sundays match and you… Yes that’s right, you, the person who felt this was a dig at them and decided to have a read to see what’s occurring.
I woke up Monday to article after article of abuse about our team, about how things haven’t changed and how we can write this season off. I will be honest; I had to double check my calendar to confirm it is only 1 month into the season and that we have only played 5 games in the Premier League.
Can we all just turn back to my first article last week about getting a grip and realising we are not a top 4 team just because we finished there once? If you missed that one then let me repeat. WE ARE NOT A TOP 4 TEAM. Let’s remember the events when Harry Redknapp took over, we were in the relegation zone and were playing dreadful football. Pav was our main striker and Modric and Bale were about 2% of the players they are now. The following year we came 4th, just like that, simple right? If a team who had 2 points from 8 games can come 4th the following season, how hard can it be for the other 19 teams to break into it with the right formula?
Granted, it is hard for those teams without the financial backing or without the ability to attract top talent. So let’s look at the ones that potentially can do it: Arsenal, Man City, Chelsea, Man U, Everton, Tottenham, Liverpool, maybe Southampton on their day? Now have a think, where would you rank Tottenham in those 8 teams. Personally I would stick us 5th or 6th which reflects our last few seasons. Yes, we made it to the top 4, twice in fact, but it wasn’t that hard for a team like us to do it then, so how hard can it be for the top teams from last year to do it again? A lot has changed since we qualified, Man City are unbelievable, Liverpool are a force again, Chelsea are back to their best and Arsenal… OK Arsenal haven’t changed much!
I don’t want to go into it again but I just want it to be a gentle reminder before I talk about what actually happened at the weekend.
So we lost to West Brom, I honestly didn’t bet on spurs this weekend as I knew full well we would not get a result against a team yet to get a win under the belts. It’s the perfect story and they always seem to happen against spurs. Haven’t scored your first Premier League goal yet? Play against spurs. Haven’t scored a free kick before? Play against Spurs. Haven’t played football before but dream of scoring a hatrick? Please, come play against Spurs! It really is hilarious how often this happens, so I have to smile. On the performance itself, there is nothing you can say that the players and Manager haven’t already said themselves. No Passion, too slow, not taking chances bla bla bla. The question I have is why are we going into turmoil as fans, completely writing off the season after 5 games and blaming the powers above for ruining our club?! As I’ve said before we are a business and a well run business, not many teams can say that right now so lets all be grateful. The problem is that as fans we want owners with a brain and a sense of passion for the club, which is fine and we are within our right to want that. Sadly what it does mean is that we need to be prepared for us to do things the harder cheaper way. We are a project and one that’s still very much in progress. Some of our players from last year and coming through and performing well which can only be a positive, I’m even considering getting Chadli’s face tattooed on my back. Others are not performing and that is of course frustrating when all you wake up for on a weekend is to see Ade Boy saluting like he is some sort of God.
We just weren’t good enough and for me all I can really do is repeat the Manager’s words: “Disappointing, Not good enough”. There isn’t really much more you can say besides picking apart who didn’t play well and who did. I must admit I am confused as to why Jan didn’t start and Vlad did, maybe even Kaboul. Sadly the Manager is going to feel obliged to play Kaboul as he is now our captain but I would quite happily stick him at right back with Jan and Fazio in the centre with Rose/Davies on the left. I don’t think anyone would have disagreed with the midfield line up as it is probably our strongest option and upfront is always going to be a hot debate. Ade or Roberto, or Kane?! I personally like Roberto’s attitude and would start him. He really isn’t going to get 20+ goals in that system but he links the play up brilliantly on his day, please do not judge him for the 20-30 minute cameos he gets. Maybe I am wrong but if you’re a striker chucked onto the pitch for 20 minutes, you have one thing in mind, “Must impress, Must impress, Must impress”. The reality is your going to try too hard and bottle a 3 yard open goal. What I like and respect about Soldado is that as a striker, if Lamela/Chadli/Eriksen have found themselves in the box, he will definitely be on the wing trying to win the ball or whip in a cross for one of the taller lads. If he started a few games like this and just worked hard and played for the team, I can guarantee you the lad will find some goals eventually. He wasn’t one of the top strikers in Spain as some sort of sick joke, he was actually very good.
As I’ve said, I’m not going to pick this game apart; I’ll leave that to the people who actually see the day to day running of the club and its players. I just can’t believe after what we as a club have been through, we are still booing and giving up any hope after 5 games. It’s embarrassing, even Pardew is getting a good go at it in Newcastle! I could only imagine the living hell that man would be going through if he was at Spurs. Let’s just support what we have at the moment and the man who is trying to turn it around. Do I think we will do well against Forest? Not really but I don’t care because I don’t expect us to win the winnable games, its one of the joys of being a Spurs fan, I am always pleasantly surprised when we do win. You wouldn’t find me booing if we lost because I go for the fun and the emotions of a football game; I remember being over the moon when we got into the Europa League and since then it’s just been year after year of over the top expectations and angry fans.
I’m not silly, I know our club could be run a lot better but I am not a multi-million pound businessman and I don’t own a football club, my opinion will never be taken on board if there are millions of pounds involved, so why waste my breath? Just enjoy the roller coaster and keep the faith. We have a cracking squad and a good manager; don’t put down this book just yet……
As always please leave your comments and follow me on twitter!
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please try understand this.: That was the worst Spurs performance I have seen in 46 years of watching . It is almost impossible to play so bad . He has lost the dressing room already .
ReplyDeleteSundays performance was insipid. What's was worse was the players disappeared down the tunnel at full time without acknowledging the fans.Those players who do love the club have been moved on, there seems to be no one left who cares. That worries me. Booing, as much as i hate it, was the only way to express our total displeasure
ReplyDeletelets face it we are rotten from the top down. Board - useless / Players - useless / Manager - totally inexperienced and potentially useless. someone said the other day that poch is a great manager for taking southampton so far! I replied....What 8TH??? & Koeman is the best manager in the world cos they sold all their best players and now sit 2ND!??? We are really are a club in decline and denial.
ReplyDeleteStrange article that,moaning about booing and then doing it yourself.We are rubbish at the moment,our Super Mauricio is more like Donald Duck.We havnt played decent football since Harry got the boot.Solutions ?answers on a postcard please
ReplyDeleteShould never have got rid of Harry, he can spot a player and motivate us to perform. Could do worse than getting him back
ReplyDeletetypical response from our current crop of fans, since breaking into the top 4 place our fans have become the same as the other top side with an attitude that we are entitled to be there. Without the cash it's impossible it's not just the transfer fees it's the wages, just look at Chelsea they can sign good players and loan them out!!!. As for the bloke who thinks it's the worse he's seen in 46 years he obviously missed a lot of the season Keith Osgood was our best player.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean sort of . However following a football club is expensive and fans mostly don't get paid anywhere near what footballers get in wages . If i had been that bad in work something would have been said by management . To expect fans to just do and say nothing when you watch something that bad is crazy . The whole idea is to either be intertained or to see you team win maybe both . To see neither after paying a lot of money well please . I don't blame the boss i blame those on the board and those who pick the players we buy . If you say we want player a and then buy player z and expect it to work is madness . To many bad players have been bought by spurs who just can't cut it . Get the boss the time he needs and forget about harry and lets move on even if its not upwards .
ReplyDeleteNo solution here, just utter disbelief at what I have just read! MoPo is AVB in disguise. Relegation battle here we come!
ReplyDeleteWhat has getting murdered at home got to do with not having money like the likes of Chelsea? Stupid reply!!
ReplyDeleteYou really should go more often if that's the worst you'd seen in 40 odds years! As he's new-perhaps doing a left and sharp right and he'll find the dressing where it's always been-FFS it's 5 games in and the knee-jerkers are demanding yet another managerial change? You just don't get it?
ReplyDeleteOne minute you lot want stability, yet you're pretty fuggn unstable yourselves clearly, immediately jumping the gun and demanding players, board and manager heads. Pathetic fans. If you're so disillusioned in life then sorry, there is no hope for you, you will always live dreaming without ever looking at what you have or what you can work towards.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this article, I totally agree with all you have said. I'm glad there's some sane supporters left, this was one bad game, but the season has been pretty positive so far. COYS
ReplyDelete100% in agreement jo
ReplyDeleteNever could understand all the hype about Pochettino. He certainly pulled Southampton around but then the players were in situ when he arrived. Given what he had to work with at Espanyol again he performed pretty well . Has never won a thing and managing a top 6 club in the PL with aspirations to reach the Cl must be very very different pressure. Watching my team play West Brom I saw little difference performance wise from the days of AVB. But we have to be fair and give the guy a fair chance - the end of the season will tell the true story as to whether or not we are making steady progress. But it is certainly worrying!
ReplyDeleteAgree with the bit (& only bit) about if theres any kind of duck to break, play Spurs, as for the rest of the article, sorry complete tosh,I took my 3 kids over there Sunday at a cost of over £135, walked out after 70 mins, if i'd spent that kind of money on anything else & wasnt satisfied with my purchase i would of demanded my money back,. but thats the risk we take going to football i guess, but i do also believe that gives me the right to voice my opinion be it by booing etc if not happy, i've been going to Spurs since the dark days of relegation in the mid 70's & to be honest this is the worst i've seen since then, when you sit there hearing the team being announced & just cant understand why our best players are not being picked, then you know its going to be a bumpy afternoon, dont think i've ever known the club to be so souless or empty of passion, in the words of our second best manager " there used to be a football club over there"
ReplyDeleteif you go with your friends to a top restaurant and are served absolute shit that costs top money would you go back again the following week???? THFC should be nicked under the trades description act!!!
ReplyDeleteCome on, get Frank de Boer already! I was bitterly disappointed Levy decided on an inexperienced manager who has won nothing, over a four time Erividesie champion, and playing the kind of scintillating football that even both van Gaal and Johan Cryuff approve of.
ReplyDeletesorry about late reply! really enjoyed these comments, some of them cracked me up! For the record, I'm not 12 and I do get the chance to go to a few games, normally stream or watch on TV due to commitments though!
ReplyDeleteI do feel some of the comments are incorrect as much as I welcome feedback. For example, I haven't said I love spurs loosing, I've said I am always surprised when we do win the winnable games so its one of the joys. In a way I mean I'm always on the edge of my seat unlike City fans who can expect to beat teams 3/4 - 0. I also haven't moaned about anything other than the over the top, unrealistic fans. I have said I agree it wasn't a great game and was a typical spurs result, I wouldn't say that puts me in the same category as some of you guys.
Football is built on opinions so I'm not going to say I'm right all the time, I'm just giving my view and my view is that we need to wake up and smell the roses, its getting silly now.
things are not going to change as usual we expect top 4 not going to happen levy only interested in budget basement players yes i know we havent got the funds to compete with the big boys it would just be nice to see us pick the right players not happening when we get a above average player we have issues with him ie verts who we all know is our best defender the list goes on to many issues to deal with sit back grab a beer and dream top 4
ReplyDelete