NORMAN GILLER’S SPURS ODYSSEY BLOG No 433
Submitted by Norman Giller

So, my friends, we know exactly where we stand. Defeat by AC Milan in Wednesday's Champions League tie will virtually kill off the Tottenham season, with just nervous protection of our fourth place in the Premier League to hold our interest.

Liverpool, a game in hand, are coming up like an express train – I give you the seven-goal humiliation of Man United in evidence. And Spurs have thrown away involvement in the domestic cup competitions, with careless (I almost said couldn't care less) performances at Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United.

I know I am looking at it all through the eyes of an old hack, but I pine for the pride and determination we used to see from the likes of Ron Burgess (Push and Run skipper), Dave Mackay (Double side braveheart) and Steve Perryman (80s FA Cup motivator).

They would never have accepted the surrenders that have become all too common from Tottenham's millionaire players, several of whom seem not to care enough provided their huge wages are paid on time.

The blinkered anti-ENIC brigade are continually insulting Daniel Levy and Joe Lewis, but they are not on the pitch, and it is the players – just the players – who must take the blame for recent disasters after building up our hopes with those victories over Man City, West Ham and Chelsea. 'Spursy' with bells on.

Declan Mulcahy gives the match facts of Tottenham's depressing defeat at Wolverhampton HERE, and now Spurs must pick themselves up, dust themselves off and play out of their socks in the return Campions League match with Milan.

Defending a 1-0 lead is something that comes as naturally to the Italians as eating pasta, and fortunately in Antonio Conte we have a coach who thrives on this sort of tactical test. He will be back in person after his recovery from a gall bladder operation.

It is widely predicted that this will be Conte's swansong if Tottenham fail to climb the Milan mountain into the next round, with Mauricio Pochettino allegedly waiting in the wings to return to a job he should never have left in the first place.

Let's face it, an exit against Milan will be, uh, galling.

COYS!

Now for something completely different … I have kept sane away from supporting Spurs by concentrating on writing books (120 to date) and getting heavily involved in the boxing world as a publicist.

I worked with Muhammad Ali for his middle-of-the-night world title defence against British bulldog Richard Dunn in Munich back in 1976. To generate headlines, I hired a hypnotist to make Dunn believe he could beat Ali. He secretly decided instead to take on The Greatest. Funniest sports book you’ll ever read and I am sure you will want to order a special-offer copy from me.

I include an Ali autographed photo card with each book sold through me at http://wwww.normangillerbooks.com

Your support for this hungry writer would be appreciated. Seconds out …

Week 27 of our ninth year of Spurs Odyssey Quiz League challenges:

Who won 54 caps for his country, five League titles, three European Cups and four League Cups after serving his apprenticeship at Tottenham, and against whom did he make his one and only appearance for the Lilywhites?

Please email your answer to me at soqleague@gmail.com with Quiz Week 27 as the subject heading. Deadline midnight this Friday. I will respond to all who participate, taking time off from writing my next book: The G-Men, an intimate close-up of Greavsie and Gilzean.

The rules are the same as in previous seasons. I ask a two-pronged question with three points at stake – two for identifying the player and one for the supplementary question. In the closing weeks of the competition I break the logjam of all-knowing Spurs-history experts with a tie-breaking poser that is based on opinion rather than fact. That’s when I lose the few friends that I have. But, hey, it's fun. Please join in.

This year’s prizes for the champion will be announced later in the season, but most important of all, they will include a framed certificate announcing the winner as 2023 SOQL champion.

Week 26: Which Bethnal Green-born striker joined Watford from Spurs in 1986, and against which club did he help Tottenham win the Uefa Cup?

Answer: Mark Falco, who featured in that memorable victory in the Uefa Cup final against Anderlecht … back in the days when we won trophies!

See you back here next Monday. COYS!

Follow @spursodyssey