The Stoke match summed everything up: This season will be a tough up-hill battle in the league. Almost all that could go against us did with red cards, injuries and all. But that is what happens to teams in table trouble. The remedy is to be found between the players’ ears.
Being in the bottom is a state of mind. So you have to go mental – figuratively speaking – to find a way out. Equal amounts of spite, defiant self-belief and sheer willpower will do the trick. And right now there is no substitute for these measures.
But do Spurs have the mental strengths to get out of jail? I hate to be negative, but I reluctantly admit that the doubts are creeping up on me. I can’t find the uncompromising leader in the team anywhere. None of the captains are hard men who can drag their teammates out of the gloom by the scruff of their necks. And collectively, the players don’t seem to be able to do it either.
This leaves me a bit worried. I am still convinced that there is enough talent in the squad to climb up the table. But with a fragile mental state within the team, that talent might not be enough.
However, before we administer the superficial knee-jerk reactions that lead to cries for the manager’s head and the slagging of certain players, I would like to try to dig a little deeper in search of explanations.
I think the main problem – apart from the mental challenges – are that we have started the season with a line up with only four regulars from last season. We were fooled by the good results in pre-season. Because it has turned out to be much harder than expected to create the necessary understanding on the pitch with so many new players.
But not only that. We have also had to change the whole game plan because of the sale of two front men. This makes the integration of all the new players even harder.
I might be clutching at straws, but I think I saw definite signs of improvement against Stoke with Alan Hutton back. He didn’t have his crosses tuned in yet. But the attacking play on the right benefited enormously with him back in the starting line up. We also have a much more commanding goalkeeper in Gomes who is not afraid to boss his penalty area. And we have a potentially solid defence now – despite King’s cameo appearances – even though we are now handicapped short term by suspensions.
It will come as no surprise when I state that the midfield is our troubled area. Five men should be able to create a tougher presence. But they have clearly not found their respective roles yet. They have not learned their respective running patterns either. That is where passes go astray or play is held up because the player carrying the ball can’t find the pass he wants. And so it affects the striker(s) as well, because they never get the service they need.
Getting the team to gel takes time, which they don’t really have at the moment. There are no short cuts, no quick fix. And then we are back to mentality. In a league as tough as the PL, games are won or lost, not based on talent or skill, but based on the last five per cent of mental strength and the will to run/fight the extra yard.
A good portion of defiance is needed for the Spurs team in the games coming up – and they come thick and fast now. So come on you Spurs. Prove all the critics and dooms day preachers wrong. Show your true character. Let us see the fire and determination in your eyes. Clench your fist and fight your way out of the current predicament. No more talk, just action.
Being in the bottom is a state of mind. So you have to go mental – figuratively speaking – to find a way out. Equal amounts of spite, defiant self-belief and sheer willpower will do the trick. And right now there is no substitute for these measures.
But do Spurs have the mental strengths to get out of jail? I hate to be negative, but I reluctantly admit that the doubts are creeping up on me. I can’t find the uncompromising leader in the team anywhere. None of the captains are hard men who can drag their teammates out of the gloom by the scruff of their necks. And collectively, the players don’t seem to be able to do it either.
This leaves me a bit worried. I am still convinced that there is enough talent in the squad to climb up the table. But with a fragile mental state within the team, that talent might not be enough.
However, before we administer the superficial knee-jerk reactions that lead to cries for the manager’s head and the slagging of certain players, I would like to try to dig a little deeper in search of explanations.
I think the main problem – apart from the mental challenges – are that we have started the season with a line up with only four regulars from last season. We were fooled by the good results in pre-season. Because it has turned out to be much harder than expected to create the necessary understanding on the pitch with so many new players.
But not only that. We have also had to change the whole game plan because of the sale of two front men. This makes the integration of all the new players even harder.
I might be clutching at straws, but I think I saw definite signs of improvement against Stoke with Alan Hutton back. He didn’t have his crosses tuned in yet. But the attacking play on the right benefited enormously with him back in the starting line up. We also have a much more commanding goalkeeper in Gomes who is not afraid to boss his penalty area. And we have a potentially solid defence now – despite King’s cameo appearances – even though we are now handicapped short term by suspensions.
It will come as no surprise when I state that the midfield is our troubled area. Five men should be able to create a tougher presence. But they have clearly not found their respective roles yet. They have not learned their respective running patterns either. That is where passes go astray or play is held up because the player carrying the ball can’t find the pass he wants. And so it affects the striker(s) as well, because they never get the service they need.
Getting the team to gel takes time, which they don’t really have at the moment. There are no short cuts, no quick fix. And then we are back to mentality. In a league as tough as the PL, games are won or lost, not based on talent or skill, but based on the last five per cent of mental strength and the will to run/fight the extra yard.
A good portion of defiance is needed for the Spurs team in the games coming up – and they come thick and fast now. So come on you Spurs. Prove all the critics and dooms day preachers wrong. Show your true character. Let us see the fire and determination in your eyes. Clench your fist and fight your way out of the current predicament. No more talk, just action.
