This blog is back to focusing on football, I promise although maybe given our most recent result I should talk about the weather? Nope wait that’s been pretty crap, so yeah, football it is.
I don’t know about anyone else but I find following Tottenham at times mentally exhausting. We are so up and down you can never relax and even though we are up more than we used to be this season has felt odd to me from start to finish. Me and my friend Matt do a weekly podcast talking all things Spurs ( you can find the latest episode here: http://www.spursnews.co.uk/episode-41/ ). and in that show a lot over this season we have said things do not feel right.
We have attributed it to the stadium being delayed again and feeling homeless… fatigue from the World Cup where we as a team more than anyone had a LOT of players featuring right up until the final weekend with Belgium, England and our very own World Cup winner Hugo for France. Perhaps the lack of signings, first time we had ever not signed someone in the Summer window, no squad fresh faces meant an odd feeling? I do not know but am I alone in that feeling that something has just felt off all season?
Now the good news is we are finally heading home. We are finally leaving Wembley behind (until next season when we will be there winning a trophy or two) and that has actually given me as a fan a lift. Back in our home, North London, White Hart Lane. Nike Stadium, Nike Arena, Kleenex Bowl… whatever its called I do not care, its home, its White Hart Lane.
I hope this feeling I have will vanish once we are back where belong. I hope it lifts for me and anyone else who is feeling and most of all I hope the team is lifted because this season and the future of the club is in their hands right now. Up until recently we were one of the top three teams in this league and had the chance to win the title…. however probably due to squad depth our challenge for that has faltered to the point we are now suddenly in danger of dropping down and out of the Champions League places all together, something given our new financial reality can afford.
Pochettino has faced many challenges already as our manager. He has worked hard to establish a close knit group of players who player for him and each other – even a player like Toby Alderweireld who has had his issues with the clubs owners / Daniel Levy is still part of the group and has given his all for the cause week in and week out this season. This is down to the man management skills of the boss and the way he has created this team ethic among all of the players.
HOWEVER this new challenge is one I fear he is yet to solve. This challenge is how to motivate this squad who now appear to only find motivation in playing in the Champions League ever since the title race was over for us. We all remember what happened to the team following the 2-2 draw with Chelsea the year Leicester won the league, our performances and results were awful.
We travel to Liverpool in our next game with our manager in the stands rather than at pitch side and we need a performance. We need the players to show they belong at Europe’s top table and we belong to be spoken about as real contenders. By hook or by crook we must get over the line this season and in the summer fix our problems – recruit some players – move on some who need to move and who want to move.
Pochettino is entering into an important time in his managerial career where he and we will stop being complimented for punching above our weight and will face daily criticism for failing to push on from where we were. These final weeks of this season for me are the most important of our managers tenure to date.
Lets hope this break has done everyone the world of good….
-SJ
