Spurs need to change this, desperately.

This summer, like the many that have foregone this one, brings with it a great importance. We're presented with a chess board seemingly stuck in a position of checkmate. One wrong move and it's all over. We over-committed and sacrificed pieces that we thought were for the better of the club but have quickly realised that this short-term impact holds only negative bearings for the long-term.

Ah, the long-term. Look it up in the Spurs dictionary and it'll tell you that this is anything beyond 2 years. A long-term vision that is held in such a hollow shell by a trigger-happy chairman does not bode well for the future of any football club. Given circumstantial external elements must be taken into consideration, as must the internal environment, but the clubs that were around us that persisted with the faith they installed into their respective managers are now stepping on our shoulders with a firm eye on achieving their seasons' objectives.

We can only look down and realise that the comfortable pair of shoes we purchased in the summer have become scruffy and unloved. They desperately need an owner to come and give them some immediate attention. There's no need to fall in to the easy cliché of modern football and shift a variety of players that have failed to live up to our initial perceptions. I find it incredibly difficult to label our summer signings as 'flops' although I can understand why this may be the case for some.

I beg that the surface is scratched a little more. I'd ask how so many players, even those that were stand-outs last season, have shown only half their calibre this year. It was understandable that time, persistence and a notorious amount of patience would be required to install and settle an entire side of talent; three factors that are alien in language for our own club. The seemingly imminent rotation policy would be our own self-created hurdle and a challenge we would have to embrace. I felt that we were too quick to rotate initially at the start of the season, but understood that players had to play.

But right now we're lost without a strategic direction, without a game plan. Forgive my marketing background but if I were to launch a new product and applied little to no branding, no pricing strategy, no method of distribution and no use of promotional tactics behind the launch then no matter how 'good' the product may be, it would fail. If I had no strategic direction to market this product and grow in the future then it wouldn't be a success.

If a team/a squad of players have no real strategic direction, no consistent, homogeneous way of playing every week and approaching each fixture, no preparation as to how to attack the oppositions weaknesses or defend against their strengths and 11 players are just fielded, then the results will be similar. The players have no idea how to operate in their roles. Combine this with a lack of cohesion within the side and the fail to have a leader on the touchline or within the squad and the result is inevitable.

Oh, Bobby. A £26m man would be (and is rightly) judged on goals. Playing up-front is a far more complex operation than it may meet the eye. At Valencia, Soldado enjoyed a flurry of quality crosses and was renowned for pouncing on them. He'd play 90 minutes in the opponents area. With a season that has presented a mismatch in players operating out wide on the wing, the most utilised have arguably been Eriksen out left who naturally tucks inside and Lennon out right who's struggled to execute a consistent final ball all season. There's no stable system for Bobby to play in. The early runs off of defenders at the start of the year - before Eriksen's real introduction into the side - have vanished as the forward works into positions out wide just to get involved.

Without a regular partner feeding him goalscoring opportunities or wingers that are thumping balls into him we lose, essentially, all of Soldado's game. In glimpses we've witnessed a partnership in production between the Spaniard and Christian Eriksen. This may have materialised far earlier on had Eriksen not suffered injury in November and AVB not being sacked moments after. This prospective partnership is the glimmer of hope we have to carry into the forthcoming season. It should be a partnership that we operate around next season. A system that should also see Paulinho exploit his box-to-box asset that we signed him for and present him with a regular partner within the centre of midfield.

It's been mentioned before that we're lacking a real core, a real identity of this football club. Granted the players haven't performed, but the environment they're in is poisonous. There's no system or preparation. There should be a growing desire to keep them and integrate them into something that works. It's criminal that we're into April and still haven't discovered our strongest 11. Selling off an entire team would see another transition, another summer of uncertainty.

So this brings us to the person that can bring all these pieces together. Levy. Sherwood's pitch for the full-time role has fallen on to hard ground. The guy is the image of Tottenham Hotspur and it's ironic that he's pushed his own chances of keeping the job full-time (one would hope) out to sea with his diabolical antics on the sidelines, his alienation of the players and his obvious lack of tactical approach and preparation.

If we were to be sucked into a black hole and emerge into a paradox Universe in which gilet's were a genuine trend and in one that Levy did decide to retain Sherwood this summer, then we'd face another 12 months of uncertainty due to his contract expiration. There's potential for fruition in our, now seemingly, exaggerated objectives of actually winning a trophy or acquiring a Champions League spot next season, but the manager needs changing to facilitate and put this potential into practice.

Regards,
Ben - You can follow me on Twitter here

Investment desperately needed.

I've failed to write on here for a perceived prolonged period of time now. Those unfortunate enough to regularly follow my Twitter feed will know that my feeling towards Spurs have touched the tip of alienation, but not the usual Spurs alienation. I don't feel bereaved at losing football matches. This is contained in the small print upon signing a life-long Spurs supporters contract. I feel more bereaved at the feeling of losing touch with the football club that I once felt was nestled so tightly within my heart.

Don't have me mistaken. My support for the club remains without doubt. Although I feel like the club have gone to lengths to push supporters to the point of the abyss. They want us to jump but we can't and never would. We were sold and continuously fed lies. The disappointment resembles that of a young child on holiday with their parents and picking up a football jersey on the street market before returning home and realising it's a fake. We were led down untouched paths that were born on false hope.

March had long been labelled as season-defining. March. Our relative 'achievements' last year look so much more glossy than they did last summer. They were suppose to be the platform we kicked on (again) and (finally) finished in the top 4. That bloody top 4. When did finishing outside of 1st bare any relevance?

We're mid-way through our season-defining month and have lost three games from three. We're set to face Benfica with our heads placed underneath the guillotine. The outcome is more likely to be a messy affair with viewer discretion strongly advised than it is to show a Spurs resolve. Our season has already set-up base in a care home and we can't expect much from it. It's clear we've lacked any real direction this year. We've cut a project in two at the first sign of trouble and forced ourselves into a retreat.

I struggled to take a positive from the Arsenal game. The players showed more heart than they had done in the past, but surely this is the minimum you'd expect to see on show against them. It's an effective metaphor settling for a bit of fight and desire in a NLD. It shows our fragile nature. Our legs failed to carry the weight of our own expectation. There's no leader in the side to pick up the pieces. There's no manager to galvanise. A sparkling light in a dark and unwelcoming prison cell of a season is Christian Eriksen. Our optimism falls with this one special player. A side built around him would be a blessing. But can we afford another rebuild? Can we afford to tear down the walls we'd invested in last summer and try again?

We've a manager at the helm that struggles to play against organised sides. He struggles to identify the key threats in an opponent and suffocate them. We play purely our own game on the ball, but this is half the job. We're vulnerable, nervous and lack the spark we were once associated with. I'd initially grown cautiously optimistic at times under Tim but it's looking more and more that the good few pockets of positive play we'd had in the second half of the season were produced from the quality of player we have at our disposal.

We've spurned the opportunity to extend our gap between ourselves and Liverpool. We've passed on investments we should've made. We've arguably been set-back a good few years. An investment in the trust and patience of one man to get us achieving above and beyond our expectations is certifiably required. But it needs to be the right man. We need a presence on the touchline. A respected leader. Someone with a tactical edge and winning mentality.

I'll throw my penny in the well and wish for the best. It's all we've got left.

Regards
Ben

Bewildered.

No lasagna to blame. No scapegoat to point towards - although I saw some attempt berated towards Michael Dawson. We lost in quite emphatic style. I was slowly adjusting to this gritty-just-about-hanging-on Spurs. It was growing on me, slowly becoming an expectation - a reality - would we battle a whole Premier League season biting nails and pulling hair out? No. The rather bewildering defeat to West Ham may ironically be the defeat we needed to kick us into shape. We'd started to look a little lacklustre in our play, lacking that bite in midfield and that emphasis to get the ball into the final third and find that final pass. We buckled miserably against a disciplined West Ham side. We lacked invention at times it was required the most and couldn't break down an ever growing brick wall.

Was it tactical or was it fan pressure? AVB rarely gives away a lot and his introduction to begin Jermain did fathom an element of surprise. He'd been scoring goals. The opposition understandably questionable but in all fairness you can only score against what's in front of you. The issue I found, for me, was that it wasn't the forward that was the issue but the supply for that forward. Eriksen had yet to fully click with Soldado and only time will build this relationship between the two. Defoe mustard a similar frustration, gaining just one clear cut chance in which he should've punished West Ham. His fault, our midfield's fault or West Ham's impeccable tactics? You tell me. As the game progressed Defoe dropped deeper into the number 10 role, relieving West Ham's defence of a forward to keep an eye on, forcing them higher up and making it easier to break.

With Dembele & Paulinho operating similar roles we looked incredibly exposed. Paulinho initially started further forward and made some intelligent runs without being found too much or blazing some abysmal shots way wide of the target. Dembele has played the majority of the season thus far and we could've possibly utilised more bite in the centre as well as a deeper creative outlet. Hotlby's starting to show more of the disciplined player that experienced an early run of successful form for Schalke and this game seemed to be set up nicely in which to start from.

But do we change a winning formula?

Our system remained constant, the players were there but there was no psychological emphasis to win this game. We didn't look bothered. I still fully believe that a 4-2-3-1 is a system that can bring the best out of our players. It's likely we won't know our best 11 until around Christmas. We've barely seen the tip of the Lamela iceberg and Eriksen is still embedding into our style. The problem falls that with so much money invested there's immediate pressure for success. Time is shortening, we naturally demand more as our expectations heighten with so much expenditure.

I wouldn't pin yesterday's defeat down to one particular person. It was an abysmal team performance. Townsend proving one less terrible performance in a team of terrible performances - to put bluntly. So where do we go from now? Sandro? I'd fight the point that Dembele and Paulinho were more than capable of bossing yesterday's midfield but had a severe off day. We'll want a big reaction, expect even and I can only envisage a change or two from AVB.

The international break has probably fallen about on time. We've time to brush ourselves down and regroup in over a week. A bad defeat, maybe the reaction will help shape our season in the long run.

Onwards.

Ben

The Holtby Dilemma

I still remember the moment. I had alcohol pumping through my veins in the French mountains when I read that Daniel Levy had sanctioned a move to bring Lewis Holtby to Spurs in January. Immediate erection. The fuel of optimism was a feeling I'd rarely felt. It was gold dust. Of course, the reality was that we'd rarely seen much of Holtby in action. A few dazzling Champions League displays can build an unwarranted and inaccurate perception of what to expect. Adaption is critical when young players move between countries. Although Holtby didn't provide too much value initially in the few months that followed January, we were provided with moments of what to expect prior to digging any deeper.

It's easy to forget the age of some players considering the weight of expectation that we, sometimes unintentionally, place upon their shoulders. It's arguably a little naive to expect a player of Holtby's profile to come in and make the White Hart Lane turf his own within 6 months and it's exactly this reason why I continually fought consciously with myself to not jump into brandishing opinion on him last season.  We saw far more industry than end product with Holtby last year. There's an evident passion there. A fight inside him that commands our love and attention. We give a stronger emotional response than a rational one. But there's nothing wrong with that.

It's obvious right now that we're still trying to find a role that suits both him and ourselves. I naturally thought he was the number 10 we'd dropped to our knees and begged for but it's becoming clearer he's a far more rounded central midfielder. He mentioned himself that his preference is sitting in the middle of the pitch and this is where he's proven most effective for us. There's an obvious trait of playing that killer pass from a deeper position and bringing the ball forward. His energy allows him the freedom to press opposition which is something we're doing more and more under AVB.

So where does this leave us? We're lucky enough to be packed to the brim of centre midfielders; Dembele, Paulinho, Sandro, Capoue. Depth is beauty. We couldn't crave it enough last season and now we find ourselves in the fortunate position of having it. Selection dilemmas are under appreciated. Holtby offers far more flair breaking from midfield then distributing the ball. He needs more playing time there and to become more understanding of his role. He has the eye to play that final pass but needs encouragement to try it more often.

Call me crazy but his play is reminding me more and more of Modric. Obviously the skill set is not quite as matching but the way he can take the ball from deep and bring it forward then provide another option in the final third is similar to what the Croat did best for us. It was a role vastly under appreciated to the naked eye at first but a role that allowed us to be far more fluid. There's arguments for every player to have their position in the starting 11. It's incredible that if we rewind 12 months back, Dembele & Sandro were irreplaceable. Yet, now, arguably neither are guaranteed to start.

I'd like to see more of a chance taken on Holtby. Away from home against a top side may leave us needing more strength and stability in the middle but I'd like to see him given more game time at home alongside one of Paulinho or Dembele. He needs consistency to prove to both us and himself that he is worth a place in our first 11. He's proven effective when emerging from the bench but a consistent role should increase this effectiveness.

A start against Chelsea may be too much of a gamble at this moment but that's not to say that I wouldn't knock AVB for testing him. We'll want to avoid defeat more than anything. Let our CM's suffocate the space given to Chelsea and let our attack run at their defence.

Regards,
Ben - You can follow me on Twitter here

AVB's New System

It's August 27th 2013. We're beginning to find our position more fortuitous as the this window edges closer to its' conclusion. It has to be one of the few that we've seemed to call for a close prior to its' deadline next Monday. When AVB announced that our summer targets, set before the close of last season, would remain the same despite the lack of Champions League football it was easier to find the pessimism in his words than to dig out the optimism.

We're probably a player short of where we want to be. We've been incredibly pragmatic in our approach this summer and signed off the deals we're usually being stringed out over the summer for in plenty of time. Gareth Bale is still a Tottenham Hotspur player. I'd stuck to my guns for a lot of this summer, remaining in confidence he would stay up until last week when a move seemed imminent. You consciously take the decision, usually, to turn more than a blind eye to the back pages but they have a way of weaselling into your subconscious. Planting a seed of doubt. Levy has Madrid tied around his finger. He has Gareth Bale on the end of a fishing line and is ever so tentatively dipping him into the sea. We've got one of the World's biggest clubs eating out of our hands, whether they can see that or not I don't know.

So with a new season brought a new system. AVB is slowly turning the screw towards his ideal of a 4-3-3. We're certainly more aesthetically pleasing on the eye. Despite only scoring twice in our opening two fixtures of the Premier League, we've been solid. We're 5 points better off now than at this stage last season and look good value for it. Paulinho has been one acquisition that's brought an armoury of traits that we've not so much lacked but haven't been accustom to at Spurs previously. He's fit the bill of a 'complete midfielder'. My initial perception of him was that he was more of a defensively driven player. He'd break-up play and let others do the offensive work. But that was naive. His offensive work is his defensive work. He wins the ball high up the pitch then looks to be very direct. He'll bring the ball forward and isn't afraid to have a shot.

Against Swansea, we seemed to play more of a 4-1-4-1, with Paulinho and Dembele sitting behind Soldado looking to win possession in the opponents third of the pitch. We pressed them, barely allowing them to cross the half way line. The holding player in Capoue, sitting slightly deeper than Dembele & Paulinho, ensured we could crowd out any breaks through the centre. His Sandro-like presence gave Jan and Daws next to nothing to do for the majority of the 90. Swansea looked to sit deep & hit long to Michu, inevitable after pockets of space were rarer than gold dust. This pressing game allowing the infamous high-line imposed by AVB to fend off much of Swansea's attacking threat.

We've so far conceded the fewest shots on goal in the PL this season (at 12). With a seemingly fair understanding and the wealth of strength we have in the middle, teams look to go out wide countering any direct threat. Rose has looked a little suspect defensively and seems to lack patience in a challenge when battling one-vs-one against the opposition winger. I'd be generally satisfied if Rose was first choice this year but not fuelled with overwhelming confidence. I do think Walcott would get the better of him on Sunday. We haven't got out of 2nd gear as yet but have 6 points from 6. Our playing staff looked settled into a slightly amended system from last year that isn't built around Gareth Bale. So, in terms of a mini transition I was expecting us to be a victim of in these early days, I'm delighted.

It's clear we still need that number 10. That magician behind Soldado. I can't see the 4-1-4-1 being the system we base our season around but the beauty of the strength in depth we have at our disposal thus far is that we can be flexible depending on the opposition. I am a fan of Sigurdsson, but think we may need someone who can think that one step ahead & get that one final ball spot on. In Soldado we have a forward renowned for seizing chances. He feeds off of them. If he's given the service, he'll score the goals. I'd be more inclined to sit Holtby there and see if he can recreate the success he had at Schalke. Him & Huntelaar enjoyed a fantastic understanding. Maybe this is Carroll's opportunity to step up and fulfil the faith we have in him.

Bale leaving wouldn't be the hole in our midfield as it would've been 3 months ago. Levy's ensured that either way, Spurs will have emerged stronger. We seem on another levels to where we've been before. Last season seems a mere platform. The difference in quality in the squad this season is evident. We've a leaner squad. Despite bringing in a £26m forward, there doesn't seem to be that aura weighed to his shoulders that we're solely relying on just him to bring us goals. Chadli, Townsend and Paulinho are all goalscorers. Not for the first time, but the future looks pleasing. We've lost the 1st season uncertainty of AVB anchoring us down. That air of uncertainty was diminished as we finished on 72 points. Bale forever seems further out the door by the day yet we find ourselves more optimistic than we probably ever have.

It's a funny old game.

Regards,
Ben - You can follow me on Twitter here

It wasn't to be.

The year is 2013. The unthinkable has occurred. Sir Alex has finally stepped down at United. Spurs have broken their transfer record on a forward. Goal-line technology is set to be used in the Premier League as of next season. Tom Huddlestone has left Tottenham Hotspur. 3 years ago this could have easily been written as a piece of satire with the latter statement seemingly the least likely of the 4.

It's hard to find a suitable starting point with Tom. Although heavily flawed as an all-round centre midfielder, his ability to spot and execute a pin-point pass in the final third always left you lingering with that string of hope that he may build on this to become a prominent player for Spurs and England. Alas, it wasn't to be. There's only so many years you can hope a player will fulfil their 'potential' before admitting that this is about as good as it'll get. A couple of key assists from last year couldn't mask the fact that he didn't quite fit in with a squad now built on pace and power. He almost sat as the Woolworths of our midfield. He couldn't quite tackle or run, but had a nice technique about him.

It's clear we're building a leaner (no pun intended) and more competitive squad. The arrival of Paulinho & the expected arrival of Capoue renders Huddlestone and Parker redundant. They become assets that are needed off of the wage bill and the transfer fees to balance the books. We forever seem to be pushing our limits and stand reluctantly on the brink of finally achieving our season's goals. We fall that player or two short at key points in the season and find ourselves asking 'what if'. 'What if we'd brought in a forward, midfielder or extra defender when we could've'.

Pre-planning and anticipation for such events avoids seemingly knee-jerk and over-priced transfers. We're building a powerful squad of quality, not just a first 11. We forever seem anchored down with 'deadwood' players that act as fillers for those that are injured. I was a big fan of AVB's rotation policy last year and hope to see more of it this year. Although it'll be nice regularly rotating quality players ensuring those coming in will be match-fit and hungry to fight for their place. Competition for places will be ever-increasing this year, especially across midfield.

With another season in the Europa League, players will get the game time they'd desire. Real strength in depth is something we've lacked properly across the years but is key to competing effectively in all major competitions. We finally seem to be jumping on the treadmill this summer and look a far leaner outfit. We've bought in key areas and look to sell those that aren't wanted. The squad will take time to gel as one which may bring with it a slightly slower start than we'd hope. But that's football.

Tom will be wished all the best, maybe even missed at times, but with the ambition we've shown this summer. His name was always going to be one sounded out to other clubs.

Regards,
Ben - You can follow me on Twitter here

What £86m could be spent on.

A couple of dodgy reprints from previous articles, a lack of official word and a few nutters on Twitter have ensured that we're slowly being brainwashed to the fact that Bale won't be in a Spurs shirt come September. It's propaganda I tell ya. It's times like this when I imagine simpler times. Imagine a transfer window without the net. An ITK would spot something on Ceefax who'd then tell their neighbour, who'd tell a friend, who'd tell his cousin and so on. By the time the rumour reached Europe we'd find ourselves mid-way through the season and gleefully singing 'mind the gap'.

But still, should Levy smell an £86m cheque and give in to his basic instincts - here's what he could do with it:

• Give Baldini a bonus for the great work he's done this window.
• Enjoy flights to Spain on BA instead of EasyJet (this including return journeys as well)
• Increase the wages of Tom Huddlestone, Scott Parker and Jake Livermore to warn away potential suitors interested in their signature.
• Subsidise the bottles of Carlsberg in White Hart Lane to allow a drop in price from £3.30 to £3.20.
• Bring back David Pleat as club ambassador.
• Pay off Uefa to let us into the Champions League
• Save the Antwerp Arms
• Pay PSV to take Gomes back to Holland
• Give Ledley King a new set of knees
• Re-open Rudolph's but only allow those with a fake ID to enter.
• Invest in our own scouts so we no longer have to use Liverpool's. 
• Start his own Spurs based paper company
• Fill the Emirates with thousands of blow up sex dolls for every seat they fail to sell
• Smother ITK's in their sleep
• Ban anyone from the internet that has "Full time yummy mummy xx" on their Facebook profile as their full time job.
• Give Abramovich a Moonpig thank you card for AVB - No Tesco shit.
• Allocate more stewards at WHL to ensure everyone is seated for 90 minutes during games.
• Give Chick King the money to expand 
• Buy back Gareth Bale 

On a serious note, I struggle to see Bale leaving this summer both practically and emotionally. I wouldn't have a breakdown if he would, I'd just feel we'd have contradicted ourselves massively if he does. If Madrid come in with offers over £100m then it's hard to see a bid being rejected. Although, with the publicity surrounding the prospective move, I think Levy will reject any first offer that comes our way to make a point. There's also the fact that brand Bale is worth a lot more than we probably anticipate - apparently Barca have already made back the transfer fee they spent on Neymar in shirt sales worldwide, the player has yet to have a training session with the squad.

Regards,
Ben - You can follow me on Twitter here

Sandro's beard.

I personally feel that Sandro's beard - seen here nestling quite cosily on our Brazilian in Hong Kong - deserves a special mention. I cannot wait for this man to grace a football pitch once more.

One Step Away.

So while Bale is or isn't etching for an EasyJet flight to the heart of Spain, we've actually brought in two players that add more than considerable depth to the side - before August. Nacer Chadli officially completed his move yesterday and all but confirmed AVB's intentions to shift (or atleast have the option of shifting) to a 4-3-3. Summer highs are few and far between, the last genuine one I got excited about was Ramos' first summer with Spurs. Nothing could go wrong. Nothing.

I do etch back to that 'era' at intervals of loneliness. I'm usually found sitting in an empty room, peering at the white wall in front of me with a small glass of brandy still wondering how it all went wrong. From then on I wished never to see Spurs go an entire pre-season unbeaten. It's misleading, hope-fuelled, and doesn't prepare us for the worst.

It's clear we have our defined targets. These are wrapped around much more financial realism but prove a pedigree of value despite our stance of being in Europe's second division. Paulinho & Chadli could arguably be players that could settle into a Champions League side. Strength in depth has been the key to work on this summer and we're slowly building a squad that instead of a 'first 11' is now built with a 'first 16'. We've grown to the stature of club that players want to play for. Players on the bench will less and less-likely be back-up players but more alternative options - they'd warrant their first team place based on the opposition and system we play.

Chadli offers a more predominant goal threat from a wide position than Lennon does. I do find this a little ironic. I genuinely believe that Aaron has the composure in front of goal to tuck away a chance - possibly more so than either of our two forwards at this present time - his only slight issue is that he doesn't find himself in those positions enough. This is understandable, he's a winger - but if he could find himself in more goal-scoring scenarios, I'd trust him to tuck them away. It comes down to depth again. Both Lennon and Chadli are good enough to start for Spurs, it falls down to the system AVB employs. We may finally see a break in the baron of final fixtures that Aaron misses due to fatigue. The Europa League is a second season in itself. Players will get playing time and will tire.

The thought of having a midfield three of Dembele, Sandro and Paulinho is refreshing one. It certainly beats away the days of Darren Anderton & Michael Brown (with Gary Doherty tucking in behind). When all three are fully fit, this gives license to Dembele to play slightly more advanced. His attributes suit a more offensive role in the side and fit perfectly with the 4-3-3 we're likely to play next season. But what I like most about the Paulinho signing is the versatility it gives us. We could easily transform it to 4-2-3-1 and replace Sandro with Gylfi/Dempsey if we were chasing a game. It's the comfort of knowing the depth is there that gives me itchy feet for the new season.

Spurs don't do perfect transfer windows, but we seem to be building a side with the right signings that will hopefully give us the depth to compete across all competitions. I personally would appreciate another run in the Europa League whilst challenging for a place in the gold mine of the top 4. I'm sure next year we'll find further areas to dig at. If/ WHEN Bale does stay (neck on the line and all that), hopefully we will have a forward that embraces the midfield around him. They'll get the chances, we just have to trust they can convert them.

Regards,
Ben - You can follow me on Twitter here

Why on earth did we sign Paulinho?

Spurs have jumped upon a popular and vastly appreciated bandwagon in getting a Brazilian. Well, another Brazilian. Initially 'filling' a position that wasn't admittedly top of mind due to the quantity that weighs us down there, Paulinho's prospective-turned-official move does tick a lot of previously un-ticked boxes.

Unfortunately I'm not one to keep my finger on the pulse with Brazilian football, unlike most of my Twitter following. Although, I did take a keen interest in the recent Confederations cup and was admittedly impressed with this newly rejuvenated Brazil side. A rejuvenated side with our new centre midfielder at the heart of it; the pulse to make the others beat. It's easy to get picky amongst where improvements are needed in our side. Before Paulinho's arrival, we did have a fairly strong starting 11. Looking deeper is the key, at times we were a hollow shell or empty quality. Hopefully we've finally seen the back of season's in which Huddlestone will line up in centre midfield alongside Parker or Livermore.

Of course there's no disrespect intended, it's a matter of ensuring we continue to progress and don't find ourselves stagnate. Nevertheless, when Paulinho's name was first mooted I didn't expect a deal. The ITK's of the world forever throw names in your face but I couldn't see Levy breaking our transfer record on a player in a position currently well populated. It's hard to argue the fact that we've got serious backbone in our side with the Brazilian's arrival and an extra bite to our side.

Injuries permitting, Paulinho's arrival offers us more fluency in midfield. Dembele can be pushed further forward in a 4231, a 4312 with Bale in behind 2 strikers is an option a is a 433 with bale and Lennon operating either from the flanks or off of a forward. It also gives us the craved depth we've needed should Sandro or Dembele fall to injuries. With the Europa league likely to continue to split opinions, Paulinho will ease the reliance on both Sandro and Dembele and hopefully leave us fit enough to compete admirably in Europe as well as domestic competitions.

The move also raised a few eyebrows in that we may have seemingly grabbed a player evidently high up on our sacred list of targeted players this summer. Shock. Hopefully we're aiming to become far leaner in midfield. Sandro, Dembele, Paulinho, Sigurdsson, Dempsey, Lennon, Holtby and, of course, Bale offer a reach of both quality and balance - we just need shift on the final saturates of the side. One thing we have certainly improved on is being hard to beat. We're looking far stubborn with Paulinho's arrival. A fully fit Kaboul will act like a new signing next year and having Hugo at number one from August will also be a boost.

With the quality in midfield that we have, a clever target man would be the inevitable step to take regarding our approach for a forward. Although David Villa would represent a short-sighted view as far as his age is concerned, he would be the ideal forward to bring the midfield behind him into play. He'd also provide a fine example of being in the right place at the right time and composure in front of goal. He's the man that the present day Tottenham need and is more than capable of leading the line alone.

I hate that feeling of optimism before the start of the season, it usually leaves you with an empty hollow feeling come next May. But there's just something that can't knock my quiet optimism for next season.

It must be the clever marketing or the special area for members on the Spurs site.

Regards,
Ben - you can follow me on Twitter here

Love the Game, Hate the Business

A first hand look at how Wednesday's protest against modern football descended.

A guest post from:

@liamknight

I descended on London on the train from Norwich not only because I verge into the realms of being so far Left it’s comical, but because I felt like I had to represent the team that I love in what may or may not be an historic landmark in the fight against ‘modern football’. I’d even invited my girlfriend to come with me to make a day of it in case Spirit of Shankly’s march on Premier League HQ became a total washout in terms of attendance. As I made my way to The Globe to meet up with the rest of the fans attending, a huge Arsenal banner denouncing the greed of the modern game that greeted me made me even more apprehensive about the day ahead from a lilywhite perspective.  But as the pub slowly began to fill up (admittedly with a Scouse majority) more and more Spurs boys came. My girlfriend, self-admittedly clueless on all things football, not only remarked on how many people had actually turned up, but how many supporters of different teams, some of them bitter rivals, were happily sharing a pub and displaying their own banners without fear of trouble. What she had seen on TV of fans fighting was nowhere to be seen. Spurs fans were next to Arsenal fans, Liverpool fans were next to United; the pub didn’t have a tense, pre-game atmosphere at all. Instead of fans talking about X player being shite or Y player being a wanker, I overheard debates, most of which cross partisan, on regulation of prices and the mistreatment of the working classes. Was this all some sort of dream? 

Banners warning that “if you tolerate this then your children will be next” and that the ‘fat cats’ have stolen football from the ordinary fan brilliantly summed up the mood of the day; we were fans of teams from Crewe to United, from Everton to Leicester, all here united not by one club but by a sense of duty on behalf of all fans, to stop the violent commercialisation of the sport. Spurs’ main banner put this sentiment into words perfectly; ‘Love the game, hate the business’. We wanted our football back and we were going to march on the Premier League to get answers. There was certainly an aura about the whole event as fans all marched towards Prem HQ. We set off to the backdrop of a smoke bomb, all chanting. But we weren’t chanting about our team being the greatest the world has ever seen, or that we will be in eternal combat with a neighbouring club’s fans purely because of Boxing Day. We were all chanting and singing in unison:

‘They don’t care about football, they don’t care about fans, all they care about is money and brands!”.

As we made our way down the busy London streets, the agreed nature of a ‘pavement only’ protest soon went out the window. We moved our banners into the road and dodged passing busses, taxis and cars as we made our way to our destination unperturbed. My girlfriend, who had been quiet and a bit miffed by what was going on (even though she agreed with the idea of ‘sticking it to the man’) soon fully immersed herself in the occasion; shouting, holding up banners and sticking STAND stickers onto bus drivers! This was a testament to the passion and commitment shown by the protestors, and it was infectious.  As we arrived at Gloucester Place, sympathisers on the streets showed their support even though we held up traffic with our sheer numbers. Tourists on open top busses would cheer and wave, van and taxi drivers tooted their horns in solidarity. The most interesting part was that the Bentleys and Jags with tinted windows always quietly drove past, without even acknowledging we were there. This was rapidly turning from a footballing issue to a class issue.  As we ‘sat down’ because we ‘love football’ in the middle of the road to stop traffic and increase our exposure, fan representatives were meeting with the so-called ‘fat cats’ to air their grievances against the state of pricing and expenses for the ordinary fan, the rest of us waited outside for anyone to come out of the imposing black door and give some sort of statement. Chants eventually stopped after about an hour, and we reverted back to just talking to each other and holding up banners. A police officer even came over to talk to us. He explained that he was a die-hard West Ham fan and then asked whether we would be protesting again, saying tongue in cheek that he would get more work out of it. He repeatedly expressed that he fully sympathized with what we were doing and that he himself was ‘against modern football’. In the current climate of police ‘bubbles’ escorting fans to games and the whole issue of the criminalisation of the ordinary supporter, this was a refreshing image of the police officer and the supporter together.  

The camaraderie was a testament to the ethos of the day because we were all fans united under one cause. Whilst we still had our differences, we were able to put these behind us for one day to protest against something that affected every single one of us. We still didn’t exactly like each other, but we were amicable (even if sticking Spurs stickers on Arsenal fans became the game of the day).  I came to London thinking that we would all conform to our ‘tribal’ stereotypes and remain segregated. But there I was, talking to a man in leopard print flares and a studded jacket with “DULWICH HAMLET” painted on the back. As surreal as this was, it was refreshing to be able to talk to fans from other teams without being seen as weak by fellow supporters. Even the police were friendly and were polite to us (even if they burst our beach balls).  Fans brandishing megaphones (that gave more feedback than the league ever would) encouraged us all to keep on chanting, and although this eventually descended into “OOO BUBBLES” when we got to West Ham, every team that was represented there felt part of the protest as a whole. Everyone was approachable and would be happy to have a conversation ‘I’ve always liked Spurs’ was a recurring statement from fans outside of London. This is the polar opposite to how fans would behave towards each other on a match day, thus showing how pressing an issue this is.

What came out of today in terms of a response from the league was not exactly ideal, but encouraging all the same. The fact that they acknowledged our protest by speaking to representatives is encouraging; as is the stress on ‘stretch pricing’ where corporate fans should really be paying through the teeth for the boxes so normal tickets can be cheaper. But there seems to be no real call for regulation. Regulated or capped prices would fit into the mould of financial fair play. As the organisers kept stressing, the protest was not a one-time thing. This is just the start of increased dialogue between the fan and the executive, hopefully something that will bring about a change for the better in terms of both attendance at games, atmosphere and pricing.  The relaunch of the Tottenham Supporters’ Trust is a blessing; it means we now have a body in which to voice our concerns towards the club in a legitimate manner rather than any attempt at a boycott would [a boycott, in my opinion, would never ever work. You’ll always get football tourists in to fill seats if needs be…].  Joint Chairman of the Trust Darren Alexander was one of the delegates invited into Prem HQ to discuss pricing. This can only be seen as a step forward in making football more affordable for everyone. What struck me most out of the day was how detached we were from what subscription TV channels paint fans. We didn’t fight each other, we didn’t swallow whatever Murdoch-ed information we were given. We stood up for ourselves. The amount of press coverage we had is also a good sign. It means that the press see this as an important enough occasion to give time and space in their rags towards, rather than this just another protest by utopian hooligans demanding the impossible. Whoever couldn’t make the march should just take away the title Spirit of Shankly gave to it; the great Jock Stein quote, “Football Without Fans Is Nothing”. When fans, clubs and the media truly believe this statement, maybe the monster that is ‘calcio moderno’ will be tamed. This is just the beginning.

A guest post by: @liamknight

Why Spurs need a creator and not a finisher.

Guest Post by 

@Harrishotspur 

It’s been a while, and well reported, that Tottenham fans have been crying out for a striker, and they are somewhat wrong in their pleas. During the course of the 12/13 season, Andre VillasBoas’ team was struggling with the strikers, in fact: Jermain Defoe had scored a lot of goals in the first half of the season, but halted this feat in the second half, whilst Emmanuel Adebayor was injured for a long duration of the campaign and returned to fitness with stuttering form, to say the least.

Yes, indeed, our strikers weren’t good enough, but would bringing in a new forward (e.g Damião) actually solve the problem? You’re forgetting that the striker needs someone to put him in front of goal, most times. The Lilywhites also had difficulties creating chances last season for our forwards to convert. With the departure of Rafael van der Vaart and Luka Modric, AVB had to use the services of Mousa Dembélé, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Clint Dempsey and, later on, Lewis Holtby. Those four midfielders formally mentioned are far from what van der Vaart or Modric were undertaking in a Tottenham’s shirt.

Dembélé had a good start to the season, he practically carried the team with him. Although this somewhat changed slightly after a couple of injuries. Clint Dempsey isn’t a creative player so he ensured he was on hand in the box grabbing a goals for himself, but usually a spectator in matches feeding off of scraps. Sigurdsson was our starting attacking midfielder in the early stages of the campaign, but gradually made his way to the bench after poor displays. Although Gylfi emerged in the second half of the season with some important goals and started to find his feet and create a host of chances for the team, even if it was inconsistently.

Lewis Holtby – I can’t say much, he had very few chances to impress and was on the end of some poor displays, but he’s the youngest out of the midfielders we bought (21 years old) and we're arguably still finding a role that will get the best out of him. But let’s get to the point: If our midfield doesn´t create the chances (and consistently, also) for the strikers, it is obvious that the team will find a hard time to score goals. It was because of this problem that we had to depend on Bale taking on a couple of defenders and scoring a screamer in the last minute to secure the victory sometimes. The truth is that neither Gareth can do that every game nor would I like my team to nearly draw against 10-men Sunderland by a whisker. Tottenham used to play better football than that; but it doesn’t mean we can´t get it back!

What I really think would work for AVB´s men is buying a top class creative midfielder, João Moutinho, for example (but he´s gone to Monaco), and we will have someone to create chances for Bale, Lennon, Defoe and Adebayor, all of these can score goals, they just need to be well set. We all know that Adebayor can do well! Look at a couple of seasons ago: 18 goals and (I think) 12 assists. That is an awesome number. Alas, Defoe can also bang them in – He has scored over 100 goals for Spurs (that speaks for itself).

My suggestion is that Levy and Villas-Boas go after someone like Miralem Pjanic or Bernard, who we are linked with, to strengthen our creation in midfield. With that move happening, we will get the best out of our current strikers.

Guest post by : @Harrishotspur

Prepared.

The season abruptly ended just under two weeks ago. An anticlimax that I was fully anticipating. Yet, to this day, I don't find myself replaying the 'what if' and 'if only' games. The Fulham home game isn't as imprinted into the deepest of thoughts as I'd have initially expected it to be after Berbatov found his way past Lloris.

Instead, I find myself reminiscing about the games in which we stole victory, escaping back to White Hart Lane singing AVBs name into the bellowing winter air. Every supporter has their own idealist view of where they want Spurs to be. I find many can be lead down a dangerous path dictated by the press, building up hope, then expectation, to only then fall back on their face with disappointment.

I do sympathise, but always think that we must always reflect on the goals we set ourself in the summer and anything more should be treated like a bonus. Everything needs perspective. I'm on record saying I expected a fight for fourth but to see us finish 5th or 6th this year. We always hope for fourth but only the brave go as far as to expect it.

I undertook my first three European away games this season and honestly felt it fulfilled everything I want when I support Spurs. Relatively cheap trips with a fantastic crowd and everyone in great spirits. Would I get this with the Champions League? Probably. But it's have cost a hell of a lot more.

I've come to the realisation that the CL is of course great for the progression of the club. It would've been a fantastic reward for the work AVB has done this year. Although, selfishly, I put my experiences as a supporter probably on par if not a above this. If I'm to find any consolation to our failure to qualify for the CL it is those arguably cheaper trips to the Europa League and a more realistic chance of winning the competition.

If the games about glory then would we rather be in Europe's second tier competition with a higher chance of winning it or in the first tier with a far slimmer chance? Genuine question, and one that I'm sure would invite a variety of answers. Maybe in the longer term, winning the Europa League would provide a pedestal in which to effectively fight for the Champions League crown. Who knows, but its hard to beat a side with a winning mentality.

We've a young side that have just had a year together under AVB and its hard to see us not continue to climb and improve. I take pride in that our achievements will occur within our means. It'll warrant personal pride. Of course a striker is needed, more so than any other position, but we'll stay within a 'sensible' wage criteria and spend what we can actually afford to spend.

I'm always careful when anticipating a season ahead. Although this ones slightly different. AVB is building a bullish side and were arguably just a couple of players short from the quality in both depth and balance in the side that we've craved for so long. With United, City and Chelsea all changing their managers, this offers a potentially minute chance to bite the bullet and fight with these teams. We need to treat the games in August as we do those ones in April and May. I forgive the dropped points in the early parts of the season last year, we were still learning.

Now we've little excuse, let's hope we can kick on and hit the ground running.

Regards,
Ben - you can follow me on Twitter here

"Even failure has an echo of glory in it"

So the end is nigh. Another enthralling season seeks to find its end as we once more find ourselves in an all to typical blindly-hoping-on-another-team-to-do-us-a-favour end of season debacle. Although it's not quite a debacle is it? We're on course to hit our record number of points in the Premier League but the inevitability grows that Europa League football will, once more, be our European path.

That's unfortunate, but barely raises an eyebrow. If you had to label one club this could happen to, it would be Spurs. I'm a fan of broken records, so here's another. For a manager that was hung out to dry by the press, pundits, 'experts' and both a minority of our own and masses of rival fans, AVB's had a remarkably commendable season. You'd have snatched sitting on 69 points after the penultimate game of the season. Has the League become easier or have we become more competitive? Probably a portion of both.

We kicked off pre-season in the USA and AVB sought to lay down the basics foundations of how he wanted us to play. He set out a blue-print for the forthcoming season, that I highlighted here, tinkering subtly based upon the opposition that sat in front of us. We slowly grew into a pressing game, each player learnt their role and soon enough a group of players soon became a team. This is why I refuse to knock our early results. We were still waiting to 'tick'. Despite conceding points early on to West Brom & Norwich we persisted with the system. This season, for me, truly emphasised that patience is a true art. Critiscism seemed far easier to give at the time but I stubbornly felt (even admitting almost 'blind faith') that the right building blocks were being implemented under AVB at Spurs.

Those that know me know that I'm one of the more pessimistic Spurs fan you could come across. Although I feel next season should give reason to fuel that ounce of hope with optimism. Without sounding to Scouse, next year could be one that holds a lot of promise. I emphasise the word could. Injuries can dictate the path a season takes. It's football. We knew losing Kaboul in the early stages would be a bitter pill but then struggled immensely without Sandro in January with Parker playing a shadow of his former self. It's hard to comprehend we've made a fair challenge at 4th, alongside a gruelling Europa League run and yet have two forwards that have struggled to deal with the demands of this season.

So where's the promise?

A young cast-off came in and adopted a side that was largely short of the players that were so key last year; so vital in grabbing us 4th place. A young side.
We'll continue to spend within our means and thus grow organicly, remaining competitive without the need to sell our souls. I'm both proud and tentatively confident of that (confidence is a rare feat with me). Wigan, if anything, should shed some light on that it's not only big wallets that guarantee trophies. We've shown enough heart to punch above our own weight, with individual brilliance pushing us that extra step.

We'll build and learn from this. The players have had a year together, our coach has had a relatively controversial free season and we've looked more of a team after every game we play. I hate feeling optimistic about anything, it usually leaves me with hollow disappointment - an empty shell, but I just can't help but feel that maybe we have the springboard stable enough to jump back up to where we feel we're more than capable of finishing.

This isn't writing off our chances Sunday, this is merely explaining that there's no reason to feel any dismay if we were to finish 5th.

Onwards.

Regards,
Ben - Follow me on Twitter - @InsideN17

Are we being fooled?

I usually try my best to avoid falling into the ITK tra, but I've admittedly been entangled more often than I care to count. It's borderline inevitability. We snatch at any piece of news that carries with it the chance of hope and excitement yet tell ourselves that we're fools for holding it with such a tight grasp.

The vines on the David Villa story appear to be growing. Slowly wrapping us in and engulfing us. We've seen non-runners appear to have legs on them previously. Sneijder and Hazard both fell through on a grand old scale. In this instance, it's not so much that this deal's too good to happen, but more it's not quite a Levy deal. Villa is 32 this year and represents no sell-on value. Levy seeks a potential return on most purchases he makes, if not all.

Maybe we'll find ourselves in a scenario that sees our Chairman emphasising his faith in AVB with practicalities. Maybe we'll bring in a player for more than financial reasons. Again, I lay my hope carefully and Levy won't be keen to expose his hand just yet. We haven't ended the season yet but maybe talk of a player may somewhat prove a temporary distraction away from the seemingly inevitable scenario of a 5th placed finish.

Maybe we're just all being duped again. Villa would be a good signing. He's the strong, experienced head that's gifted with that winning mentality - that gold dust - that is so hard nurture organically. Injuries have been a big issue for the Spaniard which is why I'd be surprised if the deal was pushed through at over £10m. It's unlike Levy to wrap up a signing so early, it's unlikely our prayers will be answered prematurely.

It's evident I'm a fan of Villa, although I do feel that alongside him we do need a young and hungry forward that is in a similar mould. A forward with intelligence. We've a gifted midfield and having a forward that can play to the same tune as that midfield maybe just the ticket to a host of outcomes next season. A player that can bring others in to the game with the tendency of appearing at the right place and right time would be ideal. We can all dream, can't we?

I dare to hope. The feeling of disappointment isn't an unusual one. The season still has one game left in it, yet so much is riding on it.

Regards,
Ben - you can follow me on Twitter here

Our key weakness

Admittedly I felt we looked exhausted. We returned from Switzerland in almost a worst case scenario position. We'd fought our way to extra time only to find ourselves, almost inevitably, crashing out on penalties. If there was such a thing as 'an ideal way to go out of a competition' then our rivals would've picked this way.

The finish line is a distant sight. We've teased and toyed with 3rd, flirted with 4th but the reality could be a rejection from both. I had my heart set on the Europa League, it looked as though we did as well. But it is how it is. I worried for our mentality upon the Europa League exit and we had Manchester City to play. The players found little life running through their veins in first half. Although this time around, footballing being a funny old game actually worked in our favour. I couldn't ever pin us knocking one past Hart, let alone three. Huddlestone's passing was something we've missed in patches, it's a shame he can't be a more complete midfielder. It seems an eternity he's had to develop his game into a complete holding midfielder but still lacks the fine art of tackling. He's stereotypically sluggish ways always weighing him down and soon enough his negatives out muscled his positives.

We approach 4 tough fixtures. 4 fixtures that should be approached with the same forward mentality. We just about have the quality in our first 11, the problem is we seem to have this niggling function born into the Spurs approach system that sees us lose our nerve whenever we have to depend on ourselves. Combine this with a side short of competition in key areas and genuine strength in depth and you find a mountain as tall as Everest to climb.

A starting 11 involving a midfield three of Huddlestone, Dembele and Holtby with Defoe leading up top could be the shape needed to limp over the line. This leaves Sigurdsson and Dempsey on the bench - Two very useful players. Two players that can impact games, our bench should have more. We were flat against Wigan. Neither side wanted it enough. You'd have been forgiven for believing that neither of the sides had anything to play for. We closed another door shut on an opportunity to exploit. With Dembele limping off, it almost compounded me to feel this'll be another season in which so much promise had been shown yet nothing to show from it.

Our first 11 is solid. We're one forward away from having a fantastic, balanced and competitive first 11. Lloris in goal. Walker right, Dawson/Kaboul, Vertonghen, Benny. Dembele, Sandro; Bale, Holtby/Sigurdsson, Lennon and a forward. That team needs little tinkering with it. It's our depth and competitiveness out wide that may leave us just too short of 4th this year. We need investment in quality depth. The trouble is most quality players don't want to be involved in a squad rotation role at a club that isn't challenging at the top of the Premier League every year. Chelsea exploited their ability to rotate quality players and have done so very well to balance their number of fixtures across their playing staff.

The obvious issue here is that we won't go out and spend £60m net in one window. I call it an issue but I'm happy our club is run sensibly. So we have to be clever. We need footballers that can alter our shape, change our direction if needed and those to simply replace like-for-like. Townsend's relative success at QPR will be like a new signing and hopefully his hunger and confidence will continue when he's in a Spurs shirt next year. I hope he uses this year as building blocks and steps up to our first 11. It's clear there is something there.

It's good to see stability at Spurs. Only one player has arguably been sold by the papers so far but, unlike the Modric fiasco, it seems far more underplayed and demoralising at this moment. Clever spending is a fine art form. We've done it successfully in the past and, should we find ourselves edged out of the running for 4th, it'll have to be a summer of shrewd purchases. We don't want to cause unrest, we just need to face the reality that we need the depth to compete in almost 2 seasons worth of games in a single football calender year.

Regards,
Ben - You can follow me on Twitter here @InsideN17

Spurs have "already won".

Guest Piece by @jackuzisps 

Coming towards the end of the season, it's a time for reflection. It's been an interesting season for fans, and not necessarily for good reasons. We've had a number of racism occurrences, some horrendous European away stories, and even fans at Wembley fighting themselves. But, for every person that gives this football a culture a bad name, there's thousands that give it a good one, and at this time in the season, it feels like a good time to talk about that.

I am not a spurs fan, which I apologise for in advance. But having heard about the 1882 setup that you've got going (I've even been to one myself), I think a mutual respect is always built between sets of supporters who follow the game in the right way. That is, religiously.

Being a Pompey fan, the stats suggest that this should have been the most depressing season in modern history. However, for reasons I am about to go in to, it has been the most satisfying. It's during these types of seasons that you realise why you really love it, and why all the 4am starts the away schedule can throw at you are all worth it, just for that split second euphoria of a meaningful goal.

So why, with the worst losing streak since the war, and facing back to back relegations, has this season been what has kept my faith in football? Because, in the same way that the 1882 movement has created more excitement for the right type of spurs fans than a number of games at White Hart Lane put together this season, it's about what's done off the pitch that matters. To me, football isn't about the amount of away goals per season, or the average pass percentage of some unknown Spanish midfielder; it's about how many times you sang for 90 minutes, how many times you went away and embarrassed the home fans, and how many times the score didn't matter, because the proper battle was won in the stands. Speaking as someone who has now experienced three relegations in four years, I honestly believe that part of the magic that I fell in love with was lost in the Premiership, by a number of casual fans (and owners, which is another point entirely) getting involved for the wrong reasons.

This is not plea for sympathy, nor is it a 'look how good our fans are' shout. It's more of general rejection of the fair weather supporters that flood the premier league today. Yes they 'pay good money' and yes they have just as much right to boo as they do to watch a good performance. But what does that actually help? The spirit of the 1882 movement is what the Premiership needs. An injection of passion, of escapism. The reason everyone fell in love with the game in the first place. And that reason wasn't because you reached fourth place over Arsenal, it wasn't because you saw a particular bit of skill or a particular finish. It was because you felt part of something, part of something that seemed like it could never be crushed. So take that to every game, and make sure you sing for your shirt, because any true rivalry has never really been about what happens on the pitch.

To me, football is this thing about being part of something that is actually worth remembering in years to come. Because when you look back on it, are you going to be someone who remembers being disgusted at the exact scoreline of a random league game, or are you going to be someone who remembers backing your side the whole way and enjoying every second? I know what I'd rather be. And anyway, we're still singing 'Que sera sera' down at Fratton park. It's just these days, 'We're going to Wembley' is replaced with 'We're going to Accrington Stanley'.

So, from a happy Pompey fan to a load of (hopefully) loyal spurs fans: don't worry about the race for fourth place. Because to anyone that properly understands, you've already won.

Author: @jackuzisps 

Delighted?

Dreams were soon becoming murmurs of the Dam. Can we honestly forgive ourselves for even daring to think, daring to believe? I felt an Utter fool for doing so. Allowing myself to be sucked in to the belief that Spurs could make a final in Amsterdam. It would've been too perfect. No Spurs train ever arrives at the end of the line as planned. We encounter far too many signal failures, breakdowns and engineering works in our season and we're left reflecting on how we'll cope as fans, how Spurs will cope and whether we can snatch at any positives that fight their way out of the abysmal anticlimax that is the exit of the Europa League quarter finals.

We worked hard for it. The players left blood in their tracks. I genuinely couldn't fault their effort in a competition traditionally snubbed and demeaned by the English; our own past proving little to shy away from this. We've given so much in an intensely demanding season. Our lack of depth almost predictably epitomising perfectly why the season proved as demanding as it has done. Adebayor's penalty didn't knock us out. The complacency in the first leg did, but we always knew we'd be limping through this competition because of a lack of investment in depth in the summer and January. I do trust Levy and hope he'll give AVB the backing that'll match his initial faith in appointing the young Portuguese coach.

I did little to hide my disappointment at Friedel starting ahead of Lloris. Friedel undoubtly gave us a great year last season but the dynamic of our side has changed. Lloris' importance in the Spurs side is second to none. It does force the subconscious feeling of 'what if'. I struggle to find any real benefit of starting the American ahead of the French 'keeper. The Europa League now enters its de-valuing stage. The remaining teams once playing under the Champions League lights now find themselves in Europe's second tier competition. Perspective. Chelsea's arguably initial goals of a good run in Europe and contending the Premier League title now fall to accept a top 4 finish and a Europa League final.

I don't say this accepting second best. I say this as I see it. We've done well to get to the quarter finals of the Europa League and are still heavily involved in the fight for fourth - as were our initial plans. I've been to three Europa league away's this year and I can't express my admiration for the competition so much more-so now. It's an exciting competition that reaps the passion of the fans all across Europe. They love it, and so should we. It's secondary status to the Champions League gives it the edge for me in almost taking away the commercial propaganda that invites half-arsed fans to flick on the TV or buy up space in a ground that could be filled by those that truly wish to sing for the shirt.

Don't have me mistaken, the Champions League is fantastic in terms of growing the club and continuing this exponentially is key. But, from a fan point of view, I've loved every minute and every aspect of following us in the Europa League. It's granted me more opportunity in which to sing my heart out for the only club I'll ever love. Winning games breeds confidence. A minority saw the Europa League as an opportunity cost to a top 4 place. There's little point playing in a competition if you don't want to go out and win the thing. Nothing beats lifting a European trophy, regardless of its' status.

As has been mentioned before, we must return to find our collective. Slating certain individuals does nothing to help the side progress. I don't knock fans having their own negative opinion, I just call for that particular negative opinion to be bottled away from White Hart Lane. Breathing positivism lifts the tension weighing down the players each week. Believe it or not, but we do make a difference at games. We've only a handful of games left in which to play. We're once again underdogs for top flight European competition. Regardless of how other teams perform, let's show both on and off the pitch how much we want that place in the sacred top 4.

Regards,
Ben - Follow me on Twitter here.

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Holtby Missing

An Erection to out-do any former erections. That was the impression I gauged upon the signing of Lewis Holtby. We were teased, toyed with. Were Levy to grant us one plea and bring in this raw, versatile German midfielder in January or would we brand this lack of signing in January a scapegoat after the inevitable internal collapse come May? The conceivable opportunity cost of falling out kof the top 4 seemed to far outweigh the price that was being flirted around and Levy dug into his pockets to pay the pennies that Schalke demanded.

He came to answer the questions. The key to unlock a pair of forwards that had been stuttering in front of goal of late. A midfield trio of Sandro, Dembele and Holtby providing the perfect balance of solidity, speed and creative flair in attack. In truth, rarely do things avail to the idealist way of seeing things; football isn't played on paper and, arguably, we've felt the full force of how cruel the realism of the sport can be.

Holtby's faced the reality of largely being utilised from the bench throughout the second half of the season. I refuse to use words such as "resigned" and "demoted" to the bench as I feel that this is part of AVB's tact. Each manager has varying ways in which they go about introducing players. We like to bed-in and introduce through our own accordance, when we feel the time is right. Lloris was no different. The pantomime that followed his lack of inclusion in the former part of the season from the French was anything but funny or entertaining.

Players are granted positions on merit, not on reputation. It leaves said player having to work hard the moment they step foot in training. It encourages them to find and grow that inner fighter required to not only make the starting 11 but also ensure they do their best to bring home 3 points. This is AVB's way of eliminating any sniff of ego. It keeps away the complacency in the side. This was my theory as to why we'd started winning games late and rid a Spurs formality of conceding in injury time. Each player has to work in training and on the pitch.

Lewis himself joined when we were on a fine run of form. It was rather premature to write in blood (as some seemed to) that we were to bulldoze into the top 4 again, despite the run of great form we were on. Situations change each week. We were always going to drop points, as were/are the teams around us. Holtby spoke that it would be difficult to break into a team that was starting to find their feet under a manager with fresh ideas and a point to prove.

Since then, we've thrown him into a number of roles and sought to find a solution that can get the best out of him as well as the team he's playing alongside. It's fair to assume that we're still seeking Holtby's role with AVB not giving too much away. The player himself stated that "my best position is as one of the holding players, or maybe in a 4-3-3 formation as one of the central midfielders". I hadn't seen much of Lewis when he was at Schalke, but I was well informed that many saw him snatching the number 10 role in behind a forward. On this basis, his comments brought a little surprise but, simultaneously, possibly emphasises the versatility of the player to slot comfortably into a number of positions. With Sandro typically keeping in high spirits despite being on crutches and Parker struggling to even be in the shadow of his former-self, this could open up the opportunity for Dembele to partner Holtby in centre midfield.

I picture a scenario in which there is little to lose by testing this tact. Parker hasn't hit half the heights we'd expected/hoped when Sandro limped off at QPR and so this should open up possibilities of trying different things. This also leaves room for Bale and Sigurdsson to continue their great form in the first 11 and would represent a fairly strong spine in the side; something I still feel we're close to but haven't quite found yet.

This is very much still a bedding in season for Lewis. It was always going to be. Hopefully we're learning that patience is needed for success. This has certainly been the case for individuals. A real life glimpse of Premier League life and a full pre-season will only help Lewis seek a role that benefits both himself and the club. I love the boy's apparent passion - said tentatively, admittedly - when joining others to celebrate and I look forward to the moment it all just clicks both for him, and us.

Regards,
Ben - You can follow me on Twitter here

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What collapse?

I can't help but seek the horizons after a defeat. I find myself looking in-depth at how and why we were defeated and the fixtures that await us over the next month or so. It soothes me. I blindly suck the positives out and ignore the negatives of a defeat. I'm sure they're standing there, staring at me in the face, trying to gauge a reaction and encourage me to throw myself over the nearest cliff. But I avoid them. I look to the future. That's me.

Of course, we're all different. It's opinions that make us who we are. No one is ever right or wrong. I spoke to a good mate of mine post-Fulham. One of those classic mates we all have that goes home and away every season without fail. Yeah, one of those. I like to consider him a fairly level-headed realist that puts up with my pessimistic ways. He spoke words that slightly startled and surprised me. He mentioned a 'collapse' and spoke of the dark remnants of last season fighting back to haunt us.

I surprisingly remained calm after Sunday. Last season the inevitable grew with each defeat. The script was written before it was played out. We had a run of 'easy' fixtures that we failed to take advantage of and our old mate Fulop ensured that it would be a 4th place for little old Tottenham Hotspur. We'd been written off before the season started this year. To be where we are has to be given some appreciation. I am an ambitious person but I feel we're really punching close to our limits as a squad. Quality strength in depth will always be a factor missing at Spurs. It happens with sides that aren't regularly challenging titles or silverware.

The mentality on the squad did look a far-cry from the China dolls we were last season. We'd coped with injuries to big players with AVB refusing to jump on this scape-goat when things weren't so merry. We've suffered two consecutive defeats. At one point or another we were going to be defeated. I struggled to see us finishing off this year unbeaten. Not every side fighting for the top 4 positions defeats/has defeated every mid-table side. We've tended to up our game in the face of a tough looking fixture. We've played until the final minute. The real test was always going to be how we handled defeat.

The reaction to Liverpool has not been ideal but, when we looked as though we'd snatch defeat from a sure-fired victory in Italy, we pulled through and got there. A mentally poor result or authentic belief to pull through? AVB arguably got his tactics wrong on Sunday but this is something he'll build and learn from. We've shown that we can react instantly from poor defeats. The real test is whether we can cope physically. We've rotated a lot this year, minus a few players that have proved instrumental to a great season thus far, and so I'm confident we can cope with the physical demands. Dembele played a total of 45 games for Fulham last year, he's more than accustomed to dealing with regular football. With Dempsey back in contention, this leaves the option for change with Holtby also there raring to kick on.

We've not gone on a 6 game win-less streak. We've experienced two defeats as most sides do at some point in the season. Let a certain other club get excited at the thought of possibly going a point behind us. AVB won't waste any time in reacting and working to fix the problem. The international break offers a great opportunity for players to take their mind off of it and return with a fresh outlook. We're having a great first season under a fairly unproven manager. We're progressing every year and will continue to do so.

Remember those days when we used to look up at the league table and see our neighbours challenging United for major honours at the top of the table. Yeah, there's a a real collapse there.

Regards,
Ben - Follow me on Twitter here