Another game, another disappointment for Spurs fans. After debutant Moussa Dembele scored the goal that looked set to secure Tottenham’s first three point bounty of the season, Andre Villas-Boas’ men endeavoured to concede a goal and a red card towards the end of the game. Let’s not forget either that without Brad Friedel, things would have been worse. Against Norwich. At home.
And we thought that the West Brom result was bad. This result came after the club had completed its activity in the transfer market. There could be no excuses.
After the game, Mirror journalist Oliver Holt tweeted, ‘Got to stop backing Spurs’. Indeed. Every time you get your hopes up about this side, they find newer, more inventive ways of letting you down.
For me, it was the second Tottenham-related disappointment in two hours. After spending the entire deadline day being told that there was a real possibility that Portugal ace, Joao Moutinho could join the club, no such deal was pushed through. Instead of using the Modric money to sign a world-class player, Spurs went after Clint Dempsey. The American is a good player, no doubt, but he’s also 29-years-old and untested at the very top level.
I think it’s fair to say that he’s not quite the solution that Tottenham need. I still hold high hopes for Moussa Dembele, but I’m not convinced that Spurs have improved over the course of the summer. Whether they’ve got worse is another matter entirely, but the results the club is picking up seems to suggest that they’re struggling. They look like a side that’s completely devoid of confidence. Indeed, they look a little like a side that’s never played together before.
Speaking after the game, Andre Villas-Boas tried to emphasize with the fans:
“You have to accept their disappointment. It has not been the ideal start to the season, but it doesn’t mean that we haven’t been working hard to get the wins that our fans want,” Villas-Boas said. They have to understand that we are doing everything in our power to get that win. Obviously this is not the start we wanted and the start we deserve.”
Yes, the players are doing what they can to secure the win, but it’s not entirely clear that they’ve got what it takes to break into the top four. They should be good enough to beat Norwich and West Brom, but as they’re not yet playing as a unit, expectations may have to be managed.
The problem is, however, the expectations are there and the longer Tottenham fail to perform, the more fans will have to face disappointment. Let’s hope that things get better sooner rather than later.
What’s your take? Can Spurs still crack the top four despite their sloppy start?
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Of course they can. Look at arsenal last season, they had a much worse start and finishes 3rd! Excuse me while I just put a bet for WBA and Swansea to finish top 4, because according to you, because they had a good start, that’s obviously how they’ll continue
I agree with Andy, it’s a slow start as a team gets used to changes, just like the Arsenil had to last season. But if the players can work hard to take on board what AVB wants, then there is no reason that we can’t challenge for top 4 again.
It’s ridiculous to suggest that losing two players will undermine out team, was it only those two players that got us to top 4 last season? RVD spent a lot of time injured and Modric has a nasty little habit of going absent in a game.
Sure both players can turn a game with a spark of genius, but so can the players that we’ve brought in and other existing players. We have to give AVB a chance, but should he fail then the real culprit in all of this, is Levy.