Spurs go Va-va-Voom in Destruction Derby

As it’s typical of Sports’ capacity to uplift in troubled times, the football this week has offered a temporary escape from Europe’s troubles. French footballers and managers as well as Belgian footballers have had a lot to deal with this week and their courage and professionalism should be applauded. It was asking a lot of English footballers, some of whom struggle with ‘God save the Queen’ to master the French national anthem as it played at premiership grounds across the country. I have to admit that while I too struggled with the words, this Englishman did find himself humming "La Marseillaise" with rather surprising gusto prior to our shindig with West Ham. Perhaps it was solidarity with Spurs and France captain Hugo Lloris who has conducted himself with absolute class and dignity this week, looking understandably emotional before proceeding to provide his usual assured presence in goal.

In recent years the bubble blowing Hammers have been getting ideas above their station. Empowered by a few good recent results against Spurs and because they ‘beat’ Spurs to squatters rights at the Olympic stadium (at tax payers’ expense), they suddenly think they are a sort of ‘Man City of the South’ without the petro dollars. So it was nice to put the pesky irritants in their place on Sunday with a performance which in keeping with the mood of solidarity with France had plenty of  Va-va-voom.

Coach Mauricio Pochettino should not really surprise premiership managers anymore. After almost three years in English football, His modus operandi is beatifully simple. We will outrun, out press and out hustle you and then score as many goals as we need to defeat you. As philosophies go, it is one of the easier football mantras to get your head across. And yet, team after team have struggled to get the better of the philosopher and his band of merry men (well merry boys really) as Spurs equalled the club record unbeaten run. Watching Spurs tear into West Ham like a pack of hungry hounds across ninety breathless minutes was very uplifting indeed and you know you are having a good day when the occasionally maligned Kyle Walker scores the fourth goal of with the outside of his right foot. With a third of the season gone, no team has outplayed or dominated Spurs who are only four points off the top a fairly open looking league. Premiership contenders? probably not, but the question does not sound as ridiculous as it once did. That is not an accident and Pochettino deserves a lot of credit for masterminding an impressive turnaround. Unlike some managers (thinking about a certain B Rodgers here), who had plenty to say for himself and about Spurs, Poche has simply got on with the job, methodically reconstructing the team and saying little. He is not a journalist’s dream to interview, but by golly he appears to be a players’ dream coach.

Nobody thinks this is the finest group of players ever to wear a Spurs shirt although some of these players have the opportunity to create their own legend. The focal point is a striker in only his second full season of top flight football. The engine room is made up of a 19 year old who before this season was plying his trade in league one and a Portuguese academy product, also in his second premiership season whose day job is as a Centre back.  Yet, such is the impact the team is having that pundits across the land are raving about Tottenham’s midfield, England coach Roy Hodgson played said midfield to good effect against a classy if understandably slightly below par France and the ultimate complement, the ‘Tottenham Press’ is creeping into English football lingo, much like the ‘Makelele role’ or the ‘Sheringham role’

Back in those uncertain days of August (seems a long time ago), the Berahino saga was drawing to an undignified conclusion, Harry Kane was a one season wonder as he hadn’t scored, Spurs dropped points to Stoke and Leicester from winnable positions and Tim Sherwood still fancied himself as a decent premiership manager for the indisputable reason that Tim Sherwood believes it. Heck, you could have got reasonably short odds on Pochettino being sacked this side of Christmas. Spurs fans by nature and years of last gasp disappointment are instinctively inclined to temper optimism with large dollops of trepidation. However, maybe, just maybe, in Pochettino, Daniel Levy has stumbled on the man to lead Spurs into the promised land of not just the new stadium, but the Champions League.

Next up, the badly wounded but not quite killed lion that is Champions Chelsea and the ultimate spoiler, Jose Mourinho. Can Poche kill off Chelsea as a Champions league qualification contender once and for all or will the special-ish one prick the bubble of optimism that is building at White Hart Lane?

 

We need sports at times like this

Whatever sport you love, whatever team you follow, its capacity to uplift and unite people all over the world is unmatched. Even in defeat, it offers us an escape from our troubles, no matter how temporary and this has been constant throughout the history of sport. The last few days have been depressing. Lets face it, we have so needed sport this week. The sudden death of Rugby’s first global superstar, Jonah Lomu from kidney failure was depressing enough. That such a supreme athlete who combined power, pace and skill could be cut down in such a young age really is a tragedy.  The indiscriminate killing of people in the bars of Paris is even harder to comprehend. The outpouring of emotion across Europe reflects the shock that we all feel and my heart go out to all those affected by these troubles. One of the more depressing news articles of the week was that the childrens’ charity childline has reported increased calls from children who are fearful that world war three has started.  

Arguments rage across the internet and various social media platforms about partiality of coverage. After all, worse atrocities are committed almost daily in other parts of the world with little media coverage, the argument goes. This writer’s two pence worth is that human nature dictates that the closer we are to a troubled spot, the more attention we focus on it and France is very much on our doorstep. As a teenager growing up in Nigeria during the 80s and early 90s, despite my own interest in international affairs, the national news media focused far less attention on the troubles of the distant West such as the Brighton bombing of 1984 or the Manchester bombing of 1996 than domestic troubles and that of our continental neighbours. It is however a humbling thought that people risk their all to escape from different parts of the world to the West in search of safety and a better life.  Yet as Madrid, London and now Paris has shown, the honest, daily pursuit of that better life, now more than ever carries an inherent danger of an indiscriminate end.

The recent events of Paris and the on going near lock down of Brussels have affected sportsmen and women as much as they have affected us. France has more nationals playing in the premiership than any other nationality apart from England. Belgium is also well represented not least at my own club. That these sportsmen have managed any sort of focus and been able to perform at something near their competitive best is a tribute to the human spirit. My admiration and heartfelt thanks go to all sportsmen and women as well as their coaches for making sure that Sport continues to provide that escape. There is much that our leaders and politicians can learn from sport despite it’s imperfections and I hope that through sport, humanity can forge an era of comradeship and improve our world for all.

Stoked off! Spurs blow two goal lead

It’s a sign of the big money sloshing around even the Premiership’s nether regions when Stoke City have made almost three times as many signings as Spurs by the time these two met. Stoke showed up at the Lane with at least 4 Champions league winners, including Xherdran Shaqiri. Then again, Liverpool signed a Champions league winner in Mario Balotelli and I’m probably more popular on Merseyside than he is right now. Understandably, there is something exciting about bringing in players from Barcelona and Inter Milan, even if they turn out to be crap, or worse, just as good as our Academy graduates and it is hard for Spurs fans not to cast envious glances as one exotic signing after another pitches up at whichever premiership club they seem to have picked out of a hat. ‘Why didn’t Spurs sign that one?’ goes the cry after a few good games or even one good season. Michu anyone? Been there, done that, got the crap T-shirts. Alas! No more trolley dash. Every penny counts. There’s a big stadium to build you know. Anyway I’d at least wager a Euro cent that Clinton N’jie will end up being a bigger Premiership star than the Stokesy lot once Senor Pochettino does his magic on him.

Stoke had become a bit of bogey team for Spurs recently and took six points off the last season, the same amount by which a Champions league spot was missed. There was enough trepidation prior to kick off to wish for anything other than a defeat. In the circumstances, Spurs actually played quite well. Eric Dier once again acquitted himself very well in central midfield two good goals were scored and more should have been scored.

While the match turned on an uncharacteristic mistake from Toby Alderwiereld, this match showed up a couple of worrying signs. Harry Kane showed enough to suggest that in overall play, he could be even better than last season. He however needs to score within the next two games to ensure his mind is not affected by thoughts of a drought. That’s the good news. The bad news is that woe betide Spurs if he sustains an injury that causes him to miss two or more matches in a row. Daniel Levy is adept at transfer window brinksmanship but he simply has to get at least once out and out goal scorer in or he will be playing roulette with Spurs season. A like for like replacement on Saturday would have allowed Spurs to keep pressure on Stoke rather than allowing them to pile forward which transferred the pressure on Spurs. It doesn’t help that although Chadli scored, the front three behind Kane did not offer a consistent goal threat.

The second worrying issue was also on display last at Old Trafford. This is the apparent dropping of heads when a goal is conceded. While it is understandable to want to protect a one goal lead, a team aspiring to challenge the big boys should roll up it’s sleeves, regroup rapidly and focus on seeing the game out. Stoke did not equalise because they had better players on the pitch. Spurs simply allowed heads to drop and panicked. This was a team that specialised in last minute winners last season. Thy need to rediscover a swagger that says even if you come back to two all, we’re coming to get you.

All said, since I am a glass half full kind of writer, here is the positive spin, but for a couple of individual mistakes, Spurs could arguably have four points from their opening two games and no one would have said they were undeserved. And they are above Chelsea. I reckon Pochettino’s philosophy is in reasonably good nick. They’ll get into a groove soon enough. If not, just blame in on the pretty club doctor. Well, if it’s a good enough excuse for Jose…

Next up, Leicester city, the return of the Tinkerman. Should be fun.

Lucky Devils!

The Premiership's back! you readers are back! and I am back! So all is well. 

It’s been a weird summer at the Lane, players being sold by the bucket load without anyone asking for a transfer and the one player we are desperate to shift (Adebayor) refusing to move an inch. Common sense signings have been made and Daniel Levy will no doubt indulge in his usual last minute brinksmanship to get Pochettino’s other targets. With the football now underway, we can leave the transfer speculation behind.

I am always intrigued when Louis Van Gaal and Pochettino go head to head. This is because, had David Moyes not made a right horlicks of the Manchester united job, LVG will likely had been Spurs manager and since Daniel Levy would never have sanctioned the kind of trolley dash he been indulged at Old Trafford, how he would have got on at the Lane will remain one of life's unsolved mysteries. LVG appears more tactically adaptable and is clearly good for a touch of drama and a soundbite. However, he still has much to prove in the premiership given how much he has spent. LVG was lucky to escape with a point the last time he visited White Hart Lane. However, his team handed us a good stuffing at Old Trafford. It is now three games without defeat against Pochettino’s Spurs.

This match was a bit of a slow burner which Manchester united were very fortunate to win thanks to the luckless Kyle Walker. United had once shot on target all afternoon and looked like a team still trying to fire up, while Spurs looked at times like they all needed a couple of cans of Red Bull to give them wings. Having said that, they made the more purposeful start, played well in patches and had United hanging on a bit at the end once they got over their awe of Bastian Schweinsteiger and actually pressed him.

                                     

All in all, it was an encourage start to Pochettino’s second season. United spent £83 million this summer to improve their team and there was barely a £5 note between the two teams. Toby Alderwireld settled into the defence well and it already obvious that the Spurs defence which conceded the same number of goals as relegated Burnley will be much improved this season. Kyle Walker, perhaps spurred on by the challenge of the energetic Kieran Trippier played a very good match and was unlucky to score the decisive own goal. Eric Dier, while probably not the long term solution to the central defensive midfield position acquitted himself well. Nabil Bentaleb has received a lot of plaudits for his play since breaking into the team at the end of the 2013 season. However, his occasionally has lapses in concentration and Saturday’s lapse at a time when Spurs were on the attack with the full backs supporting him was disastrous. Bentaleb had a poor game on Saturday but he is better than that and he appears to have the drive that will ensure he bounces back from Saturday.

Everybody knows Spurs need some reinforcement upfront. Dembele and Chadli covered and pressed well but did not stretch an untested United defence enough. With a bit more gusto in the attack, this match was winnable and that is the frustrating thing. It would have been nice to have got all our players in before the season started but this is the beast that the transfer window is and we’ll have to see what happens at the end of August.

One thing that bordered me was the way heads appeared to drop collectively after the goal as united enjoyed their best period of the game. Spurs scored lots of goals last season, many in the last minutes of games so heads should never drop. At one - nil, against a side desperate not to lose, they are always still in the game.

Next up, those friendly bruisers from Britannia, Stoke. They took six points off Tottenham last season. We’ll like those six points this season please. Thanks. 

Be back soon.....

Welcome and thank you for visiting my site. This writer is taking a sabbatical to attend to a personal matter. I would be back soon. In the meantime enjoy the roller coaster, thrill a minute ride that is lot of a spurs follower. Come on you Spurs

Punched where it hurts

After the near orgasmic feeling of euphoria that followed the New Year’s Day spectacular win over title favourites Chelsea, there was an opportunity to move even closer to Manchester United and surprise package, Southampton in the race for top four. So this defeat really did feel like a punch in the cojones as Crystal Palace rode the wave of new energy generated by Alan Pardew’s return as manager to record their first victory in eight premiership games. Palace on paper should be a home and away banker despite the unpredictable nature of the premiership. Yet they have taken four points off Spurs this season. It was the same last season as they played well at the Lane and we were a tad fortunate to win at Palace with a last minute penalty. I hope they don’t become a bit of a bogey team.  

After a lot of tinkering earlier in the season, coach Mauricio Pochettino appears to have settled on his best eleven. However, with Ryan Mason and Erik Lamela injured and Nabil Bentaleb away at the African Nations cup, Mousa Dembele, Benjamin Stambouli and Andros Townsend were given a chance to impress. None of them impressed. Wilfred Zaha was more dangerous for Palace in the twenty minutes he spent on the pitch than Townsend in the seventy frustrating minutes he spent on the field. He used to be called a cheap Gareth Bale. Now he plays like a cheap Aaron Lennon. Mousa Dembele showed his usual nice touches and close control but a player of his talents should be dictating Spurs’ attacking play from midfield in the way Luka Modric used to. Stambouli looks a useful player but in the fast and furious world of the premier league, occasionally looks a yard off the pace, illustrated by his despairing lunge which conceded the game changing penalty that allowed Palace back into the game. Kyle Walker also had poor last quarter of the game as Zaha caused him problems and the cross which Jason Puncheon converted for the winner came from his side. With Christian Eriksson and Nacer Chadli only showing glimpses of their form, it fell to new hero, Harry Kane to carry the fight to Palace. This he did, scoring for the 17^th time this season. However, one goal was never going to be enough, with a defence that has struggled to keep clean sheets despite the heroics of Hugo Lloris in goal.

We waited for the last quarter charge that Spurs had become famous for, given their habit of scoring late winners, sadly it never came and for the second game in a row, they have let a lead slip. That nasty habit needs to stop. Spurs players have generally appeared fitter this season. However with a few absences and with six games still to come before January is out, Pochettino must manage his squad well as that fitness is going to be tested to the limit. Given the way Pochettino likes to train and integrate his players, it is unlikely a January transfer will offer any short term value unless he is signing a player he has worked with before in the premiership. With Southampton going so well (that must irritate Poch surely!) that’s unlikely to happen.

Given that this was always meant to be a season of transition, most Spurs fans are reasonably satisfied with the philosophy Pochettino is trying to embed at the club. There is no doubt mild irritation that with the other expected top four contenders blowing hot and cold, Spurs appear hell bent on matching them for inconsistency rather taking advantage as Southampton are so thrillingly doing. That’s why this result, coming so soon after the Chelsea win was so deflating. My gut feeling is that this inconsistency will continue through the rest of the season, especially with cup games proving a distraction and will eventually cost us a top four finish. Whether Spurs finish top for or not, beat the noisy neighbours the way they beat Chelsea and win the Capital one cup and I would quite satisfied. Not asking for much am I? 

Kane and Able as Spurs Stun Chelsea

Hands up who saw this coming. Me neither. Chelsea under Jose Mourinho simply do not concede five goals. The only fireworks I expected were delivered promptly at midnight along the River Thames.  All 12,000 of them. The most pleasurable surprises tend to the most unexpected and while, Spurs had been showing signs of improvement recently, we have a pitiful record against Chelsea. Even coach Mauricio Pochettino had a miserable record against the Special One, having lost all previous seven encounters against him in Spain and England. So the way such an ignominious record ended was exhilaratingly spectacular.

One of the most pleasing aspects of this victory is that it was built largely on academy produced players. Like most fans, we crave exotic foreign signings but the sight of Ryan Mason, Kyle walker, Danny Rose, Andros Townsend, Nabil Bentaleb and of course Harry Kane rising to the occasion against a formidable Chelsea managed by the formidable Mourinho really warms the cockles of many a Spurs fan.  Said exotic foreigners played their parts too yesterday. Hugo Lloris, his usual heroic goalkeeping at crucial times, Federico Fazio is showing signs of developing a decent centre back partnership with Jan Verthongen, although they struggled at times yesterday against the guile of Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa. Nacer Chadli has shown much improvement this season and had a very good game full of intelligent running yesterday while Christian Eriksson, who probably only ended up at Tottenham because Chelsea hijacked a deal for Willian had another of those influential intelligent games that showed that whether by luck or judgement, Spurs have secured far better value for money in paying £12 million for Eriksson than they would have got with the £32 million that was agreed for Willian. Spurs fans could not even be bordered to boo Willian with former gooner Fabregas and John Terry (still not as good as Ledley King on one knee) getting far more intense treatment.

At the heart of this victory though was the inspirational performance by young Harry Kane. Spurs’ season is a reflection of Kane’s performances as he is single handedly dragging Spurs into contention for the Champions League places. He is the only striker worthy of the name at Spurs right now and unless at least one striker is brought in during the January transfer window, fans must dread the thought of him getting injured. He started the season as third choice striker but has gradually improved and in successive games, he has measured up against strikers of the calibre of Falcao, Van Persie, Rooney and now Diego Costa. There is still much for him to do and he needs more than one season to be hailed as world class but his potential trajectory is giddyingly exciting. More so because he is one of us, a Spurs fan at heart who plays like one. He gave a textbook performance of the lone striker, reducing Gary Cahill to such a quivering wreck that he lost his rag and kicked out petulantly at Kane as he lay on the floor. Remarkably, Kane kept his cool and exacted retribution in the best way. Kane does not have the explosive pace or shooting ability of Gareth Bale, but he energising White Hart Lane in the way Gareth Bale used to just by being in the line up. In massive show of maturity, he could be seen a few minutes from the end, signalling to his team mates to calm down. at this rate, he could Spurs captain by next season. He has probably sewn up the Spurs player of the year award already and must be in contention for young player of the year. It hoped that he will stay a one club man and fulfil his potential to be a Spurs legend. Long live King Kane at the Lane.

Coach Mauricio Pochettino has presided over a slow burner of a season which showed signs of coming to life over the busy Christmas period due to the players’ improved fitness. Every manager needs some headline results and Pochettino, in beating Chelsea in way few have ever done and potentially leading Spurs to a cup final against the same opponents has already ensured his first season with Spurs will be memorable. He must now harness this momentum for the rest of the season. Make astute transfers in January and manage the squad intelligently, especially when the Europa league resumes in January. What a way to start the year. Is 2015 the year of the Cockerel?

Hugo Boss. Superb Lloris offer Spurs hope.

The usual football clichés were rolled out for this one. A game of two halves, an entertaining nil - nil etc. Me?, as much as I enjoyed the game, especially the second half, I was pretty brassed of that both halves ended goalless. You see, I chucked a small fortune at the bookies that neither half would be goalless. After all both teams had previous for entertaining matches full of goals, brilliant keepers and shaky defences. I should have got the missus that fancy necklace and banked a load of brownie points. Now I'll have to take her to a mid range restaurant rather than the top end one I was going to take her with my winnings. A bit like the market Spurs shop at for players.

On the match itself, it was an intriguing contest between Daniel Levy's first choice manager Louis Van Gaal and his second choice Mauricio Pochettino. A contrast of personalities, philosophies and off course transfer budgets. Manchester United unleashed a strike force featuring Falcao, Robin Van Persie and Rooney costing the thick end of £100 million in transfer fees. Spurs threw the might of academy graduate Harry Kane and er.. that's it. In the circumstances, a point was a creditable enough and had Ryan Mason been more composed, we might be talking about another famous late win. Hugo Lloris won man of the match on the strength of his first half display when he single handedly kept United at bay. Lloris is having to make too many saves in each game for a team with top four aspirations. The irony is the busier he is, the better he looks and bigger clubs than Spurs could come knocking.

So as we say farewell to 2014, (sorry it doesn't end in one!) where do we stand? The philosopher, Mauricio Pochettino is the fourth different manager/head coach in successive years, following the sherminator (Tim Sherwood 2013), the project planner (Andre Villas Boas 2012) and the wheeler dealer (Harry Redknapp 2011) to try and take Spurs to the promised land of the European big time. I believe that Spurs have actually punched above their weight in the last six years but the inevitable failure to match unrealistically heightened expectations, the cherry picking of our best players by two of the worlds biggest clubs ( our best players in the last 7 years have gone only to Manchester United and Real Madrid)and the media obsession with Spurs created a perfect storm of a frenzied sense of crisis. The truth is in the absence of middle eastern money, Daniel Levy has managed to raise Spurs level while balancing the books. For this, he deserves immense credit, not criticism. At heart, he is just a fan who wants Spurs to compete at the highest levels, playing good football. He is clearly a fan of the continental style of club management and after giving Martin Jol a good chance achieve that, he has come full circle with Pochettino, a young tactically astute coach with a good reputation in Spain. Unlike Juande Ramos, he has used Southampton to learn the premiership.

December is Pochettino's best month results wise since taking over, Spurs superior fitness is showing in matches, young players are getting games and although progress is slow, I feel cautiously optimistic about Spurs prospects for the future. There's another cliché. Oh the life of a Spurs fan. A very happy 2015 to my readers and all Spurs followers. Altogether now, come on you Spurs!