Optimism As Tottenham Face Their Final Six Games Of the Season
By Alan Hill
[Photo: Jav The_DoC_66]Time for optimism at all things Tottenham as Spurs face their final six games of the season, starting with Sunderland at White Hart Lane this evening.
Alan’s Season Diary 2013-14 continued
Sunday 6 April
I’ve been told off for allowing my disappointment at recent performances to get the better of me. A reader who cares wrote to say I should have faith in “the boys”. Thank you for the reminder. My judgement was clearly off and pessimism unjustified. Of course it was, I don’t know what came over me. I stand shamed and corrected. Time for the return of the bright-eyed optimist then. What an opportunity on Monday for Spurs to make that bid for the Champions League. Arsenal continue with their collapse after today’s comprehensive defeat by Everton and we are taking on relegation candidates Sunderland on Monday night. Should be a comfortable victory given the gulf in class between our respective squads. Tim Sherwood has vowed to return to the touchline to lead the fight. It’s a game in hand over Manchester United which will enable us to leap two points ahead of the current champions again which is where we have been all season. Despite the fact that they are now scoring 4 goals a game, our run in looks quite straightforward.
By the time this is published and you read it, our victory over Sunderland should either be complete or just about to happen. Sorry Gus. And then look at the remaining games; West Brom, Fulham, Stoke, West Ham, and Aston Villa, all of them either still circling the plug or breathing a sigh of relief having just recently clawed their way to safety. Our brave boys will no doubt show their true class, play for their manager and fans and come good, ensuring they stay for next season and honour their contracts.
Even allowing for bad luck that should be a minimum of another 11 points from those 5 games and the opportunity for Roberto Soldado to fill his boots and improve on our goal difference. Even maximum points are not out of the question.
New Stadium
There has been a lot in the press recently about the new ground. I thought it was an April fool when it said that West Ham had refused a request for us to buy Upton Park but Karen Brady said in her column in Saturday’s Sun that it is true. Her comment was that there is more to football than just money and they will ensure the Old Upton Park site will retain a legacy connection to West Ham. Too right. The soul of Tottenham is that it is a North London club. We are not cockneys.
Apparently there is a possibility of us playing our bigger games at Wembley whilst the new stadium is being built and at venues like Milton Keynes for matches against smaller draws. I have no doubt that Spurs will use their famed commitment to customer service and looking after their fans and season ticket holders, (particularly disabled ones) to ensure they can still access matches.
Under New Management?
The speculation in the media continues about a replacement for Tim Sherwood despite him having a contract through next season. I am sure that will cease when we complete a winning run to the end of this one. Logan has suggested that we need a manager with proven Premier League experience. Of course a commitment to Spurs would also be an advantage – and what do you know? Norwich have today released Chris Hughton, a man with just those qualifications. Sunderland may well do the same with Gus Poyet after we beat them on Monday. An obvious coaching dream team could be staring us in the face; Tim, Chris and Gus all reunited to take this quality squad to new heights from 2014-15. The future looks bright.
You may suspect that some of this blog may have been written with someone’s tongue in cheek. I couldn’t possibly comment.