A bit of festive cheer

I had a strange feeling before the game on Saturday. It was a feeling akin to that which I used to get when Bale was leading the line, or when Modric was dominating the midfield. I think it’s what supporters of successful teams call confidence.

This confidence wasn’t necessarily inspired by the fact that we were facing a weaker team in Burnley (let’s face it, we’ve all seen Spurs lose enough seemingly winnable games to know better than to make that mistake). Rather, it was a confidence that I was going see a team that would put up a decent fight, and would give as good, if not better, than it got. And it’s been a long time since I’ve felt like that.

Our forward line of Kane, Lamela, Chadli and Eriksen looks to have goals in it now, in a way that you just didn’t feel it did a month or so ago. Our midfield looks determined and aggressive, with Mason and Bentaleb forming an excellent core that relentlessly chases and tangles with the opposition, reminiscent of Sandro and Dembele a few seasons ago.

[linequote]Erik Lamela’s first league goal. A strike worthy of its significance, and of the player the Argentine was brought in to replace[/linequote]

At the heart of the defence Vertonghen and Fazio seem to be forming a partnership that, if not water-tight, is at least considerably more resilient than any other combination we have fielded so far this season. Davies looks to have the makings of a long-term left back, and Walker is finally back from injury, casting aside the pretenders that have deputised in his absence. Throw in Hugo between the sticks, and we finally have a side that looks genuinely threatening, and defensively robust(ish).

The performance on the pitch largely reflected this. Kane scored yet again – a delightful glancing header that demonstrated both deftness of touch and excellent positional awareness. Even after being pegged back by a truly inspired strike from Ashley Barnes against the run of play, we rallied and continued to dominate, resulting in that most eagerly anticipated of events: Erik Lamela’s first league goal. A strike worthy of its significance, and of the player the Argentine was brought in to replace, he received the ball in space on the right, took a couple of touches to get clear of his marker, and arced an unstoppable shot into the top-left. Beautiful.

[fullquote]We created a number of excellent chances, with all four front men getting in behind the Burnley defence on different occasions[/fullquote]

We probably allowed Burnley too much possession in a second half that at times became scrappy, but a couple of decent saves from Hugo aside, the back four dealt pretty comfortably with everything that was thrown at them. By contrast, we created a number of excellent chances, with all four front men getting in behind the Burnley defence on different occasions. Had our finishing been better, the score could certainly have been higher than 2-1.

The festive period tests fitness as much as ability, and next weekend’s double-header against Leicester and then United will be a real challenge, particularly if Mason’s first-half injury keeps him out. But whatever the results of those games, and the New Year’s Day fixture against Chelsea (for what it’s worth, I predict we will get 4 points from three), I think Spurs fans have real reason for optimism going into 2015.

[linequote]After the Stoke game, I doubt any of us would have anticipated this level of enthusiasm only a month and a half later[/linequote]

We have a League Cup semi-final against a team we really should beat over 2 legs, hopefully followed by a trip to Wembley on 1st March. We have a great tie to look forward to against Fiorentina in the Europa League. And most importantly, we have a team who look like they are starting to gel, featuring a number of home-grown talents, and who are beginning to demonstrate that they have the attitude and ability to implement the philosophy of a manager who has already shown at Southampton that he is capable of exceeding expectations while playing exciting, attacking football.

Looking back to how we all felt after the Stoke game, I doubt any of us would have anticipated this level of enthusiasm only a month and a half later. That in itself demonstrates how quickly things can change in football, and following Spurs, it’s almost obligatory to temper optimism with caution, but as things stand, there certainly seems reason to hope that 2015 might see the re-emergence of an exciting, progressive Spurs side, and that should give us all a bit of additional cheer this festive season.