So
near, but so far
I
am sure you don’t want me to delve into the ins and outs of our UEFA Champions
League final? There have already been enough tears shed over it. I feel that we
had been robbed (the penalty is a good starter). But nothing I say will change
the pain in our hearts.
Before
the match it was all brilliant, so much to look forward to… Now the season has ended and we must pick
ourselves up and look at the positives; such as finishing in the top four (not
so much thanks to us, but the poor performances of the two shamefaced reds that
occupy corners of Manchester and London). Next season, it must be printed on
our report cards that we either try harder or suffer the consequences of
failures. We can’t always pray that one of the other top 5 clubs will have a
bad hair day.
Daniel
Levy needs to fill our new stadium with smiling and happy supporters, and that
can only be achieved with success on the field.
I
am not going to speculate on who is coming in as this will be equivalent of
pissing in the wind. But who should or will go? Alderweireld and Eriksen want
fresher and greener pastures. Trippier hasn’t performed as well as he did in
the World cup last summer. Lamela, also known as the Dancing Queen, is on the
way out, if not in mind, then indeed body. Vorm is gone, Janssen is not needed
and Nkoudou, Llorente and Onomah will probably be put on the slag heap. There
will likely be others putting their heads above the parapet and will try to go,
but that will depend on Pochettino and Levy’s determination to keep them.
I
can’t see the manager going. He hasn’t actually won anything yet and still
needs to prove himself. The likes of Real Madrid and United won’t give him the
luxury of time. If he doesn’t hit the road running, then he will be thrown out,
head first. And why would he want to go? He is a builder, clubs like I mentioned,
are buyers and those players will be temperamental. They aren’t going to take
shit from him (i.e. doing it his way). They will say, “this is what I am, this
is what the club bought me for, now go and jingle my balls”.
I
am sure that Pochettino will challenge Daniel Levy and will say that his vision
needs the money and if it is not forthcoming then he must fly with the birds.
And what do birds do? They shit from a great height.
Since
Pochettino came to the club in 2012/13, where he finished 5th, it
has been all up, but without the trophies. He achieved all top four spots (3rd,
2nd, 3rd and now 4th). He has inhabited every
position in the top four, apart from 1st. Is that his next stop? If
it is he needs, not only a good 11 players, but a good squad/ back up. It was
the squad/ back up that let him down for the season just gone.
One
of the criticism’s levelled at Pochettino is that he doesn’t regard the
domestic cups importantly enough. His eyes are focused on UEFA Champions League
and a top-four spot. To the fans, the FA Cup and League Cup are just as
prestigious, and of course, they are much-needed silverware. Maybe Ardiles and
Villa should take him to one side and tell him what winning the FA Cup can do
for him, Levy and the fans. And if that doesn’t convince him then they could
show him their medals and sing the song about “Totting-ham”. If that doesn’t
convert him, then nothing will.
As
for the Champions League, of course. It is there to be conquered and conquered
it can be. If the league failures Liverpool can come back a second time then
there is no reason we can’t…
Since
the demolition of White Hart Lane and the Phonix rising from the ashes, we have
shown what could be possible. This season has been a memorable one. Next season
can be even better. Over to you, Pochettino and Levy. The world and his wife
are waiting. We are waiting, to etch our names in the history books, alongside
our past FA Cup winners (8), the Double winners, The European club winning
teams (Cup winners’ Cup & 2 UEFA cups), League cup winners (4), Charity
Sheilds (7), and not to mention two, yes, two Second division titles (my knees
are trembling just thinking about it).
We
have our past history, now we just need the future.
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