TOTTENHAM VS CHELSEA
Monday 6th November, 8:00pm
Tottenham @ 23/20
Draw @ 14/5
Chelsea @ 11/5
view odds
In 1497 a Florentine priest ordered the mass burning of objects which, in his eyes, were considered sinful. Playing cards, mirrors, dresses, musical instruments, and works of art were all thrown onto the pile in an event known as The Bonfire of the Vanities.
The phrase rose from the ashes in the late 1980s when Tom Wolfe used it to title his best-selling novel, which depicted a New York City buckling under the combined pressures of racial tension, economic polarisation, and a malfunctioning political system.
As we approach bonfire night, here in present day UK, there are a number of high-profile Premier League managers for whom combined pressures are also building to dangerous levels. For them, at this crucial juncture, any silly mistake – any bungle, any mistimed tackle, sliced clearance or banana-skin slip – could lead to the end of their employment. These managers will be calling for such errors to be thoroughly purged this weekend – thrown onto a flaming pyre; a vast bonfire of the calamities.
Erik ten Hag is perhaps the most high-profile of all these concerned men. His faltering Manchester United side will be looking to avoid a third consecutive 3-0 defeat as they head to Fulham in Saturday’s opening game.
Uncharacteristic mistakes have been a feature of his side so far this season – along with unfortunate injuries and unforeseeable absences – but there are also increasing signs that the players who have managed to make it to the pitch no longer know what they are supposed to do when they get there.
Vincent Kompany is another big name who is in danger of being turned into a sacrificial Guy. The former Manchester City ace appears to have made the mistake of trying to get his Burnley side to actually play football – an approach which rarely bears fruit when you are immersed in a messy scrap for survival.
And in the final fixture of Gameweek 11, at 8pm on Monday, we have Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea. While Newcastle v Arsenal may be the biggest game of the weekend, this London Derby is the most interesting – contrasting another manager experiencing escalating pressure (Pochettino), with one who is currently bulletproof (Postecoglu). This match also a contains the greater possibility of leftover fireworks.
Two of Postecoglu’s big-name predecessors – José Mourinho and Antonio Conte – left Tottenham after spending most of their time there moaning about not being backed in the transfer market. The former Celtic boss, however, arrived in North East London with the club having just sold-off its most important player, and without securing a remotely similar replacement. And yet, at the time of writing, without a single press conference whine or sulk, Spurs are top of the table.
Pochettino, conversely, was inundated with expensive transfers – they rained upon him like platinum confetti – and yet Chelsea are 11th, and could be even lower come Monday night.
But being a football manager is a strange, confounding profession. When things are going well it seems very easy: you pick your team, send them out, and they return with a wagging tail and three shiny points.
But when things are not going well, absolutely nothing works: players hit slumps, your opponents score worldies, borderline decisions go against you, and the goal shrinks to the size of a postage stamp. There are too many variables beyond your control.
How does one turn the latter situation back into the former? This is the question Messrs ten Hag, Kompany, and Pochettino are currently trying to figure out. Because even if the present errors are successfully thrown onto the bonfire, who can guarantee that new ones won’t suddenly emerge?
Is there really anything flailing managers can do when the downward spiral begins…other than affect a stern grimace on the touchline…and hope for a little bit of luck?
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