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12th August 2010 – Season Preivew by Block C Spur 10th year in the East stand for me this year coming up and (as
of today anyway) Spurs in the best position we have been in over that period
– on and off the pitch. The days of
‘nailed to mid table’ appear to be over, for the time being at least, and top
6 has to be the expectation for 2010 / 11. Last season was a bit of a strange one for me in many ways as
when I look at the players we used in the squad I would use ‘good but not
great’ to describe pretty much all of them, which I guess makes a change from
the days of yore where a couple of absolute class individuals surrounded by
dross was the standard Spurs masterplan. Look at the forward line for example, Defoe, Crouch, Pav and
latterly Gudjonsson are all solid players, effective at the Prem level, all
good for anything between 5 and 15 goals a season… but none of them really
fit to lace the boots of the Torres, Drogba’s or Rooneys of this world (or
even, whisper it, the Berbatov’s or the 05 -08 Robbie Keane). Rooney, for one, won the game single
handed for Man U again us at the Lane last season scoring a great goal when
they were down to 10 men to get them to 3-1. Our boys will try hard but just
cannot do that. Similarly in midfield, Luka started off the season like a world
beater, but never reached the heights again after Bowyer broke his leg. Lennon gave us four months of good stuff
and then disappeared until just before the world cup. Krancjar was mercurial for 15 games, Hudd
did the business throughout but can still look ponderous at times, we may
never see Jenas again, and Winston looked about 75% of the player we saw in
his first season. At the back – Daws deservedly won player of the year for 9
months of blood and guts and he should be in the England squad from now on
(not first 11 though). Corluka, Benoit
and Bassong ranged from quietly competent to shocking. Ledley, our one indisputable world class
player, will never play more than 25 games a season again. To be fair to Bale and Gomes they did the
business way more often than not, and Bale in particular gave glimpses of
heading towards that Ledley bracket as special player. It will be interesting to see how he gets
on this time around as another six months of the sort of stuff he was
delivering at the back end of last season and he really will be one the hottest
prospects in the premier league. And yet… Winning 5-1 away in both the carling cup (twice) and the Prem -
beating Wigan 9-1 – back to back victories over the Arsenal and Chelsea
- going to Eastlands for a winner
takes all Champions League play-off and winning (in the circumstances a game
that could well be our result of the decade)… Truly memorable moments where
the team stood up, looked the opposition in the eye and didn’t buckle. For me the key ingredient therefore has to be the manager. So much internet space has been used up debating
the pros and cons of our great leader that I won’t add too much here other
than to say I am a fan. He makes the
game simple, picks teams and makes substitutions that the fans understand (in
the main) and isn’t shy of being ambitious for himself and the club. So what next… I fancy us to win our Champions League play-off, do well in the
Group stages and get through in second place, then fall to one of the big
boys in the last 16. However, we’re not experienced enough at going through that sort
of season to keep up the standard in the Prem, so I reckon a natural focus on
our first champions league campaign will mean early exits in the domestic
cups and falling back into the 6th – 8th bracket. Esp with Man City upping their game as they
surely will given the signings. Whatever happens I intend to enjoy it – could well be some
considerable time before the big guns of Europe are coming to the Lane again,
so soak it up while it lasts. COYS |
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5th
July 2010 – Interview with Goal.com by Bonnet De Douch
Not to go backwards. This is not meant to be negative but Spurs need another top four/70+ point a season to put a floor under Spurs progress over the last few years even if it may seem running to stand still. This will allow both friend and foe to accept Spurs as an established and worthy member of the Premiership Elite. Over the summer, we have never been far from snide comparison with Everton and their implosion after breaking into the top four a few years back and avoiding this with a similar haul of league points and a creditable run in the Champions League will represent another high water mark in Spurs first golden age since the 80s.
Redknapp
Snr has been a revelation. Starting with a team in disarray at the bottom of
the league, he averages a very healthy 1.75 points per game which is head, shoulders
and navel above his EPL contemporaries and has achieved this by playing
positive football. While Redknapp’s years of managerial experience and good
footballing sense have been important, the key issue was that he was the
first manager for a generation to work without the hindrance of a director of
football looking over his shoulder. As soon as this dead hand was released,
Spurs started to rise and fulfil the potential of the hitherto sleeping
giant. Our key man for the season.. All of
them. Where once Spurs have been characterised by individuals, New Spurs is
all about the team or more accurately the squad. Established stars provided
the basis for the good season but some of the most important moments of last
season were produced by players previously out in the cold such as Bale,
Bentley and Pavlyuchenko, and even the much maligned Kaboul did a great job
towards the end of the season. Youngster to watch... Relying on the Youth set up which has not produced a striker who has scored more than five goals for the first team since Falco and Gibson in the late 70s is usually a waste of time at Spurs. A few decent defenders have emerged but both managers and fans seem not to trust home grown players in at the business end. That said, it will be fascinating to see how Danny Rose copes with expectations after his wonder goal against Arsenal, Andros Townsend seems a good lad and looking further into the academy, hopefully Frederick Champion has a prophetic name.
One of
the few disappointing stories of last season was the decline of Jermaine
Jenas, a former stalwart of the mini revival under Jol. To a lesser degree, I
think Peter Crouch will need to show a lot more in a Spurs shirt this season
a year into the job. If the question is angling towards who has greatest
distance between transfer fee and ability, step forward Roman Pavlyuchenko,
David Bentley and the re-signed Robbie Keane all of whom look well short of
£15m players Our achilles heel... Depth of squad. Spurs have an excellent first team but as last season exposed, injuries and suspensions in some areas do not have adequate replacements. At least relative to our other champions league rivals. As Spurs grow into an established member of the Premiership elite, another area which Spurs may find increasingly tricky is trying to break down well organised defences of teams trying not to be beaten
The way
Sky hype each week of the EPL, it seems that every week is the most important
fixture in the clubs history… until the next one. All games come pretty much
alike now in the EPL, however, this season Spurs do genuinely have a stand
out fixture in the form of the Champions League qualifier. Hopefully the
second most important fixture of the season will not be a UEFA cup or
whatever its called now. Our toughest opponents will be.. Ourselves.
To achieve success you need the ability but to maintain it you need the
mentality. Spurs never dropped below 6th place last season but the
sense of crisis which followed a run of two draws and a defeat to Wolves, one
of only two instances that Spurs went more than 2 games without a win, was
symptomatic of the fragile confidence under the surface of many fans.
Hopefully the fourth place finish will have done something to cement the
belief both on and off the pitch. Spurs have got the players to do well again
but the manager and his staff most important role will be sustaining
motivation and re-enforcing belief, especially during dips in form. Aside
from this, the stats show that Spurs have just two wins (both in 1993) from
72 matches away against the Sky4 sides since the start of the Premiership and
last seasons return of 0-3, 0-3, 1-3 and 0-2 is a 12 point handicap that
needs work. Player we love to hate (opposition or in your club) Hate is
such a negative emotion for something a hobby which all too often is taken
far too seriously, but aside from the occasional Michael Dawson, its pretty
easy to dislike virtually everyone involved in football. From ‘star’ players
detached from reality, journeymen players who are more athlete than artisan
and move from club to club without any feeling for their location, the
culture of cheating which links both star and journeyman, snide agents, bent
refs, club executives squeezing the last pips of fans under the blackmail of
loyalty and the way the game is marketed as something more important than a
weekend recreation. My verdict...(where do
you think you will finish in May 2011/silverware etc) In the
October of the eighth year of the 1950s, Spurs replaced the manager of a side
struggling in the league and the new man managed to keep Spurs in the top
division while upgrading the squad. The next season saw progression to the
top four, which was sustained to deliver a league and cup double the
following year. In the
October of the eighth year of the 2000s, Spurs replaced the manager of a side
struggling in the league and the new man managed to keep Spurs in the top
division while upgrading the squad. The next season saw progression to the
top four…. It
would be wonderful to think Redknapp Snr could continue to follow in the
footsteps of the great Sir Bill but another 70-75 points, good runs in the
domestic cups and a good showing in the Champions League into the new year would
be another reason to sing ‘its lucky for Spurs when the year ends in one’! 22nd
July 2010 - Looking Ahead
After the shambles of the World Cup it has been difficult to get
excited about football. But before you know it the new season will be here and
as Spurs haven't been in the press that much, what do we have to look
forward to over the coming months. We haven't added to our squad (although Sandro has joined up
after we bought him ages ago) and on paper it looks pretty strong. I think
Levy was right to rein Harry in over Joe Cole. He was never worth the money
he was asking for. If he was Chelsea would have paid it, its not as if they
are short of a few quid. I would be happy to see us break our wage structure but only for
genuine world class talent that could take us to the next level. I'm not sure
what the equivalent of a Klinnsman signing would be for us in 2010 but I
remember the impact he had when we signed him. That's worth 90K a week, maybe
more, Cole is a decent player but not that level. Its obvious Harry wants Keano out which is fine by me. He's one
of the top earners and was rubbish on his return to the club this
year. He feels he should start every week and if he doesn't he gets
stroppy which is no good for team spirit (one of our big strengths last
season) so I think we've had the best of him. If he is to be sold then a
decent replacement who has European experience is required but apart
from that if we can keep Eidur for another year I would leave the
forward line as it is. In midfield I feel we are short a winger. Someone with pace who
can put Lennon under pressure for his place or fill in when he gets his
annual injury. It would also be useful to put two speedsters on at home when
we are playing teams who sit and defend for 90 minutes and catch us on the
break to nick it 1-0. That happened a few times last year and if we want to
hold off Man City for another crack at 4th we can't afford that this year. My preference is for Ashley Young. I have always rated him and
he's got a proper left foot. I know he didn't have his best season
last time but I remember him taking the piss out of us 2 years ago. If he
came to us he would be an England regular no question. He's from Stevenage
and gagging to come back home. Get him going down the left with Lennon down
the right and we will see a few opposition full backs being sent off this
season, If we don't get any decent offers for Jenas and Bentley I would
keep them as we'll need bodies this season if we get into the CL group stages
and they seem to be popular in the squad. We can't expect Palacios to play 60
games next season so we need cover. We've also got Krankjar to come in too so
we're looking good here. I would keep O'Hara too as he's a good player but if
really wants to go then let him. Wouldn't mind getting a look at Dos
Santos, he looked all right at the World Cup! At the back we need to make a decision over Woody/Ledley. We got
lucky with Bassong last season. He was never expected to play so much and do
so well but it can't last. If Dawson gets injured we are in trouble so we
need one more. I'm never convinced by Corluka at right back but he is
effective and we have the new rampaging right back Kaboul. Who needs Hutton?
Left side is sorted with Bale and Benoit and you know Gomes will be even
better this season so no problems there, in fact if our Number 1 hasn't had a
payrise already then he should get one to make sure he feels loved. So noo
significant problems with the team with decent depth in the squad. Maybe
a couple in and a couple out but nothing too drastic which is the a sign of a
good team. The unknown element is the Champions League. If we get through
the qualifying what effect will that have on the team? Will they save
themselves for the CL games and turn off in the league (especially away from
home)? Will some of the players agents be pushing for pay rises for their
clients now they are CL players? I don't know but I'm looking forward to it.
If we get through we won't be seeded so we'll be drawn against some big
teams. Fine by me, that's what I have been waiting for. Getting the Easyjet
to Barcelona, Milan or Madrid and watching the Spurs give it some "silky
soccer" (copyright P.Shreeve) I think we'll have a good season. I fancy us to finally win at
Old Trafford this year but we'll probably lose to Blackpool. One request to
the club, I would love to see Gazza back at the lane in any capacity. Even if
its a half time walk-on. Seeing him in Gazza's tears reminded me how
brilliant he was. If Maradona can get a team to the World Cup quarter
finals then surely Gazza can help us to glory. COYS! Jason Gregory 16th July 2010 – Anderton
Biography
Its
been a summer of shocks and perhaps the biggest is that former England and Spurs
star Darren Anderton is releasing a biography. Here is the blurb from the
publishers… In October this year DB Publishing will be releasing the
highly anticipated new autobiography - Takenote! Darren Anderton - The
Autobiography with Mike Donovan. It promises to be an enthralling read,
revealing not only aspects of Darren’s personal life that the public were
never aware of, but also his truthful opinions about the individuals behind
the misinformed perceptions of his physical health as a player. DB Publishing are offering fans the chance to get their hands
on a signed copy of the book if they pre-order their copy before 30 August.
The book costs £18.99 and there is no extra cost for a signed copy, after the
signed offer ends the price will stay the same, so get your order in ASAP!
The cost of delivery is £3.50 and customers can order over the phone on:
01332 384235 or on the website www.dbpublishing.co.uk.
The book will then be sent on publication in October.
Darren
Anderton’s story is of a kid who grows up to live the dream of being a professional
footballer at the highest level. He shines for his country in major finals,
develops a reserved ‘Mr Nice Guy’ image and gets labelled ‘Sicknote’, with
the public viewing him as injury prone, despite the fact he makes over 500
appearances in a distinguished playing career, largely among the elite. Anderton
appreciates how lucky he has been to cash in on doing something he loves and
enjoys sharing his good fortune with family and close friends. But he goes
through personal trauma as the condition of his beloved father, a shining
light during his career and life, deteriorates through emphysema, while he
and his positive-thinking fiancee Katie
deal with her cystic fibrosis, a chronic, progressive disease. He
keeps his own counsel through it all. But his retirement as a player and the
death of his father three months apart – the tale which starts Takenote! – prompts him to open his
heart and put the record straight. Anderton
gives untold behind-the-scenes insights into his public and private life
which touch every raw emotion. In this compelling book he reveals: •
The heaven-to-hell-and-back journey with England, including European
Championships and World Cup, Tottenham Hotspur, Birmingham, Wolverhampton
Wanderers and Bournemouth. •
How it enables him to play in the biggest football tournament since England
won the 1966 World Cup and to cross paths – and sometimes swords – with a few
of the game’s biggest names. The list includes Terry Venables, his biggest
top-flight influence, Glenn Hoddle, Ossie Ardiles, Kevin Keegan, Sven
Goran-Eriksson, David Beckham, Paul Gascoigne,
Ronaldo, Alan Ball, Daniel Levy and Alan Sugar. •
How he came to turn down Alex Ferguson’s offer to join Manchester United. •
His dismay at a being given a short 'thank you for your services' note –
which included being told his contract was not being renewed – from Tottenham
after 12years loyalty. •
How he overcame lack of self-esteem to become a world-class performer. •
And a whole lot more. This
is the real Darren Anderton. If you think of him as Sicknote you will have to Takenote! ABOUT THE AUTHORS Darren Anderton was born in Southampton, in 1972. He began playing
for Itchen Saints, Bitterne Park Rangers and Winsor youth sides in his home city,
before Portsmouth as an associated schoolboy after being spotted playing for
the district team. He was given an apprenticeship at Pompey by World Cup
winner Alan Ball and was signed as a professional at the club by John
Gregory. He moved to Tottenham Hotspur for £2 million in the summer of 1992.
During his 12 years with Spurs he made 30 full England appearances, scored
seven goals and appeared in Euro ʼ96 and the 1998 World Cup finals. He
spent a season at Birmingham City and Wolverhampton Wanderers, before 18
years as a professional with AFC Bournemouth. He has appeared on a variety of
television shows and is eager to pursue a career in commentating. He is
currently in the property business. Mike Donovan is a freelance writer who has covered sport for more
than 35years. He has won two British Sports Writersʼ of the Year awards,
worked for the ground-breaking Today newspaper and contributed to a variety
of national dailies and magazines. A former sports editor, he has also been a
boxing and tennis correspondent. Football has always
been his first sporting love, Spurs in particular, ever since his dad took
him to White Hart Lane in September 961. He has known Darren Anderton for 20
years
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