Iss’a funny ole game…

So we’re not going to win the league this year. I’ve not really been under any illusions that we would. Since the first home game of the season when we threw away a 2 goal lead to allow Stoke back in the game. Since we lost at home to Newcastle. And since we failed to see out the win last week against West Brom. And I’m always a little pessimistic where football’s concerned. Don’t know why, I’m not generally a pessimistic person, but football, Spurs, winning things… its hard.

But the season has been more than brilliant. Its been magnificent. We have a quite amazing team filled with unsung heroes. Though the songs are being sung a little louder lately than they previously were. We’ve played with assurance, with confidence, with amazing style and grace all year. Its been a joy to watch. And results. We’ve had fantastic results from games we’d previously have had no chance. We’re resilient, strong and have a team spirit matched only by that of Leicester.

And we’ve been good boys. Strong but clean. We’ve kept tempers in check, been physically assertive but never dirty.

Until last night. As if all the violence missed out on in the previous 35 games had all been saved up, put into storage. And allowed to grow. Last night it just exploded.

Personally, I can think of no team more worthy of having the shit (literally) kicked out of them than Chelsea. But there’s a price to pay. 8 yellow cards for Spurs players. How all 11 were still on the pitch at the end of the game is as much miracle as mystery. At half time, when we were winning and relatively happy, I wrote a text to send to assorted Spurs fans which read: “if this finishes with all 22 on the pitch, I’m an anti-semite”. But the message wouldn’t send. So I’ll not be forced to join the Labour Party after all. However, all 22 players needed to be there so the fighting which continued down the tunnel and into the dressing rooms could be evenly matched.

Chelsea were aggressively niggly, Diego Costa, pantomime-Dame extraordinaire in particular, no surprise there. But early on Danny Rose and Kyle Walker were guilty of tackles/GBH that would normally have been carded by the ref. But heh, its a London derby, let’s try and control it before waving cards around like the guys at Heathrow who guide the pilots into dock. All credit to Mark Clattenberg for trying to keep the match going.

As the FA examine the footage today, particularly the stuff the ref missed (he’s only got one pair of eyes and there were flare-ups all over the place), I don’t expect to see Eric Lamela or Mousa Dembele on the pitch for my team again this season. How Eric Dier wasn’t sent off for his second offence (in about 60 seconds) is also a modern-day miracle. Pochettino himself could face action for coming onto the pitch, but as it was only to separate Danny Rose and Willian, he may be forgiven. If he’d come on to kill someone he’d get a sideline ban.

The good (two fantastic goals by Spurs), the bad (two goals for Chelsea) and the ugly (the last 10 minutes of Tarantino-football).

Let’s not let the upset and insanity of last night mar a truly wonderful season. We need to get it together for the last 2 games. There are other teams in the league besides Spurs and Leicester.

And sincere congratulations to Leicester and in particular to the wonderful and lovable Claudio Ranieri. What an amazing achievement. Money is not yet everything in football. Not quite.

Happy Tuesday

A xxxx