The Only Dive That Mattered Was From Spurs

A truly shameful ending to what could have been a glorious season. A man up and Newcastle were the ones doing the scoring and creating the chances. Spurs went on holiday the moment Sissoko hit the turf at St James Park—or was it the moment Mousa Dembele gouged Diego Costa?

It matters not, nor did this game and finishing second seem to matter to the manager or the players. But to be humiliated by a relegated side—a man down—in this fashion—leaves a bitter taste that no amount of new stadium cheerleading or transfer additions will easily remove. Poch lost the plot, and he seemed to have lost his team a month ago.

Let’s count the ways, because our newly signed manager has a lot to answer for. He could not control his side when, a man up and on top of the league, all they had to do was shut down Alexis Sanchez and Mezit Ozul for twenty minutes and second place would never have been an issue. He could not overcome a Tony Pulis scheme that allowed the Baggies to outplay Spurs at White Hart Lane for most of the second half. Nor could he properly warn his star 20 year old not to take the “wind up bait” and retaliate in a fashion that would hurt his team. He could not control his team in the cauldron of Stamford Bridge to stay above the fray and not lose their cool and lose another lead to Chelsea. And then as he signed his contract and they knew their money would be coming too, he could not produce the grit and discipline necessary to get one result vs either the Saints or the crap Magpies in order to finish above Arsenal.

We won none of the first four games of the season (and won’t have one of our best players for the first four next year) and none of the last four, and ended the season in humiliation—St Totteringhams Day came very late but with a cruel punch. I don’t care how good the thirty in between were because we are like that skier who thought she had Olympic Gold, tried one more trick, fell on her arse, and blew the whole thing.

So Poch—all you’ve won is a tougher schedule next year. You haven’t won our hearts, or minds, or trust. Not after today. And you had better figure out how to start next season out strong or you may not be around to see the new stadium.