NORMAN GILLER'S SPURS ODYSSEY BLOG No 534
Submitted by Norman Giller

Hark ... listen ... hear that chomping noise? It's the sound of Spurs supporters eating their words after Tottenham's emphatic win over Brentford. First came the boos, now the oohs as people sit up and suddenly realise there's the making of a proper Tottenham team here.

They say a week is a long time in politics. In football, it's like a lifetime. First of all, the team gave a proud account of themselves with the draw at Newcastle, now this spanking of Thomas Frank's old Brentford team who can scare the very best.

Sadly, we have developed a fan base that turns too quickly to poison and impatience. It's only a minority but they are extremely noisy and pollute the ground and social media with their vicious, below-the-belt views. Booing our goalkeeper! Have you ever known anything so counter productive and so stupid.

There have been at least four matches recently when he has literally saved Spurs from hidings. Where were the Boo boys then? Ok, he is not everybody's taste as a last line of defence, but surely he deserves everybody getting behind him instead of his own supporters - his own supporters - booing him and making him feel unwanted and unloved.

I was moved to confront one of the know-alls on line for spreading his contagious anti-Tottenham propaganda. He was, of course, sheltering behind the shield of anonymity, and made me the subject of his attack "for licking ENIC's boots."

Goodness knows what he and his malicious mates would be doing to Daniel Levy if he were still around. Now the start of a movement against Thomas Frank has been at least temporarily halted and people are ready to give this new-look team the chance they deserve.

Funny, but my tormentor has gone very quiet since Saturday's polished performance drew the sting from the Bees ... as reported HERE by our Spurs Odyssey guru Paul H. Smith, who gives his usual balanced and fair view of a match that has given us all a sense of genuine hope.

I don't want to jinx him, but the signs are that in Xavi Simons we have a player who has not only speed and skill but finishing power and accuracy. It has taken him time to win everybody's confidence - particularly his own. But during what should have been a 5-0 thumping of Brentford you could feel the self-belief growing in him.

We got the feeling that even Thomas Frank did not completely trust him with a starting place after Xavi's move from RB Leipzig for a whacking £51.8million in the summer, beating off opposition from other clubs including Chelsea.

But on Saturday, Simons looked the business and his superbly taken goal should give him all the confidence in the world. He has got that ability to do the unexpected, and that has so far been missing in the Frank era. Once we get Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison back Tottenham will be spoilt for choice and I for one am very buoyant about our chances of making an impact this season.

Games are coming thick and fast and tomorrow's home Champions League match against Slavia Prague will test whether some of us (okay, me) are going over the top with our optimism.

Can't resist it ... the future is Double Dutch, with Simons and his countryman van de Ven giving Tottenham a touch of class that will - hopefully - shut up the moaners and groaners for ever.

COYS

Spurs select - A book to read and play

Just 17 shopping days to Christmas and another gentle reminder that my 122nd book has gone off to the Printer: Spurs Select, in which you are challenged to pick a Tottenham Team to Play for Your Life.

A donation for every book sold will be made to the Tottenham Tribute Trust, who help our old heroes that missed the gravy train.

Spurs Odyssey readers can save a fiver by ordering the book NOW. If you are interested please go to normangiller@gmail.com.

If you prefer, you can mention you'd like purchasing details when entering the Spurs Odyssey Quiz below. It's a book that you play as well as read and is guaranteed to revive memories of your most memorable matches. Please join me in playing the Selecting Game.

Here we go with the 15th week of our quiz that tests your knowledge of Tottenham players and the club's history ...

Which England international started his career at The Dell and to which country did he first move after scoring 174 goals for Spurs?

Please email your answer to me at soqleague@gmail.com and make the subject heading Quiz Week 15. 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 was born in Udine, has won five caps for his country and from which club did he join Spurs in 2023?

Answer: Gugliemo Vicario/Empoli

See you back here on Monday.

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