Tottenham news - The dawn of the #PochOut brigade

You know you’ve colossally screwed up when you share the front pages with a US President impeachment and a Prime Minister who lied to his Queen.

A lot has happened since Peter Walton’s grin flickered onto television sets in May, an unusual transition from Ajax despair to Tottenham elation – the latter of which has been hardly seen since. Liverpool 2 (Salah 2' Origi 87') Tottenham 0. Four players recruited in the summer: one immediately frozen out after being loaned back to the Championship, the other three on a merry-go-round of niggles. The euphoria of clinging onto their main assets overshadowed by the fact it has ruptured the squad’s mentality and sent future transfer fees plummeting. Three consecutive disasters culminating in yesterday’s shootout defeat to Colchester United of League Two.

And one hashtag: #PochOut. As the camera panned to a rigid Mauricio Pochettino clapping at the FIFA Best Awards on Monday, Jurgen Klopp delivering the speech the Argentine longed to give, some Spurs fans were already scheming online to ensure he never returned following debacles in Greece and Leicester. And then Tuesday night happened.

Drawing conclusions from social media is rarely smart – a cyber-land which staunchly defends a teenage sailing across the Atlantic to read a script, but mercilessly destroys someone who accidentally called the aforementioned PM Joris Bohnson – but the weight of anger now can’t be overlooked.

Pochettino needs a Plan B, they cried. To reinvigorate his stale tactics. To learn how to substitute Harry Kane. To win a trophy. Actually, to leave the club altogether (written far less eloquently).

Do these supporters not remember what came previously? A gilet-wielding walking cliché, who invited a fan to become manager mid-match and who continuously bleated about his "second to none" win ratio. Do they really want another Tactics Tim? Or are they prepared to accept that the man they need to deliver success is already at the club – and he just needs some backing during this long-overdue rough patch?

While we’re in the mood for writing obituaries, let’s get gloomy about Lionel Messi. The Barcelona forward returned from injury last night against Villarreal to… get injured again. More ominously, it wasn’t a recurrence of the old problem as a thigh complaint stole the headlines from his calf.

Sadly, Ernesto Valverde isn’t getting on board with #RetireMessi:

What a bore.

Tentative blueprints are being drawn up for a Kieran Tierney statue after the full-back’s impressive debut in Arsenal’s 5-0 felling of Nottingham Forest. The Scot survived 77 minutes before being replaced to suggest he has all the qualities to restore the club to their perch and retire a legend.

Word of warning though: Arsenal fans do tend to get excited a tad early:

It's the biggest game of your career. 2-2 in the shootout. The manager turns to you, nods and you trundle over towards the goal. You pop the ball on the spot, glance at the goalkeeper, take a deep breath, start your run-up... AND DO THIS?!

Oh well, at least it didn’t matter.

Given Tottenham are BACK, let's remember one of their other great moments: a 4-3 classic against Manchester City in an FA Cup fourth round replay in 2004.

[Insert hilarious 'can Manchester United defy the odds to beat Rochdale' quip]