The titles of my blog this week is; Do results matter? The answer is yes. Thank you for reading.
Okay so I do have more to say than that but of course results matter but I also think it is not as simple as that and a lot depends on where you are in your process. As a club we are X amount of years into Enic ownership and I think therefore a number of our fans are fed up and as soon as we lose they voice that anger but what I think is sometimes forgotten is we are actually only in the infancy of Ange Postecoglou being in charge and he is changing EVERYTHING about how this club plays football and that cannot happen in a few weeks, it will take this season.
Should we as fans be patient? I believe so. However I do get that the anger from most is aimed at the owners not Ange, the few that are calling for his head after 3 defeats I think need to sit down and consider maybe football is not for you… plenty of other sports…. go find one you enjoy….
For those who endured Jose, Conte and the other one and the football that was played even though results have turned on us right now the football is still a massive improvement and we are no longer stagnant, we are moving in the right direction again.
The injury list we have is one that any side would struggle with, I mean really… yesterday we were missing our first choice central defenders and first choice midfield three. I would wager if you remove the first choice midfield and central defense of any team they would struggle but against a top side in Villa we actually did enough to win the game and pressed from minute one until the end.
On a different day with the chances created Sonny is onside and scores a hat-trick, their keeper does not pull of worldies to deny Johnson and Hojbjerg and we win that game 6-2. Football is madness really.
Without Romero, Van de Ven, Maddision, Sarr or Bissouma we dominated a very good team in Villa which to me told me more than the result did. It told me that the whole squad not just the 11 are buying into “Ange Ball” even if it is obvious some are not going to be around to keep playing it as does not suit them they are working hard to follow and implement what the boss wants them to do and we cannot ask more than that.
Everyone needs to remember this squad is currently a mix and match of past managers failed dreams going all the way back to Pochettino with some (Lloris / Dier / Davies etc) and some Ange is able to adapt and play his way, just look at Pedro-Porro as a full back in his system, the man is thriving and not many of us saw that coming from the wing back.
What was also pleasing was the start and performance from Bryan Gil, who for Spurs has never really found any kind of form but for me he showed a lot of promise in this game and with a few more starts and squad involvements could be an Ange player for sure.
Do we need to keep working on the squad bringing in more players who can do it in Ange system and style? 100% we do and that should be every window with January no exception. I hope the club have seen that positive start and realise they could, with the right additions, achieve something this season which would be ahead of schedule.
A central defender who can provide genuine competition to Cuti and de Ven is needed so we do not face a problem like this again… so that has to be the aim and must be what the club do as a minimum in January as no matter how good Phillips and Dorrington look in U21 football to throw them in with so much on the line is brutal and should not happen… give them minutes this season 100% but when in good positions and let them settle.
So do results matter I ask again and the answer remains yes but right now the direction we are going in matters more for me. Ask me again this time next season though and my answer will be different as by then that is three full windows and a long time being coached by Ange and I would expect to see my team winning games more often than not, especially from leading positions!
However right now, given the short time he has been with us and the sheer number of injuries and suspensions all at once.. results are not the be all and end all.. for me anyway…
-Admin SJ
