NORMAN GILLER'S SPURS ODYSSEY BLOG No 550
Submitted by Norman Giller

Just what have Spurs done to upset the football gods? The defeat at Sunderland yesterday in Roberto De Zerbi's debut match as manager nut-shelled Tottenham's season. A penalty awarded and taken away, a horrendously deflected goal, and a sickening collision between skipper Cuti Romero and jinxed goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky that leaves Tottenham anxiously awaiting feedback from the medics.

So now, with just six games to go, the pessimists among us are already studying next season's train times for the dreaded midweek sojourn to Stoke.

De Zerbi may have been parachuted in too late as he prepares Spurs for their last six do or die (dare to do) matches against his old club Brighton (h), doomed Wolves (a), in-form Aston Villa (a), fellow strugglers Leeds United (h), nemesis club Chelsea (a) and, finally, unpredictable Everton at home on Sunday May 24.

With sincerity and zeal, De Zerbi vowed before the Sunderland trip that Spurs would play football the Ange (Postecoglou) way, which straightaway prompted the thought: So why get rid of Ange in the first place, and particularly after he had broken the trophy drought?

There was much to applaud and appreciate about Tottenham's performance at the Stadium of Light, but the fact remains that Spurs lost and it is hard to see where the first Premier League victory of the year is going to come from.

It's not Angeball that we need as much as Mackay or Perrymanball, with sleeves rolled up and a resolve to pinch points any way we can. Winning ugly will be beautiful to most eyes. What Spurs require is, quite simply, a football miracle.

We are going to need the perseverance of Rory McIlroy and the finishing determination of "I Am Maximus" to get us over the remaining fences.

I leave the match facts to our guru Paul H. Smith HERE, and meantime my best wishes go to De Zerbi as he tries to not only get a finger in the dam but to inspire every Spurs player to give the effort and enterprise Tottenham's fans demand and deserve. Let's will the football gods to smile down on us.

Nurse, my tablets please.

COYS

Here we go with the 31st week of our quiz that tests your knowledge of Tottenham players and the club's history...

Which Swedish-born player captained Tottenham at Wembley in the 1987 FA Cup final, and from which club did he sign for Spurs? Ps: Please go to www.normangiller.co.uk and order my 1966 World Cup book at a cut price. Hat-trick hero Sir Geoff Hurst provides the fee-free introduction - and there's lots about Greavsie! I promise it's a rewarding read. Scroll down the landing page and you'll see a video of me talking about the book. And no jokes about it needing an H for Horror certificate.

Please email your answer to me at soqleague@gmail.com and make the subject heading Quiz Week 31. Deadline: midnight this Saturday. I will do my best to respond to all who take part.

The rules are the same as in the previous 11 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 real stinker of a tie-breaking poser that is based on opinion rather than fact. This is when I lose what few friends I have.

This season's main prize will be a framed certificate announcing the winner as SOQL champion 2026, plus three signed books to be revealed at a later date.

Last time I asked: Which former Spurs striker scored 68 goals in 146 games for his country, and with which English club did he make his Football League debut in 1997-1998?

Answer: Robbie Keane/Wolves

See you back here on Monday...

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