What next?
We have now only got 1 point from four League games. Next up will be Liverpool away. Personally, I don’t think we are as bad as our results suggest, but Pochettino is right, we’ve become arrogant. We fight like champions when we face the big teams, but when we encounter those that are struggling, and we should beat, we just believe the job is done and take it in our stride; we are too big and powerful to bother to turn up against the minnows… the points are already in the bag mentality.
If we had beaten the teams we should have beaten: Watford (we beat them twice; cup & home), Burnley (we beat them at home), Wolves (we beat them at their ground), Chelsea (we beat them at home) and Southampton (who we also beat at home as well) we would have been at the top of the league by now. Now we will struggle to keep our place in the top four (not our place in third, but top four).
If United had beaten Arsenal (they lost 2-0) and Chelsea had beaten Wolves, instead of drawing with them, then things might have been a lot worse. Instead, Arsenal, United and Chelsea sit just below us. Even if Chelsea win their game in hand, they only leapfrog both Arsenal & United, but still leave us in third. At least it is something.
Like always; the day started off with me thinking positively (in other words, I believed it was 3 points in the bag, but not without a fight). In fact, I predicted 4-1, after all, Southampton were struggling, and we were a top four team.
Southampton is only just under an hour from my house. I left home at 9.30 and got to Southampton stadium at about 10.20. Found a car park 3 minutes from the stadium (paid £6.00 to park until 6pm) and then made my way to the ground. Had a look around, took photos and then made my way to the nearest pub. They only served drinks, but there was a burger van outside, so I got a burger from there and then went into the pub and had a large glass of white wine. Left the pub and found a tea shop and had a cake and tea and relaxed for a while, then I made my way back to the stadium.
Chatted to various friends until Martin, Martin T with his daughter and grandson turned up and then went into the stadium. Talked to more friends, had a pie and coke and then went to our seats. Martin asked me what I thought the score would be, I replied confidently 4-1, then added, more cautiously, knowing my luck it will only be 1-0.
None of us was sitting near each other as the tickets were issued randomly. Apart from that; Martin & Martin T were season ticket holders, while I am a Premium Season ticket holder.
Once we got to our seats, we settled down or settled standing up, to watch our expected victory over the relegation strugglers.
The Spurs supporters were singing #We are going home#. A little boy near me asked his dad if we were “going home?” His dad replied, “Not if you don’t eat your greens.” A lesson for all of us here.
The crowd was ecstatic and confident. After all, we were going to win. But two late goals in five minutes earned Southampton an incredible victory against us, allowing our top-four hopes to take a nosedive. The crowd were furious and bloody annoyed. The abuse went up around the stadium.
James Ward-Prowse earned the win with a sensational free-kick from 25 yards to keep the Saints two points clear of the Premier League relegation zone. The midfielder's strike came after calamitous defending allowed Southampton to draw level via Yan Valery, who pounced on Danny Rose's mistake.
Victory seemed unlikely after a first half dominated by us, as we took the lead when Harry Kane scored his 200th career goal.
But the amazing turnaround earned Ralph Hasenhuttl's team a second consecutive home win - the first time Southampton have achieved that since December 2016.
Mauricio Pochettino was in the stands as part of his two-match touchline ban, we remain third but, after losing a third league game in four, we now face the prospect of being caught by our rivals.
You can guess the mood as the final whistle went! We marched out furiously and made our way to whatever modes of transport we had. I went to get a hotdog and ended up getting caught in-between a very ferocious punch up between Spurs & Southampton fans, then the police piled in… luckily I managed to worm my way out, otherwise… well, god knows what would have happened. Finally, I got to my car and got home at about 6.30 pm. Not a good day.
Unless we pull our socks up, we will be looking at Europa League football next season… and that is something we don’t want to bring to our new stadium. We are Champions League material or should be, not Donald Duck’s Europa league teamsters. Also; if we crash out of the top four, it could see the team breaking up and going to pastures anew, where they can win trophies, not just dream of them.
A word on the new stadium; as the song said, we are going home. I have mixed feelings of Wembley. White Hart Lane felt like a home, Wembley didn’t, even though it was pleasant, it wasn’t home by any means.
As for the two test matches, it will cost the regular season ticket holders £5 and £10 respectively, while we have to pay £69 for each event. But that does include food and programmes (if they are doing programmes). I can’t wait, the only concern I have is the parking. When I used to park at White Hart Lane, it was at St Francis School opposite the ground. And that wasn’t cheap. Now that school has been taken over by Spurs and only executive and certain dignitaries are allowed to park there now. Whatever; it will be great to be back in our own ground, familiar – at first new - surroundings etc.… and at a proper football ground. The best in Europe, if not the world. With the biggest Sports shop as well, in Europe, which will include a Spurs Museum.
More will follow once I’ve stepped foot in the ground and our luxury surroundings.
By Glenn Renshaw
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