Evil Spurs fluke their way into last 16

"Go on, touch it. I've put the safety on."

Football on a Friday night? It's just not cricket. Perhaps that was the reason for Tottenham's utterly distasteful performance at Vicarage Road as they scraped past a plucky Watford. If you were to believe the general theme of the commentary and post-match media reports, you'd be forgiven for thinking Spurs arrived in north west London, rudely parked their giant team coach wherever they chose, shaped to headbutt anyone and everyone on their way in and spend the entire game cheating and coercing the ref into allowing them victory. Such was the strength of support Watford had garnered by stringing together a couple of chances.

Fair enough, Spurs were pretty atrocious. Possession seemed to be a naughty word that the away side weren't allowed to mention or believe in as they spent much of the game giving the ball away and playing absurd Hollywood passes that had little chance of succeeding. More Borehamwood than Hollywood. Watford, to their credit, did play some attractive stuff and they had their chances to score, for sure. But those chances were surely born out of Spurs' defensive inadequacy more than anything else.

Walker and Rose were entrenched in a game of who can give the ball away more (with Walker's saving grace being that he actually worked to get the ball back once he'd lost it). Modric was so off colour, he may as well have been playing in the 1930s (Ah Motty: "For those of you watching in black and white, Spurs are playing in all yellow."). The Adebayor and Defoe partnership gave a frighteningly accurate impression of the Pavlyuchenko and, erm, Defoe partnership - in that they were pretty much useless and appeared completely uninterested. van der Vaart felt compelled to pump long diagonal balls across the park but failed to realise they'd only be worthwhile if they went to another Spurs player.

All in all, it was a forgettable display. Livermore impressed, Kaboul was given a bit of a runaround by Marvin Sordell but was otherwise a calm presence and Cudicini was safe between the posts but, on the whole, it was a distinctly un-Tottenham performance. Much like the scheduling of the game, it just didn't feel right.

Cue the peculiar reaction of the nation's media. They just stopped short of calling for the entire Watford playing squad to receive knighthoods and demanding van der Vaart's head on a plate but headlines along the lines of 'lucky Spurs scrape through', 'brave Hornet heroes denied by Spurs scum' and 'REVEALED: Tottenham responsible for world famine' have been prevalent (the second one might have been made up (so might the third one)). Let's not sit here and take anything away from Watford, of course. They gave a great account of themselves and refused to roll over but can we also be honest? They had the better of the game against an incredibly off-colour Spurs side. Nothing more.

One has to hope that performance levels will raise come tomorrow night when Wigan come a-calling. Let's have a little more 9-1 and a little less last season's 1-0 reverse please. League points are at a premium, especially when we haven't won in two games and this represen.... hang on. We've been drawn against Stevenage in the Cup 5th round!? Well, why didn't you say!?

Fellow TBFWHL blogsworth and all-round nice guy Jamie Dunn is a bit of a Stevenage resident and I'm here to report to you all that the draw has gone down extremely nicely with him. Split loyalties? Behave yourselves. He's Spurs through and through. Aren't you Jamie? Mate? Hello?

Can The Fighting Hotspur see off Roberto Martinez's embattled outfit The Perennial Strugglers? Find out on Tuesday night and stay tuned to this humble and honest blog for reaction and outspoken opinion.

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The cruellest twist of fate of them all

The great irony here being that if it was Peter Crouch, it 100% would have gone in

Football, the great reducing force in all our lives. If Jermain Defoe had stretched for that Bale cross just a millisecond earlier, we'd all be headed to work this morning without that overbearing sense of melancholy that you're probably still feeling. As it is, we're left with that familiar sense of being hard done by, mixed in with a generous helping of what might have been. In the battle of the Premier League's two newest forces, it was Man City who greedily snatched the spoils.

Yet, for all the "we'll score when we want" bleating from their fans, the result hinged on the decision from Howard Webb to ignore a repulsive stamp by City's last minute penalty scorer Mario Balotelli on Scott Parker. The offence was worthy of a straight red in itself and Balotelli was already on a yellow. But Webb's failure to act, just as he hadn't when Joleon Lescott threw a disgraceful elbow into Younes Kaboul's head, saw the Italian remain on the field before winning and converting a 95th minute penalty, after Spurs had come back from 2-0 down to level the game.

The result puts City 8 points clear of Spurs - a gap that seems impregnable at the moment and one that reduces Tottenham's title ambitions. That said, it's still only January and we've clawed back a greater deficit than this in the first half of the season. As Redknapp is constantly at pains to suggest, it's not impossible.

It is, however, improbable. Just as the situation had seemed for Spurs after two goals in three minutes put City two up at the start of the second half. Tottenham, as is their way, defiantly refused to go down easily as they may have done in days gone by. Defoe capitalised excellently on a mistake from Stefan Savic before rounding Joe Hart and finishing into an empty net. It was a tough afternoon for Defoe, who took his goal superbly but struggled to really be a force. It was further proof that he doesn't really fit into the free-flowing 4-4-1-1 or 4-2-3-1 that Spurs have used so effectively all season.

Minutes later, it was all square and we had the outstanding Gareth Bale to thank. Lennon cut inside from the left with seemingly few options but his cut back to Bale was dispatched first time from 30 odd yards towards Hart's goal. The ball curled and dipped perfectly over the keeper's reach and into the back of the net and Spurs, having looked all at sea moments before, were level and in the ascendancy.

Bale continued to torment City, ripping their defence to shreds with pace in a manner scarily similar to his clinical dismantling of Internazionale last season. And it was he who so nearly set up Tottenham's last minute winner - he burst down the left with Defoe unmarked in the centre, beat his last man, put the cross past Hart and left Defoe with what seemed like the simplest of finishes. But as the little striker stretched, he found he wasn't long enough and his connection with the ball wasn't as good as it needed it to be. It was all very Paul Gascoigne at Euro '96. Should he have scored? Without wanting to sound harsh on JD, yes. For such an instinctive finisher, it's a mystery as to why he didn't stretch just a fraction earlier. If the ball goes in, we win the game. It's as simple as that.

The ball was hoofed up field by City as quickly as our hope had turned to despair. The previously faultless King got in a tangle with Balotelli and Webb had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. And the rest, as they say, is now history.

But the fact that Balotelli shouldn't have been on the pitch will rankle for a fair few months to come. You can watch it over and over again and no-one can convince this humble blogsworth that it was anything other than a cruel and deliberate stamp from a footballer that causes far too many ludicrous headlines for him to ever be taken seriously. It was malicious, it was hateful and it has absolutely no place in the game.

I've seen some try to defend Balotelli, claiming that his reaction (he showed concern for Parker after a few seconds) is evidence of his innocence. But is it not possible that his concern isn't genuine? Is this not the same player that has stamped before? I'm sorry, I know he's 'an eccentric character' and he does a lot of humorous things off the field but to me he's just an attention seeking thug. A tremendous player but very much a symbol of my disdain for the archetypal modern footballer.

So the Man City bandwagon rolls on to fight another day whilst the Tottenham title tilt looks to have stalled, perhaps irrevocably. Looking ahead, the only way you could see a Spurs title win is if these three things happen:

1) Man City, with little experience of how to close out a title race during the pressure months at the end of the season, begin to panic and drop points all over the shop.

2) Man Utd, who do indeed have said experience, continue to rely on Scholes and Giggs as their midfield creators and the two old-timers suffer from a lack of fitness (a long shot in the case of Giggs).

3) Tottenham take at least 7-9 points from their home game with Man Utd and away games with Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. You have to assume that they will continue to pick up enough points against the teams lower down the division as they have done all season. It's in the crunch games against those clubs closest to us that our shot at the league will be decided.

So, in the words of Axl Rose, where do we go now? Well, an immediate recovery in the league is crucial. Along with the Wolves draw, that makes it two games without a win - never before has that sounded like such a problem but our increased stature this season demands that this run goes no further. We need to put together another run of form, much like we did after the last City defeat, and ready ourselves for those games with Arsenal and Liverpool and the like.

A lengthy cup run would also be extremely welcome. Trophies are what will define a side in therms of history and if the title is to be out of reach this season, then a successful return to Wembley would at least give this fantastic team something to show off. Watford away on Friday will be tricky (much like most away cup ties) but the right combination of experienced and fringe players should do the job and then the draw gets smaller and smaller. 3rd place and an FA Cup? Erm, yes, that'd be some kind of alright.

But, for now, we're left with only the rank taste of unjust defeat and the never-ending replay of Defoe's right foot pushing the ball wide in that godforsaken 94th minute. Football, you cruel and unforgiving mistress.

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The month that was

The transformation from Bruce Banner to the Incredible Hulk still isn't an easy process to watch

Hello? Is this thing still on? Oh good, you're still here.

Apologies for the delay in regular programming but, fret not, The Boys From White Hart Lane is back from it's Christmas hiatus and is ready to rock your socks off all over again in this new year. The dynamic duo behind this blog haven't spend the entire month ignoring each other, mind - we picked each others brains regularly for nuggets of Spurs wisdom and, helpfully, the conversations have been kept for you to enjoy and muse over...

Mark: It's January. Spurs are frightening close to the top of the table. We've got an absurdly healthy lead over the chasing pack. Before we discuss the past month's happenings, I ask you now, sir: are we going to win the title!?

Jamie: Straight for the jugular eh?! At the moment, Spurs are in the title race and that can't be disputed. If they were to do the unthinkable and beat Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, then you would really have to start thinking seriously about the possibility. But I find it hard to look past City, even if they have stuttered slightly lately.

MT: The one thing that concerns me greatly going into the next month or so is the proliferation of difficult away games at strong sides. Man City away, Arsenal away, Liverpool, etc. Going back to before Christmas, I genuinely thought that, with the form we were in and the state of that Chelsea side at the time, we'd walk all over them. Confident, sexy, swaggering football over tired, misfiring and in-fighting Chelsea. But we looked a bit overawed. Despite starting like the proverbial bat out of hell, we were a little bit unstuck and didn't look anything like the all-singing, all-dancing side that we've been built up as since those painful defeats at the start of the season. Do we still suffer from a confidence problem against the bigger, reputable sides?

JD: Well, the list of away games still to come is fairly daunting, but this Spurs side has enough quality in it to avoid rolling over against the bigger sides, as the case has been in the past. It's worth remembering that Chelsea had beat City prior to that game, and what's encouraging is, despite falling flat after a strong opening salvo at White Hart Lane, Tottenham didn't lose, and in fact could have stolen a win at the death, had John Terry not blocked Emmanuel Adebayor's shot on the line. I felt that might be a chance missed at the time, but then the performance against Norwich in the following game quickly consigned the disappointment to the past. Do you think that sort of victory, two days after Christmas, was a mark of further progress?

MT: You know what, as much as that Chelsea draw disappointed me, I was equally thrilled with the way we came back at Norwich. It was a result and performance that, I reckon, could sum up our season so far. Beautiful passing, every player involved, confidence to try new things and a simply sumptuous second goal from the boy Bale. And, yes, I did mean to use three 's' words in a row there. There's something quite enchanting about Spurs in full flow, as we were that night. And what I also adore about this side is that you can see the delight and joy on the faces of each player when they score. It's as if they're genuinely over the moon for their team-mates when they're the ones who get to score. I think that's what separates us from them lot at Man City and Chelsea, where it's fairly obvious they all despise each other. I'm fairly certain I even saw Gallas crack a smile at one point...

 JD: I find it hard to believe Gallas is ever anything other than stoney-faced. Spurs - and Spurs fans - have learned to be patient this season. At White Hart Lane, you can feel the anxiety beginning to set in if the goal doesn't come early or at all in the first half. But at Carrow Road, Bale, Adebayor and Van der Vaart among others kept going and eventually broke down Norwich. The system was changed slightly in that game as well - it looked almost like a 4-3-3 at times.

MT: I have to admit that with the season of goodwill that seemed to surround us after that Norwich game, I was a bit deflated by the Swansea result and the West Brom performance. Getting a point at Swansea isn't a terrible result but I was saddened that their equaliser came so late. And, expecting us to roll over West Brom, I was concerned that we struggled to break them down. It was as if those horrendous memories from last season of Crouch, Defoe and Pav aimlessly running into each other were manifesting themselves in 2012 Spurs. Now, you know that I'm a particularly nervous fan - the slightest hint of disharmony and I'll be panicking faster than an England penalty taker. But was there a part of you that felt that we might just be about to hit a rough patch?

JD: I expected there to be a dip over Christmas, yes - who didn't? Manchester United lost to Blackburn, Sunderland beat Manchester City, and Arsenal came undone against Fulham recently, so it happens. The fact that a point against a side that have only lost one home game all season represents the extent of Spurs' blip is impressive. They didn't light up the Lane against West Brom, no. It was a fairly flat performance, but Jermain Defoe gobbled up a half chance - he must be feeling enormously hard done by this season - and Spurs held on through a nervy end. But, going away from home with Roy Hodgson in charge, West Brom were only ever going to be tough to break down, rather than actually threaten, until those final ten minutes.

MT: Is it worth even mentioning the FA Cup game? We rested key players, gave the fringe boys a chance to impress, which some of them did, and we strolled to victory. I was a little bit irked by Defoe's extremely naughty theft of a goal from Gio dos Santos in the first half. Call it 'striker's instinct' all you like but that was Gio;s goal fair and square (and a delightful goal at that) and JD stole it. I like it when JD is greedy and takes his chances but something about this didn't sit right with me. But, negativity aside, we've got Watford away next, a winnable game. I don't know about you but I seriously fancy a little cup run this year.

JD: Despite it being prioritised well below the Premier League and the Champions League for those clubs still in it, I still think any team would love to take a serious run at the FA Cup. Particularly Spurs, who have such a history in the competition, with that semi-final defeat to Portsmouth and the humbling against Fulham still stinging. Defoe and Roman Pavlyuchenko played the role of flat track bullies against Cheltenham. Pavlyuchenko has an excellent record in cup competitions. And then there was Everton. Again, Spurs were not at their fluid, free-flowing best, but they dominated for long periods after surviving an early scare, and then Aaron Lennon got on the scoresheet, which I'm sure everyone would like to see him do more often.

MT: I'm shocked, nay, staggered that you haven't taken the opportunity to wax lyrical about Benny's goal. I mean, did you see that!? He was miles out! It was that Everton win that had the best and most astute sporting minds in the country proclaiming us to be 'genuine title contenders', ignoring the fact that we've been there or thereabouts for months previously. We're playing their game now - every dropped point is scrutinised over and seen as a sign of incredible weakness, hence the ridiculous overreaction to the draw against Wolves. Yes, it was two points dropped and, yes, we could have gone joint top (temporarily) but the way some members of the press and our rival fans have reacted, you'd have thought we'd just been relegated.

JD: Assou-Ekotto's goal took a big deflection. Not even I can ignore that. The Wolves game must have been a frustrating one. Much like the Everton and West Brom games, Spurs completely controlled without punishing Wolves early on, then failed to deal with a header and were punished. Adebayor had his second legitimate goal of the season chalked off for offside, but really, after Modric equalised, they should have gone on to win that game and it just didn't happen. Lennon had a near-open goal but shot straight back at Wayne Hennessey too. Still, another game Spurs perhaps would have lost in the past after falling behind - I'm thinking Stoke, Wigan, West Ham - and while the chance to go joint top with Manchester City has gone, a victory at the Etihad would still be absolutely enormous.

MT: So, to the first of two big questions: can we and will we win at the Etihad? Our games up there over the last two seasons have taken on season-defining levels of significance and this could be yet another. A win would surely set the cat scurrying amongst the pigeons. But, seeing as they gave us the mother of all maulings at the Lane back in August, should we just aim for, at best, a draw?

JD: I'm not sure this Spurs side is capable of playing for a draw, or at least I don't think I've ever seen Harry Redknapp set them up to play for a draw - possibly to tighten up at the back during a game but never to defend for the majority. City won't have either Toure brother or Vincent Kompany, which is a huge bonus for Spurs, but Adebayor is of course ruled out due to the terms of his loan deal, so Defoe will lead the line. There was a gulf in quality at White Hart Lane; I don't expect it to be the same again because Spurs have found form, and Scott Parker. It's a monumental ask against a team with a 100 per cent home Premier League record, but to quote Redknapp himself: "It's not impossible."

MT: I agree. I still have a few doubts about the big game ability of the side, after they seemed to crumble against Chelsea last month but I'm sure they've got the belief that they can win. City aren't exactly in a rut but they've proved to be a little bit vulnerable in recent weeks and I'm praying we can exploit that. So, to the second of those questions: who do we need to sign this January and who do you actually think we'll get? I'm keen on Chris Samba - ridiculously keen. I'd also like some cover on the wing should Bale or Lennon suddenly have to miss out. That Hoillett at Blackburn looks a goer. But I agree with Harry when he says there's no point signing people just for the sake of it - if they can't benefit the side then there's no point. We've already got enough players on the fringes that could do a job. Whether they're worthy of a team being billed as title runners is another matter.

JD: I'm not sure there'll be any high profile recruits over the rest of the month. Loic Remy has been scouted for a long time now, but he won't be leaving Marseille until the summer it seems, and unless Defoe were to leave - he wants to play every week after all - I can't see much changing. Only peripheral squad figures are likely to leave I would have thought. Samba would be a good signing, with Sebastien Bassong out of favour, Gallas leaving in 2013 and Ledley King surely unable to last much longer, but it's worth remembering for the long term that Steven Caulker is a Spurs player and a fantastic prospect. I'd imagine another club in more need may outbid Daniel Levy, and the same applies for Hoilett, a player of great potential, but one I doubt the chairman would want to spend around £7m for, with his contract expiring in the summer. I don't think the market is out there for someone who is going to come in and improve the squad, and represents value for money. The current setup is good enough to finish in the top four, barring a catastrophic injury crisis.

MT: Right, let's square this off with a simple prediction competition: where will Spurs finish at the end of the season? I'm saying 3rd. Whoever's furthest away buys the other man a pint (unless you say 3rd as well).

JD: Well, you've snaffled up third before I even had a chance. So to keep it interesting I'll have to go fourth. Mine's a Peroni (but other lagers are available).

Can the brave Hotspur topple the mighty Cash Machine FC? Find out from 1.30pm on Sunday.

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Chelsea at home - never a dull moment

Terry and Cole recreate a scene from 'Blades of Glory'

For many years - too many to mention - Tottenham simply could not beat Chelsea. Yes, there was the 5-1 victory at White Hart Lane in the 2002 League Cup semi-final, when everything clicked an even Sergei Rebrov scored, but in the Premier League up until 2006, it just would not happen for Spurs.

Ever since then, however, fortunes have turned for Tottenham, who are unbeaten in five home games against a Chelsea side that have rarely left the top three of the table during that period.

Here then, courtesy of TBFWHL, is a rundown of those games, which have provided more than a few memorable moments over the last five years.

Lennon breaks the curse

Tottenham 2-1 Chelsea, November 5, 2006

At first it looked ominous for Spurs, as Claude Makelele volleyed beyond Paul Robinson from outside the area for a rare goal 15 minutes in, after Ledley King had conceded a corner whilst producing one of the best interceptions you’re ever likely to see.

But Tottenham were level ten minutes later when Dawson headed a free-kick beyond Hilario, and after the interval the hosts went ahead as Robbie Keane left a dizzied Khalid Boulahrouz for dead and saw his cross deflected to Aaron Lennon, who controlled with his right foot, and curled in with his left.

John Terry was sent off for his part in what appeared an innocuous incident but Chelsea continued in search for an equaliser and nearly had it, but Arjen Robben’s effort cannoned off the woodwork.

Spurs held on though, and secured their first home league victory over Chelsea in almost 20 years, the last having come in 1987.

Agent Keane to the rescue

Tottenham 4-4 Chelsea, March 20, 2008

This game wasn’t three minutes old before Chelsea were in front through Didier Drogba, who raced into the box unmarked to head beyond Robinson, as White Hart Lane filled with echoing boos.

Not ten minutes later, Tottenham were level as Jon Woodgate climbed highest to power the ball past then-Blues shot stopper Carlo Cudicini, but Chelsea were back in front shortly after when Michael Essien stabbed home.

Ashley Cole hardly covered himself with glory shortly before the interval with a studs-out challenge to Alan Hutton’s shin and subsequent arrogance towards referee Mike Riley, but the visitors were back in front after the break through Joe Cole, whose poked effort squeezed under Robinson’s leg to make it 3-1.

Another header, this time from Dimitar Berbatov pulled Spurs to within a goal of Chelsea, and after Essien struck the post following more good work from the excellent Joe Cole, Tom Huddlestone grabbed the equaliser with a typically controlled but powerful drive.

The game was far from over and Joe Cole scored his second of the night, drilling into the roof of the net to put Chelsea in front again.

But Spurs would have the final say when a long ball forward struck the back of Ricardo Carvalho and fell into the path of Robbie Keane, whose swerving effort from 20 yards beat Cudicini with two minutes of normal time to play.

In fact, were it not for Cudicini it might have been 5-4, but the Italian thwarted Berbatov in stoppage time with an outstretched right hand. Life is funny like that sometimes.

Modric makes his mark

Tottenham 1-0 Chelsea, March 21, 2009

Spurs and Chelsea had both made managerial changes during this season, as new managers rescued their clubs from their respective crises. Tottenham only had two points after eight games when Redknapp took over, you know…

Guus Hiddink was in charge of the visitors and had kept them in the Premier League title race as well as eventually winning an FA Cup, but any hopes of a league and cup double were severely dashed on this Saturday.

Heurelho Gomes and Petr Cech were both called into action on a handful of occasions, but the deadlock was broken five minutes after half time, when Luka Modric met a Lennon pull-back on the edge of the area and slotted into the bottom left corner.

Alex hit the crossbar at the death and Hiddink’s 100 per cent record since taking charge at Stamford Bridge was over.

Modric’s reputation has gone from strength to strength ever since – as Chelsea well know.

The perfect week

Tottenham 2-1 Chelsea, April 17, 2010

In the race for a top four place, the realistic Spurs fans were eyeing a run of fixtures in April – Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United – and saying “we might just come undone there.”

But it wasn’t to be. Not shaken by their FA Cup semi-final exit at the hands of Portsmouth, Tottenham won the north London derby and carried the momentum into a clash with Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea just a few short days later.

Spurs started at breakneck speed. Modric and Gareth Bale were excellent in midfield while up front, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Jermain Defoe were causing problems and eventually, Tottenham were awarded a penalty for handball against Terry which Defoe, for all his troubles from the spot, duly converted.

Shortly before half time, Bale doubled the advantage as he jinked inside the Chelsea penalty area at pace and beat Cech at his near post with a low drive.

Terry received a second yellow card and was dismissed and Frank Lampard scored late on but time ran out for Chelsea, not that it would matter in the long run. Ancelotti would guide the Blues to the Premier League title at the end of the season, while Spurs would reach the Champions League for the first time.

The Gomes show

Tottenham 1-1 Chelsea, December 12, 2010

It all started so well for Spurs when Pavlyuchenko produced a moment of individual class – as he so frustratingly does on inconsistent occasions – to take an excellent first touch and eliminate the Chelsea defence from the equation before smashing the ball beyond Cech with his left.

Ancelotti introduced Drogba for the second half and the Ivorian made a telling impact, most notably for Chelsea’s equaliser, brushing off Dawson and powering a shot straight at Gomes, who should save, but instead let the ball out of his grasp, leaving fans at the Lane to watch it plod into the net.

But, Gomes being Gomes, the show was not over, as the Brazilian brought down Drogba in stoppage time and gifted Chelsea a penalty and a chance to claim all three points.

Gomes went left. So did Drogba, and the erratic goalkeeper was off the hook – just about - as he palmed away the spot kick for Spurs to claim a point.

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Spurs regain that winning feeling

What has two thumbs and couldn't be more desperate to leave?

Hold tight comrades, this is the serious shit now. Rejuvenated Sunderland came to the Lane on Sunday with a cunning plan to further derail our campaign after the damage inflicted by Corporal Pulis' Stoke Taskforce the week before (ably assisted by rear gunner Foy, it must be said). But, with a helping hand from the an agent from the Soviet Hotspur branch, the good ship Tottenham was dragged back on course. Now for a game of potentially titanic proportions on Thursday night: Andre Villas Boas and the Chelsea Brigade.

Roman 'Cult Hero' Pavlyuchenko's sweet right footed strike was just about enough for Spurs to seal the points against a Sunderland side that, to their credit, came to north London with the aim to win, unlike some sides this season (we're all looking at you McCleish). Bereft of Bale's warp speed down the left flank and also without the less impressive but similarly dangerous Lennon after an early injury (reports suggest he'll be out for a fair few weeks), Spurs were lacking their usual creative edge. Midfield artists Modric and van der Vaart were redeployed to cover the wide positions, nullifying Tottenham's potency.

In fact, were it not for the continued excellence of The Honourable Bradley Friedel in goal (respect your elders), we might well have been facing the prospect of conceding a goal or, whisper it quietly, losing. Thankfully, a slice of delicious combination play resulted in the half chance for Pav, which he buried in the way only he could. Modric's clever pass found VDV and his delightful reverse pass played in the Russian to break the deadlock.

Modric may have then thrown his name into the running for the race for miss of the season (let's hope his campaign ends right there) but Spurs were a notably better side after the goal and were able to close out the win with only a few horribly nervous moments. A combination of Tackles Parker, The Boy Sandro and the King of England helped Friedel to ensure the points would be going our way.

This was no vintage performance - far from it - and there's always the chance our rivals could claim this is a sign of further weakness after our first defeat in ages last weekend. But it's been said time and time again that winning ugly is a sign of title contende... Y'know what? There's no point saying it for now, we'll leave it imagination. With Chelski and those horrible, arrogant lot from down the road both dropping points, our position was further strengthened.

Speaking of Chelsea, our game with them on Thursday is just the right amount of huge. Win (as we arguably should) and we'll be in a horribly good position for the second half of the season. Lose and, erm, we'll still be in a decent position but we'll lose a bit of credibility as title cha.. Again, sorry, I just can't bring myself to say it. Not yet. Maybe on Friday.

Chelsea are vulnerable, as they always tend to be these days, with AVB hanging onto his job by a thread if you believe the rags. A possibly injured John Terry, a disillusioned and benched/beached Frank Lampard, a £50m striker who doesn't play and John Obi Mikel. Hardly the stuff to inspire fear when you've got Tackles Parker in the ranks. One player who does inspire fear is Juan Mata - his name may lend itself to some delightfully playful headlines but this guy can definitely play.

But we'll see their Mata and raise them our Modric. Coveted by Chelsea all of last summer, the wee man made very little effort to hide his desire to leave. But so far this season, he's put his head down, performed like the champion he is and kept his mouth shut. Does he still prefer Chelsea to us? Who knows. But on the strength of this season so far, his current employers are looking more like achieving something significant. A win on Thursday would consolidate that idea.

Spurs v Chelsea. King v Drogba. Adebayor v Terry. Modric v Mata. Harry v AVB. Bring it the f*ck on.
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Ditch the self-pity and move on

Younes couldn't have picked a worse time to roll out his Petr Cech impression

WWWWDWWWWWWFOY. Tottenham's remarkable run of winning form came to a shuddering end at Stoke yesterday but the controversial decisions made by referee Chris Foy left a particularly bitter taste in the mouth.

An inept first half showing from Spurs, unbecoming of a title-chasing team, had left them 2-0 and with the prospect of scaling a metaphorical mountain in order to get anything from the game. They responded in a manner more worthy of a team that hadn't lost since the middle of August but despite having the ball in the back of the net twice and having numerous cast iron penalty shouts rejected, they left the Britannia with only a 2-1 defeat and a sense of what might have been.

It would be redundant for this blog to list the various injustices from the game and become yet another voice claiming how unlucky we were. Anyone with a brain can see that poor refereeing decisions have ultimately cost us the game. It doesn't need repeating.

The harsh truth is that over the course of a 38 game season, there will be afternoons where it seems like nothing goes your way. 'Experts' will tell you that good and bad decisions tend to even themselves out thoughout the year - the theory being that for every referee-inflicted defeat, there will also be a decision-aided win. And though no-one really feels like it at present, it's important not to get too overblown on self-righteous injustice. How many times do we see Arsenal and Liverpool fans claiming that refs are out to get them and that they'd have won everything going were it not for poor decisions? Do we really want to become those types of fans?

What I found interesting and heartening was the reaction of the players on Twitter after the game. There's no telling how genuine the tweets of a Premier League footballer are - for all we know, the Spurs Press Officer was hovering over their shoulders, telling them what to write. But, assuming said tweets were indeed from the horses mouth, there was a pleasing lack of complaint coming from the players.

Kyle Walker (@kyle28walker): "Disappointed about the result was unlucky not to get anything out of it thanks to everyone who came great support as normal #wewilbouncebk"

Jermain Defoe (@IAmJermainDefoe): "Disappointed with result but have to look forward to next game great away support like always #COYS"

Emmanuel Adebayor (@Sheyiadebayor): "Very disappointed with the result. We will bounce back quickly. Its in our hands to put it right."

There was no Wilshere-style moaning about the circumstances and then dressing it up as 'banter' a few hours later. There was no screaming of injustice, guaranteed to get them a story on the Daily Mail sport website.  There was a simple acknowledgment of the facts and a willingness to right the wrongs next weekend and get another run of form going. And they all know how to spell 'disappointed' (which is nice).

It's an attitude that is, in this humble blogsworth's eyes, wholly correct and one that we as fans would do well to mimic. Complaining about Chris Foy and endlessly retweeting images of Adebayor being onside won't change what happened. Nor will raining down foul mouthed abuse on pundits when they fail to share our exaggerated sense of injustice. To attempt to immediately move on from this isn't to ignore the fact that we were robbed. But I see no good in wallowing in self pity. We've been there before (May 2006).

The message from this blog: keep calm and carry on.**Facebook|Twitter**

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Scintillating Spurs batter Bolton

RIP Gary Speed

For a few hours on Saturday, Tottenham were second in the Premier League, until Phil Jones scored the only goal of a turgid affair between Manchester United and Aston Villa.

But if Spurs continue to turn in the sort of sumptuous performance that secured a 3-0 win against Bolton at White Hart Lane on Saturday and a sixth successive Premier League win, what’s to say Harry Redknapp’s side can’t flirt with the highest reaches of the top flight for at least a little while longer?

Tottenham were explosive and on the front foot from the first whistle, and it took only six minutes for Gareth Bale to open the scoring, as the Welsh winger darted in at the near post to flick home Luka Modric’s corner, wheeling away to pay tribute to his compatriot and former Bolton man Gary Speed, by raising his customised boot to the Wanderers crowd. It was one of many salutes to the departed former Wales manager on an emotional day for British football.

The major talking point of the game followed shortly after as Gary Cahill, still a target for Spurs, was put under pressure by a combination of Scott Parker and Emmanuel Adebayor and relinquished the ball to his international team-mate before hauling him down 45 yards from goal. According to Stuart Attwell it was an offence worthy of a straight red card and Bolton were somewhat harshly reduced to 10 men, making an already ominous start look all the more intimidating for the visitors.

Had it not been for Jussi Jaaskelainen, it might have been a lot worse for Bolton before the interval. The Finnish veteran thwarted Adebayor on several occasions in the first half, as the Togolese combined with Bale and Parker regularly but saw the opposition goalkeeper keep him at bay three times in the first half.

Jermain Defoe, who started in place of Rafael van der Vaart, was left equally frustrated by Jaaskelainen in the opening 45 minutes, twice seeing close range efforts kept out. The striker looked sharp despite a lack of regular playing time and even in the absence of the Dutch playmaker - on the substitute’s bench as he continues to recover from an injury – Tottenham’s attacks were fluid, the movement between the attacking players as impressive as it has been all season.

Just five minutes after the break, Defoe was involved as Spurs doubled their lead. Kyle Walker, full of running throughout, launched a counter-attack and passed to the striker, who shifted the ball to his left, where Aaron Lennon collected, shuffled past two defenders and fired past Jaaskelainen.

That Lennon popped up on the left hand side is testament to how free-form and interchangeable Tottenham’s front line has become. Lennon and Bale are effective on either flank and able to occupy the space left by Van der Vaart behind the striker should he drift wide, while thus far, both Adebayor and Defoe have been more than willing to drop deep and collect the ball if needed. The excellent base of Modric and Parker allows it all to tick.

Defoe finally had a goal to his name when Bale met another Modric corner and flicked the ball into the 29-year-old’s path, leaving him with the simplest of tap-ins and putting the game beyond any possible doubt.

Spurs could have had more as Jaaskelainen saved from Parker again, while Defoe saw another shot kept out before hitting the near post, but three goals proved to be more than enough as Redknapp’s charges extended their unbeaten run to 11 league games – the draw away to Newcastle the only relative blot in the copybook.

The current Tottenham team is producing some of the finest football seen at White Hart Lane in recent history, while the exploits of Modric and Bale evoke memories of David Ginola in his pomp or Paul Gascoigne’s inspirational performances in the 1991 FA Cup run. The younger among us dare not compare this squad to any of Bill Nicholson’s trophy-winning assemblies. Not yet at least. Not without the return of some silverware.

There are still difficult tests to come before the halfway point in the season, including the dreaded trip to the Britannia Stadium and the visit of Everton, who were good value for a point at White Hart Lane last season, while Chelsea, for all their apparent frailties, are still no pushovers.

For now though, Tottenham sit comfortably third, with a game in hand over United offering the chance to potentially move into second. Spurs fans, for the time being, can at least dare to dream.

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