One undeserved loss (Birmingham), one hard-fought come-back win (Leeds) and a tenacious draw at Liverpool. And the summer signings, notably Postiga, Kanoute and Zamora. Suddenly Spurs had the potential to score goals, and goals such as Fredi’s against Leeds. There was a sense of optimism at the Lane. That last statement should be qualified. There is often a sense of optimism at the Lane, because things can only get better when they’re not going very well. This time, though, we really believed it could last.

Then we lost 0-3 to Fulham, who seemed to have Gulliver (Zat Knight) in central defence, while a series of Lilliputians scurried around him. I calculated that, had all the Fulham outfield, besides Knight, stood on each other’s shoulders, they still wouldn’t have been as tall as Antony Gardner. It passed the time less gallingly than following the ball.

A single amusing thing emerged from that game – Hoddle’s explanation for the defeat. It went: ‘The coaching staff warned the team before the match that you can’t switch the lights on every time, that you have to grind out results. We didn’t smell that one coming. The car was in neutral and we couldn’t put it in the drive.’ Later he was spotted with a rolled-up copy of The Times, trying to exchange suitcases with a Russian-looking man.

Our defence – the same that performed minor miracles at Anfield – was, needless to say, woeful. No one had a good game. Simon Davies later admitted that he had been playing below par for six months. Our midfield, overrun, waved the white flag. They were not aided by the switch from 3-5-2 to 4-3-3 at half-time, evidently because Ledley King was fatigued, which the manager explained thus: ‘Ledley found a sparrow but the grass needed cutting.’ (I made that up.) Immediately afterwards, we went to the pub, moaned for ages, then sent off for Man City away tickets. Well, it’s supposed to be a nice ground.

Kanoute has art on his side; Zamora has stature and determination. Postiga lacks physical presence, but banged them in at Porto. All three need time to settle. Robbie Keane should return soon, and Poyet looks set for Chelsea. Ziege’s back in training. And we have our very own Inter Milan reject in Stephane Dalmat. If they all fail, even placid little Taricco had started spraying bullets towards the onion bag from 30 yards. Having lost, inevitably, to Chelsea and Southampton, Glenda will either be ousted immediately, or will be shortly on his way. Will the players be sad? Hands up, who thinks ‘No’ Bring on Graham Taylor.

Stop Press. As we went to press, Hoddle was fired. Editor.

autumn colour

by Luisa Ferrari

The true seasonal impact of autumn with its spectacular colours is often associated with natural landscapes rather than urban situations, where it tends to express itself in more muted tones.

This is due to various factors. On the one hand, town planting does not traditionally pay much attention to seasonal variation, being primarily concerned with surviving pollution and tough growing conditions. On the other, autumn colour is not a totally reliable henomenon as it depends largely on the thermal excursion experienced by the vegetation during the months before leaf fall. The leaves respond to the increasingly cold nights by colouring more intensely the more temperatures drop. During mild autumns, or in very protected situations such as small, sheltered gardens, plants are not stimulated into producing the same fiery shades that would occur in exposed conditions.

When it does happen, however, autumn colour is a spectacularly rewarding effect in the garden and one that should find a place even in the smallest plot. The real trick is to select plants that are fairly reliable in autumn but will also perform for more than just one season. In diminutive spaces this is certainly preferable to the general tendency of choosing deciduous specimens with showy but brief flowering in spring and an otherwise undistinguished presence for the rest of the year.

One well-placed specimen can enliven the garden for months and further enrich it with a seasonal miracle. The beautiful wine red foliage of the purple smoke bush (Cotinus coccygria ‘Royal Purple’ and ‘Velvet Cloak’) lasts all season and produces redorange tints in autumn. It can be pruned back or made into a small tree and it is well worth a space in the sun in any garden. Japanese maples are famous for turning to fiery shades in the right conditions. They also offer delicate-looking foliage in a range of interesting shapes and their graceful silhouettes make them handsome garden features even when leafless. They do need acid to neutral soil (you will need to check it with a pH testing kit), moist but well drained. Fortunately they make very good subjects for (generous) containers, if watered attentively. Given an adequate backdrop, a potted specimen can become the focal point of the outdoor space, providing change with the changing seasons.

If allowed enough space to climb without restriction, the Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus henryana, with beautiful silver veins in its foliage) will take centre stage in the autumn by reliably covering walls and fences in a dramatic crimson curtain. It has self-clinging stems and will reach over 10 metres. For a less permanent commitment, the spirit of autumn can be celebrated for a couple of months with a well-placed container packed with suitably coloured subjects. The compact varieties of modern potted chrysanthemums and/or ornamental cabbages in cream and purple create wonderful displays at the same cost as a bunch of flowers. A mass of rusty red and orange pansies planted early will actually start flowering before the weather turns cold rather than wait till spring, but remember to water and feed the plants adequately for best results.

Luisa Ferrari lives in Stoke Newington and is gardening correspondent for the Italian magazine Giardinaggio.
She can be contacted on 020 7249 6762 for advice on gardening.