I see this blog loosely as a work in three acts. Vitriol, facts and lastly some sense of conclusion. So here she is…
What in the name of Norman Wisdom was that? A Champions League quarter final or an open audition for Celebrity Clusterfeck On Ice?
The Spanish seemingly played with a football but whenever we got a touch of it it became a greasy sphere of helium with a poltergeist trapped inside it. Peter Crouch, part man, part giraffe, part rich feckin‘ tea biscuit. Unfortunately out of all the possible combinations his brain was supplied by the biscuit.
I see some are calling for him to be sold. As PT Barnum is no longer trading perhaps it might be swifter to duct tape a video of his valiant efforts last night between his butt cheeks, cram to capacity his grinning toothy gob with polystyrene chips empty a catering sized bottle of Frenchs’ American Mustard over his head and have him sectioned under the Mental Health Act.
Jermaine Jenas then. Here we have The Wizard Of Oz The Musical in human form. Heartless, brainless, without courage but in fairness lots of mindlessy effeminate running, skipping and friend of Judy type behaviour. Why hasn’t he been sold before now? Let me break this to you gently – he’s so desperately poor not even the rubbish clubs want him.
So what actually happened? Let’s start at the beginning shall we? You and me were on innocently suckling from our second beer and we suddenly clock Jenas in the shirt. Before either of us can say get security!, it’s announced that Azza Blud isn’t well. In actual fact it has only been some sixty seconds since he shared his ‘unwellness’ with our glorious leader, Arry.
But this isn’t the first time Arry was aware of this ‘unwellness’ indeed; we are told that the player had been a bit ‘unwell’ for hours if not days beforehand and that it was the pre-match warming up that exacerbated whatever was bugging him. So that makes the player guilty of being a complete and utter idiot as he should have really emphasised to Arry that he wasn’t in great shape and the manager could have then given some thought to a Plan B, rather than suddenly changing everything literally, at the last minute.
If the little schoolboy wants to go to the toilet and fails to raise his hand until it’s already running down his leg, we should comfort him and point out how this can be avoided next time. But when a grown man does it and whizzes all over our chances in Europe then he needs help I’m not qualified to provide.
Arry is the best thing to have happened to this Club since Keith left. This may come as a shock to some of you but I’m not expressing an opinion. Beyond the 2 points from 8 games [t-shirts still available in the foyer] business he has been singularly responsible for inserting a spine into what used to be a gang of occasionally fun to watch chancers.
It’s been a subtle a renaissance, but renaissance never the less. Under Redschnapps we no longer rock up to places like Blackpool and lose because we had to goaded off the coach and then begged to go out and run around for a bit. We now rock up to places like Blackpool and lose because the wipe-board sessions at the Lodge focusing on cow’s bottoms and banjos simply don’t permeate with this lot. Best of Greavsie tape, anyone?
You cannot achieve success and yet ‘have a bit missing’ from your game. It doesn’t work like that. How much did Pav cost? And Defoe and Crouch? You add all that together and I bet you could go out and buy one bloke who was capable of routinely scoring goals.
Manchester United have Berbatov and Rooney. Chelsea have Anelka and Drogba. At the other end of the food chain we have Wigan and I can’t even name their striker(s). Do you see what I’m driving at here?
It’s not Arry that’s taken us a far as he can, it’s the players. So as some of you sit there with your grandmother’s locket in your hot little hand staring into a sepia effect snap of Jose Mourinho, the rest of us who aren’t subject to a Care Order will weigh up the next move in the real world. Jose isn’t coming – he only manages men.
Last night you could say that Arry was out-witted by Jose. But how difficult must it have been? You and I sit in front of these screens pointing out the same stuff week in week out. I’d be amazed if Jose actually had a strategy for coping with our strikers. It was ll about Modders, Bale and Van der Vaart. Once they were eliminated it was job done. Arry’s decision to play Bale on the right did half the job for them and playing with ten men did the rest.
Levy is a bold Chairman and frequently a wise one. But he’ll win nothing a children.
Real Madrid are another Jose side, another side of Champions in waiting. The Jose template is shrouded in mystery, charisma and magic. But what is there for a fool to see is that there are no insane individual error merchants, no children who cannot get to the toilet in time.
Levy will have to be brave and discount some of the players that must be sold. No one likes losing money, but the first step to making a profit is often stopping a loss. Jermaine Jenas is a loser. Jermain Defoe is a loser. Vedran Corluka is a loser. If you want to debate this, then fine, tell me what they have won. Also tell me when you expect them to start.
These players crop up in every team and whilst they look at worst benign they are in fact cancerous and for the good of the patient must be cut out.
So in the aftermath of all the weeping and wailing we tell ourselves that it’s time to focus on the League. A phrase that chills me to the bone. All the successful sides have been doing that since last summer.
We’ll win nothing with children. Nothing.
Lots of well-considered responses on here, that’s what I came to like about this blog. I also admire the balance and positivity of many of you.
But I’m depressed as a Spurs fan. I love this club, it runs deep in my blood. But I can feel the creep of apathy as a sinking feeling that we’ve blown it comes up on me. So many of the arguments made today I have heard a thousand times in my time supporting Spurs.
Isn’t the definition of idiocy repeating the same thing expecting a different outcome? That’s what supporting Spurs is feeling like. We got a glimpse of the promised land but there is a malaise, a mediocrity, and a timidity that is so reminiscent of the late Ramos days.
What above all is hurting me is that for many, many years we have underachieved. This squad of players, with the talent they have each shown at various stages, is underperformining again. No, I don’t expect them to be winning the league, but I expect them to make a better fist of games against low down teams. To show heart and courage more than one in every ten games.
And above all, Jenas. That man is a cancer, he just will not go. He is everything wrong about Spurs – missed potential, pointless bluster, utter inconsistency and a creeping, poisonous mediocrity.
Yes, I know this is doom and gloom and I’m wrong to be, but it’s how I feel. I feel like I’ve seen a thousand – a million – false dawns with this club and I’m getting fed up with it. I can’t go on loving something that just doesn’t feel like it loves us back.
HH: I spent most of last season dreading seeing his name on the teamsheet, but to be fair he did have two or three decent games this season and I started to have second thoughts. But that is out of maybe 20 appearances. All in all, he does not earn his ‘corn’, and if he never played for us again, I would not be saddened.
Couldn’t have put it better myself. Great piece.
What a shocking evening. It’s clear to see how far we have to go. We have definitely learnt from the debacle and we can easily see who has to leave/come in summer :
Jenas is a liability, and whenever I see his name on the teamsheet I drop a brick. He adds nothing to the team with his sideways and backwards passes – someone should tell him its not rugby and the ball can go forwards. Waste of a squad space.
Our front line has to be gutted – Crouch, Defoe are not good enough and Pav will never get a look in. Sell them all and buy in someone with an aggressive physical style of play like a Drogba/Adebayor to scare defences
We lack depth at CB as we are wasting two spots on terminally crocked players – this means we have to rush back players who are not ready. As much as I love Ledders and Woody, they have to be let go or offered coaching roles.
Sandro is awesome and should be offered a big contract to stay – future Spurs Captain
We lack depth in the squad, despite what commentators say about having one of the best squads in the league. When you see Higuain, Diarra and Kaka coming off the bench, it’s clear to see we have no depth in comparison to the top teams
Am also not sure if Harry’s lost it. Part of me wants to believe that he will come good again, but no wins since Milan in Feb and no goals for weeks on end makes me worried. And I kalso now the players spent most of their time in the bars and clubs on their training break in Dubai – I’m all for team spirit, but being 40% body alcohol is not the way to do it. This would prob not have happened at any of the current top 5 in the PL.
OK rant over for now……..
Oh and to top it – I have to listen to my Schalke supporting Mrs remind me that they are virtually through……… bugger.
I think though our collective level of sheer despair today is a sign of how far we have come, and that we see such achievements like getting a CL QF as disappointing. We have had some great times along the way and its been a real adventure. It’s just a shame it had to end in such a humiliating way.
To quote Will ‘Fresh Prince’ Smith…
I ain’t heard no fat laydeeeh
Ia Harry the best thing since Kieth, Keane, Defoe and Crouch were all bought as strikers and they are all shit. Plan aA against Real Madrid was the long ball to Crouch and hope the ball bounced off of him and landed at one of our midfield players :whistle: Hardly the stuff of Einstein, what we saw was a team with no other ideas because the manager is so limited :sick: Maybe big Joe is the bains of the operation, because I saw nothing from Redknapp lastnight :shocked2:
Jenas is a cowardly sissy boy. He lacks character and is suited to Arsenal. Modric also lacked character. Van Der Vaart is all about himself.
Dawson has the kind of character needed. More like him please. Crouch is and always will be a 2nd rate player out of his awkward depth at the highest level. His 2 yellows were incredibly stupid in such a big game.
Harry is like Wenger; he relies on the ability of his players because he lacks tactical nous.
When was the last time Jenas got a game? What happened to Lennon? were the checks in his eyebrows done wrong. Shambles
To be fair, you can’t blame that on Redknapp. Are you saying he should be playing J***s more regularly in case we need him? If so, I and another million will join you in the belly-laughs.
Everyone bangs on about squad rotation, then EXACTLY the same people will say ‘Play your best 11′ when the manager tries to rotate the squad. It’s called hindsight and football fans are the undisputed kings o’ the world when it comes to hindsight in dollops.
I think the problem with Jenas in particular, is he shows no ‘heart’ in the game. We have three players who are regarded as talented, Bentley, Keane and Jenas, and all three of them seem to go through the motions.
On the other hand, we have O’Hara, who has nowhere near the talent of these three, but will fight all the way for 90 mins when he is given the chance. I would rather see Jamie in the team, than any of these three.
when lennon dropped out it waas only one position that needed to be changed,but rednapp makes 2 positional changes and throws the team out of balance,and he has done it before to pisspoor results also.
yes rednapp must take 50% of the blame imo
Greavsie – the foundation was laid more than six seasons ago. Three straight fifth place finishes with a promising young club. Those that are applauding HR for this miracle last to fourth have had a labotamy and their memory cells removed.
With a laundry list of proven CL winning managers out there, the availability of ample cash, and the most talented young squad in Europe, we all were talking about league titles back in the summer of 2008. If you step back to then and jump forward to today, and look at one fourth place finish and only a Carling Cup to show for, you have to come to the conclusion that we have failed miserably.
Unlike 2008, where most of us saw nothing but better times ahead, I cannot see how anybody can believe we have a solid foundation for doing anything but going backwards.
There are five other clubs with much better managers, heaps of money available, great young strikers, and much better defences.
Spurs on the otherhand have one promising striker who never plays, a lot of money locked into players nobody wants to buy, can only raise funds by selling our best players, our two best defenders have been hurt for the last two seasons and are finished, and we have an excuse-filled manager is who openly telling the press before a huge CL match that we cannot defend because our back line is so weak.
We do have a lot of great, young talent on the rise, but with a manager who refuses to play young players unless he has a gun to his head, none of us believe there is much light there either.
What “foundation” do we have that is anywhere close to what we had back in 2008? Given our form since the beginning of the year, what hope is there that we have better times ahead?
Dead on. People have forgotten (aided by the 2 from 8 media mantra cultivated by Harry himself) that we were on the cusp before an absolutely bizarre and anomalous half-season with Ramos, the result perhaps both of players lost in translation and the ripples of Berbatov’s poison. That we had 2 points from 8 games was the defining moment of a long period of staving off relegation; it was an anomaly during a general upward rise from the mid-2000s onwards.
Part of my growing dislike for Harry is that sneaking feeling, at last expressed by someone, that he’s created for himself the title of miracle worker, where all he did was return us to the status quo. This season was perhaps a far better barometer of his capacity to move us on again – and in my mind he’s failed. His enhanced reputation is not earned, but a combination of common-sense managerialism and the blind luck of inheriting a talented and hugely underperforming team. Granted he brings common-sense in spades, a very necessary remedy to the malaise that was the Ramos era, but, as we’ve all suspected, he hit his ceiling some time ago and this season has only been one long demonstration of that fact. Our success in the CL has been based on little more than the sort of ‘who gives a sh*t’ attitude that newcomers can afford and our ‘unknown’ quality. We’ve become the media darlings as the great unknowns and many of us have enjoyed that. But make no mistake, there has been no sustained progression. Our league form is as bad as I can ever remember it, and our position the result of a lot more luck than judgment.
I don’t know what the answer is, but I’m coming to terms with the end of the latest false dawn.
I think that’s a slightly selective view. Ramos had us on the cusp, yes, of relegation. The ‘championship team’ of 2008 also had Carrick & Berba, two huge losses when they went. Recently we’ve been able to hold on to these kinds of players and long may the club show such strength – this summer will be a big test if Bale is starting to make maybe noises.
But as for returning us to the status quo, what status quo would that be? That of always being in the CL 1/4 final? I must have missed that bit of the last 30 years.
For all of the possibles and what might have beens, Harry has actually managed to do what other people have not done with our squad of great players & get us feeding at that top table. Again, don’t get me wrong, Harry is not the messiah, he’s not even a naughty boy but I think there is a considered effort among an awful lot of people to talk down his achievements. If Maureen had come in and done what Redknapp has done we’d all be calling him a genius and writing him love letters.
Personally, I think if we’d stuck by Jol rather than all muttering into our beer when push came to shove that Ramos might be a better option, then we would probably be where we are now anyway… But we’ll never know, and that’s the problem. We’ll never find out if we constantly think the grass is greener the other side of the street.