Well, We've Had Better Weeks..Who Needs Domestic Cups Anyway?

 "Sadness or displeasure caused by the non-fulfilment of one's hopes or expectations."

Above is the dictionary definition of the word 'Disappointment'. In any relatively normal season that would be my overiding feeling after the defeats at Liverpool and Aston Villa in the two domestic cup competitions.

However, this is no ordinary season either on or off the pitch. The highs have been ridiculously high and the lows which have obviously outnumbered the highs have been depressingly low. In fact, after 24 league games, 8 European matches, 5 League Cup ties and a couple of FA Cup outings you'd be very hard pressed to think of any of those games being a normal, quiet, run-of-the-mill game.

Now even the most optimistic fan would have thought the trip to Liverpool for the second leg of the league cup semi-final was going to be a difficult night. I reckon a full strength and fairly fresh Spurs side would have struggled to get the result required to progress to the final. Liverpool only shy of Alexander-Arnold from their first choice line up, are arguably the strongest side in Europe. Something Spurs definately are not. Controversially, I'd say that his replacement Conor Bradley is actually a better full back than Trent, although obviously he doesn't have the range of creative passing.

Despite what just about every expert / pundit would say Spurs definately changed their approach to this match. And up until the 34th minute when Bissouma underhit and misdirected a pass to Sarr ultimately leading to Gakpo squeezing a shot in between Kinsky and the post it was working. Well it was working in as much as Liverpool hadn't created a clear chance or tested Kinsky. New signing Danso was looking pretty comfortable alongside Davies in the middle of the defence. It was cagey but it was so far so good.

"What have I let myself in for?"

Unfortunately the following hour or so was a disaster. Spurs never had a shot on target and couldn't lay a finger on Liverpool. The home side were just so much more energised, sensed blood, and drew it. Obviously Liverpool got a penalty to get the second half underway. Fifteen minutes from the end Szoboszlai added the third and five minutes later van Dijk headed in the fourth from a corner. 

I'm not going to add to the 'pile-on' as Ange has subsequently described it because its really like kicking a puppy when its struggling for breath. The feeling at the end, despite the initial pessimism was 'what if?'. I was thinking more of the first leg when Porro missed the sitter and the disallowed Solanke goal. Plus of course the injuries and the lack of action in the window until the last knockings. Thats my scratched record moment, no more mentions of that.

On to Villa Park on Sunday. It was a very quick turnaround. Strangely by the time we kicked off Liverpool had been knocked out earlier in the day by Plymouth, at the time bottom of the Championship. Its funny the sort of thing that can happen when you don't have 9 or 10 first choice players in the line-up. 

In keeping with how things are at the moment Spurs conceded in the first minute. Poor defending and a goalkeeping error combining to give us a mini-mountain to climb before we'd even started. If there was any confidence left at all, it was draining away. Mathys Tel started for the first time since his loan / we might sign him move from Bayern Munich and played with the enthusiasm, energy and positivity of someone whose only been at the club for five minutes. 

Bissouma replaced Mikey Moore at half-time and Spurs possibly improved a little after the break. There were some chances. Son in particular could / should have scored. Morgan Rogers added Villa's second goal around half way through the second half to make a difficult job almost impossible. Shortly afterwards Sarr replaced Bentancur and later just as the clock clicked into stoppage time Kulusevski put over a peach of a cross that Tel directed past Martinez into the corner.

Tel gets our only goal in 3 hours of cup football

Sadly, it was too little too late and the FA Cup campaign fizzled out a few minutes later. If I was a senior player at Spurs I'd have found the post match press conference a very difficult listen. Despite the pressure he's under and understandably having to field very difficult questions Ange went out of his way to defend his players, even calling their efforts 'Outstanding'.

I understand they all had 3 days off afterwards, not in my opinion a bad thing. On their return Son needs to get those seniors together. When I say seniors I mean Maddison, Romero, Davies, Porro, Bentancur, Bissouma, Solanke, Vicario, Richarlison, Werner & Kulusevski (not senior in age but senior in the team) and thrash some stuff out. He needs to point out that despite everything and how tired and lacking confidence they are the manager is still going on TV and defending them. As a former manager of mine used to say 'Someone Needs To Put A Few Fucks About'. 

Before this Sundays game against Manchester United there's a protest planned against the ownership of the club. I went to one almost four years ago (I've Been To Todays ENIC Out Demo) and I hope that this one attracts a bigger following and some more media interest. And of course that everyone behaves themselves.

The footnote to this is that there's been stories regarding a Qatari take over at the club. In the classic 'Spurs having to be completely different to every other club on the planet' way this would involved the new owners leaving Levy in charge of running the club.  That really could only happen to us.