Ok, football is suddenly back on the agenda. No idea why, just one day the world is depressing and dire and football is a total waste of time and energy and then, ka-boom! it re-enters life in the most dominating and demanding fashion.

It was a shitty 7 days. We were 2-nil up against West Ham in the nothing-cup and cruising. Then managed to lose 3-2. Four days later we went to Old Trafford and got beat again by United. A different United from the Carling/Watling/Bass/Heineken/Carlsberg Cup one. All grim, all bad, all sorry for oneself.

And not the best way to prepare for the biggest game of the century. The biggest match everrrrr. The home game against the mighty, the all-conquering, the twice-running European champions, Real Madrid. We’d done brilliantly well to hold them to a draw at the Bernabau 2 weeks ago and I was prepared for some kind of revenge thing. Though this time we had Dele Alli back from his suspension. Which proved somewhat important.

And Spurs were just magnificent. Simply brilliant. Cruising to a 3-1 win, only conceding Ronaldo’s conciliation goal in the 80th minute.

I missed it all. Was out stuffing my face somewhere local where the food comes BIG. The first time I checked we were 2-0 up, 63 minutes. Oh my. I dribbled pulled brisket all over my phone, had to get an extra napkin to wipe it, after I’d licked to the food off. Too good to waste. Then I checked again with one hand, the other was holding Mel’s spoon-hand from the chocolate fudge cake and ice cream we were ‘sharing’. 3-nil. Then it refreshed, 3-1. 80 minutes and panicking now. There’s no Spurs fan anywhere who ever feels confident about holding onto a lead. To many horrible memories. Even when we were 9-1 up against Wigan I was praying for a quick end in case they stole 9 goals in the remaining 2.3 minutes.

Not this time. 3-1 it ended. Two from Dele and one from Eriksen. And so Real Madrid, who hadn’t lost a Champions League group match since 2012, lost at Wembley.

Toby Alderweireld went off with a dodgy hamstring, which is a massive loss. And yet Eric Dier slipped seamlessly into the back 3, Sissoko came on in the holding role and they barely missed a beat. I love that. Not the injury but the depth in quality and versatility. Walker fucks off to Manchester City, Danny Rose gets injured and Trippier and Davies just improve ten-fold. Jan Vertongen was apparently humungous at the back.

And I love them all. I love everyone today.

Happy Thursday

A xxxx