Failing doesn’t mean we stop

So this week I have had a couple of sleepless nights after Sunday’s apparent ‘collapse’ and ‘implosion’.

Losing 5-1 away to Newcastle was a bitter pill to swallow and taking a lot of abuse from Woolwich fans made the week even worse.

I couldn’t get my head round how Newcastle were apparently ‘relegated heroically’ while Spurs had ‘imploded’ into the Champions League.

Despite all our promise and having an ‘astonishing season’, we hadn’t even beaten our record point’s tally of 72 set under the AVB/Bale bromance. But we had just secured our highest ever PL finish and automatic Champions League qualification, something I would have bitten your hand off for after 4 games and just 3 points. In the immediate aftermath I couldn’t work out why, after this brilliant season, I felt a bit gutted.

But now the dust has settled and the Woolwich Keyboard Warriors are re-focussing on #WengerOut (or In?), we should evaluate the season with a sense of perspective.

This was the season Woolwich had waited for, more so than us.

They continuously bemoaned that City, United and Chelsea outspend them and buy the title. This time they had no excuse and Leicester out performed all of us. We had waited for an opening to access to the top 4, and we took it with open arms. The title bid was actually a bonus to us where we are currently.

[linequote]We ended on a very low note. But this point had been reached after a truly fantastic campaign where we went all out for the title[/linequote]

Given that, Woolwich do have the right to mock us given we haven’t finish above them in 21 years, it’s poor as we’ve had 3 or 4 opportunities to put that to bed now. But ultimately, that aside, their team blew a season that was designed more for them and their current club stature. It was the same old story for Woolwich after being well set in January but it did end on a high note (although that high note was well below the height it should have been).

On the other hand, we ended on a very low note. But this point had been reached after a truly fantastic campaign where we went all out for the title and I witnessed football that I thought was reserved to Champions elect who visited White Hart Lane once or twice a season.

The CL money has come at a time where it we be critical in our evolution to a ‘big’ club as well as keeping Kane/Lloris/Alli (delete as applicable). This is a bonus £60m plus for CL football we wouldn’t have budgeted for in a normal season where Chelsea, City, Woolwich and United would register 75+ points each. It will help us match clubs like this financially much quicker and join their budgets, as Deloitte noted in their most recent Revenue in Football review.

Our middle 30 games were fantastic and I truly believe we were the best footballing team in the division*. Our last 4 games simply weren’t good enough. No excuses, this was our own doing with a lack of midfield depth and focus (see below). We should have finished well ahead of Woolwich. We were better than them for 11/12 rounds but took our guard down and flopped over in the last round. Something you can’t do in the Premier League.

But why were we out of legs and ideas in those last 4 games? I have my reasons;

• We pretty much played the same 11 consistently from February/March onwards in an attempt to win the PL. We had a chance, Woolwich didn’t. Something we should be very proud of;
• There is a ‘catastrophe theory’ (Google image it). The Chelsea match was just that, ending our hope of a title which our team genuinely thought would happen and left us with nothing in the tank;
• We badly missed Alli and Moussa following their moments of stupidity. Our midfield is actually very light-weight and average when you take both out at the same time. This was highlighted in the FA Cup, Europa League and Carling Cup exits, well before the last 4 games;
• No one (apart from Alan Pardew it seems) appreciates the effect of Thursday/Sunday Europa League schedule. To finish in the CL with that schedule is rarely done! Liverpool had a free run two years back and so did Leicester, it helps a lot to being fresh each week.

But ultimately the middle 30 games were something to behold. Alli’s goal at Palace, the best Spurs defence I’ve witnessed, the home performances against West Ham, Man United and Man City added to the fact this was achieved with a very young team and English core made this a season to remember.

There were not many games I thought we got more than we deserved in that run, but a lot where I thought we should have come away with more points (Everton (a), Woolwich (a) for example). But that’s what champions (Leicester! and more commonly United) do. They win when they should, then they win 1-0 when they are average. As a club we need to learn how to do that now as it’s something we rarely do. Win ugly.

[linequote]The home performances against West Ham, Man United and Man City added to the fact this was achieved with a very young team and English core made this a season to remember[/linequote]

I’m already excited to see how this team evolves next season in the Champions League and the League. Add 2-4 good players in midfield/attack and there’s no reason why we can’t be there again in the last 4 weeks next year.

It’s critical we hit the ground running now in our first 6 games though and put that ending well behind us quickly. I think Pochettino will do that, I have full faith in that man and his steely grit.

The summary (warning, Game of Thrones reference here) – We failed? Good. Go fail again. Because that was one hell of a season.

#COYS

*Best football, not the best results. That was Leicester, obviously! And well played them. Truly fantastic team spirit, unity and shows counter attacking football may just be the most effective form of football. Just ask Atletico.