As someone once said, of all the things in the world that aren’t important, football is the most important of all. Since I was a kid, Tottenham Hotspur have been a significant part of my life. Unlike my relationships, I’ve had the chance to leave but never wanted to. For me, a Spurs win lifts my mood and makes me a better person, until the next game comes around and the butterflies in my stomach return as kick-off is near. Shouldn’t be that way, but there it is.

My goodness me how I have missed it. I like to make up my own mind about things but having consumed Spurs through the media this past month, it’s interesting to see what they think of us. I don’t want an obsequious media, drooling over Pochettino’s views in the same way they fawn over Mourinho’s contemptuous invective, but while we get a good press, we don’t get the credit we deserve. Because Spurs are “a big club” (whatever that means exactly) there is an expectation that we will do well not shared by supporters to anywhere near the same extent. This is the youngest team in the PL punching way above their weight, full of young British players several of whom are home-grown. You’d think that would be more of a story. Leicester’s heroics have overshadowed that to a large extent, and good luck to them by the way.

However, the radio has conveyed a sense that Spurs will keep going. Listening to both the Palace and Everton games on 5 Live, we went a goal down but just kept on playing, undeterred. It’s a good feeling to have.

In the words of soul legend Solomon Burke, she’s mean to me, she’s so bad for me, but when she touches me, nothing else matters. As others tire of the game, exhausted by the shabby, dismissive way supporters are treated, by the money, the greed, the hypocrisy, the incompetence of those who run it in England and across the world, so I grow to love my club more. Being there is what matters to me and I was glad to be at the Lane yesterday. Joy and relief in the stands when the goal went in. I joined in the singing, then stopped to listen, look around and take it all in. The whole ground full of song, the noise echoing in the roof and in my ears, rhythmic clapping rippling around the stands.

The goal when it came was worth waiting for, not only a thing of considerable beauty but also an illustration of how far this team has come. Spurs clean out an untidy ball in the corner not by whacking it upfield, perfectly acceptable though that option is, but by a spot of head tennis to keep possession at all costs. Kane comes deep to help out. Still in our half, a cushioned lay-off, his trademark touch, to a stampeding Dembele who surges 20 yards onwards. Not so long ago, he would have waited and taken it sideways.

Dembele pauses, here’s Alli just on as sub, to take it further. Outside of the foot cross, confident, precise, bisects keeper and defenders. This effort takes several Spurs attackers deep and should leave us short, but here’s a full-back, Trippier, at the far post to gleefully tuck it in. He’s run 80 yards from the edge of his own box to get there. The whole thing took, what, 15 seconds.

Trippier was marked by Capoue, one of the old guard who by all accounts did not buy into Pochettino’s regime, aka wouldn’t put the hard work in. The Frenchman half-heartedly goes with his man but could not be arsed to run the extra yard or so that would have prevented this goal. That’s why he no longer plays for us.

Even allowing for their self-imposed lack of ambition, Watford were pressed back into their half for extended periods. Never mind the shot and corner stats, the number crunchers could have added ‘times in the opposition half’, such was our dominance. They kept it very narrow and tight, denying space with 10 or 11 men behind the ball. It’s something we’ll have to get accustomed to.

Spurs combated this by attacking at a high tempo from the start and sustaining this until we went ahead. Despite the blanket defence, we made more chances in this match than in any I can remember for ages, 5 or 6 good opportunities in the first half. Pochettino’s system asks a lot of the full-backs, probably why he’s sought quality cover on both flanks as a priority. Trippier and Davies, nominally the second choice pairing, did not disappoint. Three times in the first half, Davies closed in on the goal with menace and intent. Three times Gomes saved low down to his left. He kept Watford in the game and was their star man by a street. Kane and Chadli missed good chances too.

Tottenham came out after half-time and upped the pace, if that were possible. Now it was Trippier’s turn to feature. Time and again he burst down the right and his crosses posed a danger every time. Spurs launched a determined assault on the Watford goal, 15 minutes of relentless brilliance that produced several chances and a definite penalty when Gomes, reverting to behaviour so familiar to Spurs fans, clumsily fell into the back of Kane’s legs. Eriksen and Trippier excelled, Lamela, who had a reasonable game, missed a great chance and helped create others. Then the goal, significantly one of the few times Spurs shifted the defence right out of shape. It was more like an away goal, hitting on the break, which is why we have such a good away record – it’s a style that suits.

Not so long ago you would have had more chance of convincing me that the earth is flat, people can walk up the side of buildings and next year we’ll all get around by using jetpacks than persuading me that Spurs have the best defensive record in the Premier League. Yesterday, for all the sustained attacking, Alderweireld showed once again that he is the main reason why. Alert and strong, he snuffed out most of Watford’s efforts before they got anywhere near Lloris, who did not have to make a save all afternoon. He’s in charge, of the opposition and his own defence, organising and pointing. Wimmer looks promising, in the same mould. He accomplished the best single piece of defence, stretching to intercept a curling cross and heading it back to Hugo.

Dembele was outstanding in the first half. In terms of the extent to which he lifts the team’s performance, he remains the most influential midfielder in the league. Trippier wins man of the match. Eriksen as I said was excellent too. Dier was not only strong as usual but kept the attacks moving with a series of firm, straight first-time passes from the back. I prefer Son to Chadli and Lamela because of his greater impact in the box, and I would have started him/brought him on sooner.

Talented though these individuals are, the team’s the thing. I’ve not seen a Spurs manager have such an impact on the team since Billy Nick. Burkinshaw deserves great credit for his achievements, more so than he receives. His is a lasting legacy, Pochettino’s short-term (so far) but more transformative. His ability to organise and motivate has transformed Tottenham Hotspur from a bunch of underachievers plus youngsters into a dynamic, purposeful aggregation where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

As I write we are second in the league. Think I will type that again. Tottenham Hotspur are second in the league. We deserve it, but whatever happens from now on in, it is a heart-warming experience that lifts the spirits and restores the faith of jaded supporters in the beauty and glory of the game. The soul-sapping spectre of the Europa League looms in the background. Tiredness could be our worst enemy. For now, enjoy every moment. I wonder if this is how it felt in 1959, when supporters starved of success watched a largely untested manager assemble the pieces of the greatest side of modern times. This lot won’t be as good as the Double team, of course not, but we are watching something special come together nonetheless.

Fortunes on the field are subject to the vagaries of the game – loss of form, tiredness, poor decisions, bad luck. However the season turns out, Pochettino’s side have achieved something that seemed impossible in the contemporary history of Tottenham Hotspur, bringing the club and supporters closer together. The problems and potential problems have not disappeared. Lest we forget, prices deter many and exclude many more. The club is more responsive to fans than they were 18 months ago and the Supporters Trust have had a lot to do with that but let’s not kid ourselves. In many respects at senior level they do not understand what fans want and even less about how to give it to us.

But this team have transcended that. They give everything they have. They care – about each other, about winning, about the supporters. They understand what the club means to supporters, what it stands for. After the Norwich game, instead of dashing off after a perfunctory wave to the Park Lane, spontaneously they stayed on the pitch as if they did not want to leave it after playing so well. They shuffled round in a semi-circle of honour, all of them, applauding the crowd who sang ‘happy birthday’ to Hugo. Instead of rushing home to the warmth of families who wanted us to be with them on Boxing Day, many stayed and clapped back. It was the same yesterday. It’s different, it’s wonderful.

 

I am deeply touched that so many people have missed the blog over the past month and have said that reading it is part of their Spurs routine. Sincere thanks to everyone who has wished me and my wife well. She doesn’t understand why so many total strangers have hoped she gets better but she is grateful. She also doesn’t understand why I sat at her hospital bedside and watched a vine of Alli’s goal at Palace for 10 solid minutes, but you do.

I don’t always get my priorities right when it comes to football. Easy to say Tottenham comes first, it trips off the tongue, you can all laugh along, but in my case the obsession has led to a few questionable decisions. I went to the game when people close to me would have preferred I was somewhere else.

As somebody once said, of all the things that don’t really matter in life, football is the one that matters most. I missed the Southampton game and since then Mrs TOMM has been in hospital so time to write is short. This was our bedside view for the Leicester cup-tie on Sunday. Think of the last few weeks as Tottenham On My Mind’s winter break.

This is the longest break on the blog during the season since I began seven years ago. I’ve missed writing about Spurs and apparently some of you have missed me. Sincere thanks for the messages and comments, deeply appreciated. The number of subscribers has gone right up even though there’s no content – readers don’t want to miss out.

I missed writing about the Norwich win. We played so well, so wholeheartedly, supporters and players felt closer than has been the case for so long now. A major theme of mine over the past two seasons is the yawning distance between supporter and club. This lot have bridged the gap. We and many others lingered in the warm glow instead of rushing away to Boxing Day families impatient for our return. The players felt it too, staying on the pitch, a semi-circle of honour if not quite a lap.

So I’ll see if I can make a late entrance on Wednesday night, Saturday if not. Keeps me steady, on track. Being there is more important than win or lose, helps me be the person I want to be. Winning’s nice, mind.

Tottenham On My Mind doesn’t get a mountain of page views but I’ve discovered the readers are phenomenally loyal, and that’s all right with me. Spurs are part of of our lives and I’m amazed and touched that some of you live it with me. Thanks for staying with me, a belated Happy New Year and stick around because this is going to be an interesting year for the blog. You might well be able to help. After the intermission, stay tuned.

“Out on the wiley, windy moors, we’d roll and fall in green…” Never liked Kate Bush. My loss, and I get how significant she is in the history of women in pop music, only woman to have a top 5 album in each of the last 5 decades, sold out Hammersmith nights. Her videos were hugely influential in the 70s – she danced and sang AT THE SAME TIME kids! Except where her fans saw deeply meaningful interpretive dance, I just saw a lot arm-waving.

Windy up at West Brom on Saturday, highest ground in the league and all that, and some of the football was pretty wild but don’t worry, no more WBA/Wuthering Heights metaphors, although according to Hugo, the wind was to blame for Spurs failings. Too many missed or overhit passes. The montage of same on MOTD was a montage of shame, it looked bad and most players were at fault.

Truth is, we never established the consistent fluency that has been the hallmark of recent games. I’m certain it was hard to play good football but we managed it well enough for a time in the first half. The tempo and ingenuity up front that has become pleasingly familiar went missing and we lacked the bite and sharpness to turn a draw into a win. We ended up trying to thread passes through gaps that existed only in the minds of desperate midfielders.

Yet unbeaten since the opening day of the season and I’m buying Christmas presents already, and that’s not because I am a proactive shopper. It’s a record to be proud of. I’m not at the stage where I’m thinking about the what-might-have-beens if draws had become wins because Spurs have exceeded all expectations. These are opportunities we are making not missing. As I have said for several weeks now, let’s enjoy our football while we can and worry about the table in the New Year when patterns emerge and we complete a run of games against sides below us.

West Brom played well, meeting pressing with a high level of activity. Pressing used to be called ‘closing down’ and that’s what they did, in the process counter-attacking at pace, dangerous at set pieces and scoring a good goal. We have Lloris’s point blank reaction save to thank for keeping our point. Lightning reactions and strong hands pushed a close range goalmouth stab up and over, brilliant.

Time was when we would have lost this one, bowled over and brushed aside by the Albion’s physicality. These days there’s something more. The resilience to hang on, the nouse to do enough. All good teams need it, few have. A draw and this precious quality, that will do for one Saturday.

Spurs started better than they finished. We settled into our period after scoring. No one appears to suggest the wind was a factor as Alderweireld’s long pass was judged to perfection, in between the two centrebacks and right onto Deli Alli’s foot. Of course he hit it first time on the volley – as if he’d consider any other way of dealing with a high ball looping from over his shoulder, running at full tilt with two defenders breathing down either side of his neck. He kept it down, through the keeper’s legs in fact, a stunning piece of nonchalant audacity.

Toby’s ability to hit long, accurate passes paid off. It’s good to have in the team locker, a counterpoint to our pass and move. Otherwise we did not impose ourselves up front and as time went on, looked forlorn in attack and shabby at the back, giving the ball and free-kicks away too often and Hugo’s poor clearances putting us under unnecessary pressure. In the first half Alli pushed on past Kane, it led to the goal, but Son might have given that extra punch in the box. Mind you, when he came on for Lamela, who worked hard to little effect, he barely touched the ball.

Pochettino made substitutions to keep some pace up front, as he’s always keen to do. Njie was put through in a rare moment of clarity, the offside was marginal. Poch looks after him well, directing him like a schoolchild with a remote controlled car. There’s raw talent there but a lot to learn.

And anyway, what is a ‘wiley moor’?

 

Consensus round me? Hoped for something more but the draw will do. The game opened full of expectation, by the end both sides were intent on boring each other and the crowd into submission, the consequence of several factors. The unfeasibly early kick-off saps the enthusiasm. You look forward to these derbies, as always the authorities find a way of puncturing the balloon. As my son remarked, nothing says ‘modern football’ like the announcer greeting the teams with, ‘Good morning to the world famous home of the Spurs.’

CFC paid us the compliment of starting without Costa but two false nines don’t add up to one Harry Kane. Not even close, but there was barely room to breathe let alone play much football. Spurs were tired after Europe – you’ve no doubt seen the stat that showed we ran respectively 6k and 4k less compared with our last two matches.

No lack of tension however. As time passed you were thinking the same as me, come on, you know you were. Spurs on top, late Blues breakaway… Not this time. This lot are made of sterner stuff and we’ve scored our share of late goals too.

They set up in a flexible 4–3–3 to limit our space, the pace and creativity in their forwards more than compensating for the lack of a genuine centre forward. Spurs’ defence led by the admirable Alderweireld was able to handle it without too many scares. Hazard had their two best chances, heading just over in the first half then a lightening volley was kept out by Lloris low down to his left. It was over in a flash – the shot was unexpected and fizzingly fast – so I had to wait for the MOTD replay to show what a superb save it was.

For our part, Mason slotted in wide right. It meant he had an average game out of position but he was there to counter the threat down their left. We therefore had to work especially hard to make any opportunities. Despite the lack of room, we were able to consistently play a straight ball into feet towards the edge of their box but too often a combination of the absence of space plus tiredness from Europe the previous Thursday led to uncharacteristic long balls.

Kane nearly bundled one in at the near post before many had cleared the turnstile queues then his quick shot was straight at the keeper. Dembele charged bullishly onwards, his low shot turned round by Begovic. A shame he could not have done this more but Moussa is the man who makes a difference. It’s hard to see a midfielder making more of an impact in the PL right now. He faded in the second half after taking a knock and so did our performance. As well as the runs where like Desperate Dan the defenders bounce off him, his ability to hold onto the ball without losing it gives team-mates precious moments to get into position.

Best chance fell to Son. Kane nipped to the byline but Son’s unchallenged far-post header went directly at the keeper. He should have done more with that and throughout tried just a bit too hard on the ball. Better to throttle back and be patient.

I’ll say again that Alderweireld at £10m is the buy of the season. Pace plus anticipation is a real talent to have. He’s a yard ahead of most opponents and covers diligently, easing across effortlessly if a gap appears. That gives the other so much confidence. Vertongen continues to bloom although he went blank for 10 mistake filled minutes in the second half. Walker was excellent, using his speed to full effect.

Otherwise, missed passes without any catastrophes. Kane is a gem, becoming more polished by the game. Intelligent, scheming, available. He dropped back towards the end to allow Njie to buzz around up front like a dying wasp but nothing could break the deadlock.

If this match was a benchmark of how far Spurs have come, we rated pretty strong. More important however is the feeling that win, lose or draw, next week we will just pick up where we left off and take the game to West Brom. Our progress has solid foundations. The rhythm, movement and effort isn’t contingent on the previous weekend’s result. League success can be achieved on the basis of good results against the teams below us and between now and New Year we have a sequence of winnable matches on which our season could depend. We have the talent, application and momentum so let’s make the most of it. I’m not talking about winning the league for goodness sake, just rack up a few maximum points in the next five or six games. Pressure-generated anxiety can come later – remember to enjoy it while you can.

In the last 20 minutes the players were sucked into the quagmire of stalemate. For different reasons both teams were content to hang on to what they had. CFC had to save face by not losing to upstart rivals – the point is neither here nor there, they will push up the table again especially when Santa Roman brings them a little something in the winter window. Last minute, in front of us Ivanovic put the ball in touch then follows it up, whacking it high into the crowd for good measure. We should take it as a compliment. It’s some time since Mourinho set up his side because he was worried about us.

The ref didn’t help, seemingly intent on re-writing the laws of the game so physical contact is no longer permissible. I seldom comment on referees but he really irritated, especially as I’ve seen him have some excellent games in the past.

For Spurs, the weariness in their legs had spread to their minds. Just play out time, although Walker looks fit enough to play another 90 minutes and more. Lamela and Njie have no excuses – they gave away late free-kicks for no good reason and could easily have chucked the game away. The rest were done for by the Ropey League. In Poch we are learning to trust and the win over Quarabag sees us through but it was a mistake to play a full-strength side. Spurs are admirably fit but the pressing game takes a lot of energy and effort.

At the end my son and I were too agitated to queue for the train and walked off the tension back to Seven Sisters. I guess this was a taste of what it’s like to carry expectations and the players felt it too. It made for a drum-taut game that was frankly dull for long periods but we kept our shape and our concentration. That is another marker on the journey onwards and upwards, something else the side can reflect on this week with satisfaction, the ability to hang in there when inspiration has dried up.