Inter Milan demolition the cure for dodgy Bolton away day

Wesley had no idea what that team had in store for him...

Last week was a complete whirlwind as a Spurs fan. There hasn't been that much buzz and excitement that we could beat one of the worlds best teams since.. well, every time we play Manchester United.

A glance at the Phil Thompson's blog before the game suggested a win for Spurs, from a man who normally likes to criticise Tottenham too. What probably helped the optimism was a stirring-almost-one-man comeback by Mr Gareth Bale away at the San Siro, who in the last year has not only earned his wings, but seemingly upgraded them to rocket boosters. It felt like Young boys away all over again: "To Dare is to Do" is the motto of our beloved club, and so I dared to dream that we could beat the "minnows" of Switzerland. That didn't quite go to plan until we recovered to 3-2. "Well, as long as we don't lose our heads at the start of a game again we'll have no problem", I told a friend. Ah. Well, we sort of did lose our heads, a lot, quite quickly. Within seconds of starting at the San Siro, losing a player and two goals, Arsenal fans had come out of the woodwork on Facebook and Twitter: "Welcome to the Champions League you total muppets!!!" was one quote, the only one clean enough to post I might add.

And Lo, Bale screamed down the left flank scoring two wonderful goals. Amen. Oh, but there was more. Lennon scythes through the Milan midfield like something from 2006 and Bale has his remarkable, Lazarus-rivaling hat-trick. Cue me and my ENTIRE family on our knees on the floor, daring to dream (again) that we could do an Arsenal 4-4 on them. It wasn't to be. As I said at the time to an Arsenal fan, we did play badly, we did look like schoolboys, but I was grinning from ear to ear and slept a lot easier, knowing retribution could be at hand.

Cue two weeks later, I didn't just dare to dream, I dared to place a bet. I settled down feeling sick, praying that Gallas and Kaboul could hold off Eto'o who scores for fun. The best fans in the world (thats you, fellow Yids) sang the metaphorical roof off White Hart Lane (and I am a choral conductor!) - the golden cockerel glistened and probably thought "I remember a night like this a while back.." Van Der Vaart (the gift shop surely has ran out of V's and A's?!) raced through to score, settle nerves and increase the volume of singing (Haringey council's noise pollution officer had a busy night). Imagine the Inter players and fans! They probably thought "those fans were noisy enough in their ridiculously small allocation at the San Siro but we've just walked into a lions den," or at least thats what I like to think...

Note goes to Cudicini for an excellent save at half time but the second half was all about Bale. My dad shouts all sorts at the TV, even when we're playing well, but even he (for once!) was waxing lyrical about Bale - giggling, yes, a grown man giggling, at what a young Welshman was doing to the "Worlds Greatest Right Back". Yeah, well a note to visiting teams, leave your accolades at the Bill Nic gates please, they mean nothing to us, just ask Arsenal and Chelsea after last season. Bale was a man possessed, a man on fire at 100-mph chased by ninjas... sort of.. with his last goal (after some VERY nervy moments at 2-1) a spectacularly outrageous kick-and-run sprint for 70 yards to pass to Super Pav to do what he does best, absolutely nothing until he pops up to score!

That night, "Audere est Facere" came true. I think we all dared to dream, the players dared to play, Bale dared to run whilst Maicon dared to stop him, but ended up having a taxi called instead. Gallas and Kaboul in particular looked imperious at the back

There were no Arsenal fans to talk to that night, I'm not sure why..... Certainly none on Facebook anyway.

It is nights like that at White Hart Lane which make me proud to be a Spurs fan. Yes we played badly against Bolton on Saturday despite amazing support, yes the team was lacklustre and the media all too eager to diagnose a severe case of championsleaguehangover-itis but thats part and parcel of being a Spurs fan. We may moan but we certainly don't boo our own team off the pitch like Arsenal did after being outmuscled by Newcastle. If a loss away to Bolton and a dodgey refereeing decision at Old (GMT + Fergie time) Trafford is the price to pay for demolishing, destroying, and dismantling the European and Italian Champions, then thats a price I'm all to happy to pay!

COYS!