The instant gratification mentality 

Modern football has cultivated many aspects which leave a lot to be desired for football fans. An inflation of ridiculous money; the emergence of the footballer who values personal gain over club glory and the decreasing value of cup glory because of a top four qualification system are just some which spring to mind. Lurking though, is a mentality, bred strongly through a new wave of football fans. A mentality that demands so much at such little time – I’ll call it the instant gratification mentality.

So many football fans expect to be instantly gratified. There must be great football, great results and great goals, straight away, all the time, no exceptions. Where in the thick of all this did fans lose sight of the concept of building? That good things are grown – through strong foundations, decent time and a solid plan.

[linequote]This progress is exciting – there’s a considerable buzz around the club, a quiet hope that just maybe something special is brewing[/linequote]

It seems that as soon as there’s a hint of a bad run, heads drop, negativity is instigated and fans’ patience has run dry. They’ve had enough, they need a change – completely negating the fact that sometimes in football things won’t always go your way, that positivity doesn’t happen at the wave of a wand. After all, look at Rome – as cliché as it sounds, it wasn’t built in a day.

I believe under Pochettino, Spurs have shown tremendous progress this year. A new brand of attacking football has been stamped on the team and the mixture of experience from the likes of Alderweireld and Lloris with the youthful flair of Alli and Kane is clear to see. We’ve had the longest Premier League unbeaten run (so far) and have cruised through a seemingly difficult Europa group, practically unscathed. This progress is exciting – there’s a considerable buzz around the club, a quiet hope that just maybe something special is brewing. Yet amongst all this, there’s still fans disgruntled. Hampered by their own instant gratification mentality.

“Too many draws”, “not enough flair”, “Pochettino is too rigid” are just some of the common mumblings I hear from these fans. It’s almost like restricted vision – they’re so focused on the now that they fail to see the bigger picture: a solid plan, one which seeks to see Tottenham Hotspur prosper, not just for a string of games but for seasons upon seasons.

[linequote]It’s toxic and quite simply foolish to believe that everything for a club will just click – there are so many factors involved, so much to fine tune, to get right, to balance[/linequote]

Things won’t always go our way, that’s life. However, the more time afforded to a plan and a strategy that has already shown clear fruition will go a long way to setting us up for success. It’s toxic and quite simply foolish to believe that everything for a club will just click – there are so many factors involved, so much to fine tune, to get right, to balance. Pochettino has given us identity. We’re exciting again; a team that epitomises hard-work, determination and desire. We’re not there yet but with time and patience, I believe the future will only get brighter for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

Through a long-term strategy and plan under Pochettino, Spurs have all the ingredients for future success. As football fans we have a role to play – instead of desperately seeking that instant gratification, we must learn to trust. Trust the plan that’s being implemented and have patience in this bright young team and the potential that awaits them.

Don’t let yourself be surrounded by this mentality, that only leaves us going in circles. Be patient because the more you see, the more you’ll enjoy as a fan of this great club. Don’t let your experience supporting Spurs through this life being dampened by a foolish and naive mentality. Come on you mighty Spurs.