When spring decided not to show up in March and early April I took this as a good sign. Spurs over the last few years have always functioned better in the cold. Tottenham playing in the sunshine generally leads to only one thing, disaster. This year with winter still in full flow when the Easter […]
Arsenal and Their Tickling Stick
When spring decided not to show up in March and early April I took this as a good sign. Spurs over the last few years have always functioned better in the cold. Tottenham playing in the sunshine generally leads to only one thing, disaster. This year with winter still in full flow when the Easter Eggs came out, I took it as a good omen; however I had forgotten one thing. Arsene Wenger and his magical tickling stick.
As with the start of every year, this was supposed to the be one where we finally buried that Saint Something Day and finally consigned Arsenal to Thursday night football but the reality seems to be, you can’t fight fate. As we have stuttered against battling and resilient teams, Arsenal have ploughed through a succession of teams delighted to have a good old tummy tickling, either at home or at the Emirates.
How many teams arrive at White Hart Lane for a day out in the capital? Perhaps our old stadium doesn’t offer the same amenities as the Emirates, or our spread for the opposition’s execs isn’t quite as lavish? What is blatantly clear though is be it Fulham, Norwich or West Brom, visitors to White Hart Lane simply try harder.
[linequote]Arsenal have ploughed through a succession of teams delighted to have good old tummy tickling, either at theirs or at the Emirates.[/linequote]
On Saturday with Norwich wining 1-0 at the Emirates, Twitter optimism from Spurs fans was in overdrive. Personally I was lacing up my Converse and preparing to hit Waitrose for anything Delia Smith related, but we hadn’t taken into account the power of the Gooner tickling stick, effective on the opposition, referee and their assistants.
First a corner that was not a corner, then a penalty given by a man 60 yards away, not the referee who was in close attendance. This was Arsenal’s sixth penalty of the season and it came at quite the opportune moment.
Even a 1-1 draw though would have been welcome, but what followed next was such a spectacular crumble that it deserves its own chapter in a Delia cook book. Two further goals were conceded and the Canaries even managed to make late sub Oxo-Cube Chamberlain look like a decent player.
Norwich a team supposedly fighting for Premier League survival, can not afford to just roll over in the last 7 minutes of a game, but on Saturday they did that with their tails wagging. Former Spur and Norwich boss Chris Houghton deserves a lot of credit for his post match interview; he almost managed to convince me that he had endured a shattering loss and not a 90 minute tummy tickle.
Arsenal’s ability to get the points when the sun comes out is quite startling. Every year their winter of discontent is forgotten, miss-firing players suddenly hit a rich vein of form and Tomas Rosicky the peripheral figure of modern football suddenly starts performing. The annual spring Arsenal turnaround must have thousands of Gooners wasting fossil fuels and spraying aerosol cans in the hope of bringing the warm weather a little bit earlier every year.
Of course the Arsenal revival can be counter balanced by Tottenham losing their way, but there is no denying that something funny is going on, again.
[linequote]Chris Houghton deserves a lot of credit for his post match interview; he almost managed to convince me that he had endured a shattering loss and not a 90 minute tummy tickle.[/linequote]
Last week Arsenal came face to face with West Brom, overachievers of the year, who boast a striker in their ranks that would walk into most PL teams, but against Arsenal he was left twiddling his thumbs on the bench. When he finally made his cameo appearance, Romelu Lukaku then uncharacteristically proceeded to miss a sitter from 10 yards.
For Spurs fans it’s crushing to see countless teams who earlier in the year had given everything for a point, home or away, simply go through the motions, before dropping their guard and painting a giant target on their chin. Had the West Brom (especially last seasons final game) or Norwich matches taken place in Italy, the word fix would have come up, but in England the media prefers to remain silent and instead search for the glory in the story.
On Tuesday Arsenal face fellow Champions League contenders Everton at home, who two weeks ago came within minutes of collecting three points at the Lane. What Everton will turn up at the Emirates? The hard tackling, organised and difficult to beat team? Or one which will succumb to the repetitive motion and gentle convincing of the tickling stick?
Of course tickling stick or not, Tottenham’s destiny should have been in our own hands. The two games which come to mind are the collapses on Merseyside that cost us 6 points, had Spurs collected the maximum points on offer up north, we would not be in a position where we are relying on others to do us a favour.
[linequote]What Everton will turn up at the Emirates? The hard tackling, organised and difficult to beat team? Or one which will succumb to the repetitive motion and gentle convincing of the tickling stick?[/linequote]
Ultimately we have no one to blame but ourselves, but it’s still difficult to witness Arsenal tickling their way again and again to three important points. Tottenham are in desperate need of someone stepping up to Arsenal, but even more importantly we need our own team to step up when Man City arrives on Sunday.
All views and opinions expressed in this article are the views and opinions of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of The Fighting Cock. We offer a platform for fans to commit their views to text and voice their thoughts. Football is a passionate game and as long as the views stay within the parameters of what is acceptable, we encourage people to write, get involved and share their thoughts on the mighty Tottenham Hotspur.
19 Comments
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15/04/2013 @ 1:20 pm
So bitter…
15/04/2013 @ 1:29 pm
same old, same old; squad simply not strong enough for run-in. Levy simply too tight. Prefers to blame managers.
15/04/2013 @ 1:34 pm
its that simple don’t try and make it to hard to understand, I am not going to sit here and tell you this arsenal side is the best we have had because its not, its not the worst but defo not the best. Its the media year in year out who try to make out that arsenal are a crap side. They hammer home to everybody that arsenal are past it and in decline when on the face of it its really not that bad. considering we have moved to a new stadium sold a lot of good players to help fund it and had one arm tied behind are backs with funding for new players I think we have a good squad that can beat any team in Europe. so with all those things working against us Tottenham are still struggling to finish above us, the stadium debt is almost gone, arsenal have some fine young players and wenger is in hes last season he will spend big, its only going to get worse for Tottenham fans.
15/04/2013 @ 1:56 pm
Objective people know that we LURVE Arsenal
15/04/2013 @ 2:01 pm
Oh yeah, you could bet your front teeth that Everton will roll over tomorow!
15/04/2013 @ 2:17 pm
It will take a long time before anyone can convince me that there wasn’t something VERY dodgy about West Brom v Arse at the end of last season. True, we shouldn’t have been in that position but suprised that more questions weren’t asked of Marton Fulop’s contribution to that Arsenal win. Funny that once Arsenal were 3-2 ahead and West Brom didn’t equalise he made no more catastrophic errors. That is all.
15/04/2013 @ 2:22 pm
Totally agree with you; “something funny is going on” again. Spurs haven’t been in the Top 3 of the Premier League since it began in 1992. That’s a lot of “agains”. Spurs have also had 16 different managers since 1992. That is also, a lot of “agains”.
Spurs _have_ won the Football League Cup twice since 1992 (once in 1999, and once in 2008). Although, maybe teams didn’t try that hard against Spurs in those competition, using your logic.
To Dare is to Do. To Screw Up, Is You.
15/04/2013 @ 2:27 pm
What a terribly arrogant piece. To suggest that a team is ahead of you in the league only because other teams dont try as hard against them as they do against you reeks of a combination of sour grapes, desperation, general footballing ignorance combined with a clear lack of class.
So by that rational I assume I can argue that the only reason United are ahead of Arsenal in the league is because teams dont try as hard against them as they do against us and it has nothing to do with a better manager, better tactics, better players and an overall greater desire to win. This would be insulting to both United and the teams that they have beaten.
The league table doesnt lie and if Arsenal finish ahead of Spurs in the league it will be because they have more points and deserve to be there.
The corner call by the linesman was debatable, I have yet to see an angle that makes it clear if it was a corner or not. As for the penalty is was a clear penalty. The ref didnt see it so he went with what his linesman told him. Whats the issue with this? Doesnt this happen several times a game?? And dont give me the “he was too far away to see it” crap. He was 50 yards away and he saw it, if you cant see two 6 foot tall players from 50 yards away then you shouldnt be in the game. And to back up all that the replays showed he was correct in making the call. He should be congratulated for spotting it.
The bitching and moaning from Spurs fans over the past few days is disgusting and not worthy of a club that claims to be big time. Grow up, take responsibility for your own team’s form and stop giving out when other teams dont do you a favour by beating us.
15/04/2013 @ 2:29 pm
Tickling Stick best description I’ve heard for what Arsenal do at the end of every season yet
15/04/2013 @ 2:43 pm
Arsene has another use for that Tickling Stick; as a Roasting Spit.
After all, he makes a crackin Lasagne…
15/04/2013 @ 2:56 pm
You mention Norwich Rolling over, in some ways true, as you rightly said about the linesman with eye sight problems. But to witness the following . 1st) Not a Corner, 2nd) Not a penalty 3rd) Misses Giroud pulling Bassong back by the shirt for their next goal and then (4th\) the self same lino failed to give Walcott offside as he pinged the ball in leading to their third.
4 mistakes all in the last minutes of the game and all from the same official. perhaps a tickling of his wallet maybe nearer the truth. I don’t know many teams that would have foded a little with that lot.
Then we hear a girl was hit by a bottle in the Norwich enclosure thrown by some little gooner, who legged it into the crowd while stewards ignored the calls.
15/04/2013 @ 3:08 pm
What a load of tosh!!! Conspiracy my Arse -nal!!! We had it in our hands and WE CRUMBLED!! Simple as.
15/04/2013 @ 3:08 pm
What a load of tosh!!! Conspiracy my Arse -nal!!! We had it in our hands and WE CRUMBLED!! Simple as…
15/04/2013 @ 3:56 pm
This is an embarrassing article. Tottenham fans are far beyond delusional that it’s a surprise you can function in the real world. Just because a team manages to earn more points than you is not a good enough reason for you to accuse them of match fixing. Arsenal have been better than you this season and if they end up above you after the final game, it’s your fault. You were the team that was 7 points ahead. You were the team in the driving seat. You had your fate in your own hands.
This article epitomises why Tottenham are a laughing stock. When something doesn’t go your way, you cry “Cheat! Cheat!” instead of giving full support to your team. There’s a reason why your team throughout the years constantly crumbles. The players, the managers, even the owners come and go. The fans stay the same and they are the sole reason that Tottenham always find themselves in this mess.
15/04/2013 @ 5:13 pm
George Bush? Is that you Mr. President? Your a Gooner!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
15/04/2013 @ 8:15 pm
#obsessed
15/04/2013 @ 10:26 pm
Well done on completely ignoring the fact that Norwich’s goal came from a freekick that shouldn’t have been given (player fell over his own legs) and the clear penalty on Walcott not given when we were losing the game. Maybe we’re ahead of you because *shock horror* we have a better squad and manager!
15/04/2013 @ 10:34 pm
What utter, UTTER dross and twaddle.
16/04/2013 @ 12:45 pm
Typical small minded Tottenham mentality. ‘everyone’s against us’ attitude, you are the Liverpool of London with your victim mentality. The way you look at West Ham is the same way look at you. Maybe you should change ‘fighting’ to ‘limp’.
Bitter *****