1^st August 2009 – Almost there This time last year I wrote an article based on the reasons why I was giving up my season ticket after eight years and ended up concluding that it was not the football that was causing it but largely the crap that surrounds it, the peripheral things. Reasons I gave, amongst others were the intensely intrusive media coverage, the naff opinions of idiots who get called “experts” but have a poor command of the language, the cost of going to games, the hype, the cheaply made kits, the behaviour of some players, the obscene salaries, the TV companies dictating schedules, the referees constantly giving Man U every decision they can, the continual cheating of Ronaldo. The there was the sulky ex Bulgarian forward’s treatment of this club, the plastic atmosphere without terracing, the crap beer, the crap food, the crap treatment of supporters by clubs and the sheer tediousness of Joey Barton’s behaviour, Fat Frank’s contract – oh and a load of other gripes too. I wasn’t happy, obviously. I got it off my chest and I mostly moved on. A year on – and what’s changed? Well, I’m a calmer individual, for a start. Most of those things above (and others) still irk me immensely but I appreciate I am now entitled at nearly 46 to be a “grumpy old man” – and be seen as one without it necessarily being seen as wrong. This summer has me whingeing about player salaries still, Man City being the new Chelsea (how much? How many? Who? Why?) but being even more obscene with it, laughing at Arsenal selling players to Man City and also enjoying Gareth Southgate learning what we all knew about Mido? It’s nice to see Martin Jol being boss of Ajax too. Nice guys can sometimes win. However, there’s been no end of season International tournament, so the hype has been less and it seems like a genuine break from football – which was probably a good thing (did I really type that?) I’ve been away from WHL for a while now. I got back to a few games last season – not many though. A tedious home defeat to a drab Sunderland side and a gutless 0-0 draw with Wigan early doors, almost totally convinced me I’d done the right thing to walk away. I also got back to see the Burnley game where we were played off the park for the first half but somehow won fairly comfortably - and a fairly pointless game where we fielded a bunch of kids and went out of Europe against a nothing side and I wondered why we’d bothered making the effort of qualifying the year before if this was the best we could do? I saw a few games “live” in the pub – such as the Cup Final we didn’t seem hungry enough to want to win against Man U’s second string and a strange match against Blackburn where we should have won but for the usual shite “home” refereeing performance in Lancashire and a player of ours was unjustly sent off and we predictably lost 2-1 to an ugly side managed by an ugly man playing ugly football. The rest of the season kind of half passed me by – I was pleased we pulled away from the mire but knew we wouldn’t ultimately have the bollocks to push on and qualify for Europe when we really could have. It would have been too much effort. It was there for the taking at one point but they didn’t seem to really want it? Harry seems to have done a good job so far but basically resigning all the players Jol had here in the first place might be cool for placating the fans initially but now we need the next step please. Crouch seems a good bloke and a decent enough signing – and a sensible one to possibly even rejuvenate the rapidly fading career of Bentley maybe, but is he really any better than the soon to be departing, twittering but often misifiring Bent? Time will tell. Palacios made a great start and it will be interesting to see how he kicks on from here. I’m not sure what’s happening re Chimbonda and Hutton and predictably all the experienced centre halves are crocked already although we have spent some serious wedge on two blokes called Kyle from the division below. Perhaps we couldn’t tell them apart? I’m very glad the shockingly one footed, can’t shoot, can’t score, can’t cross, run-around-like-a-headless chicken Zakora has been flogged – no way an adequate replacement for the classy passing and match-controlling Carrick in my book and a lesson for the Chairman’s greed hopefully that we should strive to keep our best players if we can? It’s all very well running around and looking busy but if there is no end product, then what’s the point? I could have done what Zakora’s done and I’m going on 46. I bet I would have scored that chance he had in The Carling Cup Final v Chelsea too. Well maybe! Zakora moving on may prove the catalyst for Huddlestone’s development into the player he really could be and should be, if he has genuinely lost a bit of timber. Hud is the nearest thing we have had to Hod since the original. I’m still not sure about Jenas after all this time – I don’t dislike him like many seem to but he has never totally convinced me that he can control a game like Gerrard, Lampard or Fabregas seem to be able to do. Having said that, Vieira is NOT the answer Harry, as he is over the hill and still smells of Woolwich Nomad. Please don’t. JJ – this is really the season you have to step up to the plate and stop being a passenger. Up front, assuming Bent goes (often unfairly maligned but never really top drawer) we have four strikers of different attributes. Maybe we will get more from Pav this season? I hope so. I think Defoe will be raring to go and hopefully get on the plane to South Africa in June. Signing Crouch will help his game. With Crouch, like Defoe, being a favourite of Harry, where this leaves Keane and Pav, two International strikers of some renown, is debatable? Apparently Harry hasn’t yet ruled out a move for Huntelaar. I guess the wheeling and dealing expert knows he has to shift another striker out to get another one in? Of the rest of the squad, Lennon came on strong last season and hopefully will continue in that vein. I like BAE as a right back and Corluka is classy if a tad slow at times. Jamie O Hara is busy, combative and a good squad player still, and I’m expecting the likes of Dervitte to break through for the odd game. I’m glad we didn’t sell Taraabt as he another who could still turn out to be something special. Gareth Bale remains an enigma to me – good touches but lacking in application and concentration at times, as well as having injury problems. In goal, I hope we get the end of season Gomes rather than the calamity that started the season for us. He seems to have picked up his game and well done to both the supporters and Harry for helping him through it. There’s still two weeks to go before the big kick off but even with what we have now and without any more additions to the squad, I’d be disappointed if we don’t make Europe at the end of it. We’re not in Europe this season, so there’s no excuses for tiredness, too many games, not a big enough squad, other priorities etc etc. There’s two cups we could go for and as high a league position as is possible please. Everyone needs to show a bit of belief and a bit of bottle and who knows? We certainly can’t start any worse than we did last year……….. Best wishes to Jim, all the contributors, and all who read Topspurs for the season ahead. Mike King

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