Blame

 

(Written Sunday late evening - it's already out of date. You may as well read it and then laugh at my optimism)

 

I'm only drinking this heavily because I don't need to drive tomorrow and working from home means I can nurse any given headache from the comfort of my living room. Although I have the pleasure of taking my daughter to the doctors for her booster injection. Tottenham can do with an injection right about now. Several shots of adrenaline.

I blame Harry Redknapp. Decided against signing Luis Suarez. Wasn't the right fit. Having said that, we'd have sold him to Real Madrid this past summer anyway. £160M for him and Bale. We'd still be in the same position we're in now.

New blood, clogging up, no flow, blue in the face.

Suarez was unplayable. Even Henderson was made to look like a world beater. Woe.

Our response to being smashed 6-0 away to City (by not getting beat for five games) has now been anchored to the bottom of the Dead Sea, with no amount of salt pinching able to lift us to the top. How many blips can one team have?

We're transitioning, we've been transitioning all season and the unfortunate impact has not been the fact that Spurs have struggled due to missing players and players acclimatising but more so that from the pool of players available we're not striving to make the most of what we have. What we have is a dysfunctional team where nobody is quite sure of anything.

Lose against West Ham United and Southampton and AVB is gone. It's an easy conclusion to come to, one that several triple shots of rum are quietly singing to me. Not because it's something I agree with. It's something out of my control. By not agreeing what I'm referring to is this constant 'he has to win X game and X game or else' template that seems to slot in nicely whenever we lose a game.

Win both games, win the two league matches at the Lane that follow - then that perspective changes...again. Which more or less makes a mockery of it all. Unless of course we then fall on our faces in early January. Meaning those calling for change now are retaining commitment to what they continue to hope for. Sorry, I meant believe. I think. Fine line from wanting your team to sucked and wanting your coach to be sacked. I'll let you ponder on that for a moment.

This has been the game we've played all season.

Some have predicted this all along. This deep rooted crisis of faith. Others believe we won't truly know until the season is done. Then there's the argument that we can't afford to wait until the end of the season. Fact is, there is only ever definitive clarity when we're winning games or losing them - no in-between. When we're not winning, then there is only even fatality with hope.

Who am I kidding? There's fatality of hope regardless.

I am practically hanging onto my perspective with broken finger nails. I'm a solitary figure that embraces the ideals of longevity and continuity - even if there is sparse evidence to suggest we'll get either from AVB. Then surely I'm a hypocrite if I go back on my words because a season - a full season - must be the measure of whether he's capable of turning us into the team we're meant to be. Rather than this current one with no redeeming features.

Apparently our stature, our position in terms of expectancy means we shouldn't be struggling. Again it's down to perspective and what is considered acceptable. Our expectancy, to be fair to all, is simply to play good effective football and contend. We're making a mess of that currently.

AVB/Baldini and Levy surely all accountable in this - unless all knew and understood there was a risk that this would be a problematic stage - post-Bale and mass spending spree. Seven 'first team' players signed and so many either not figuring with consistency or not living up to the hype. Again - perspective comes into play. If you spend X amount of money and you're a club in the ascendency, should it not be easier than this? I don't know. We all don't know. We just look at two basic things: The football played, the points won. Neither is making people smile with confidence.

AVB himself looks exhausted. Is he brave to continue to fight defiantly or deluded? Shame if this is nearing an all too familiar conclusion.  Would rather back a coach than see us sack one...again.

The short term rules the heart, will it rule the Hart?

Had another look at the starting line up. The make-shift defence. No Rose or Eriksen (probably not fully fit). The way we got roasted down the flanks. The lack of any type of cohesive protection at the back. Sandro was quite obviously carrying a knock pre-match. At least it looked that way. Chadli looked decent.

Suddenly that robust, resolute structure has disappeared. Cited this in the post-match musings earlier on Sunday evening that at least we didn't look like losing games when we kept the ball. Give it up a little and it all collapses.

I can't recall too much else at the moment. I do however recall the ominous feeling at 0-0 that Liverpool would pick us off. Which they did. Also hated the way they moved the ball about and how their players clearing understand how to use time and space to rip through us like a black hole eating a star. Several stars. Stars diminished into darkness.

Are the tactics - our tactics - so constrained that the players aren't able to enforce them with intensity? With cutting edge? Whilst the side from Anfield fought with an Elven sword we armed ourselves with the spoons of the Shire. Sure, Liverpool are possibly playing at a level that they might not improve on massively (in other words, for this season, near enough as good as they might get - might) whereas we're playing at a level nowhere near our potential. What is our potential when we've got two centre-backs missing, no left back, no consistency with selection on the wings, no playmaker, no Lamela (mis-managed?) and no functioning forward? Basically, no spine.

Story of our season.

Yet we have a solid win percentage which looks amazing on an iPhone app churning out statistics.

We also can't score goals and have been dumped on several times this season. We had no shots on target against Liverpool. It's akin to going to a brothel loaded up on Viagra and locking yourself in the sauna until you faint from the heat.

Man, I'm conflicted.

So, back to the short term and long term 'isms'.

If - regardless of the injuries and new players struggling to bed in - we believe he can't turn this around or there are lingering doubts, do we reboot?

Or do we let it play out? Wait and see if an upturn of results completely shifts our momentum to the heavens rather than to the gates of hell? When is the cut off? I still say Christmas is the cut off. Again, not because I want it to be, but because it's likely to be. I wouldn't sack a manager mid season.

The next four games. Get through them and regardless of what happens AFTER the season ends, we might yet salvage something out of this one. You know, considering we're out of every single competition and our position is untenable.

Look at me, never giving up.

 

Tottenham are fast turning into Dr Who, regenerating constantly and failing to travel back in time to the 60s instead always attempting to escape from some crazed miscalculated mistake. We're all sat here watching this from behind our sofas. Bricking it.

 

Spookyaftermath