Losing becomes habit forming, and this all stems back to the old ‘flee or fight’ business that goes on inside humans when the adrenalin gets going. In an ideal world, Spurs would win every game 9-0 with three players securing memorable hat tricks. Alas, the world doesn’t work like that, and as I am very fond of saying, ‘where there are humans, there will 100% be human error’.
Tolerating, but seeking to refine or minimise those errors leads to winning more frequently. Excusing errors actively encourages losing. That’s my belief.
The first half was like watching Royal Antwerp Part II, however, it told us plenty about the game when Mourinho slipped down the tunnel at half time that making drastic change clearly wasn’t on his mind. It took until the 64th minute for José to make his move, and that was prompted by Tanguy Ndombele’s discombobulated pinky toe. Giovani Lo Celso came one and admittedly added some zip to our transitions.
This game was frequently tough to watch, but such is the life of a football fan. As Harry Kane said after the game, “…they defended for their lives”. If you want to be faultlessly entertained, then football is the wrong thing for you to be staring at. Opera is far more reliable. Plácido Domingo’s La Traviata is always an exceptional way to kill a few hours.
Tottenham currently top the Premier League table.