I have been reading a lot recently about how Tottenham are in the title race this season and reality, based on the points standing of the three teams currently occupying the top three positions yes we are. What has surprised me a bit however is how much our chances have been shot down, not by Arsenal and Chelsea fans (who of course are shooting it down, its their reason to be) but actually by Spurs fans who seem to think that by daring to dream they are somehow going to jinx it!
The reality is of course only the players on the pitch and winning games can win us the league, although I will admit I have a certain shirt that I wear for important games… its lucky… BUT the notion that fans being excited at the prospect of mounting a title challenge seems odd to me. Is it people don’t like setting themselves up for a fall? Is it the equivalent of not asking the pretty girl to dance just in case she says no? … better to always wonder what it would be like rather than be rejected?!
The players are put in front of the press daily, especially in this age of social media and therefore fans are seeing various players every day being quoted as saying “yes we believe we can win the title” and once again I am surprised to read replies to these players, be it on Twitter direct to them or just replies to articles that we post on Facebook all shouting at them for saying it.
“SHUT UP!” and “You are only going to bottle it, shut up..” are just two of the comments I saw posted today before deciding to write this blog piece. There are many more examples and it made me stop and think; maybe our players are not the problem. Their mentality is sound. They are trying to win every game and they believe they can win the league. However perhaps our fans need to take a look at their own mentality.
I often talk about how we as a club, in my experience always let me down. This however is built on me growing up with the experience of annual failure. I am 36, anyone of a similar age will know what I am talking about… seriously… more false dawns than an insomniac.
However what I do have to remind myself is that THIS team is not the same as the one I grew up watching. This manager, his coaching team and this squad are all together as one and every season they are improving. Sadly I realise we are not a club that is owned by a super rich oligarch who wants to dump money on transfers for money laundering… sorry I mean tax avoiding… sorry I mean to be a nice super cool guy so we are having to develop slowly, year on year.
I remember a safe mid table finish being a good season. Then achieving a Europa League spot was a great season. Now we are an established top four team and are a force in every competition we enter. Sadly we have not taken that final step to win one yet but we are competing every season. Under Pochettino so far we have made one final and I believe four semi finals in cups to date.
We have also made the Champions League group stage, then last 16 and again in the last 16 this season where we have a chance against Dortmund to take another step forward and show yet more progress.
Despite playing this our second season without a home stadium we are also competing well in the league and sit circa five points from top (I say circa as games are happening right now and as I write this we have not played Leicester yet).
So here is my conclusion. It’s time for everyone to look at the clubs moto; Audere Est Facere …. To dare is to do and start to dare, to dream and believe. Maybe it is the belief from us the fans transferring to our players that will give them that extra bit they need to get over the line this season.
…. also, go and ask the pretty girl to dance.
-SJ
