NORMAN GILLER'S SPURS ODYSSEY BLOG No 527
Submitted by Norman Giller

I was half expecting Billy Bremner to come and kick me, or Don Revie dictate how I write my report after Tottenham's hard-earned victory at Elland Road. The game was a throw back to the good old, bad old days - rough, tough but beautiful, and Spurs came through it walking tall and proud (as did all we Spurs supporters).

By the way, I'm joking about Billy, because while he was a hard man on the pitch he was a pussycat off it, provided he was sober. A little private joke there. I meant it about the Don, who always wanted you to write a match report with a good old Leeds slant. What is it about these Donalds?

I am talking about the days when I was chief football writer for the Daily Express and a regular at Leeds United matches when they were the team to hate unless you were a Yorkshireman. I used to quietly call Revie, Joseph (as in Goebbels) because of his propaganda and denial that Leeds were - how can I put this - an over-the-top team.

I think it's good for the game that they have their mojo back, and Tottenham had to dig into their new-found fighting spirit to clinch three precious points.

It's just like the old days at Elland Road, witness the fact that Spurs were the first winners there in over a year. As our guru Paul H. Smith observes HERE, this was the kind of match that reminds you why football, at its fiercest, still grips the soul.

Tottenham's 2-1 victory was more than just three points. It felt like a statement.

I was delighted for Mathys Tel when he opened the scoring midway through the first half with a deflected strike. It was just about what Leeds deserved when Noah Okafor forced a rebound home for an equaliser.

It had been scrappy, thrilling, relentless - a game that never quite found rhythm because neither side would allow it. The soaked pitch in the second-half was slick, the passing hurried, the challenges hard. For all its rawness, though, there was beauty in the battle. It was a throwback to those Revie-era contests when every inch of turf mattered and class was measured in courage as much as craft.

I could almost hear Dave Mackay's battle cries and feel Steve Perryman's defiance as Tottenham met fire with fire, and it revealed that this Tottenham team has real character. In the old days I am convinced they would have folded after that Okafor goal.

Then came Mohammed Kudus's moment. He's been waiting to show why he was brought in (and why my West Ham mates sulk) and on 57 minutes he delivered. A smart run, a deft touch inside, and a shot across goal that took a slight deflection before nestling in the corner. His first goal for Spurs, and one that sent the travelling fans home, soaked but happy. Much more to come from his talented boots. Kudus is collecting his kudos.

Leeds had gone 23 home games unbeaten. To come into this cauldron and end that run says much about the growing backbone in this Tottenham side. This was not a win fashioned in silk and satin, but in sweat and stamina.

Watching it, I couldn't help but be transported back to those Revie years when Leeds were kings of controlled chaos - Hunter prowling and growling, Charlton commanding, Gray gliding, Clarke niggling and netting, Bremner barking. That mixture of artistry and aggression was their trademark. Saturday's contest had that echo: no prisoners taken, yet full of craft when it mattered.

And so to what comes next. The international break (what, another one?) offers breathing space - a time to patch knocks, polish confidence, and prepare for Aston Villa's visit. But Spurs will want to bottle the essence of Elland Road: resilience, collective belief, a refusal to wilt.

Kudus's breakthrough could not be better timed. A player of rhythm and confidence, he now has both. Tel, too, is growing into his role, linking cleverly and showing maturity beyond his years. Behind them, Porro's adventure down the right adds balance, while Vicario's composure continues to anchor the back line. Then there are Romero and van de Ven breathing fire at the heart of the defence.

The lesson? Spurs can graft. They can win ugly when required. And that's the trait that separates contenders from entertainers. Aston Villa, with their pace and purpose and picking up after a dodgy start, will pose fresh puzzles. But the visit to Elland Road was a test of temperament passed with distinction.

All good. See you after the break, on Monday week.

COYS

BECOME A SPURS SELECTOR

One last chance to submit your dream Spurs team for publication in my SPURS SELECT book. Send your selection to me by email to normangiller@gmail.com, plus a maximum 50 words. Two things to remember, you must have seen the players you pick in live action, plus they need to be British or Northern Ireland born. Please remember to tell me where you live, and how long you've been a Spurs supporter. You can pick any formation. Look forward to seeing YOUR line-up. Enjoy playing the selecting game.

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

Who has won 33 caps for his country, scored his first goal for Spurs against Manchester United in 2023 and which Tottenham squad number does he wear?

Please email your answer to me at soqleague@gmail.com and make the subject heading Quiz Week 8. 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 week I asked: Who won 35 caps for England, collected an FA Cup winners' medal in 1967 and was a goal-scoring captain for Spurs against which team in a Uefa Cup final?

Answer: Alan Mullery/Wolves.

See you back here after the international break on Monday week.

COYS!

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