This was written for an article a couple of days ago for a Spurs publication.
Spurs: three down, another one to go and then Liverpool and Premier League predictions etc.
Joey Barton had tweeted a year ago “I'd destroy both the midfielders Spurs have wasted money on and I'm a championship player. Albeit, an exceptional one...” Well, he did a very good job in destroying our midfield, I must say. I wonder what he is doing now; celebrating his great annihilation of Spurs midfield and his team winning comfortably. What he should be doing is eating humble pie and learning to keep his big mouth shut? The problem with Barton is that he believes in his own press; that he is an intellectual football player. A contradiction in terms me thinks. Anyway, before we get onto QPR let us go back a few days to AEL Limassol. Yes, we got a good result against a not aspiring team. If it wasn’t for Pochettino’s inspired substitutions we might have come away humiliated. Before that West Ham’s game could have gone either way. But both matches were a good learning curve for our manager, a learning curve, I might add, that we won.
The Queens Park Rangers match was a good game for us. We showed promise and the players reading each other well. Not perfect by any means, but we are getting there. The first half we were excellent, while QPR were diabolical. The second half they had improved a little (by reorganising their defence). But we contained them. The statistics make interesting reading. We had 66% possession, five shots on target, to their one and it showed. Lamela is improving in every game and will be an important part of Pochettino’s squad. Our former manager’s comments on the match "We didn't play well and got what we deserved, which is nothing.” He continued with, "I thought we were in awe of Tottenham a little bit. You have to play with energy, you can't stroll about in this division if you want to stay in it." I can’t argue with that, however, we also must remember that they’ve only just come up from the Championship and their squad isn’t fully ready for riggers of Premier League life. Whether they are strong enough to survive or not is a question that will have to wait until a later date. But that isn’t our problem. Our victory over QPR puts us at the top of the league. It would be nice to say that we will stay there, but even I admit we are not ready just yet to win the league, however, I don’t think it is unrealistic to expect a top four placing.
I just read that Nacer Chadli has said that he, and the team mates “are playing with more confidence under Pochettino, than they under Sherwood and AVB, and I must say it shows. People had concerns about giving the managerial job to Pochettino, but to give him credit he has grasp the reins in both hands and at the moment we can’t fault him.
Now let us talk about Harry. He said, before the Spurs/ QPR match “I hold no grudges against Tottenham”. That is kind of him, seeing as it should be us, Spurs supporters, who should be holding grudges, if any grudges need to be held. It was him who took his eye of the ball and looked towards the England job, thus unsettling the squad and losing matches we shouldn’t have lost. Because of this he probably lost, not only the England job, but the Spurs job as well. What he should have done was dismiss the England job, concentrated on the job in hand and tried to win glory with Spurs. Then, and only then, and with the increased reputation that went with the glory, waited until the managerial job came along (as no doubt it would have; eventually) and with his achievements staked a greater claim on the England job. Loyalty has its own rewards. That might have been one of the reasons (among many) why no big club came knocking on his door after his dismissal at Spurs. Now where is he? I recently read that Sherwood is mentioned as a replacement to Harry, should he fail at QPR; how the foolish fall so easily from their imagination of worth.
Now we’ve got three matches out of the way our next match is the return leg against AEL Limassol; on paper this should be a preliminary. But in football there is no such thing. I’ve seen big teams crumble against smaller teams because of their arrogant posturing. Saying all that I expect Spurs to win comfortably, even though the team that won at QPR will be a totally different team that will play Limassol at White Hart Lane. Pochettino had said that he will take this match seriously as the prize at the end of the rainbow is European Champions football. This will be an interesting run out before our all in important home match against Liverpool. A good game to see how we stand at present. Nevertheless, we mustn’t forget that Liverpool beat us twice last season (home and away). In both matches we conceded 9 goals, and none for. This season I expect us to do a lot better. I am expecting a victory, something in the region of 2-1 or 1-0. But it is not going to be an easy match. I also don’t expect Liverpool to do as well as they did last season (in the league). I think that was more of a fluke.
While I am here giving out predictions I might as well say how I expect the Premier League could pan out for the rest of the season. I anticipate Chelsea and Manchester city to fight for top honours. With Ars*nal, Spurs and maybe Liverpool fighting for the next two spots for a European Championship placing. As for relegation; I expect Burnley, QPR, Crystal Palace, Southampton and Leicester City fighting to stay in the Premier League. I didn’t mention Everton, however, I expect them to have a reasonable good season; probably finishing around the 6th or 7th position mark. As for Manchester United, they’ve become a conundrum this season, therefore it is hard to predict there outcome. They’ve got the money, resources, but a new manager who is finding his feet.
Until we’ll meet again: #Don't know where, don't know when, but I know we'll meet again, some sunny day. Keep smiling through, just like Spurs fans always do. Till the Cockerel Chorus drives the dark clouds, far, far away and we finally claim our position with the elite teams of the world# Come on your Spurs!!
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