After three wins from our opening four games (the other a pithy draw with Fulham), I was excited about what the season ahead would hold. Much like real life, although much more quickly, things inevitably came crashing down after that initial high. How? Well…
Setting up Angeventure Ball
As I set out previously, the aim was never to fully replicate “Angeball”, a decision I made for twosimple reasons:
I’m not good enough at FM to do tactical replications;
I’m not even sure it’s actually possible to replicate how Spurs are supposed to play under Ange in FM.
I did promise to implement some small features of how Ange’s Spurs set up. A ridiculously high line, an intention to win the ball back high up the pitch and two inverted wingbacks crowding out the middle of the pitch.
The Entertainers vol. 2
Three wins from the opening four was left behind and we were left with one win from the next fourteen. That’s one cup exit and seven draws to accumulate a total of 10 points from a possible 39. Job security? Insecure, to say the least.
We were no sooner away from our spared blushes in the Carabao Cup against Wycombe before a trip to Everton decided to bring those very blushes out. Son’s first half goal came as Spurs looked like they were overplaying it slightly on the edge of the opposition’s box before the Captain received it on the penalty spot and fired home.
Everton’s 90+3 minute equaliser could well have been clipped straight from Spurs IRL. Vicario’s short pass to Van de Ven is mis-controlled and Dominic Calvet-Lewin capitalises to share the points.
Creditable draws at home to Man City and away to an overachieving West Ham followed before Fulham unceremoniously dumped us out of the Carabao Cup in the Third Round. The Cottagers were 3-0 up with just 18 minutes on the clock, putting a 4th in just after half time before Udogie and Lo Celso made the result look not just half as disastrous. Leno’s long ball forward, knocked down by Andreas Pereira to Bobby Decordova-Reid who found Raúl Jiminez running free in behind a massively broken backline. PURE ANGEBALL IN MOTION!
We picked ourselves up and went again. Bouncing back incredibly to set Crystal Palace aside without much hassle. Just when I thought it might be the revival - back to back defeats ensue. Sheffield United had their first appointment of the year with Dr Tottenham before Aston Villa came to town. With Villa winning by a solitary goal, Spurs were pushing hard for the equaliser - somehow managing to find themselves missing three glorious opportunities in the space of 10 seconds in the dying minutes of normal time.
“What a game for the neutral, though” as Spurs throw away a two-goal lead only to have to salvage a draw with goals in the 80th and 87th minute against Luton Town. Brighton’s three goal lead was cut to just one with a second half Spurs fightback before Spurs yet again throw a two-goal lead away from home as Wolves come back to draw 2-2. Nélson Semedo coming in totally unmarked at the back post - it’s a Destiny Udogie defending masterclass!!
You’d think it can only get better from here - but you’d be wrong. A late fight back secures a point at home to Nottm Forest after going 2-0 down. 3-0 down away to Brentford before the three goal comeback got a point. The Brentford game’s only notable point for me being that the Spurs goals came on 55’, 66’ and 77’. Spurs were again 2-0 down against bloody Burnley before Kulusevski pulled a goal back, Son then bringing it back to 3-2 from 3-1. Finishing off this round up on the 9th December - the day before my birthday - Spurs went down by a goal to Newcastle with barely a whimper.
After 16 games, we sit in 12th (by some miracle). Closer to relegation than Europe. Having lost in the league to three of the bottom five and drawing with the other two. We’re out of the Carabao Cup. Chelsea to come in January in the FA Cup. 16 league games is a curious time to stop, isn’t it?
