MANYOO HOODOO

We do struggle against Man Utd don't we? It's becoming a very boring hoodoo. Sure, they're a good side - they're a very good side, but we've played and beaten good sides so why not them? I'm almost certain we'll make a better stab at it at Stamford Bridge next week, even though on paper that's the tougher match.

We were superb for the first 20 minutes on Saturday. Hustling and bustling the top teams is exactly how to beat them. They don't like it up 'em you know! However, Wilson got booked, we perhaps tired a little and slowly the inevitable started to happen. Still, I can live with losing this game - I could have lived with it even better if we hadn't conceded against 10 men. That annoyed me somewhat.

Harry tells us we learned a lot when we played Barca in preseason. Movement, possession and patience were apparently what the boys took from that game. Perhaps we need another lesson because for the first time this season I think we got a little over excited. We gave the ball away far too cheaply due to all and sundry lumping it up to the big fella whenever they were remotely under pressure. That's not the beanpole's fault though, God bless him. It's just a direct result of him being on the pitch. It's fantastic in the last 15 minutes, not so great for the other 75 though.

Jenas did alright when he came on, but Hudd and Jenas holding the fort against this level of opposition? It looked ambitious to me. This was example #1 of why we should have bought another DM in August. They were running us ragged through the middle. Where's that Jamie O'Hara when you need him?

I thought the ref had a good game. He could have blown up every 2 minutes at one point in the first half, but he let it flow and the result was a cracking display of real men playing aggressive football. How Palacious even made it to half time is beyond me! I'm taking some consolation in the fact that we didn't limply roll over.

With the benefit of hindsight maybe Krancjar should have started and Pav should definitely have come on at half time - he's banging them in for fun for his country at the moment. Although Corluka had performed his usual trick of looking a bit slow and lazy, he had nonetheless done a decent job of marking Rooney out of the game for long periods, so I'm not really seeing how the introduction of Hutton was supposed to provide the platform for us to go on and win it. In the end it had the opposite affect unfortunately. I think Harry got the key decisions wrong I'm afraid.

Chin up though chaps, would rather be brought back down to earth by the champions rather than by a bunch of newly promoted herberts. We're still in good shape, a few of the walking wounded will be soon be donning the shirt again and, unlike last week where Harry probably had about 2 fit players to shout at, this week we'll have 6 days on the training ground to prepare for our next, equally massive test. A good result there and we're right back on track.

Up the Spurs!

SPURS: ONE DOWN, NINE TO GO.

As a long suffering Spurs fan I am used to "turning corners", going through phases of "rebuilding", 3 year strategies, 5 year strategies, transitional seasons, food poisoning and so on - in fact, if you can think of a good reason as to why we haven't been in the Champions League yet then we've probably heard it. So I'm now wondering if this current footballing utopia Spurs find themselves in represents the fruits of Levy's labour. Is this the culmination of that 5 year strategy, have we finished transitioning, or have Levy and co just shuffled the deck and finally got lucky? Is this the direct result of us doing away with the roundly bemoaned Director of Football system or is it just Harry's genius? I want to believe that this has been meticulously planned, but it doesn't really feel that way does it?

Anyway, who cares how we got here, the point is we're here now, and I think we're here to stay. Look at the way we slapped Liverpool down when they thought they were back in the game. Look at the way we ground out that fightback against the Hammers. Look at the never-say-die attitude that earned us the win against Birmingham. Look at the way the second string sailed through the potential banana skin of Doncaster. There feels like there's quality all over the pitch, more importantly there feels like there's quality throughout the squad. Arguably our most important player breaks his leg, we move Keano to the left bring on a striker and boom, we win the game. That my friends is the old cliche of "strength in depth" firmly at work.

If, as seems likely, we sign Krancjar then that only helps us. He is a quality player in a shite team. You only have to see how he plays for his country to realise that. His dead ball delivery is superb, he's creative, a good passer and an all round good egg. Having him gives us competition for places and backup for anywhere across midfield. It might also make it more difficult for anyone to prise Modders from our grasp next summer!

Hear me out here, I'm going to come out of the closet and say something that has been niggling away at me for a week or so: I think we can win the league. No, seriously I do. I'm not saying we will win the league, Man U and Chelsea remain overwhelming favourites, but I definitely think we have just as much chance as Liverpool and more chance than Man City. If you believe we are capable of finishing in the top 4, then by very definition we have a shot at the title because we will be there or thereabouts in terms of points.

I suppose its too early for that kind of loose talk, but I just wanted to get it out. Truth be told we will go on a bad run sooner or later, everyone does. How long it lasts and how we respond to it will be interesting. Keeping Wilson fit is also essential, it's the one role we don't seem to have any proper cover for. However, August is done, and if Harry doesn't get Manager of the Month then I'll eat my hat. Five games, five wins. One month down, 9 to go.

Two massive games in September that many people will be using as the litmus test to see whether they also dare to believe. What would be enough to convince you? Two points, 4 points, one win and a loss? For me it would be remaining unbeaten. If we can have a bloody good go at Man U at home and shut up shop at the Bridge then surely that niggling little thought will manifest itself in more minds than this tiny one.