PICKING over the entrails of a occasion such as this there is usually some value to be found in reviewing the pre game analysis, what the participants felt might happen. Take this from Ian Walker, for example: "Our luck has turned a bit. Going to Newcastle is something to look forward to. They are a good side but we've gone four matches unbeaten and have a good record at St James' Park."
Not now they don't. Tottenham's luck that had turned a bit, turned another bit. It was some analysis. But then Walker could not have seen himself visiting the back of his own net seven times on a queer afternoon, the strangest aspect of which was that Walker was as likely a candidate as any for the Man of the Match.
The last time Spurs had received such a drubbing - 31 days previously at Bolton - Walker's ineptitude had been a significant factor in the downfall, but here it was his nimble reflexes alone that prevented Newcastle plucking up a total akin to the Zimbabwe cricket team's. Particularly impressive was a first half block from Ferdinand and two second half elastic dives to deny both Shearer and Lee hat-tricks. Those three moments alone, aside from several others, kept Newcastle's tally to single figures, but it was still a sufficiently embarrassing score line to bring a tingle of anticipation as Gerry Francis entered the press room. The post mortem is often as enjoyable as the game itself and Francis, as with Walker before the game, did not let us down: "Their third goal was the killer," said the straight faced Tottenham manager. He followed that with the masterful tactical insight: "The difference between the sides was that our chances weren't going in and their's obviously were."
Life on the ropes is clearly not easy, and Francis did have a small point. Had Sheringham's 21st minute header bypassed Hislop rather than been well saved Spurs would have had an equaliser to cancel Shearer's brilliant opener. Instead they watched as Ferdinand toe poked in Newcastle's second a minute later. The key word here is "watched" - Spurs did a lot of that on Saturday.
When they weren't watching the Londoners were drowning in a sea of black and white enthusiasm. On days like these the flux the flow, the indeterminable drift of Newcastle's momentum is a most appealing quality.
Albert was a strong creative force at the back, Beardsley was aglow with invention in midfield and up front Shearer was bristlingly Shearer. However, it was Lee, looking rejuvenated after a series of drab displays, and Batty who cemented the victory; Tottenham weathered the first 20 minutes but then let in seven in 70 - two for Shearer, two for Ferdinand, two for Lee and an astonishingly easy one for Albert. It added up to "a little bit of suicide", the interesting concept Francis spoke of.
At least he spoke, although Kevin Keegan's decision not to address the press was understandable. Seven games without a win had seen an increasing, in fact an unprecedented amount of pressure develop around Keegan and presumably within this emotional man himself.
In practically every newspaper office in the country pages were being set aside to detail the "crisis" at Newcastle had they failed to win and Keegan, no stranger to the media, would have been aware of this. He must consider journalism a fickle profession. No more so than his own fans, however, who went from whispering about midfield imbalance and defensive dodginess to suddenly talking about the title again.
As with the crisis patter, that may be premature also because if Spurs' can create half a dozen chances and score one - albeit a late and lonely one from Nielsen - then the top four, all of whom Newcastle have yet to visit, can do the same.
Newcastle also have to travel to Villa Park in a fortnight and given their unpredictability their present odds of 7-1 seem realistic. The total of 78 points, that they reached in coming second last year, might this time be enough to clinch the top prize.
