What Tottenham must do to appease fans vs Leeds on Sunday

Sunday afternoon is a major game for Tottenham Hotspur from many perspectives including being Antonio Conte‘s first home match as coach and expectations are high. To meet the heightened expectations of a re-invigorated fanbase there are a few things Spurs must do on Sunday against Leeds at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham needs a home win

First and foremost Tottenham needs to win on Sunday. Although Spurs beat Vitesse early this month in Europa Conference League play, the last time Tottenham won a home league game was October 3rd against Newcastle.

In fairness to the team they have played three out of four matches since on the road, however, they only won one of those and lost at home 0-3 to Manchester United. That loss to the Red Devils was the top bun on a sandwich of 0-3 home defeats as Spurs had lost to Chelsea before beating Newcastle.

Despite having more wins than losses at home going 3-0-2 overall with a -3 goal difference at home Tottenham needs a win. After not losing a match in the final season at White Hart Lane, the new digs have yet to have a real home-field advantage, maybe that changes under Conte starting on Sunday.

Spurs could really do with scoring a goal

Maybe this should be simply getting a shot on the frame – after failing to do so in two consecutive matches – however, we are optimistic here at HotspurHQ and think Tottenham has the audacity within them to go ahead and score a goal.

The major reason for the -3 goal differential is not so much the goals conceded, Spurs have three clean-sheets at home, it is the fact that Tottenham has only scored four goals in five matches at home. Spurs’ home scoring is even worse than their road scoring – which is only fractionally higher at .833 goals per match on five goals from six games.

Despite the goals conceded against Vitesse, the defense looked structured once again under Conte against Everton. Playing a Leeds team that struggles to score themselves, averaging 1 per match on the road, holding Leeds to 1 or less seems realistic. However, to get all three points and get the win Spurs desperately need, the team must score.

Both Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane scored in international play over the last week and one would like to think that some of that confidence would carry over into this match. Leeds concedes 1.8 goals per match on the road and Spurs simply must score some goals to give fans renewed hope some real life.

Tottenham players must perform like real professionals

All players have bad games. All players have down periods. However, any professional worth his or her salt will always give a consistent professional effort. Too often since the loss to Liverpool in Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur fans have been treated to something far less than our team’s best professional effort.

Days like the opening weekend where Spurs played their hearts out to beat Manchester City have been few and far between. For Tottenham to really be on the road to recovery, this team needs to remember what and who they are, which is not a bunch of prima donnas enjoying the luxuries of the best complex in the world, they are a bunch of players who would not be where they are without bringing their lunch pail to work every day.

Under the leadership of Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte, I am confident that the days of a free lunch are over and that players who do not follow the plan and or do not give 100% are finally going to be moved on.

I do not expect or ask for perfection from our squad but the professionalism to leave it all on the pitch is just the start of my minimum expectations and should be theirs as well.

If on Sunday afternoon, we get 100% effort and commitment to the plan and system, and if we can get a couple of goals, Spurs will get the much-needed win and we can all believe just a bit more in the glimmer of hope we all currently have.