Perspective
Tottenham 5 Everton 0
What?
Oh shut up and let me fantasise.
Right. Let’s go. Again.
I’m going to try something a bit different. Not exactly an alien concept this, as I have mostly preached the art of patience since forever. I did so during the early days of Poch. Again in the darker times, if perhaps with misplaced, loyal logic. I also pushed myself into a second-class carriage of the Mourinho hype train when he was appointed. I even enjoyed it a bit. The press conferences, the jokes and the overall surrealism of him managing our little big club. As dirty as it made me feel, as desperate as I was for us to claw our way back to consistency, I was willing to dance to his tune.
Of course, all of this was vanquished with a speed of sharpness we have yet to see from our players. When the actual body of evidence - the football itself (and his responsibility kicked-in) then the subsequent ‘this is a bit sh*t isn’t it?’ reality consumed me whole.
I was jolted, pulled back to earth and reminded how ugly the Mourinho circus is, in terms of pretty much every facade of his personality and his destructive deconstruction of the football club he curates during his multi-million pound stand-up tour. Like a Lenny Bruce in his latter days, no longer innovating, just stood on the stage reading out courtroom documents. It’s all a bit uncomfortable. But punchlines still work.
Analogy in basic talk: He wins cups, if you’re okay with the aftermath.
I don’t want to be the bitter old Spurs fan yelling ‘told you so’. I’d rather be the one that gets proven wrong, because in doing so, it equates to Tottenham doing well. Getting sucked back into wanting to see us play decently, with rhythm and focused intent, it’s distorting my perspective with how I felt about this season only a few months back.
This season was done back then, regardless of the pointless exercise to see it out now. I could not have cared less for it. However, Liverpool had to be crowned, right? There was no stopping Project Restart. So with it back, you can’t help but not invest your time and support in wanting Tottenham to do something, anything…with a bit of finesse.
I’m also content in ignoring the little remarks post-match from Jose relating to the transfer market and the inevitable anti-climax this might end up being post-COVID-19. Even if we desperately need an injection of new players to strengthen competition within the squad and not following through on this pivotal necessity will hinder us further (and allow Jose to projectile the ready made excuses). I’m ignoring it because, what else is he going to say right now? Apart from pro-Jose propaganda (we were in control against Everton, a prime example of stretching the truth - but if it helps the players believe, so be it).
As for the maligned set of players we once collectively adored, they have not been rejuvenated in the way we hoped to see. But then we’re talking about 18 months of dissipating form. Cultural burn out, mentally and physically. The new players signed would normally be granted time to bed it.
Coach sacked, in comes the replacement. It’s never been convincing or particularly entertaining and it’s definitely lacked genuine mettle and purpose. But how much of this is down to the current coach and his ability to motivate and instil a new footballing mantra? How much of it is because this group of players are no longer the kings of synergy we marvelled at only a few season ago?
That momentum was killed from within. By chairman and Mauricio. So, even if we are just about getting past a fairly dire and inept Everton team at home or playing out for 1-0 wins against any given opposition, perhaps this is all we can muster up. Perhaps this reboot, this rebuild, is something we’re going to have to suffer. Regardless of the past and because of the future we hunger for.
The 1-0 win was a snooze-fest. Harry Kane’s football, his touch and passing remains one golden reason to keep with it. Sadly the complete void of support he gets in and around the pen area is borderline tragic. All we do is pass the ball back or across the field like we’re paying homage to VInny Samways with a weirdly dystopian real-life art gallery piece. The game was crying out for a central midfield, studs on ball, to play with attacking leadership. Bringing the ball out with a little bit of urgency with supporting characters creating space and options. But no. Didn’t happen.
There’s no oomph in any of it. No fluidity. Still no obvious style or branding to the teams football. The players lack a discipline but then that isn’t surprising if they have no discipline to adhere to. I keep repeating all of this but I now have to admit this is unlikely to be forthcoming until Mourinho can truly stamp the key design elements into the newly formed blueprint.
At £15M a year and with the pedigree and reputation, I do hope that JM still has something about him, especially if he’s given what he needs to push on from these crumbling foundations.
We should have/ could have beaten Manchester United. It’s easy to forget this thanks to Pogba besting Dier. The West Ham win was, not spectacular, but efficient enough to stop them doing anything plucky. The Sheffield United loss was the catalyst for my (yours) dizzying realisation that when we’re bad we are staggeringly weak and fragile. Remember the Brighton performance under Pochettino? This remains a problem birthed from the death of the previous short lived era.
Son and Hugo having a bit of a spat was good to see. For ye old cliche ‘it shows they care’ narrative. Regardless, it would be nice if Son’s productivity was more push and run when fighting to get past opposing players rather than bestow exclusivity to running away from his captain.
Bournemouth next then the NLD. Thick and fast. If we win these two games (and we’re going to have to drum up a bit more blood and thunder for the one on Sunday) then suddenly, it won’t feel so bad. For now, this is all I want. A couple more wins and six more points and our fragile ego in tact post derby day. That’s enough. Once this forsaken season is done, we can all look ahead to the next one and weigh up realistic targets and expectations.
Until then, try not to fall asleep.
COYS
