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It's simple, confidence = form

B

Basskadet

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
I think everyone would agree that, whilst our results have so far been good, our performances have been, until Stoke, little more than acceptable.

I hear all kinds of convoluted theories about this: opponents have sussed us out, players are tired, etc and so on. Personally, I think it's very straight forward, we lost some confidence.

When we destroyed Stoke last season we all believed we were on course for a title. We had to win ALL of our remaining games, but they were all winnable and we were playing some wonderful football. However, we then played WBA at home, a game we should have won and played well enough to win, but there are no easy games in the Premier League and we were sucker punched by a team who were only too happy to get everyone behind the ball and take a draw. Once we failed to win against Albion, we lost focus. Yes, we still had second place to compete for, which should've been a big enough carrot to chase especially against those mugs down the road, but when you feel so close to greatness only to have it snatched away so cruelly, it effects you mentally, especially with such a young side. That mental struggle was so evident against Southampton and, when you know it has happened, you try and over compensate as we did v Chelsea and the team's confidence is destroyed.

I have always believed that a team which finishes a season strong will start the following season strong and, likewise, a team which finishes poorly will start the next season poorly. So often you see that momentum, that confidence, or lack of it carried forward. It was exactly what happened in 2007-08, when after Ramos had won the cup we finished the season all over the place and, consequently, Ramos begun the next season in complete shambles (2pts from 8 games!). In 2008-09, when after those early season woes and Redknapp's arrival, we romped our last few games and finished the season very strong, I remember being so excited and, in 2009-10, we started on fire and ultimately qualified for the Champions League! Players feel the disappointment of a poor finish, they feel the excitement of a great finish, and they dwell on it all summer just as us fans do and it very often manifests in those first few games.

Many of our stars not only suffered that poor finish to last season, but also suffered a poor Euros (I wonder also how much our poor season's end was actually, in part at least, a reason behind those Euro performances of the likes of Kane and Alli, although Dier, Walker and Rose all had a decent tournament, Iceland aside!)

After our demise toward the end of last season, I was always wary that we may suffer a slow start this term and so it has proven. As such, I am pretty hopeful that our 4 nil decimation of Stoke (again) was evidence of the team blowing off those cobwebs of last season and we can now progress as we should. I don't see it so much on a game by game basis - we start slow, finish strong - but more a longer term trajectory whereby our performances have progressively dipped since our inability to beat WBA at home and now we've come through it with a 4 nil demolition of Stoke and hopefully our performances will see an upturn.

I do see it as simple as that.
 
Yid

Yid

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
Kinda agree. Think part of that hangover was why no one shone in an England shirt in the summer also. That and they were asked to take fcuking corners.... has that saggy faced old cunt ever given an explanation for that.....?

I agree with confidence breeds success mantra and it's a positive spiral. There are of course flies in the ointment from time to time but last year and our end of season deficiencies will have been a fcuking huge learning experience for our lads to draw upon if we reach those dazzling heights again this year?

Second half (and upon reflection maybe first half) against a poor stoke side we did seem to turn a bit of a corner. Maybe first half our plan was to cope with their intensity and let them run themselves out... that's imo kinda what we did with it much else going on and then in the second half turn the screws a bit and up our game in response to the either running out of steam of changing their game plan or not a lowing them to play as they did.

Hope we have and we see the Spursy swagger and Poch workrate I love to see us produce.

Tomorrow a performance and a win and those stuttering early season games will be forgotten and people including myself will start to slide back into believing and hoping we can fulfil our potential.

Haha it's the hope that kills you.....!
 
J.spurs

J.spurs

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
I pretty much agree too. I also think the psychological effect of drawing vs. losing games where we didn't play well, esp. the Liverpool game, is very important from a confidence standpoint, beyond the point gained. If we had lost that, the narrative would have already been written--last season & the Euros malaise continues. It's always hard to know what if anything is in the players heads, of course, but I think starting the season unbeaten, if not exactly sweeping all before us, is a big deal for this team after the way we finished.
 
skiathospurs

skiathospurs

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
I too mostly agree with the OP,being scared to lose isnt a bad thing,but we kinda went into our shell ,our passing went sideways at best and the shear amount of times we gave the ball away looked symptomatic of the "over thinking about it instead of just doing it",fine players in Kane,Dele,eriksen just not on it 100%,not from lack of effort just a spark missing.I hope to god we have found that spark now to kick on,lets not forget we have an excellent side now with the best togetherness since Burkinshaw`s mob over 3 decades ago.
The west brom draw was a hammer blow that destroyed our run in,and probably england in the euros and possibly our early season lack of form if not points haul.The real positive to be drawn from this is that when things are not going swingingly our default position is effort&application and against chelsea dispelling the "lads its tottenham" soft southern softies myth.
At worst we have a team of battlers,and you have to believe that Kane,Dele,eriksen will be better than we saw in the 1st 3 matches,they are simply too good for that to continue for long.Dembele I really dont think it was down to his suspension and him missing for the malaise,we are hardly a one man team,but having him back will definatly help the side.Two very winnable league games coming up,max points from them,and a stuttering draw away at everton and home to liverpool will start to feel more like points gained than dropped.

Lets hope that 2nd half against Stoke is a catalyst as opposite in effect to the west brom draw back in april.
 
boo

boo

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
Psychology plays a part in sport, maybe every sport athletes partake in. However, this is probably the biggest sign of a winner there is. Leicester couldn't be further apart from Barcelona in terms of ability but, look at what happened to them (on a side note, I don't think Barcelona could win the Premier League).

Look into a different sport. See the Olympians. I have to say it but saggy face golf clap man won some games where his team were pants but, they never said never. Oh what a surprise, Man U won one nil again in Fergie time. Pfffft! but still, the is the mentality that gets medals in the box.

We have seen glimpses of this under Pochettino. If I remember rightly, during his first season at Spurs, we had one of, if not the best ratio of taking points late on, turning over teams when we were behind, just never giving up.

We've looked nothing like this since really. You could say that the grit has been replaced with quality at times last season. Some amazing performances, especially the NLD (love you @Dorset , Yidly Didly , @skiathospurs x x x). Mind, we never really looked like we could pull it out of the bag on a constant basis, which of course is what's termed; 'requisite' under the banner 'winner'.

I guess the problem is, athletes are humans. There is no secret formula, I mean, who doesn't wake up Monday morning and think 'balls, work!'. You'd think being a centre forward for Tottenham Hotspur would be like going to bed with her every night in terms of the wooohooo factor but alas...
 
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