Two games in and we've lost Sir Les (not really a surprise), Mr. Carr and Rebrov to injury.  Even the prodigal son, Lord Teddy of Sheringham, is struggling after apparently taking a tumble from his Stannah Stair Lift (tm).  On top of this, we have already suffered miserably at the hands of the officials - Kachloul's cynical foul on Taricco at the opener was ignored, costing us a certain goal and then, of course, there's "that game" at Goodison - the penalty that never was, followed by the red card that never was, followed (as quick as you can say "Harrow is s***-hole and should be bombed") by another red card that never was.  Thanks, Mr. Elleray, you cost us 3 points.  I suggest you give up your new "professional" career and return to schooling Latin and bending your cane at Harrow. 

On this point, it did occur to me that now that refs are professional, will they have the same responsibility and accountability as we normal human beings have at our everyday jobs?  I couldn't help but think that if I had made, not one, but two monumentally appalling mistakes at my job (corporate finance lawyer - sorry...but it's sadly true...), as Mr. Elleray did, I would very probably be sacked or at least get a damn good spanking from the powers that be in my firm.  Will this happen to the Sparrow-on-the-Hill?  I think not.  While the FA may overturn Poyet's dismissal (unlikely), I can't see them in a month of Sundays (or even Wednesdays) correcting both mistakes and reinstating The Doc.  We all know that refs have gone a bit crazy at the start of the last few seasons, before hitting the sauce and Prozac and calming down a bit, but this is no consolation to Spurs - potentially with two bad penalty decisions, we have lost four points and a huge amount of momentum.

If the Goodison red cards are upheld, as I suspect they will be, and with the FA (with the undoubted intention of suspending him for a while) threatening to review video evidence of Taricco's harmless attempt to swat a fly on Gravesen's leg, after just two games we could find ourselves without half of our starting line-up for the next three games or so.  This will hurt us without a doubt as one game is Sunderland away and one is Chelsea at home, not to mention the lack of continuity in the team that will subsequently follow and rupture our build-up to Black September as Liverpool and Man U lurk in the wings.

So, I ask myself, "Is this yet another cursed season?"  After the great signings of the summer, the Hoddle revolution underway, the style returning (albeit slowly and cautiously) to the Lane, will we face yet another season where bad luck occasioned by the officials and the shadowy figure of The Grim Injury Reaper will dominate our season?  I hope not.  Maybe the swings and roundabouts will fall into place and we'll get some dodgy decisions in our favour come 17 November, but the season hasn't started in the way I anticipated.

But onwards and upwards (and outwards if your name's Daveed and you're French).  Blackburn next - a draw would be OK, but I expect a win.  Southampton - a win and we'll make that soft Bambi of a man, Wupert eat his ill-chosen words about the Yokel sailors being a bigger team that the Might and Pride of North London.

Signing off with a strange cocktail of pessimism and slowly returning optimism...

Kingy

P.S. FREE THE "TOTTENHAM TWO"!!! JUSTICE FOR GUS AND DOC!!