So there is a term that has been thrown around for years about Tottenham Hotspur, one that we as fans have adopted and that is of course ‘Spursy’. Pre Pochettino we of course used it a lot. How many games would we take the lead and then lose? How many times would we get so close only to fall short – I mean we basically invented the term false dawn right!? and we wrapped all of that up in a term. Spursy!
However, since Pochettino arrived at the club he has gone about correcting those problems at the club, problems that have lasted a 20-30 years and so far he is doing a good job. OBVIOUSLY there will be the odd result here and there but by in large if we take the lead now we push on, if we play a team below us we tend to get the result we want rather than beating Chelsea one week and losing to Stoke 4-0 the next.
We have a good team, on our day we can destroy the very best… just ask Real Madrid, Liverpool, Dortmund, Chelsea and Manchester United who all got beat and beat well this season by us when were at full stride.
In the past we would often finish 5th in the league, or 4th the one season that would not be good enough for Champions League (Spursy personified no?!). Pochettino has given us two years in a row in the Champions League with a great shot, despite every game being away this season, of making it three in a row.
However, his job is not done. There is still two things by my count which are ingrained in us which is still very Spursy! Our ability to blow a lead in the table (10 points over Chelsea just a short time ago, 2 now as I write this) and our inability to win a serious knockout game against decent opposition.
Since Pochettino took charge we have reached the League cup final, losing to Chelsea and we have reached the FA Cup semi final twice losing to Chelsea (again) and Manchester United. We have also progressed to the knockout stages of the Champions League only to lose to Juventus.
Now, there is no shame in losing to those clubs really on paper so what makes those defeats Spursy? Well the fact is in each of those games, with the exception of the League cup final which was a few seasons ago now, we have dominated every game… had more possession, had more shots, shots on target, out run, out worked and generally out done our opponents in every way and yet still lost. That is pretty damn Spursy!
So here we are, we have four games left of our 2017/18 season and an opportunity for Poch to prove again that we can lay another ghost to bed with this Spursy tag. We will not blow a lead, we will not ‘bottle’ our top four position and move into our new stadium with Champions League football, maybe … MAYBE even secure second spot if we win all four games and some results go our way.
With that put to bed maybe next season that final Spursy term will be put to bed and in a knockout game when it really matters Pochettino and our Spurs will finally bring home a trophy.
-Admin SJ
