Hello all First post on this site... I was a sometime poster on the old BBC606 site and a long long time lurker on this one. I've been lurking for ages, so much so that i feel i've got to know some of you a little. Sounds sinister, observing while staying invisible... but in truth i don't know how some of you find the time! The reason for this post (now) is just to get a nagging feeling that's been building up for a number of years off my chest. To clarify, i've been supporting Spurs since the mid 80's, basically as soon as i was aware of the club and my families allegiance to them. I've lived in North London for the last 15 years and while i don't go to the Lane as much as i'd like to, i am qualified to have an opinion. Anyway, to the point...I remember watching a post match summary on TV a few years back, can't remember which game, and the ever dour Roy Keane gave his punditry assessment of our performance. While i can't remember the detail, we lost. We probably threw the game away judging by his comments. He spoke about "something being wrong with the fabric of the club". Fast forward to the beginning of this season and i read a preview article which pointed out that Alex Ferguson's rallying cry to United teams playing us over the years was simply "Lads, It's Tottenham". My point is that while most teams have rough patches or will feel hard done by at times, our recent history is a litany of glorious loses. You can just real them off... Lasagne Gate, 10 points lost to the nomads, Man U and goals that never were, 3 nil up and lose, 2 nil up and lose, ref's handing goals on a platter, qualify for the CL but don't actually qualify, 8 managers in 10 years etc. I don't intend this to be overly negative, we've had great times too but we're as far away from winning the league as we were when we were genuinely quite crap (late 90's anyone?). My old man talks about the 61 team... I can't even imagine it. Is it not time to leave all that behind? Think about that Bill Nicholson quote, it's right there in the banner... "Even failure will in it have an echo of glory". Sounds ever so Tottenham... That sentiment seems to permeate. It's the same sentiment that gave us "I'd rather lose playing good football than win without it". I'm obviously not laying it all on something Bill Nicholson said years ago... I'm sure he said other things. It's just that this kind of overly romantic view does not necessarily breed that "winning mentality" pundit Roy spoke of. Yet it's been our rallying cry for years. I'd like a new identity to be bestowed on our club. It'll likely take a successful manager with a character strong enough to shift the culture away from the celebration of nearly winning football matches. Hope it's Poch... Anyway, much respect to you all...
That kind of mentality comes from the top and feeds it's way down. It should be inculcated in players before they even pull on the shirt. They should be made aware that nothing less than 100% given 100% of the time is acceptable. But yes, for too long now there has been that 'Fergie' mentality. Get stuck into them and they'll fold. Not without good reason many times, sad to say
Order of preference: Glorious victory Glorious defeat Mourinho-style win Mourinho-style defeat I watch football to be entertained. I don't get a medal or a trophy if the team wins.
Yes, of course we all want to be entertained. However, after more than half a century following this club, suffering all manner of let downs, with just the occasional something to smile about and be proud of, I'd love to see us WIN something!! No, I'm not going to get a medal, but I'd like to feel like I've won one!
Having been bored senseless by some/most of Chelsea's play last year i would rather have a season of Harry-Spurs, finishing 5th (or 4th with no CL) than winning the PL watching that ****e.
It's possible to do both. O.k. It's the F.A. Cup, not a league title or the C.L. But A#*+#^L play attractive football, and win things. Why does it have to be one or the other??
I didn't say it did. I offered up my preferences and i clearly said the top choice was glorious victory.
Well, at the moment we've got neither. We mostly play dull, uninspiring football, and we don't win things. Maybe it's my age, but I remember when we did actually win things - and play good football. I wouldn't mind seeing us win a few trophies before I pop me clogs.
I don't disagree with any of that. We are duller than under Harry (which is why i used "Harry-Spurs" in my example). I would rather win something Mourinho-style than what we are doing right now, but i'd still take Harry's glorious failure than last season's Chelsea.
It goes beyond the winning of a few trophies though... What you're saying is that winning is conditional and that should certain conditions arise you'd actively choose to lose rather than win right?
No, thats not what i'm saying at all. Quote me if i did. At no point, in any of my messages did i say it was impossible to win gloriously. It was my top preference for crying out loud
Cold hard truth here, we're actually what Mourinho labelled Wenger - Specialists in failure. We've had a good competitive squad over the best part of a decade, generally being the 5th/6th best side in the country and yet we have just one trophy to show for it, should have done a lot better, especially when sides like Pompey, Birmingham, Swansea have all lifted a trophy in the same time. I still love watching Spurs, I don't watch us to solely win trophies but it would be nice if we had a bit more of a competitive and successful edge about us. I believe in the squad we have now, it has the potential to be something special, just hope we can keep it all together and move forward under Poch.
And that's not what i'm saying... I understand that you'd rather win in glorious fashion, wouldn't we all... You did however list "glorious defeat" as preferable to "Mourinho-style win" therefore, if the prospect was a "Mourinho-style win" you'd rather have a "glorious defeat". This absolutely says that given those sets of conditions, you'd rather lose than win...
You're arguing over semantics... By listing a glorious defeat as preferable to a boring win, you are absolutely saying that in certain circumstances you'd rather lose than win.
Implied it... Whatever. Fast forward to Saturday... What'll you have Spurm, boring win or glorious loss? I'll take the glorious loss thanks. No thanks
