Weapons
A wonderful Sabbath for the faithful. Right?
Er...probably. Just about. Spanking Millwall 6-0 was obviously a delicious starter. We didn't have to tuck into a main course. It was a high energy demolition job even with the occasional sloppy pass denting our presentation.
Losing Harry Kane to an ankle injury for the rest of the season/only two games is the main aftermath concern. With a semi-final + Arsenal and Manchester United at home in the league, we can't do without being near full strength. Which is the modern day Tottenham tag-line; we are only as good as our strongest first eleven. Still, if this was the last ever FA Cup tie at the old Lane, it was a cracking day out.
Hattrick and handshakes from Son Heung Min. Christian Eriksen smacking the ball in for the decisive first goal that started the festivities. Dele Alli, not needing to be that involved but still amongst the goals.
Mauricio Pochettino has only a small pool of trusted options to select from. That isn't by design. We've signed players that haven't slotted in with comfort which means rotation becomes a game of risk management. So those complaining that Kane probably should not have started should consider the last time we mix and matched at home to Wycombe.
At least Poch has dropped the concept of youth players starting alongside first teamers meaning that momentum isn't lost and shape is retained. The business end of the cup means nothing should be taken for granted. Perhaps had Vincent Janssen hit the ground running we'd all be more inclined to accept him taking a lead role every so often.
I know plenty think we've mis-managed Vince. Maybe we have. Maybe we're not privy to all the information. We do know how strict training is and how some are promoted based on how they perform at Hotspur Way. I utterly adored his tidy finish for his goal, from open play, rejoice! That and the fact he had around twenty minutes or so on the pitch rather than a couple. The celebrations in the stands was the antithesis of what is usually shared on social media. Proving that the culture of disparagement is irrelevant when you live and breath football in person. His team-mates also congratulating him with a lovely display of togetherness.
It was all very easy and Spurs truly professional with their dismantlement.
For anyone that didn't get to the Lane, you missed plenty of posturing on the High Road pre-match. Pockets of naughty lying in wait. Bruce Grove resembled a Football Factory reunion tour with a musical soundtrack provided by the police. I had to meet someone there, waiting, whistling, don't stand too close to me.
"Where are Spurs? Probably still in bed", I heard muttered as I walked past one pub only to find a Spurs firm standing outside McDonald's with one chipper bloke asking everyone that walked past if they were Millwall. Including a six year old girl (with her dad). Strong banter.
According to the police only a couple of arrests were made. To be honest, after the game, the main complaint was the state of the high road with roads blocked off and police vans everywhere. They had funnelled and protected the away support out of the Park Lane but edging towards Seven Sisters, both sets of fans converged and nobody could tell anyone apart. They're going to need new tactics when the new stadium is finished.
Inside the ground, during the game, I've probably not laughed that hard for an age. There was the YTS lad in goal for them. The Millwall supporter in the executive box in the East Stand that attempted to front the Spurs fans below him only to get pelted with an assortment of plastic bottles. The fact the lad had to be held back was peak comedy. Like, what you gonna do exactly? Jump off and into the crowd of baying supporters below you? Go on then. I dare you.
When Son scored (our third), in the minutes leading up to it, Millwall fans were already lost in their daft wall of sound chant that drones on for several minutes and makes utterly no sense. After our goal, there was this instant spontaneous reaction from all of the Spurs supporters, standing up and waving their arms in the air chanting the very same thing back at them. I don't know why this tickled me so much. Mugging off the set of fans in the corner, I guess.
Sadly, the day after the game, we're back to recycling the same nonsense relating to racism and antisemitism. Gary Jacobs of The Times dropping tweets relating to double standards.
Tottenham fans short memories of some singing DVD at Young Pyo & singing Yid. Endearment when own, racism otherwise? cf Millwall sing DVD..
Followed up with (in response to replies):
continuing use legitimises its use regardless of how said. Means some Chelsea, west ham, Millwall fans think have licence to use it
Fans reporting on here? When fans weaken a work through supposed endearment, they encourage others to use it for real meaning
How many times are we going to work through this cycle, ignoring the actual 'racism' and its intent and instead focusing on misinterpreting context? It's the exact same argument used in the past by the likes of David Baddiel (Jacob unsurprisingly shared an article by the Chelsea fan in the same thread).
I'm left thinking:
'Don't call yourself a Yid cause you're forcing others to not have the choice other than to use it as disparaging term'
Yep.
So it's our fault, right? That's an indirect way of putting it. We encourage the use of it by claiming it as a badge of honour that took place as a means to defuse its derogatory empowerment in the first place. Once more they (the journos) ignore the fundamentals. It's the intent, that's the issue. It's wanting to be racist or antisemitic. How else do you express this darkness if not by using words that are derogatory because of that aforementioned intent?
The reason they find themselves back on the Y Word is because it's pretty much nigh impossible to control the thoughts people have. Now vocalising those thoughts means we have a way to measure the problem and control (arrest, prosecute etc) what is shouted out inside a football stadium. Not hearing it doesn't mean the problem goes away (socially) but then words are fairly imperative to spreading a message and allowing others within the same group to accept the expression and do the same. So if those words are not expressed, there isn't a problem publicly. Hence why Spurs fans saying Yid and Yids is a popular anchor for a quick fix solution that is hardly one befitting pragmatism. Basically, don't allow yourself to be a target.
It's all a bit complicated. I appreciate some of our Jewish fans dislike it. Others don't care.
God damn it, I'm back here AGAIN.
One last time.
It's a social problem. It's not about the words, it's about the idiots using them. It's make-up for their ugly disposition. Words are the bullets. We need to get rid of the weapons. Spurs fans not using or claiming Yid Army as a call to arms won't stop the historical nature of opposing fans doing bits about Hitler and gas chambers. Remember, we reacted to it back in the 1970s and turned it around in our favour. We've never got rid of the abuse but we've re-appropriated* identity to strengthen our resolve. It's simply stuck. Maybe it's not as imperative these-days but the fact we don't use it as a derogatory term means it's a complete irrelevance when comparing to those that are purposefully seeking to incite and offend.
* (edit: Yes, I know we're not Jewish as a collective as Spurs fans. Probably should not have used this particular term as I'm stretching context a little too far).
Sadly, the mob mentality at football matches will always allow an element to believe it's okay to get away with it (if not caught on camera).
The complexities arise concerning some that only chant this type of bile towards us because they know it will wind us up. Which is where the Baddiel perspective is pushed in. We're accused of being the ones that incite the backwards behaviour of others.
My head is hurting.
Son got abused. 'DVD' and 'Chink' a couple of the delights. Spurs fans sang a song about 'pikeys'. I'm not going to pretend we don't have idiot supporters that lack social graces and persistently cross the line. I just can't quite wrap my head around how so many obsess with deflection and blame rather than the audio evidence and relevance of something that is quite obviously wrong.
We (the royal) also bend the rules sometimes by posting Twitter videos of Hasidic Jews (kids) and making jokes about Koreans and dogs with the excuse that "...it isn't racist, it's just a laugh".
The modern world is fledgling, still transitioning since the 1950s, still juvenile and delinquent. Ho hum. Anyways...
We're on our way to Wembley.
God damn it, I'm back here AGAIN.
That was the other smile on my face on Sunday. Considering the run of (six) FA Cup semi-final defeats we're on and the additional headache of our lack of home comfort in Europe at the national stadium...well, you know. This ain't gonna be easy. With Rose still sidelined and Kane out but unsure if he's out out...I'm worried. But that's natural.
I had this deep conversation during half-time about how supporters manage their emotions with defensive tactical logistical mechanisms.
'Is it better to lose to Arsenal in a semi-final than to risk losing to them in a final?'
That kind of utter mind-f*ck.
We owe them lot and Chelsea and Man Utd a kicking, considering they have all punished us in some way in semis and finals. If United win on Monday evening then I envisage warm balls and a North London clash on one side and a Mancunian encounter on the other.
1991. I still remember it like it was yesterday but f*ck me, it was TWENTY SIX YEARS AGO.
Come on. Do something Tottenham.