Source: FOOTYMAD
They Aren't Brazil
Pompey pessimism strikes again. Despite the abnormal atrocity that has been the 2009/2010 season, I am surprised at how pessimistic Pompey fans are about our chances against Tottenham on Sunday.Maybe it's just the suicidal nature of the people I socialise with, but the general belief amongst many of the Pompey fans I have spoken to is simply "we're going to get thrashed."It's almost as if they've forgotten how we have got here in the first place. Surely you have to believe that we have a chance of beating Tottenham as we've managed to get through a lot both on and off the pitch just to get this far.Sure, we've had our fair bit of luck on the road to Wembley. There is a strong case that we shouldn't have even made it past the first hurdle but for a fortunate last minute own goal and then a stoppage time-in-stoppage time header from Mokoena to take us through.And who can forget the goal-that-never-was in the Birmingham game that might have changed the outcome of the match? Luck has its part to play during a cup run and some of the fortune we have had this year draws parallels with Darren Carter's 94th minute own goal at Preston and the numerous goal-line clearances at Old Trafford.It is this sort of luck that makes me believe, perhaps stupidly, that it might be our year again. But there is another issue that I've had with Pompey fans recently, and that is their talking up of Redknapp and his Spurs side. Here's a fact for you:Tottenham Hotspur are not the Brazil national team, far from it in fact.Yes, they have some very good players, that's something we have experienced first hand when some of those players used to wear the Pompey Blue. And they may be currently sitting fifth in the so-called "best league in the world". But to hear some Pompey fans talk as if we are incapable of beating this team, in a competition renowned for the underdog having its day, is borderline ridiculous.Tottenham aren't some super team managed by a tactical genius. Spurs have had a fair few poor results this season. They've been beaten by Wolves (twice) and been held by Hull and League One Leeds at White Hart Lane, and they've just taken a beating from a Sunderland team that couldn't beat Pompey in three attempts this season.Yes, we're bottom of the league for a reason and our side has been decimated by injuries, but off-field troubles have played their part mentally in our on-field woes and there is some good news on the injury front in that we might be able to field a competitive team on Sunday!Tottenham will be the favourites and rightly so but Pompey fans usually relish the role of underdogs and arguably worse teams than the current Pompey team have upset far better teams than Spurs in FA Cup history.So let's not be pessimistic about the match on Sunday, as it may well be our time to shine and upset the odds once more.
