A Party Political Broadcast by the blogger with perspective
Hello. Come closer for the cyber hug. That’s it. Now don’t let go.
You feeling better? No? Then hug harder. HARDER.
Too hard. Don’t be so bloody needy.
We’ve lost a paradoxical amount of league games. It was in our hands. We had control. We lost it. We should be wiping the floor with this lot, with all of the teams we’ve lost to. Instead we’re mopping up floods of tears. Our tears. Rivers of salt, stinging the wounds.
The second half against Southampton was nothing like the first half and the first half was wasteful, thanks to hindsight. We had swagger. We had Dele Alli showcasing the importance and influence he gives to our movement. We had players rested before a three week break. We had Poch in the stands, swiping left on Finder (new transfer acquisition application that Daniel Levy gave him where there’s no option to swipe right).
Harry scored but missed a few. Did we carry our momentum into the second half? Not quite. We melted.
Where was the professionalism, focus and belief we enjoyed against Dortmund? Gonna win the Champions League but can’t beat Soton away, laugh out loudz. Then again, these teams play out of their skin against us. Burnley did the same. Guess what happened next? They belly-flopped. It says more about our own inability to dictate and dissect if we’re allowing these teams to bully us. We’re not reacting quick enough. We need to return to damaging teams when we’re in control of the game. We do that right? It’s a trait of ours right?
We need two new wing-backs. We have wing-backs, but one (two) can’t defend and the other one (two) blow hot and cold. Our best wing-back is a centre-back. We could do with another CB to replace the one that’s going to leave. We need a new creative/deep-lying midfielder because the one we have might also leave but also because we rely too much on him which is why his poor form is scrutinised. We need leaders. We have leaders but they’ve gone missing. So they’re not exactly leading. Where is our motivation to fight until the end? After-all, isn’t qualification for the CL the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?
KWP, didn’t play well (which is possibly the first time he’s struggled for the first team in the collection of cameos he’s had) and should have been sent off, but instead the home side opted to take the free-kick miles ahead of the foul with not a single protest from any of our players. The magic bullet that killed our precedence.
There’s a crisis of conscious festering deep. A new culture of comfort honed by the economics of the club but also by the reality that Tottenham are bleeding mental strength. In isolation, ignoring the non-existent new signings, this problem is one that is in desperate need for attention. Unless we’re experiencing a sub-conscious Machiavellian revolt. This is our level, sign players to fix it.
Poch stated “It’s good because a lot of people now are going to realise our real level”. Is this a war cry or a dig? I think it’s a dig.
The North London Stadium beckons us, finally. White Hart Lane reborn. But Champions League (that thing some fans wanted deprioritised over domestic cup competitions) is now, dangerously in doubt. Which would make this season a minor disaster in terms of end product, especially from a business perspective (which is the element the board are interested in).
It’s in doubt mainly because of our form but mostly because of our upcoming fixtures. And form. Imagine not qualifying for the competition next season. Finishing below them lot down the road is…unfathomable to me. But you only get what you deserve. I can smell the stench of the memes already. ‘The only place in London where you’ll be able to watch Europa League’. Think I’ll stick with Emmerdale.
One point out of twelve games is unacceptable if the players and gaffer don’t prove they have something left in the tank.
Responsibility. Big word that requires big action.
Game management and discipline and cutting edge. Find some.
Backs against the wall, where is the real grit-inspired Tottenham Poch created?
Where is the brains and brawn the players have given us time and time again, especially after a blip?
It’s true, I can’t wrap my head around supporters that are constantly disparaging about a win or good form because “we might lose next week”. Always in fear of failure, lost in self-made finality, never in love with the anticipation that gently kills hope. Some of us have forgotten what it is to be a football fan, let alone a Tottenham supporter. Modern football coverage is draining the fundamentals of belonging. But I need fans to be like this because it allows me to work out if I’m thinking straight or if I’m clouded by romantic notions.
This is the twentieth time I’ve broken a promise not to get involved in the semantics of our fanbase. Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in. How can I avoid getting involved when so many Tottenham supporters appear to believe this is the end of days, the end of the Pochettino era.
It might be.
At the very least, the side will have to change to retain momentum. Toby and Christian aren’t likely to stay. One or two need to be upgraded (wing-backs yeah). Others are perhaps spent (not to be ageist). There is simply no denying it now. We need an overhaul, a refresh. We can’t be replicating the past two transfer windows come this summer. Just as a caveat to all the punditry and maddening fickleness - it wasn’t that long ago we were being lauded for not spending money and still being in a title race. Football truly is silly. I’m fairly certain I was crowing about it all. Silly.
To keep Poch and keep him working in the right direction we need to give him something new to work with. He has to evolve and progress along with his team. At the moment, form wise, he’s a reflection of what he can produce. A stretched and almost broken philosophy, stagnating, because he has no room to shift out of the discomfort he’s been fighting against since the start of this journey.
Maybe this is our limit. Or maybe we’re being reactionary, even when seeking balance. We have to avoid these blips if we’re ever going to step up to the next level. Poch cited arrogance during the second half. We (the team, the manager) keep apologising, keep stating they will put it right. That big action we’ve been waiting for hasn’t been forthcoming. Not in the league.
Where you at Spurs?
From the highs of the Champions League to the lows of erratic Prem form, the likes of which we’ve not seen for five years. We’re going home. Don’t go losing your heads now.
I was going to break down the match but decided I was better off just breaking down. With a bottle of Kraken and a few lines. That’s the lines above that have formed these introductory paragraphs. You know me. At least you regulars on here do. I can’t take sides. As tribal as this grand game is, I have to stand somewhere in the middle and find an existential fix to make me feel better.
So here it is.
Click on the below to read the full Twitter thread. Another stream of emotional consciousness.