Opinion: Analysing how a full stadium will react to this Tottenham team

It is fair to say that this Spurs side has gone through a differing array of spells this season.

We were scintillating in the opening matches, before going through a run of seemingly drawing every game. And more recently, the team has bounced back after a run of five defeats from six in the league. 

So, how will the fans react once they are allowed back in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium?

Well, it depends. The issue that the team now faces is that we, as fans, know what this squad is capable of.

Spurs have the attacking power to put any team to the sword, and the best performances of the season have been ones in which we have seen relentless attacking football in the first half.

In particular, the 6-1 demolition at Old Trafford, the first half of the infamous home game against West Ham, and recently, the first forty-five minutes against Burnley all have one thing in common – after scoring the opener, there was no drop-off and we kept looking for goals.

Now, what happens to the team in the second half of games is a question for another day.

However, given that the fans have seen this team kill opposition sides off before half-time on numerous occasions this season, supporters inside the ground will not be happy if the team does not strive to employ this technique for the majority of games, especially against lower league sides. 

If the team doesn’t kill off games, and instead chooses to sit back at one-nil, all this does is invite pressure. And we all know what happens next.

One need only look back at games at home to Fulham, away at Wolves, and against Crystal Palace to see what happens when the team does not go for the jugular.

And when I say that I know what the squad is capable of, that doesn’t just cover the attacking prowess. The defence has been fragile all season, and that’s without any crowd watching on.

I, for one, worry what will happen to the already shaky defence, with 62,000 fans heightening the pressure on these players.

How the home crowd reacts is down to the squad. Play to their strengths, and Spurs are one of the most entertaining teams in the league. But, if they were to play within themselves, as they have done so often this season, there is a danger that the atmosphere could get toxic.

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