Beforehand described as “schoolyard stuff, mate” by Ange Postecoglou, the primary recorded use of the time period ‘Spursy’ is unknown however is believed to this point again roughly 11 years. The dictionary – properly, City Dictionary – has loads of entries describing the smooth underbelly and lack of spine that has been the hallmark of Tottenham groups going again far longer than a decade. College students of its etymology imagine it could have its origins within the three-word pre-match “Lads, it’s Tottenham” deal with to his Manchester United gamers by Sir Alex Ferguson earlier than a gathering between the 2 sides at Previous Trafford in some unspecified time in the future throughout the 12 years Roy Keane performed for the membership.
It was the Irishman who first drew public consideration to the sneeringly dismissive exhortation in considered one of his autobiographies, as a nod to his former supervisor’s “sensible” appreciation that little extra wanted to be stated for a sport towards opposition so uniquely well-known in English soccer for his or her potential to inexplicably capitulate that the adjective used to explain their apparently endless cycle of wildly vacillating performances is definitely named after them. On and on it goes to today, with Spurs pulling considered one of their most interesting performances of the Premier League period out of the bag towards the reigning champions, having beforehand contrived to lose what just about everybody presumed to be a house gimme towards Ipswich City. Buoyed with confidence, they are going to go into their subsequent top-flight sport absolutely anticipating to win at house in a sport they are going to virtually actually lose as a result of “Lads, it’s Tottenham” and that’s what Tottenham do.
Within the 15 years which have elapsed since Juande Ramos, the final man to mastermind a trophy win for the membership who was unceremoniously bounced out of White Hart Lane, Tottenham have had eight full-time managers, every of whom has tried to insert one thing resembling a spine into this ever-evolving however at all times fragile squad of constantly underachieving show-ponies with questionable big-game temperament. And to a person and in varied alternative ways, every considered one of Harry Redknapp, André Villas-Boas, Tim Sherwood (was {that a} dream?), Mauricio Pochettino, José Mourinho, Nuno Espírito Santo, Antonio Conté and Postecoglou have failed. However whereas Large Ange has purchased himself extra time to seek out a way of eliminating the flimsiness for which Tottenham has lengthy been a byword from his squad, outcomes this season already counsel he’s unlikely to succeed.
Between them, Ipswich and Crystal Palace have gained two video games this season, with each these victories coming towards a Spurs crew that has gained 9 and misplaced 10 of their previous 20 league video games. In three totally different competitions over the previous 30 days, Tottenham have crushed Manchester Metropolis twice, come out second finest in a five-goal thriller in Turkey and misplaced towards two of the underside three sides within the Premier League. “Once you hear followers and neutrals discuss Tottenham, they typically say, ‘Smooth, weak … bottle it, Spursy – all that garbage’, I feel the final couple of weeks reveals we is perhaps getting into a barely totally different route,” mused James Maddison, final September after he and his teammates had achieved a battling win towards Sheffield United and never misplaced a north London derby. All that garbage? Earlier than Saturday’s house defeat by the hands of Fulham – and this undoubtedly gained’t assist – the great ship Spursyness seems to be firmly again on target.
LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE
Be part of John Brewin for stay Greater Cup protection of Manchester Metropolis 5-0 Feyenoord at 8pm GMT, whereas Niall McVeigh will probably be on clockwatch obligation on the similar time with objective updates from the day’s different matches.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Olaf Janssen would be the first coach in skilled soccer to be mic’d up on 8 December. His teaching orders, discussions and speak will probably be heard with a time delay” – soccer followers watching Magenta Sport in Germany could have the pleasure of listening to the almost-live effing and jeffing of Viktoria Köln’s perma-tanned supervisor after they tackle VfL Osnabrück within the third division. What’s German for “hit the [eff]ing channel”?
RECOMMENDED LOOKING
Right here’s David Squires on … Manchester Metropolis getting a go to from Swindon City’s resident exorcist Ian Holloway.
You may get your very personal copies of the most recent David Squires cartoons. And Large Web site’s soccer bookshop has the most recent launch from David himself, together with these from Miguel Delaney, Nick Miller and Jeff Stelling.
Hurray! A ‘trailblazer’ scheme. If there’s one factor {that a} multi-billion-pound business just like the Premier League desperately wants, it’s the power to get the government-subsidised labour of people that ‘will lose their advantages in the event that they refuse to take up alternatives’. And notice, after all, that alternatives means ‘work or coaching’. Or, as we used to name it within the olden days, ‘basic dogsbody, making tea and photocopying’” – Noble Francis.
Manchester Metropolis changing into ‘Spursy’ (yesterday’s Soccer Day by day letters)? Please! Metropolis invented that idea. Does nobody keep in mind ‘typical Metropolis’? We now have at all times been in a position to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory” – Pat Condreay.
Firstly, kudos to Spurs’ Guglielmo Vicario for holding a clear sheet towards Metropolis regardless of enjoying an hour on a damaged ankle. Now that he’s going to be recuperating from surgical procedure for a wee whereas, will he be residing Vicario-usly by Fraser Forster? Sod it, I’m not even a little bit bit sorry” – Derek McGee.
When spelling out a phrase, similar to ‘honest market worth’, adopted by its abbreviation in brackets (FMV), it is not uncommon follow to then use stated abbreviation in any additional use if the phrase. In your article on the Premier League v Manchester Metropolis (Friday’s Soccer Day by day) you did not observe this protocol, and spelled out ‘honest market worth’ within the subsequent paragraph, thus losing a variety of key strokes. And I’ve wasted one thing like 465 scripting this e mail” – John Ellen.
Ship letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. At this time’s letter o’ the day winner is … Derek McGee, who lands their very personal piece of Soccer Weekly merch. Phrases and situations for our competitions may be considered right here.
Supply hyperlink