Wow

Having written a fairly negative post on my experience at the Crystal Palace game I thought it was just as important to write something on what an incredible night Tuesday was. I had to work late so attending in person wasn’t possible for me — boy, do I wish I’d been there though. From the tele our fans sounded incredible, and the stadium looked stunning, and the match went our way. What a night.

All of my friends who went tell me that the atmosphere was incredible — so much better than the Palace game. Not just that, but the queue situation was better, and even travel was easier. The club are responding to feedback, people are slipping into their routines and everything is calming down. By all accounts, the only slight downside was some overzealous stewarding, but hopefully that can be resolved too.

A quick mention of the team. I’ve been down on certain players at various points through these past two years, particularly Kieran Trippier and Moussa Sissoko. I thought both played fantastically, especially Sissoko. Harry Winks was my Man of the Match but Sissoko ran him close, in what as a famous win. He gave a really fitting interview post-match that was music to my ears.

I am guilty sometimes of judging players on what they’re not rather than what they are, and I feel both Sissoko and Trippier fall into this category. Neither is my preferred type of player for their position, but ultimately both do have something to offer and they put in exceptional performances in this match.

In fact, Spurs’ narrow four-man midfield when pressing worked a treat, and we pretty much kept City at arm’s length.

I also think it’s worth noting just how much better we’ve looked as a team since Dele returned (NB: not Dele Alli, a reminder that he’s stopped using his surname for personal reasons). He somehow manages to be entirely functional whilst being talismanic at the same time, a rare trait. What a player he is, and still only… oh wait, he turned 23 today! Happy Birthday, Dele!

I’ll stop there — I’m pushed for time — but I wanted to write something positive as that’s how I’m feeling right now, even despite Harry Kane’s latest ankle injury. With or without Kane, I feel confident that we can end the season strongly and the stadium will help with that. COYS!