We have just won 10 out of 11 games before the stoke game so what did we all expect? to just carry on winning? reason i'm saying this is that its the only way to stay positive as when you watch a game and see a complete clueless numpty make wrong decision after wrong decision it makes defeat hard to take. Yes we were partly cheated out of result as while we are to blame for letting stoke take a 2-0 lead, we actually fought back and was denied a 2-2 draw and it seemed the ref refused to give us any decisions due to the stoke fans booing his decision to award us a penalty. I really have never seen so many decisions go against one team but lets be positive as we have lost 3 games this season, drawn 1 and won 10 so overall thats impressive form. We had to lose sooner or later and I personally think this type of defeat will make the team stronger as when you have been cheated out of something, you come back stronger so i'll be expecting a big performance from the lads in our next game.
I can't be positive about the result at all, it's knocked us out of the title race and severely undermined our top 4 challenge. This is the result our rivals wanted and would have strengthened their desire no end.
If one result was enough to knock us out the title race then we was never in the title race to start with - lets not play the victim for an extended period as that will just make us look bitter.
Disagree, HAD we won this we would have been in the title race. As for bitterness, I am very, very, bitter. I hope the players can react better than me, but the title is gone for another year, and that's it, AFAICS.
+1 the season is young and a lot more upsets to come for us and our competitors. The gooner's cart wheels will fall off soon.
Whether Stoke take points off Arsenal and Chelsea or not, it won't bring back the 3 points we were robbed of today. I can't see any positives about such an unfair and damaging defeat.
GH10 I completely understand where you are coming from, however I hope you are not a half empty sort of person. Although we completely outplayed Stoke in the 2nd half, notwithstanding the poor refereeing performance, we should have been a lot better in the opening exchanges as we knew what to expect and didn't react for quite a while. The fact that we did not compromise our way of playing and made them look what they really are an ordinary hoof ball team- I am quite encouraged by the response because I'm sure we won't get a more hostile crowd than that for the rest of the season and for that I think we are well in the running for a top 4 spot, but never to win it, a year too early for us.
HI PL, I try not to be a 'half empty' type of person, and I'm always backing and shouting for the team when the game is on. You don't catch me being negative and moaning like so many Spurs fans do during a game. But after a game like today, I feel totally deflated and heartbroken. Had we won today we would have have been title contenders (IMHO) for the first time in the Prem era. But we didn't and we aren't. I've only got about twenty years at best left on this planet, and I'd sooooo love to see us win the title again, but alas I fear I never will. One good thing though is no Stoke fan has ever seen their team win the title, and hopefully never will.
gh i'm a bit torn on this issue, I have seen some posters say we are not ready, in some areas we are midfield for one. But other areas still need attention for us to be genuine contenders ie backup cf- what if EA's goals and form suddenly dry up where is the quality going to come from? and with King injured again and Dawson not fit etc Anyway you can see where this thought is coming from. I'm with you on wanting us to succeed this season it would send the right message to the sugar daddy's of this world that you don't always need to spend trillions to win things- just play an exciting brand of football.
I'm still positive. I'm disgusted at the manner of how we lost yesterday (not the players fault, especially the second half, Foy and Stoke's time wasting infuriated me) but I'm certainly not down beat. We're still third, have a game in hand on 4th place, playing great football, not many injuries to count (though Ledders was sorely missed yesterday!) and the players are really fighting for the cause which is great to see. Until we suffer a massive blip (which hopefully won't occur!), I'm keeping the faith. I still stand by what I said a few weeks ago, 4th will be a disappointment if we end there at the end of the season. We're good enough for 3rd and possibly higher and while we're playing great football, there's no reason to get worried or too downbeat after yesterday's disappointing loss that technically, was out of our hands. We were up against 13 men (Foy and his blind Line-o!) so don't be too disheartened lads, hopefully we'll have a "rebounder" against Sunderland and smash 'em to pieces
Hi PL, it would have sent out a great message, instead the officials have let Stoke send out the wrong message, that cheating, fouling and anti-football is a good thing to do as it gets three points. Yesterday showed without doubt, to me anyway, that we're not ready for, or able to deliver, a title challenge. We're not strong enough to cope defensively with aerial onslaughts and these happen quite often in the Prem, Stoke being the best at it. Also we are wasteful with the chances we create at times, though when the officials are allowing handballs off the line and chalking off onside goals, it's hard to be clinical. Had we won at such an intimidating place, I would have hailed us as title contenders for the first time in 25 years or more, but we lost and we aren't. I'd take 4th now no danger, and am far from confident we'll even make that. We rely too much on King, our record without him this season is average, and also Adebayor. Lose him ATM and we'll look a lot less powerful.
Yesterday's game makes no difference to how I think Spurs could do this season. One game is not going to decide whether or not we're title-contenders. Hard game against a crap team, referee had a 'mare, we didn't play well enough for the first 25 mins. But another day we could easily have won that. No despair from me. At least it's back to playing football now. And it was nice to see that Crouch has found his real home. An entire team set up for his flick-ons! I know that Stoke only do what works for them but Jesus I'll be glad when they're relegated. And they can take that as a sort of compliment if they want. They don't have to, though.
I've got a bit of a hangover from the euphoria of a long winning streak. It is disappointing to lose on what seems a series of bad decisions. But Spurs have had decisions go their way as well, and in the end, bad decisions are part of the game, and how well or poorly you react to them is one of the factors separating teams. It does look very important to bounce back in the next game, and the game after that will be even more important. It's a long season, and I'll just hope for the best.
The thing that makes us all livid with this result is the way it came about, we played well enough over 90 mins to win the game comfortably. If we had played poorly and lost fairly then so be it, we got what we deserved. Yes Stokes route one approach gave us a hard first 25 mins but I cant really remember Friedal making to many saves. Unfortunately incompetent Foylum and his inept assistants ruined it for Spurs, its hard to take and I am still fuming now. As for Stoke, imagine watching that dross every week, its optomistic calling it football..... its only a different shaped ball away from rugby.
Well said CB, it's the injustice that rankles and losing to a team that deserve nul points every season for the way they approach the game. May their relegation come soon. This was our chance to be title contenders, it's gone. I don't expect it to return this season, it may not return for another ten, I'm soooooooo depressed about it all. I couldn't go out today, I felt so bad. But tomorrow, I will go out, head held high knowing I support a team that plays football the right way
