The home Straight....

There are 7 home games remaining including Arsenal, Everton and Man City, 6 Away games including Liverpool and Chelsea. Arsenal has a much easier run imo so we should never write them off! Maybe a few cracks here and there but they have a really good chance to finish strongly. Everton have the toughest run but again, they have been fairly consistent and are a better team than last year. Those 2 teams are our biggest threat!

It’s all very open at the moment so I agree, instead of bickering about the feking chairman or board…let’s get behind the club in whole and give our best support. If we go behind in a game, step it up, cheer louder and urge the lads on. For those 90 minutes it’s down to us to our best as well as the team on the pitch. And on here or else ware after, let’s keep it up! Constructive criticism is fine but come on. So far the fans on here should be in 10th place in the table, and don’t deserve to finish in the top4 as far as supporting the coach and each player. Let’s turn it around for this ‘home strait’. No more changes are likely to happen until summer so just do what’s best for the team for now.

I wouldn’t agree that we have rotated more this year than last, just have used the squad better, some of this down to player availability, some down to AVB himself swapping things around in terms of formations. We seem so much more versatile, before we would have bread and butter formation and a few tweaks here and there. Now, we can reshape the line-up pretty much how it suits us, at the start or during the match. With the reaming games and EL we might be able to rotate a little more moving onwards.

Anther positive amongst all the changes behind the scenes, the players are continuing developing their own games. Bale under maybe even better guidance this term is learning to stun teams by drifting inside (this is how defenders were dealing with him before, pushing him inside) now they will have to re-think because pushing him inside will not be as effective anymore. Lennon seems to have found another gear and being one of the senior members has matured his game. I could go on about the other players…but generally we are learning to be better all-around which is a good thing, and we need to continue on that path.

There is a long way to go but let’s take it a game at a time and we will be right up there I’m sure. Any team can win on the day with any of our fixtures! Looking forward to the toon match, and hopefully some revenge ha! COYS.

AVB will doubtless drill the lads not to think differently when playing against Farce 'n all, Chelskum, Everett, Poo, etc., than when playing against the teams on the lower rung. Getting overly motivated to win when playing our principal opponents typically has results that aren't good. The most glaring example in recent matches was Adebayor vs Farce 'n all; he got far overly motivated to shine in that match, and it backfired terribly. Go into all matches calmly. Too much motivation typically backfired. It's like bedding a beautiful woman for the first time and really really wanting to give her the best sex of her life; often doesn't work out that way. Relax and enjoy playing.

Taking it too easy versus the teams on the lower rungs can come back to bit one on the lower nether regions. How often have we seen our lads drop points vs. the Wigans and West Broms, etc., of the league. Get just as motivated when going on the pitch vs. the lower teams that one gets going on the pitch versus the Mancs, the Scum, the Chelscum, etc. No let downs, and no over excited performances.

Stay on an even keel, but make sure that that even keel--not too hot and not too cold-- is at a steady high level of performance.

Make sure that the reserve players know when they start or come on in a match as a substitute that we expect the same from them that we expect from our starters--no more and no less. Let them know that we expect them to be ready to play steady. Let them know that we won't bury them on the bench if they make a mistake. If they come on afraid of making any mistake, mistakes they will make. Then need to play relaxed. Not too high, not too low, not too hot, not too cool. Just like the best 11. Don't drop points we should be gaining, and grab the occasional point that the punters don't think we should take.

COYSS. Come on you steady Spurs.