Over the last few months we have had hope, lost it and then found it again. Eight points from our last 12 available, combined with West Ham picking up only three, has left us on the verge of rescue. The impossible has become probable. But Spurs fans have been around the block enough times to know you are not safe until you are wrapped in foil and someone has handed you a hot drink.
In real-life rescue situations, it is well documented that the most dangerous moment comes right before safety. It is known as the rescue paradox. The moment safety becomes something you can visualise, complacency creeps in. Emotional exhaustion takes over and, most dangerously of all, protocol begins to disappear.
Everything that got you to the point of rescue is forgotten. The discipline, the focus, the hard work. The moment mountain rescue appears over the horizon, people relax.
Exactly a decade ago, with two games remaining, Tottenham needed just one point to finish above Arsenal for the first time in a generation. After falling short in the title race, ending Arsenal’s reign as North London’s leading club felt like a worthy consolation prize. But Spurs relaxed. One of the most talented groups of Tottenham players in modern history somehow lost at home to Southampton before collapsing 5-1 away to an already relegated Newcastle side.
We are not safe. West Ham are not down. That has to remain the mentality.
Over the last four games we have shown resilience, discipline and, most importantly, an understanding of our predicament. That cannot change.
This next point may be the biggest of my lifetime. Bigger than any point that secured Champions League qualification. Its impact on the long-term future of the club could be enormous. A point of this magnitude will not simply fall into our lap. It will have to be earned, fought for with the same desperation that brought us the last eight points.
We are not relegated. We are not safe. Between those two realities lies a deep dark chasm.
Find more from Bardi at The Extra Inch – a Spurs podcast