- Jun 5, 2004
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As I sit and ponder, draped in Classical Chillout Platinum reflecting on a turbulent 10 days in the life of Spurs, I can’t help but think that I wouldn’t want it any other way. This Stoof Shout may have been a Stoof Yell at the culmination of the transfer window yesterday evening, but after the dust has settled, the players have their names, ranks and numbers and I can get back to enjoying Bent’s classic finish from Sunday, and can carrying on looking forward to the season proper.
I’ve been championing Bent’s cause, and I’m not alone in that. Going back a transfer window or two and we had pipped West Ham to signing him. “Why do we need him?” said most. “We’ve got 3 strikers already” said the rest. But there were some who saw potential sense through the more obvious madness. The fact that a year on Darren Bent (medially branded as 4th choice behind Defoe) is now the only guy left out of our Feared Foursome is somewhat hard to believe. But before this becomes yet another discussion of transfer policy and transfer rumour, let me reassure you that in my humblest of non-humble opinions, the lad will come good for us.
Anyway, that’s all I want to talk about transfers, unless anyone has any good iron-on ones they want to post to the (un)usual address? No? Shut-up Stoof? OK.
As an attempt to be light-hearted, I will now return to our glorious match against Sunderland. Shut-up Stoof! My first game of the season, and my first first game if that makes sense. Never been to a season opener before and was treated to a refurbished Bell & Hare, although my hangover did not treat itself to another beer.
On the subject of hangovers, rather strangely for a season opener at the Lane, the crowd did seem somewhat in a state of recovery from the season before. At that sort of stage in a hangover where you’ve got up the next morning, had a glass of apple juice and a bacon sandwich before waiting for the inevitable bowel movement. Bowels again [fans of last week’s Stoof Shout will remember they played a starring role].
Watching back on Match of the Day, handily ‘V-plussed’ for such a write-up, we didn’t actually look terribly terrible. I certainly didn’t realise Bale had quite that much room to plant his header into the lower half of the Paxton, and I certainly didn’t realise that GB again and Woodgate contrived to slice the ball away from the open goal quite so badly as they did. But Sunderland smashed us, grabbed us and took the points away. Although I doubt that will be the first time they cause opponents difficulty away from home.
So a Roman P later and it’s Chelsea on Sunday just gone. It’s Bent up top again, largely unused for the Sunderland match as that would be far too attacking (I jest) – and despite Andy Gray’s assertion [when he wasn’t at the game, nor probably having watched it] that Chelsea completely outplayed us for the first 20 minutes - I have a screenshot in front of me of the possession after 7 minutes (I think) and it shows us 60-40 up. Hardly outplayed, but then it’s hardly the first time Mr Gray has chosen to speak up in favour of the Top Four, but there’s enough (better) commentary on that than there is from my lungs/fingers.
Zokora roamed as is his wont, and was actually rather beautiful and eloquent in what he did, lending hope that he may indeed be that one third of a midfield three that I always expected he was. [See past Stoof posts for the whole “he’s a third of a midfield two at the moment”, if you really want to that is, personally I’d rather have a shave with screwdriver]. Bent won countless headers and took his goal extremely well, Bale wingedly flew down the left hand side and ably defended too. Gomes majestically octopussed, octopiied and occupied the goal with athletic saves and distance-destroying throws that surely offended a few of Newton’s laws.
And we held on.
No last minute winner. No prancing Mourinho. No dancing Drogba. Just Ramos, thoughtful, poised and happy with a day’s shutting out. The bus wasn’t parked, oh no, this bus came to play too. This bus put on its best wheels, cleaned its interior and made sure its air conditioning was working. And the plan worked, and I was chuffed with that point let me tell you. We will play worse than that and win, and some will hate that. Others, well, as I said at the top of this piece: others wouldn’t want it any other way.
We’re deliciously dramatic and emphatically Tottenham Hotspur.