A Question of Attitude

Article by Gary Smith

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A few weeks ago I wrote about how disappointing the season had been for Spurs and how the team seemed to be playing with the Summer break in mind. I wrote that even with a number of games left there was an end of season feeling about the team’s performances. I secretly harboured the desire that I would be proven wrong and that, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Spurs would suddenly burst into life and deliver the sort of performances that we had anticipated in those halcyon pre-season days.

Unfortunately, such a transformation has not occurred and whilst the performances against Benefica and Southampton were more encouraging in terms of effort and application they were hardly rousing games.

One of the major problems without a doubt has been that of attitude and this has manifested itself in various ways. There have been players who have been willing to sweat blood and tears for the cause and whose attitude has been exemplary in the face of some extraordinarily insipid team displays. Unfortunately, this determination and effort has not been matched by an adequate level of skill. Michael Dawson is the prime example of this : if the team were picked on attitude alone he would be the first name pencilled in on the team sheet yet when it comes to having the ability at the very highest level he falls just short. Jermaine Defoe was another whose attitude could not be questioned and the sale of our most frequent goalscorer was a travesty.

The real disappointment has been those players with an abundance of skill but a questionable commitment to the club and the tendency to go missing when things get tough. Vertonghen and Adebayor are two prime examples : both have oodles of skill and , at their best, are as good as anyone. Yet the times when they have stood in the tunnel laughing and joking with the opposition has shown a true lack of professionalism and desire. Vertoghen’s supposed injury against Liverpool was just a step too far – I had always respected his ability but his clear desire to be elsewhere completely altered my view of him. Lloris is a talented goalkeeper but if the rumours circulating about him wanting to leave if Spurs fail to qualify for the CL are true then his impetuous mistakes need to be examined a little more closely.

Aaron Lennon and, to a lesser extent, Andros Townsend, have had disappointing seasons. Lennon has always given his all yet this season he has seemed strangely lethargic and unwilling to put in the extra effort that characterised his performances. Maybe, after seven years in which he has clearly underachieved, the time has come to move on. Townsend has never been one of my favourite players and I always felt that he had found the perfect niche in the Championship with QPR and Harry. To me, when he loses the ball, his shoulders seem to slump and when he cannot get into a game he will just disappear.

Finally, to the manager. Sherwood is undoubtedly passionate about the team and defeats and poor performances obviously hurt him. I was never a fan of Sherwood’s appointment or of his ability as a player, seeing him more of an industrious grafter in a similar mould to that of a Scott Parker. Sherwood’s passion and willingness to speak out in his role of manager have endeared me a little more to him – at least he says what all the supporters can so patently see and he does not attempt to whitewash over the cracks.

However, as many have observed, Sherwood is probably out of his depth. This is not to say that he will not become a good manager yet putting him in charge of a team with hopes of a top four finish who were in the middle of the most disappointing season, was like throwing a lamb to the wolves. The team were already in such disarray that even an experienced manager would have found it challenging.

So to next season – the team ethic and attitude has to change and this needs to be done pre-season and not halfway into October. Perhaps some of the disenchantment of the players has stemmed from the realisation that the team as a whole were not quite good enough. That or the system deployed made them seem average. Either way, expectations before the season started were high with both supporters and players and when performances did not live up to these expectations a sense of discontent and apathy seemed to descend.

It is clear that Spurs need one or two top quality players with the ability to transform a game or lift the spirits. This season Spurs have been crying out for a Bale , a Modric, a Waddle or Ginola. Let’s hope that Levy can pull out one of his rare coups in the transfer market.

Much as the players may wish for the season to end, we have Sunderland next and let’s hope for a performance with panache , flair and attacking intent. After all, we have nothing to lose !!

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