So, you see I could be called Football Crazy and certainly Spurs Mad. In Fact they make me happy they make me angry. Nearly every season starts in hope and quickly turns to despair.
Having been raised on the double winning side, having witnessed the glory nights, the fabulous individual players that have graced the Spurs shirt over the decades, I was awe inspired after the Levy cheque book and pen brought so many players in this summer, though I was sad to see the English contingent sold for scrap.
I really did think this was going to be our year.
So far , though it is not so good for all the wrong reasons. Records are being broken, like opposition goalkeepers who make 20 plus saves and concede none, like 78 shots at goal and scoring none, like scoring least goals in the league other than the bottom 3 teams, like a 6-0 thumping biggest defeat for 15 years.
Where is the Audere est Facere, where are the performances from £107 million pound investment? Don't say they need time to blend in. They are professionals, highly paid at that, and at other clubs like Man City the players blend instantly.
Now there are many "Come on you Spurs" supporters who wear blinkers, see no evil through rose tinted glasses, speak no evil of the team they support in blind faith, and won't hear no evil from anyone else about their beloved team from fellow loyal fans or newspapers or TV pundits. However rather than be a sycophant, we should all strive to improve matters close to our hearts that we care about.
How sweet and innocent of them to live in continual hope and not see what is wrong at White Heart Lane.
The season so far. We are still in the League Cup (just). We topped a mediocre group K in the Europa Cup, where the hardest part was travelling to these far flung clubs and making hard work of 100% victories, letting in just one goal. In the Premier League however we relied on Hugo Lloris to keep clean sheets and referees to award us penalties. Then it all started to go horribly wrong.
Yes the Players say they back Manager Andre Villas Boas, well, so would you at your work place about your boss, wouldn't you publicly. Privately you may well mutter discontent.
MY public criticism of the Spurs team, can be summed up in one word
LETHARGIC.
Spurs don't score goals. In football, you cannot win unless you score. Spurs conversion rate is the worse. Often this is because of the square ball, back ball passing routine aimed at possession football, allowing defences to man mark, and stifle any Spurs probe. If Tottering Slop Spurs lose possession, then they heavily rely on Lloris to keep them in the game.
C Palace 1-0 Swansea 1-0 Arsenal 0-1 Norwich 2-0 Cardiff 1-0
Chelsea 1-1 W Ham 0-3 A Villa 2-0 Hull 1-0 Everton 0-0
Newcastle 0-1 Man City 0-6 Man Utd 2-2 Fulham 2-1
Position 6th, poor goal difference, 10 points behind leaders Arsenal.
This is AVB's first occasion when he has actually stayed at the club during the close season. He has won league titles in the inferior Portugese League and won Europa Cup with Porto. He was sacked by Chelsea, like so many others.
However I am not inspired by him.
I question his team selection, his substitutions, his rotation and his tactics. I also question whether he inspires the players.
Now only he sees training, not me. I only see all the games live.
BUT BUT BUT, why are we poor at set pieces, corners, free kicks ? Why are we poor at shooting on target? Why do we use wingers who will not go to the bye line to cross the ball (except Lennon) to twist and turn defenders. Why do we play left footers on the right and right footers on the left ?? Why do we substitute a well performing player, and bring on a worse player ? Why do we persist in some games at only have a right winger when we have 4 wingers in the squad? Why do we continue with this slow ponderous build up possession football allowing defences to muster their ranks and block our attacks ? Why do we pass back just to pump the ball up field and lose possession ??
Now last year AVB continually changed the 2 centre backs. This year he is changing midfield continually. Any football player will tell you that football is a team game, consistency is the key and knowing those around you is vital. AVBchanges not because of injuries, but almost like getting a pin and selecting the team blindfolded. Sometimes his expensive new recruits don't even make the subs bench. Now you tell me how, if you were that player, that would affect your self confidence. Ditto if you are playing well and subbed to the boos of the spectators.
At Man City we did not look like a team that had ever played together, we were a rabble, a disgrace to the shirt, a disgrace to the fans and to the reputation of the club.
AVB blamed the players who should have been ashamed, later changing that to maybe including himself as well. At least the fans are no longer criticised for being too quiet.
AVB is a very stubborn man, as visible in his TV interviews. He also changes the team too much, too often and often for the worse. Squad rotation should be limited not wholesale, every match day. In addition this slow, ponderous, straight build up play like First World War trench war fare, is doomed to failure. Opposition defences can soak it up all day unless there is a wonder strike from outside the box. Gary Linekar, Jurgen Klingsman, Teddy Sherringham, Jimmy Greaves would never have got a look in, if their team mates played the same way.
Subject to injuries, the team should NEVER take the field without certain core players, Lloris, Chriches, Vertonghen, Walker, Sandro, Paulhino, Lennon, Townsend. You will note I am not a fan of Dawson, nor the strikers who have lead boots. I am a fan of Holtby and his tireless running, but both he and Eriksen often burn themselves out prematurely.Walker is a striver, Vertonghen and Sandro reliable, Lloris best keeper in Europe, Chriches is pure class. Paulhino is stylish just hopeless in front of goal, infectious in the ranks. Come back Danny Rose and don't put your foot in it again ! The others , well not really worthy of mention, maybe Lamela will come good if given the AVB chance.
Football is business, it's about results, it's about success. Daniel Levy is a pragmatic business man, building a new wonder stadium and a team to grace it, supporters to pay and watch. If AVB does not change his tactics, if Spurs don't start moving the right way up the table, his position will get further and further untenable. We have lost great players in recent seasons for NOT getting in the top 4 Champions League, Berbatov, Modric, Bale.
WE need a manager who can deliver. We have a chairman, we have the players, all we need is the players to be managed into a well tuned efficient and effective team.
Come on You Spurs, play with pride, passion and purpose, get to the ball first, be committed. As the greatest manager Spurs ever had would say, don't come off that pitch unless you are practically half dead and breathless.
AVB take note.................................................