Two-Face's Coin
Hola. A bit-sized blog for you. I’m on a weeks holiday and also deep into the builds of a brave new world. I’ll share the details of this soon with the community here. But for now, Palace at home and Olympiakos away. Two sides of the same double-sided coin.
Clean
Well hello Tottenham. How I’ve missed you. The template for home success was perfectly illustrated with the tempo set in the first half demolishing of Crystal Palace; the team with the best defensive record thus far in this fledgling season. If you thought Newcastle smashed and grabbed then Palace were odds on with doing the same but with more calculated purpose. So colour me shook that Spurs smashed them into the middle of next week with a pulsating vibrancy that I almost forgot we had in us. Such has been the painful decrease in width, flair and ruthlessness in recent times (months and months).
Serge Aurier looked decent on his Premier League debut (AMIRITE BANTER KLAXON). He’s a right back would you believe it. Son was spectacular. Lamela continues his renaissance (I’ll stop with this banter now) and generally, Spurs were woke in a world of tactical confusion. It doesn’t fix the turgid form of the past half season but there’s still life in Poch v1 Tottenham as we wait for the update patch to v2. Which seems to have issues shifting out of Beta phase into Gold.
We are notoriously slow starters. We’ve had little luck bedding in our three new players. We’ve had to deal with the want-away stars and their contractual bleeding of faith. Add to it the possibility of some behind-closed-doors scuffles and Pochettino suffering from philosophy-fatigue and the epiphany of finishing his Spurs tenure with the Champions League Final victory we failed to attain. It’s not easy up here in the clouds. Fly too close to the sun and our wings will catch fire.
Scarred
Greece but no lightning. Spurs still lacking the discipline and intensity of 'old' but all things considered, I'll take the point even though a more stable, stronger Spurs eleven would have won with a little bit of comfort. I’m looking forward to that version of the side in the coming weeks. Because at some point we’re going to need more than just a cameo.
Yeah, it was a bit rubbish. But crikey, you lot been watching Spurs in the last twelve months? We're having a wobble. It will pass. Usual finality from some quarters. I remember how long it took us to get here. Maybe now we need to fight to remain.
Just for the record. It's not like I'm sat here smoking weed, chilling out thinking everything is rosy. Beating Palace in the fashion we did was nice and proves we have it in us, but one step at a time. We need to fix up, look sharp. It can't and wont happen in the space of one or two fixtures.
Olympiakos are no mugs and have a formidable home record, especially decent against English clubs in Europe. Perhaps with a little more finesse and pressured quality, we’d have beaten them with some comfort. Certain players at the club need a slap. Player power often trumps even our esteemed chairman. There’s some that are not near 100%. It was a tough away game, and we could have easily capitulated if we were half as bad as some are making out. Supporting Spurs is never boring. It's like one or two of you forgot what a wonderful clusterf*ck this club is. I mean, Sanchez at right-back? Again? Really?
We lost our opening two games last campaign. Ended up in the final. I guess I'm more synchronised with the maddening levels of the ridiculous that this club produces and I don't attempt to disconnect my tortured nerves from it.
We could have been losing before we were 2-0 up thanks to the type of mistakes that then cost us when we were 2-0 up. Deep thinking analysis. After the NLD, losing that two-nil lead is super frustrating but there you go. We’re not firing on all cylinders at the moment and the daft mistakes persist. We need everyone to be tuned into the same high level frequency, from back to front. It’s always been about the synergy with our Poch team. We lack it in abundance currently when citing consistency.
We have to start seeing an improvement at some point for sure. I’m not disputing that. But I’m not sh*tting the bed either. That's me, how I'm built. I'm fine if people want to have a pop back. Wish they would. I don't mind admitting I'm wrong either. Spurs do have players performing very well (Winks being the prime example) whereas others are not and that has a detrimental impact on the cohesion of our (lack of) transitional play. The defence is a bit mental with their decision making. Eriksen and Vertonghen aren’t quite present in the moment, living instead in a future that has yet to happen. Others are returning from injury. Others need to reclaim past form.
Maybe, just maybe the team has peaked and is in slight regression. Maybe. And if it is? It took us five seasons to get within a game of legendary glory. It might take a bit of time to sort ourselves out to the same swarming levels again. But we'll probably still be competitive. The fact is, if there is a mass overhaul required, one summer won’t be enough. Patience is such a rude word in modern football. But it’s one we all have to embrace and stop drowning in the finality that curses other clubs we often mock for their petulance and self-entitlement.
We've set a benchmark, we have high expectations. That's the way it should be to retain a sense of ambition. But players get old and others lose intensity. Fighting to remain in the top tier ain't easy. It shouldn't be. We need to grow a backbone. That's the fans too.
Perspective? We got a point in a Champions League group away game.
COYS as always
Thought of the Day:
I find myself frustrated with how reactionary our fanbase has become. Not surprised really considering how other sets of fans behave towards their club after moderate success. I will allow the manager, players and chairman to worry about winning silverware and populating the trophy cabinet. Football is all about the cups right? Sure, but my responsibility is supporting the team regardless of anything and everything. For me, being Tottenham, being a fan of Spurs is where I belong in all of this. That identity, belonging, is more important and it’s the driving force behind why I love football. Everything else is a bonus.