Someone let me know when it's safe to log back onto Twitter
Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 10:08PM The animal from the swamp wiped the mud off its face and proceeded to bite a massive chunk out of the mid-drift of it's hunter, feasting on it until he bled out. The attacker attacked, left for dead. The colour red covering his pale white face. This is what happens when you only shoot to wound and not kill. Aim for the head not a limb.
The game was almost a throwback to the early 2000s. Gutless. Lack of full blooded commitment. No sustained tempo. Take the lead, let it slip. And so on. That new founded mental belief evaporated and was replaced with jelly for brains. When you make Theo Walcott look good you know it's been a fairly catastrophic day. No doubt on the plane for the Euros off the back of that performance. You can't even laugh at the irony, what with one or two home fans seeking the exit at 2-0, ye of little faith, singing negativity one moment and positivity the next. How fickle football is. I much I hate it at times like this.
It means more than three points but for the moment, we'll have to be contradictory and just treat it like that's all it means. You wont be able to get away from them now. Probably the first time in a year or so that they'll pleasantly remind you of their existence.
Did we expect that result? Of course not. Neither did they. Pundits and fans - based on form - thought the team in white would have too much for the team in red. Form thrown completely out of the window, what a cliché, what an obvious twist to the story. What a disappointment. What a humiliation. Can only hope this is an isolated blip, a spike for them, a dip for us.
I guess being favourites in the eyes of most played straight into their hands. This game, excluding the two against the Mancs at the start of the season, is the first time a strong Spurs side has been spanked. It's taken us to the end of Feb to finally get dicked. Perhaps the first true disappointing performance of the season. Boy do we pick 'em. Topped off with a sending off just to apply some extra pressure for the next game (Utd at the Lane). Scott Parker imploding. Somewhere, Chuck Norris laughs out loud.
Players need to take themselves back to when it was 2-0 and truly appreciate the footballing suicide that followed so that this ilk of surrender never happens so easily again. We should never be arrogant and carefree. It doesn't suit us. Players and fans alike. Even at 2-0 something did not sit right (aside from the fact it should have been 1-0, hey Gareth?).
Should have stepped it up, ruthless and relentless in mind and body after the opening five minutes. The players need to take themselves back to the moment of collapse. They need to hurt off the back of this as much as we are hurting. They're not alone either. Tactically it was a cluster capitulation of crap. Too deep. Not enough width. Not enough of Lennon. 442 leaving us too exposed. Thoughts of Sandro. Hindsight, how you tease me. I can't be alone in noticing them lot were not too bright in defence either, when we did manage to apply forward movement. They displayed spirit and guile. We didn't. Oh 'Arry, what went wrong? Arguably his worst day as Spurs gaffer.
Failed on the pitch, failed on the chalkboard.
We gift wrapped the game by simply being present without a worthy enough presence. Always a danger, even against a wounded animal that wants to prove to the world it can still run. I said this would be a potential issue in the build up to the game and thanks to the complete lack of footballing karma, the Gods persist in favouring the past rather than looking towards the future.
I have to be deeply philosophical about this. Sure, everyone is dishing out spankings to each other (ooh) and at times you can argue they go against form and stature based on what's transpired this season. And one game does not define a season or a team. I love how football works. One bad performance and one good performance and everything that happened before is no longer relevant, even though it all goes back to normal a week later.
Still doesn't excuse what happened. Can't say I'm happy, can comfortably admit to being numb and dumbfounded. It hurts. More so because its a loss against a broken Arsenal side that will probably go on to lose in the coming weeks and deem this result nothing more than a moral victory. Which is still hardly acceptable. Expectancy is an ugly thing. We never wanted to accept defeats against them when we were rubbish for near enough a decade but we accepted the reality. It's equally difficult to accept what's happened today when we've been London's top side all season.
They will no doubt use this as a catalyst to turn it into a season defining performance (although quite how their persistent problems can be repaired off the back of one win is anyone's guess). Much like we need to use it as a catalyst to come back from this and regain our swagger and confidence. It was nothing more than an anomaly, right? Defending all at sea, key players lost in drowning waves. We made it easy for them, yeah? Water bottles on the sidelines no doubt grinning with relief as smugly as the one that usually torments. Today tormenting us instead. Let's please just get back to the basics.
Typical Spurs? No. Just a reminder that even a side that's embraced momentum and progressed forward through out the season can still be susceptible to having its mouth smashed out of place.
It probably is typical Spurs, doing it the hard way, making sure we suffer here and there. It's probably why we remain so consistent with our support. Always be prepared for the worst because it has a habit of turning up uninvited.
The battle, today, has been lost. The war is about to begin. Not with them. But with the remaining games we have to contest. We just have to prove it to ourselves by dismantling the our opponents. The result might end up doing them more harm than good in the long run, papering over the cracks. They were not meant to defeat us so effortlessly. But to cite that catalyst again, it's not unknown for such results to galvanise a side against all the odds. Let this be a warning.
There was no masterful tactical genius at play. Just application. They made it happen, we allowed it to happen. It hurts even more for us thanks to those heightened expectations we took into the game. It hurts even more because we should have gone in 2-0 at the break. It's pretty much the most ridiculous of outcomes that no one predicted.
We now have to prove we remain the better team across the season by manning the **** up showing some of that seasoned tenacity that has kept us top three for so long and see this run-in through.
We'll sing for the shirt, the players will play for it.
The most poignant thing I've read in the aftermath is being written off for 4th spot after losing to Pompey in the semi-final of the FA Cup a couple of seasons back. That side was up against a gruelling fixture list, bare bones and backs to wall. We are far more equipped for a response this time round. In defeat, we have to make it that we are the ones that are galvanised.
The second most poignant thing shared was that our defeats are sporadic. Our rivals, in defeat, are systematic.
Don't knee jerk.
Still third. Still in our hands.
Just believe.
Reader Comments (54)
Kudos to GoonerTel for being "abnormal"........ I'd say normal, but that wouldn't be kind when he's put up alongside most of the idiots that troll on here. At least you're willing to look at your squad, admit that it lacks in depth and admit that you don't deserve 3rd.
I blame Sky 3D anyway - who-ever was commentating during the pre-match was going on about our 18 yesterday and how half the bench would make Arsenal's starting XI........ way to go Sky, build us up so the fall looks even bigger.
Fortunately I don't encounter any gloating Gooners at work or anywhere else....... just a Wet Spam fan, who doesn't really have an awful lot to say this season.
I nearly went on Facebook at 2-0 and started to let rip at a few mates, but I learnt from one of their previous games that it's not the wisest move.
When I came away from the City game, I was hurt because we at least deserved a draw, but held my head high ! but loosing in the manner we did against Le Arses was a disgrace, no passion, no fight and tactically Harry got it wrong big time. Why did we not keep it simple with either a 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 with Bale and Lennon on the flanks,,,,,Only Harry knows why this was. Niko for me should if needed play on the left or in the middle, not on the right as he leaves Walker to exposed... and the same with Bale, when he plays this free role he leaves Benny exposed, so this is why Walcott looked good yesderday.
SO PLEASE HARRY.. PLAY THE PLAYERS TO THEIR STRENGHS, AND KEEP IT F"""ING SIMPLE.
When I came away from the City game, I was hurt because we at least deserved a draw, but held my head high ! but loosing in the manner we did against Le Arses was a disgrace, no passion, no fight and tactically Harry got it wrong big time. Why did we not keep it simple with either a 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 with Bale and Lennon on the flanks,,,,,Only Harry knows why this was. Niko for me should if needed play on the left or in the middle, not on the right as he leaves Walker to exposed... and the same with Bale, when he plays this free role he leaves Benny exposed, so this is why Walcott looked good yesderday.
SO PLEASE HARRY.. PLAY THE PLAYERS TO THEIR STRENGHS, AND KEEP IT F"""ING SIMPLE.
If anyone should know a 2-nil lead means nothing in the NLD, it's us. Disappointing, but time to shrug it off, move on and dominate on Sunday.