thfc1882.com

Spurs blog

Irreplaceable

May 30th, 2011 Posted in Articles
May, 30 2011
20 Comments »

So here it is.

The first blog of a new era at THFC1882.

I had a lot of trouble deciding what I wanted to write about. There are a number of issues dividing Spurs fans at the moment, not least the future of the manager & the possible return of a hero turned villain.

But all that stuff can wait, it will be covered, either by Adam or myself or one of the guest contributors we shall be hosting.

I wanted my first post to be about happy stuff, so here’s my take on one of the best players I’ve seen at The Lane for a long, long time.

I hope you enjoy & keep coming back for more.

Stuart

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

This season in La Liga, Xavi Hernandez scored 3 goals & got 7 assists.

Now by some peoples’ logic this means that Joey Barton (4 goals, 9 assists in PL) is better than him.

But no one would ever dream of saying such a thing would they? No of course not. Xavi is arguably the key player for   one of the best sides ever. Sure Messi is the best player on the planet but what use is he if you can’t get him the ball?

That’s why Xavi is key, he’s the heartbeat & conductor of their team, all roads go through Xavi, he may not take the      glory, but there would be no glory for anyone else without him.

 

I very much believe that the same is true of the man I have dubbed the ‘Croatian Xavi’. Luka Modric does for Spurs       what Xavi does for the European Champions. He is our only truly irreplaceable player. A bold statement and people     will ask, what about Bale? I can name you at least half a dozen wingers we could realistically sign that could do Bale’s job, maybe in a different style but still get the same results.

However I can’t see there being one realistic target who could do what Modric does for us. Players like that are few     and far between, Xavi is one, Pirlo is maybe a little past his best now and wouldn’t be interested in us. Xabi Alonso is similar in that he can dictate the pace of a game, but I can’t see him swapping Madrid for N17 anytime soon.  Marek Hamsik at Napoli may have taken the step into that stratosphere this year too, but he’s already on the shopping lists       of the very best clubs so would again be a no go. There are a few younger names coming through who could be considered, but they are unproven and no one could guarantee that someone like Ajax’s Christian Eriksen would     settle into Premier League football quickly enough.

 

So, Daniel Levy, I know you’ve already said that bids won’t be entertained, I cannot stress enough how that really has to be the case. Losing Luka would be a massive blow to any ambitions we may have.

 

Many people were surprised when we paid Dinamo Zagreb £16.5m for Luka’s signature even before the Euro 2008 Finals had begun.  This appeared to be a lot of money for a relatively unknown player from what is hardly one of Europe’s elite leagues. He had however played his usual quiet unassuming role in getting Croatia to those finals, as they famously prevented England from qualifying (helping us get rid of McLaren in the process, result!)

 

Much was made of his small size and it was repeatedly doubted that he would be able to survive in the Premier League.  The doubters, including Harry Redknapp when he first arrived, should have taken a look at his history.   Zagreb, seeing an 18 year old with all the technique in the world knew that he needed toughening up. Their solution? They sent him on loan to Zrinjski Mostar in the Bosnian Premier League, a championship that is renowned for its physicality.

 

Modric proved his worth, learning how to mix it with the tough guys and won the Player of the Year award. He then     went on to establish himself as a key figure for Zagreb and the Croat national team, as either an attacking left sided or central midfielder. He was always the man to provide tempo, and play in the likes of Kranjcar & another of Luka’s       friends, former Arsenal striker Eduardo.

 

When Luka arrived at Spurs we were in the midst of the Ramos debacle and Modric was suffering from a niggling     knee injury. This led to the media further questioning his ability to cope in the league. As the season drew on, he    began to show glimpses of exactly what was to come. Mainly playing from the left side he was becoming the man to give the ball to. His supreme confidence on the ball comes from a low centre of gravity & surprising strength along     with a delightful touch and seemingly eyes in the back of his head.  Added to this and something which is still missed by some, is his phenomenal work rate, he’s always chasing, tackling and pressing and he’s good at it.

 

Luka really came into his own as we made our run to fourth place in 09-10. His permanent move into the middle, at   that time along with THudd, was crucial. The determination he showed in coming back from a broken leg typifies him. His role really has become that of the deep-lying playmaker, often picking the ball up from the back line. At this point he’ll either play a quick pass and move up with play. Or he’ll turn, drop his shoulder, show a deceptive turn of pace taking 2 or 3 players out the game before releasing his inevitably accurate pass. When he does that I can’t help but smile, it’s glorious to watch, poetry in motion. That’s what football is about, moments like that.

 

One of the biggest remaining criticisms of Modric, is that he doesn’t score enough goals. That may be a fair point, but going back to the Xavi stats at the beginning, that really isn’t what he’s about. He’s the man to release Bale or         Lennon on one of their trademark runs so they can get the ball in the box for Pav/Crouch/Defoe to spoon it over the     bar.

Seriously though, when Luka does get a goal, it’s usually vital (winner v Chelsea) or special (the Gazza-esque run      and finish v Stoke). His penalty at Anfield was also taken with composure, considering it was his first since missing one for Croatia in the Quarter Finals of Euro 2008 in a shootout.

 

One of the highlights this season has been the developing link up with Rafa Van Der Vaart. Rafa doesn’t always     seem keen to give up the ball but he rarely hesitates to find Luka and they have provided some sparkling passages       of play and appear to operate on the same wavelength. Xavi is better for his combination with Andres Iniesta and I       see a similar symbiosis with Luka and Rafa. This can only bode well for our future.

 

I was delighted to see Luka receive recognition from the fans, voted our Player of the Year. Spurs fans know a proper player when they see one. It doesn’t surprise me, but still bothers me that he didn’t figure in the PFA awards list. At     least the Football Writers recognised his ability, although they again bungled it by choosing Parker above him.

 

Luka Modric is truly the best player I’ve seen in a Spurs shirt since Paul Gascoigne. Although Gazza went about things   in a more headline hogging fashion there is no doubt that Luka is as influential on our side as the Geordie genius.

 

That’s why he’s irreplaceable, losing him actually scares me. I do however really believe that Luka is a loyal guy and he’s happy at Spurs. He’s allowed the opportunity to run the team, as I’ve mentioned he plays well with our other top players, his mate Charlie will still be here next year and he’s settled.  Unless there is a major change in our ambition over the summer I can’t see him going anywhere.

 

We’ve been privileged to see a world class player develop and I hope we get to see Luka Modric grace White Hart      Lane for many years to come.

 

Since I started writing this on Friday, the Champions League Final has taken place, in its aftermath Tor Kristian    Karlsen said this on Twitter: ‘consensus of footballs top opinionistas seems to be that only Cmid who  could play for Barca without weaken them is Modric’ via @karlsentk

(Karlsen is a highly respected scout & football writer)

 

High praise indeed.

 

COYS

 

Stuart Watts

(@studub)

 

 

 

 

, , , ,
Read More

My Summer Transfer Wishes

May 24th, 2011 Posted in Articles
May, 24 2011
8 Comments »

To put a big fat full stop onto the end of this season there’s only one thing left to do and that’s write about what I’d like to see us do in the transfer window. Last season it was clear to most that we needed at least one really good striker but unfortunately as the early stages of this window commence we’re in the exact same position. A striker’s a priority, and maybe more than one.

Before I go any further I should point out I’m presuming any player I suggest will agree to fit within our pay structure. I’m also assuming the list of players I want to leave will do so quite easily.

The problem with regards to us fans debating what positions need strengthening and which players we should go for is we don’t know what formation the management plan on using. In theory we could change our preferred formation from 4-4-2 (or 4-4-1-1 with vdV) to a more popular 4-3-3 (or 4-2-3-1 variant) with the players we’ve got very easily and each formation would require different signings. For the basis of this though I’ll assume we’ll be sticking with 4-4-2 and 4-4-1-1 next season.

Strikers

The most important signing of the summer for most of us and a no brainer with regards to the type of striker we need. We need someone like Didier Drogba. Someone to lead the line and who’s comfortable in the lone striker role but can also play as part of a two. There’s been rumours of Drogba himself being available although I’d be surprised if that amounted to anything but I’d take him as a short term solution. He’s still got a couple of years left in him at the very top and if he came he’d be an excellent tutor to a young striker like Lukaku or Connor Wickham, both of whom should be seriously considered as potential partners or first option from the bench. They could even surprise a few and push their way into the starting line up.

None of those three would be cheap and the younger two would no doubt be a gamble. Personally I’d prefer to sign Wickham of the two simply because Lukaku has stated he’s a Chelsea fan and I could see him using us as a stepping stone more than anything else.

Other options would be Lisandro, Gameiro and Gervinho who all currently ply their trade in the French Ligue 1. I wouldn’t expect any of these to cost the earth although as with any footballer nowadays they wouldn’t come cheap either. Lisandro and Gameiro are both excellent footballers but I’m not sure how they’d adapt to the English game and at 28 Lisandro doesn’t offer much sell on value which we all know Daniel Levy likes (and rightly so). Out of those three I’d be happy with Gervinho. He would likely cost us £10-15m and is only 24 so like the rest of our team has time on his side to develop.

So here’s what I’d like to see us sign:

Drogba, Gervinho and Wickham.

Three strikers might be too much but I’d be looking to sign Wickham and loan him immediately back to Ipswich for the remainder of the season. With Drogba and Gervinho we should have plenty up front while only playing the lone striker as well as keeping one of our current crop of four. A total outlay of around the £45m mark would see a massive amount of our transfer kitty being used in the striker department but like I said, it’s a priority. If Drogba wasn’t available I’d be looking at Lukaku who could offer similar if not the experience.

Goalkeeper

You’re only a good team when you’ve got a good keeper. There’s no exceptions to this rule and unfortunately Gomes doesn’t have the qualities needed to be a good keeper in English football. He needs to be moved on or at the very least given proper competition to see if he can improve his game. The keeper I’d go for would be Shay Given or Ben Foster. Foster is the more likely with Birmingham being relegated but if we can persuade City to do business with us I think Given’s the better keeper. Foster has had an excellent season in what is his first real season as a clubs No1 and is 7 years Given’s junior so could solve that position for a long time to come.

Central Defender

With Woodgate likely to retire as well as King and Gallas injury prone it’s important we sign a new center half. Bassong isn’t on Redknapp’s radar any more so he’s likely to leave and Khunalo is an unknown quantity although as I’ve said before I expect he’s a marketing ploy so not really someone we should be relying on too heavily. Again there are a number of players we could look at here that wouldn’t cost us too much. Roger Johnson at Birmingham is a very accomplished player and someone like Samba at Blackburn could do a job too. Whether they’d be first choice is another question. With Gallas, King, Dawson and Kaboul all fit they’d have a fight on their hands to guarantee a start but as I said we can’t rely on Gallas and King to play 30+ games a season which then leaves us short.

Caulker has had an excellent season at Bristol City and they want him back badly. If we wanted to save some money I’d have no problem with him being used as cover but the question then needs to be asked whether he’d develop more playing in the Championship or making the occasional appearance for us.

Left Back

This is purely as cover for Ekotto. Danny Rose has done well in the few games he’s played at the tale end of this season but whether he could do that in a long run and with Bale in front of him is debatable. He didn’t show he could be consistent enough while on loan at Bristol City although that might’ve been down to niggling injuries he had. I can’t think of a possible signing for this position because it’s not a priority if we’re going to give Rose a chance.

Right Midfield

Again this is purely as cover for Lennon. van der Vaart’s played there at times this season and often done fairly well but his need to drift inwards meant during those games we lacked any sort of width or danger from the right. We’ve got David Bentley who I’m sure could offer more than adequate cover if we rotated the squad often enough. His problem is with so few chances, he tries to do everything when he does get the chance and often falls short. At the end of last season he was excellent on that side of midfield and Lennon shouldn’t have walked back into the side when he returned from injury.

Again, a position that’s purely for back up and competition and I’d be happy to see some youngsters pushed through or a cheap signing who know’s their job is to push Lennon as much as they can.

That’s 7 players I think we need to sign to enable us to really compete next season but only two of the strikers and the keeper are imperative. The other positions would be bonuses and could be filled by players we’ve already got in our system or we’ve sent out on loan.

How we’ll pay for these signings is another question. If we’ve saved anything from the Champions League instead of using it to take the Olympic Committee to court we should have £40m or so but just in case we should also be able to recoup a fair amount of it on any of the following players I think we need to offload:

  • Alan Hutton
  • Kyle Naughton (nothing against the kid but he’s never going to be given a chance so why not make some cash on him)
  • Sebastian Bassong
  • Jonathan Woodgate
  • David Bentley
  • Wilson Palacios
  • Niko Krancjar
  • Jamie O’Hara
  • Robbie Keane
  • Peter Crouch
  • Pavlyuchenko

The one you’ll notice I haven’t included in there is Jenas. As strange as that sounds I think we should keep him simply because he doesn’t moan. He know’s his position is on the bench and while it’s one of the bad things about him, it’s also a good thing. If we were to sign someone like Scott Parker then he could take JJ’s place on the bench but if not we might as well keep someone who can come on and do a job (sometimes) when needed but doesn’t kick up a fuss when not used.

I’d also include Pienaar in that list but seeing as he’s only just signed it’s unlikely. Defoe could be off too, especially if he’s not keen to sit on the bench and could be a better option to offload than Pav or Crouch. He’s likely to fetch the most money of the current batch too. If it were possible to sell all those players we should be looking at £50m+ for them and that’s selling at knock down prices which we’ll have to do to get them off the wage bill.

So it’s as simple as that. I don’t know what all the fuss is about when it comes to these transfer windows ;) . The one thing I hope we do is do our business quickly. Get it completed as soon as possible so all the players get a proper pre-season with the club. That means not leaving it until the last minute in the hope we can save a few pounds. If a bargain like vdV comes along then fine, go for it, but lets try to have the core of our first team available to play in the first or second friendly.

———————————————————————————————–

In other news this is my last update on this blog. Not just for the summer but for good. I may return next season as a guest blogger but as far as being admin and writing regularly it’s time to pass the reins onto someone else. The site will eventually be taken over by a yid named Stu and it’ll be in safe hands.

The reason for me leaving is down to a couple of things. The first and foremost is the arrival of my first child in October which will mean for once in my life I have a definite number one priority that doesn’t involve 11 men kicking a ball, but also because of this imminent addition to the family we’ll be moving into a larger mortgaged family house in the coming months from our small 3 bedroom cottage which means financially I won’t be able to attend as many games as I’m used to. My 15 or so games a season look like they’ll be going down to 2-3 and while I’ve never pretended to be someone who gets to all the games I do prefer to write about the games I do get to. I’ve also always given 100% to things and updating a site a few times a month when I’ve got time isn’t quite what I think blogging is about, so it’s right to give someone else who enjoys writing and wants to discuss football the chance to take the blog forward.

Have a great summer guys and gals and here’s to a successful transfer window, winning the double next season and lifting our first European trophy since 1984.

COYS

, , ,
Read More

End of Season Player Ratings

May 24th, 2011 Posted in Articles
May, 24 2011
11 Comments »

As a final ode to the season I thought I’d look at two aspects of what’s been and what’s to come. The first part is a look back on how the players have done, a sort of rating for the season as a whole. The second part which will follow at a later date will be my view on what I hope happens in the summer and what I think will happen, probably two very different things.

So, let’s start with the goalkeeper:

Gomes – or as some will forever call him, “The Clown”. In my ever so humble opinion he over performed at the tail end of last season which made it look like he’d got over his initial clumsy, mistake laden performances. We all hoped that wasn’t the case but this season’s cock-ups have proven otherwise. He seem’s like a genuinely nice guy who has a good rapport with the fans, but to be a really good team you need a really good keeper. Just ask that lot down the road. I have to laugh when people say, “but he’s a great shot stopper”. While that’s true in some sense, aren’t the shots where he lets the ball through his hands, arms and legs also shots? What’s the point in tipping a shot over the bar that everyone inside the ground thought was going in, only to let one slip under your body 10 minutes later?

His distribution is poor as is his positioning and any confidence the defenders around him had at the beginning of the season quickly disappeared when they remembered his inability to come for crosses or command his box. The sight of Corluka and Gallas looking up at the sky in a “not again” kind of way after one of his blunders will last with me as long as he’s at the club. It’s unfortunate because I like him but if we want to compete at the highest level it’s time he was at least benched and told to improve if he wants the No.1 jersey back.

Season Rating: 5

 

Defenders

Gallas – Was a big talking point of our season when he joined. Split opinion 3 ways if I recall correctly. There were those who thought he would be a good free transfer, those who didn’t want an ex Arsenal and Chelsea player at Spurs and those like me who didn’t really care where he used to play but didn’t think he was good enough for us.

There was only one set of fans who were right and I wasn’t in that group. Gallas has been excellent for the majority of the season. He didn’t start particularly well, making a few mistakes that led to goals but since his fitness levels returned he led the defence the best he could. We weren’t as solid as last season but considering the lack of goals we were scoring it’s fair to say the defence has come under more pressure this season and at times it’s shown, but Gallas has marshaled the side and been the captain, even when others have worn the armband.

Season Rating: 8

Dawson – Far from one of his better seasons. Like Defoe, his form prior to getting injured on England duty was a lot better than after it. His return to the side coincided with a string of clean sheets which was possibly down to him but he’s lacked in confidence and concentration for large parts of the season which have led to mistakes. His lack of pace and inability to turn has left him exposed on quite a few occasions and his sending off against Fulham in the FA Cup was probably his lowest point of the season.

A player who was excellent alongside King or Bassong last season, whether it was a constant changing of partner or just not gelling with Gallas work needs to be done this summer to get him back to his best. Always gives 100% which is why he’s a fan favourite and will hopefully improve over the next couple of seasons or he’ll find his place under pressure from the likes of Caulker or new signings.

If he plays like he did against AC Milan more often he’ll become a legend and fulfill his potential but if his inconsistency continues he could run the risk of wondering where it all went wrong. This may seem harsh but it’s only because I think he has so much potential but just isn’t showing it at the moment.

Season Rating: 7

Corluka – What a shocking start to the season he had. Mistake after mistake after mistake. One of the worse performances I’ve seen from any player away at Bremen and eventually lose his place to Alan Hutton which just shows how bad he was. Rumours at the time were he was having personal problems which might explain it. Whatever it was he showed great character to fight back into the team and play well, although his lack of pace and creative ability is so frustrating at times.

Another who has so much potential but is just missing the odd component that could make them superb. Maybe that’s why he’s playing at Spurs and not City any more? Has some serious competition coming in the form of Kyle Walker although there’s no doubt who the better defender of those two is, so I guess whether he plays next season will depend on what Redknapp wants from his full backs.

Season Rating: 6.5

Ekotto – One of my favourite players. Unlike some, I actually like the fact he’s honest and says he’s not interested in football and it’s just his job. I don’t see the problem with that. I don’t like what I do but it pays the bills so I do it and I do it well (ish).

The one draw back Benny has is his seemingly laid back persona. It’s fine to twist one way and then the other to lose the attacker and simply walk the ball out of defence and most of the time it comes off and we all cheer but some times there’s nothing wrong with smacking it into touch. The few times it goes wrong are the times people remember and that’s unfortunate because without him Bale wouldn’t be half as good as he is.

A lot of people moan at the fact he doesn’t get forward that much but with Bale in front of him it’s not what’s needed. He’d only get in his way. Remember how badly Glen Johnson and Lennon worked for England? It’s the same theory, when you’ve got an out and out winger you need a full back who will simply give them the ball but not run past them too often. Benny does that excellently and he’s missed when injured. However, we do need some cover in his position and whether Danny Rose’s recent performances are enough to think he’ll be able to do that job I’m not so sure. His time at Bristol City wasn’t exactly breathtaking and would he be able to work with Bale? Time will tell but at the moment I’m happy we’ve got Benny. Probably our best regularly fit defender and the only one I can imagine one of the teams above us inquiring about.

Season Rating: 8

Hutton - I’ve never liked him and never thought he was good enough to play for Spurs. However, he did have a good spell when he came in for the out of form (and injured) Corluka. He’s the sort of full back Redknapp likes in that he prefers to go forward than back and is better at attacking than defending. I like my defenders to be able to defend first and any attacking ability is a distinct advantage. Hutton’s main problem is he can’t defend.

Positioning and decision making is at times terrible and Championship standard. The fact he’s a regular in the Scottish national side says more about the quality of players north of the border than anything else. Scored a couple of goals but reportedly blamed for the Fulham FA Cup disaster, although completely unfairly in my eyes. Hasn’t really had a sniff since then thanks to falling out with the manager and Corluka’s return to form.

Season Rating: 5.5

Kaboul - Another player I was wrong about when we signed him. In his first spell at the club he was shocking but like so many others, he needs regular football to gain consistency. Unfortunately this season has been blighted somewhat by injury but he’s filled in at right back when needed well. He’s probably the future alongside Dawson at centre back and will probably be better than Dawson once he cements his place.

Offers more in the attacking third and is far more comfortable bringing the ball out of defence which he showed on a number of occasions to great effect. Far from the finished product and needs work but has the potential to be good enough.

Season Rating: 6.5

Bassong - I’m not really too sure what Bassong did last summer to go from a regular alongside Dawson and a key member of the team that got us a record number of clean sheets and champions league football to sitting on the bench at best. Hardly played this season and when he has his confidence is clearly very low. A player Redknapp has ruined in my opinion and at his age he has so much potential. Will probably leave in the summer and go onto better things.

Season Rating: 4

King - Nice to see him back in the last couple of games. Unfortunately they were the first back to back games he’s managed since the end of last season and that’s the problem with our Ledley. Still a master of his art and when fit the best centre back in the country. We all know how good he is and how good he could’ve been, although I stand by what I’ve always said, if he’d not has his knee problem’s he wouldn’t have been at Spurs for as long as he has. He’s so good when fit and the improvement in Dawson’s performances when Ledley’s playing mean they’ll be a place for him in our 25 man squad next season.

Season Rating: 5

 

Midfielders

Huddlestone - Started the season well alongside Modric although started to show a petulant side which we don’t need. Unfortunately got injured and was out for a long time. When he returned he found a young Brazilian upstart in his position and suddenly had to fight for his place instead of being one of the first on the team sheet. When he has played he’s shown glimpses of his old self but they’ve been too few and far between with many of his passes missing their target. By his own admission he hasn’t been great since his return.

Will be very interesting next season to see how much he plays if we continue with a 4-4-2 formation. At the moment he’s the third choice central midfielder behind Modric and Sandro. If I was him I’d be praying Redknapp learns about 4-3-3 because a midfield trio of Huddlestone, Sandro and Modric is up there with the best.

Season Rating: 7

Modric – Simply put he’s our best player and has been for the past two seasons, possibly all three since he arrived. The touches of genius he can produce in compact areas on the pitch are a joy to watch. He may not have the explosive power of Bale or goal scoring ability of van der Vaart but he’s the heartbeat of the team. If we sold Bale he’d be hard to replace but if we lost the Croatian it’d be impossible.

The fact he wasn’t even shortlisted for the player of the year award just proved to me that footballers know nothing about the game and unfortunately it tainted Bale’s win somewhat. Thankfully we Spurs fans know plenty and voted him our player of the season. I just hope that doesn’t jinx him for next year when we should be doing everything to build the team around him. If he could just add more goals to his game he’d be nearly a 10.

Season Rating: 9

Bale - The mercurial Welshman. Where to start? How about with his fabulous volley against Stoke or his hat-trick against Inter? What about the other 90% of games where he was fairly quiet and didn’t offer much? Harsh? Yes, of course it is. He’s only young after all and has the world at his feet but there’s no way he’s ever worth over £60m as some have reported.

It’s been a breakout season for him and his performances in Europe in particular grabbed all the headlines and rightly so because he single handedly destroyed Inter Milan, although some thanks has to go to Rafa Benitez for not learning from the game at the San Siro and giving him all the time and space in the world. Unfortunately for Bale, not every manager is as bad as Benitez and most have worked out how to nullify him or at least keep him quieter. He’s going to have to learn how to create more space for himself and stop running straight at the defender, which I’m sure he will do and when he does he’ll be devastating. That is if he’s not severely injured first because our Gareth is a frail boy at times (although that Charlie Adam tackle was a disgrace) and needs to work on his strength, particularly his back which seemed to bother him for large periods in the second half of the season.

Potentially one of the games greats, but like all of the legends before him, he’ll need to work on his game to make it so.

Season Rating: 8.5

Lennon – Azza’s struggled for form a lot this season even though he started well. He wasn’t at any time his blistering self but he’s brought other things into his game, including his final ball. Doesn’t rush as much as he once did and actually looks up to try and find someone instead of just assuming they’ll be there.

Was wasted for large periods of the season, either on the bench or on the left of midfield. Cutting in is one thing but you’ve got to have the ability to get to the line and cross with your weaker foot too which Lennon doesn’t have so defenders can easily show him the line and his threat is distinguished. Could do with working on that in the summer so at least he can be more effective if he’s played from the left, even if it is the wrong position to play him in.

During the first half of last season Lennon was superb and Bale likewise in the second half. We were all hoping that this was the season we saw them both doing their thing at the same time. Unfortunately while Lennon was ok, he was never really on fire. Maybe next season? Let’s not forget he’s still only just 24.

Season Rating: 7.5

Sandro – What a player this kid is. When he first got into the team I’m sure I wasn’t the only one wondering what we saw in him that made his signing one of the longest, drawn out ones I can remember. The game seemed too quick for him, his passing wasn’t great and every time he went into a challenge he seemed to get booked.

Then it almost seemed to just click. He had AC Milan in his back pocket in the San Siro and has gone from strength to strength since. Alongside Modric he should be the first name on the team sheet and we need to be looking to build a team around them. His ability means we could play Bale at left back with the security of knowing there’s someone good enough to cover his forward runs. I’m not saying that’s the way to go but it’s another option. Without him in the side, none of our current midfielders are intelligent enough, quick enough and simply good enough to cover Bale.

After only 6 months in the team it looks like unless we improve and start competing in the champions league on a regular basis and more importantly winning trophies, he’ll be off to a better team that will. Let’s hope his form doesn’t drop like Palacios’s once did.

Season Rating: 8

van der Vaart – Last summer we needed a striker but we signed a midfielder who scores goals. Not Rafa’s fault and his early season performances were exceptional but he’s gone off the boil a bit since new year. He hasn’t looked completely fit since he joined so a good pre-season and playing alongside the striker we need to sign (fingers crossed) next season could be incredible. Even unfit and playing alongside some of the countries biggest under-performing strikers he’s managed 14 goals which is brilliant. Then there’s the assists he’s created and unbridled joy at some of his performances.

Worth the entrance fee alone at times but we’ve got to find a way to work with him. At times he’s drifted so deep he’s left our striker isolated and he’s got to learn he can’t do it by himself. We’ve got enough quality in the team, and some better than the Dutchman, that means he needs to concentrate on doing his job and not trying to do everyone else’s.

If we can find the right formation and the right players around him, 14 goals this season will pale in comparison with what he’ll bag next time around.

Season Rating: 8.5

There’s not really much point in discussing the other midfielders at the club because they haven’t really played. There was a spell when Jenas and Palacios got a run in the team and both did fairly and surprisingly well but with injuries and lack of rotation they’ve spent most of the season on the bench. Kranjcar scored a couple of important goals but has been left in the cold many times when he could’ve played, especially since suggesting he’d have to leave if he didn’t get more game time and then there’s Pienaar who has to be a commercial signing (just as Khumalo is) to help the club try and break the South African market. If he’s not then it’s one of the worse pieces of business I’ve seen in a long time. Signing a player we didn’t need just because he was relatively cheap but putting him on a £70k per week contract meaning over his 4 year contract he’ll actually cost the club over £15m and because of his high salary it’ll be near impossible to sell him if he becomes surplus to requirements (as he already has).

 

Strikers

Defoe - It’s easy to forget how sharp he looked in the early part of the season. He got into the England team and scored goals whilst playing as a lone striker with Rooney just behind him. Then he got injured and hasn’t looked the same since. I understand people’s frustrations with him because he just doesn’t seem to improve with age. He’s 28 now and should be coming into his best years but he doesn’t look any different to when he was 24. He still prefers to just whack the ball, not realising placing it often results in more goals and his inability to stay onside when he’s got more pace than most defenders in infuriating. When is someone going to tell him to stay a yard onside and beat them in the foot race?

Simply for the 100+ goals he’s scored for the club he’s the one I’d prefer us to keep this summer and hopefully with a pre-season under his belt and renewed confidence he’ll get back to scoring ways (although he’s never been prolific). Unfortunately for JD we need to buy a new striker to fit into our style of play which means there’s a good chance he’ll be seen as a first or second choice substitute which isn’t what he wants. He’s already moaned this season about not enough playing time which considering his form and the amount of games he’s played is a little strange but if he needs to play so badly it might be best he looks elsewhere.

Season Rating: 5

Crouch – Terrible in the league, great in Europe. I’ve tried in the past to stick up for Crouch but it’s been impossible this season. The “decent touch for a big lad” argument has been blown out of the water with the ball constantly rebounding off him at every opportunity. An inability to score goals or even kick the ball harder than a 3 year old girl has frustrated, but not as much as the style of play we resort to when he’s in the team. Something that isn’t his fault but it’s what happens. His goals got us into the Champions League last May, then through the qualifier and helped us win our group but he also had a hand in our exit with his red card against Madrid and his season was completed by scoring an unfortunate own goal at Eastlands.

On the plus side his partnership with vdV caused all opponents problems and was one of the reason’s for Rafa’s great start to the season.

Season Rating: 5.5

Pavlyuchenko – I have a theory that no Russian (or from that area) player is ever good in English football. There’s only really been one and that was Andrei Kanchelskis and ever since the mid-90′s teams have been signing Russian players hoping they’ll live up the legacy he left. To name just three, Rebrov, Arshavin and Pav. All three have shown glimpses of brilliance and runs of games where it looks like they’ve worked it out, only to then drift back into their normal routine of nothingness.

Pav is an enigma. His two goals on the final day of the season showed why. Having once again started on the bench he came on and smacked in two fantastic goals. The rest of his game wasn’t up to much though with little movement, bad control and poor passing but with our strikers lack of goals this season they’re the last thing we care about.

He can’t show much in training because Redknapp just doesn’t trust him to perform and who can blame him. For the most part he’s rubbish. There’s no other way to put it. If he doesn’t score he offers little or nothing to the overall team but then does Defoe offer more? Arguably not, so the Russian should’ve been given more starts considering he seemed to be the only striker who knew where the goal was. Could be on his way out though if we sign 1 or 2 new strikers.

Season Rating: 6.5

I should add Robbie Keane into the mix here just for his terrible performances and picking up injuries during his loan move to West Ham. Congratulations should go out to him for helping them go down but I’d like to think he’ll take a massive pay cut so we can get rid of the guy once and for all this summer. They say you should never go back and I think now we all know why.

 

Redknapp – Finally the manager. As this is already a longer than usual update I won’t dwell on him too long. Suffice to say this has been the best season for us in Premier League history and if you think differently you’re an idiot who should support another team. There’s no arguing how well Redknapp’s done since arriving at the club but looking at this season as a whole I’d say he’s failed in the transfer market and the domestic cup competitions. He did fantastically well in the Champions League which will have done his CV the world of good and almost got us to the promised land in the league. Had the transfer markets been navigated a little better and squad rotation implemented maybe we would’ve got into the top 4 again. Maybe we wouldn’t have. Who knows.

The one thing that’s let him down is the constant negativity towards the fans. We’re the people who matter most, not him. We’re the one’s that keep the club going, not him. We’re the one’s that’ll be with the club forever, not him. These are things he needs to remember before he goes into one of his rants. They’ve got so bad I’ve resorted to not listening to any of his interviews which is a shame because the manager is the face of the club to the fans, the one who you hear most from and the one you need to feel like you trust. If he gets things right this summer he could and probably should add another trophy to his solitary win so far in his career.

Season Rating: 7.5

, ,
Read More

Pav Sends Brum Packing

May 23rd, 2011 Posted in Match Reports, Premier League
May, 23 2011
2 Comments »

That’s it then. All over for another season and what have we got to show for it this time around? A 5th place finish in the league, quarter final exit from the Champions League, 4th round exit in the FA Cup and 3rd round in the Carling Cup. That’s the cold, hard stats of the season. Nothing more, nothing less. A good season, par season or bad season? Everyone’s got their own opinions on that. I’d go for somewhere between good and par which according to Mr Redknapp means I’m an idiot and should support another club, but as this is the penultimate update before I go on my summer hols I’m not going to go into another one of his inane ramblings.

Yesterday, once again almost highlighted our season in 90 minutes. We dominated a team but created very little in the business end of the pitch, but a win’s a win so I’m told. Thankfully, we did send Birmingham down, eventually. A team who had it all in their own hands but came to White Hart Lane not looking to attack in the slightest. Their priority was to nullify anything we could throw at them, much like Blackpool did a few weeks ago. Maybe if both teams had decided to take it to a tired, leaky defense they’d be looking forward to playing at Old Trafford next season instead of Ashton Gate. I have no sympathy for either team, although both sets of fans deserve better.

We huffed and we puffed but we didn’t trouble Ben Foster in the Birmingham goal very much. What he had to do, he did well and highlighted why he’d be one of my first potential signings if I was in charge of the chequebook at Spurs. We started with Crouch and Defoe up front, something that must’ve sent fear into the Brum defence but then we had a bit of luck and Crouch got injured. On ran the enigma that is Roman Pavlyuchenko. Not a particularly good player but he does have a knack of scoring goals. His overall game isn’t very good, his movement is usually non existent and his first touch is up their with Crouch’s for usually garbage but he’s been able to do what our other strikers haven’t this season and that’s score. The problem’s been his lack of playing time. Redknapp just doesn’t fancy him, which is fine except we’re constantly told there aren’t better strikers out there to buy than Pav. All very confusing.

Back to the game and we strolled it really. Caressing the ball from lilywhite shirt to lilywhite shirt, at times having 75% of the possession and ultimately keeping something like 60%. We were never really out of 3rd gear like any of our other games in the last couple of months. With back to back wins we finished the season on a high but the same old signs were there. We failed to kill them off when we were 1-0 up and had Pav’s second goal not had the slightest of deflections (and been hit so well) we could’ve once again been looking at another home draw against poor opposition. It’s something we need to learn and learn quickly if we want to do better next season.

It was good to see King back at the home of football but whether we’ll ever see him again depends on how many injuries he picks up between now and pre-season I guess. Other’s who might have had their last game for the club were Kranjcar, Crouch and maybe even Defoe? Jenas and Palacios were on the bench too but I wouldn’t expect either of them to be offloaded in the summer. Not saying I don’t think they should be but I’ll mention the ins and outs of the summer transfer window in my final update of this season later.

That’s it really, 3 points, a couple of good goals, an ok performance, getting the job done. Not much to write home about but then how many end of season games are?

All over the internet football blogs are coming to an end, with regular updates being put to one side for a couple of months as we fans take a well earned rest. Players and people within the game have no idea what it’s really like. Of course they have to run about and work hard but that’s their job. We have to do the same thing and then choose to be put through an emotional roller coaster in our spare time.

Men (and women) everywhere are starting to break into cold sweats with the realisation that their trusted excuse not to go shopping on a Saturday afternoon has come to an end. They can try to claim they’ve discovered the beauty of cricket but we all know that’s not going to cut it as you’re only allowed a certain amount of sport on the TV and the unspoken agreement is during the summer months it’s your job to carry the bags. You won’t be alone though, as you traipse your way from New Look to Jane Norman to Dorothy Perkins and back to New Look again you might catch the eye of another depressed soul, staring at their feet, reminiscing of happier times. Like your own childhood those memories will be forever clouded though, as they’re never quite as good as you remember. You don’t think of the windswept, ice covered away trips or the disappointing home defeats to relegation threatened opponents. All you remember are the afternoons spent in a beer garden with friends followed by a convincing victory for your favourite team against your local rivals. Things were so much better then weren’t they? Why do they need a summer break you ask yourself? What’s wrong with a 2 week holiday to the Costa Blanca like everyone else? Why don’t they put a summer youth league on to keep us entertained?

Do the authorities realise how much DIY we’re made to do in these two months? The NHS must come under increased pressure to deal with the sudden rise in home accidents. Millions of pounds wasted, and increased waiting times for people in real need as doctors and nurses everywhere treat those who have no experience with saws and hammers but are expected to use such dangerous equipment.

The fact is though, after more than 9 months dealing with the ups and downs of being a football fan, we need a rest more than most. We at Spurs have gone from being told we’ll compete for the title to we’ve got no chance of 5th. We’ve gone from beating both Milanese teams to losing to relegated West Ham and Blackpool. The ecstasy of Gareth Bale’s hattrick at the San Siro to the agony of losing 4-0 at the Bernabeu. It’s not been an easy ride but when you look back at it it’s been a fun one.

Maybe Redknapp’s right. Maybe this is the best season we’ve managed since the inception of the Premier League. Personally I don’t think it is but whichever way you look at it, it’s better than being West Ham, Blackpool or Birmingham this morning.

COYS

, , , ,
Read More

And Now, The End Is Near

May 20th, 2011 Posted in Match Previews, Premier League
May, 20 2011
10 Comments »

…..and so we face, the final curtain. It’s the last match preview of the season but unfortunately there’s not really much to get excited about other than possibly having a hand in sending Birmingham to the Championship and pipping Liverpool to 5th spot and the Europa League place. Judging by Tim Sherwood’s comments about Europe’s secondary competition being the perfect stage to give younger and fringe players some game time and a chance to shine I’m not that excited about the prize for 5th place.

I’ve got nothing against the competition really, other than it’s been diluted by UEFA and teams don’t take it seriously. Personally I stand on the side of the fence that argues if we’re going to play youngsters and therefore not take it seriously why bother? I’d certainly expect ticketing to be priced at £15 a head or less. Come this time next year we could’ve just won a major European trophy so why not go for it from the start? Anyway, that’s a discussion for next season.

Back to Sunday and with the exception of West Ham (ok, stop laughing now) there are 5 teams who can still go down, albeit it’s most likely two from Wigan, Blackpool and Birmingham. Until a couple of weeks ago I would’ve said I want Blackpool to stay up, but having spent the last 9 months enjoying their brand of football I’ve now developed a dislike for them, after their bullyboy and downright thuggish at times behaviour in our encounter at White Hart Lane. Nothing personal of course and if they do beat the drop then so be it, I would expect them to disappear into the abyss next year anyway so I’ll get my twisted bit of revenge then.

That leaves Wigan and our opponents Birmingham. I love the fact Wigan don’t change their style of football even when they’re struggling and Roberto Martinez is always worth an interview, usually smiling and trying to get his team to play expansive football. Their fans are second to none, constantly supporting their team and making noise even though there’s not a lot of them so final day heriocs would be perfect for them. Then there’s Birmingham, who let us not forget enjoyed their day at Wembley slightly more than our north London neighbours, but they represent everything I hate about football. Boring for the most part and their main objective is to fight for every point and make it hard for the opposition to play. They’re negative and try to keep a clean sheet before they try to score. This can be very successful but it’s not entertainment in my eyes and that’s what football’s meant to be. They’ve also got Lee Bowyer on the payroll.

I don’t like to watch teams like Stoke, Wolves, Blackburn, Everton, the old Bolton teams, Arsenal teams under George Graham etc and the disappointing fact is, hard working, disciplined teams often do quite well in the premier league which is why there are more and more of them. So that being said of all three teams it’s Birmingham I’d like to see get relegated which by a happy coincidence means it’s a Spurs win that’s needed on the final day. How we play could be a sign of just how badly we want the Europa League or not too.

Personally, I think it’s important to finish a season well and a win at Anfield, followed by a convincing victory at home could see us go into the summer break and the inevitable transfer merry-go-round on a high instead of wondering what might have been.

There’s not much else to say really. It’s a pity this isn’t a massive game for us with a lot hanging on the result but the following stats (taken from the BBC) probably say more than any other why that’s the case:

  • Victory at Anfield last weekend was only Tottenham’s second win in 11 league games.
  • Spurs have suffered just one league defeat at home this season, a record bettered by only Manchester United. However, they have drawn nine games at White Hart Lane, the highest tally in the top flight.
  • Tottenham have won three of 11 games against sides in the bottom six this season (W3, D5, L3). Had they won all those games, they would be one point clear of Manchester United at the top of the table.

That last one’s a bit of a stinker as far as we’re concerned. All if’s, but’s and maybe’s of course but to make it seem less extreme how about we pretend we just managed to turn the 5 draws into wins? Oh, that’s not much better. We’d be sitting in 3rd just in front of Man City, and Arsenal of all people would be outside the Champions League places with 1 game to go.

We’re so very close to something great when you look at the cold hard facts. One thing we can obviously do better is pick up more points against the lower teams as those above us do and we might as well start on Sunday and in the process send a dull, anti-entertainment team packing.

COYS

, , , , ,
Read More

Where Are The Haters Now?

May 17th, 2011 Posted in Match Reports, Premier League
May, 17 2011
16 Comments »

Amazing isn’t it? One result, albeit very good result and a half decent performance later and all the Harry haters are silenced. Well, not quite.

The one thing I’ve been trying to get across all season is the majority of fans don’t hate Harry. Most, if not all, appreciate what he’s done since he arrived at the club. How could you not? 2 points from 8 games and all that, into the Champions League quarter final and back to 5th place again. The foundation was already laid for his arrival when you look at the squad he inherited but he still had to do the job and he did it fantastically. Anyone who says differently is quite simply wrong or trying to wind a TalkSPORT presenter up.

However, far from silencing those fans who have been disappointed with the way the season has finished, our first win at Anfield since 1993 has highlighted just what this team is capable of and provided more questions than answers. Equally as important as the 3 points were in the chase for the Europa League spot (I’m not going to go into whether you want it or not), the win should give everyone renewed hope for next season.

Liverpool were far from the excellent team they’ve been in recent weeks and thankfully we weren’t the poor, lackluster team we’ve been but it showed it doesn’t matter how much other teams spend in transfer windows, we’ve got the quality to compete with all of them and with the addition of a few quality players in the summer there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be looking to do exactly that next season.

Belief is a huge thing in football and with wins at Anfield, the Emirates and the San Siro there’s no reason why this team shouldn’t realise how good they are. Or at least have the potential to be. The only barriers left are Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge and judging by this season’s games it won’t be long before those are lifted too, leaving no venue to be feared. With the exception of the Reebok of course which will remain a hoodoo for us as long as Kevin Davies is playing for Bolton.

Quite why the team has gone off the boil in the last couple of months I don’t know. It’s something we’ll probably never know. Tiredness, physical and mental perhaps from a first season in the Champions League? Pressure as we tried to get a top 4 place? Complacency when facing teams in the bottom half? We clearly step up when facing a team we know will offer competition compared to those we believe we’ll beat in first gear.

I stand by what I’ve always said that we should be in a higher position in the table than we have ended up. For whatever reasons we’ve dropped too many points in crucial games but the ability is there as proven on Sunday. More so than City and Liverpool. Accepting 5th or 6th place isn’t the right way to go about things which is where some of the respect for Redknapp has been lost. Whether you think we can’t compete on a regular basis with those teams above us who have more money or not is fine, but this season as a one off we have competed with them as we did last season. That’s two season’s we’ve competed with teams who can outspend us in every transfer market and this season’s dropped points can be easily identified. Fix those next season and we’ll compete once again and before you know it that’s three seasons back to back and the money and stadium excuses are no longer valid just as they aren’t now.

Finishing outside the top 4 has nothing to do with how much Man City, Chelsea or anyone else spend on players. It has nothing to do with playing in the Champions League when you consider others have done the same or even more in the Europa League. All winning at Anfield does against a Liverpool side on the up is confirm we’re good enough to be in the top 4 and that the only excuse is we’ve taken our eye off the ball in the last couple of months. As soon as Redknapp admits that, then the haters will be silenced and the team will no doubt go onto bigger and better things as a result.

, , , ,
Read More

Time To Work On Next Season

May 13th, 2011 Posted in Match Previews, Premier League
May, 13 2011
1 Comment »

Not a massive pre-match write up today because like the players and coaching staff, with the exception of possibly Modric and Gallas, I’ve switched into summer break mode already. Whether you rate this season as a disappointment or one of the best in “God knows how long”, there’s no doubt it’s starting to wind down and it’s ending in a forgettable way.

However, there’s still time to start laying the foundations for next season. Anfield’s our final away game on Sunday against a team who’s resurgence since Kenny Dalglish took the reins again or more accurately since the January transfer window shut with them one lightweight, has been, injury prone striker less having been replaced with two bright, young and very talented ones, has been nothing short of miraculous. Scoring goals, looking tight at the back and bringing players from their academy into the first team successfully it looks like ‘pool’s time outside the top 4 could be a short one.

I remember back in August speaking with people about how we needed to start the season well because I wouldn’t want to go to Anfield needing anything from it. Losing at Anfield has become routine for many clubs but we at Spurs have a special record similar to our Old Trafford one. One win since 1986 and we’ve only drawn 6 of those. As with Old Trafford it’s a mental thing. No matter what players we have or who’s in charge we don’t go to Anfield believing we can win.

Last season was a prime example of this. We were playing well and aiming for a top 4 finish for the first time and they were in free fall, with fat Rafa looking to systematically bring them down from within and yet we went there and rolled over, losing far more comfortably than the 2-0 scoreline suggested.

Forget about the fact this game will no doubt decide who finishes 5th and therefore play in next season’s Europa League, its bigger than that. After what can only be described as a poor final third of the season little victories like 3 points at Anfield could help in years to come. For starters the 1 win in 26 visits would stop being brought up and mentioned to players before every match which must play on their subconscious to a certain degree making doubts enter their minds before they’ve even arrived at the stadium.

If you don’t want to play in the Europa League then you’ll be hoping, maybe hoping isn’t the right word but you won’t be too upset if we continue with tradition and lose but imagine this time next season and we’ve got a trip to Anfield much like last season’s champions league decider at Eastlands. Would you prefer the players had the self belief that they could win there because they’d managed it 12 months earlier? Of course you would. Hell, if you really don’t want us to play on Thursday nights you’d be better off hoping we win on Sunday but lose against Birmingham so Liverpool still finish above us.

Fifth place or sixth really doesn’t make much difference to either team. No matter what sound bites are made, neither position is where they want to be. Liverpool fans will be happy they appear to be turning a corner and can go into next season with more belief than they did this and we Spurs fans need something similar to happen to our season that wipes away the cobwebs that have appeared in the last couple of months, so for that reason and the importance of this fixture on future visits we must win or at least put in a performance that’s been lacking since the end of February.

COYS

, ,
Read More

Not A Good Season – Gallas

May 11th, 2011 Posted in Articles
May, 11 2011
16 Comments »

Normally I wouldn’t bother regurgitating what’s been said on another website, but considering the split opinions on whether this has been a good or disappointing season (some can be seen in the comments of this mornings article) I thought it would be interesting. For the last few months I’ve been bleeting on to anyone who will listen about our league form, or lack of form if being pedantic. Even during the early stages of the season and even though we would be winning games I voiced my concerns. I should point out at this stage I’m a perfectionist and a pessimist. Not a good combination and neither makes for a happy Spurs fan.

You see, I’m happy to win like we all are but I prefer to win with style. Last season we won with style. I’ve spent more than my fair share of this season moaning about one thing or the other, whether it was in November questioning the tactical use of van der Vaart and whether his inclusion in the side was actually a hindrance to the team no matter how good he is as an individual or asking whether we were actually lucky to get the draw we needed against AC Milan having got the tactics completely wrong and ended up defending for our lives for most of the game. I know these things come from the perfectionist side of me, not that I’m perfect by any means or even that anything I say is correct but they’re my thoughts and how I roll as the kids say. I wish I was someone who could easily watch a match and not worry about the apparent lack of cover for our right back because vdV is drifting inside too much or question the logic of a certain substitution. It must be so much better to be able to just sit back and enjoy the game but I’ve been cursed with this anal attitude of wanting everything to be perfect.

Which brings me onto my point. There are plenty of people who see this season as one of the best in living memory, and I presume when they say living memory they mean since football was broadcast on TV as much as it has been in the last two decades. I’ve got absolutely not problem with people thinking that, just as I would hope people wouldn’t have a problem with me disagreeing with them. However, while there are plenty of fans out there who feel as I do, any noise coming from within Tottenham itself and in particular the press don’t. This made me assume those of us who felt this way must be wrong. Of course we’re entitled to our opinion and as such can never be wrong but maybe we’re misguided and unrealistic? After all, the people actually playing don’t seem to be that disappointed and we all know what the managers thoughts on this season are so maybe we really have done as well as we could.

That is until Tom Collomosse at the Evening Standard got an interview with William Gallas. Gallas is a player I’ll happily admit I was wrong about. I didn’t want him at the club, not because of who he used to play for but because I thought he was past it. Credit where it’s due though he’s been one of our better performers, even after a shaky start and he’s proven Redknapp right as well as being one of, if not his best signings. If you want to read the entire article click the link but I’ll just highlight a couple of quotes:

“Even if people say ‘you had a great season’, I don’t think so”

“When we play against the small teams, maybe – I say maybe – we thought we had won before we played, so perhaps that’s the mistake we made.

“We dropped too many points against Blackpool, Wolves and West Ham.

“We made too many mistakes but now we know which mistakes we made, it will not be good if we make the same ones again.”

I’m not sure his manager will be happy hearing him say those things which go completely against the soundbites he’s been giving but I for one am. It tells me at least one person within the entire set-up at Spurs feels the same way as I do. At least one person who’s had a say in what’s happened this season feels we should’ve done better. I dare say the vast majority of those involved feel the same way and quite possibly even the manager does but doesn’t want to admit failure.

Maybe the divide between happy and sad is equally apparent within the confines of White Hart Lane as it is out of it? Admittance is the first step to recovery isn’t it? If so, I hope Gallas has laid the seeds for the new season early.

COYS

, , , ,
Read More

In Harry We Trust?

May 11th, 2011 Posted in Articles, Match Reports, Premier League
May, 11 2011
29 Comments »

So last night saw the final nail hammered into our top 4 coffin. Once again, there was little surprise in how the game unfolded. We dominated possession and looked, no, we were the better team but didn’t get the job done.

Few great chances were created and those that were we missed. Man City for their part did what they’ve done for most of the season and that was try to win at all costs. Mancini wouldn’t have lasted that long at Spurs with the style of football he likes to play but all credit to City. Our failure to cement our place in the top 4 of a poor league this season isn’t down to them or anyone other than ourselves. The simple fact of the matter is, at least from my point of view, is we should’ve walked it this season.

Last season as Crouch scored the winning goal in the same spot as he steered his unfortunate own goal last night we’d amassed 70 points from 37 games. This season we’re sitting on 56 from 36 games. A simple parity with last season would’ve seen us now sitting in the top 3. How that isn’t seen as a decline in performance I don’t know but instead of going on about it again I’m going to use some quotes that Redknapp made after last nights game to help us put things into perspective.

In case you’re feeling upset by the apparent missed opportunity to really push on this season and are wondering quite how we’re finishing behind a Man City team that doesn’t look to have improved on last season and will probably finish behind a Liverpool team that had it’s worse start in 50 years as well as changing managers and owners, ‘Arrys sarcastic quip should help:

“I’m going to go and commit suicide, it’s so sad” – in laymens terms, get over it.

It seems this run of 9 points from 10 games isn’t a lack of form so we shouldn’t worry. To suggest it’s relegation form would be stupid too, especially as most of the teams in that battle have managed to get a similar points tally in the last 6 games. If we were to lose an Anfield, and lets face it, it wouldn’t be the first time then our form is likely to be the second worse in the league but who am I to suggest such a thing when the man in charge says:

“We’ve been in good form, much better than the results have shown.”

Aren’t form and results related quite heavily? Don’t blame the strikers either. In fact it’s not just the strikers we should be blaming here although good one’s would move defenders about and put away chances but blame has to be laid at others feet too. Modric last night missed a glorious chance but then I guess if he added goalscoring to his talents we’d definitely lose him this summer. So it’s a lack of killer instinct running throughout the entire squad. Oh hang on, what’s that?

“It’s not a lack of killer instinct.” – WOW, much like turning down the Suarez deal because “he’s no better than what we already have” this worries me.

Speaking of Modric, he’s a player we need to keep hold of this summer. We all know that. I have my own feelings on Bale that I shouldn’t really go into because it gets people angry but lets just say if we were offered £20m+ plus Adam Johnson and Shay Given from Man City (rumoured) I’d bite their hands off. Anyway, so we’ve got to keep our best players unless silly offers come in which would ultimately improve the team and that means keeping those players happy which they won’t be at the moment. Making sure they know we’ll be improving the team with quality:

“I don’t know if we’ve got any money to spend. We will have to wait and see – if not we will get on with it and go again.”

That’s encouraging then. This season has split fans right down the middle. There are those who believe it’s been great, one of the best they can remember and if you compare it to 10 years ago I guess there’s little argument that it’s been better. Then there are those who feel let down by it. Not that it’s been a poor season by any means but certainly not as great as some make out.

“Over the whole season it’s been a great season. Probably the best Tottenham have had in God knows how long.”

I love moments like this because it makes me feel like God. I know the answer, as we all probably do. In God knows how long he states. Let’s try the best season since the last one. Last season was better than this surely? What about before that? 2008/09 wasn’t great although the second half was decent thanks to Redknapps arrival (I give credit where it’s due) and we managed to finish on 51 points which is likely to be only 8 less than this season. 2007/08 was a disaster but before that were the two seasons Martin Jol managed to guide a team with Teemu Tainio and Steed Malbranque in it to back to back 5th place finishes, both with higher points than we can get this season. That was also against a tougher top 4 and with players he had no say over signing. So in answer to the it’s been the best season Tottenham have had in God know’s how long I’d have to say it’s been the 4th best season in the last 6. Not quite the same.

Finally, just in case the already dark cloud above Mr Redknapp’s head gets serious and fans on mass genuinely start questioning whether he’s taken the club as far as he can or worse the board start asking themselves the same question, lets not forget the most important thing in all of this:

“We had two points from eight games, so we’ve improved the players here rather than gone out and spent money. We hadn’t made it before and this was our first year in it.”

I hear he’s had that tattooed on Sandra’s right breast. Whatever happens from this point forward there’s no doubt in my mind if we manage to hold onto our best players and add the one’s we should’ve added last summer we’ll be in the mix again next season and if we could just get on with things instead of making excuse after excuse while being honest when we’ve been poor we could go forward instead of slip further backwards like we have this year.

COYS

, , ,
Read More

Title Contenders to Top 4 No Hopers

May 9th, 2011 Posted in Match Reports, Premier League
May, 09 2011
7 Comments »

If 90 minutes of football could encapsulate an entire domestic season for a football club, then the 1-1 draw on Saturday at home to Blackpool was it. We went into the game with many fans looking forward to a convincing win. Even someone like me, with my half empty glass thought we were due a home game where goals would flow and we’d get a relatively easy victory. No disrespect to Blackpool of course but they’re not the same team that was performing so well in the first half of the season and with Man City’s earlier defeat the door to the top 4 was left slightly ajar once again.

Unfortunately what we got was similar to what we’ve witnessed for large portions of the season. I’m not talking about the Champions League which saw us playing high tempo, exciting football, getting stuck in and showing a will to win. I’m talking about the Saturday games, matches we seem to turn up for expecting to win in first or second gear. Especially the home games. Whether you blame the strikers alone or the team as a whole it makes little difference, we’ve struggled to score and win on a consistent enough basis.

When you consider the champions elect this season have only won 5 away games (albeit with a superb home record) and all the other teams above and around us have failed to improve on last seasons points tally and performances you’ve got to think we’ve missed a trick this season. With one more years experience behind the team surely there should’ve been improvement?

“We’ve drawn too many games lately and we just haven’t quite been able to kill teams off. Whether we’ve just gone flat after the Champions League run, and we were so involved in that, it can take an awful lot out of you.” – Harry Redknapp

So, because of the involvement in the Champions League the reason / excuse for a lacklustre performance is tiredness? That doesn’t explain the other similar displays throughout the season but more importantly it’s utter rubbish. Thanks to our terrible domestic cup form, come May 22nd we will have played 3 games more than we did last season. That’s 3 extra games in 10 months of football, or approximately 27 minutes more a month.

Those of us who have felt let down at times this season have been considered by many as unrealistic or fickle. I prefer to see it as ambitious, maybe overly ambitious, but ambitious all the same. We all know what the team is capable of and when you look at performances like Saturday you have to wonder why we’re not performing to our full potential. Maybe Redknapp’s right. Maybe the Champions League took so much out of the players mentally that now physically they’ve got nothing to give, but I would’ve thought the relegation battle Blackpool, Wigan, West Ham and Wolves have been involved in would be far more mentally taxing than trips to the San Siro and Bernabèu. So why did I expect more from this season? Why did I look at the relevant squads in August and believe not only could be achieve a top 4 finish again but we could possibly push on?

“We can beat anybody and this win today has put us right back in the race again. We can achieve anything. We have to believe. It is not impossible to win the title.” – Harry Redknapp

That was said in November. He’d already stated we could win the league before the season kicked off. Some thought he was crazy but I liked the idea and positivity. I didn’t think for one second it could actually be done but there was definitely a chance of competing for it at least until the final couple of months. What’s the point in going into a season with any other attitude anyway? The Bill Nic quote, “It’s better to fail aiming high than to succeed aiming low”, was bandied about all over the net. Consider we’re only 10 points behind United in top spot with a game in hand and you’ll see had we managed to improve on last season he would’ve been right.

Back to Saturday’s performance. Blackpool deserved their point, although their slightly over aggressive display left a bad taste in my mouth but needs must when you’re at the wrong end of the table. Hopefully Charlie Adam will face retrospective punishment for his tackle on Bale because it was definitely meant no matter what the talented Scotsman says. At least that tackle should mean we won’t have to worry about Redknapp making him his number one target in the summer. The pre-match interviews revolved around the Europe League and getting into 5th place in the league:

“Teams who get into the Europa League want to get out of it. Half of them put reserve teams out in the early stages and it’s difficult to play every Thursday and Sunday. It disrupts things. We didn’t have European football last year and we finished fourth. That was a big advantage to us. Our first year in the Champions League has been hard. It has taken its toll but the Europa League takes a bigger toll.” – Harry Redknapp

Hardly inspiring words to get a team ready for a game. Of course the lads wanted to win but it’s clear the thoughts of the manager are very much if we don’t get into 5th place and the Europa League it won’t be the end of the world. We all know the Europa League is a badly organised tournament with too many games, against teams from too far away and it’s importance is diminished even more when the losers from the Champions League drop into it, but surely giving the impression in the press that you’d rather not be in it and therefore not finish high enough in the league to get that position isn’t the right thing to say to motivate a team into a good performance.

What about the rest of the season and more importantly our chances of getting back into the top 4 next season? Spending money isn’t a guarantee of success. No matter how much Chelsea and City have spent had we improved by only 5-6 points this season over last they’d finish below us. Neither of those teams have improved even with the vast amounts of cash thrown at the transfer market. Hopefully with the right additions made to our squad we’ll prove this season is just a blip but just in case we don’t we’re getting our excuses in early:

“It’s a tough ask, that top four. If people are realistic and understand football they’d look at the top four and say ‘Look, who’s going to drop out of the top four every year? Manchester United? I don’t think so. Man City are going to spend God knows what this summer now that they have Champions League football to offer their players. Arsenal are going to be in it, Chelsea too, and Man United. We did it last year but it was so tough.” – Harry Redknapp

I can only presume when he stated we could win the league at the beginning of the year he was either lying or being unrealistic. At least we don’t have to worry about players leaving though, or at least the players we don’t want to leave.

“When they came here they weren’t in the Champions League, and when I arrived here they weren’t anywhere near Champions League football.” – Harry Redknapp

Thank God we’ve got Harry Redknapp in charge. Without him we’d be back struggling to get into the top 8 and players like Modric, Bale, Dawson, Lennon, Ekotto, Huddlestone etc would be playing in the Championship somewhere.

Did he raise my hopes or did I do that myself? A little bit of both I think but I’ve never been one to take what he says seriously. How can you when he’s got a column in The Sun, but based on what I saw last season we had a real chance this time around. Maybe not to win the league, actually definitely not to win the league but the top 4 should’ve been achieved once again and if we’re talking about realism, I believe top 3 was there for the taking. Whether it’s been injuries, the introduction of a new system, champions league hangovers, strikers not scoring or everyone believing our own hype the one thing we’ve seen far too much of this season is lacklustre, uninspiring performances. Last season we showed week in, week out how badly we wanted Champions League football. This season we look like we’ve enjoyed the experience but forgot we’d have to fight to get it again.

Win, lose or draw we should all expect 100%. Had we got that this season in every league game we’d be looking at Champions League once again.

, , , , , ,
Read More
Older Entries