Of the many matters of concern for Spurs this week, most worrying is how easily Warnock and now the lovely Chrissie Hughton have outsmarted our Andre tactically. Yesterday it was less about the lack of a striker or even Dembele’s shameful admission that the players could not get motivated for the FA Cup, and more about our inability to handle Norwich in the first half. In the end, Tottenham gradually cranked it up to some semblance of our best style and were rescued by a individual Bale goal that if it had been scored in El Clasico, a rival attraction on TV, would have been enough to secure Sky Sport’s future as people rushed to renew their subscriptions.

A run of good games before and after Christmas saw Spurs settling into a stylish, easy rhythm, by no means the finished product but a work of considerable progress. This past week has shown that we’re not quite as good as we would like to be. Last night, we set up with Defoe and Dempsey up front, Lennon and Bale wide and the full-backs raring to go. Norwich refused to play ball, or rather refused to let us have it. All this width left space in the middle. It was not just hard running and diligent pressing, they knew where to run too. Their five outnumbered us in midfield, denying Bale and Lennon the space to build momentum and then releasing runners into the gaps between our centre-halves and full-backs.

Of the two sides it was Norwich who recovered best from the indignity of FA Cup defeat. At the back, it just like old times for Spurs. As Norwich attacked, the defenders disappeared. They must have been there somewhere but I’m not sure exactly what they were up to. Norwich stretched them out of shape once too often. They had time first to cross the ball, then knock it back, a couple more players had the time for an unchallenged touch in the box before they scored a deserved opening goal.

This move marked the return of another Spurs old favourite. It all began because Dempsey lost the ball in their half. We just could not keep hold of the ball for any length of time. This match showed again the value of possession in the modern game. Without playing particularly well in the second half, we at least kept the ball better. This meant Norwich were less of a threat and allowed us to push more men forward.

The chances came eventually through erosion rather than sustained pressure. Walker came from deep, Bale had the freedom to move across the line but spent much of the half centrally.

To be fair to Villas-Boas, he adapted our tactics to make this happen but it was largely unconvincing, our efforts foundering against the massed ranks of the Norwich defence who were marshaled expertly. You sensed they were used to this sort of thing. We didn’t make much of an impression. Parker had a better second half, fetching and carrying, trying to get the pass and move going but he missed more than his share of simple passes in key areas. Dempsey’s movement was again interesting but he saw little of the ball, as did Lennon. Most disappointing was Dembele, a fine player whose combination of strength and touch is crucial to a Spurs team lacking creativity in the middle but he’s in the middle of an anonymous patch. It really shows on the whole team. Defoe missed the few chances that came his way, shooting late on when he could have more profitably passed.

Bale to the rescue. Possession can be used to draw out a packed defence. Play it around, front and back, side to side, and eventually a gap will appear. Just as it seemed we could not exploit this, Norwich had to come out because they had men up for a set piece. We found Bale inside our half. Several defenders back but enough room to get up a head of steam. He charged 40 yards upfield, at pace, with the ball under perfect control, shrugging off physical challenges as well as shredding the defence before a perfect shot from the edge of the area to the keeper’s right. I’m determined to keep saying this – I’ve never, ever seen a player like this, this big, this powerful with his touch. A remarkable goal.

We could have pinched the winner as, transformed, we swarmed forward but that would have been harsh on Norwich. Holtby appeared with an assured cameo as substitute. He certainly doesn’t lack confidence. Straight away he’s calling for the ball and suggesting to team-mates where they might move to. He seemed to be more in tune with what was going on around him than half the Spurs team. Very promising. It was also noteworthy as possibly the first time in Premier League history that a sub has come onto the pitch holding a handful of yellow post-its, which he then solemnly handed out to Parker and a couple of others. Don’t forget to pick up some milk on the way home, lads. Or maybe it was, ‘QPR for you, Fulham for you..’

Right, heads down, it’s ‘Levy get out your BACS transfer’ day. I will do everything possible to avoid it. And fail. See you on the other side.

Despite Spurs’ defeat, or perhaps partly because of it, this weekend conclusively demonstrated that the F.A. Cup is a vibrant, precious competition. At a time when the suggestion to do away with replays is being actively considered, the F.A.’s absolute priority should be to safeguard its future. The impact of the defeat sank in as the draw was made. I’m an old-fashioned fan who believes in the pursuit of trophies, of something that lasts, of moments that last a lifetime. Spurs weren’t part of that draw and it hurt.

Lax and lacklustre, this was the worst performance of the season. Our familiar weaknesses up front were cruelly exposed by lousy defending. Leeds lapped it up with two fine finishes and they worked hard to limit our opportunities, but this was largely down to us.

Misguided team selection was the core of the problem. Although we’ve done well lately, this was a painful and stark reminder of how far we still have to go. We cannot handle making too many changes all at once to the core team. Yesterday’s back five are all good players. Put them together for the first time and they were all over the place. Naughton and Caulker are still learning – it was all too much.

Remember when everyone was trying to second-guess how Villas-Boas would play? The high-line was the thing, the back four defending high up the pitch to cramp the space and style of our opponents. They didn’t like it at Chelsea, bound to go wrong at Spurs. We’ve not seen so much of it because our Andre has learned a few lessons the hard way. Yesterday afternoon, it went wrong, so very wrong. At least three times the trap was sprung. Long ball, one touch, well-timed run and two beautifully taken goals, one Friedel save.

That wasn’t all though. Vertonghen and Caulker were as poor as I’ve seen them. For the second, Caulker took the scenic route to the tackle and by the time his tour of the area was complete, Leeds were two up. Friedel and Lloris have two completely different styles of goalkeeping. The high line needs a sweeperkeeper (new word there, today TOMM tomorrow the OED) and the Frenchman should have played. In passing, several teams came to grief after changing their keeper. No consolation but it shows the value of a settled back five. 

Villas-Boas also took an unnecessarily cautious approach with two defensive midfielders, Huddlestone and Parker. Leeds can play a bit but were most effective with the long, straight ball. This not only unsettled the defence to a ridiculous degree, it took them both out of the game. They were simply bypassed, taken out of the equation with no role to play. Warnock is a master at this level – his tactics were just right.

So we were found wanting when we tried to attack. Hud kept the ball moving but lacked targets up front. Parker worked extremely hard – I had hoped his motivation would rub off on the others, but apparently not. Parker needs to make the tackle or the drive forward, then offload to someone who is more creative or can make a decisive effort on goal. This is not a criticism, just a focus on his strengths. As I said last week, it’s disconcerting to find him as the man furthest forward, yet there was little else going on ahead of him. 

Demps’ movement was decent but he missed a couple of good ones, Siggy invisible when he should have been hanging out in the box. Lennon dashed, Bale got going in the second half but to no avail. Both attacked in isolation with little support. Leeds worked hard in midfield with Brown nibbling at heels just as he did all those years ago when he toiled to keep us up in that dreadful season of Pleat as caretaker. However, when we looked for room in and around the box, we could usually find it. Did nothing with it, mind, but it was there.

We were trying to close a two-goal deficit with two DMs, Siggy doing nothing and no dedicated striker. Dembele came on but played too deep. In and around the box he’s our most creative midfielder – he can pick out his man with a pass and he has a fine shot. It’s imperative that we find a way of enabling him to play further up the field.

Strikers – we learned nothing new. We need one, a good one, or else all our efforts will be in vain. Obika moves well, he’s been well-coached clearly, but he was another who found the play passing him by. He too missed a chance with a poor first touch but that’s not the point – we should not be going into a match like this with an unproven young player as the only sub striker. If the rumours about Defoe’s injury are true, we are in plenty schtuk.

Striker and midfielder have been on the list since the end of last season. The damage was done in August, now it’s the worst time to buy but no more about the transfer window until it’s over. In any season I want Spurs to have a right good go at the cups, especially the FA Cup. Another opportunity wasted by self-inflcited wounds.

Cheer yourself up: The Tottenham Shop sell all manner of interesting and unusual Spurs memorabilia and have kindly offerred an exclusive 10% discount for Tottenham On My Mind readers http://thetottenhamshop.com/ and code tottenhamonmymind. Very kind of them to be sure.

Playing Manchester United at home is one of the benchmark matches of the season. It’s a guide to how we rate at the top end of the market, more accurate than playing Ars**al or Ch**sea because it’s intensely competitive without the frantic mayhem of a derby. Spurs came out of it rather well.  Not a classic by any means – our flowing passing game was totally absent in the first half, but this is Man U, nobody gets going against them. Instead, we found a few workarounds to problems that in the past would have seemed unfathomable. We’ve played better but the point is, we kept playing and eventually were rewarded. Keep that up and we’ll be rewarded at the end of the season too.

We deserved this point, but then again when was football ever fair? It’s not about a points victory. Fate turns on those few precious moments when opportunities appear. United took full advantage, as they do. One down to a superb header, a reminder if any were needed of the value of a top quality striker as focal point and finisher.  YES I KNOW he used to play for Them, and that we could have marked better. However, the accuracy of the cross, two stabbing steps backwards and the power of a header, falling backwards, just inside the post. There must be one like that out there, somewhere. Soon come, or else this promise could go to waste.

In the past we would have genuflected to the dominance of our superiors. Instead, we gradually cranked it up and put United on the back foot. We created two golden chances and missed them, two fatal self-inflicted blows or so it seemed. On the Shelf, it was obvious – we were never going to score. Then Lennon pounced on a loose ball. His quick cross sped across the box and Dempsey popped up on the end of it. He’d had a mare of a match and if I had had my way would have been substituted long before his moment of glory, but like the determined pro he is, he somehow put behind him his ghastly miss at the start of the half to keep his head when this second chance presented itself.

USA! USA!s story summed up our afternoon. We put the stuttering first half behind us, 45 minutes that put our limitations on public display.  Plenty of possession but little punch when it mattered, our efforts petering out as we neared the United box. Bale, two men on him, wriggled and writhed but could not break free. Wandering inside, no one could give him the ball and like the rest of them he was swallowed up by United’s massed ranks. Parker toiled in vain, driving on from the midfield, utterly focused on lifting spirits and leading by example. such a fierce glint in his eye when he goes in for a tackle. He ran and ran but he needs someone to pass to when he gets upfield and too often we stood and watched him toil. Parker as the most advanced man is wrong – if only Dembele had taken up those positions instead. I missed Sandro, but then I always do. Out for the season, anyone but him.

 

United play as if they have something in reserve. Even when they defend, it appears as if this is how they want it to be, before they break free. It took me a while to realise how much of the play was in their half. Searching for a way round, we realised, or our manager realised, that if there are two men on Bale then there must be space elsewhere. As the match wore on, Lennon came into it more and more. In this his best season for Spurs, he’s getting better and better. His turn to leave Evra tackling thin air then find Defoe in the heart of the box was dazzling. But Defoe took a touch and the moment was gone.

No matter. Azza kept buzzing away at the United defence like a wasp around a jampot. He’s finally realised that the ball can be his friend. He nurtures it now, caressing and persuading it to do his bidding rather than letting it tame him. The way he holds out both arms when he passes always looks like an involuntary movement caused by a medium-voltage electric charge running through his body. However he does it, he’s mastered a way to stand the ball up at the far post or pass the ball low into the box. His greatest strength undermined all his efforts in the past. How is it physically possible to cross or pass accurately when you run at the speed of sound? He has to slow the legs down to normal speed before doing anything else. Now, he understands his body. Once that is under control, so is the ball.

There was a lot of AVB love around in the papers this past week with both the Independent and Guardian offering positive pieces that covered what the fans already know, that in Villas-Boas we have a shrewd, hard-working leader who has won over the players and is able to get the very best from them. He’s totally dedicated to the club. I suggested before the season began that he is not only desperate to prove himself, the only way he can do so is through his team. He is not interested in personal glory or in pi**ing contests with other managers. Rather, his vindication comes by his team playing good football and being successful. Our team.

The previous incumbent of the post has a reputation for looking after players but just ask Bent, Pav, Gomes or Bentley, literally frozen out in the middle of Russia, what happened if he thought you did not fit in. Now, I can’t recall a time when so many good news stories are emerging from the club. When AVB was appointed, the media were determined that he was the story. Now, it’s his team.

Dawson says he was given a chance even though he could have left, and the boss has realised what he can do. Dempsey has had an inconsistent start, to put it politely, yet is burning to play. This manager lavishes time, care and attention on his charges and they are responding. That’s proper man-management. Being this open is not easy. He could hide away in his office, instead he’s highly visible on the training pitch and in the dressing room. Many leaders retain their authority by remaining aloof. There’s no debate, their word is gospel. Villas-Boas chooses the more difficult option, but by staying open and accessible he places faith in his methods and in the players’ abilities to put them into practice. In return, he inspires loyalty and comittment. This leadership is one that sets targets and a vision that is for the good of everyone, that empowers players who discover in themselves their true ability and retain it, as opposed to relying on someone else to motivate. It’s a feeling that lasts and it can do nothing but good for the club. Not AVB as an individual, but to the club.

In contrast, the media coverage yesterday has all been about one individual as Fergie exerts his customary influence on the football news agenda. It was all about him, telling tales on a linesman who denied a penalty appeal. It obscured the suggestion that he may have been at fault. United frequently use the ploy of bringing on attacking players later in the match to defend by taking the game to their opponents. By the end, Welbeck, Rooney, Valencia and Van Persie were all on display. If he had done his homework, he would know Spurs don’t like being restricted. These substitutions opened up the space just at the moment we were upping our pressure. It was a mistake.

It was suggested by someone close to me who I’m sure only had my welfare at heart, that the advice from the police not to travel

unless absolutely necessary was less of a public service announcement and more a direct and personal instruction for me. But I had decided so was compelled to go, albeit with a workaround of my own to drive 50 miles on main roads only. Hearing that the game could be called off reminded me of the futility of it all. All that way, for nothing. These days there is no way of taking an educated guess as to the state of the ground. In the old days it was about frozen pitches, shovelling snow and orange balls but now it’s all technology, undersoil heating and part grass part plastic pitches. So on we drove, without frankly a second thought.

I969 or 1970, my mum had promised to take me to Spurs versus Leeds. It snowed. I rang the Supporters Club. At 1pm it was on, the only match in London to take place. I suspect my dear old mum was hoping it would be called off, but she had promised and I was determined, so eventually by bus, tube and bus again, in the freezing cold, we made it. 40 plus years on, I’m still the same, the boy’s heart still beats faster when it comes to being there, with this as with nothing else I am determined. It would have been enough just to see the game, but Clint, my man, a special thanks for being there too.