Roberto Soldado’s support is the best in the league, but fans need to show that faith in all Tottenham players.
By Conor Lynch
Inconsistency will certainly be a defining trait of the 2014-15 campaign for Tottenham Hotspur, the team has shown it has the ability to smash current premier league leaders Chelsea one week, before proceeding to agonisingly drop points to Crystal Palace a week later. But despite what you may think of Mauricio Pochettino, the squad and the chairman, few would be able to deny that the 2014-15 campaign has been a highly entertaining one for its fans. And with promising results being delivered against strong teams such as Southampton, West Ham, Swansea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton, there is a sense of overall progression being made.
A noted point of weakness can be seen in comparison of home and away performances, the latter of which have been much brighter. Squad striker Emmanuel Adebayor was the first and only man to come out and say this, much to the anger of many White Hart Lane attendees. Since these comments, he has met a plethora of boos and derogatory chants when playing before the home crowd. As dangerous as it is for your career to criticise your own support, Adebayor’s comments were far from unreasonable, there was a mature balance of self criticism and analysis being made with the best intentions for the club.
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He pointed to an earlier home performance in his statement; “I could see that nobody wanted the ball. Right now, to tell you the truth, I think a lot of players when they put on the shirt and go out on to the pitch, are finding it hard in the head”. Confidence issues have certainly been a problem for a number of players at White Hart Lane. A key example being the £26 million pound striker Roberto Soldado, who has struggled through two seasons to score goals. An important penalty miss against Manchester City and a five yard miss against against Burnley have been among a number of instances where nerves have clearly got the better of him.
Yet despite consistent errors, the Tottenham Hotspur fanbase have showed unrelenting support for their favourte Spaniard. Chants of “Soldado-Woah-Ohh” permeated the Etihad after the Manchester City penalty miss, and a have been a frequent occurrence in other circumstances. These fan contributions have absolutely been a motivation for Soldado to work harder after matches like these, as evident in the following statement – “Sad match in which we had our opportunities including my penalty. I’m sorry and I’ll keep working hard to help the team with my goal”. This drive was made perfectly clear in a subsequent match against Everton where he scored a crucial equaliser, he made this post match comment on his instagram account. “‘The moment the ref blew for half time everybody sung my name and I welled up a little bit, I had a tear in my eye. It was very special. Thanks!”
The moment the ref blew for half time everybody sung my name and I welled up a little bit, I had a tear in my eye. It was very special. Thanks!
The quote is an important one, it shows that when a player knows the fanbase is behind him at all costs, their number one priority is to work hard to return the favour. Other players have not had the fortune of strong support and have had to do things the hard way. Nacer Chadli, Danny Rose and Andros Townsend had all started this season unpopular amongst the fanbase, yet are slowly turning things around through their own drive and motivation to become consistently excellent performers. Other players like Vlad Chiriches and Paulinho lack confidence on the ball, despite it being incredibly clear through previous performances that these are both very capable players. If these players could receive the level of support that Erik Lamela and Roberto Soldado have received, then who knows what the team could go on to achieve. Yes, as professional footballers and high earners, there is a lot of responsibility on the players themselves to suck it up and overcome their own hurdles, but the role of the White Hart Lane crowd, as fans, as ‘supporters’ is to do exactly that. Support the team and lend every possible contribution they can, whether 4-0 up or 4-0 down.
Yes, as professional footballers and high earners, there is a lot of responsibility on the players themselves to suck it up and overcome their own hurdles, but the role of the White Hart Lane crowd, as fans, as ‘supporters’ is to do exactly that. Support the team and lend every possible contribution they can, whether 4-0 up or 4-0 down.
With regards to Emmanuel Adebayor, considering his form in the previous season had him net fourteen goals in only twenty one appearances, it seems the fanbase has been quick to forget the important timing of his contributions last season. Roberto Soldado’s turbulent time at White Hart Lane had the team lacking a goalscorer, furthermore the current striking star Harry Kane had not broken through at this point. It is undeniable that Emmanuel Adabeyor’s contributions were the key factor which allowed Tottenham Hotspur to keep Manchester United at bay in order to secure a Europa League spot. To claim that the player is lazy or uncaring, is patently false.
Unity amongst the Tottenham fanbase will be crucial for the remainder of the season. It can be said, albeit controversially that there is not a single bad player in the Spurs first or second teams. With all positions well covered and looking to be strengthened in the January window, combined with a complete lack of injuries, a united fanbase can absolutely help the squad go on to achieve a high premier league position, or silverware in the Capital One or Europa League cups. Every single player will be required to step up there game, likewise every single fan will be required to helping them do so. After all, who knows which player may have the crucial moment to win the team glory?
Soldado-Woah-Ohh
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