TOPSPURS COLUMNISTS WLHatWHL COLUMN last updated 02 Jul. 04 Email your thoughts to Logan at: wlhatwhl@hotmail.com

THE TOPSPURS COLUMNISTS

Rosie

Colin Ashby

Shelfer

Kosher Nostra

NW10

Crackers

Lynford

WLHatWHL

James Flinn

Guest

2^nd July 2004 - Everyone Hates Spurs - We Don’t Care! But We Do!

As a Spurs fan I should be used to the media’s liking for attacking, criticising, ridiculing all things Spurs. This is a topic I have addressed on previous occasions but it won’t go away, even in the close season when Spurs have been going about their business in what appears to be a reasonable efficient and professional manner.

I must learn to adopt an attitude of ‘Everyone hates Spurs – I DON’T Care’ rather like the Wimbledon attitude that they harboured through their successful years and like the Manchester United mentality that Sir Alex Ferguson has used to such good effect when his team have come under pressure and criticism in the media.

However, I do care, as does every other Spurs fan and it hurts us to see THFC being criticised in the press and held up to ridicule at every opportunity. The media delights in the ‘Spurs in Crisis’, ‘Trouble at the Lane’ headlines. Even when something is obviously wrong and steps are being taken to address the problem, they still turn it into a criticism of the club’s actions. At the end of the season it was obvious to every observer that David Pleat had struggled to make a telling impact as Caretaker Manager, his selection policy, tactics and performances had been criticised in the press and quite rightly so. The club had avoided relegation but had had another very poor season. Pleat had had all but nine games to show what he could do and he was found lacking. The game has moved on since his best days as a manager and he had found it very difficult to get through the season. He had promised much and talked himself up while Director of Football but had failed to deliver when given the opportunity. The Board therefore decided that in the best interests and for the future development of the club that he should leave. A decision supported by the vast array of Spurs fans. However, when the press get the story, the headline writers had created a headline for the story of his pending departure:

‘Pleat Rewarded with the Sack’

The report made out that Pleat was hard done by when removed from his position rather than looking at his performance as manager and Director of Football. The sympathy was for Pleat who had fulfilled his brief of avoiding relegation, ignoring the poor results and performances, the internal strife that was evident at the club and the disinterest and lack of passion and commitment from the players.

Having filled the manager’s seat after almost nine months, the initial re-action was quite positive from the press but then questions started to be raised.

‘So, Jacques, just what is it about Spurs?’

This article questioned why Santini had given up the French National team, ‘possibly the best team on the planet for Spurs, I mean Spurs!’ The French team were compared to the Derby field while Spurs were a donkey farm. Every opportunity was taken to ridicule Spurs. Rather than see it as a positive step by Spurs to right the wrongs of previous regimes, the whole tone of the article was to poke fun at Tottenham and question Santini’s reason for agreeing to manage Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

Such criticism continued following the elimination of France from Euro2004. This time it was suggesting that Spurs had panicked into the appointment of Santini, when if they had waited they could have had a range of managers who were now available.

‘Spurs might regret their hasty choice of Santini with the pick on offer now’

The article is critical of Santini for the failure of the French team and suggests that other managers are now available if only Spurs had been patient. A few weeks ago the club were being criticised for taking so long over the appointment - the longest Caretaker Manager ever! You can’t have it both ways, sorry, journalists can when it comes to Spurs.

Looking closely at the managers now on offer shows that there is a common denominator, they have all failed to inspire their teams in Portugal and have departed their posts because of that. So what makes them better than Santini?

The unsuccessful Italian manager, Giovanni Trapattoni, had already declined our offer for family reasons, so we are told. If he didn’t want to come in the first place we don’t want him as a second thought and I was concerned about his age. A man of vast experience, was he going to be a good long term appointment? Bobby Robson is highly respected by the media and the football world but he is finding it difficult to maintain harmony at Newcastle even with all his knowledge and experience of English football. There is so much pressure and expectation in football that I wondered if someone of his age would be able to come into such a difficult managerial role.

The unsuccessful German manager, Rudi Voller, was another possible option. The German team of late have not been inspirational and nothing in their performances suggested that he would be a better appointment for Spurs. Similarly, the Spanish manager, Inaki Saez, saw his talented team make an early return home. He was unable to inspire in the matches that counted, they again flattered to deceive. The manager of Croatia is also available but at 71 would be better looking to retirement than taking on the task of trying to restore the fortunes of THFC. Then , of course, Dick Advocaat is also expected to become available. The Dutch team again self-destructed at a major championship and their manager has been severely criticised by players, media and fans.

There was the suggestion that we couldn’t afford Sven, but would we want him? I certainly don’t!

The successful Czech Republic manager will be hot property as was Mourinho from Porto before him but there was little chance of Spurs obtaining his services, others will be making more attractive offers to him. The Portugese manager and the manager of Greece will also be in high demand but unlikely to be appearing at WHL.

Of course, if we had waited Gordon Strachan is still available.

A final swipe at Monsieur Santini referred to him as an under-achieving manager , well suited to Spurs.

In spite of all these comments from the illustrious experts of the press, I feel that Spurs have put an exciting management structure in place. It took the best part of nine months to fill the vacancy and through that period we had to endure much ridicule for taking so long. The prospects are brighter at White Hart Lane than they have been for some considerable time. I trust the members of the press will give the management team time to settle and get established and not hound them as they did from day one with Christian Gross. He has gone on to show his capabilities as a manager and prove the media wrong.

We will not return to the days when Spurs were favoured by the press. The ’Double’ team had many writers on their side including Ken Jones, the cousin of Cliff Jones. They received much favourable press but Spurs now seem to be lacking in any obvious support from the members of the press. Although West Ham certainly have a number of favoured writers it hasn’t done them much good, so we will carry on and become hardened to the attacks and steel ourselves with an attitude of ‘we don’t care, what they write about us and wait patiently for the day when Spurs return to former glories and the media are having to eat humble pie. Roll on the day, I can’t wait!

Logan

COYS.

June 30^th 2004 – Mid-term Report

The mid-point of the close season, six and a half weeks have passed since the final game of the season and there’s forty six days until Jacques Santini’s new Spurs team take on Liverpool at White Hart Lane, Sky Television permitting.

T.H.F.C. mid-Term Report ‘Audere est Facere’ 30^th June, 2004
Chairman	He has managed to provide what he set out to do. A top quality manager with support from an experienced team. It has taken some time, almost nine months, and he has received much criticism from fans and media but he has held his nerve and has signed a team to replace those who had lost respect within the club. Initially, in the early part of the season it appeared that he had lost out while other clubs were recruiting new managers but Daniel Levy seems to have sought out advice from a number of sources and listened to it before appointing his new management team. He has done well with these appointments and now must support them with the finances to provide the players they require to build a new Tottenham Hotspur team fit to challenge for honours in the coming seasons.
Manager	OUT: Goodbye Mr Pleat. It’s your turn to go. You are best remembered for jigging across the Maine Road pitch and the pinnacle of your managerial career was at WHL in 1987 with the ‘nearly’ team. As Director of Football you yearned for another opportunity in the manager’s seat and liked to talk up your prospects but unfortunately when that chance came you were shown to be yesterday’s man and the game and players have long passed you by. You brought in some good young players but your overall contribution did not prosper THFC. IN: Welcome to Frank Arnesen, Jacques Santini and Martin Jol. An exciting prospect. Not being knowledgeable on European football, I don’t know much about them but looking at their individual roles at different clubs they have had success and it is to be hoped that they can bring this experience and success together for the benefit of Tottenham Hotspur. All appear to be highly respected within football throughout Europe by players and managers and they could restore to this club the high regard that has been lacking for quite some time. This new structure is an exciting opportunity to re-organise the club and rid it of the lethargy that has been commonplace for too long and introduce new commitment and pride within the team and club. With their knowledge of football and world-wide contacts, there are opportunities for Spurs to be at the front when signing new players to strengthen the team. There is much work for them to do in the second half of the close season – bringing in new players, deciding who will be part of their WHL ‘revolution’ and establishing a structure and pattern to the team play that the players can handle. The promise is there, now they have to deliver and we must be patient.
Players	OUT: Goodbye and thanks to Daren Anderton, Gus Poyet and Christian Ziege. In their own way each contributed to some of the better days at WHL but also were part of the blacker days as well. Their best days are behind them and injuries and lack of pace were causing them to fall short of the standards achieved earlier in their careers. It was time for them to go and it also reduces the wage bill freeing up finance for new signings. IN: Two goalkeepers, with Paul Robinson having an opportunity to establish himself in the team and with some good performances challenging David James for the England position. EURO2004: Spurs players did themselves proud. Ledley King showed his true ability against France and was unfortunate to lose his place. That will do his confidence the world of good and he should have impressed Mon.Santini. The performances of James and Vassell also benefited Paul Robinson and Jermain Defoe, they can look forward to opportunities for England if they show their true form for Spurs. Our other player has played with confidence when given the opportunity by Portugal. It’s a shame that Helder Postiga couldn’t manage such a precise header at Maine Road in the Cup or display such confidence at Highbury. More signings are required and will be signed. Rumours abound about comings and goings but patience will again be required as we wait with interest the next few weeks.
Fans	The fans have all backed these new appointments and are looking forward to the new season with optimism – as always. It’s a new beginning after many years of trying to bring success on the ‘former player returning to his spiritual home’ theory. We wanted success for Glenn and for Ossie before him. We admired them as players but as managers with all their old mates around them it just didn’t work. It was time to get away from that mentality and try something new. However, the fans must be patient in the coming months, support the team and the manager even if things don’t work out immediately. The fixture computer hasn’t been kind to the club with four games against last season’s top five in the first seven games but the current optimism must be maintained and not cast aside at the first adverse result or difficulty. Be positive.
Media	After being taken by surprise by the management appointments, the media showed early support for the men put in place by Daniel Levy. However, that didn’t last for long and when they need a story it’s always good to have a dig at Spurs. During EURO2004, the media were setting Ledley King up as the scapegoat if there was a poor display against France - lacking experience, sixth choice central defender, playing out of position for Spurs. However, his outstanding display had them eating their own words and they had to admit that he deserved to keep his place when replaced by John Terry. Ledley came out of the competition with his reputation enhanced. The defeat of France has brought criticism on Santini and on Spurs decision to appoint him – ‘they panicked into the decision’, ‘he’ll be well suited at underachieving Spurs’ – won’t it be great to see them eating humble pie.
ITKs	The very well informed members of this select Topspurs group were spot on with the appointments. Keep up the good work – we all appreciate the information that you supply and look forward to interesting information about possible new signings in the coming weeks.
	Signed: wlhatwhl (IMVHO)

May 17^th 2004 - Logan’s review of season 2003-04

(from St.Andrews to Molineux - the circuitous and frustrating route)

Spurs have had the ‘Double’ season, the ‘push and run’ era and those interminable transitional seasons, but the past season has without a doubt been a ‘lost’ season. For the past decade and more it has been normal practice for the Spurs season to be over by the end of January, it was over by December the year they played the F.A.Cup 3rd Round games before Christmas, but this year the season was over before it started. Effectively, Spurs season finished on the day that Glenn Hoddle was sacked.

The Club has endured over eight months without a manager and the players’ attitude and apathy showed clearly what they thought of the situation and the Caretaker manager. There was a complete lack of leadership at the club or on the pitch.

The season started with a team still lacking a midfield and it soon became apparent that teams would outplay and out-battle whatever combination of players Spurs put in midfield. Rohan Ricketts was the star of the early part of the season when he brought a new edge to midfield. However, with Hoddle’s departure his star went into decline and he only played bit parts through the remainder of the season.

The close season transfer window had concentrated on waiting for Scott Parker from Charlton to strengthen the midfield, but when he eventually signed a new contract at the Valley, Spurs had no alternative plan, meaning that they started the season with the same personnel available for midfield but Poyet and Anderton were a year older and Redknapp was to be injured yet again for the greater part of the season. The summer signings included Helder Postiga, from Porto, Bobby Zamora from Brighton and Fredi Kanoute from West Ham. Dalmat and Konchesky were brought in on loan but neither completed the season at WHL. In Konchesky’s case, it would seem that Spurs dithered too long over signing him and he was recalled by Charlton.

The early season optimism was fuelled by a close defeat at Birmingham to a debatable penalty, a win against Leeds at WHL when Postiga showed his skill and promise while Kanoute scored his first goal and a well-deserved point at Anfield. However, reality set in quickly with three defeats to Fulham, Chelsea and Southampton. It was clear that Hoddle had not turned the club around from the disastrous series of results at the end of the previous season and the club was set to continue in the same vein. He did not appear to have the support of the players who were not responding to him and the club was continuing in the freefall that had started the previous February.

It could be argued that the decision to sack Hoddle should have been made in the summer but even through the hard times the supporters did not demonstrate against the manager or call for his sacking, although many knew it was time for him to go. No-one took pleasure in the demise of Glenn Hoddle as manager. He will always remain a true legend at WHL as a player but sadly not as a manager, although everyone was hoping that he would succeed.

David Pleat was appointed temporary Caretaker manager while the Board sought a replacement. The change of manager brought an immediate improvement in League and Cup results. This created time for the Board to look for a new manager but it must be acknowledged that the fixture list included some of the less difficult games. However, it was not long before Pleat’s short-comings became evident. As Director of Football he had talked a good talk but in practice his selection policy and tactics were as bewildering as Hoddle’s had been before him. He talked about giving younger players an opportunity but played them once and then dropped them or played them out of position or gave them five minutes at the end of the game. He selected a midfield containing Poyet and Anderton, something that had brought Hoddle criticism, and it was continually overrun by every team they met.

The search for a manager continued but then it was announced that the Caretaker would remain in position until the summer when the number one target would become available. The immediate result of this was a sequence of results that had the club in the bottom three at Christmas. The club was suffering on the pitch and in the media as Fredi Kanoute’s decision to play for Mali in the African Nations Cup brought a very public spat between player and manager, from which THFC did not emerge with much credit.

Results in January improved with Kanoute scoring a hat-trick against Crystal Palace to ensure Cup progress, Dalmat scored twice against Birmingham to earn three important League points. Keane scored at Leeds while Postiga and Brown scored their first goals against Liverpool to continue the improvement. Brown had signed from Sheffield United at the beginning of the transfer period and he certainly brought greater commitment to midfield.

More signings were expected especially for midfield but as the transfer window drew to a close, news broke of the pending transfer of Paul Robinson from Leeds. Although all parties had been reached agreement, the deal couldn’t be completed as Spurs were planning to loan Robinson back to Leeds for the remainder of the season. Then in the final moments of transfer activity, the highlight of the season was announced, the signing of Jermain Defoe from West Ham with Zamora making the opposite journey.

Defoe started his Spurs career with a flourish, scoring in his first three games and showing his goal scoring potential, if he had a midfield to provide suitable service. This helped to ease the pain of one of the major disappointments of a season with many disappointing features. Having earned an away draw against Manchester City in the fourth Round of the F.A.Cup, Spurs were three ahead by half-time at WHL. City had a player sent off at the interval and Spurs were contemplating a trip to Old Trafford. However, in the second half Spurs were outplayed by ten man City and lost 4-3. The next game saw them beat Portsmouth by 4-3 with Defoe scoring a last minute winner. The high scoring continued as Spurs won at Charlton, the best away performance of the season, but then allowed relegation threatened Leicester to have a point in a 4-4 draw after being 3-1 ahead and Leicester had a player dismissed.

Following a one goal win against Newcastle at home, Spurs had progressed to tenth in the League with 37 points. Continued progress could have brought European football but the next sequence of fixtures included Manchester United, Southampton and Chelsea so points were going to be difficult to find. So it was to prove because only one additional point had been acquired by the end of the Easter fixtures and the team was being drawn closer to the relegation positions. In the end, a point at home to Arsenal and a defeat for Leeds the following week ensured that Spurs retained their Premiership status.

It was a season of many low points and few high spots.

· The failure to strengthen the midfield in the summer meant that the team started the season without rectifying the problem of the previous year.

· The sacking of Hoddle in September destabilised the club and team.

· David Pleat failed to lift the team and in the end was only finishing out the season. Thankfully, he didn’t lead us to the 1st Division that at one point looked a distinct possibility. His man-management was as poor as Hoddle’s, with players not being selected or played out of position and reports circulating of his disagreements with certain players.

· The players lacked the leadership that a manager provides and also lacked leadership on the pitch. Their commitment and effort were frequently lacking, especially away from home where they lost on thirteen occasions. The performances at Blackburn, Newcastle, Everton and Bolton were very poor. Three of the four away victories were against the relegated teams and the two draws were at Manchester City and Anfield.

· The Cup defeats were self-inflicted when having progressed to within reach of the Carling Cup semi-final, Spurs conceded a poor goal and then lost on penalties to Middlesbrough after extra time. However, it is unlikely that Arsenal would have fielded the same under-strength team against Spurs that they played in the two semi-final games against Boro. The F.A.Cup demise doesn’t need to be detailed again, being too painful even to think about.

· Fifty seven goals were conceded with a deficit goal record of minus 10 and the team managed only eight clean sheets. Only four teams conceded more goals. Keller has been unopposed for two seasons and has done nothing to inspire the defence. It is good that Robinson has been signed, although Leeds conceded 79 goals during the season with Robinson playing in most of those games.

· Spurs lost nineteen games, only Leeds lost more.

· Spurs only acquired 4 points from London derbies, something that must be rectified.

· Spurs inability to defend corners and set-pieces or score from their own.

The highlights of the season were:

· The signing of Jermain Defoe, a great acquisition for the future and his goals certainly helped us this season.

· The display at Highbury and the second half performance at WHL, coming back from two down to get a point. Why can the team not show such form in the other 36 games?

· Individual performances – Keane, Defoe and Kanoute and the goals they scored. Brown and King strengthened the midfield although King’s best position is obviously in defence. Dalmat brought excitement to a couple of games in January but left under a cloud before the season’s end.

· The younger players had a greater opportunity to appear in the Premiership but insufficiently for any of them to show if they really have the potential to be a regular in a successful team. Ricketts, Jackson, Kelly, Mabizela, Marney and Yeates have been given their chance but we will have to wait for another season to see if the potential will be fulfilled. However, one player whom everyone was looking to for an exciting future, departed mid-season – Blondel.

· Victory in the final two games of the season against Blackburn and Wolves lifted the club to 14th in the Premiership and gave a better feel to the end of season, building optimism for next year, if the right manager can be identified and appointed.

Spurs have survived a very difficult and disappointing season, they have retained their place in the Premiership and have a number of exciting players who could form the nucleus of a good team. They can be grateful that they managed to accumulate 16 points from the three relegated teams and that Robbie Keane continued his amazing record for scoring against his former clubs, scoring 4 against Wolves, 1 at Leeds and one in the Cup at Coventry.

Now as we look forward, trying to forget the past season, we say farewell and thanks to Darren Anderton, Gus Poyet and Christian Ziege and hope that David Pleat will soon be joining them in the departure lounge. Recently, the media has tried to whip up some support and sympathy for Pleat with comments that he is being badly treated after he kept us in the Premiership. They say that he achieved the target set for him and that he doesn’t deserve to be moved out. While avoiding relegation was his obvious goal, he should have set himself higher standards to achieve but he has been present throughout the past seasons’ mediocrity and must take his share of the responsibility. A new manager must be given his chance to stamp his authority on the club and not be looking over his shoulder wondering about the Director of Football.

The coming months are very important for this club. The correct appointment for manager must be made as quickly as possible so that he has the close season to sign new players and to coach the squad during pre-season training to develop a team pattern and tactics in readiness for the new season. The club has a number of talented players and younger players who with the correct coaching and motivation could become a very good team. New quality players will have to be added to strengthen the midfield and defence but the transfer funds are available so we will wait and see how Mr Levy does in the coming weeks.

We wait and we hope that this time we will get it right and that Spurs will become a club to be feared and not a team that everyone fancies their chances against. It’s time for the club to move back to where it belongs.

Tottenham Hotspur is a ‘BIG’ club and must regain its position at the top table. It will not happen overnight but improvement and progress are essential. It must start now.

Logan.

[As a footnote: I want to point out that A*****l did NOT go through the season undefeated, as the media is reporting. They lost in both Cup competitions and frequently in European competition!]

Saturday, 8th May – An end of season Tribute to those who deserve it.

The 7.30am easyJet flight from Belfast International to London Luton was almost full. Approaching fifty Spurs supporters were making the trek to White Hart Lane for the game against Blackburn Rovers. Others would have travelled on the earlier flight to Stansted, while more would be arriving on a later flight into Luton. There were Supporters Clubs, groups of friends travelling and individuals, like myself coming over for the day. It had been an early start, for me at 5.20am but for others I am sure it was even earlier. When I first started to come to Spurs games in 1991 there were very few other supporters making that journey from Belfast but now for many fans it is a regular trip, rather than my three or for games a season.

Similar, arrangements would have been in place for fans travelling from all parts of the country. For some it would be an early start to get a train or coach to Tottenham or a long drive to get to the game. Other supporters coming from Europe would have arranged a holiday or weekend to include the game.

Then, of course there are the season ticket holders who commit themselves to the club well in advance of knowing what the new season will bring. They pay out for some of the most expensive tickets without knowing the quality of the product that will be offered. That requires some faith and loyalty after so many years of continual disappointment and disillusionment. Of course, when Spurs turn the corner and start to perform as we all want, these loyal fans will be in prime position to enjoy the success and it will certainly be well deserved after the dross that they have had to endure for so long.

Thousands of fans commit themselves to every game travelling home and away. The constant changes of date and time for games makes life very difficult for these supporters. They fit family, work, study and other interests around travelling to support Spurs. For the past number of seasons there has been for very little reward for these fans as the away performances have been so poor. It must be very long journey home from the north-east, or anywhere, after some of Spurs more inept displays.

It is easy to recognize the supporters now as most are proudly wearing their Spurs colours – if only the players had worn the white shirt with such pride throughout the season.

But why were so many supporters making such an effort to get to the Blackburn game?

It was a meaningless last home game of the season, although admittedly when the tickets had gone on sale there was the possibility that it might be a relegation decider. However, Blackburn’s improved form had seen them safely move clear while Spurs were grateful for Leeds inadequacies to ensure their survival last weekend.

It has been a very poor season with few highlights to lift it, yet the game was SOLD OUT. An attendance of over 35,698 was recorded and although some season ticket holders did not take up their option to attend, obviously deciding that enough was enough for this season but who could blame them. In the days before the Premiership, an end of season game would attract around 20,000 supporters. It is a credit to the loyalty of the Spurs fans that they have maintained the high level of support for the club right throughout the season and especially as the past few seasons have been so poor.

During the game, the supporters did their part to generate an atmosphere within the ground and in spite of all the previous inadequacies of the team they got behind the players. For a game with only the three points to play for there was a lively feel to it, generated by the enthusiasm of the fans.

Any prospective manager should be made aware of the reception afforded by the fans to the absent ‘Sir’ Bill Nicholson when it was announced that he was to be presented with the award. The very mention of his name brought applause and had people on their feet. Such a welcome awaits the next manager who can follow in the footsteps of Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw to bring sustained success to the club.

Similarly, I hope that the players were aware of the reception given to Ricky Villa at half-time. If any of them have the will they too could become a legend at White Hart Lane and be the recipient of such a welcome on a later return to the club. The opportunity is there for each of them – will they grasp it?

Having won the game, the players completed their lap of the pitch to acknowledge the supporters. I can understand their apprehension about doing it, as was mentioned during the week, especially as their recent displays have been lacking in commitment and the fans have become frustrated. The fans were criticised earlier in the season for booing some players, and it was unacceptable and could have done nothing for the fragile confidence of the players concerned. However, it was borne out of frustration at the inability of highly paid professional players to complete basic skills, passing to a colleague or clearing from defence. I was surprised at the number of supporters who remained after the game and gave the players an amazingly high level of support, considering the results of the past two seasons. Credit must go to Rohan Ricketts who came back on to the pitch and presented his shirt to one of the fans in the disabled section at the Paxton Road end. It was a nice touch from the young player.

The fans must be given credit for their loyalty to the club in these difficult and disappointing times. The club does acknowledge their appreciation of the support they receive but sometimes it feels that it is only an exercise in public relations. However, I wonder if the players are aware of how much the club means to the fans, the sacrifices they make to attend matches, the time that is given to supporting the club. Players come and go, but the club goes on and it is Tottenham Hotspur Football Club that we support. That is why so many wanted to be there yesterday. The Club is very important to every one of us.

Looking forward to next season most of us will be there again, in the hope that it will be the season when we start to show improvement. But for the moment the supporters can be proud of their loyalty, continued enthusiasm and dedicated support of Spurs.

The return flight from Luton to Belfast had even more Spurs supporters on board and having won, everyone was in high spirits. It doesn’t take much to make the homeward journey better but I’m sure every fan travelling home yesterday found it a much more pleasant experience.

COYS

Logan

20^th April 2004 – ‘A Cautionary Tale (1)

The Easter results brought the bottom clubs that little bit closer to THFC and hence Spurs have been drawn down towards the relegation positions. This weekend’s scores have increased the pressure on the team, although the players don’t appear to be aware of that. At the beginning of March, we all thought that following their improvement in January and February that Spurs with 37 points had done enough to avoid relegation. However, now in mid-April, the team has only added one point to that total. I have already made the point that they shouldn’t get relegated in a previous article but it’s not because of anything that Spurs have done but mainly because of the weakness of the teams at the bottom of the League.

At the end of the season, as so often happens, teams who have been battling against relegation somehow manage to earn a few unexpected points – their last determined effort to avoid the drop. A few more performances like these and Spurs will be drawn even closer into the scrap to avoid relegation. Now after the Bolton game, we are faced with two very difficult games before playing two teams who have been confined to the relegation zone for much of the season. If the points return from the first two games is zero, then the Blackburn game becomes a critical relegation battle and the team best equipped to scrap for points will be rewarded.

Today’s match at Bolton was over at 3.08pm, at the precise moment that Bolton scored. I just knew that Spurs weren’t going to score and sadly, I was proved correct. It was much easier to accept this situation and be resigned to the result rather than allow the frustration and annoyance of the situation to eat away at me for the rest of the afternoon.

Why is it that it was not a complete shock that Portsmouth overturned Manchester United, yet it would have been a surprise if Spurs had got anything at Bolton?

Mr. Levy stated yesterday that the players were up for a fight and knew what had to be done. Unfortunately, they didn’t show it in their play, not helped by team selection, and the traveling supporters had to endure yet another pitiful performance. The match report that I heard included such phrases as:

‘leaderless, spineless, disappointing, complacent, Spurs were not prepared for a scrap, Bolton, with contempt, played Spurs off the park and Spurs played as if they were safe from relegation, playing an end of season game.’

This is where I tell my cautionary tale from season 1927 – 28. In that season Spurs were relegated from a position of apparent safety. At the end of March Spurs were in eighth place and with two matches remaining they had 38 points and were in 12^th position. However, they lost both of those games but seemed to be safe from relegation, in 18^th, although they had finished the season ahead of everyone else. Spurs then went off to Holland for an end of season tour and it was there that they received the news that the final results had gone against them and they were relegated, as three of the bottom four teams had won to leap-frog over Spurs.

While we all think and hope that Spurs will not be relegated, it will be very close because the way Spurs are playing it is very difficult to know where they are going to find the next point.

A Cautionary Tale (2)

Last weekend’s paper showed the League table for the top ten clubs in the 1^st Division from 15 years ago. Only four of the clubs are still in the Premiership, Arsenal and Liverpool occupied the top two places, with Spurs in seventh and Manchester United were tenth. The other six clubs were Norwich, Wimbledon, Coventry, Nottingham Forest, Millwall and Derby County.

What has happened to those teams in the past fifteen years?

With Spurs constant inability to address the problem of failure and inadequacy, they could eventually join the downward slide that those clubs have experienced in the past fifteen years.

Our target for this season was to try to be the best of the rest, below the top Premiership teams. At the moment, we will settle for being above those who are relegated, so that we have something to build on for next season.

The decisions that are made during the summer will be critical for the future of Tottenham Hotspur.

Logan

COYS

9^th April 2004 – ‘Waiting for ……….?’

Patience – calm endurance of hardship, annoyance, inconvenience, delay. Perseverance.

Spurs supporters are often called ‘fickle.’ I can think of many adjectives that better describe the fans of THFC – loyal, patient, frustrated, disillusioned and worn-down being just some. Spurs supporters have been loyal through two decades of the club failing to produce a team worthy of the name, they have filled WHL week in week out in spite of some of the poorest football ever seen at the famous ground and the away fans have travelled the length and breadth of the country at great expense to support a team which is more likely to roll over as soon as the opposition appears. The club’s recent record against the top teams is pitiful and something that the management team should be asked to explain because it has been happening too often for it not to be their responsibility, either in the way the team is prepared for such matches or the type of player that is being signed. In recent years, for every glimmer that the recent Charlton away performance brought there have been numerous performances that have been nothing short of embarrassing – Newcastle, Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Southampton in the Cup, Sunderland and Burnley to name the most obvious. It’s been the same at home; short periods of light dimmed by the disappointment of losing a three goal lead against weakened opposition or last season’s finale to the poorest season imaginable. The Club very much takes the fans for granted but should realize that the fans have remained loyal through a very difficult and lengthy period which has seen the top clubs, including their North London neighbours, grow stronger and now has the club as the fifth best club in London, that is simply not good enough for Tottenham Hotspur.

After such a lengthy period of failure, quite understandably, the fans are becoming frustrated, worn-down and disillusioned by events at WHL. Year in, year out, nothing seems to change. New players, new managers, new faces in the Board Room but the end result is the same and the club is not just failing but failing to improve the situation or even show any sign that improvement is in the offing. Even among the die-hards on this board questions are being asked about when this continual slide will be brought to an end, when they will see a successful Spurs team, when they will be able to celebrate Spurs success rather than rejoice in others failure. The optimists are finding it very difficult to make their voices heard against the growing volume of pessimism that abounds at the present time. Every time a little step forward is taken, three huge steps backwards immediately follow to dampen all optimism. Take the improvement in January and February, it included the Cup defeat and was followed by one own goal in March to give the team their only points and keep them just out of the relegation dog-fight.

With this in mind, my exhortation is that the Spurs fans are the most patient supporters around. Like all fans we like to moan and complain but we are still there in amazing numbers, waiting for that promise of something to come.

‘Patience is a virtue’ or so the old saying goes. My wife informs me that the saying goes on, ‘possess it if you can, seldom in a woman, never in a man’ but I don’t want to get embroiled in that discussion.

Spurs fans have been patient for many years, always being promised a brighter tomorrow. We have been patient waiting for players. We waited for Morientes, hoping that he could do a Klinsmann style re-vitalisation of the club, we waited for Rivaldo and received a nice letter, we waited for Parker and ended up with a midfield that lacked balance, pace, aggression, bottle or the ability to create and this season has gone the way of many before it. Now, we are waiting for Robinson, only to be told that he is going to cost twice the amount agreed in January. The Spurs management don’t appear to be learning from their previous mistakes.

Since September, we have been waiting for a manager. There have been many exciting names put forward, along with a few dubious selections, but we were told we had to wait until they became available in the summer. As the season draws to a close, so it becomes obvious that other clubs will be on the look out for a new manager and our ‘done and dusted’ option of a few months ago might not be so secure after all and some of the fancied candidates start to distance themselves from the manager’s seat at WHL. It leaves us waiting patiently and uncertain about the future prospects at Spurs. This appointment is critical for Spurs because the gap that has developed between the top clubs and THFC is going to be difficult to bridge and it must be reduced as soon as possible.

There is nothing that the supporters can do to resolve this situation. That is down to Chairman Daniel Levy and his directors on the Board. They were very good at buying themselves time when they took the club over, by appointing Glenn Hoddle. He brought a feel good factor to the club because of his popularity as a player and gave ENIC the time to take control. The fans were very patient with Hoddle and although it was clear that he had lost his way and the players were not responding to him, the supporters did not make a big display against him or put pressure on him with anti-Hoddle displays at the games. When the eventual sacking of Hoddle came and with no appointment made, Daniel Levy again asked for patience for almost an entire season until they appoint the manager they have in mind, the right person for the position.

However, Mr Levy, be warned, waiting is not an excuse for dodging reality, shirking responsibility or not doing the right thing.

If an exciting, high-profile manager isn’t appointed this summer with resources to provide the players to create the team that the fans have been patiently waiting for over the past numerous years and to lift the club out of mediocrity to the position that it should be in, then the patience of the supporters might just be at breaking point and the rumblings of discontent might lead to lower attendances and the reduction of cash entering the coffers at WHL. Look around the other Premiership grounds and see the gaps in the stands that are now part of every day life for those clubs. Where once the grounds would have been full, large areas of seating remain empty. Mr Levy, this could be coming to a ground near you in the very near future if you don’t ensure the correct appointment is made this summer. This appointment is critical for the future well being of THFC. You have been warned, it is up to you to act in the proper way. The supporters have been very patient, don’t take them for granted and assume that they will accept excuses - they’ve heard them all before. Second-best or make-do isn’t an option, we’ve been patient and are waiting for the best for THFC. It is now time for you to deliver.

If patience is a virtue, then I can only assume that the current group of Spurs supporters are the most virtuous that there has ever been.

Logan

COME ON YOU SPURS!!

4^th April 2004 – This time next year

Some questions to consider.

· When will Spurs next score a goal? After the flourish of goals in February, we simply don’t look like scoring.

· When will the next point come? At Everton, not if we produce our usual away form where we lie down as soon as the other team scores.

· When will they next get a win? At home to Manchester City, possibly, if the defence doesn’t take the jitters when Shaun Wright-Phillips or any other City player runs at them.

· When did Spurs last finish a season strongly?

I don’t know and my lethargy couldn’t drag me to look back over any more than the last six seasons.

During those years the season has feebly dragged to a close with nothing to play for and our only hope being that the next year would be better – ‘this time next year, bruv, we’ll be fighting to get into Europe.’ But it’s never happened.

The record for March to May for the past six years makes abysmal reading.

1998 – 99 P 12 W 4 D 2 L 7 For 17 Ag 18 Pts 14

1999 – 00 P 12 W 4 D 3 L 5 For 22 Ag 20 Pts 15 (includes 7-2 win against Southampton)

2000 – 01 P 10 W 4 D 1 L 5 For 15 Ag 18 Pts 13

2001 – 02 P 12 W 4 D 3 L 5 For 12 Ag 18 Pts 15

2002 – 03 P 10 W 2 D 1 L 7 For 10 Ag 24 Pts 7

This season, with seven games remaining, is drawing to a close in similar fashion:

2003 – 04 P 5 W 1 D 0 L 4 For 1 Ag 6 Pts 3 (the goal and points courtesy of an own goal)

Seasons 1999 – 2000 and 2000 – 2001 included last day of the season home wins over Sunderland and Manchester United to lift the morale of the fans and bring the hope of a brighter future to carry us all through the close season. However, in neither case did it materialise.

The best spell of yet another disappointing season was in January and February when Simon Davies was fit to play in midfield. Today’s game against Chelsea was lost in midfield and is that surprising when you look at the composition of our team and compare it with Chelsea’s. Two injury prone has beens, Redknapp and Ziege, with a centre half who doesn’t really want to play in midfield and Brown who has performed amazingly well since signing from Sheffield United. They were up against Duff, Parker, Makelele and Lampard. We brought on Jackson and moved Keane back to midfield while they brought on Cole and Gronkjaer. We are never going to have a successful team until the midfield is strengthened to play as a unit to support and protect the defence while creating opportunities for the forwards.

This has all been said before and every year the situation gets worse with more needing to be done to improve this area of the team. In the past we looked to Anderton and hoped for Redknapp and Ziege to strengthen this area but this season has proved that they along with Dalmat and Poyet must go. The only players who should be retained for midfield are Davies and Brown. I had hoped that King would develop into that position but while doing a reasonable job at present, his long term future must be in defence.

How can we salvage something out of this season?

Give the younger players an opportunity to play in these next seven games. Because of the weakness of the teams at the bottom of the League, Spurs probably have enough points to avoid relegation. By using the younger players, they will gain experience and have an opportunity to show what they can do. If they are good enough they will perform, if not, they should be released – what’s the point of keeping them to play in the reserves. Last year everyone called for the introduction of the young players at this time but none got their opportunity. Where are those players now? Blondell has returned to Belgium, Marney looked good as sub at the start of the season, disappeared off the scene and then surprisingly played at Old Trafford, not the best place for a young player to start. Ricketts has fallen out of favour with the caretaker, he didn’t brush the floor properly, and Yeates has been on loan. Do any of those players still on the books have a future at Spurs? Put them in the team now and find out.

To a team with the right attitude and application, Spurs final matches of the season are not the most difficult, with the exception of Arsenal at home, so it would be more encouraging to see those youngsters playing for their future place rather than the rest going through the motions to get to the season’s end.

Sadly, this year the season didn’t end in March – it ended when ENIC decided they didn’t know who to appoint as manager in place of Hoddle. This gave the message to the players that the season didn’t matter, there was a caretaker in charge and there was nothing to play for. They had their contracts and the money they earn is more important to them than anything else. They had nobody to play for, there was no manager and the fans don’t count, and they only performed when they hit the bottom three at Christmas, so as to restore some professional pride.

If the loyalty and enthusiasm of the fans were matched by the players Spurs would have a greatly improved team.

Logan.

OK. I forced myself to check until I found a season with a decent finish:

1989 – 90 P 11 W 8 D 0 L 3 For 20 Ag 12 Pts 24 (Spurs finished 3rd)

They actually won seven of the last eight games, winning six consecutive games before losing at Wimbledon in the final away game of the season and winning the last home game against Southampton.

7^th March 2004 – Building from the Front

The traditional way of building a team has always been to build from the back – put a good keeper in place with a solid defence and midfield in front of him and then get them organised, looking for one goal wins or a scoreless draw. The theory behind this approach being that if the other team are unable to score, then you can’t lose so you’ve earned a point and if you can sneak a goal, even better.

Spurs seem to have decided to turn this approach on its head and are building from the front. Before the last game against Leicester, David Pleat is reported as saying, “We’d rather win 10 – 4 …….. we don’t want it to be a bore draw.” Well, they managed to concede the four but couldn’t manage to score the ten and there seems little chance of a scoreless draw as they have kept few clean sheets over the past two years. It would appear that Spurs have decided that they will try to outscore the opposition in order to win games - it’s a brave strategy and certainly has livened up White Hart Lane for the past few games, although doing little for the blood pressure of the supporters. However, it is good to hear Spurs being referred to as the ‘entertainers’ by the media – it’s been a long time since that word has been used to describe any Spurs performance.

The signing of four strikers, excluding Zamora who has been transferred, in the last eighteen months gives Spurs the potential to have one of the most exciting strike forces that the club has ever had. Keane, Postiga, Kanoute and Defoe are all young, pacy forwards with a great deal of experience who will give most defences something to worry about and have the ability to create chances for themselves as well as each other.

Throughout last season Robbie Keane was the only bright spot in a very gloomy and depressing Spurs’ year and we were very grateful to him for the goals he scored between January and May. His periods of absence through injury, both last year and early this season, showed how important he was to the team, in his absence other teams found it too easy to defend against Spurs. He has scored some wonderful goals and while he has his weaknesses, especially one on one with the goalkeeper, Keane is a very important player in the future development of the Spurs team.

Helder Postiga is a player of potential. We have seen glimpses of his skill and ability but he has also shown that he is light weight against tough defenders. He dwells on the ball too much and wants too much time to decide what to do. However, he has the ability to get into goal scoring positions but when through on goal, he has looked like a startled rabbit facing the headlights of an oncoming car. This was very evident when he had two great opportunities to gain instant hero status at Highbury. However, he is young, he is taking time to settle in a new country but he has European experience and has scored at that level so he needs time to develop and rebuild his confidence.

The summer signing of Fredi Kanoute was unexpected, having already signed Postiga and Zamora. However, it was probably part of the internal power struggle within the club that brought about his transfer. I, like many, had mixed feelings about his arrival at WHL.