Are we on the road to greater things now?

We were “arrogant,” says Pochettino

The team were “arrogant”, and Pochettino was furious. Going by the first half and Kane putting us 1-0 up, it looked like it was only a matter of time before other goals would follow. Then the second half ensued.

Watching the second half, we could sense that they were going to score, and score they did… but not just one to equalise, but a second one to win the game hands down. That wasn’t in the script. Complacency had set in. Why? Overconfidence? Because we beat Dortmund, we thought that these Southampton bugs were no challenge to our superiority and that we would crush them forthwith.  After all, we were in the Champions League and had made the top-four spot our own. Where Southampton were at the wrong end of the league, struggling for survival.

But we should have learned lessons from our previous three games. One after the other we were humiliated. Burnley, another team at the wrong end of the league, pushed our noses in it. Still not learning our lesson we went to Chelsea, a team that has been humiliated many times this season, turned the tables and embarrassed us, and they didn’t even play well. Then we move on to Arsenal, our last game at Wembley (even though we didn’t know it then, thought it, but wasn’t sure) where we could only manage a draw, and a lucky draw it was. If it weren’t for Lloris saving a penalty, then that would have been our third defeat. Then another struggler and defeat again.

And will that be the worsted of our weekend? If United and Chelsea had won then the answer would have been yes. But they both fell on their own swords – lucky for us – and gave us a bit more breathing space. United lost to Arsenal, which means they allowed Arsenal to jump over them, while Chelsea could only draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Which means that even if they win their game in hand, they will still fall short of being able to overtake us. There is still somebody helping us in the shadows. Next up will be Liverpool for us, while Arsenal have Newcastle at home, United have Watford at home, and Chelsea travel to Everton on the 17^th March, and then Cardiff on the 31^st, also away. Lose to Liverpool, and we could be in deep, deep shit. In other words out of the top four.

"I am so, so, so disappointed," said Pochettino. He’s ‘disappointed’? That is nothing compared to high-fee-paying supporters. He and the players get a fortune; those out there have to work hard to afford the luxury of being able to attend this load of shit. And all before we get into our new stadium. And no doubt, more expense, as they will witness two Test matches to come (at a price). We’ve had so many high hopes in the last couple of years, only for them to come crashing down and then exploding in a heap before us. Somebody once said ‘shit happens,’ but all the time? Since we joined the Premier League, we have fallen from grace. Recently we’ve picked ourselves up under Pochettino’s guidance… and now just fingertip clutching the hems of the elite.

Who should be kicked in the bollocks if it goes tits up?

Pochettino then goes on and says, "I am a little bit worried about this change from the first half to the second half - it's only one thing, it's mental.” ‘A little bit’ and ‘only one thing’? Well, that is at least optimism for you. God help us if it was a big thing, then we would really be in it, up to our necks.

He also adds: "We were better at everything, but we lost the game. We did not take the second half seriously." Maybe we shouldn’t have been better at everything, perhaps we should have been as bad as Burnley, Chelsea, Arsenal and Southampton were, then we might have won these matches. Maybe!

We have lost three consecutive away games in the Premier League for just the second time under Mauricio Pochettino, previously doing so in November 2017. As for Southampton, they have now won twice against 'big six' opposition in the Premier League at home under Ralph Hasenhuttl (three games) - they didn't manage any wins against them under Claude Puel, Mauricio Pellegrino and Mark Hughes combined (14 games).

Harry Kane's 200 career goals feature 180 at club level and 20 for England. I suppose that is something to take away from the match, but scoring such goals and coming away with nothing doesn’t cheer anybody up. He has also netted in each of his last five Premier League appearances against Southampton for Spurs (seven goals), including in each of the three games at St. Mary's in this run. That is just some statistics, how that helps us precisely, I don’t know… or even Kane… more so if he walks away at the end of this season with nothing again. Somewhere along the line, he must be thinking; ‘Really! Is staying at Spurs worth it?’

But there is always next time, and let us not forget the new stadium. It all could end happy-clappy with us winning the Champions League and a top four place, but then if we do win the Champions league then a top-four spot isn’t that important, as winning the said trophy puts us back into that competition next season… and next season will be a whole new ball game. In other words, we start all over again, at least in a new stadium.

Hopes and optimism make one’s dreams go that a bit further. Reality just drags one back. Oh, to be a Spurs supporter in our enlightened times.

Don Scully