It's hard being a Spurs fan. Here we are on a fantastic run the like of which we have not seen for years. We have a brilliant squad with class players in every position, Defoe & Sandro would get into most teams but spend a lot of time sitting on our bench. We have taken stick for years for being fragile in defence or being deluded in our expectations. Yes we have had a lot of glass defences but the delusion bit I have never agreed with. Most Spurs fans in my experience are far from being deluded, the opposite is the case. We expect the wheels to fall off,we have never been relaxed or smug when 2 goals up. We always expect to let in a couple or at least one to make the last 30 minutes a slide down the edge of a razor blade. Even now in the midst of a run where Spurs have not lost in 9 games and, even more impressive, only 1 has been a draw, even now, we are harbouring doubts. Is this really our Spurs, a team who ooze class, look uncluttered in defence and slick in attack and win games even when below their best. Do you know, I am beginning to believe it is, and do you know what that means? Yes you are ahead of me, it means guys, we have to change our mind set. We have to start realising how bloody good this Spurs side is and start adjusting our expectations to suit. We are right now, the best team in London it is Arsenal and Chelsea who have to wonder if they can snatch a point from us rather than the other way around, even Man U, will have more concerns than usual when they face us. For us Spurs fans it's a difficult change to make. Can we keep up with our team? Can we adjust our mind sets and enjoy what we have? It's difficult but we have to do it; it's hard, very hard being a Spurs fan.
Excellent post Spurf The delusion bit has always baffled me too, unless by being 'deluded' the oppo fans meant we consistently undersold ourselves, which clearly the vast majority didn't mean it that way. This is the best Spurs team ever in absolute terms, I've no doubt about that. We fielded 11 internationals last night, then brought on two more as subs. Had we swapped Gomes for Cudicini the full 18 would have been internationals. Relatively speaking the early 50s and 60s teams were better, maybe some of the 70s and 80s teams too, but the game has moved on now. To play with such pace, precision and artistry, plus athleticism and physical power, it's a wonder to behold.
It is indeed hard being a Spurs fan, Spurf. I've been one for a long time, like a lot of you chaps, and I remember the great sides of the 70s, 80s, and 90s, winning cups and playing great football, but we always seemed to lack the consistency needed to win the league. But this team... Jesus! dare we even to dream that this team actually has it in them to do just that? I think they do. And I'm not saying that as a throw-away sentiment at the beginning of the season - like the Mickey Mousers do - I'm saying it a third into the season, having played City, United, 'Pool and Arsenal, and with a Chelsea side looking like a shadow of its former self. I'm saying it knowing that we have players of the quality of Defoe, GDS, Sandro, THudd, Dawson, Gallas, Corluka, Pinaar, Rose, Livermore, Gomes, Cuducini who (whether through injury or otherwise) don't even feature in our starting 11. Those players could probably form the back of a reserve XI that would give any team a good match. This is, by far and away, the best Spurs team I have ever had the pleasure (or heartache) to watch, and I am loving every match we play. COYS!!!!
-----------Cudicini Corluka Dawson Gallas Rose GDS Sandro Thudd Pienaar ---------Defoe Pav Certainly not a bad reserve side! Would easily get into the top half.
It is hard to be a Spurs fan Spurf, and that is part of the fun. I must admit last night, watching the woeful Villa, at times I longed for a bit of the old fear and excitement in the pit of my stomach, knowing they could very possibly,turn over a 2-0 deficit and win. That feeling has gone though, at least for now. As has been said, this is a very good squad and a first eleven that would make all but Citeh a little envious. It is certainly the best I have seen in the white shirt, although I am too young to remember the double side. As a Spurs fan though, I will of course, refrain from buying blue and white ribbons for the car until we have actually got over the line. In the meantime, let's all get behind the boys. COYS.
It certainly has been a rosy start overall. HOWEVER it's dangerous to start looking too far up. A 4th place finish would be excellent, I'd have snapped your arm off for it at the start of the season and I still would. Chelsea have the resources to change everything in January if they're still struggling and Arsenal have a squad beginning to come together, whilst Liverpool are a mixture of both with a team improving as well as resources to dig into in January. Don't get me wrong, we 100% deserve to be where we are but it is worth remembering that Chelsea are underperforming, Arsenal had a faltering start which has aided us getting there.
Great article Spurf! Though personally I've always been setting our targets quite high, on paper we've got a fantastic squad, the only problem being in recent seasons is we've had way too many injuries in which while our squad players are good, naturally they're not the names that will get us a top 4/3/2 finish. Start of the season, I wanted 3rd but would happily settle for 4th. Many were aiming for just 4th and never thought we could get higher. I think now those who doubted 3rd are starting to realise just how good we are and that there really is no reason 3rd place is beyond us. If anything my targets have risen now also, I'd like us to have a go for 2nd/ 1st, now before anyone calls me deluded, I'm simply saying have a go for it, I don't expect us to be crowned champions at the end of the season but I'd love to make sure City/ Utd don't have an easy ride. Last season everyone thought us and City would fight for 4th, City eventually got 3rd which in fairness was quite a surprise as they'd just come from a scrap to get 4th and ended with a place higher on the last day of the season (I think it was the final game anyway), they didn't settle for 4th once it was theirs and credit to them, I want us to have that same mentality and just go for it! There's no harm whatsoever in trying to achieve higher goals. "It is better to fail aiming high than to succeed aiming low. And we of Spurs have set our sights very high, so high in fact that even failure will have in it an echo of glory." - The great man himself - Bill Nicholson.
The thing is this. Success breeds a winning mentality, and it's the "winning mentality" that I feel we have lacked, in the past. It's what has prevented us from beating United all these years, because, deep down, we've felt that we simply are not good enough to beat them. But with the likes of VDV, Modric and Adebayor coming into the side, that mentality has gradually changed, so that now the squad believes that it can beat any team. That's the prime difference, for me, between our great sides of the past and the great side we have today. We have what all great winning sides of the past had - a top class spine. Friedel - King - Parker - Adebayor. That's our spine, and around it we have Lennon, Bale, VDV and Moddy. Little wonder that we are, at long last, looking like a team that has the backbone, as well as the creativity, to achieve great things.
Great post, and you're right, I've seen so much **** over the years, and being the 'nearly' team so often, you just get used to your place as such! It remains to be seen if the Spurs habit of capitulation at some point later in the season occurs...but for once, I don't think so.
And you missed out Kranjcar. Bassong, Livermore, Gomes, etc. would presumably be on the bench. In our reserves...
It might be interesting to see how we react to going behind as we've scored first in the last 9 games.I would always rather us score first,but going behind might show us alot about our teams confidence and character.I for one think that we could react very well against almost anyone atm.Would be interesting to see though.
We will know if we are going to be successful if we beat the team which normally beats us and that's Man U. We had too many mediocre managers in too short a space of time and so the team was unsettled. Christian Gross I ask you and Ardiles and Francis,managers just not up to being the top. I always felt the potential was there and thought Santini would provide the success but WE HAVE to thank Martin Jol for setting the firm foundations to what we have now. I'll repeat that for us Man U is the barometer. We haven't beaten them for a while and when we do something will come our way.
Good comments. The "winning mentality" is no myth. It's a fine line, but it's probably good for the players to be thinking about challenging Chelsea and even Man U for 3rd or second, rather than worrying about whether they can hang on to fourth--though fourth is fine, as far as I'm concerned. I'm intrigued to see how this team plays against them and against Man City, especially. I just read Redknapp talking about how Spurs could win the league. My first thought was, okay, let's all get wildly optimistic after a few wins. But the fact is if Spurs win their next game, Man City would be 6 points ahead--the same number they'd be ahead of Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal. And no one thinks those three would be dreaming to talk about catching Spurs. Well, there will be a lot of ups and downs, and nothing's certain. But my thought of the day was from 'Arry's interview: "I just love watching us play."
Agreed about how the squad can cope with injuries. The one player I'm most worried about is Ade, though. While no one can really replace Modric, VDV, Bale or Parker either, at least there's another very talented player who could do very well (Kranjcar, Defoe, Sandro) in his place. If Ade gets hurt, the only real sub is Pav, who makes grass growing look industrious. I think they can play well with Defoe, but the whole set up is different.
Not sure I agree with that. Both Gallas and Dawson are great replacements for either King or Kaboul, and I am sure that Kranjcar could perform the VDV role with more than sufficient ease. And I'm also confident that Sandro can prove to be the equal of Parker, in time. We have good strength in depth, with this squad of players.
Being a Spurs fan is not for those of a nervous disposition. But then, it's been that way for years. The main difference, for me, apart from the obvious quality that we have throughout the side, is we actually are, much more resilient than we've been for as long as I can remember. We now win, or draw, games that we would have capitulated in not very long ago. I'm not sure deluded is the right word. However, for many, many years after the double side were so successful, there was some of the "Liverpool syndrome" about us -an attitude of "we are Spurs and we should be up there by right" It took some time for that to disappear, and the new reality to set in. If this REALLY IS the start of a new dawn, not just yet another false one, that may take time to sink in, too.
I think Adebayor is the one we couldn't replace ATM, and I'd be delighted if we can get cover in for him in January.
Great thread. However I still worry. We have come a long way. Before last nights game I thought we might fail as normally when we are set a challenge of ' win and we go *****' we mess up. Even at 85 mins I was looking at a 2-2 draw as we did to them a few seasons ago. As you ask Spurf- change my mindset ? It's difficult and slowly starting to happen- if we can go to the Hawthorns next week and get something I might start believing.
King? Gallas. Dawson and Bassong were our mainstays when we got 4th. Modric? Probably not, but others could definitely do a good, if slightly different job there. Kranjcar, Huddlestone or Sandro amongst them. Parker? Sandro is a more than capable deputy, who'd start in virtually any other side. Livermore is excellent back-up to both. Adebayor? Again, probably not. Defoe hasn't been given a real run in this system, but we'll see someone replace Pavlyuchenko in January, so that should help. Bale? Another one where we'd have to do something different, but Kranjcar and Pienaar are far from crap and we've also got young talent, like Townsend and Rose. I'd suggest that our squad offers far better alternatives than most. The first two games saw a Spurs squad missing key players and an unmotivated and confused side, disoriented by impending moves and the unsettling tactics of a certain South London mob. The team that went to Old Trafford and more than matched the hosts for an hour was missing King (plus his replacement Gallas), Parker (plus his replacement Sandro), Modric and Adebayor from yesterday's XI. Walker left the field injured at half-time and Friedel was making his debut. Others were struggling with injuries and fitness. The City game saw us missing an equally large number of important players, with Modric playing like a shadow of his normal self and a series of injuries reducing us to ten men. Who's showed how to break us down since Adebayor and Parker joined? Take a horde of players out of our side and we're not the same, but that's true of any side in the league.
