minesadouble
Drove my Chevy to the Levy
- Jul 27, 2006
- 749
- 2,933
I have allowed a couple of weeks to go by before writing this Review.
The Season was a fantastic 'filling' sandwiched between two slices of shitty bread. We took just 3 points from the first 4 games and 2 points from the final 4 games. That’s only 5 points over the equivalent of a fifth of the Season; a slow start and a frustrating finish. However, we earned 65 points from the 30 games in the 7 month period between 13th September (Sunderland away) and 18th April (Stoke away). That’s an average of 2.17 points per match which would have (just) won us the title, had we managed it over the full season.
I have 2 brothers-in-law. They’re both Arsenal season ticket holders and they’re intelligent and reasonable guys. Our end of season banter took less than one minute. I simply asked them if they’d have rather had Spurs’ Season or Arsenal’s? They replied Spurs. End of. Not only was Spurs’ more fun, with more high points, it was more educational. Our young players will have learned from the experience. Whereas Arsenal have already known for a decade that, once the title race is over, they can go on a winning run to make sure of ‘the top-4’.
It has been pointed out that our eventual ‘first choice XI’ never lost a match. We started at Old Trafford with Vorm, Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies, Bentaleb, Dier, Dembele, Eriksen, Chadli and Kane. While Lloris, Trippier, Wimmer, Mason, Lamela, Carroll and Alli sat on the bench. Similar teams lined up for our first 4 games. Son and Alli only got their first starts away at Sunderland (5th match) but it was really Man City at home (7th match) with Lamela, Alli and Son starting, and Chadli benched (Dembele and Mason were injured), that Poch seemed to be settling on his preferred line-up. From then on, apart from rotating the fullbacks and Wimmer covering Vertonghen’s injury in the new year, there seemed to be an emerging ‘hierarchy’ within the squad.
And it was during that period from 4-1 Man City onwards, usually with Dembele partnering Dier, and Lamela, Eriksen and Alli behind Kane, that our fit and furious first team started to find its feet. With hindsight, we still dropped too many points in October and November (draws versus Swansea, Liverpool, Chelsea and West Brom) but it was clear at the time something special was steadily developing, despite the annoying home loss mid-December to Newcastle.
On 13th January 2016, with 20 games played, the PL top 5 were Arsenal (42), Leicester (40), Man City (39) Spurs (36) and West Ham (35). Leicester came to WHL having ‘blinked’. They’d only taken 2 points out of 9 having lost to Liverpool and drawn with Man City and Bournemouth. Had we won that evening, the gap between us and Leicester would have been reduced to 1 point. It was a classic 6-pointer. Dembele was on the bench (Carroll played), we had 24 efforts at goal, but they nicked it 1-0, regained their confidence and, in reality, never looked back. A one dimensional but under-rated team. Credit to them.
Looking back, there were 5 truly high points for me; 2 of them were the home and away wins against Man City, the 3rd was the hammering of West Ham, and the 4th and 5th were the ‘to dare is to do’ moments 3-0 at home to United and 4-0 away at Stoke. Alli’s goal against Palace and Lamela’s coup de grace past De Gea were the standout moments, along with Pochettino pounding the turf at Stoke. Above all, though, this Season wasn’t about individual games or goals or players. It was about a team of young men bonding with Spurs fans of all ages. The country might not have fallen in love with us. But our time will come.
I simply refuse to allow the few low moments of the Season to get in the way of what was a wonderful joyride. Yes, the final two matches were dire but personally I’ve never played 2 games having just had the possibility of the title snatched away from me in ugly, traumatic fashion. I think it’s impossible for ‘an ordinary fan’ to truly understand how emotionally draining that must have been for the players. Suddenly physical tiredness, thoughts of the Euros and the transfer window, all started to take their toll. Personally I couldn’t even get that worked up about 2nd v 3rd myself. I’d have taken 4th back in December. (I'm sorry for those who lost money or had to listen to shit from Gooners).
We dropped 44 points over 38 games last Season. Looking ahead, I see every match next Season as an opportunity, not a threat. If we can tighten our defence another notch, and acquire the ability to break down the likes of West Brom, I can see us turning 70 pnts into 80+. A deeper squad, 3-4 quality signings, the lessons of this Season applied, the future’s bright. And white.
The Season was a fantastic 'filling' sandwiched between two slices of shitty bread. We took just 3 points from the first 4 games and 2 points from the final 4 games. That’s only 5 points over the equivalent of a fifth of the Season; a slow start and a frustrating finish. However, we earned 65 points from the 30 games in the 7 month period between 13th September (Sunderland away) and 18th April (Stoke away). That’s an average of 2.17 points per match which would have (just) won us the title, had we managed it over the full season.
I have 2 brothers-in-law. They’re both Arsenal season ticket holders and they’re intelligent and reasonable guys. Our end of season banter took less than one minute. I simply asked them if they’d have rather had Spurs’ Season or Arsenal’s? They replied Spurs. End of. Not only was Spurs’ more fun, with more high points, it was more educational. Our young players will have learned from the experience. Whereas Arsenal have already known for a decade that, once the title race is over, they can go on a winning run to make sure of ‘the top-4’.
It has been pointed out that our eventual ‘first choice XI’ never lost a match. We started at Old Trafford with Vorm, Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies, Bentaleb, Dier, Dembele, Eriksen, Chadli and Kane. While Lloris, Trippier, Wimmer, Mason, Lamela, Carroll and Alli sat on the bench. Similar teams lined up for our first 4 games. Son and Alli only got their first starts away at Sunderland (5th match) but it was really Man City at home (7th match) with Lamela, Alli and Son starting, and Chadli benched (Dembele and Mason were injured), that Poch seemed to be settling on his preferred line-up. From then on, apart from rotating the fullbacks and Wimmer covering Vertonghen’s injury in the new year, there seemed to be an emerging ‘hierarchy’ within the squad.
And it was during that period from 4-1 Man City onwards, usually with Dembele partnering Dier, and Lamela, Eriksen and Alli behind Kane, that our fit and furious first team started to find its feet. With hindsight, we still dropped too many points in October and November (draws versus Swansea, Liverpool, Chelsea and West Brom) but it was clear at the time something special was steadily developing, despite the annoying home loss mid-December to Newcastle.
On 13th January 2016, with 20 games played, the PL top 5 were Arsenal (42), Leicester (40), Man City (39) Spurs (36) and West Ham (35). Leicester came to WHL having ‘blinked’. They’d only taken 2 points out of 9 having lost to Liverpool and drawn with Man City and Bournemouth. Had we won that evening, the gap between us and Leicester would have been reduced to 1 point. It was a classic 6-pointer. Dembele was on the bench (Carroll played), we had 24 efforts at goal, but they nicked it 1-0, regained their confidence and, in reality, never looked back. A one dimensional but under-rated team. Credit to them.
Looking back, there were 5 truly high points for me; 2 of them were the home and away wins against Man City, the 3rd was the hammering of West Ham, and the 4th and 5th were the ‘to dare is to do’ moments 3-0 at home to United and 4-0 away at Stoke. Alli’s goal against Palace and Lamela’s coup de grace past De Gea were the standout moments, along with Pochettino pounding the turf at Stoke. Above all, though, this Season wasn’t about individual games or goals or players. It was about a team of young men bonding with Spurs fans of all ages. The country might not have fallen in love with us. But our time will come.
I simply refuse to allow the few low moments of the Season to get in the way of what was a wonderful joyride. Yes, the final two matches were dire but personally I’ve never played 2 games having just had the possibility of the title snatched away from me in ugly, traumatic fashion. I think it’s impossible for ‘an ordinary fan’ to truly understand how emotionally draining that must have been for the players. Suddenly physical tiredness, thoughts of the Euros and the transfer window, all started to take their toll. Personally I couldn’t even get that worked up about 2nd v 3rd myself. I’d have taken 4th back in December. (I'm sorry for those who lost money or had to listen to shit from Gooners).
We dropped 44 points over 38 games last Season. Looking ahead, I see every match next Season as an opportunity, not a threat. If we can tighten our defence another notch, and acquire the ability to break down the likes of West Brom, I can see us turning 70 pnts into 80+. A deeper squad, 3-4 quality signings, the lessons of this Season applied, the future’s bright. And white.
