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1st March 2010 - Stern Magic By Patrick Daly It says something about Tottenham Hotspur that even at two goals up and with us thoroughly outplaying Everton, I still was nervous about the final outcome of this match. Yes, the events at Goodison Park did replay in my mind. We were 2-0 up there, but after a few lapses of concentration, an inspired substitution in the form of Seamus Coleman later, and blow and behold - we were staring at a draw rather than a nicely wrapped up three points. In all honesty though, I don’t think I was the only one to be slightly haunted by that memory –eleven men playing in white shirts all probably had a severe case of déjà vu when Yakubu stabbed in a soft goal to bring the deficit down to one. And it’s for that reason that I think this Spurs side need a lot of credit. Not only did they break down a resilient side and score two fine goals against them, but they also sensed when it was time to put up the brick wall and simply clear everything out far and wide. Dawson continued in his usual vein of being absolutely rock solid at the back, jumping in for every header that was anywhere near him. Forward players like Kranjcar and, later in the game, Gudjohnson put in the effort of tracking back and hounding Everton players. Was this the character and mental strength of a team believing that fourth can be theirs this season? Very much so, going by this display. It would be hard to talk about this game and not talk about a certain Roman Pavlyuchenko. Seeing him in action now, it seems absurd that we haven’t had him in our starting eleven before now. Pavlyuchenko’s presence seemed to make the players want to pass it along the floor and create movement around the strikers, rather than simply play the deranged long ball up to a certain Peter Crouch. His deft touch and ability to give and go is providing a whole new side to our forward play and I for one can only hope that Redknapp continues to play him. However, Pavlyuchenko is certainly not the only man on the pitch who deserves a heaping of praise. Modric looked what he is – a world class playmaker – while Tom Huddlestone’s absence after sustaining an ankle injury showed us firsthand what a key player he is to the current Tottenham set up. Without him on the pitch, we seemed to lack the vision and composure that we needed to calmly see out the game. Some might argue that I’m being too generous here: they could easily point to the fact that for a lot of the second half, Everton had us under a considerable amount of pressure. For me though: this is exactly why so much praise is due. This was a stern performance and one that required Spurs to really dig deep to earn the three points. Look at it from this point of view as well – three of our back four that played against Everton were supposedly meant to have been our ‘second choice’ players for those positions (i.e. Dawson replacing King, Bassong replacing Woodgate and Bale replacing Assou-Ekotto). To have such quality in the squad is quite remarkable and it’s starting to make me believe that this is the best Tottenham squad that I have ever seen assembled. Fourth place is by no means guaranteed but with this sort of performance under our belts, I think we’ve cemented our right to be in the race. |
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15th
February 2010 - Get a Grip Following Jim’s editorial, I would also like to remind the punters that we should pause for a moment and take stock. There has been this impending sense of doom since Anfield (and not helped by last Wednesday and the first half yesterday), that the season is going to unravel and we will be left with “same old Tottenham”. Well a couple of points before this misery takes a grip; firstly that is the pain, as Spurs fans, that we were put on this planet to suffer or we would have supported somebody else; a steady, consistently successful outfit. More seriously, given that we were due a bit of a dip, we are still in pretty good shape and maybe we should start to look forward with a bit more positivity. As far as the Prem is concerned, let’s have a look at our 4th place competition. First up Liverpool, the worse Liverpool team since Souness worked his magic. They are unashamedly looking to grind their way to 4th; a “get there at all costs” approach that may well pay off but would already have us screaming for the manager’s neck. They have stayed in touch through digging out results and are praying for the return of Torres. In the head to heads we beat them comfortably at the Lane and didn’t turn up at their place yet still could have got something so they are clearly a concern but more in name than how they are actually playing. Below them sit City, a team that seems to have been modelled on a blueprint stolen from the safe at WHL. Spend a decent chunk of dough on a range of good talent and pony; not be too concerned about defending; play some great attacking, beat anybody on your day, football intermixed with absolute dross and add an unerring ability to nause it up against teams that are deemed beneath them. We are due to go to their place (when I hope instead we are playing Fulham in the Cup) where we have a pretty good record and gave them a chasing at the home. Yes they have two games in hand but are as inconsistent as the rest and with a manager who would love to win 1-0 but doesn’t have the defence to do so. Then there is Villa. On paper probably the best outfit to get 4th as they are defensively solid with some real pace and zip in the middle of the park and up front, yet guided by the manic Irishman who just doesn’t seem to know how to unleash the full effect of Young, Milner, Downing and Agbonglahor without the fear of conceding. In our meetings with them, Spurs dominated comfortably and should have won both and you get the feeling they are still a season away from getting the mix right. Which brings us to us. Yes, we have dropped some stupid points and have bossed games in which we should have been out of sight (Stoke, Hull, Everton, Birmingham and Wolves twice) but this team is still learning to play together with Bale, Kranjcar, Bentley and Wilson relatively new for one reason or another and even the likes of Huddlestone having his first full season as a regular. I’m not trying to make excuses, just highlight some real reasons for a spot of inconsistency from time to time and the lack of knowing how to break down well drilled teams when we don’t get an early goal from our early pressure. It will come with time. Sure, being patronised by Hansen and the multitude of ex-goons that scare/bore the shit out of me in wide screen/surround sound (Keown, Dixon and Smith) about how Spurs do this every season does piss you off, but let’s see what the next few weeks bring. Being in the semi final draw and warming up for a grandstand, big 4 bashing finish in April might not be a pipe dream after all. Woodo 12 February 2010 - Spurs and the social worker This is an article about Spurs. It’s an analogy. (I
thought I needed to say that for the thick gooners that infiltrate our
message boards with dross) I’m not a social worker, but I work with children (I run a
football coaching company)... and I come across lots of children with various
different types of issue outside their everyday schooling or extra curricular
life. Everywhere they turn, these children get opportunities (and from
lots of different sources too)... some to change the way they’re viewed, some
to get a chance at being reinstated in a school, and some to get free money
to get them off the streets and back in to doing something positive. Whichever
way you put it, everyone’s behind them, willing them to grasp it with both
hands. A chance to get away from the crowd they’ve been mixing in for
all that time, and are dragging them down. Everyone else around them in
their community is moving on, growing, maturing... and ultimately pulling
away from them and making better futures. Soon the child in question
will be left behind, the gap too vast to bridge. One thing can be guaranteed from these children... one thing
that you need to learn (when dealing with Child ‘A’), and that you find hard
to live with when you get hit with it the first time, when it was all looking
so good... no matter what you do, how much energy you put in, how much you
get behind them... They will ALWAYS let you down. They will always take
that chance, and just when you think you’ve cracked it, when there is
absolutely no doubt in your mind... bang, they hit you with the inevitable...
THEY WILL ALWAYS LET YOU DOWN. Spurs is the child. We are the social workers. THEY WILL ALWAYS LET YOU DOWN. This season started with promise. All the ingredients were
there. A well balanced squad. A team playing for a manager who
was respected (for the most part) by all playing staff. A definite
identity to our playing style. A fight in us that battered the weak,
and stifled the strong. A bank account to boast about. A new
stadium on its way that we are lucky to have a fan base to fill, weekly,
without question. Then came our lack of fight to beat Stoke, Wolves (twice... I
can’t believe I’ve actually had to write that), or keep a lead against
Everton. Then there’s the pitiful lack of bite to punish teams for
allowing us possession... Villa felt lucky to get two points from two
games... we had that bitter taste(i think its called defeat) in our
mouths. We hadn’t even lost. That’s the measure of the
disappointment, that’s the measure of our failings.... draws feel like
losses. They will always let you down. As Spurs season ticket holders, myself and my cousin have had
this long running discussion about life as a Spurs fan. It basically
consists of 55% disappointment, and 45% joy. You wait, patiently, for
Tottenham to tip the scale towards joy... they tease you... they look like
they might even have everything in their possession to make a break for it,
to tip that scale so that its irreversible, so that the grounding of breaking
that ‘SKY top 4’ is set, something that makes a better life for them, they’ll
never have to look back at the crowd they once mixed with on the streets of
‘midtables-ville’. Then they let you down. I’m not a fickle Spurs fan... I know we’ll get a top 6
finish. I know that. I believe it. I know we’ll start to
score goals again. I know our squads great. This season however
was a real chance, not something we hoped for, but something we really really
did have a great chance of doing. We had the squad for it, and the
league table even gave us an opportunity... all the teams above us seemed
wayward, inconsistent. One of them could be displaced. Liverpool...
yup... Man City... yup.... Villa... how are they even in this
discussion. For arguments sake, I’m happy to say that blips
happen. So suppose we beat Everton, and Wolves just once...leaving the
‘blips’ against wolves (once) and Stoke... we’re all thinking differently
today, and we’re still right in it. Unfortunately, we dont learn from
our mistakes, we let them happen again. No matter how many
opportunities or reprieves we get after bad performances from others around
the top 4, we can’t do it. And so we see another chance to catch others
slip away, and now we sit firmly with lots of work to do. What’s the problem? Well we can all have our different
opinions on that. One things for sure, this child has had chances, this
child was given every chance to make a difference to its future. What
made it fail is up for debate, but one thing that can’t be argued is that it
only let itself down. The sense of disappointment is yet to be felt by
the child, but everyone around it can see that it’s wasting it’s
opportunity.... everyone can see where the road to next season leads. I’ve never liked Alan Hansen. I think he’s biased and
basically a bit of a knob. I agreed with him last night. He
said ‘Spurs will always ruin it for themselves, guaranteed’. I
winced... as I get older, im no longer the caring and hopeful Social worker I
was. I’m waiting for Spurs to get home from the pub like the forlorn,
loving hopeful wife I’ve become, to beat me up just for sticking around and
caring. By EastStandDan 25th January 2010 - Gripes written by Patrick Daly I’ll get to my point quickly. I have decided, after this
weekend, that I don’t like two things: firstly, the long ball, and secondly,
people that witter on about the decline of the FA Cup. Let’s deal with the
latter first. I was at the Lane for Tottenham Hotspur’s encounter against I don’t think there is any matching a cup game for atmosphere. All that is important is what happens in those ninety minutes there and then – there are no points, there are no away goals to take into consideration and it doesn’t matter one bit by how many more goals you beat the other side. You either score more than them and win or you don’t and you lose. It’s that cut and dry -but it’s also that fun. Granted, having to go to Leeds in just over a week’s time is a hard pill to swallow considering we led the mach right up until the last but no one can complain about a lack of drama. Bale’s lively sprints down the wing; Snodgrass’ sublime vision; Pavleychenko’s eye for goal; Ankergren’s acrobatic saves – it had everything you could have wanted in an FA Cup tie (bar the Spurs win of course). The heart showed by the likes of Scunthorpe and the determination displayed by Leeds reminded all the pessimists how much the cup still means for a lot of players and fans. For me, I’d take an exhilarating run to Wembley for the FA Cup final over a fourth place spot this season. Somehow, the heart racing adrenaline of knocking out team after team on the way to lifting that famous cup is more appealing than the slow drudge that can be the Premiership at times. On to my second dislike: the ill-fated long ball. The reason I’ve found a passionate dislike for it recently is largely due to Harry Redknapp’s team selection. I think you will all know what I’m talking about. My new found dislike of this obscene way of playing football has much to do with Harry’s obsession with playing Crouch upfront, meaning that every player wearing a white shirt suddenly forgets that they’re quite capable of passing the ball on the floor and decide instead that they would prefer to hopefully hoof the ball up field for Crouch to header aimlessly. Quite why Harry Redknapp thinks this works is actually
beyond me. I’m not saying that this makes Crouch a bad player necessarily, I
just think his inclusion in the side has led to us becoming one-dimensional.
Pavleychenko’s involvement in the game against The question I have is: when you’ve got players with such great passing ability (ala Modric, Huddlestone, Keane) why waste their skills by deploying the long ball? The optimistic hoof to the back post is okay (and I’ll admit; sometimes effective) in those moments of last ditch desperation but why we’ve decided to use it as our sole method of attack is quite beyond me. Rant over. 4th December 2009 - The real deal I have to admit, despite my
world-weariness as a Spurs supporter for over forty years, that I have
recently got rather excited about our league prospects for this season. Sure,
we do still have some lame ducks in the squad (Bentley and Pavlyuchenko being
the most obvious examples). However, there are clear signs of a mental
strength in the first XI that hasn't been present since that mid-80s team
managed by Peter Shreeve went head-to-head with Everton for almost the whole
season, with the 1-2 loss at WHL late on, proving fatal. That season, we
ground out one-goal away victories and, we, as fans, came to expect that,
wherever we went to play. We beat the scum 2-1 at Highbury on New Year's Day,
with Falco and Crooks scoring and, on entrance to the ground that day, we
just knew that we'd win. Our performance at Villa at the
weekend, more than the pasting we gave Wigan, has demonstrated to the
doubters (I hope) that we really mean business this season.. The three Croats
in our squad know how to keep the ball. This is a trait that should not be
undervalued. It might even rub off on Huddlestone and Palacios. Redknapp has
shown an intent that suggests that Keane is not an automatic name on his
teamsheet and nor should he be. I know we're Spurs fans and that we expect to be
disappointed. That only we have a mentality that allows us to worry that we
still might lose even though we are leading 5-0 with three minutes to go.
Surely, this season, it is time to put those fears in a box; to be positive
instead. It is a given that Chelsea are
going to run away with the league championship (let's give it its old name,
from a time when footie wasn't just about the bottom line). We are not
playing for fourth place (for f**** sake; when did FOURTH become something to
play for ?). Second, third and fourth are all up for grabs. Arsenal, as I have spent the
last couple of months telling anybody who will listen, are over-rated. Their
early season "run" was founded on matches against eight of the
bottom 10 teams. Back to back matches against top-half opposition has
resulted in two defeats. They haven't played Villa or Liverpool yet. They
haven't been to Stoke. The loss of Van
Persie is huge. Much was made about the weakness of our squad; the fact that
we didn't offer much resistance at the Emirates without Defoe, Lennon and
Modric. Well, if Fabregas should get injured too, our north London neighbours
would struggle to finish in the top eight. Manchester United are also one
less-compliant referee away from results that could leave them in turmoil.
Let's just say that the men in black are only human and "make
mistakes". We should veer away from anything that suggests that there is
a more sinister reason for so many decisions going their way. Liverpool are there for the
taking. Anybody who watched their win against Everton will know that they are
flattering to deceive. The defence is vulnerable. Torres is their one truly
world class player. The money
situation is serious and could engulf them at any time. Manchester City are a bit like
the Ossie Ardiles Spurs side of the early 90s. All attack and no defensive
structure. Villa are a good counter-attacking side but we made them look
distinctly ordinary last Saturday. If Harry Redknapp can get in
another forward with good movement, an ability to hold the ball up and some
intelligence, there is no reason why we can't challenge for that runners up
spot (which would have ensured UEFA cup qualification before Murdoch's
millions changed our beloved game for the worse). PS - In the run-up to Christmas,
if there are gamers amongst you, why not have a look at my new price
comparison site for console games, www.gamescomparison.com
Toby Pierides 10th
November 2009 – Robbie's little man syndrome
I’d like to pick up on a point made by Robby Boy Sumner in his latest post ‘When Benty missed’ (click here to view) regarding our own Robbie Keane. Robbie has probably formed the basis of every fan’s post match analysis for months and it’s not just in the Park Lane there are murmurings of discontent. Robby Boy is factually correct that Keano has not quite been hitting the form of 2007/08 and being a football fan and not a statistician is the only counter argument needed to Robby Boys 11 goals in 26 or 13 in 28 arguments.
We all have indiscretions which we wish we didn’t, unfortunately for Keano his played out on a much larger stage. There are some of us out there who are probably still finding it hard to forgive Keane for his secondment to the north but even those who are finding it hard to forgive are certainly doing their damndest to forget. Hoddle said of Keane’s first stint at the Lane he would find his spiritual home at Tottenham, well come on Robbie we’re giving you a second chance!
So why is Robbie such a different player, no one can fault the effort he puts in? There is probably no player with a bigger heart but what once went so right is just going oh so wrong. Spurs are a team of big little men, Defoe, Lennon and Modric but since Keano’s scouse love affair his name has to be omitted. I whole heartedly agree with Robby Boy when he says we are a better team with Keane and Defoe up front and Crouchy on the bench, nothing wrong with Crouchy – far from it, but we completely bypass the midfield when he’s playing and don’t stand a chance to return to those ‘hazy days of August’ that every Spurs fan would love to see on a more consistent basis. The question becomes, how important is it that Keane is the one partners Defoe? In my humble opinion we have missed Modric, since the thuggery of Bowyer we have stumbled, he was THE difference to one of our best starts to a season in my life time. Could he move inside and partner Defoe, throw Krancjar out on the wing and let Keano accompany Crouchy on the bench? Probably, but is that what we want to see? No, so come on Robbie Keane, forget about your indiscretions and get back to doing what you do best.
Robby Boy Sumner, it sounds like you might suffer from little man syndrome as well, get away from the stat’s. Robbie is a Tottenham great and doesn’t need numbers to back that up! Will I be saying that in year’s to come? I hope so!
Up the Spurs,
Suggs 3rd
November 2009 – the view from Cyprus If you analyze the
team, it looks like there are complexes on the stupid big 4 and you call it
the most interesting league in the world? I quote what Harry
said re: Spurs, my team are not softies anymore, we lose to Man Utd at the
Lane 3-1, we lose to chelzhIt 3-0 and then lose to our beloved neighbours 3-0
on Saturday. Ok, so no Modric,
no Lennon and no Defoe but do you think they would make a difference? Don’t want to
sound like a pessimist, do you honestly believe well make it to the champions
league? I mean people are
taking the Mick on this side of the world, Cypriot teams Famagusta and Apoel
have made it to the last 32 as for us!!! Times running out
Levy and Co and they’re building a new ground? May God bless us
or he’s not? Haig 24th
October 2009 – Appy Anniversary Arry Well,
it's been a year since Arry took over and overall even the most pessimistic
of supporters would be well pleased 2nd October 2009 - Bolton Away by John
Berrett Forget the Sky 4 and all the bent referee decisions. Bolton Away is the game which will possibly define our season. It is a fixture we notoriously manage to f*ck up albeit with bad luck or poor concentration. ‘Arry seems to be luckier than some of our previous managers so that leaves the concentration and effort factors. All too many of us have travelled around the country with optimism and an attitude of “we can’t lose to this lot, their shit”. Wrong!! Year after year we manage to get drawn into the Alternatively we manage to undermine a good performance by conceding a last minute headed set play. Bolton/Stoke/Pompey and Fulham are the places we need to
go to and win if we are to truly show progress. It’s nice to spank Bolton Away always stands out for me because we’ve never beaten them at the Reebok in the PL. Winning Saturday will put that stat to bed and prove to our players and supporters that maybe just maybe we are progressing. All the possession and good play counts for f*ck all if
you can’t defend a set piece. I’ll be very intrigued to see what our game
plan is for this one? A high line and possession in their half would be the
obvious starting point. Keane/Crouch/Kranchar and Lennon will undoubtedly
carve out some chances. Providing we can control the midfield and focus at
set plays then I can’t see anything other than a Spurs win. However it’s
always easy on paper, wait for the swirling wind or the early red card to tip
the balance to I just can’t bear to read the hard luck stories or how we will pick ourselves up for the next game quoted by JJ on the website Monday morning. If we lose this game then I’ll not be convinced we won’t lose all the other silly Away games we always lose. Here’s waiting…………………………………? 13th
August 2009 – DublinSpur Shane O’Sullivan gives his season preview I think season predictions get easier with every season while the current structure of top-flight English football continues. When you strip away all the over the top hype and marketing machines, what is left is one of the most shallow and predictable leagues in the world. For me, (and
for most others I speak to that can remember when football was a man’s game
played at 3pm on Saturdays) the game’s integrity is at an all time low on and
off the field. On the field it is awash with players who are paid absolute
fortunes to run around pretending to care about the club they play for, you
know the ones (badge kissers, wannabe rappers, hello magazine featured, metro
sexuals etc…). Obviously every player doesn’t fit this profile, but what
saddens me is that we (Spurs) seem to have attracted more than our fair share
of these chancers in recent times. In addition to this we have the ridiculous
cheating and diving, then there’s the bitching and moaning to referees. These
spoilt brats simply cannot fathom anyone telling them off or making a
judgement against them. To be fair their reactions to referees is quite
understandable given that they spend the other 22 hours of the day being told
how wonderful they are by everyone they associate with. Away from
the football field I’m afraid it’s just as frustrating, I have come to
reluctantly accept that the chances of my club being champions in my lifetime
are getting less likely as each season passes. Regardless of what Rupert
Murdoch’s army tell us about how wonderful the PL is the real truth is that
it’s a total sham. For every “grand slam Sunday” there are 20 half empty
stadiums hosting the likes of Bolton v Boro, or Wigan v Hull. The top 4
places have been unchanged in years, Man City seem to be making a strong
attempt to spoil the party but I’m not convinced that they can see it all the
way through over 38 games. Hopefully they can take @rsenal’s at the top
table. This proves beyond any doubt that in order for any other club to put
together and maintain a challenge on 4th place requires massive
financial investment first and foremost. So what does this give you? just a
team with better quality horrible mercenary pricks then you had before,
nothing more nothing less. The real
excitement in the PL is at the bottom every season. The fight for survival and avoidance of
relegation is where the real entertainment is for me these. I’d much rather
watch Wolves v Birmingham in relegation scrap in April then 22 cnuts prancing
around Stamford bridge when Woolwich wanders visit under the “grand slam”
brand. So where
does my club fit in the overall scheme of things. I love Tottenham Hotspur as
much as ever but as you can tell by now I pretty much hate what the game has
become. In relation to our prospects for 09/10? I think I can say with
reasonable confidence that we will finish somewhere between 6th
and 9th. Maybe a cup Semi-Final along the way. I have learned the
hard way that aiming low and being pleasantly surprised is much better than
aiming high and being devastated. I like Harry Redknapp, I like the kind of
football his teams play and most of the signings he has made. If he could
manage to crack the nut that is our diabolical away record maybe I could
start to dream again. West Ham in 12 days would be I nice way to start. Bruce Almighty’s season preview Cant see nothin in front of me Cant see nothin coming up behind I make my way through this darkness I cant feel nothing but this chain that binds me Lost track of how far Ive gone How far Ive gone, how high Ive climbed On my backs a sixty pound stone On my shoulder a half mile of line Come on up for the rising Come on up, lay your hands in mine Come on up for the rising Come on up for the rising tonight* For once, at least since the dawning of the computer age, I have kept my nose out of preseason. Too many hopes dashed, too many false dawns surrendered by October. I am aware we have signed a very tall fella and someone that sounds like a wind instrument from the frozen North. We've lost another midfielder who couldn't score for toffee. I am also aware that JD scored a couple of goals for England whilst I was being horrified in the cinema a couple of days ago. But that is it. So what might the new season bring? Missing the hype and the excitement should leave me feeling a little saner but it hasn't. My mind is now telling me that I will be surprised by our sudden rush to glory. From behind my back so-to-speak. I really am mental where Spurs are concerned. So predictions I will not make. How about my realistic hopes and dreams? JJ to silence his critics. Pav to fulfil the promise at least I've had. Citeh to crash and burn. Keane to fly to sunnier pastures. ...and realisitically we will win more than we lose and with a bit of luck maybe a third consecutive trip to Wembley will come along... maybe in May this time. I fancy the first game will be a repeat of a couple of years ago. A 1-1 draw with Mr Defoe supplying our goal again. Any more than that whilst in a moment of sanity will be the nonsense talking. The nonsense that 'rises up' when I hope Spurs will leave everyone trailing in their wake. 13th August 2009 - The view of the travails ahead from North of Hadrians Wall. There has, in recent seasons anyway, been such a stirring of enthusiasm in my soul that the once mighty Tottenham Hotspur Football Club could climb among the elite of the English game in terms of trophies, stature and glamour that I have too often been fit to burst. These feelings last as long as it takes Sunderland and Middlesbrough to puncture the balloon of my inflated hopes and dreams, by snatching points almost effortlessly away in the opening games of the season. Now the team are just the PR department of a multinational investment group it all seems so mundane this year. Especially given that the ‘most exciting league on the planet’ is pretty much done and dusted each year and all the sugar daddies in the world will never make football a proper sport again. There have to be surprises and changes, sublime skills and a lack of inevitability, outrageous turns in fortune and genuine competition for sport to work and become/remain interesting. Yes I have, in another place with the help of a certain Mr. Mutler, been immortalised by saying that I will never see my team win the top division in my lifetime. But I never thought I’d ever see a situation where the same cartel of faces would win the league every year ad nauseam. Witness the excitement in Formula 1 this year, where an unfancied team has managed to shake up the big team s and allow Jensen Button to take an unheard of lead in the drivers’ championship. Can you really say, hand on heart, this will happen in ‘Premiership’ football?? Barring the world revolution, the bankrupting of the odious Keith R. Murdoch and the return to a genuinely competitive league with clubs owned by their supporters, I will continue to support the players picked every week to represent my team. I will make occasional trips down the M6 in hope but in all honesty though my team are just bit part players in the further glorification of the Sky 4 – my team as a really competitive force died a long time ago – thank goodness for reality and – Come on You Spurs!!!! Lilywhite McLenin Paisley Aka Seán Hurl Steve Edmunds in Mexico Vox once more … ayyyy, well, as I am a diehard, It’s got to be done.
Here goes … 2009/10: How do I see it? Moreover, how do I see it ‘in a different light’?
from 2008/9, 2007/8 and so on, and so on. A couple of reasons why I just
think it might be. One: ‘Arry. Two: Levy. Surprised at the latter? Me too!!
But I’ve got round to thinking our ‘top dog’ learnt a few important lessons
during last season’s early debacle. Firstly, that other dog, Comolli, was put down and we returned to a
football club management structure worthy of being called just that. In comes
my first point, ‘Arry, and he is able to open up the pathways for the right
decisions to be made, without Comolli fouling them first. Given that any
manager needs time to bed in, I firmly feel that the 30 games and 49 points
(let’s start thinking positively ‘Arry! And drop this 2 from 8 nonsense) is
king size, and has set us up for a magical run through this season. Secondly, another dog, this time Bulgarian, is not around to bark and
whine and our new, big, tall dog’s timely arrival will surely reap early
benefits, unlike the make-weight Campbell (1st Sep) and Pav (no
parle English) issues last season. Put this opportune signing alongside our
little whippets, AL and JD and it looks like the dog’s you-know-whats up
front. The time for reacting to the Central Defenders issue was also
pleasantly surprising; another spin off from the Levy Lesson of summer 2008?
By all accounts, we have got him for a Song and he already seems in tune
after seeing off the Bubble and Squeaks in such an easy fashion. When Woody
et al get fit …? A nice problem to deal with ‘Arry. Still a little worried about the lefties though. Still think Johnny
Two Saints has something to offer there. A run in the team may be the answer
to that doubt as he never really had one last term. Having said that, it
seems the Mexican national team is using him differently now, in the hole behind
the strikers. We have noooo room for him there, I am afraid. Worth watching
how he gets/got on in the Mex-USA quali on Weds 10th. I also, unfortunately, think our ins and outs are not over yet, and
grieve to feel that Levy may just drag his heels yet on one or two deals
stringing them out to the end of the month, just out of spite! The Shekel
effect? Me thinks: JJ out and a new partner for Wilson. Me thinks that is the
finest thing we can do! If that is Vieira, so be it. But I think the plug has
been pulled on that one. Me thinks: Gomes out and Calamity in. Me thinks that is not the finest
thing we can do but may make sense as the word Calamity may have shifted to
the former of the two stoppers. So, 2009/10: Gonna stick my neck out and say 6th, and no
worse. And we are due an FA Cup. The Squad is deep enough. The Squad is good
enough. Arry’s in from the start and Levy has learnt his lesson. COYS, plus … Dear Jim: ¡Animo! As they
say in Spanish. Don’t give up on the page. Keep it coming, keep it up to
date. It’s a must read for me and as you once said, “if it means that all our
ex-pat Spurs faithful around the globe can keep up with the goings on, then
the site is more than worth it”. That’s exactly what it does, Jim, If not,
where would I find the scribes of Mr. Meyer, who has me in fits!! So much so
I want to go to his Kent Pub and have a listen to the banter whence I visit
the shores anew. Keep up your great work Jim, and remember, you like me are Spurs
through and through. I know your beef, but the lilywhite is part of you. And
a part of all you other readers of this. We are truly a lucky bunch to have
seen the glory, and it will be back. Good luck to all and sundry Steve Edmunds Monterrey, Mexico 7th
August 2009 - Epic Saga’s and Chinese Tales written by Patrick Daly Just before I sat down to write this piece, the obligatory glance at the Tottenham Hotspur website confirmed that Darren Bent is no longer a Tottenham player. Of course, for all those that have followed the saga from the beginning, this is in no way a surprise. As mentioned by Slabber in his column, Bent himself had expressed his aggravation at having had the deal held up for so long. What I want to discuss is not the ins and outs of this deal, or who is to blame for Bent’s mistreatment, but more along the lines of where our summer business has led the club. I should first point out, before I go any further, that I had been preparing to write an article just two or three weeks ago about how I believed the Tottenham team to need little to no real tweaking. This was before Gunter made his way to Nottingham Forest and Bent’s links to Sunderland appeared more real than rumour. It was then that I decided to sit on it and wait for moves to be made, instead of foolishly writing a piece that would be outdated almost as soon as it went online. So here I am, a few weeks later, looking at a few new fresh facts. The promising Chris Gunter has been sold down the divisions for no profit; Darren Bent has officially now failed to reach his potential at Tottenham Hotspur; Zokora has finally been let go; and we have bought a striker that the media seem to love (The Times named him the best British buy of the window so far) but who Spurs fans don’t seem to be sure about in Peter Crouch. And that’s not to mention the host of fringe players that have been let go. The question is, then, has business been good? For me, the Zokora deal was a good one. He was a good player and he battled hard but I don’t think he provided the creativity, stability or brashness that has been seen in Wilson Palacios’s game. I think a central midfield rotation of Jenas, Palacios, Huddlestone and O’Hara is, if not world beating, at least sturdy and looking to move forward. As I said before, I felt that the Spurs side was fairly well balanced at the end of last season and thus I didn’t feel that Bent had to make way for anyone. I thought he could be a player that Harry could really work with and begin to instil some confidence back into. When I was watching the rather abysmal first half performance against Celtic in the Wembley Cup, I truly did want him to bang all of his chances in and prove his critics wrong. Unfortunately, his habit of ‘blasting it as hard as he can at the keeper and hoping it will go in’ stuck again, and if Redknapp’s mind wasn’t made up before, it was definitely made up then. I always thought that Bent’s problem was that he was tried to change his game to fit into the Spurs team, when in reality that’s not always why you buy a player. What Spurs wanted was the big hitting, powerful forward that Bent had become at Charlton. Maybe he was daunted by the touch and finesse of the likes of Berbatov and Keane when he first arrived but I had hoped to see him come into his own this season, but that wasn’t to be. At times last season, he was guilty of not taking risks in front of goal and trying to pass his way into the box far too often. Personally, I wish him well at Sunderland and I think that with Jones and Campbell in support, he might be able to manage to recuperate his Charlton form. Bent’s sale seems to indicate that the Tottenham board has learnt a few lessons from last season’s summer transfer window fiasco. Rather than trying to sell the rug from underneath the team’s feet, they’ve actually brought a player in that the manager wants before trying to flog the one he doesn’t. I’m not entirely sure if Crouch is our answer but I’m definitely willing to give it a go. Redknapp seems to hold him in high regard and we have proof of him being able to link up well with little Jemaine Defoe, as seen during their rather recent spell at Portsmouth together. Last year he muscled in nearly as many goals as Bent did and, forgive me for the bias, he did it without the quality of players that Bent had around him. If the Asia Trophy was anything to go by, Spurs will look to play back and forth next season as often and as quickly as possible, with the strikers receiving the ball, holding it and then looking to play it back to the midfielders before looking for the available space to run into. If that is the case, then I think Crouch really could be a key player for us in holding up the play and I wouldn’t bet against him netting 20 goals in all competitions. All in all then, I think Crouch for Bent is a smart move and a sign that maybe the board are finally listening to the want for straight-talking management and sensible transfer dealings. Tottenham’s pre-season efforts this year seem to be a mixed bag but there has definitely been promise emulating from it. While the Celtic match was pretty awful and a second-string Barcelona managed to dominate us convincingly with their possession, a sign of resolve and fighting spirit in the second halves of both those games was encouraging. It’s also enjoyable to see the likes of Livermore, Rose, Bockstock and Parret making an impact and proving that the academy is still producing a talent of a high quality. The Asia Trophy was all together a far more impressive display than the Wembley Cup, and while we didn’t face the most troubling of sides, it feels nice to have come out on top. I thought Hutton and Naughton linked up superbly on the right hand side, a fact which has managed to soften the blow of selling Gunter, who I truly saw as one of the good future prospects for the Spurs team. Huddlestone at centre-back is not ideal but it’s just reassuring to see him still in the Spurs side. I think us fans forget how absolutely clinical his passing can be at times as we obsess about his lack of speed. If he got our backing, he probably could be the new Hoddle. Maybe we need to resurrect the old chant, and turn it into ‘Huddlestone for England!’ this season and show the poor boy some appreciation. My final observation before I wrap up is about our left-sided midfield problem. I’m sure that I wasn’t the only one to heave a great sigh of relief when Downing moved on to Aston Villa, saving us an absolute shed load. It is my belief that the answer to our problem may already be sitting in wait at the club already. A player that I rarely see mentioned when anyone writes about Spurs is Giovanni Dos Santos. Is anyone aware that he’s cracking in some great goals for Mexico at the moment and was one of their best players during the Gold Trophy Tournament, which they went on to win? It’s worth checking out a few Mexico games on youtube if you need visual proof of his strength and finishing finesse. I don’t know if many other fans have thought the same way as me but why don’t we branch out and try him out on the left hand side? Between him, Bale and Assou-Ekottu we could have a young and dynamic left side of the field, which for all that it lacks in strength, could probably give a lot of teams a run around. If we don’t use him this season, then the question has to be begged, why did we bother wasting £5 million on acquiring him? Personally, I would love to see Dos Santos and Lennon flying down the wings, out pacing wing backs and learning to cause havoc by switching positions with each other intermittently during matches. Targets for next season have to be a Europa League spot and I think we’d all love to see us go hell for leather in the FA Cup because we haven’t seemed to have done that for a good while. Our three centre-backs being out is a major stumbling block to any early season success but something tells me Harry will have a new man for that position by the time the season, or at least 1st September, comes about. I would like to see us go for Newcastle’s Bassong and see if they’ll take Corluka off our hands in return. Does anyone else think it’s like watching Berbatov trying to play in defence? I don’t think he even looks interested in playing football myself but I know a lot of readers will think I’m being too harsh. As for our first game against Liverpool, I reckon it’s going to be 3-1 to Spurs with Crouch and Keane banging in goals against their old club. You’ve got to believe, don’t you? 26th July
2009 – Optimism from Wolfieboy
The
optimism that generates at the start of every season when you are a Spurs
fans seems always to evaporate before the season actually gets underway, and
once again as Celtic walk off the Wembley pitch victorious in a 2-0 defeat of
Tottenham I feel that sinking feeling once again. Was the
optimism ever there I ask myself? Are
Tottenham deemed once again to face the same old issues of lacking a midfield
presence on the left side, as well as a cutting edge across the middle where
the likes of Jenas and Huddlestone flatter to deceive and invariably leave
one feeling disappointed that talent trails in a disappointed second to hard
endeavour. Throughout
the side there are players with talent but are there any real passionate
players who understand the importance of winning that ball with a bite that
makes men of boys. This rant probably
has no more shelf life than previous pre-season rants, however for me I have
to vent my frustrations out and feel that expectations and realities should
not get lost in the shuffle as Tottenham embark on a season of extreme highs
and lows. Still, with
Crouchie due to be paraded next I feel my stomach churn once again as the
lack of quality that we need to break through is tossed to one side. We maybe the boys from the Lane but for
once can’t we just be the boys from Brazil!
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Disclaimer:
Please note the words on this page are the opinion of the topspurs columnist
and are just that, opinions, not facts and are nothing to do with Tottenham
Hotspur Football club PLC. Just a supporter having his say nothing more
nothing less. Any commentary on betting is meant for discussion purposes only
and does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation. |