Jake Mason gives his views on why we all need to be cheerful with Spurs 2013/14.
Reasons To Be Cheerful
As the media is only too happy to report, there is a lot of discontent amongst Spurs fans at the moment, however, it is very hard to understand why. As a team, we are in one of the best places we’ve ever been in our history. Yet, if you go to a home league game or visit any of the many Spurs fan-pages, you’d think we were at one of our worst periods ever.
The first major issue for Spurs fans seems to be the ‘boring’ style of football the club have been tagged with. Admittedly, at times it isn’t the most fun to watch. However, with so many new players we need to be solid and as the saying goes: possession is the best form of defence.
The club also has a truly top class defence, which has accounted for so many of our clean sheets so far. If you look at Spurs regular attacking players, you’ll understand why we need to give them more time to gel as Andros Townsend, Christian Eriksen, Lewis Holtby, Pauliniho, Glyfi Sigurdsson and Roberto Soldado have hardly ever worked together before this season.
[linequote]The club also has a truly top class defence, which has accounted for so many of our clean sheets so far[/linequote]
This of course means our attack will be at times disjointed, but occasionally will show moments of brilliance, simply because of the talent at our disposal. The attack has demonstrated flashes of quality so far this season, with the goals at Cardiff, Norwich and Villa being the stand-out ones in the league.
In short, our attack needs time to gel together. In the meantime, AVB’s solid defence will give these players time to mesh while keeping pace in the league.
Unfortunately, some Spurs fans are calling for AVB’s head once again, which is mind boggling. We’re on one of our greatest points totals ever after this many games, and have seen the team grind out results and hold onto clean sheets which once again feels like it’s the first time ever.
I mentioned above how I believe AVB is going about integrating the new players into the team in the best way possible and he is getting stick for the ‘boring’ football, but people need to realise it’s the best way to get us through these few months.
[linequote]Some Spurs fans are calling for AVB’s head once again, which is mind boggling[/linequote]
Finally, something which is both a great positive, yet at the same time may cause difficulties, is the young age of our team. With what is arguably our strongest 11 of:
The average age is only 24.2. Our attacking midfielders, alone, have an average age of 21.3. So, this is really promising for the future, however, in the meantime we will have to put up with on-off game.
The future is bright. The future is lilywhite!
[author name=”Jake Mason” twitter=”SpartanSpurs[/linequote]
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.
15 Comments
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18/11/2013 @ 4:10 pm
Funny with all your optimism that you should draw up a team that all the Spurs fans have been shouting about in the positions they would like to see and how AVB has never, ever played this team with the wingers as you show them in the Prem since the beginning of the season. So you obviously think he’s been playing Townsend out of position and he should be playing Lamela. Well that’s what everyone’s been shouting about, but you seem to prefer to think they’re shouting for his head. If he plays that team (when Rose is match fit), then we’ll know he has heard us shouting.
18/11/2013 @ 4:54 pm
Somer people are shouting for his head though – actually quite a lot. Yes, the author has found the middle ground of wanting to see something different but remaining confident in the long run we will get it right. It doesn’t have to be one extreme or the other. Also, Lamela himself has said he doesn’t feel 100% ready and settled yet, so that’s why he isn’t playing. Also, Sig has scored half of our goals from open play so it’s not as cut and dry as that. I remember when a majority of Spurs fans thought Defoe should start in the league because he was banging them in against Sunday league teams in the Europa – that didn’t turn out too well.. just because fans think something is obvious it doesn’t make it right. Sometimes you need to trust the manager, our record points tally should have earned that trust that he will get things going
18/11/2013 @ 5:20 pm
AVB needs a bit of pressure. Nuthin wrong with giving a bit of stick to the horse.
18/11/2013 @ 4:59 pm
Hear, Hear.
The other problem we might have though is illustrated by your proposed strongest line up. Whether one agrees with your choice or not, we also have another complete team in: Naughton, Dawson, Chiriches, Fryers, Capoue, Dembele, Lennon, Holtby, Chadli, Defoe. Not to mention Sigurdsson and Adebayor. Naturally, they all want to be playing. We need to keep them happy or some of them will be off to be good for someone else.
18/11/2013 @ 5:02 pm
Both the author’s views and your own Cakeboy, are a bit mis-placed. Please let me qualify this quickly as it’s not meant to be disrespectful;,..
None of us really know any of the goings-on at THFC on a daily basis,.
We don’t know if players are fit/dont want to be at Spurs/arent want at Spurs etc etc etc etc,… (The last one is my guess on Adebyor, again, Ive got no bl**dy idea why he doesnt play, same as anyone esle)
To use an analogy, all businesses/companies that we deal with in our every-day lives seem to us like theyre sh*t at what they do,. (Gas companies, Arogs, whatever)
But,…. It may just be the one time we/you/I have used ’em is off the back of a structural change or different staff,. Why should it be any different in football?! In the sense that we are in the process of a huge change, why would it happen overnight?!?!?!?!??
People seem to forget far too bl**dy easily that this lot, although they are on rediculous, even obscene money, are still just young stupid kids kicking a ball about,. It will take time for them to learn a more complex way of playing and to get to know each other!!
Imagine YOU are Erik Lamela.
Imagine YOU have just been packed off to Argentina to do YOUR job tomorrow, ina new country, in a completely new way, with 30 argentinians who dont speak a word of the queens!! – Please do reply and tell me it would be easy, I dare ya!! ;()
I am NOT an angry consumer/customer of THFC brand, I am a fan and a supporter of THFC footy club and the young lads and young ambitious manager in charge.
I wasn’t a ‘fan’ (I do love wordplay) of the arrogant and stubborn redknapp when he was in charge. I never have nor will I ever be. He and his son are self-promoting blaggers with a 2 brain cells that they take turns to use at the weekend,.. But…
I still got behind the team when he was making excuses about how unlucky we were every week he threw points away to secure 3rd,.
A lot of fans need to read up on their history!! – Forget the rose-tinted specs that redcrap lovers wear!! – This is literally as good as weve had it in absolute donkeys!!!
YES,… AVB IS CERTIANLY NOT PERFECT.
You may well be able to lay stubborn-ness and arrogance at his door also. BUT… Dont think it becuase some MORON in some SH*T RAG like the SUN says so!!
MY FINAL THOUGHTS:..
WAIT UNTIL EVERYONE IS FIT –
We have been unlucky at LB. But also, we should have signed another one or AVB should have tried to utilise BAE, all hindsight, so all easy for me,. but this is pretty much the casue of most of our problems, and it will soon be fixed!! – Once this happens, the lack of width won’t beso apparent as AVB wants the FB’s to provide (hence the problem with right footers at LB)
HAVE SOME BASIC FAITH, GIVE AVB A FAIR F***ING CHANCE!!
He might not be your cup of tea, you might think hes a snobbish foreigner whose never kicked a ball and doesnt really know what hes on about,. you might be right!! – I would then be an idiot!! – THAT WOULD BE FINE WITH ME!!! :) AVB IS OUR MANAGER,. LETS BACK HIM!!!!!
COYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
18/11/2013 @ 5:16 pm
You’re already an idiot. A blind fool.
18/11/2013 @ 6:37 pm
This is the problem with spurs fans, we need a long term Manager to have real sucsess you know upto six years in the job. But as soon as we have a rough patch everybody wants to fire the manager then we go backwards again and never get anywhere
18/11/2013 @ 6:56 pm
I remember thinking what a bunch of c-units the Chelsea fans were in wanting AVB out without giving him a real chance. It’s quite sad that we have our own c-units.
We’ve had two disappointing results this season, if we’re honest about it: the 0-3 against West Ham and the 0-1 against Newcastle. Those aside, a narrow loss to the scum in red and a draw against the scum in blue are obviously annoying, but coming so early in the season weren’t so bad. A draw at Goodison is fine and the other results were victories. How is that bad?
It’s true that we’re a bit negative, but the team needs time and we’ve not played too many matches yet. I can’t see why this is so difficult for some people to understand…bloody plastics.
18/11/2013 @ 9:06 pm
We are not negative because we need more time. We are not negative because the team needs more matches. We are negative because All Very Boring WANTS us to be negative, he is entirely happy with it. Now, if you are too fair enough but don’t believe for one moment it will get better, it won’t.
18/11/2013 @ 10:00 pm
yeah i’m sure the manager wants us to play negative football.
idiot.
and how is keeping the ball negative anyway? we spend most of the game in the opposition’s half most games.
Unless you expect AVB to dash onto the pitch and put the ball in the net from 5 yards like some of our players have failed to do recently, then I’m not really sure what you expect.
18/11/2013 @ 10:31 pm
I expect us to attack with pace and using the flanks. Instead, we go sideways and pass back to our centre backs from free-kicks in the opposition half! AVB is very happy to play negative and try to nick a goal. Keeping the ball for the sake of keeping the ball and just playing sideways and backwards is negative.
20/11/2013 @ 4:15 pm
I also want us to attack at pace and use the wings… I really do, however almost every team I have seen at the Lane this year (minus Chavs who are good enough not too and Norwich who I bet wished they did) basically sit ten men in front of their box and look to totally nullify that type of Spurs wing play. They double up on our wingers and give us virtually no space to play… Yes it’s sometime painful to watch, but I do have some sympathy… it’s not going to be easy for any team to break that down, especially a team that are all still relatively new. Keep the faith lads…
18/11/2013 @ 9:12 pm
Its not only the need to integrate 7 new players that will take more than a two months……its the disruption caused by two international breaks with virtually everyone away. Dont forget that Eriksen and Lamela didnt even join in time for pre-season games. So lets not panic and lets support our club…..cos if we dont we will look like total tossers!
19/11/2013 @ 2:52 am
I think Lamala will start against City running at players, allowing Eriksen with more fredom in advance position where we see the best of him and Spurs! Holby if Eriksen crocked! Give Lamala a free role and he will create an punish!
COYS!!
20/11/2013 @ 4:17 pm
True the wide open spaces at City could be just the ticket for Lamela… However I fear AVB will brick it and go with Siggy to make it tighter…