In the bigger picture of things maybe only the knock out stages of competitions that come around every four years are "must win games" and then maybe only for the player or manager who'll be too old to do it all again the next time around.

However in the short term media age in which we live 24 hours from now we'll know the result of Tottenham's latest must win game (I think last week was given the same label which makes Bolton "even more a must win game" if you're on Fleet Street.) While I don't subscribe to the idea anything less than three points means we can get out the map to Plymouth in preperation for next term, it is a huge game. With a November fixture list that would make Hull City wince, a win is needed to get the ball rolling.  Anything less and we could be still looking at a points total in single figures come Christmas.

While these are hard times in a footballing sense what has made me proud is the attitude of the fans in backing the team.  I believe I've heard the line somewhere before"When the ship is sinking you get people safe.  You don't argue about who steered it into the iceberg." Sod the media, we are the best fans in the country and now is the time to prove it.  There is nothing greater than the sound of The Lane ringing in your ears and  I'm sure Megson will be telling his players to get the first goal and get  us on the team's back.  We won't let that happen.  We are Tottenham.

In an ideal world we'd be looking at getting the first goal for the first time this season in the league.  With that the wave of relief can push us over the winning line.  But if we let that slip or worse go two goals down early  then I defy any Spurs fan not to start looking over their shoulder and see a cold Tuesday night in Barnsley staring them in the face. But even that  must not shake us in our support

Enough of the fear and paranoia.  I can't wait for 3pm tomorrow.  Spurs fans at their best, we'll put the ball in the net ourselves if we have to.  All as one. COME ON YOU SPURS!!

If you can keep keep your head when all around you are losing theirs ... you're probably not a Spurs defender.

Fair enough Udinese are a decent side but 3 sendings off and 3 penalties in 2 games isn't bad luck, it's poor disciplne. Simple as.

Bolton now looms large on the horizon with the spector of having no central defenders to go with our no strikers.  Daws suspended, Bale suspended, King probably unfit, Woodgate and Corluka possibly unfit.  Facing Kevin Davies with a back pairing of O'Hara and Zokora? Ricardo Rocha anyone?

More of Sunday later in the week but for now we need to be united as Spurs fans.  No booing of the team (who do you think we are? Ar****l fans?) No protest, we're enough of a laughing stock already.  No "we want our Tottenham back" We are Tottenham, not the board, not the players and it's up to us to do the club proud this weekend.

COYS 

Spotted this from the Guardian Online.  No doubt any Spurs fans reading will have had various versions of these via text, email, post, carrier pidgeon .....

It is a sign of the times when, as a Spurs fan, you turn on the radio and worry about what the boys might be ablt to take from an away game at Stoke.

Just as I have never experienced the glory days , I've never really had the hard times too.  Yes the years of midtable obscurity were frustrating and are beneath us but there are about 80 other football league clubs who'd kill for what we've had.  And right now I defy anyone to say they wouldn't take midtable come May. I've never known Spurs go down and I never want to.

The only thing I've seen of the Stoke game has been the BBC highlights and as any self respecting fan knows you can't take a picture of the game from that. I certainly won't be casting any judgements based on Martin "he's got a monkey's head" Keown's analysis.

What I will say is based on the situation we find ourselves in.  Right now I don't expect us to come away from Italy in midweek with anything other than an extra stamp in our passports but I do expect three points at home to Bolton.  Anything less signifies time to press the big red button marked PANIC.

Bolton are rubbish.  We have a collection of talented players not performing to their ability.  There is not one player in the Bolton side I'd take for anyone in a Spurs shirt with maybe the exception of Matt Taylor as a squad player on account of the fact he has a left foot.  If we don't beat Bolton, at that point action is required.  We will then have reached the stage of dropping points to a series of teams, none of whom have better players than us.  At that point the problem is beyond simply an inability to put the ball in the back of the net.  I'm not anti Ramos but I am anti relegation and if the team picks up 15 points while trying to impress the new boss then right now I'll take whatever we can get.

Too good to go down? On paper yes, but they said that about West Ham.  Now is not the time for panic.  The fans at The Lane have been superb so far this year.  It may take one comibined effort to save Ramos and the team.

No noise, no standing, no cheering on the team and now no beer at all in the ground.  That's right it's another England expereince at the new Wembley.

Every time I go to one of these games I vow never to fork out £50 for the honour again.  While it was nice to see the home team win (the first time I've experienced this strange phenomenon this season) my gripe this time is with the England fans.

I'm going to do something unsual but stick with me. I'm going to stand up for Cashley Cole of Chelski.  The continued abuse he got after one, albeit shocking, mistake was proof that many people at that game simply don't know what it means to be a football fan.  It's full of a bunch of fair weather corperate types who want a picture of David Beckham to remember the day by. For me you go to suppport England not look for the first scapegoat you can find when we're not 10-0 after up 15 minute.

The FA needs to create a section in Wembley for fans who want to drink, stand up, shout, sing and generally do things fans have always done at games to bring the enjoyment back.  Then maybe I'll start to find a reason to enjoy watching the national side again.

"Hello this is the ticket office at Tottenham.  You've reached the top of the waiting list (yes it exists, I'd been on it for 3 years) and we'd like to relieve you of large amounts of your hard earned cash."

 I must have been mad to say yes but as of the Bolton game for the second time in my life I become a spurs season ticket holder.  Typical that the one year I get back into the fraternity the team gets off to it's worst start for since 19buggerknowswhen, the club is a mess and the media is branding the fans a bunch of racist homophobes.

The start to the season has been terrible but I'll lay my cards on the table early and say Ramos must stay. Our problem is a lack of strikers and no change in management is going to correct that.  The Director of Football system clearly isn't working (See: Newcastle, West Ham)  but changing that isn't about to turn Darren Bent into Jimmy Greaves, even if it might help the manager get the solutions he wants in the winter; we'll be nearly half the season gone by then. As for getting rid of Levy and Co. for some oil barron with a human rights record akin to Joey Barton's then come back to me in 10 years when they've got bored and we're playing our home games in Stevenage while some developer turns The Lane into flats.

Right now what we need is a league win. Simple as.

Let's get the wolves of the press (rather than the ones from Wolverhampton) from the door and we'll pick up.  The trouble with that is, the spotlight beams brightly on our club and it's fans.

As many have said I'm no fan of Sol Campbell but lines need to be drawn. The Sol song goes too far, it's wrong and it should stop. Any fan who can tell their Park Lane from their Paxton Road knows it's been around for years but the scavangers of Fleet Street's finest have the scent now and getting ourselves banned from away games is the only place this is going to end unless we police ourselves.  For the record I agree with other fans on web who've pointed out that the songs aren't racist but it's all too easy to write what makes for the the best headline and that's all it needs for people to believe it.  The fact we've suffered years of anti-semitic abuse (I'm not Jewish myself) from all sections of the football community won't matter. We've got to sort it ourselves.

Anyway, we're in the doldrums of the international break now.  I'm off to see England on Saturday so here's hoping for a brief reminder of what it's like to watch a team win.

COYS

Chirpy