Big Sam Decks Andre the Young with Tactical Masterstroke.

We have had better Sundays at White Hart Lane. Tottenham did not play badly, but losing three nil at home to anybody is an embarrassing score line. However in the midst of the customary wailing and anguished gnashing of teeth that is the lot of a Spurs supporter, after an embarrassing defeat, West Ham deserve credit for the way they set about dismantling their more fancied opponents. Ravel Morrison impressed in a way that bodes well for both West Ham and England. Big Sam Allardyce did a Mourinho and played with no recognised centre forward packing his midfield to deny Spurs time and space. Big Sam has regularly opined that if his name was a more exotic sounding Sam Allardici, he would have a higher profile and bigger clubs chasing him given his achievements. Big Sam is not everyone's cup of tea as a manager but 'the British one' does have his admirers and in his usual understated manner,  he will no doubt use his weekly newspaper column to explain further why his tactical outmanoeuvring of the more celebrated Andre Villas Boas is evidence of his managerial brilliance. Again.

Our Andre and his troops meanwhile must now lick their collective wounds during the international break as the climax of the world cup qualifiers take centre stage for the next two weeks. One of the signs of a great team is its ability to recover from a setback like Sunday's. Spurs must regroup in the way that (through gritted teeth) Arsenal responded after a disastrous home result against Aston Villa back in August. Ironically, Spur’s next match is against Aston Villa.

AVB has much to ponder during the international break. There is no sense of crisis at Spurs, but some amber lights are flickering. In defence, Jan Vertongen seems to be feeling the effects of missing most of pre-season. He is too good a footballer to be suffering second season syndrome, but he just has not been his usual composed self so far this term. Given that he has spent most of his international career at left back and covered the position many times for Ajax, perhaps he should play there in place of the right footed Kyle Naughton while Danny Rose recovers. Kaboul or Chirices can partner Dawson in the centre to give the back four a more natural balance and Vertongen is less exposed as he recovers sharpness.  Someone needs to get in the head of Kyle Walker to rediscover the right back of last season before he suffers the indignity of losing his England squad place to Arsenal’s Carl Jenkinson.

In midfield, AVB must hope that Etienne Capoue returns quickly and stays fit for the rest of the season. The man is a beast and Tottenham’s best defensive midfielder. AVB also needs Aaron Lennon fit as an alternative to offer width along with Andros Townsend when the centre is congested. Speaking of Andros Townsend, some West Ham fans chanted, ‘You’re just a cheap Gareth Bale’ every time he got the ball. With no ‘Bale out of Jail Card’ to call on anymore, Townsend is indeed a cheap version (free in fact as he came through the youth system).  He has however progressed a lot over the past year, has put himself on the fringes of the England set up and in time, might just proof a very useful alternative rather than a poor man's Gareth Bale. AVB also needs his midfield to be more adaptable. West Ham disrupted Spurs flow by having an extra man in midfield and rotating forward leading duties, while Spurs still had a back four with no recognised forward to pick up and did not adjust accordingly.  

Attack is the area of most concern. Six league goals is the lowest goals ratio of the top 15 in the premiership. It is simply not good enough in a season when goal difference may decide the fate of teams. As unpalatable as it may be for many Spurs fans who would have been happy to see him sold in the last transfer window, A fit Adebayor with something to proof may be really crucial to our hopes, an effective plan B if you like. It is great that he is back training with the first team and the sooner he comes back, the better Spurs prospects.

In spite of this set back, there are many reasons to be optimistic, Spurs had the joint best defensive record until Sunday and even now still have the third best defensive record despite Sundays’ aberration. The squad looks strong and able to handle a full season’s rigours. In addition, Tottenham have dominated possession in almost every game this season, averaging 58 per cent. A team that keeps the ball longer in theory have a better chance of scoring and winning games. This is really where AVB’s boys are still a work in progress. There are plenty of good footballers at Spurs and in spite of their first really bad result of the season, they’ll be fine.

The Y word. Tottenham fans have done brilliantly to reclaim the term from abusive fans and in so doing, diffuse some of the uncomfortable  tension that often dominate football some football grounds,  Nevertheless I strongly feel that it is time to consign the use of the term to history. To the extent that black footballers would not be expected to call themselves the N word or display shirts showing this on the football pitch, a term, no matter the context, that has no place in mainstream society should not be allowed on the pitch. Ultimately it is a supporter’s prerogative what they call themselves and good luck to the Met Police trying to prosecute. However, if Spurs supporters stopped using the term, it would be easier to identify and prosecute those fans who use the term as an abusive gesture as today’s society is far less tolerant of abuse. Let’s move on. On and off the pitch.