Tottenham's 12 Days of Christmas
As 2014 draws to a close, Tottenham fans have every reason for optimism.
Twelve months ago Spurs were reeling from a 5-0 thrashing by Liverpool and the subsequent departure of Andre Villas-Boas.
Now, with a League Cup semi-final and glamour Europa League knockout tie against Fiorentina combined with a league campaign that is showing promise, Christmas seems to have come early.
Tottenham could be excused for celebrating the holidays a little early, what with their recent uptick in form.
What more could Spurs fans ask for, you might ask.
Well, despite the fact that they have opened a few presents early, there's still plenty to be looking forward to.
The January transfer window could provide a treat or two, while daunting Premier League fixtures provide the opportunity for a Christmas miracle.
Now we count down the 12 days of Christmas for Tottenham and their fans.
Day 1: Beating Leicester City
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The first Christmas wish for Spurs fans this season won't take a miracle, but it would be a very welcome late gift.
Spurs face Leicester City on Boxing Day with the chance to put pressure on their rivals. West Ham, still ahead of Spurs in the table, face Chelsea. Liverpool have a tricky trip to Turf Moor to play Burnley. Manchester United face the out-of-sorts but unpredictable Newcastle. Arsenal have a relatively straightforward fixture at home to Queens Park Rangers.
Many of the teams around Spurs could drop points, which Tottenham could take full advantage of by beating the Foxes.
Leicester famously lost the 1999 League Cup final to Spurs despite playing with an extra man half an hour. Vengeance might be on their minds, but Tottenham should have enough to beat them again.
Spurs have done a solid job of beating the beatable teams in recent weeks, and this fixture falls into that category. Wins over Aston Villa and Hull City were fortunate and a little scrappy, but they delivered much-needed points.
More of the same against Leicester would go down a treat for Spurs.
Day 2: Goals for Roberto Soldado
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Roberto Soldado has been an improved player this year. His linkup play, which was evident at times last season, has grown, and his overall effectiveness is far higher.
Unfortunately, the goals continue to elude him.
Martha Kelner for the Daily Mail reported last week that Soldado is ashamed of his failure to deliver in front of goal when he hears the adoration of the White Hart Lane crowd.
While his improvement is indisputable, Soldado has managed just three goals this season. Scoring once in each competition is not enough for a striker who is accustomed to finding the net on a far more regular basis.
Despite his ineffectiveness in front of goal, Soldado continues to enjoy the support of the majority of Spurs fans. For many this Christmas, a little scoring run for the Spaniard would be a happy holiday surprise.
Day 3: A Home Win Against Manchester United
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Tottenham have an infamously poor record against Manchester United, but they have gone some ways to putting that right in recent years.
They ended an almost 20-year-old record by beating the Red Devils at Old Trafford in 2012 but haven't yet beaten them at White Hart Lane since 2001.
There have been plenty of near-misses, but matches like the 5-3 have seemingly come to represent this fixture.
This match is always a big occasion, but with it coming in the middle of the festive period, there is even more excitement than usual.
It would put an eternal shine on the memory of Christmas 2014 if Spurs could end United's undefeated streak.
Day 4: Embarrassment for Arsenal
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Most Spurs fans will not spend their holidays focused on what "they" get up to, but with two London derbies against West Ham and QPR as well as a tricky trip to St Mary's, there is scope for Arsenal to bring a little festive cheer to their eternal rivals with a humiliating slip.
Arsenal are not in particularly poor form, despite what the papers might have you believe. They are sixth in the Premier League form table, only three points behind Spurs over the last six games.
However, their 2-2 draw with Liverpool showed some obvious flaws, and the bubbling frustration among many of their fans could influence their state of mind across the Christmas period.
Like a stocking stuffer, an Arsenal defeat won't make or break Christmas, but it would be an extra little treat.
Day 5: Beat Chelsea on New Year's Day
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Now we enter the realm of miracles.
If Tottenham's record against Manchester United is poor, one must delve far deeper to find an appropriate description of their recent run against Chelsea.
A pair of famous wins in 2006 and 2010 form joyful memories for Spurs fans, but the remainder of the meetings between these two make difficult reading.
When Spurs welcome Chelsea to White Hart Lane on New Year's Day, their fans will be hoping for the rarest of victories.
A win against Chelsea or even a well-earned point would be a huge step forward for Spurs.
While Mauricio Pochettino has steadied the ship after some early difficulties, he is yet to end Tottenham's remarkably poor run against the Premier League's elite. The draw against Arsenal was a credit to Pochettino and his team, but heavy defeats against Manchester City and Liverpool continued an unhappy trend.
Beating Chelsea would send a message that this Tottenham team has exceeded last season's side and is now a force to be reckoned with.
It would also set down a helpful psychological marker ahead of a likely meeting in the League Cup final next year.
Tottenham were unable to become the first team to defeat Chelsea in the Premier League this season when the two sides met at Stamford Bridge last month. Newcastle took that honour, but Spurs will happily become the next.
Day 6: An FA Cup Run
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Tottenham have a special relationship with the FA Cup. One of the most successful teams in the history of the competition, Spurs always expect to have a run at the Cup.
Most Spurs fans can rattle off the dates of the eight times their club has lifted the old trophy, but it has been well over 20 years since Gary Mabbutt lifted it at the old Wembley.
Last season, the old enemy snatched away any dreams that Spurs might have had with a third-round victory.
That match has come to be remembered for Theo Walcott's injury and subsequent response to jeering Spurs fans, but the performance on the pitch was something of an embarrassment for Tottenham.
This season, the third round has served up an interesting tie away at Turf Moor. Spurs got an early glimpse of Burnley last weekend when they beat them 2-1 at White Hart Lane.
They will be hoping to repeat the trick and kick off a deep run in the competition.
Day 7: Ryan Mason Returns
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The emergence of Ryan Mason as a genuine Premier League-calibre midfielder this season has been a shock to some Spurs fans and a satisfying, if long-awaited, revelation to others.
Long known as a prodigious talent in the Tottenham academy, Mason took the long road to Premier League stardom, but he has now been mentioned as an England player in the near future.
Being forced to endure difficult loan spells and persistent injuries, Mason has rewarded the faith Mauricio Pochettino placed in him when giving him his first League start against Arsenal. The youngster has been an ever-present since then and been embraced by the fans.
All of that made his exit on a stretcher against Burnley particularly difficult to take.
Given his history with injuries, many will have thought the worst, but Pochettino told Sky Sports after the match that it "doesn't look too bad" (h/t London24).
It will be a real Christmas treat if Mason is able to return as soon as the Boxing Day fixture against Leicester because Spurs will need him across the busy festive period.
Day 8: An Early AFCON Exit for Algeria
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The 2015 Africa Cup of Nations tournament came close to being cancelled after Morocco pulled out as hosts. Equatorial Guinea stepped in, and the competition will now go ahead as planned.
Unfortunately for Spurs, that means saying goodbye to Nabil Bentaleb for as long as three weeks. In fact, the final of this year's event is scheduled for the day after the season's second north London derby.
Spurs face important fixtures across January but none more important than that.
With this in mind, Spurs fans will make the slightly selfish wish for a group-stage exit for Bentaleb and Algeria.
Of course, if Algeria do progress, Tottenham supporters will surely support them. They'll cheer Bentaleb and his Desert Foxes all the way to the final, but they'll probably be happier if things don't shake out that way.
Day 9: Success at Spurs for DeAndre Yedlin
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United States international full-back DeAndre Yedlin agreed to join Spurs after the World Cup, but the decision has now been taken to speed up his arrival. Originally due to begin his Tottenham career next summer, Yedlin will now arrive in the January window, per Sky Sports.
Many U.S. fans will join Spurs supporters in hoping for immediate success for the former Sounder.
Yedlin, primarily a right-back, will find it difficult (read: impossible) to beat out Kyle Walker for the starting role, but the FA Cup third round will provide an early chance to show what he can do.
The American is a project but possesses the natural gifts to be a success in the Premier League, and a good start is all his supporters can really ask for this Christmas.
Day 10: Some Clean Sheets
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Tottenham finally have their defence sorted out.
The two new signings, Federico Fazio and Ben Davies, have taken time to find their feet at Spurs, while Kyle Walker has only recently returned from a long-term injury. But Mauricio Pochettino can now call upon his first-choice players in each position along the back line.
Jan Vertonghen has also shaken off the personality clash with Pochettino to cement his place in the lineup.
With world-class goalkeeper Hugo Lloris behind them, this is now a top-quality Premier League defensive unit.
Unfortunately, that has yet to be reflected in its results.
Now that this group has played several matches together, chemistry is clearly starting to develop. The central pairing of Vertonghen and Fazio has the potential to work very well together, while Davies and Walker are perfectly suited to their roles in Pochettino's team.
Spurs have managed just nine clean sheets this season in all competitions. It is time to add to that total.
Day 11: A Decision on Adebayor
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This time last season, Emmanuel Adebayor was Spurs' star man.
He had been the veritable ghost at Andre Villas-Boas' feast, but his Tottenham life was restored by Tim Sherwood.
The Togolese striker found his form and went on to finish as Spurs' leading scorer by season's end.
This year, having endured personal crises and baffling rumours all while battling indifferent form, Adebayor remains the biggest question in Spurs' squad.
Undoubtedly a decisive player when at his best, Adebayor is an enigma Mauricio Pochettino must solve.
If Pochettino is to persist with Adebayor, he must find a way to extract a degree of consistency.
If not, he must use the imminent opening of the transfer window to find Adebayor a new haunt.
Day 12: A Trophy
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The biggest wish for Spurs fans this Christmas is the same that it is every year: a trophy.
Since the 2008 League Cup triumph against Chelsea, Spurs have had two FA Cup semi-finals and several deep runs in the UEFA Cup and Europa League. They even reached the League Cup final again in 2009 only to be defeated by Manchester United on penalties.
Despite continuing to be a threat in cup competitions, it will soon be seven years since that glorious night against Chelsea.
Much mockery was made of Arsenal's barren run without a trophy. The website SinceArsenalLastWonaTrophy.com was a hilarious reminder of the old enemy's foibles, but their FA Cup triumph last season ended that amusing pastime.
Now it is time for Spurs to once again add to their trophy cabinet.
Mauricio Pochettino will not ensure his legacy simply by virtue of collecting silverware. After all, Juande Ramos is hardly well-remembered around White Hart Lane.
However, a trophy would be the perfect way to maintain the optimism that is building around Pochettino and his team. It would signal that the faith placed in him by the club and its fans is well-placed.
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