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THE JAMES FLINN VIEW Last Updated: Thursday, 29 April 2004, 8:16 PM |
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THE TOPSPURS COLUMNISTS |
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29th April 2004 -How it feels to be a Laughing stock.
So that was it then, all our worst nightmares rolled into one. Some one cutting us with a knife and then making us watch as they pour salt into some very open wounds.
That’s something like how Sunday felt to most of us. The last minute penalty was a great moment but there was more than a bitter taste in the mouth as the final whistle blew and the arse holes made their way to the away end.
What positives do we take, not many. I was obviously delighted to come from behind on Sunday, after all they had not conceded twice away from home all year so the achievement of coming from behind in a seemingly impossible situation certainly deserves credit and restores a small amount of pride that we loyal fans deserve.
My question is this, had we have been playing Man United, Newcastle or Chelsea on Sunday would we have come back. I think not, I have witnessed both derby matches this season. I have to say here and now that if our players can perform to the level they did against them especially at Highbury I really wonder how they can even start to justify their performances in the large majority of other matches this season.
This season isn’t the first time either, for large parts of last season we struggled to beat poor opposition and ultimately that cost Glenn his job, when the Gooners arrived in town we looked like world-beaters.
Of course all this boils down to the same thing that most Spurs fans have been banging on about for months now. The necessity of a quality manager to make some of these vastly over paid and under performing footballers produce the sort of spirit and commitment that they did in the second period on Sunday on more than just twice a year.
All of this brings me to a further point. What is to be a laughing stock. What I felt this weekend more than anything was a sense of bitter disappointment that this once GREAT club has now become. It seems to me that we are now seen as nothing more than a machine for Arsenal hatred, when the press talk about us which isn’t often they are usually taking the piss. They are more often than not talking about another failed attempt to bring in a world class player of Manager.
The media and press really went to town last weekend though, whilst cleaning their tongues from all the brown stuff they had licked from Arsenals bottoms they found more than enough column inches to remind us just what a shambles we had become. The really horrible thing is that most of what was written with and true intelligent content seemed to be 100% accurate.
Should we be known as Tottenham Hotspur or just simply be called Arsenal haters. Danny Kelly once of Over the Moon made a point on Sky last week and I thought he was spot on. Arsenal should have got the trophy on Sunday, it should have been handed to them be Levy in the centre circle. Not to hurt us anymore than we already were but to embarrass the clubs directors, to make them stand there and say this is what a Football club is and what a shit job we are making of trying to run one. Don’t get me wrong, I hate Arsenal as much as the next man and the last thing I want is to see them enjoy glory on our ground. I hate the fact that the vast majority of their supporters don’t deserve a tiny bit of the success that their team gives them.
What I hate more than all this though is the fact that year after year we spend the end of our long hard season trying to just trip them up on their way to glory and never do we have any interest in our own progress. That usually dies around Christmas.
The worst thing though is the fact that when people think of Spurs they think of us trying to stop them winning things, be it by lying down for United to beat us or reserving our very best form of the season for the times that we play them. It is simply horrible what has become of this club.
I know we are accused of banging on about our past all the time but it all remains fact, we were once one of the finest teams to play in this land. Arsenal may be top dogs and like or lump it they play some great football but they are breaking no new ground, they are nothing new from what has been seen in the English game before. When commentators bang on about this being the best team ever they should think back to a quote made by the late Brain Moore. When asked who he thought were the best team he had ever seen he responded by saying that Brazil were special in 70, but he would be surprised if he ever saw a better team than the Spurs double winning side. There you have it. We were Great, most Gooners don’t even care to remember Graham as their boss let alone admit there was ever an era when titles were won by English teams with English players in the same if not better style than there French cheaters are doing now.
Any club with any substance would be proud of the history that Tottenham Hotspur have, it is the reason why clubs still like to beat us to this day.
The sad and most horrifying fact is that Spurs are no longer a club of that stature. We have lost ourselves, there is very little identity, passion or pride within the place. The only thing left from the glory days is the people who pay to come through the turnstiles.
It is very sad that people only really see us as Arsenal Haters these days, who can blame them when you look at our players performances over another failed season.
I look forward to a day when the place finds itself again, when we regain our reputation and regain the pride that Arthur Rowe, Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw made such strides to build. At present I don’t hold my breath that the day will come anytime soon.
I am sick and tired of guessing who Levy has in store for us this summer but who ever it I ask just one thing. Make the derby game what it once was, we are not fans who want our existence based on hating another team, we want and deserve so much more than that.
Dalmat
Not many tears will be shed about the departure of Stephane Dalmat this week, he seems to be a very strange character and in keeping with most of his compatriots he has a large chip on his shoulder.
I wonder though where we might be if he had not graced us with some magical talent back in early January. After a home defeat to Charlton we faced up to 2004 in the bottom three and almost certain of a relegation battle. Our first game of the new year saw Birmingham visit and it was Dalmat who dragged us kicking and screaming out of the bottom three with a truly wonderful performance. Two goals and much more from the Moody Frenchman that night gave us a 4-1 win and just three days later we went to Leeds in a dog fight and again Dalmat was at the centre of a good performance which saw us win 1-0.
When you look at our current abysmal form it is easy to forget that those six points almost certainly saved us from the unthinkable and for that I would like to thank Mr Dalmat.
He won’t be a legend at Spurs and most won’t really be sad to see him go but if he had never come here we may be feeling a whole lost worse about things at present.
Thanks Stephane.
James Flinn
31st March 2004 - The most important summer in our History
When
you examine this season closely it is clearer than ever that the appointment
this summer is the most important thing that Tottenham Hotspur will do in their
recent history.
A
point at Southampton (Robbie should have secured this). Another point at Boro,
two more against Leicester (easy for a good manager), A point at Fulham,
avoiding defeat at Pompey, Blackburn and at home to Bolton and the season would
have been very different.
In
total that’s 8 points that is exactly the amount of points we require to be in
a champions league position. The
Proof is there the margin between success and failure with a Manager like David
Pleat is a very small one indeed.
I am not here to slag off Pleat, people expecting anything better from
him should really examine the fact that not one league club has gone near him
since he left Wednesday.
It
has been said by fans for some time and it’s an absolute fact, how can we as
supporters blame ENIC or even Sugar for the continuous mid table mediocrity
that this club has suffered for the last fifteen or so years.
The
only thing that these respective parties have really lacked is the ability to
pick to right man for the club.
The only thing we can really accuse them off is the lack of ability to
see past the fact that pressure from some of the best fans in the country for
success has clouded the real necessity for top management. Instead these men have taken the easy
option and picked men who are either former favourites or just plain not good
enough.
Ardiles
was never the right man, Francis really not good enough for the same reason we
are put off by Curbishley now. Gross was a disaster and Hoddle was appointment
made for no other reason than a welcome present from a new board of directors
just to show that they knew what we all wanted. The point is that not many fans were against the appointment
of these men at the time but it isn’t our job to pick the best man for the club
for all the right reasons.
I
was delighted when Glenn came back to Spurs and perhaps because we loved him so
much we failed to see that Spurs would probably never be right for a man who
indeed loved the club that much.
Ardiles can be put in the same category. Despite both men having decent records previously it
ultimately amounts to putting a fan in charge and that will always fail.
Having
witnessed the last 10 years and just how much the Manager is the only thing
that really matters it’s obvious that Spurs is not an easy club to manage. Some would say it’s second only to the
national manager as the most pressured job in football. For that very reason this appointment
just has to be special, over the last ten years we may have had managers with
the ability to motivate, good tacticians, strong characters who love the
pressure, Winners. What the club
hasn’t had and needs now is all of these things rolled into one man.
We
are not Charlton or Southampton.
We may be on a level footing to these clubs on the pitch at present.
However History, Fan base and above all expectancy mean that we will always be
bigger, we need a bigger manager, we can’t become what we think we should be
with Curbishley, Antic etc. We need a man who can handle the pressure and enjoy
it much the same as Ferguson had to handle in his early years at Old Trafford.
In
the last few days the club have announced the new prices for the next seasons
tickets. They have once again papered over the horrendous cheek of asking us for
similar money as Chelsea, Arsenal and Man u by adding all sorts of mysterious
benefits to the new “Package”. The
most comical amongst them is the wonderful system of allowing season ticket
holders to sell back an individual ticket to the club in exchange for vouchers
for the club shop. Imagine you have to work late and can’t make the game but
instead you have to option of buying a Spurs Chocolate bar (the Approximate
prices of the Spurs Chocolate bar may not be £25.00 but I would imagine it’s
something near). What a nonsense,
the club will of course sell your ticket and if we are playing at home to one
of the big boys will make even more money than our initial investment.
This
is just the sort of thing that this club gets off on. Cosmetic marketing I think it’s called. Insulting intelligent paying customers
with a list of things about as useful as Acimovic in the six yard box.
As
I said earlier in the article I don’t hate ENIC. I don’t see that they have failed YET. Season tickets will always go up and
they will always try to make out they are doing us a favour. The fact is the only thing that would
have made this season anything like worthwhile would have been to announce the
price of the tickets and just put a picture of the new man next to them on the
web site. How strange that the
tickets are available even earlier than last year. I wonder what wonderful mind came up with the theory that an
appointment that doesn’t satisfy us fans could lead to massive losses in season
ticket sales.
In
my opinion we are the only club in the Premiership this season that has been
totally cheated out of an entire season. Okay so it’s not as if the likely
outcome of this season would have been any different had Hoddle stayed but the
idea of writing of an entire season after just a few weeks of a new campaign
can only be cheating fans. The
only way it will amount to anything else is if we get the man we all want and
deserve.
ENIC
will spend money, that seems fairy obvious, Spurs are in the unfortunate position
of having every transfer target splashed across the papers and Sky TV,
something that the wankers from down the road seem to never have to
suffer. Despite being linked to
every player that becomes available I truly believe that ENIC have the
intention of spending, they have showed us that they mean business and the club
have a excellent set of youngsters at present.
The
problem that ENIC have made for themselves is by waiting a whole season for a
manager they have given the impression that the right man will be appointed,
they have written off a whole season on the whim of believing that the right
man will agree to join.
What
we have now is a horrible wait. We are all waiting for MON, Trap or Mourinho
and there is of course a very strong possibility that none of the above will
agree to come here.
ENIC
have probably got a fall back option, probably Raddy Antic but in picking Antic
they are publicly admitting defeat and a lack of ambition that would probably
close the book once and for all on the debate as to if Spurs will ever compete
again.
That’s
the point of this whole season, if Antic is appointed or anyone of a similar
footing the club will have failed in manor that it never has before. The new man will be up against it from
day one, the board will be hated and the fans will be convinced that there is
nothing more to come from Tottenham Hotspur. What was the point of waiting for a man they could have got
in October, they will be publicly declaring their failure by their own actions.
It’s
simple really if ENIC succeed and get a man with guts, bollocks and above all
managerial ability and ambition they will have saved Spurs. They can put the to
bed the last fifteen years and look forward to a time when this mighty club can
enjoy trips to Barcelona and the like.
If
they fail and we are all disappointed with the appointment they will condemn us
to constant failure, mid table obscurity and the prospect of spending every
season hoping to stop Arsenal breaking another record or winning another trophy.
It
cannot be seen as anything other than a pivotal moment in our history. At the beginning of the article I
mentioned the fact that 8 more points and the champions league would be on. Can
anyone imagine that MON, Trap or Mourinho will fail to get these points and
probably more, by the same token can anyone see Curbs, Antic or Sourness
getting these extra points?
At
Christmas I saw Curbs, Sourness or Antic as our only options, we were in free
fall and I felt we need saving from the unthinkable. That is no longer the case, we won’t go down and we won’t be
in Europe. Therefore the time has
come to change this very very boring pattern that every season at WHL seems to
take.
We
are probably three players away from a very good side but without the man in
charge to deal with these players we may never know.
We
are one top Manager from the Promised Land and one mediocre Manager away from
the total surrender of this clubs future ambition. I can’t wait to see what ENIC
do, is it too late for us to ever be big time. We will just have to wait and
see. I don’t know if I can bear it.
James
Flinn
December 28th 2003 – What will become of this Football Club?
I find it sickening, I actually find it makes me feel sick that I pay good money to watch Spurs now. Here is a small look at my day compared to theirs.
Boxing Day
9.00am I wake up and get ready for a long costly drive to Portsmouth in my old knackerd car. I could probably afford a better car but I spend so much on Spurs I can’t even think of buying a new car. Meanwhile any of the underachieving Spurs tossers probably wake up and climb into their 50k car and drive to the ground where they get on a luxury coach and have a pleasant ride down to Pompey.
Meanwhile I am lost heading for Brighton in a car with three other guys, all die hard Spurs and we are all thinking talking and hoping that today will be better. We are horribly lost and despite this not really being the fault of the players I think it’s fair enough to blame them for anything I can at present.
We eventually get to pompey having spent money on Petrol and food and all feeling out of pocket on the day already, the only thing to make it batter is three points. Meanwhile the players arrive, get their instructions and have a warm up, nothing to strenuous.
We are on an open terrace, it’s pissing down it’s windy and we are all feeling cold, wet and un happy.
It will all be worth it when we win the game.
Then it happens, it always happens. Spurs make fools of us as they always do. They start okay, they have a bit of the ball but generally there is a feeling that we are finding it hard as usual. Half time 0-0 and we are still in it. Robbie Keane has missed a chance that he should have put away. I could feel a real sense of the size of the second half for Spurs. The fans for me were nervous. The Ground is an absolute shit hole and if Pompey stays up which is doubtful they should be made to improve their away end. Again not really our players fault but fuck it lets blame them anyway.
So here we go, second half and our fear is realised. Lets cut the chase, in the second half at Pompey, Tottenham Hotspur Football club were a fucking Disgrace, an absolute shambles. From the chairman who has taken the huge risk of giving the job to an Old Prick whom knows very little about what the premiership is about and is slowly killing us down to the players who are lets face it a joke, a disgrace to their profession.
Pompey score two free kicks both soft, both down to Dean Richards who in my opinion was the biggest joke of all yesterday.
Me and my friends struggle back to London, rain wind, bad driving conditions, more petrol money more expense and in total and utter despair at where we go from here.
The Players (and this is the sick bit) go home to massive houses, massive cars and worst of all Massive wage packets. They are a embarrassment to the club, they don’t deserve to wear the shirt. Pleat has done nothing, fucking nothing to deserve the obscene amount of money that he gets paid by this club.
Who are the cunts, us, we are the fucking cunts, that’s are how they make us feel. We care, we care more than they can ever fucking imagine and where does it get us. We will all go to work on Monday and get shit, we will take all sorts of fucking shit form Chelsea, Arsenal, Charlton and even West Ham fans. Fucking Sick, that’s the only word.
Right here right now lets have a stop to it. Let’s make our fucking voices heard. Of course I want us t beat Charlton but I really want our fans to be angry, Levy needs to know, Pleat needs to know and most of all the players need to know. I think we should get outside the gates, get the press coverage and make them take fucking notice. The club that was once one of the finest in Europe and is a disgrace, a shambles and sick joke. Rotten. Do they have a plan. Do they Bollocks.
I hate it I really hate it but there you go. I can’t face Spurs much longer. It is because I love the club so much that it hurts so much and that’s the reason that I can’t turn my back but something must be done here. Look at what the place was and what it now is. Please Please do something Levy.
December 1st 2003 – Sort it now please, before it’s too late
Spurs losing away is no real surprise really, after all a glance at our away record over say the last six seasons shows that if we didn’t beat poor and average teams at home we would probably be in the Nationwide with the Bingo boys by now.
What yesterday’s performance and result does prove conclusively though is that David Pleat is no more up to the Job than Glenn. Lets face facts if Pleat had what it took to manage a average Premiership side and make them improve then he wouldn’t have spent the last five years writing crap about nothing in particular in our Match programmes.
What I find particularly worrying though is that I feel the team is now in a similar rut under Pleat as it was under Glenn. We are playing very poorly and losing games, not withstanding Everton at home and the Goons away our performances under Pleat have been shite, the points that we have accumulated since he took the helm have been largely down to extreme luck, luck that seems to have run out.
With the run of difficult games after Wolves next week we may just find ourselves in the bottom three before long and the thought of Pleat a man of clearly limited management ability dragging us through a relegation battle is terrifying. Perhaps, just perhaps the club should have stuck by Glenn just that bit longer. Maybe the luck was coming his way to. Of course The Fact is that Glenn had used his luck a long time ago and had to go but why not in the summer. In hindsight I think we should have gone for Curbishly straight away.
I am not saying that Curbs is anything like what we want at Spurs long term but the whole idea of waiting and waiting is becoming more and more worrying by the day. We are playing awful football against poor sides and by and large we have decent players who are grossly under motivated and grossly underachieving. We are in simple terms in the Shit.
Talk of O’Neill has started to fuck me off, does he really want to come to us. He may like a challenge but lets be honest if we didn’t love the club how many of us would want to leave a club like Celtic to manage a club in our current state. Especially when he is obviously admired by bigger fish.
What we must have is a decision, we are a club in turmoil not for the first time in the last few years and we must sort this thing out now. Fuck O’Neill if we want him lets make him an offer and do it now, if not then lets get a man who can pick things up and do it quickly. Pleat isn’t the answer and never was and despite Houghton having obvious coaching abilities, to appoint him would be a risk of monumental proportions, one that could actually see us go down, scary isn’t it.
The club seems to be rotten from top to bottom and we are all sick of the thought of average days at White Hart Lane watching Spurs struggle against rubbish and we are certainly all sick to death of following this once Great club away from home. The only way we can stop the rot is to fuck Pleat off completely (he serves no purpose to this club as DOF) and get a strong man in who can get some very under achieving players to show their worth and scare a few out of the treatment room. Perhaps just perhaps we may see a plan and some positive tactics to beat teams, something Pleat doesn’t seem to have the ability to do at all.
I think Alex made a point on the message board that Ziege and Redknapp pick up 100k a week between them and haven’t played hardly any part in this season. That fact alone is a perfect insight as to where this club is a present, a haven for has-beens and quite frankly a very easy ride.
My choice would be Curbishly IF MON says thanks but no thanks. I realise he is not really the forward thinking tactical genius that we all long for at Spurs but he does get the best out of his players and to be fair to him he likes to play the game the right way.
What is really getting to me is just how close we could go to dropping out of this league if things don’t change soon. If Curbs can take Charlton to fourth on a real shoestring I think he may have something to offer us. Maybe not the Champions league but fuck it has to be said that right here and now we have much more to worry about than an in ability to qualify for European competition.
A foreign genius in the mould of Wenger is all very well to dream about but the majority of foreigners need time in a the Premiership to settle and plan, time that Spurs just don’t have at present.
My point is this, if we wait until the end of the season and don’t get one of our supposed targets we could be fucked big time, we COULD go down, such is the state of our club at present. For fucks sake Blackburn hadn’t kept a clean sheet at home all season and we never looked like scoring. We are playing unorganised crap football against crap teams and we are doing it week in week out.(except of course against Arsenal, what does that say about our players)
If we go for Curbs or even someone like Strachen, they can do a reasonably quick repair job on our season, make us safe in mid table (frightening to think that’s what I am aspiring to at present) and maybe try to take the Carling cup. Sure they probably won’t take this club as far as it’s supporters want it to go but that is for Levy to judge and maybe when we are established as a top 8 side we can start thinking about someone with a little more Managerial ability to take us on. I truly believe that at present we are not a mid table team trying to break into the European places. I think we are a team that is beginning to look over our shoulders and panic. Time to Act is right here and now.
I don’t hate Levy, although I have started to wonder if he knows whom he wants and if there is the remotest chance of getting them. What I think of Levy and the board at large is that they are fairly naïve at this running a modern day Football club thing. Great he gave Glenn money, terrific, but why let Glenn have that cash and the sack him, why not sack him in the summer.
Lets face it with the exception of Kanoute who was relatively cheap Glenn wasted some good money last summer. It begs the question as to where we might be now if we had our new manager with his signings at the start of this season. Big time mistake from the board and despite being very pleased with the summer investments with a little thought we could have avoided this horrible mess we are in a present.
Levy can’t afford another mistake now, and in my humble opinion it would be a VERY big mistake to let Pleat run this club till the end of the season. We MUST make the choice and make it quick. If not we could just find ourselves going over to Upton Park for a top of the table clash come next season.
James Flinn
November 13th 2003 – Column Update - Arsenal 2 Spurs 1
Waking up Saturday morning and thinking about big games is
part of the reason while I love following Spurs, you can’t beat the anticipation
of a big game. Of course there is
no bigger encounter for us spurs fans than Arsenal. Having received my ticket
just days before I got the train to London Bridge full of hope but with little
belief.
After all we were on our way to Highbury, our record over
there in the last ten years is nothing short of awful. One win over there since
1986and even that was against a team of youngsters as the Arse prepared for
their second Final of that season.
With Hope and God Smiling on us today was going to be different,
of course it was, every year we send away for our tickets, get excited when
they arrive and spend the time leading up to the game believing that this year
will be different. Of course it
never is and today of course was no exception although it so easily could have
been.
Going to Scumbury these days is a truly sickening
experience. From the moment you
board a tube and travel to Gillespie Road you get the sickly feeling of being
surrounded by smug, self obsessed, success spoilt people who believe that
Arsenals season will be over if they get knocked out of the Champions
league. These people know nothing
of hurt, pain and loyalty. They
know very little of a time not so far in the past when Spurs used to lord it in
this manor.
However big the gap between the two sides on the field there
is no gap off it. Spurs still have
a support that sends the goons into a wild panic. Every time you go near a Gooner they think you are about to
deck them. I don’t think I have
ever come across home fans being so careful what they say on the tube to a
game. Success has turned their
fans into boring people. There is
no anger there, no passion, just expectancy of victory, which of course is very
often delivered.
At 3.00pm I was wild for it. Why can’t every match be this fervent. When Spurs run out it was as if I got
some of the feeling back, some of the magic of following this great club has
defiantly faded in recent years and only trips to Highbury and massive home games
can recapture it these days.
When the game kicked off I was scared, last season we went
down 3-0 and today would be no different and possibly worse if the players
didn’t up their performance by about 80% from the god awful dross we were made
to witness last Saturday against Bolton.
If I were proud and excited at kick off, after four minutes it
was as if I was in a dream world. When the ball spilt across the goal and
Sharon, yes Sharon was there to tuck it home it was as if every thing stood
still. These times are so few and far between for Spurs fans these days. Madness broke out in the away end and
on every Gooners face was a look of real shock horror. Spurs 1-0 up. Yes, get in, Fuck we only have to hold out for 86 minutes.
Come On.
Of course we all feared the worst, Gooners pointing at their
stolen watches when we scored were just saying, have a head start and we will
still do ya. Arrogant Cunts but I
can kind of see where they were coming from.
When Helder Postiga signed for us I’m sure I’m not the only
one who thought who?. But after some
research and listening to Hoddle and Gorman tell us all about him we all began
to think, Young, winner who will do the business.
The fact that Helder has taken his time to settle is fine, he
can take a year for all I care but it has to be said that being gifted two one
on ones at Highbury is about as rare as an eclipse for Spurs. If Postiga has
the potential to be a star is hard to give a fuck about when he has just wasted
the chance for certain victory at Highbury.
I truly hope this kid does the business for us, the last thing
the club needs is another Rebrov scenario, but after the two misses on Saturday
I could gladly have strangled him, not easy chances perhaps but chances never
the less that most top strikers would have taken. With Kanoute, Keano, and perhaps even Zamora in that
position Spurs would have been 2 or 3 up at half time and perhaps out of sight.
However the fact is they weren’t there and we had to put up
with a one –nil lead at the break, only a goal up at Highbury, doesn’t that
sound strange. Anyway the
positives were obvious. Spurs had
dealt excellently with the threat of the goons and had played with some real
threat in the attacking third. The
Usually shite Anderton was saving his best for the derby and looked exceptional
in the first period. Gardener and
Richards looked like an insurmountable rock at the heart of our back four.
Great, Fantastic, we are playing well and have a real chance
here, but why oh why couldn’t we have stuck them out of sight with one of those
chances. We were bound to live to
regret it.
The second half started and It was with great pleasure that we
saw Spurs continue to play with great confidence and gritty determination. Keane was adjudged to have run offside when
an excellent ball from Postiga sent him clear. Not offside and not even a mention of it on the Premiership
later that evening where they choose instead to lick Arsenals and particularly
Henrys arse.
At one stage in the second half it became obvious that Mr Mark
Halsey was not only crap but also horribly bent. When Pires stared diving I found it funny, until that is
when this Prick of a Ref gave him a free kick every time. Something should be done by the F.A
happy to hand out the fines when it suites them, they should ban Pires for
diving, it’s dirty and down right cheating that must be stamped out of our
game. I say send them all home on
the Dover to Calais ferry and forget to give Freddie a Ticket, he can stay.
As the second half wore on I really started to believe that
today would be ours. How silly I am, starting to taunt the goons next to us was
always a dangerous game but the chant of ‘Champions League your having a laugh’
was great and really fucked them off.
The Inevitable though was about to happen, just after the hour
a long hopeful punt up field sent Henry away and to the away ends horror the
bent set of officials failed to pull him back for what was surely offside.
The French Fucker missed and the re bound fell to the biggest
cheat I have ever come across in football. Yes Pires tucked home and just as I was beginning to taste
the sweetest of days I could feel the gut wrenching feeling of them turning it
round and beating us as they always do.
And sure enough ten later they had won it. An absolute freak of a winner came when Lungberts shot
cannoned up of Carr and beat the unfortunate Keller.
Cue the retaliation of the Gooner twats and the obvious
taunting that we have had to endure year after year after year at the Library.
Nothing else happened and the Goons saw out the last ten and
beat us once again. Truly truly
gutting. Has it ever felt worse
than this, to turn up and get battered is easier to accept than this. But we can at least hold our heads high.
Of course the Spurs players deserve a bundle of credit but the
fact is that Arsenal were Shite today and there for the taking. Very sad that we just couldn’t push it
that bit further.
Lucky Lucky Scum, the only acceptable headline from the red
tops the next day but no, just gritty Arsenal dig in and beat unlucky Spurs.
Oh well me must take positives from this and take them into
the Villa game or we could soon be in the bottom three and the that is a fact
I’m sure won’t be lost on Pleat after this game.
As I said to my mate on the way home, we did play well and did
deserve more but we are Spurs and we fail that’s the reality of Tottenham
Hotspur these days. Horrible fact
but one that has to change when the next guy comes in.
O’Neill would relish the challenge of taking Spurs to Highbury
and with the current squad and a couple of additions he could just pull it off
next year.
Hope it seems will always spring eternal when it comes to
Spurs.
James Flinn
October 31st 2003 – Column Update
Middlesborough 0-0 (H)
Possibly the most boring game ever was made no better by the Sunday afternoon kick off, why do Sky Sports insist on putting Spurs on sky against the most boring of opposition. In saying that we are turning into a bit of a boring outfit ourselves. I have to say that I thought this game would be very difficult. Having watched Boro a couple of times it is clear that they are better than their position.
A point at home is never quite good enough but considering our obvious handicap in midfield with the two stooges still being selected I was not too unhappy with the point. Positives are that Spurs are not easy to beat the moment and Konchesky and Dalmat are really starting to look like very good additions to the club.
I have to take this opportunity to officially ask Darren Anderton to do the decent thing and retire from professional football immediately. Firstly I would like to make it clear that I don’t hate Anderton, nothing of the sort, In his day the guy had an exceptional talent and could have gone right to the top if the Injuries had not crippled his chances.
However I am now of the opinion that this guy is totally good for nothing. He ambles about the field like he is having a kick about with his mates down the local park, he is weak in the tackle, very slow across the ground and unable to perform at the top level anymore. He is now extremely lucky to be earning silly money on an obscene play and pay basis.
I hate to see any Spur get booed and genuinely hope that Anderton doesn’t turn into a hate figure for the clubs supporters but unless he is moved on very quickly he will continue to be slaughtered until eventually it will become unbearable.
Time to go out to pasture Darren, I’ve heard that there is a decent Farm at Portsmouth.
West Ham United(Carling Cup) 1-0 (H) aet
Firstly I would like to congratulate the West Ham Supporters for the bravest act in the history of football hooliganism. What bottle it must have took to smash up a Spurs Pub when there was no one in there but the landlord and his dog.
I have many friends who are West Ham fans and I have to say they are great lads who will talk football with anyone but for some unknown reason the Scum element of their support seemed intent on making up for the fact that their club are now on a similar platter to Gillingham and Walsall. Very sad and we can only hope the sub human scum get banned from the Canning town Bingo and Social club (webmaster) for life.
As for the game well it was another forgettable affair. WHAM will fell hard done by, and it has to be said that they did have their chances. Fortunate for us they fucked them all up. If you listen to them they have the best striker in the world in Defoe, Well he can’t finish for toffee boys.
I was very concerned though that even without the Old Gits in midfield we still struggled to win that all important battle. Pleat though deserves credit for changing things and in Blondel I am sure we have an absolute gem. I think he changed the game, he tackled, Passed, crossed and surged, all the things that Anderton can’t do and all this from a guy the same size as Arsene Wengers boyfriend.
Towards the end of the 90 the difference in quality began to shine through and with two minutes gone in ET super Bobby popped up with the winner. The Spurs faithful were so pleased for the boy, a genuine lad if ever there was one and one can only hope the goal opens the floodgates for him.
Not the best performance but we are through and ultimately that all that matters. City at home next and no doubt an even sterner test. However Spurs always knock city out of cups and long may that continue.
Financial Problems
According to reports in the papers and the press Spurs are in a spot of financial bother and how the red tops love to report any kind of problem at the lane. It is clear to me though that compared to Leeds and other so-called big Premier League clubs we are extremely affluent. I can’t see Levy and co splashing out come Jan but there has to be a new midfielder at the club soon and if that means selling to buy it’s certainly time to get on the phone to harry and sell him some junk.
Gooners away
I was delighted to find out this week that I got a Gooner ticket but a little worried by the current postal strike, as the ticket hasn’t arrived yet.
What chance a win or even a point over there this year, well they won’t have Viera which is obviously a plus but I find it hard to imagine us getting anything. What is obvious is that Pleat must get his selection right for this one. Anderton must not play and Blondel must. That is my opinion but please David don’t play HIM over there.
Anyway who knows, we owe them more than one and Pleaty can almost certainly win himself a contract with a win over there.
COYS- Do it for us.
Anyway that’s the lot from me, good luck to Spurs this Sat against a poor Bolton side and then bring on the Scum.
James Flinn
October 16th 2003 – A Little Theory of mine
I have a little tiny theory that I feel it would be nice to put by you fine people on the site. Whilst thinking of a line up of possibilities for a new manager of Spurs I came across the novel idea of a man who has managed Spurs before and done a decent job, he also has a pleasant disposition.
Of course as I’m sure you will have guessed I am talking about George Graham (Ha Ha only joking), no I am talking about Mr Terry Venables but before you shoot me down in flames listen to my idea. You might even agree.
These days within clubs it has become just as important to have a decent back room staff as the manager himself and I would like to see the club approach Brian Robson and offer him the position of assistant manager at Spurs to work under El Tel.
I’m sure that many including Mr Levy would find this suggestion very strange indeed but if you look into the histories and the abilities of these two guys to work together I really think that we could find some decent stability and some quality management from them.
I have heard various people talk about how Tel’s career as a top class manager is over but I believe this to be rubbish. At Leeds United Venables took on a massive task and failed because there was really no other outcome possible. Leeds were slowly dying around him and Peter Reid has been just as ineffective in stopping that from happening.
Since Terry left the England managers position he has floated about at clubs without really ever getting his hands dirty on the training pitch. He has been to Pompy and Palace where I am sure they both cursed the day they let him have the keys to the petty cash and then to Oz where he never really seemed that interested, just the tan I think and then home.
What is without question though is this mans ability to manage and organise, he is a quality tactician and a great man manager, qualities that are VERY badly needed by our club.
He also promotes the idea of decent football without abandoning the defensive side of things. He has a reputation in the game for things other than just cooking the books, which would allow him to attract some better players to the club, and of course he has been there before, he knows what’s expected and he knows what we want.
As for Brian Robson well he has had a perfect working relationship with Venables in the past and I see no reason why he can’t again. Whilst I would not fancy him as our manager it is obvious from many players views of the guy that he is a top notch coach, and a very respected person by players.
I hear you all when you say that this is a stupid suggestion and another side ways step instead of a forward one but I really think this would work for Spurs. Both have the quality and they would work together in perfect harmony, allowing the players to respond on the pitch.
Of course this is almost certainly not going to happen and unless Mr Levy logs on to Topspurs and likes what he reads it will be confined to this site forever. Many people though have asked me whom I would like and after thinking about it for a few weeks I would like this, I really would.
James Flinn
October 16th 2003 – First submission from James Flinn
Hello Everyone, My name is James Flinn, I am new to this so if it’s crap just bear with me. I have been using this site for a couple of years and have always thought of it as the best Spurs web site there is, for info, history and exclusives it can’t be beaten. Last week I asked Jim if I could write my own column. I have a season ticket in the South Lower (Block 32) and try to make as many away games as possible and feel that I would like to express my views and views of those who I go to matches with the genuine Spurs supporters who use this site.
I hope to write a regular match report and comment on all things Spurs be it Pubs or Players.
Here is goes.
The New Manager
It seems strange that people in the press seem to have forgotten that Spurs are looking for a new manager considering the amount of column inches that were devoted to removing the last one. It would seem that Levy and co are prepared to wait and bide their time in an attempt to get the right man in. Judging by the choices we have made as a club in last ten years I feel it’s a good thing that the board is prepared to wait to get their man who it would almost certainly seem is Mr O’Neill. Many things will need to be just right if MON takes over at Spurs. Everyone knows the guy loves a challenge but it would seem that the challenge of Anfield may just appeal to him at bit more, Spurs of course must hope that not only Liverpool keep Houllier but Celtics Champions League adventures come to an early end.
If things work out in Spurs favour it would seem that with the right offer we could se MON as out new manager in the new year or at least by the start of next season. I for one have my reservations about O’Neill and would much prefer the club to make every attempt to lure Guus Hiddink to the club. However MON has an abundance of qualities and one can’t help but feel that certain players at this club would get the fright of their life if he turned up and demanded more than just the normal 60%.
Lastly I would like to say that my Spurs friends and me were very disappointed but not surprised by the exit of Glenn Hoddle. I for one wish the guy all the very best for the future. When appointed I was truly convinced that at last Spurs had found their ideal man, an ex favourite who can coach and manage. Of course it wasn’t to be and in the end Glenn’s position became impossible and Levy and co had no choice but to relieve him of his duties.
Many people on the message board have spoken of the their favourite Hoddle moment as a player but I feel that I should mention my favourite moment as a manager.
A Goal Down the Nasty N5 brigade at home in his first ever Home Derby we equalised in the last seconds of the game thanks to A Poyet volley, Glenn went bonkers. He turned to the West Stand and you felt just how much it all meant to him. For that reason I ask you all to listen to the Song “White Flag by Dido” and from the lyrics you will hear a peculiar similarity with Glenn’s ending at Spurs, just listen to it and your see what I’m on about. Sad stuff really, but it is only a game APPRANTLY.
All the Best Glenn.
Leicester (Away)
For some unknown reason I am not going to Leicester on Sunday, something to do with a family member forgetting to send off a voucher on time and me realising that I can get very comfortable and watch it on the sofa. Not the greatest attitude in the world but it is only the second game I’ve missed so far this term.
On paper Spurs should win but as we all know that means very little. The last three matches have seen Spurs shut up shop at the back and with Pleaty working on a back four unit we looked very solid against Everton, on the other hand how we got a result at City is a total mystery, still maybe we are due the luck.
Leicester only really have one thing going for them being that they will battle and scrap until their blue in the face but despite this they should still be in the bottom three come the end of the season, unfortunately that is just where the bad news starts for Spurs. In the last two seasons we have lost five out of six to the relegated teams away from home, West Brom last year our solitary victory.
This MUST change this term; the desire and energy shown against Everton will do us nicely on Sunday and would surely see us take the points. What worries me is that Sharon now thinks he is worth an England call again and Gus (Bless him) will find it hard against a battling Leicester midfield.
If these two play and play well then we should win, Ricketts is top man for all seasons. He will turn up where ever and Konchesky looks like the sort of character we could do with sticking around. I would go with Konch ahead of Dalmat, despite the Frenchman’s obvious flair, I would rather the efforts of Tenacious P (Private Joke for Konchesky) than wonder what Dalmat will do if we lose the ball.
We are sound up front and the two K’s will frighten the best of them.
Sunday is all about attitude and please god we show it, if we do we will win 2-0 a goal a piece from the Irish Frenchman.
The Goon Tickets
Having spoken to someone at the club recently I feel I should tell people that all away applications for games of the size of the Goons are better off sent alone as group applications are treated with an average score and what loyalty points you have will count for nothing.
100 points seems quite a low amount for the club to invite for applications this term and judging by last term I think you will need at least 150. I have 163 and hopefully will be okay but I can’t help but think that the club should revert to a system where the sell the tickets to season ticket holders on the day of a home game at say 9.00 a.m. We would then see if people really want to go. I remember arriving at the club at 5.00 am for various semi finals and cup games. Can’t beat the early morning buzz in my opinion but that I realise that mine may be the minority view.
Anyway it’s worth going over there on match day anyway as tickets seem to go right down on price closer to kick off time and I have heard off Spurs boys getting £30 tickets 10 minutes before kick off.
Good luck to every one who has sent off and we can only hope that Pleaty brings the first victory over there since 93, and even then we only played the reserves.
Classic Encounters
Older visitors to this site will remember the great day in 1961 when Spurs became the first team of the century to complete the League and Cup double by beating Leicester City 2-1 at the Empire stadium. For my classic encounter though I will take you all back to 1999 when Spurs went to Wembley (Past and Future Goons an all) looking for their first trophy for eight years. Leicester of course were then managed by our soon to be (PLEASE) manager.
I have some wonderful memories of that day back in on 21st March that day, I remember getting lovely and drunk before the game and I remember a feeling of anticipation that is far to infrequent these days. On Arriving at Wembley and finding our seats it was an emotional moment to see my Spurs run out at Wembley. The game itself was truly forgettable and when our very own Roberto Edinburgh was sent off for a flick at the longhaired tosser Savage, one could only imagine a sorry end for Spurs.
Of course that day it was to be and despite vowing never to watch the game again due to certain Disloyal Sub Human Scum collecting the trophy. The site of the much under rated Allen Nielsen leaping to score the winner at the death at my end will never be forgotten.
A great day and many more of them please. Of course I got drunk that night and I spent two days sick from work watching the video. How I wish for more of those sick days.
And Finally
Bits and pieces of other Spurs news are that the Club and Pleaty in particular should be congratulated for the appointment of Clive Allen to work with the younger players.
A spurs man and one of Footballs good guys is just right, all we need now is to get Mabbsy in as a coach and we will be sound. Nice to see that the Gooner plague that ran through the club a couple of years ago are all gone. I can think of nothing more horrid than, Housten, Foley and of course the Dinosaur all collecting a wage from my Spurs.
News that Postiga has settled in nicely by getting himself one of those Injury things that seem so much the trend at the club is very worrying, only hope that our Portuguese wonder kid can shake it off and fulfil some of that potential that we are all talking about.
Hopefully stories that Freddie is to fuck off for a couple of months in the new year are unfounded as surly a continuation of the mans hot form will get him a call from the French side. Now he is at a proper club he can put himself in the International shop window and banish such rubbish as playing for some Mickey mouse outfit like Mali when he should be scoring for Spurs.
Anyway that’s about it from me, sorry if I banged on a bit and sorry if the views don’t meat with your own.
Just to say that my mates and me are always in the 703 club on match days and the place is well worth a visit. Cheap beer and even cheaper women (Joke). Give it a try and bring your singing voice, as it can be a bit noisy after, especially if we win.
Any way I will be back on Monday with a match report if the webmaster will have me that is.
All the best
James Flinn (COYS)
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Disclaimer: Please note the words on this page are the opinion of Spurs supporters 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