Lilywhite-tinted spectacles

OH MY WORD WE’RE GOING TO FINISH LAST AND EVERYONE’S GOING TO LEAVE.

The above seems to be the general consensus amongst Spurs fans after 3 losses on the bounce. Or so my survey says.

As much as I’m disappointed with our current form, I think it’s going to take a few more losses before I get to the stage where I consign our season to the bin, and allow myself to lose all hope of playing in Europe’s biggest competition next year. (No, I don’t mean the Inter-Toto cup, I have more optimism and sense for such a claim.)

If we take a step back, and allow a little perspective to cheer the situation, it looks like we’re in a bit of a rosy position still.

We’re currently 4th in the league, breathing down the necks of Chelsea in 3rd and arguably Man City in 2nd. With those 2 still left to play, the opportunity to catch and overhaul 1 or both clubs is ever present. Yes, they’re incredibly tough games, and part of a very hard run-in, but what better way to make ground up on a team by beating them themselves? I’d like to think the Spurs of this year and AVB are gritty enough, and mentally strong enough to handle and attack the big occasions now, and that we genuinely have a shot in both.

Although Woolwich are now only 4 points behind and still have a game to play, I’m a massive advocate of the old adage ‘I’d rather have points on the board than games in hand’. The pressure is on them to catch us, and let’s see how they fare without their ‘star’, Jack Wilshere. Apostrophes necessary as, all bias aside, I genuinely think he is one of the most overrated professionals on the planet. Not footballers. Not even sportsmen. Professionals.

We’re also in the last eight of the Europa League, a trophy I’d very much like to win. It’s the trophies you remember in the record books, and it’s been a while since we’ve won a major one. I’d also like the ruling of the winners to be put into the Champions League to be passed now, if we’re wishing for things, and if you’re reading Monsieur Blatter.

Keeping that in mind, I was always one of the fans who questioned others when they said ‘I’d rather be in the top 4 than win the Europa’, and always pushed the point of ‘Why can’t we do both?!’. I’ve recently read a stat saying that 4 out of our last 5 league losses have come after a mid-week Europa game, most often a Thursday one. That is a big stat, and a big problem. I’d like to think that if we had Sandro, Kaboul, Lennon, Ade and Defoe permanently fit, we could cope with the schedule of both, which is obviously not possible right now. I’d also have kept Townsend at the club whilst we were still in the competition too, but as such our squad is struggling.

We looked especially tired against Fulham, and just devoid of any energy and ideas, which is considerably worrying when you think of Fulham’s away record, and specifically their away record against us – it should have been a 3 point banker.

And with that I’m back to the problem of that very question: what would I prefer, to win the Europa, or finish 4th?

And still the optimism within, that is so often drowned as part and parcel of being a Spurs fan, screams out at me – both.

There’s no harm in dreaming, right?

See you in Amsterdam…

[author name=”Chris Brooks” avatar=”https://twimg0-a.akamaihd.net/profile_images/3400648565/4a43a11ecb3237c50530e7cf03d4395e.png” twitter=”SpursArchive” website=”www.spursvids.co.uk” tag=”ChrisBrooks[/linequote]