How to almost throw away an easy 3 points by Tottenham Hotspur

1) Boss the best part of the opening 45 minutes

2) Go 2-0 up in time for half-time

3) Concede with around 30 minutes to go

4) Get a player sent off for a completely unnecessary stamp on an opposition player a minute or so later

5) Hang on for dear life and hope lady luck smiles our way

6) Win

You might notice the above edition doesn't quite follow the same conclusion as yesteryear performances which no doubt would have resulted in a 3-2 victory for the home side. Sure, we did our very best to self-implode. Defoe, the idiot, is set to face a 3 match ban which means he will be unavailable for the NLD. All thanks to a moment of silly madness which didn't make an awful amount of sense at the time. I don't quite get it. Was the crowd on his back and if so, who cares? Shrug it off. Get on with it. Be professional. The only person Pompey fans should be angry at is Harry Redknapp, although technically it's the board of directors and the financial mess that caused the mass exodus. If anything they should be grateful to us for giving them a life-line in Kevin Prince-Boateng along with a far more healthy bank balance. Average for us, decent for them (mainly because the players around him are only half as good as he is - i.e. Dindane and that sitter).

Even 5 minutes of injury-time couldn't aid in the throwing away of all three points. Harry making substitutions at the right time, including Wilson Palacios who apparently had only arrived at the ground 15 minutes before the teams were announced and Gomes (at fault for their goal) pulled off some wonder-saves including one from a deflected free-kick which was outstanding.

This is the exact type of game/situation where we have a history of collapse (remember Blackburn away when Wilson got his marching orders).  We didn't play particularly well as a unit, but did enough. And enough is enough, as long as it doesn't become a habit. You can't argue against going 2-0 up in what was a hostile environment against a side fighting for their lives.

Blame international duty if you want, either way, we need some general improving which I think we might just manage to achieve in our next league game. A little more fluidity and end-product. A little more authoritative in the centre. Whisper it gently, but this season is going to be even more open than the last with one major difference. Last term we sat at the bottom and had to spend most of it climbing our way back up and rebuilding confidence. This time out we sit 3rd with 19 points and the likes of Liverpool are losing games to balloons.

Aim for 4th spot? Even though over the course of the season (we need another player or two in Jan to really push on) we might end up 5th or 6th because of other ambitious sides around us, we should at least play like we want to achieve something more this season. Because things at the top are changing. They've been changing for the past 5 years, ever so subtly and its now more possible than ever to play catch-up. I'm not coming to this conclusion just because of this away day victory. Everyone can see that the gap - which is still evident - is not as monstrous as it once was. And we've been here before already. I've sort of changed my tune about this. I'm not saying we are a Top 4 side. But from the looks of it, you don't need to be one for a cheeky challenge. Let's re-visit this in late December.

Back to the match.

Gomes. First proper game back. Generally thought he was bloody brilliant. Match-winning saves. Should have save the KPB shot to be fair. But let's not dwell too much on that.

King and BAE competent and assured but not as comfortable as they would have wished to be against a more than plucky Pompey. Great headed goal from Ledley to stick us 1-0 up.

Bassong, rough round the edges, continues to prove he was worth the money spent on him. It wasn't an easy afternoon for the lad. Thought (after all the concerns) that Jenas and Huddlestone performed admirable.  JJ with an assist, crossing in for Defoe who made it 2-0.

Tommy on the other hand found himself a little bit more under pressure as the game progressed (after the sending off) with too much too handle in the middle. Defoe, sharp and on-form before seeing red. Lennon was off his game and Keane did his usual thing. Worked hard, but didn't do anything memorable or game changing. All three subs did a job when coming on and it was a shame Niko had to go off as we appear to have a player who can actually hit a dead ball from the corner flag.

All in all - team wise - disjointed, poor in possession and not dealing with Portsmouth's direct approach. But we did enough up front to win it and we rode our luck wonderfully well. As for the opposition? Will they survive? I don't actually care. Personally, would love to see them go down just so that git with the cowbell is far away in the marshlands of the Championship. But tbh, they are showing spirit and considering the other clubs around them, they might pull off the great escape. Early days.

Final word.

'How to take all three points when you shoot yourself in the foot by Tottenham Hotspur'.

Lovely.

Harry spanks Donny

Ooh.

14 goals scored, 11 different scorers.

Roll-call...

BAE, Bassong, Defoe Palacios, Keane, Lennon Huddlestone, O'Hara, Crouch, Bentley, Pavlyuchenko.

Tasty stuff.

Nice to see us free-scoring from all positions. Nice to see our second-eleven (of sorts) brush aside Doncaster (5-1) with clinical finishing and a professional attitude. Yes, Donny may well have gone 2-0 up if it wasn't for CC's smart goalkeeping. In fact, I thought they were pretty useful. Easy on the eye and managing to hit the woodwork a few times. If they had got themselves a slice of luck, we might have had to work harder for the win. Their only goal came by way of consolation when KPB handballed having only just come on as a sub (attention-seeker). But this wasn't our first team and there was still an air of casualness about the peformance, almost like we knew we would win and score plenty so it didn't matter if they tested us with a few plucky shots.

Hudd, Jamie, Crouch, Bentley and Pav all amongst the goals. Gio looking lively (ssh, don't be saying he's found his level, have faith) and as for David Bentley?

He swerves to the left, he swerves to the riiiighhhhht,
David Bentley, your driving is shite.

At least he's re-discovered some direction on the pitch, claiming a little bit of form too, if be it against a lower league team (ssh, don't be saying he's found his level). Got to kick-start his season from somewhere. Two assists, cracking goal and some worthy composure and intent on the ball. That phrase 'professional' comes to mind once more.

With Gio, it's evident this kid can play and needs a second chance to prove he can do just that in the Prem. We can discuss the various reasons why he has failed to make an impression thus far (turns up late for training, has an on-going injury problem, just isn't very good) or we can take yesterdays performance as a signal that he has that spark that may well prove to be useful as an alternative to Modric (be it, if Moddle is injured or moved to a central position). Has to drastically improve his influence during the course of a game if he's going to make Harry smile. He's technically good, he moves with samba style. Just needs to be a little more dangerous on the ball. Lack of the killer ball.

Hutton put in a good shift, Tommy also bossing the midfield with relative easy. Same can be said for O'Hara who was decent with both defensive and offensive duties. Pleased also that Crouchie and Pav got on the score-sheet. Harry dismissing the 'Pav to leave' stories. Glad to hear to this. After last season he has plenty to prove. If anything, if it doesn't work out there's always January. Fact is, four strikers is a good number to have because all it takes is one injury and it's time to shuffle. As for Crouch, he's still bedding in. Needs a start in the Prem at home IMO. Naughton looked better going forward than defending. Need to be careful with this lad, so best to make sure he keeps up appearances in the cup games.

In conclusion, good run out, nothing more, nothing less. The squad is obviously strong enough for us to give the Carling Cup another decent showing and possibly a 3rd successive Wembley visit.

Safe to say we have depth.

Make mine a treble JD

Jermain Defoe wasn't the only treble of note yesterday evening. Lovely to see Spurs swagger their way through an away game with quality movement, passing and pace. A frolicsome performance full of confidence and belief. Before anyone shouts me down about it 'only being Hull', let's not banish the memories of countless years of away day blues where we've been bullied and beaten comfortably by teams costing a fraction in comparison. We don't travel well. The history books prove this. Perhaps times are changing, and if so, it's a good thing to look back and compare. It's only one game, but Spurs have a zest about them which suggests it will prove to be a fruitful season away from home.

Even when we conceded a goal, we just brushed it off and persisted in dominating the game. Working our socks off to pressure Hull when they had the ball and playing it with ruthless execution when we were in possession.

Many positives to be had out of this.

• Defoe looking strong and confident, netting a hat-trick for the first time in a few years. More importantly (for us in the long run) he's holding up the ball and laying it off with maturity that lacked from his game a season or two ago.
• Robbie Keane, much maligned (no Bent at Spurs anymore so we have to have at least one scapegoat) was bloody great. Assisting (twice), scoring and generally rediscovering that Orish spark. Excellent work ethic, which is inspiring to the rest of the team and looked playing alongside JD. This is captain material.
• Wilson, powering forward once more (as seen at WHL v Liverpool) and also getting on the score-sheet.
• Modric, strong on the ball, quiet in the more obvious creative way, but proved he can stick in a shift without the rest relying on him to be the conductor.
• Cudicini replaced Gomes (who seemed to land uncomfortably after a textbook punch), and although he was at fault for their goal, he looked assured and faultless for the reminder of the game.
• Corluka isn't a centre-back, so hurry back Woody. Not really a positive there.

I'm happy. And why not? Again, I know Hull are in poor form, but if the likes of Utd or Chelsea visited them yesterday and won by the same score line you'd hear shouts of 'professional performance', so for us to go there and dismantle them with relative ease should have us smiling.

I don't mind taking one game at a time. We played football at the KC. Didn't sit back and allow them to stick us under pressure. When they had their moments, we held strong and got through it. The belief was simply: We are good enough to play them off the park, so we will.

We will have disappoints no doubt - be ready for them. What will matter is how we react. Remember the Blackburn defeat last year and the way we collapsed? Granted, man sent off, but we felt sorry for ourselves and lost our way. Keep feet firmly on the ground, the players should take the 5-1 win as a good result, but nothing more - and look to continue to work hard for each other. We've been guilty far too many times in the past, getting carried away with the hype. But you get the feeling the team spirit and attitude is a little more understated and professional (there's that word again). Probably because of the amount of times we've been burnt in the past.

Quietly, quietly does it.

There will be games when we will be under the cosh, and its these games, a cheeky 1-0 or 2-1 win, which will be as important than any free-flowing goal-fest display.

I'm happy with our lot, thus far.

Two successive wins from the start of the season, makes this the best start since 2006. Hedonistic times. 22 wins now for Harry in 44 games. Unbeaten at the Lane since November. Looking great away. Good solid signings that are proving to have a positive effect on the teams balance. And Keane and Defoe actually looking like a partnership up-front.

And not a single Facebook relegation party in sight*.


*34 points to go before we're safe.