Will Today’s News On Tottenham Bring Some Much Needed Positivity?

With every passing day, the news surrounding Tottenham appears to increase the despondency and pessimism on Spurs’ prospects of achieving their goal for the season. Will today bring some much needed positivity to the situation?

Time for Tottenham to live up to their motto [Photo: Jav The_DoC_66]For the past number of weeks whatever news there has been about Tottenham seems to have had a detrimental impact on the club’s chances of seeing this season through to what could be regarded as a successful conclusion.

Tough Run in March/April

The fixture computer decreed that March and April would be difficult months for the club and so they have proved. After the positive results at the end of February/beginning of March in the London derbies against West Ham and Arsenal, there was disappointment with defeats at Anfield and at home to Fulham. The win in Wales lifted the spirits but since then there has been little for supporters to cheer as the club’s Europa Leagues hopes floundered in Basel and their prospects of a top four finish have slipped out of their own hands.

Growing Injury List

Ahead of the draw with Basel, Jermain Defoe was added to the list of injured which had increased dramatically by the end of the match with the loss of Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon and William Gallas. The squad was severely stretched but Andre Villas-Boas presented a positive view to the footballing world.

No Longer in Charge

Next up at White Hart Lane were Everton who restricted Tottenham to a draw and for the first time as Spurs slipped from third to fourth in the table, they were no longer in charge of their own destiny as Arsenal with a match in hand could overtake them in the table.

Defeat on penalties in a battling display in Basel ended the Europa League prospects and merely emphasised how limited the Tottenham squad had become at this late stage of the season. Then with no match last weekend Arsenal took the opportunity to climb to third as Spurs dropped to fifth for the first time since the draw with Stoke City in mid-December. Since their defeat at White Hart Lane, Arsenal have achieved four successive wins with Saturday’s success benefiting from a fortuitous penalty decision which saw them recover with three goals in the final seven minutes.

Media Speculation

Two pieces of media speculation over the past few weeks further increase the uncertainty at White Hart Lane. The Telegraph suggest that Andre Villas-Boas is one of Real Madrid’s prime targets to succeed Jose Mourinho and he has been installed as one of the favourites by the bookmakers. While AVB may not be everyone’s favourite at Spurs, the last thing the club needs is to have to go through another unsettling period which surrounds the loss of a manager and the appointment of his successor.

Then over the weekend, an article in the Express suggested that Gareth Bale would be looking to leave White Hart Lane in the summer if Champions League football was not available with Tottenham next season, activating a £45 million release clause. There was nothing new in that view but it was just another snippet to add to the increasing despondency that appears to be accompanying Spurs at the moment.

What Will Today’s News Bring?

Tonight Arsenal and Everton clash at the Emirates. Such is the situation in the Premier League, that I hardly know what result would be best for Spurs. An Arsenal win would see them move four points ahead of Totttenham who would have a match a in hand, the derby against Chelsea which has still to be re-arranged. A win for Everton would bring them into the mix for a top four finish and have them level on points with Spurs and perhaps ahead on goal difference if they were to win by two goals.

In Need of Some Good News

The early reports suggested that the injured quartet could be recovered in time for next weekend’s match against Manchester City. This would certainly be a bonus and increase the options available to Villas-Boas. In the meantime, as Arsenal play on Saturday, Martin Jol could do his old club a favour by putting one over Arsenal at Craven Cottage. If Arsenal were to win both games over the next five days, they would have opened up a gap of seven points on Spurs before they meet City on Sunday.

Many will accuse me of presenting too pessimistic an outlook while suggesting that Tottenham often recover from disappointment with a positive result, citing the 2010 recovery after the FA Cup semi-final defeat which took them on to a Champions League finish. Or last season’s final surge which saw them claim fourth. The big difference with last season is that while Spurs season was in free-fall, the other clubs around them were also losing unexpectedly. This season., however, the other clubs in contention for the Champions League places have hit upon a good run of firm while Tottenham are stuttering along with little in reserve.

Tottenham need something to change this run which has seen a very positive and hopeful season dip towards another year of missed opportunities.

It’s time for Tottenham to live up to their motto – ‘Audere est Facere’ – ‘To Dare is to Do!’