NORMAN GILLER’S SPURS ODYSSEY BLOG No 261
Submitted by Norman Giller

Don’t know about you, but I enjoyed my 40 winks last night after our “other” Harry had snatched that last-minute winner at Fulham. It couldn’t happen to a nicer young man, and I have rarely seen players so delighted for a team-mate. He is clearly Mr Popular on and off the pitch.

Like “the other” Harry, he is a fine advertisement for his much-maligned generation with his work rate, energy and commitment, and it is going to be satisfying and exciting for us all to watch his progress. Anybody out there agree with me that he is like Steve ‘Mr Loyalty’ Perryman revisited?

Anyway, eulogy over. Now that I am wide awake after the 40 winks, I cannot shake off the fear that a season so rich with promise could suddenly go pear-shaped.

The sight of Dele Alli limping towards the dressing-room with a hamstring injury could signpost major problems as we come to a crucial stage of the campaign and still chasing honours on four fronts.

If Alli joins Harry Kane on the long-term out-of-action list and Son Heung-Min remains locked into the Asian Cup it means we have lost our three main marksmen just when we require them most.

We will need the 1-0 lead going into the second leg of the League Cup semi-final against a Chelsea team that will want to make nonsense of the extraordinary criticism of them by their manager Maurizio Sarri.

He said after their 2-0 defeat by Arsenal that they are “difficult to motivate.” I think he chose his words carefully to do just that, motivate them for an all-out victory bid on Thursday.

I am convinced Harry Kane would have scored at least two goals at Fulham yesterday, where Fernando Llorente managed to find the wrong net and reminded me of Bobby Soldado with his frustrating performance.

Our guru Paul H. Smith captures the thrills and spills of the match HERE, and agrees with me that Fulham might easily have had a victory wrapped up long before “the other” Harry’s late-late winner.

There’s only one man who can make us all enjoy our future forty winks, and that’s chairman Daniel Levy. He must take the transfer chequebook out of mothballs and allow Mauricio Pochettino to go to the market and buy a quality forward. Right now! There will be a trophy cabinet in the new stadium that needs some silverware.

Question No 23 in this 2018-19 SOQL season:

Who has won 52 caps, has played for a Scottish team and from which club did he join Spurs?

Please email your answer to me at SOQL23@normangillerbooks.com. Deadline: midnight this Friday. I will respond to all who take part.

This year’s prizes for the champion: A framed Harry Kane autographed picture, two books from my Spurs collection with autographs from Jimmy Greaves, Steve Perryman and Dave Mackay, and (most precious of all) a framed certificate announcing the winner as SOQL champion.

Last week I asked: Who was a World Cup winner, collected 67 caps, won two League Cup finals with Spurs and which Yorkshire cub did he briefly manage?

Yes, the one and only Martin Peters, who briefly managed Sheffield United at the back end of his career. How sad that Alzheimer’s victim Martin has no recall of his magnificent contribution to the Beautiful Game.

Please keep a check on your scores. I will be trusting you to count your points as I do not have faith in my email server.

Thank you for taking part. Have a wonderful 2019. See you back here same time, same place next week. Keep the faith. COYS!

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