Mauricio Pottechino, Spurs esteemed head coach, can understand the frustration of Spurs fans because ‘we are still 3 points off the Champions League places’. We’re also 5 points off the relegation places, thanks only to a rather messy win at Villa Park yesterday. But Mauricio’s cup is indeed half full, and that’s not counting the other cups. The Primark Bank of Bengal League Cup and the Europa Other Cup. He is veritably runneth over with cups.

We (notice, following my threats of abandonment just yesterday, my team have now become first person once more, my blood, my brothers, my life) played brilliantly against Villa. Ok, we didn’t. We were shit and I’m reverting to a place of delusionment and optimism following my manager’s words of encouragement and ‘positives’. We won. 2 set pieces. The first that Villa forgot how to defend at the far post, and the second which took a ‘mild’ deflection on the way in. Fortunately though, they both still counted. And yes, Villa had to give us a one man advantage to even get that far. But that’s fine. Christian Benteke must learn that you can’t go around being violent on a football field and get away with it. Unless you’re wearing a Manchester United shirt. Then ya can.

Our team is worthy of consideration. The most positive thing you can say about our back four is that there are indeed four of them. I counted. At a time when Younis Kaboul was actually present, mind and body, on the pitch and hadn’t drifted to thoughts of whether his Virgin Galactic flight will ever come good. Well he must have been thinking of pretty serious things whilst repeatedly losing the plot in the first half.

Then we have the liabilities. Capoue. Even the once-reliable Vertongen. Eric Lamela, who came on as a sub. And does two things. He is a superb attacking midfielder. Classy, cool, concise, considered. Then he’s a dangerously bad defensive midfielder; wasteful, risky and a penalty-magnet in the wrong sense. He gives them away. Them and free-kicks in dangerous places. Yet he is capable of making the ‘killer pass’ through a defense. A wonderful skill that Ericsson once possessed but seems to have left it in Denmark last summer. Soldado plays a clever ball too. Which is not his main job. But more a part-time hobby as his main job, that of striker, is a bit on the quiet side at the moment.

Emmanuel Adebayor is Emmanuel Adebayor. There’s nothing more needs to be said about his goals, his lack of goals, his skill, his stupidity, his brilliance. He is what he is. You always know what you’re going to get with Adebayor. Which is never knowing what you’re gonna get.

And then there’s our (new) Harry. The Kane one. And Harry scores goals. Not usually in the league, but that’s only because he doesn’t normally play in the league matches. And he brings enthusiasm, movement, endless running, maximum effort and quite often, the goals that result from such hard graft. And we love him. He’s even got a proper name. ‘Arry Kane. Its a Roy of the Rovers name, its an England team circa 1949 name. Its as British as Chicken Tikka Massala. And although Harry has what my mate Spurs Paul once described as: ‘the first touch of a rapist’ (no insult to Robin van Persie, who was acquitted on all charges), and he lacks finesse, we love him. Particularly as we are not awash with goalscoring options of late.Damien Camolli decided that he wasn’t prepared to ‘waste’ any of that 100 million quid on ‘just’ strikers, and he knows best.

The Manchester derby? The hateful against the hated? Who gives a shit? Awful game marred only by a truly fantabulous goal.

Happy(ish) Monday

A xxxx