STOKE fans must be saying Thank God they support their club and not Tottenham Hotspur.

Not so much because Stoke took the honours in Sunday’s exciting fixture, but because Spurs look the far likelier to go down as things stand.

Don’t get me wrong, Stoke still have the fight of their lives to stay up because that’s the nature of the Premier League for the newcomers.

But at least they seem to have the character to give themselves a shout. But Spurs? My God, what a mess.

I’m not being clever after the event here, because you might remember me expressing my reservations after seeing them first hand at Middlesbrough on the opening day of the season.

They struck me then as spineless and even possible candidates for the drop if ever the wheels came off.

Well they have. The manager is a gonner unless his players can make an unbelievable U-turn, but can you see that lot turning things round?

Maybe if they had a manager better versed in the English game – and actually allowed him to recruit his own players – then they might just have a shout. But not as things stand.

I’m afraid your David Bentleys and Luka Modrics are expensive mistakes and not the kind of characters to dig you out of a hole as deep as Tottenham’s.

It was a vital win for Stoke because they simply have to win these kinds of home games if they are to survive.

The sending off and the penalty are big turning points in any game, the kind of breaks Stoke were hoping for, and luckily they exploited them to the full in the end.

I’m delighted to see my old defender Andy Griffin holding his own at this level after a tough time at Derby last season.

There will have been those waiting with the knives out perhaps, but Andy is just the kind of genuine and reliable character Tottenham are crying out for at the moment.

Stoke’s fighting spirit is worth its weight in gold if you are in the kind of dogfight they are destined for this season.

Already we see the league table taking on a rather predictable look, particularly at the top end of the tree.

OK, Hull are bucking the trend by muscling in on the so-called ‘big four’ and all credit to them, but we all know that won’t last indefinitely.

I was interested to see Gerry Francis finally making up his mind and deciding to stay on long-term with Stoke as part of their coaching think tank, if you like.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Stoke are the most under-staffed club in the Premier League right now – and Tony Pulis probably didn’t fully realise the work that now goes into his job until he started the season.

The demands are that much greater and he needs help from others around him to carry the load to minimise the distractions.

A manager will always benefit from an experienced viewpoint which the likes of a Gerry Francis can offer.

The secret is to pinpoint who you listen to and not listen to too many opinions. It’s a lesson Tottenham could learn as they seem to listen to every Tom, Dick and Harry after leaving far too much power in the hands of a sporting director with a painfully thin knowledge of what the game entails.

But they’re another story.

CONGRATULATIONS must go out to Dean Glover after kicking off his full-time managerial career with a couple of very useful away wins at Shrewsbury and now Chester.

I just hope each and every Vale fan is also offering their congratulations for a job well done so far.

He certainly seems to have got the players playing for him – and quickly.

Talk of possible takeovers at Vale Park might make interesting reading, but I’m yet to be convinced there is anything material going on here.

In the present financial climate, the last thing anybody surely wants is the cost and the hassle of running a football club.

The fans should forget all such talk, therefore, and concentrate on getting behind a team that may just be turning the corner after a rocky old spell.

The important thing now for Dean is to get that first win in front of his own fans at Vale Park – always a nice feeling, believe me. Vale face Exeter tonight and then a home game against struggling Morecambe this Saturday.