Hey Big Spenders

There is growing evidence that decent Spurs fans are far from happy these days. In the summer, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club ranked second only to the mighty moneybags of Stamford Bridge in the spending stakes, as they brought seven new players into the fold. And on the back of last season’s success, when Martin Jol’s side failed by the narrowest of margins to overtake Arsenal and break into the Champions League, it is entirely understandable that hopes were running high.

But then the season began with a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium and by the time Spurs faced Portsmouth on 1st October all they had to show for six Premiership games was a single victory over newly promoted Sheffield United and a goalless draw in the home derby against Fulham. They had lost four times and scored only twice and they languished in 18th position.

In the light of all that, there was something of an air of desperation about them as they faced the prospect of chasing three points against Harry Redknapp’s high flying Portsmouth side. But fortunately Spurs had the best possible start, as Pompey gifted them a lead after just 40 seconds. There seemed to be no danger until James fluffed Berbatov’s header and as the ball squirted away from his grasp, Glenn Johnson declined to clear it and a delighted Danny Murphy scrambled it over the line, leaving two Pompey players with only themselves to blame.

Thirty two minutes later it was an entirely different story, as Didier Zokora went down and referee Chris Foy pointed immediately to the spot, despite protests from Pedro Mendes, and Defoe duly converted the penalty to give the home side a 2-0 lead.

There is no consolation for Harry Redknapp, his players or the loyal Portsmouth fans that television replays proved conclusively that Mendes had not touched Zokora, or that Chris Foy – a competent referee and a decent man – apologised to the Portsmouth manager at the earliest opportunity. The damage was done and despite a brilliant header from Kanu to reduce the deficit, and a great deal of subsequent pressure from the away team, it proved conclusive.

The truth is that Zokora cheated and his cheating was decisive and sadly it is a measure of the man that in the second half when Mendes did foul him, he was seen to produce card waving gestures in the referee’s direction in an attempt to get his opponent sent off.

Post match television and radio programmes confirmed that many Spurs fans were embarrassed by Zokora’s behaviour and disappointed by manager Martin Jol, who in his interview declared “I don’t think Zokora did it on purpose” and suggested that the player lost his balance.

If that is what he really believes, it isn’t just Zokora’s balance Spurs fans should be worrying about.