Ok, let’s talk football. Again. Its safe this week. Spurs won. And, much as last time we won, it was away from home and against 10 men. Fine by me. We’ll take those points and put them in the bank, ta very much.

My problem is that, much as I try to be this impartial commentator on the beautiful game, much as I seek objectivity in my view of the footballing world, try to present a balanced and fair assessment of events of a Premiership nature, it just becomes impossible after a win.

Yesterday was a celebration of my father’s 90th birthday. Quite a feat really, for a wonderful man. And as we left the restaurant at about ten past four, word emerged that Spurs were already a goal down. On the way home I missed the entire first half, one in which apparently we struggled, were unproductive and against better finishing would have been 2 or 3 down. The fact that their goal was scored by Spurs old-boy Jake Livermore, who’d never scored in a Spurs shirt, was not lost on too many of the faithful.

So, already half-depressed (or, ‘first-half-depressed’ as is now common among Spurs fans) I sat to watch the rest of the game. And Spurs, for once, came out firing. This is the first ‘positive’. We came out and attacked them. No fiddling round with boot-laces, no stretchy yawns, no last minute tweets, just focussed play. And we looked quite good, particularly Erikssen and Lamela. And then disaster struck.

Well, not so much ‘disaster’ for us, more ‘a very very good thing’ as Gaston Ramirez, a foreigner playing for a northern club, was sent off for an appalling act of violent petulance on Jan Vertongen. And although Steve Bruce, the Hull manager, felt a red card to be excessive punishment for the crime, he’s the guy’s manager; what else would he feel? But whatever; Hull down to 10 men. At which point I’d have to agree that the game became a touch one-sided, other than a few breaks by Hull. The other 84% of possession for the half was ours. And inspired by the wonderful Christian Erikssen yet again, we equalised then won in the last minute. Only because its better value for the spectators to win in such a style. Trouncing them 7-1 wouldn’t have been fair nor interesting to watch.

And this is where my objectivity leaves me. Because on Saturday Arsenal lost. And West Ham lost. Then just before we played Liverpool lost too. All of which combined to make me a very happy man.

Happy monday, happy birthday, Dad,

A xxxx