9^th March 2010 – Come into my Parlour Well it worked against Bolton so why not give it a go against Fulham: smother them away from home; wrap them up and entice them back to the Lane where we devour them whole. 'Come into my parlour said the spider to the fly' .Ah but what about Leeds? That was reverse psychology: lull them into a false sense of security; give them a chance at the Lane; then swat them just when they think they've cracked it. So I'm relieved in a disappointed Tottenham fan sort of way but clearly it was all part of the Tottenham overall grand plan. Neither side were prepared to risk everything to secure a Wembley semi-final place against Portsmouth. Fulham, although at home, had Europa Cup hopes and Juventas on their minds. With a depleted squad, we were content to do enough to bring them back to the Lane. On a tight ground they were compact in defence and unadventurous in attack. Neither Crouch nor Pavlyuchenko got much room to work in. Both teams were missing their creative heart in midfield with Murphy and Huddlestone out. It opened up a little in the last quarter but neither side really departed from the safety first option. None-the-less on a rough hard pitch in windy conditions an impressive amount of decent football was played and not just by us. We had the better of the possession and they had the best of the few chances . Both keepers made a couple of decent saves. We forced another 9 corners and didn't make any of them count. Palacios was voted our man of the match but Zamora was the best player on the pitch on the day. He has certainly changed his game since he was with us, relying more on strength to hold off challenges. He played most of the game with his back to goal, and trying to set up others . In his brief time at Spurs under Hoddle he scored a single goal in 20 or so appearances. Palacios under the threat of a two game suspension for ten yellows patrolled the mid-field with intent but with more circumspection than usual, as he did at Everton and was all the better for it. No late lunges and more precision and time in his passing. Bale Modric and Kranjcar made a number of decent runs and we didn't overuse the long ball. Modric, playing in the centre, didn't make as much impact on the game as we would have liked. It took him some time to become more attack minded although he was playing in his normal position for Croatia. Perhaps he was under instructions to tend to his defensive duties first. Harry chose the Ekotto option in defence, with Bale in midfield and it worked well enough although with several midfielders to return it may not be a long term option. Decisions will have to be made, sooner rather than later with any luck. Pavlyuchenko's control was poor in the first half but improved later and he made a useful contribution by dropping deep to cover. There was little sign of any rapport between the two strikers. They played like divorcees at a party determined to ignore each other. Defoe looked more threatening in his ten minute cameo than either of them. A replay at the Lane is by no means a worst case scenario. None of our rivals for the top four played in the Premiership this weekend so that's yet another week in fourth to enjoy. Wigan bearing us no grudge beat Liverpool to give us a game in hand as well as a point of daylight and a superior goal difference. Our heavy defeat of Wigan might prove vital in the final analysis. Harry said this week that what is important is 'the way we play'. I don't believe or agree with a lot of what Harry says except when he is running for the 'statement of the bleedin' obvious' award, but I hope he means this and if he does I will cut him a lot of slack. We haven't sold out to a billionaire playboy who wants results the day before yesterday and we haven't sacrificed our values in the search for glory and success so far. On Monday night Liverpool were ragged but also crude and over physical in a way that I hope we never resort to. And it didn't even work. Was this the Wigan side that we convincingly beat twice this season? This can all be frustrating to older fans hungry for the return of the Glory, Glory days or for those too young to remember them, or fed up with hearing about them. Building success and making steady progress is more satisfying in the long run. Trust me. Who outside their fans loves Chelsea? Are they respected and admired? Similarly Man.City. Aren't we all delighted that the Abu Dhabi billions haven't bought them instant payback and have already led to the sacking of one manager. Birmingham, even with access to large Hong Kong fortunes, have done it the hard way and are commended for it. We have won a lot of attention this season by the quality of our football. We have restored a lot of pride in ourselves and remained true to our traditions. It can all come unstuck obviously but there is no reason at the moment to suppose that it will. The travails at Portsmouth, who have had more owners than league wins this season, and the discontent at Man. Utd should give us all pause for thought. Less than half of even Premiership clubs are financially viable and when new accounting rules are brought in, which they assuredly will be in the aftermath of the banking crises, then clubs who are trying to cut corners may find themselves broken down on the hard shoulder and not in the fast lane with the top down. Mind you I've had this bloody 'Doom is Nigh' placard round my neck for some time.

http://jimmyg2.blogspot.com/

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27^th February 2010 - The cold war is over Harry

Bolton were poor and we were quite good. They said, 'Go on then, strut your stuff' , so we did. They didn't close us down until it was too late and chipped in with a couple of own goals which was nice. Pavlyuchenko rubbed salt into Harry's wounds, which won't do either of them any harm, with two goals icily taken like a Russian assassin out of James Bond. Gudjohnsen came on and gave us an intoxicating whiff of the footballer he once was.

That was apart from some very sloppy passing in the first half when we tried in our usual sporting way to make the game a little more even. Fortunately their forwards were too inept to take advantage. Gomes evidently wasn't in on the fair-play scheme and insisted on saving everything. Otherwise it all went to plan. Ekotto popped up at right back in place of Corluka who was ill, and gave a very good impression of a man playing out of position. In fact a very good impression of a man auditioning for Long John Silver. He coped because Bolton didn't put him under any pressure.

Pavlyuchenko has scored 5 goals in the equivalent of a game and a half and will start against Everton if there is any justice or rationality in the world. Modric set him up for his first ,again,and he set himself up for the second after his initial header was well saved.. Dawson and Bassong kept yet another clean sheet, but will face a sterner test on Sunday, assuming that Ledley is not fit. The boy Gareth posed again as a left winger and it was his cross that O'Brien diverted into his own goal for our third.

So part one of the double- pronged examination of our cup and league pretensions has been successfully negotiated. Everton, knocked out of the Europa Cup on Thursday, are still struggling with injuries: Jagielka played his first game for nearly a year and Senderos, their latest import, went off injured. Cahill is not yet ready to return. At home with a newly revived Pavlyuchenko we should prove too much for them as long as we take a firm grasp of the midfield. If Palacios has not recovered this might prove a problem. Where's O'hara when you need him? Oh yes going down with the good ship 'Pompey'. Lets hope he swims ashore to join Kaboul a ship-mate that has already deserted the sinking ship.

Everton might regard a point as a bonus but we need to win as City and Villa have games in hand. We threw away the game at Everton with two late goals and a missed penalty. I think that we will win by a small rockfall rather than a landslide. All bets are off if the 'virus' that is working its way through our ranks claims any more victims. The Academy lads have been laid low and the training ground is closed. In fact if it spreads much further the game may be off too. Lasagna anyone?

Meanwhile Harry still has the pedal down to the floor on Roman. Apparently the Russian can't speak English very well. Well Harry nor can you but we still love you. First of all he wasn't passing Harry's training enthusiasm test and was therefor only eligible for the bench. Then he buckled down and qualified for a substitute's role. Finally he secured his starter's badge.' The rest is history' as they say. But perhaps not as he must now show that he can do it over the longer term. He can only do that if the Manager, that's you Harry, selects him. I hope he gets as long as Keane and Crouch did to demonstrate their qualities. I hope too that scoring goals is not the only criteria but that the focus is on forming effective partnerships with the other strikers.

It reminds me of the 'What did the BBC ever do for us' advert. Apart from the News, the Sport, the Documentaries, the Classic Dramas and so on. What did Pavlyuchenko ever do for us? What, apart from scoring within five minutes on his first appearance: apart from scoring two goals on his second appearance; apart from scoring another two goals on his third appearance and only start in the league this season. Harry, the Cold War is over. Bits of the Berlin Wall sit on the mantlepieces of a thousand student bed-sits. We're all on the same side now.

And now, apparently, Roman is everybody's favourite: name sung at the Lane; legend status guaranteed; last season now completely forgotten. Get off him I saw him first. Enough; I won't even mention his name again, unless he scores a hat-trick on Sunday. He couldn't: could he?

23^rd February 2010 – Save the last laugh for me!

Harry celebrates Pavlyuchenko's second goal. I only said,'Go on and run about a bit.

Where's that interpreter?'

I'm not one to gloat but Harry could have saved himself a lot of trouble by listening to his Uncle Jimmy. What's the Russian for 'I must not be so stubborn?' Ask Roman when he finally arrives back on Earth. If Harry fans want to claim that this just goes to show his managerial genius then I'm cool with that, he hasn't got a lot wrong since he rescued us last season.

Anyway I'm not one to gloat. He didn't start but he did get 20 minutes and scored twice, much to the evident delight of his team-mates. He oozed effort and class and did more than Crouch has done in six games. He has sat on the bench 15 times this season without getting his boots muddy and has made only 2 starts. But he now has the best goals per minute record of all our current strikers, here or abroad, (1/74) and looks a certainty to start against Bolton on Wednesday; fitness and training ground reports permitting.

This is beginning to approach the outer edges of gloating . We had some luck: Defoe's goal was clearly off-side but 'you win some, you lose some'; we coped well with the pitch which was awful, especially Modric who seems able to float on mud. I can only imagine what he's like on water.

Bale was less adventurous than usual perhaps due to the conditions but he still managed to run 50yds to overlap Kranjcar and supply the assist for Defoe. Fans are saying that Harry will have a problem when Ekotto is fit. It's a problem that's easily solved; 'the kid gets the part'. Defoe was taken off rather than Crouch because he had misread the instructions on his medicine and was in danger of seeing red.

Another clean sheet; back into the top four; whats not to like? I even felt a little sorry for Harry as he smiled his rueful smile when Pavlyuchenko scored his second. It was more 'Roy of the Rovers' than real life. To start two games and score 3 times fits better in a Hollywood bio-pic than on the Tottenham High Rd. He could have refused to come on, sulked, or put on a display of frenetic ineffectiveness.

I feel gloaty. Oh so gloaty. But it is Pavlyuchenko who clearly felt like running and dancing for joy.

We are poised precariously on top of the contenders for the Champions' League places and before Everton next week we have Bolton to dispose of in the Cup Replay.

It should be 'routine' at the Lane but that is one of those weasel words. A bit like 'quaint' , 'compact' and 'accessible' in Estate Agent speak which means a rat-hole on the main road in need of complete renovation. 'Routine' in Tottenham speak means decided by a last minute deflected goal for somebody, not necessarily us. Kranjcar is the designated penalty taker and Pavlyuchenko takes them for Russia, but let's hope that we have wrapped it up long before it comes to that.

I'm very much cheered up by the performance against Wigan. Bentley closed down like a man on a mission; the midfield was efficient and the back four largely untroubled. I t doesn't take much to cheer me up where Spurs are concerned: a Modric shimmy and I'm ecstatic. Ledley went off with a strain but hopefully that was just precautionary. You never know with Ledders.

The next two games could well define what sort of season we are going to look back on. Personally I would rather we beat Everton than Bolton but happily in this life we have the opportunity to do both. I forecast earlier in the season that Everton would be more likely to be facing relegation than the Europa placings but in my defence I will say that I was right about Pavlyuchenko.

Is he a lethargic trainer or even a lazy player? Unless some ITK can text us from his perch in the trees outside Spurs lodge we will probably never know the truth. We had all this with Berbatov: was he actually lazy or did he just look lazy? It's strange that these controversies should arise at the one club in the Premiership that has a proud history of cultivating flair under a manager that has a similar reputation.

I can see the problem from Harry's point of view. How do encourage them all to train hard as a squad if you select a poor trainer? Easy to me: you say to Crouchy; 'Look son I like you, you're hardworking, and nice guy but that idle Russian is a better player than you and he gets the gig. But keep trying you never know you might improve'.

I understand that we live in different times now, where you have to pass a fitness test before you can get on the stage and start pulling rabbits out of hats. But we can't all tear about like Tevez or Rooney. I like my players on the laid back side of hyperactive. Pavlyuchenko fits the bill nicely. As Bill Nicholson once said of Jimmy Greaves ' All he's done this afternoon is score four goals'.

13^th February 2010 – Candle in the wind

Goodbye Champions League. Your candle burned out long before Your legend ever did'

I have been deluged by a request from a respected correspondent to try to find some nuggets of gold in the mountain of shale accumulated in the course of the Wolves fiasco. Now, like Ledley, I don't do knee jerk reactions but 48 hours later but I am struggling for the words that might ' lift' our supporters.

I can only conclude that we must be going for the Cup this year. Do you really want me to go through our performance at Wolverhampton Wanderers? No I thought not. Bale played well and that's about it. The rest were average to poor on a day when we needed to prove that the game against Liverpool was just a blip. Apparently it wasn't.

I did raise the possibility of us losing and the possible consequences but fortunately our old mates at W.Ham beat Birmingham; and our dear chums at Arsenal beat Liverpool. But we can't go on depending on our friends like this. There might be a few more twists to this story. We still have a third of the season to go and all you can say with certainty is that we won't get relegated but you couldn't honestly say we deserve anything.

Theoretically we could still win the League or finish mid-table. If we get it together for Wigan next week and play well for the rest of the season we might get fourth but can you see that happening? Wolves did the double over us for the first time since 1953 the year in which Norma Jean, now Marilyn Monroe, shot the iconic shot over the grill of the New York subway. They were not a better team than us individually, except for Doyle, but they certainly played better than us. I can only hope that these references to Ms. Monroe are having the requisite uplifting affect.

I can't say I'm angry: just resigned. The doctor said I wasn't to get angry at my age in any case. Defoe hasn't had a shot on target in two games. Harry gambled on Gudjohnsen who hasn't played a competitive game this season and lost. Pavlyuchenko scored within 5mins. of coming on in his last game and was left on the bench. I'm not pointing the finger here you understand. Actually I'm sitting on my hands but even so the cat has shot onto the sideboard; the dog is cowering under the sofa and the goldfish is hiding behind a rock.

Those people, including me, who have been asking for changes got what they wished for but not what they wanted. You obviously have to be more specific with your requests and draw attention to the small print. To look for individual players to have ago at have a go at would be like shooting fish in a barrel. Wolves didn't even park the bus. Their keeper made one save and our keeper didn't. 'End of story' as they say. Their midfielder David Jones swept the ball into the net unmarked, like a 20 goals a season striker hoping to go to S.Africa.

The candle I have held up for Jenas in the teeth of some quite scathing criticism over the past couple of seasons is flickering and will shortly, like me, be gutted.

So farewell Champions' League

'Our candle burned out long before

Our legend ever did'

And that's where we are I'm afraid this season, left with our glorious legend, as our assault on the Champions' League splutters and dies.

My pre-match plan to put some dead sheep in the centre circle to tempt out the Wolves badly back-fired as they not only feasted on the dead carcases but had a go at our midfielders too. They probably didn't notice the difference. If Harry has decided that we have more chance of winning the cup than finishing fourth then some will question more than just his judgment. We could easily beat Bolton and draw Chelsea away. Actually on last night's performance we couldn't easily beat anyone.

Harry has surprised us before and might do so again. We miss Lennon but Bentley hasn't played badly and one player does not make a team. Recruitment during the January transfer window was unfocused, and our performance in the second third of the season patchy rather than disastrous which is why we are still hanging on in the top six. Other results have gone our way but we can't rely on this to continue. Harry seems to have has touching faith that anything that has 'a present from Portsmouth' stamped on it is a guarantee of top quality which is the only reason I can think of for Kaboul's selection.

Most of the players talk a good performance especially on the Official Site but that's not where it counts. It counts on a cold Wednesday, on a slippery pitch, against a team scrapping for its Premiership life. Once again we were found wanting.

I'm off to watch my DVD collection of old Marilyn Monroe movies starting with the 1953 classic 'How to marry a millionaire' which some desperate supporters may think is our only hope. So put the champagne on hold for another season. I've had a bottle in the fridge for years. I might use it to launch my electric wheelchair if I need one before we get into the Top Four.

Bolton on Sunday? I'm good but I'm not that good. We are back to second guessing Harry for the team formation although if its not Crouch and Defoe up front, I'll eat the goldfish wherever it's hiding. The score? If I could predict that I would concentrate on the lottery. I'm waiting to write the headline: 'Super Pavlo. gets a start: his impact is ferocious.' (Apologies to Mary Poppins)

Feeling better? No I thought not.

6^th February 2010 - Give the boys a break

Now that David Bentley has made three consecutive appearances for the first time since whenever I wonder how many fans are feeling just a little humbled. On the pitch last night were three players previously deposited into the 'shit folder' along with Jermaine Jenas everyone's favourite scapegoat : David Bentley; Heuralho Gomes and Gareth Bale.

I omit Tom Huddleston as Harry's consistent selection of him in our best season since a long time has largely redeemed him, though not with everyone of course. Dawson, likely to be our new captain, is still mistrusted in some quarters as naive. Crouch is disparaged not just because he lacks all the skills but because he invites us to play in an anti-Tottenham way. Corluka is regarded as disastrously slow. Bassong as too inexperienced and error prone. All these players have been widely criticised , the sub text being that they are not good enough for the next level, which I have to point out we haven't quite reached yet.

That only leaves Kranjcar and Defoe untouched in the team that beat Leeds last night in style and with some authority. However did they manage it? Some are raising the dilemma that Harry might face because Lennon and Ekotto might shortly be returning to fitness. You can see where I am going here because both these players were the subject of widespread abuse until Aaron 'can't cross' Lennon and and Benoit 'most improved player' Ekotto redeemed themselves.

Its not so much that these players were written off but it is the speed and hostility of the process that is shocking. There seems to be no half way house. If you are not world class then you are hopeless. It is also the viciousness and personalisation of the attacks. Some of the criticism of Bale seems to imply that because he is not good looking he can't be a good player. Though of course as with David Bentley you can be too good looking to play well. No allowance is given for age, experience or injury problems; this applies to Lennon as well as Bale.

Now I am not a great fan of Peter Crouch and have been critical of him for his influence on the way we play but I don't want him to fail to prove a point. I am surprised but delighted that David Bentley has escaped his demons to turn in a Man of the Match performance at Leeds. I have been critical of Harrry on several occasions but I don't ask for him to be sacked because instability has been the curse of the club for decades. I think that the elevation of Gomes from laughing stock to hero tells its own story.

On Wednesday night in hostile fan and weather conditions we imposed ourselves quickly and effectively and should have been 'out of sight' again in the first 20 minutes. I think I have already copyrighted that phrase. Defoe scored a hat-trick and could have scored five or six.. Bentley concentrated on getting the basics right and provided two assists. We had our 'Oh no, not again' moment when they equalised just before half time but did not allow it to faze us and came out with even more authority in the second half.

Even Jenas was 'not as shit as usual', high praise in some quarters, and even without two of our top midfielders, Palacios and Modric, we were not really stretched. As Julius Caesar nearly said ' We came, we saw, we kicked arse'. If we can win on Saturday we are almost back on track, and can start dreaming again as long as we don't actually fall asleep on the pitch.

Dawson needs to bring his back line out more quickly and not allow them to drop too deep. The penalty spot should be his last line of defence more often than the six yard box. Last night there was plenty of time to catch all four of the Leeds' attackers offside but we barely moved. He should concentrate too on directing his defensive headers as the vast majority go straight back to the opponents because he concentrates purely on getting distance

Perhaps it's the Danny Blanchflower position of equalising before the other team score. Getting your retaliation in first as they say in Rugby. Or calling ourselves 'yiddos' to defuse the power of the words before the opposition use it against us. You can't hate our own players more than we do so back off. Perhaps all this is understandable in the light of the history of Tottenham over the past few decades and it could well happen again, but its a misguided and unhelpful way to support a team. We don't have to jump on every press bandwagon that passes.

I am a long term admirer of Michael Dawson and have advocated his captaincy for some time but it doesn't stop me making helpful hints for his improvement. It's a pity that he and Harry have better things to do than read this column.

19^th January 2010 - B is for Boaz, Buses, Barcelona and Bale

Once again I got this one nearly right. They didn't score, as I correctly predicted, but I forgot to factor in that they might not only bring a goalkeeper with them but one who was destined to have the best afternoon of his life. Step forward Boaz Myhill. You can't blame Harry for this one whatever alterations you might make in starting line up and substitutions. We created more than enough chances to win it (11 shots on target to their none) and totally dominated the whole game.(63% possession: 14 corners to1) Gomes was arrested after the game for loitering without intent. In fact I question whether we need a keeper. Can't we play 11 outfield players?

I watched the Barcelona/Seville game on Saturday night to compensate for the disappointment and was struck by the differences. Now I admit that Messi is the finest player on the planet and Barcelona our earthly representatives in the Inter- Galaxy Cup. I am not expecting us to turn into Barcelona overnight but there must be lessons to be learned. They played with such speed of thought; such awareness of space and of the movement of team-mates; such quickness of feet and pace on the ball; such instant control; such calmness in front of goal; such restrained use of the long ball. Now these are comparisons with a team at the highest level but if we hope to compete in this manner, which I think we do, then we need to start improving our flair, skill and attitude to the game.

We have a settled squad of good players who should be responding to each other with greater awareness. We play so few clever one twos in and around the box. We are good individually but have not yet forged the vital understandings between pairs and groups of players. Without Lennon we are one paced and one dimensional. We are skilful but somewhat pedestrian in our approach. The build up is patient but lacks that sudden injection of pace on the ball that confuses and unsettles teams. We seem to go head on at packed defences.

More and more bottom half teams desperate to retain their Premiership Status will play ugly, employ negative, anti football measures and park the bus. It is a tribute to our new status as a team to be respected of course but it needs to be dealt with, at the individual skill level, at the team tactic level and at the club mentality level.

A gap has opened up between Birmingham in 8^th on 33 pts and Fulham in 9^th on 27 pts and anywhere below this there will be teams willing to do anything within and on the edge of the laws of the game to stay clear of the big drop.. The spirit of the game as embodied in the Barcelona style is another matter. With the financial repercussions severe for failure for the club and the employment prospects grim for managers without continued success the concept of the beautiful game is difficult to sustain.

Of course if we had beaten Hull, or Stoke , or Wolves we could be almost top. If we won every game as some fans expect we would have almost won the league by now.. We didn't, we haven't, move on. Nobody does and nobody will. Just think how Liverpool, Man.City and Aston Villa fans feel because they, like us, missed their chance to close the gap. Its happening more and more this season.

At Liverpool on Wednesday we need to refocus. They are more desperate for points than us and are at home. No buses will be parked and we should do better in a more open game. We didn't get the expected bonus of the three points against Hull but we played well enough to go to Liverpool on a clean sheet roll and turn them over. They are without key players, low on morale and can be beaten. The hubcaps came off in the first game of the season and the wheels shortly after. What's left is propped up on bricks. With Alonso gone and Torres, Gerrard, and Benayoun out, the engine has been removed. Shortly they might well be advertising for a new driver.

The postponement worked to their disadvantage and I have upgraded my 1-1 draw prediction to a narrow away win (2-1). We can't miss as many chances two games running and last time I checked their goalkeeper was not Boaz Myhill. We might start with Defoe and Pavlyuchenko just to see if it works, and Jenas will come in for Huddlestone. O'hara is available and might partner Palacios. The permutations are almost several. Lennon and probably King are still out.

Which brings me to the boy Bale. In my view he is one of the brightest prospects to be seen at The Lane for years unless he is driven out by mindless references to his appearance and ignorant rants about hexes, hoodoos and other superstitious claptrap. He has overcome a series of injuries with resilience, has an excellent attitude and displays the kind of flair, pace and skill that will make him a Spurs legend in the years to come.

Now it is a fact, an undeniable statistic that we have not won a game in the Premiership when Gareth has started the match. That doesn't make it his fault. We stopped burning witches some 300 yrs ago.. He was possibly our best player on Saturday. How then can he be blamed because Keane, Defoe and Crouch missed good chances. If we are not careful we will not be in a position to get rid of him, he will been snapped up by a more successful teams than us who realise his qualities. Barcelona perhaps?

So there you have it: Boaz, Buses, Bale and Barcelona. Next week its Crumpet, Crouch, Cavity walls and Cowdenbeath. What happened to the 'A's? I'm working on it.

28^th December 2009 - Reasons to be Cheerful.

We've reached the half way stage and I thought I would share some seasonal goodwill with you at this point in this exciting season with a quick look at the positives. More traditional fans of the 'Don't speak too soon' persuasion can no doubt provide the 'Reasons to be gloomy' side of the picture but I'm a half full man myself.

Liverpool(H) Victory against a 'top four' side.

Hull City(A) First hat-trick of the season(Defoe). First 5 goal haul. First away win. Top.

W.Ham(A) Second away win. Came from behind to win. Still top of the table.

Doncaster(A)Cup. Third away win. Second five goal haul.

Birmingham(H) Lennon scored late to win it.

Man.Utd (A) We scored first, but were well beaten.

Chelsea(A) Should have been two up but missed our chances.

Preston N.E(A)Cup. Third five goal win. 4^th away win. Crouch hat-trick

Burnley(H) 4^th 5goal win. Keane scores 4. Back in top four.

Bolton(A) Came from behind twice to get a draw. Back to 3^rd

Portsmouth(A) 5^th away win. Still 3^rd

Stoke(H) Totally outplayed them but lost.

Everton(H)CUP Many players missing but no problems. Bale starts and wins.(Not Prem. though)

Arsenal(A) 42mins of decent play then disintegration. Still in top Four.

Sunderland(H) Outplayed but won. Mark of a good team apparently. Gomes outstanding.

Wigan(H) Best score for 30 years. Defoe scores 5. Still in top four.

Villa(A) Came from behind to draw. Away from home against possible contenders. 3^rd.

Man.Utd(A)CUP Outplayed them first half but went in 2 down. Bale excellent.

Everton(A) Nothing positive comes to mind. Point away from home. Still in top four.

Wolves(H) Return of Modric. Brief appearance of Gio. Other results mean we didn’t suffer

as much as we might have. But I’m struggling on this one.

Man.City(H) Best performance of the season. Lennon, Dawson, Kranjcar outstanding.

Blackburn(A) Solid away win in a game that we might well have lost previously. Another

clean sheet and Crouch back on score sheet with two good goals.

Fulham(A) Gomes brilliant. Poor game but a good point. King and Modric made a welcome

re-appearance. First three consecutive clean sheets for five years.

Positives:

Winning away(6 total, 4 in league): goals from all over the pitch (15 different players so far): hat-tricks and more from three different players: coming from behind to win and draw: winning late on: most of the season in top four: despite key players being missing (Modric, King, Woodgate) the squad have stepped up and played with more grit and determination than previously.

Harry seems to have become more pro-active with his substitutions and to have sorted out the Keane as captain problem when he's not playing well by not making him an automatic choice. Dawson has not only played well in the absence of his senior mentors but has thrived with the captaincy and has formed a sound partnership with Bassong.

Things can only get better with the return of Modric and they have not been too shaky without him due to signing of the excellent Kranjcar.

14^th December 2009

Blip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah

Just a bad day

Blip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah

Just a bad day.

(With thanks to Walt Disney and Snow White)

Music hath charms to soothe the frenzied breast of Tottenham supporters who are starting to fear that the best is behind us and that the worst is yet to come. I find that Walt Disney is a great comfort in situations like this. Mickey Mouse outfits anyone? But let's not get carried away. Only a fool would think that we could match our starting sequence of games for the whole season. Well as we are on a musical theme here, as Elvis Presley put it:

'Every now and then, there's a fool such as I'

Realistically, I suppose, we were bound to have a sequence of poorer results. Every team seems to be doing it this season. We outplayed Villa who beat Man.Utd. at Old Trafford yesterday. Bolton scored three against Chelsea. We beat Wigan 9-1 who beat Villa and so on. We couldn't hope to maintain a 2 points per game average through the season. In our first 8 games we gained 18 pts. (five wins and two losses.) In the second 8 we got 11pts. (three wins and three losses ) 'From rags to riches' or visa versa. Another Elvis offering as it happens.

You will find the Wolves' result in the Desk Sergeant's book along with Stoke under 'muggings'. It puts the away draws against Villa and Everton into a brighter perspective. These teams came to spoil and not to play, and there will be others. We are going to have to devise better formations and strategies to overcome this 'park the bus tactic'. Once again we dominated possession( 70%/ 30%) and shots (18/4) but if you don't score, you can't win: and if you don't keep a clean sheet you might just lose.

Ideally we will escape this decidedly average run against Man.City on Wednesday or they and Aston Villa will threaten to leave us behind. The challenge from Liverpool is delayed by the Arsenal win today.

We had chances to win it. Kranjcar uncharacteristically missed a good one after some slick passing between Corluka, Lennon and Modric; Huddlestone drew a good save from Hahnemann; Defoe and Crouch could have done better with their opportunities. In the end we were not clever or sharp enough around a packed box to create enough clear chances.

Until Modric came on there was little buzz or inventiveness in the midfield. He allowed us to play the ball shorter and quicker and provided a link that Huddlestone and Palacios seemed unable to provide. It was good to catch sight of Gio again as he also offers some hope of quicker thinking although ten minutes was too short to see whether he might make a difference.

In general we passed the ball well but our build up was slow, deliberate and somewhat ponderous. Some very poor passing amongst the good ceded possession at vital moments and it ii these that stick in the memory. Keane, who made some good runs, seems to have completely lost his confidence and touch. Crouch was slow of thought and movement and not one of his flick ons reached a Spurs player. In the end we went route one with little success. Defoe seemed to be in a world of his own. Lennon was well marked again and rarely made the by-line on either flank.

Our next 17 games in the run up to Arsenal in April contain Man.City at home and away, Villa at home and Liverpool away. The other 13 games are against what you might consider 'easier' teams. You need to put the Stoke and Wolves results to one side at this point. That's a bit like saying that apart from the blizzards, the hurricane and the floods the weather has been quite settled.

By then we need to be more than in contention because our last five games involve 3 of the usual top four suspects. The way its going it might be all over by then. One game at a time Jimmy, one game at a time.

I finish where I started with Disney lyrics from 'Snow White' and this time in honour of our one true great, Luka Modric.

'When you wish upon a star

Makes no difference who you are

When you wish upon a star

Your dreams come true.

Modric is my star and my dream is of a top four finish, this season. In true Spurs fashion we are making it harder and less likely and the rest of the season is becoming unnecessarily exciting or perhaps depressing. I'm off now to browse the Walt Disney songbook again to find some cheeringful material for future columns. You have been warned.

Music hath charms to soothe the frenzied breast of Tottenham supporters starting to fear the worst. That the best is behind us and that worst is yet to come.

I always find that Walt Disney is a great comfort in situations like this. Mickey Mouse outfits anyone? But let's not get carried away. Only a fool would think that we could match our starting sequence of games for the whole season. Well as we are on a musical interlude here, as Elvis Presley sang:

'Every now and then, there's a fool such as I'

Realistically, I suppose, we were bound to have a sequence of poorer results. All teams do, especially this season apparently. We outplayed Villa who beat Man.Utd. at Old Trafford yesterday. Bolton scored three against Chelsea. We beat Wigan 9-1 who beat Villa and so on. We couldn't maintain a 2 points per game average through the season. In our first 8 games we gained 18 pts. (five wins and two losses.) In the second 8 we got 11pts. (three wins and three losses in) 'From rags to riches' or visa versa. Another Presley offering as it happens.

Wolves go into the book with Stoke as a mugging and puts the away draws against Villa and Everton into brighter perspective. These teams came to spoil and not to play. I think we are going to have to devise formations and strategies to overcome this 'park the bus tactic'. Once again we dominated possession(60/40%); shots(17/3) but again if you don't score, you can't win: and if you don't keep a clean sheet you might just lose.

Ideally we will escape this decidedly average run it against Man.City on Wednesday or they and Aston Villa will threaten to leave us behind. If Liverpool beat Arsenal then the top seven will be menacingly bunched.

We had the chances to win it. Kranjcar uncharacteristically missed two good ones after some slick passing between Corluka, Lennon and Modric; Huddlestone drew a good save from Hahnemann; Defoe and Crouch could have done better with their opportunities. In the end we were not clever or sharp enough around the box to create enough clear chances.

Until Modric came on there was little buzz or inventiveness in the midfield. He allowed us to play the ball shorter and quicker and provided a link that Huddlestone and Palacios seemed unable to provide. It was good to see Gio again as he also offers hope of some quicker thinking although his ten minutes was too short to see whether or not he might make a difference.

Although we passed the ball well generally our build up was slow, deliberate and somewhat ponderous. Some very poor passing amongst the good ceded possession at vital times. Keane who made some good runs seems to have completely lost his confidence and touch. Crouch was slow of thought and movement and not one of his flick ons reached a Spurs player and in the end we went route one with little success. Defoe seemed even more in a world of his own. Lennon was well marked again and rarely made the by-line on either flank.

By not beating Stoke and Wolves at home we have to make up the points by winning more difficult games.

I finish where I started with Disney lyrics from 'Snow White' and this time in honour of our one true star, Luka Modric I give you:

'When you wish upon a star

Makes no difference who you are

When you wish upon a star

Your dreams come true.

Modric is my star and my dream is of a top four finish, this season. In true Spurs fashion we are making it harder and less likely and the rest of the season unnecessarily exciting.

1^st December 2009 - There's people all over the media.

There's people all over the media. They think its all over. Its not yet. Managers; ex-managers; managers about to become ex-managers; ex-managers about to become managers are all over Spurs like a rash. The latest is Sir Alex` but as we play them on Tuesday in the Carling Cup we have to examine this gift horse with care. Does he want us to play Huddlestone , our most gifted but most vulnerable player and Palacios, who has been off form for a while? Or not?

What sort of team will he put out? What sort of team will Harry put out? Given that this Cup gives maximum benefit for the minimum of effort will we go for it? If you have a clue drop me a line. I've no idea.

In the meantime after Villa its not just the managerial ranks who are auditioning to be in our backing group; its senior pundits too. Hold the front page! Senior pundit says Spurs are favorites to take Top Four place ahead of Man.City and Aston Villa. ( But don't write of Liverpool just yet, obviously) And who was this senior pundit? Well actually it was Alan Shearer on Match Of The Day, but let's not split hairs here. Be nice to those you meet on the way up; you might meet them on the way down.

Do we need 'Our Alan' to tell us what we already knew after Saturdays game? Man.City, they of the award winning seven consecutive draws couldn't beat Hull at home, and we exposed Villa as mere 'pretenders' while establishing our own credentials as the real 'contenders' as the TV. billing had it.

We were put onto the back foot for 25 minutes by their early scrambled goal and they had six corners in this time, but by the end of the match they were hanging on and we had claimed every statistic. This included an astonishing successful pass tally of over 300 to their 170 and 64% possession. We played like the home team and on the front foot which is where I like us to play.

They defended well and got a grip on Lennon but last week against Wigan everything flew in and this week it didn't. We would have taken a point before the game and so would they but in the event we might easily have won it. More importantly we played as if we thought we could do so. This without our two first choice centre halves and Modric.

Dawson was captain and goalscorer and playing for the first time in the league with Bassong they gave a convincing impression of a first choice pairing. If Kranjcar hadn't turned in another classy performance I would have made Dawson man of the match.

Gomes did not have a single save to make in the whole game. Jenas came on for Palacios to confound his critics again, as he did against Man.Utd, to give a demonstration of forceful attacking midfield play. He immediately struck up a partnership with Huddlestone which threatened to win the game for us and we pressed for the winner until the end.

I was completely fooled by Harry's pre-match interviews and thought that Keane would start and that Jenas might be preferred to Huddlestone. I aught to know better by now. Tom has started every game this season and so far Palacios has been our midfield anchorman.

This was a statement of intent by Harry and the squad and added the element of belief to our play. And why not? We've been in the top four almost the whole season, we are well into the second third and there is clear blue Lillywhite water appearing between us and the rest. We are developing an attitude and the mentality to achieve success.

The return of Lennon and Defoe and the quality of Kranjcar have given us a lift and one wonders where Modric will fit in. Only joking Luka you can play where you like mate, we'll slot the rest in around you. Unfortunately I don't think we will see the best of him until after Xmas now. What price a cameo role for him or Gio on Tuesday in the Carling Cup where even the ghost of Pavlyuchenko might get a start. He wasn't even on the bench on Saturday.

We are the only team standing now between a return to the 'normal' Top Four. It makes us a target for a new level of player and helps to keep our own top players happy to stay. If we slip up then the bloodhounds will be sniffing around and cocking their legs on Modric, Lennon and Defoe and marking out their territory on our key players.

Tottenham supporters as always are more circumspect not to say downright fearful that we are peaking to early, getting too much attention, putting our heads above the parapet and drawing the sniper's fire. All this praise is a Trojan horse designed to swell our heads and unbalance us from the high wire. Now you don't recall the Trojan horse episode but friends I was there. Its a load of balony. Remember Bill Nicholson

' Its better to fail aiming high than succeed aiming low.' I'm with Bill on this one and I don't intend to keep quiet about it. 'Chutzpah' covers it.

24 November 2009 – A day to remember

'9-1, well played lads'. That's it, nothing more to say.

Oh! The Editor says I can't get away with that, 'Check the small print in your contract'.

OK. then: 'Very well played lads. Nope, still not enough. Remember, less is more, 'Brevity is the soul of wit' Mr. Editor.

Anyway at half-time I was thinking 'Stoke again' even though this time we had got the early goal and Lennon was looking purposeful if not positively single minded. For 25mins we throttled and harassed and bewildered them and could have been 3 or 4 up.

Then we relented and let them play with ball a bit and although their shooting was woeful we gave them the opportunity to get back into the game. We played as if we had forgotten what Harry had said as we left the dressing room, something about high tempo, attack and closing down the midfield.

He obviously repeated it with threats at half time because the game was transformed by Defoe's deadly finishing and Lennon's tormenting of ex-Spur Edman in his first return to White Hart Lane. He must have called Aaron a 'hyperactive dwarf' or something at some stage in the first half because after that Lennon failed to extend him the usual courtesies.

This was a squad victory : no Keane or King our team and club captains; no Modric, our best player though Kranjcar was more than a mere understudy here; no Jenas, exhausted after marking Kaka against Brazil presumably.

But everyone stepped up including captain for the day Woodgate and especially Huddlestone, who has started every game this season. Kranjcar was outstanding and even Bentley managed an assist and a goal in his fifteen minutes of fame. Goals flew in from everywhere and every mistake, and there were several, by the Wigan defence was punished. Palacios too was more positive and incisive with his passes. We were rightly punished by Scharner's goal which he clearly handled but there was not a man within five yards of him when he scored.

We go to Aston Villa in the top four as of right. No need to study the table or take into account games in hand. Even if we were to lose at Villa, thanks to Jermain, we would still be fourth (unless they win by seven goals).

I stress a squad performance because we are approaching the perils of the January transfer window. This leads to the annual pleas for buying players to take us to the next level. Well friends at the moment we are already there, achieved by Harry buying frugally and well since he arrived and assembling a quality squad who deserve some stability, loyalty, and continuity.

Players who are better than what we have are unlikely to come to us mid-season and in any case may disrupt the team dynamics or may take time to settle into the team or the Premiership. I think that Harry should tinker and fine tune a little more, try a limited amount of rotation which was forced on him against Wigan, recall O'Hara, and stick with the present squad. We don't need to replace Pavlyuchenko if he goes because we don't use him anyway.

The lessons of the 9-1 victory were that we played at a high tempo, had a balanced 442 formation, kept the approach play mainly on the ground, despite Crouch starting, and apart from the 20 minutes before half time closed down the midfield. High on the adrenaline of goals we kept going for the full ninety minutes.

I always have that 'This could be the day' feeling at kick-off. Its ridiculous I know but yesterday was just such a day and one to remember. Let's hope we don't have to wait another 30 yrs for something similar.

10^th November 2009 – Tweak it Harry

In 1965 my late father in law, an engineer by trade and a mechanic by inclination, was the owner of an immaculate, black Rover 100. He spent the weekends 'tinkering' with the engine. That was in the days when cars lasted for ever and scrappage schemes for a mere 10yr.old vehicles would have been met with derision. He adjusted, tweaked, modified and fine tuned until an already smoothly running engine was at peak performance.

You could of course actually access the engine then and not just plug it into a computer once a year for a diagnostic analysis. The football equivalent is the six monthly transfer window. Not so much Quick Fit as quick fix.

Harry has done a wonderful job and continues to do so. But he is not perfect and not making the most of his assets and the team partly as a consequence is not playing well. But Harry is loyal, or stubborn, as some might have it, and can use the 'If it ain't broke' defence. Harry's attitude seems to be 'Well its got us half way there, why bother to open the bonnet and see what that irritating rattle is.

What does yesterday teach us? That there ain't no justice. We outplayed Stoke and lost. We were outplayed by Sunderland and won. The three points puts an end to the losing run, papers over the cracks and puts us back in the top four. That is mainly because other results continue to go our way particularly those of Man.City who got their fifth consecutive draw and are two points behind us with a game in hand. Aston Villa are closing in. That's two six pointers before Xmas.

'What cracks?' Well we can't rely on Gomes to dig us out every time for a start.

You can't continue to start your captain in every game and then substitute him in every game because he isn't doing the job. You can't assemble a squad of decent footballers and then lump the ball towards Crouch and hope for the best. I know its not supposed to work like this but it seems to.

Meanwhile a successful International striker is ignored. You buy a quality player like Kranjcar as cover for Modric and then sit him on the bench, leaving the side unbalanced and without width. As soon as we went to 442 and Kranjcar came on the quality of the football improved and we made a few chances of our own.

Harry wonders why we don't play in a match like we do in training. Probably because training consists of short games on restricted pitches with the emphasis on limited touch and plenty of movement and passing. I would guess that they don't practice hoofing the ball half the length of the pitch onto Crouch's head very much. Even Dawson has cut out the 40yd heat seeking missile stuff.

Of course the return of Modric and Lennon promises both width and creativity and with luck we might just maintain our position until then. But in the meantime as we approach the lead up to the period, prior to the pre- mid season transfer window, fans and possibly Harry and certainly journalists start to link us with young hopefuls and old has- beens who might just fit in somewhere. For anyone decent we will have to wait until Chelsea, Man.Utd, Man.City, or any other team here or abroad who have money to burn have inspected its teeth.

At Portsmouth and Sunderland we came up against players we have discarded which might give us pause for thought; Reid, Malbranque, Boateng, and perhaps O'hara whose future looks uncertain before we plunge our hands into the Lucky Dip again. Bent, who we used poorly was replaced by Pavlyuchenko who we have treated in exactly the same way and who it seems is to be replaced in his turn.

Now Harry resisted the temptations of the summer sales and bought frugally and well. I argued the merits of stability before and after Harry's appointment and continue to do so. What we need is a tune up, Harry not a major overhaul. A little tinkering would probably do the job. My father in law would certainly approve. You might find that you already have a classic machine in your hands; check the spares. Recycling is the new shopping.

01^st November 2009 – Are we nearly there yet?

Whatever you can prove on paper about the relative strengths of the two squads, on the day, on the pitch we were out played, outfought, out thought and exposed as mere pretenders to the higher reaches of the league. We were not in the same league as Arsenal. Actually that is the problem: we are.

Now let's not get carried away. This was not one of those must win games on the points chart on the back of the kitchen door. That was last week against Stoke. We have two winnable games at home coming up and six points would put us very much back on track with 25pts from 13 games, only one off the magic 2pts per game tally. As I write we are still in the top four although Man. City could overtake us this afternoon. I said that last week when once again results went our way. But the pack is bunching up behind us.

But the manner of the defeat was disheartening. We came for a point and hoped to do a Stoke. We played O.K for 42 minutes and then led by Ledley King auditioning early for pantomime villain didn't just shoot ourselves in the foot but performed ritual hari kari. I'm not sure what Panto that is. We didn't get a shot on target in open play during the whole game and but for an early Gomes save from Fabregas and poor finishing from Eduardo it could have been much worse.

Fabregas was absolutely fabulous and ran the show. He scored an inspired solo goal when gifted the ball by Palacios, nipping between Jenas and Huddlestone, evading a trademark Palacios lunge and tempting Ledley into a uncharacteristic wild, last ditch tackle 30yds out to leave Gomes helpless.All this within 11 seconds of our own kick-off from the first goal, another tale of slack defending; no Bassong in place to cut out the cross and Ledley slow to respond to the near post ball that Van Persie converted.

We played the ball too often hopefully towards Crouch who only managed to lay the ball off twice and nothing came of anything we did. In midfield we were slow of thought and movement but with little signs of life up front there were only limited possibilities. The full backs were rarely able to make progress down the wings and crossed from too deep towards Crouch who was always marked by two or three strong defenders. Bentley forgot that he was to be our new saviour, again.

The third goal was the result of our defenders disobeying the first rule of football: ' Play to the whistle' and Gomes and King confused each other and gifted the ball to Van Persie. A catalogue of horrors right on cue for Halloween. Just as the lads were anticipating hot mugs of cocoa and warm words from Harry at half time the Nightmare on Ashburton Grove began. The villain is usually some extra terrestrial malignant force but in this new age of computers this was more like an internal virus.

Blame who you like; Ledley, Gomes, Huddlestone, Bentley, Harry or pencil in your favourite scapegoat. We were without Modric our most inventive player and Defoe and Lennon our quickest and most threatening forwards. Draw what comfort you can from this but against the Top Four in four games we have lost three and scored three goals against ten.

'Are we nearly there yet?' Three errors do not a crisis make. Our season will be defined by the results against the teams beneath and around us but our performances against the top teams used to give us reasons to dream and hope. We will probably get into Europe this season which will be a sufficient sign of progress for me but Top Four is clearly revealed as a fantasy too soon.

Are we nearly there yet?'

We've clearly packed the boot and filled up with petrol and are heading for the motorway. But the SatNav is on the blink, the traffic is building up and according to that last signpost we have further to go than we thought.

22^nd October 2009 – This could be the year, Couldn't it?

As self appointed President of the 'Enjoy it' campaign and the 'This could be the year' Fellowship I look on with a certain detachment at our new friends in the media who are climbing aboard the Tottenham bus. Hanson, Lawrenson, even Lee Dixon and of course ex players like Lineker and Ossie Ardiles who touchingly still refers to Spurs as 'we'.

As President I have given the non Spurs followers only associate membership in the 'Enjoy it; (while you can )' section because you just know that this is what they are thinking. And to be fair quite a lot of Spurs fans too. We are Spurs, foot shooting 'By Appointment'. The so far so good tendency who, when we do eventually win the league, celebrate by saying, 'Yes but can we sustain it next season?'

Well the tectonic plates have moved, the old order has at least been shaken up. Liverpool have never recovered from their opening day defeat at White Hart Lane and are confidently predicted to be out of the Champions' league places if they lose on Sunday at Old Trafford. If they don't make it who will? Under the perma frost a mighty Lilywhite mammoth is stirring and is threatening to rewrite the history of the Premiership. (editor: I'm not sure mammoths can re-write history Jimmy, even lilywhite ones.)

Early days, early days. We could have blown it at Bolton; but we didn't. We tried to blow it at Portsmouth; but we didn't. We haven't been swept off course by injuries to key players. We are winning the matches against lower teams, 'bullying' them as Lawrenson has it and I have already catalogued the key features of the 'new' Tottenham: winning away and showing resilience in adversity amongst them. Even Jenas is playing well: 'Ah yes but can he keep it up for the whole season?' I hear you ask.

On Saturday, at three clock, we have Stoke at The Lane. Another test of our resolve and our 'up for itness'. A strong team playing well in a Stoke sort of way. Another game we need to win if we are to maintain progress and challenge. We can't take a draw, its a three pointer on the chart we all mentally, and some fanatics physically, map out. And this year its going to go on and on with mounting tension until we are mathematically out of the Top Four race.

There is a tiny part of me that yearns for this to happen. Make that a microscopic part of me. Even against Portsmouth when Defoe was sent off I thought 'Well that's it, back to normal, sit back and relax JimmyG'. But its still on, it can still happen. I know, 'Get back to me at Christmas.' ' Don't write Liverpool off just yet'. I'm not sure that I can stand the tension and the longer it goes on the worse the disappointment will be.

But as dual Chairman of the two newly formed bodies that I started with I am not allowed such thoughts. I'm in for the long haul: not only can we do it, we will do it. Beating Arsenal at Highbury, It will always be Highbury to me I'm afraid, would be a clear signal actually more of a sign assuming that we beat Stoke on Saturday. Which I am confident that we will.

16^th October 2009 - Nostalgia

The trouble with nostalgia is that there's no future in it. I don't really do nostalgia, probably something to do with the onset of senility. I'm more interested in the prospects for the team on Saturday and the possibilities for the season. There's plenty of nostalgia about of course as befits the supporters of a team whose future has been largely in the past.

But we are favourites to win away against Portsmouth which would cement even more firmly our place near the top. Both these elements, winning away and Top Four membership, are something of a novelty and run counter to the usual expectations of the Spurs fans over the past couple of decades. But we may well have to get used to it.

We are hard wired for disappointment, it pulses through our DNA. If the team don't self destruct, traditionally late in the game at a set piece, then the management do it for us and sack the manager in pursuit of some delusion or other, or buy the latest expensive 'must have' from abroad. That's after Man.Utd, Chelsea and Man.City, and shortly Birmingham have examined its teeth.

This season things are different and may well continue to be so, which is what disconcerts me Usually you can relax and not worry about fixtures like Portsmouth. A point would usually be enough and a finish in the top half on the edge of the European places what we are used to. However if we are to maintain our challenge we must take three points in this type of fixture and the tension builds.

Palacios is already ruled out; there is no mention of Modric; Woodgate and King might be available but Dawson and Bassong had better 'dubbin' their boots just in case. Sorry I had a flashback there. We are playing good football and despite the injuries Harry has options. Jenas, Huddlestone and Kranjcar will come up against Kevin 'Prince' Boateng in midfield and this may or may not show us what we are missing. Up front the two ex Pompey players will be raring to go and I would start with them if Harry can get it past his captain.

Crowd hostility given the history of Spurs, Portsmouth and Harry might work to our advantage; it does with other successful teams and we can demonstrate our new found determination by winning this with ease. It would be good to win it without Modric and Palacios as there is an undercurrent of feeling that without either and certainly without both we are doomed.

Anyway I'm looking forward to the game but in a higher state of tension than I am used to. There are markers to be put down for starting spots especially in midfield and possibly in goal if Gomes returns where he will no doubt compete in the tabloids for the gaffe of the game; clown of the day competition. But not on here.

When you are not doing well nostalgia dulls the pain and it is a fact that we have all spent almost all of our lives in the past. But the trouble with nostalgia is that when you are doing well it takes the edge off success. There's always someone ready to make unfavourable comparisons with the past. My continued feeling is that we are building a new future at Tottenham; we are in the process of creating tomorrow's nostalgia.

The longest journey starts with a single step and we have taken several already. The next one is at Portsmouth at 3 clock.

28 September 2009 – In Harry We Trust

It was a close run thing but I just got off the fence in time over Harry. Otherwise I would have had to berate him for dropping three goal Crouch and sticking with Keane. But now I don't have to do that. I can bask in the glow of the Harry magic and join in the adulation for a manager who drops a three goal hero and comes up with a four goal super-star. That's three of our strikers with hat-tricks this season and we've only played nine games.

Back in the top four, sorry Top Four, everything that Harry touches turns to gold, 'He's the man with the Midas touch'. Thank you Shirley not now, we'll let you know. We are still without three of our regular centre halves although Dawson came on for the last five minutes; our best goalkeeper is back on the bench; our best player is sidelined for another month; we put five past a team that came close to embarrassing us last year, and kept our first clean sheet of the season.

But I can rejoice with a clear conscience becomes I've joined the 'In Harry we Trust' Trust.. What could I have been thinking of ? Harry not capable of taking us to the next level? If we were a spaceship we'd be in outer space just passing the third rock from the Sun, and most supporters are even now crash-landing on Venus without any rocket assistance whatsoever. Put the Fatted Calf on the barbie JimmyG2 has returned to the fold.

We should have been clear by half-time but careless finishing by Defoe and Keane and stubborn goalkeeping by Jenson kept Burnley hopeful. We had that typical warm afternoon Spurs lazy look about us at first but, once Defoe had been brought down and Keane had scored the penalty and a Jenas half- volley benefited from a deflection for the second, the game was sealed. At 1-0 They had a good goal ruled offside and apart from a Cudocini fumble that almost let Blake in we were home and dry.

Burnley played some good passing football for the first part of the second half but lacked any thrust up front. Harry's dismissal of the threat of 'two goal' Nugent proved accurate and he was subbed on the hour for Eagles who added some sparkle. We looked dangerous almost every time we broke and the movement of Lennon, Defoe and Keane pulled the Burnley defence apart.

But Keane, who scored his first four goal haul in his career, was the centre of attention well supported by Kranjcar and Jenas from midfield and Huddlestone who made some good breaks from the back. Palacios was a threatening presence and was booked for one of his trademark scything lunges. He is a marked man in some referees' s books and so are some of our opponents. He did however clear some space for Jenas and Huddlestone to play in. Even Bale came on to share the victory but it doesn't break the hoodoo because he didn't start the match. But he's getting closer.

Harry says that Keane is not guaranteed a place in the starting line-up just because he scored four but as he's a stone wall certainty even when he plays poorly I think this is one of Harry's little jokes.

Next week away to Bolton, brings us to the landmark eighth game and with any luck Bale, Dawson, and Gomes will give Harry further selection teasers and it could be 18 points from eight games. Its not as catchy as last year's slogan but it shows the progress we have made. With this kind of start last season we would have been close to 70 points, breathing down Arsenal's neck and on the edge of the Champions' League. Well nearly.

It also brings us to the first anniversary of Harry's appointment. Plans are in hand at 'The Trust' to invite Harry to a cheese and nibbles do and I have offered to make the welcoming speech. The committee have politely turned down this request as you have to have been a member for 'more than five minutes'.

But next year it could all be very different. It looks as if Harry could still be with us and heading towards the 'longest serving manager' spot.

23^rd September 2009 – Disappointed but not depressed, again

Those inclined to write the team and the manager off after this abrupt end to our fantastic start should back off, calm down and pace yourselves. Get some perspective: its a cross Channel swim and we are just paddling on Dover beach at the moment; its Hannibal Crossing the Alps and the elephants have barely packed their trunks. Forgive me but I think you get the idea.

I'm disappointed but not depressed. No, that was last week. I can't say that again. Its your column Jimmy, you can do what you like. Good point. Alright then I'm disappointed but not depressed, again.

The scoreline flatters them and we should have been a goal up and it could have been two or three before they had a clear chance. The non- penalty decision on Keane was the turning point though I think that he went down late when he realised he couldn't reach the ball. The injuries to King and Bassong completely disrupted us defensively. Their second goal was a scramble that should have been cleared and their third pure luck in the end. The excuses note from my mum mentions all these details.

We played some good football again and have four winnable games before we face Arsenal. We have played three of the top four and are averaging two points per game which would have gained us fourth place last year. Our results against Burnley and Stoke at home and Portsmouth and Bolton away are far more relevant to our season than the last two games against two top class teams who will probably battle it out for all the major prizes this year.

This doesn't mean that I don't want us to be challenging them for the top honours but 'Project Spurs' is on the move and as long as we make progress this year and play some good football I will be content. Most people would have taken 12 points from six games if offered at the start of the season. If the last two games prove anything it is that are not yet ready to win the league but only the most blinkered fans ever thought we were, and they are the only ones depressed today.

For this game I wanted Harry to take them on and he did. I would have played Pavlyuchenko instead of Keane but in fact he played better today and he and Defoe were well found by Huddlestone and Jenas in space on several occasions. Defoe should have scored early in the first half from a glorious ball by Palacios and both Jenas and Huddlestone went close.

The midfield with Palacios, Huddlestone and Jenas worked well enough and could have sown up the game before Chelsea got going. It gave a good balance of destructiveness and creativity though Palacios seemed a little distracted and some of his passing was awful. Lennon was floating which didn't quite come off and again experienced defenders forced him across the line and into congested areas. Kranjcar might have given us better balance on the left but for the first half hour we more than matched them as we did against Man. Utd.

The Match of the Day highlights which start from the result made it look one way traffic: they didn't even show the Jenas effort: Jenas haters in the BBC cutting room scandal, and you would not have guessed that we in fact had the greater share of possession . Injury worries are now mounting up and Huddlestone and Corluka may have to continue at centre half for the coming week and give Dawson and Bassong time to recover. Ledley is a more long term casualty I fear.

Harry's apparent determination to play Keane and Crouch at the expense of Giovani or Kranjcar and Pavlyuchenko is worrying though Pavlyuchenko is now injured, a nasty splinter , the result of sitting on the bench too long apparently and Kranjcar is cup- tied. Gomes will feel that he has a claim to start as although Cudocini has made some good saves six goals in two games is not a glowing testimonial, even against the two best teams in the country. Bentley and Naughton might get a chance and even Dervite.

Our allegedly 'strong' bench may well be tested this month, hopefully not to destruction.

14^th September 2009 – And then I woke up

You know that moment when you wake up and for a split second you have forgotten that you are a Tottenham supporter and that you have just lost to Man.Utd. at home, after scoring in the first minute with the referee sending Scholes off for the last half hour? You are very briefly content, not quite awake, still top of the league, not just unbeaten but with a 100% record. Well the split second is over and I am now fully awake.

Now such a performance as that cannot be portrayed as good and yet I am disappointed rather than depressed and searching for positives rather than looking for scapegoats, and there are one or two.

That accident of history, geography and family background that shaped my Spurs destiny cannot be denied and whatever happened on Saturday has to be taken in the round and on the chin.

Firstly they are and were the better team: perhaps not individually but collectively they played well and Ferguson responded more effectively to the changing fortunes of the game and got his tactics right. Berbatov was at his Berbatovian best and Rooney ran all the afternoon, mostly from offside positions fortunately, and got his just reward on the counter attack. Some of this is hindsight and after 1 minute you might have been gasping at the managerial genius of Harry, but over the next 89 minutes the plot unravelled and we were found wanting.

But positives first. I would rather lose to Man.Utd. than Portsmouth, Hull, Wolves or whoever. Man.City and Aston Villa are the teams to beat this year, and at the moment, Sunderland but they are virtually a Spurs eleven so their joy is our joy. Those people, including me, who were dreaming of going through the season unbeaten can now relax and settle down for the long haul. The team that played yesterday and the way that they played will beat most sides in the Premiership and that will ensure progress even if we don't do as well this year against the Top Four, although we have already beaten Liverpool.

Individual performances were good: only Keane struggled, playing out of position, Defoe after the first minute was virtually invisible, swallowed up by the United back four. Crouch did very well, doing what he does, against the most 'uncompromising' centre half in the Premiership and the fact that it was, in the end, tactically inept was not his fault. Huddlestone was good again especially for the first twenty minutes, although he and Palacios didn't get close enough to Scholes and Giggs to stop them playing.

The big plus was for me was Jenas who returned confidently, ran the midfield for the first part of the second half with intelligent movement and some good passing and was unlucky not to score. Kranjcar briefly showed that he might be more of a replacement for Modric than Keane which makes me wonder why he didn't start there in the first place.

And so to my favourite scapegoat, our saviour Harry. If things are not perfect they can be improved. Good enough is not good enough. If loyalty can be a fault then he has it in spades. Keane was out of sorts and out of position. He should have been moved or removed. Against ten men every coaching manual will emphasise keeping the ball, making the opposition work and making the extra man count. 50/50 long balls towards Crouch does not work in this situation and Pavlyuchenko might have been used to good effect with either Crouch or Defoe. We threw away what advantage we had.

And yet we're five matches in, still in the top four, all the positives from the previous four matches apply and we lost a game to a team that will probably win the league. Harry needs to break his fixation with Keane and Crouch; give Pavlyuchenko and perhaps Dos Santos a chance; we've got Bale, Woodgate,Dawson, Gomes and Modric to return; and we're playing good football.

I'll just have another snooze and when I wake up I might just get that brief second of bliss again.

31^st August 2009 – Opportunity Knocks

Cancel the open top bus; Modric is injured. A victim of deliberate espionage by the Birmingham assault squad led by the fiendish Bowyerarti. Our most creative player out until Xmas just as we were about to win the league. Oh woe is us. What shall we do? Stiffen up people and don't feel so sorry for ourselves for a start

Because in case you didn't notice we actually we went on to win the game with the help of a substitute and the other ten players on the field at the time. It is after all a team game and we do have quite a good team. If we are to challenge for anything at all then it will be as a result of the squad and its deployment by Harry. His injury will certainly have an effect on our final position by perhaps a place or two but it won't result in a Hull like descent into the relegation zone or the end of the world as we know it. In fact it would be typical of Tottenham's luck for the great trumpet call to sound just as we were heading for the Champion's League.

Harry moved swiftly to resolve the injury crises at centre half and, as the transfer window is still open, will buy if he thinks it necessary. There is no like for like replacement readily available but we have plenty of options at our disposal already. The easiest would be to deploy Keane on the left of midfield and play Defoe/Crouch or Defoe/Pavlyuchenko up front. Bale, Lennon, and Rose can fill the left side when required and Jenas, Giovani, who I understand prefers the right,and Bentley can slot into the right hand side. Simple for me to say and even simpler for Harry. Keane fancies himself as a midfield general in any case and since he has lost his goal touch now is his chance.

Potentially the more serious setback on Saturday was the loss of King and unless Woodgate is available soon this might have a greater impact on our progress. I think we are getting more than a little paranoid about the thuggery of Birmingham in general and Bowyer in particular. I have watched the replay several times and can discern no pre-meditation in the tangle of legs that caused Modric's injury. It was an accident; they happen and good teams cope. We will cope.

I postponed my supplementry Xmas list until after the Birmingham game in case we slipped up and with a little luck, or more like, with new found persistance we did not. So it now reads:

1 A good start

2 A settled squad and Manager

3 Young and fringe players to be given a go.

4 Quick recovery for Modric, King and or Woodgate, Jenas, Bale and Dawson and Gomes.

5 Waterproof, shockproof, 'secret agent's watch with stop watch facilty, which you

disappointingly missed off last year's list

Thank you Santa, the first three items were delivered by 'Express' Courier this month and I opened them in error. Similar service would be appreciated on items four and five.

We have now not only beaten a 'Top Four' side but scored five away from home twice, scored a last minute winner, come from behind to win, had our best start in almost fifty years and its not even September yet. I love Luka Modric but get some perspective friends. His absence will make a difference but it is not, repeat not, the end of the world.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man and now is the moment for somebody to step up. Huddlestone has done so already and now the stage is set for the next understudy to become a star. It could be Jenas or Bentley or Dos Sqantos who makes the great leap forward. I don't really care but one man's disaster is another man's opportunity and friends opportunity knocks.

17^th August 2009 – But I’m not getting carried away

Well that's another of the top four to go into the 'Can we play you every week?' category along with Chelsea. That's more points already than we had when Harry arrived after.. Oh fill it in for yourselves. But I'm not getting carried away

I was surprised to see Keane paired with Defoe but at least it forces us to get the ball down and play. Harry will be pleased with the fact that Keane could, and perhaps should, have had a first half hat-trick as proof that the tactical plan worked. There is no evidence that they link together as a pair but they worked hard individually.

Modric seemed to struggle to get into the game at first, but still managed to set up Robbie twice and curl in the free kick for Bassong's winner. Liverpool were made to look ordinary. Torres, in particular, looked ponderous and Gerrard had to wait for an hour before he could orchestrate anything. We were so sorry for them that Gomes decided to give them a goal with a rash challenge on Johnson who popped up alarmingly in our penalty box . And we still won. But I'm not getting carried away.

Huddlestone was offered another opportunity to stake a midfield claim and this time he took it with some classy passes, vigorous challenges and good covering. His only error was in allowing Johnson to cut inside him in the lead up to the penalty. He and Palacios complimented each other well. The back four not only wrapped up the Liverpool attack but scored the goals as well. Bassong impressed and already looks sturdy enough to go out on his own at night. Ekotto scored what will certainly be a contender for our goal of the season and we were only 44 minutes in. But I'm not getting carried away.

Against Hull the back line will probably read: Hutton, who was on the bench today, Corluka, Bassong and Ekotto so that Ledley can get a week's rest before the W. Ham game. The front two are anybody's guess. Defoe and Pavlyuchenko probably as he was the only striker not to get a game. As its away against Hull O'Hara might start but personally I would stick with Huddlestone if he is up for it, but then I always would.

The two away games to come may well tell us more than this good all round team performance. We already know we're a good team but its spirit and mental attitude we have been lacking. Hull will tell us a little more about what sort of season this might turn out to be. At the moment I'm not getting carried away.

Its a lovely feeling, hot porridge on a frosty morning sort of glow, in beating a side tipped to challenge for the honours and in the first game. Its been a while since I had it and I'm going to nurture it. Palacios was adjudged man of the match but there were several contenders. Defoe ran tirelessly up front and kept their back line occupied but at times we were slow to support him. Corluka had an excellent game. Lennon was electric when he got the ball but we didn't manage to feed him often enough; hungry but unfulfilled. But he is still a threat, hugging the touchline and can never be ignored. But I'm not getting carried away.

We played some good football, calm and composed at the back, strong in midfield, and lively up front. We passed well until Crouch came on and then lumped the ball forward too often but its a useful tactic to relieve pressure when we are being pressed, if not overdone. So I'm not getting carried away.

We are already ahead of my modest pre-season predictions but if we lose to Hull we will be behind Six points from two games has an attractive flavour to it. I'm just rolling it round it my mind, but I am certainly not going to get carried away. If we beat Hull though then all bets are off and I might just get....you know.

7^th August 2009 – Season Preview

'The more sand that escapes from the hourglass of our life the more clearly we should be able to see through it'. That Machiavelli eh, he's got that right. Listen to the voice of experience. You never lose money betting against Spurs as one old guy once told me. He was broke too so like me he obviously found it difficult to take his own advice.

First though I would like to point out that not one pundit, expert, fan, ITK, clairvoyant or Blogger forecast the 2pts. in 8 games scenario last year. No-one even got near it. No-one even hinted at it. Nobody had us toying with both relegation and Europe in the same season. Some didn't mention either Europe or relegation but referred to 'mid-table mediocrity'.

Well fair enough they were more or less right but for the wrong reasons. I am often wrong but for the right reasons; an important difference. I am hesitant to reveal my predictions from last year but the phrases: 'good pre-season'; 'talented young squad'; 'top class manager'; 'challenging for the Top Four'; 'this could be the season', come embarrassingly to mind.

But I didn't get where I am today by not learning from my mistakes. This year I am going to be more cautious, much more cautious. So, in positive mode: we won't get relegated. In negative mode: we won't get into Europe. So mid table mediocrity it is then. Any more for the roller coaster? Or in view of the returning players is it a roundabout?

All the things I said pre-season last year were true but it didn't make any difference once the season started. Last year I leapt onto the barricades once more and shouted my defiance to the world. I was shot down in the first eight games. This year with the addition of Palacios we are probably stronger but the centre half difficulties might be our banana skin this year certainly for the first few weeks of the season.

With limited changes, so far, we should be able to build on our performances during the run in last season and there are Naughton, Livermore, Bostock and other youngsters lining up. Normally I would be enthusiastic not to say over enthusiastic. But is this squad good enough to challenge for Europe in view of the improvements in other sides? Will we perform as well this year against the top clubs?

I think we will hold our position from last year even if we make a better start which surely we must. But this is my 'Year of the Hedgehog', rolled up into a ball so they can't get to my tenderer parts. If we do better then me and Harry will both be 'over the moon' and I will end the season in a better frame of mind than I began it, instead of disappointed and let down.

Strategic negativity we call this at Chez JG2. I've waited several decades for the renaissance at Tottenham so a few more years won't matter. 'Good football before success; success through good football' is JimmyG2's slogan. Although with the sand rapidly running out you don't want to be leaving it too long lads.

7^th August 2009 – And so farewell Benty

Farewell Darren Bent. You were never our sort of player and as a consequence were never accorded the kind of respect which all players joining a club are entitled to .

Had you been a total failure, refused to put the cones out at training, been disrespectful to Harry or Sandra, then this could arguably have been justified. None of these appears to have been the case and you put up with being third or even fourth choice striker at times without complaint and when given the opportunity usually scored goals.

In fact last season you were our top scorer with 17 goals in all competitions from 42 starts, 14 of them as substitute. Even when you scored you were liable to start the next game on the bench and faced at times some derision from the fans on and off the pitch. No wonder you kept your earphones handy when sitting on the bench.

You were publicly humiliated by Harry in the famous Sandra incident. 'Hold the front page striker misses easy chance'. Its what strikers often do, score some; miss some. You needed to be judged on how many you scored not how many you missed. Ask Robbie Keane and Defoe.

You were a limited player but in terms of a striker an effective one. Your limitations were known to us when you were signed and as you don't fit into our preferred ways of playing it is a mystery to me why we bought you in the first place..

You were much maligned for the size of the fee that we paid but since its not you that set the fee this seems unfair. We seem to have more or less got our money back taking into account add ons, appearance and performance targets, cash back, loyalty points, Sunderland winning the Champions' league or whatever. So once again the people who know the price of everything and the value of nothing will be happy.

Am I sad to see you go? No, and I wish you well at Sunderland where you will, I suspect, do well. Hopefully that won't be against us. Crouch is not exactly an upgrade but he may bring more to our all round play and this may result in more goals being scored overall. I am cautious here as there is certainly an element of doubt and in the name of stability I wouldn't have bothered making the change.

What I am sad about is the way you were treated and regarded while you were with us. Loyalty and a good attitude unfortunately do not count in football today and because of this you were undervalued.

You blotted your record in the Twitter incident at the end but most of us would be more than irritated if, as we were settling down to an exotic pre-season trip to China, we were rudely ejected from the plane and sent to the North East of England only to find that it was all in vain. Or seemed to be at the time.

So farewell Darren, you didn't really fit into our image of ourselves, you were honest, decent, remarkedly good humoured and effective but in the end a square footballer peg in a round Tottenham hole but, in my view, very little of that was your fault.

21^st July 2009 - Give 'em a chance Harry

And so the whirligig of time spirals on and at its centre in the heart of stillness lies Tottenham in the current transfer window. I'm following my own advice from a previous blog and if I can't find facts I'm making them up. In this case its quotes. If Shakespeare had been alive that's what I believe he would have said in relation to our lack of activity in the transfer market.

Is it a steely eyed , poker faced, determination in the battle to secure new players on the part of Harry and Daniel? Or can't we afford them? Or don't they regard us as a step up in their careers? Who knows and frankly who cares any more. So Crouch it is then, to be reunited with his chum Defoe and his mentor Mr.Redknapp and the the club that let him go years ago.

He would join an ever increasing band of returning players and I hope he has more success than his predecessors, who apart from Defoe who has been mainly injured since his return, have done little to justify the fanfares at their return. Why are we buying Crouch? Because, like Everest, he's there. An apt metaphor I think.

Will he be more successful than Bent and give us better options? Is he better than Pavlyuchenko?Doubtful in either case but transfer windows are for transferring players and we want our share regardless. Actually they are to enable players to move to a club that pays better: Barry to Man. City. Or to enable players to improve their current contracts:Terry at Chelsea. As we don't pay top rates we can't attract 'ambitious' or greedy players but that to me is a blessing in disguise.

As for the players that we've sold so far, Zokora and Gunter, the first I've already paid tribute to but Gunter has raised some searching questions as to our 'youth policy'. This year we have had some very successful junior teams but few of the younger players have made the step up to the first team squad. So as usual the big headlines are created by the foreign 'stars' we might buy not the likelihood that Dervite, Bostock or Rose might save us a few millions by coming good. Even the precocious youths that we bought last year, Giovani and Taarabt, seem out of favour and likely to depart.

Gunter might not have the flair and promise of Bale but whenever he played he seemed sound to me but of course we have already assembled an 'overlap' of right backs, including the prodigal son Chimbonda, so he was deemed surplus to requirements. We didn't even make a profit.

Now perhaps these youths are just not good enough, or have nasty personal habits that only Harry sees on the training ground or in the canteen. There is bound to be some wastage in the Academy and young player process but if only one every couple of years makes it, even if we sell them on, this covers the cost of the entire process and can be justified on cost benefit terms. Whatever that is. I put that in for my large following amongst the accountancy fraternity

It goes deeper than this though. Harry came to us with a reputation for his flair at discovering and nurturing young talent. Last year we couldn't risk it as we struggled to escape the clutches of the dark lady of 'The Zone'. And this will apply if we make a bad start for the fourth year running. I'm worried already as pre-season, like last year, is going really well. Always a bad sign at Spurs.

But if we make a good start we won't want to jeopardise it and we don't have Europe to play about with this year. Promoting and nurturing youth is a mindset and requires vision by the manager and patience by the fans who are sometimes too quick to reject and must bear some of the blame for demanding instant success.

Rome wasn't built in a day and football teams that mean something to the fans can't just be bought over the counter. With Sunderland last year it was buy two and get one free. Send it back if you don't like it. It may work for Morrison's but is no way to run a football club.

Besides, which of our young and fringe players couldn't have done better than at least one of our expensive stars. Price tag, reputation and even experience don't always guarantee performance and a punt on some of the youngsters, not all at once obviously, might just surprise us and save us money too. Our lack of action in this window might just be to our advantage, if it continues, which it probably won't.

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.