Article by ginolasleftfootThe Californian coast, sea salt wafting through the air. Surfboard in arm, you turn, giving your girl a wink and nod before heading into the surf humming Good Vibrations.
After Villas Boas’ measured, yet ill met speech regarding the negative impact that the Spurs faithful’s home support seem to be having on his side’s performance; Wednesday’s gut churning re run against Hull in the Capital One Cup, saw Villas Boas crooning over the Brian Wilson-esque crescendo that echoed from the rafters of White Hart Lane.
The comments made by Villas Boas in his post-match conference, when read/listened to in its entirety are a measure of how honest the Spurs coach is; both in his intent to achieve with Spurs and that as a man. He spoke frankly and openly about the effects on the squad the nervous atmosphere that swallowed up The Lane on Sunday afternoon vs. Hull City Tigers had. Acknowledging the phenomenal away support that drove us to break our Away Wins record last season, he made it clear how greatly the support benefited the team’s performance.
Listening to a radio phone in this afternoon, I was presented with an amazing perspective of a current Spurs season ticket holder, who spoke of how the effect of the ban on the use of the word Yid and the consequences of doing so; are highly evident within White Hart Lane. Warnings of the use of the word are emblazoned at points in the stadium to further stress the point.
The caller made the point that around 50% of Tottenham’s home chants contain the banned word. When the cultural and tribal nature of football’s supporting community is taken into account, one begins to see a different slant on the home support debate. By nature of repetition, the rhythmic chorus’ that shape each clubs home support are built upon years of inherited behaviour. The songs and their seamless flow from one to the other become the heartbeat of their respective stadiums.
Brush your teeth with your opposite hand. Weird, huh?
Mick: Keef, I’ve just spoke to the Maaanager. Says we can’t play, Jumpin Jack Flash, StreetFightin Man, Wild Horses, Sympathy for the Devil, Paint it Black, Gimme Shelter, Satisfaction, or Angie.
Keef: What the faaaaack’s goin on Mick? What about Brown Sugar?
Mick: Or Brown Sugar. Iss samfin about the words Keef, I don’t blahhdy know. Samfin about the words…
Mick exits stage left, muttering his final words over and over, leaving Keef with his five string Telecaster, right of centre sat on a dirty sofa. He looks to the audience, speaks the words “Well this is gonna be a fachkin test innit?” before breaking into some nasty blues riff.
The Tottenham faithful are having to undergo a rhythmic transformation and it seems the hymn sheets are going to have to be re written.
With Villas Boas leading his team through a gradual transformation from swashbuckling go getters (loved those times) to elite challengers for the title (really excited about these times), we as fans don’t yet know the path ahead. The team is still settling and it seems Villas Boas is wholly intent in experimenting fully with personal combinations in key areas. His deployment of Holtby behind Soldado was derided by some and arguably failed to generate any real combination threats. But this needs to be explored. These players have to be given opportunities to gain an understanding with each other and the underlying truth is that despite the team’s stuttering performance in front of goal, we are winning games.
It is only natural that as the Spurs players adapt to a different flow of football, so too will the crowd. The pattern of play exhibited by teams; become pre-emptive signals for the home fans to break into songs testifying with proud acclaim to what lies ahead.
Villas Boas stuck his chin out with a confidence of a seasoned prizefighter. This wasn’t a garbled rant, consisting of wild accusations and classic finger pointing. More a statement, delivered with controlled emotion. Almost like a coach disappointed with his team’s performance but utterly convinced that they will rise to the next challenge……
Wait... did we just get schooled by Andre?
Wednesday’s result could have gone horribly wrong, and I for one had visions of the game playing out exactly the same. Exactly the Same. Like some weird David Lynch movie.
Thankfully the Spurs support where having none of it, and delivered unto Villas Boas a wash of vocal harmony (also sparing me any further visions of Dwarfs speaking backwards, wearing a Spurs shirt).
It was perhaps fitting that rather than dishing out a wholesale mauling, turning Tigers into Tiggers; we opted for the vein-on-the-side-of-your-head-popping approach, and took the game to penalties via a Harry Kane 108th minute equaliser.
So, penalties hey? No 5-2 winner for us. 5-4? No,no, no my friends. 8 bloody 7. Finally and oddly Elmohammady was once again the fall guy as his miss finally gave the home fans the climactic point to rejoice. Think that point in ‘A Day in the Life’ by the Beatles. The mental bit.
Villas Boas will undoubtedly mark the 30th October 2013 in his calendar as a marker that the Spurs faithful are clearly all Jedi’s, and in choosing the light side, chose to understand his points and engineer a positive outcome.
With the team still developing, there will undoubtedly be further problems down the road. Thankfully the home support signalled their intent with aplomb and has set the tone for the rest of the season.
As for AVB.
The force is strong in this one.
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Great to hear the response of the fans but despite this and the fact that Hull didn't put ten men behind the ball once they went 1-0 down we still couldn't put them away.Must be down to the pitch being too small then.
ReplyDeletefantastic take on current spurs scenarios. Bravo GLF
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