Wotcha.
I keep reading comments from awfully well meaning types this morning saying that at the beginning of the season they would have taken fourth.
Wow. How noble. But more to the point, what a really odd thing to say.
In isolation, finishing fourth is a good thing – no; an excellent thing. Champions League football and peck on the cheek from the Prom Queen. So what if another team outside the top four wins the Champions League and nudges us out? What are the odds?! You can’t legislate for crazy, madcap things like that happening. Can you?
Well you can.
Because this finish wasn’t in isolation to anything. To assert otherwise is insane. Not optimistic, not naive but just common or garden bonkers.
Given that Spurs weren’t struck down with any season wrecking injuries or suddenly faced teams that revolutionised football the flushing of the 10+ point advantage is why we’re all now nervously making pro Bayern noises.
Some of you can’t cope with the reality of the situation. You’re the same lemmings that haven’t noticed that since he’s run out of exit doors that Arry has started calling us, ‘us’ again and not referring to us in the third person.
What happened to this Club this season is nothing shy of scandalous.
And now we have the rogue playing the health card as many do when they’ve run of legitimate reasons why people should bother paying them any attention. He’s saying he might not got to the Euros with the BBC because of his trials and tribulations. Ooh my heart, ooh me tax case. Ooh naff off you chancer.
“I want Bayern to beat Chelsea, whether Frank plays or not.
“He knows there’s no love lost. My allegiance is Tottenham only. I want Tottenham in the Champions League next year.
Err…
“I’ll be rooting for Chelsea I want to see an English team win it anyway and I think they can do it.”
Arry Redschnapps April 21st 2012
“If people get carried away with what Tottenham should achieve, they need a reality check.”
Arry, the only reality check people want is the THFC Board to replace you with one of those orange Keepon things off the EDF advert …or something equally competent.
.
How wonderfully and with such style you patronise, Harry.
I would argue that as we approached the ‘difficult’ run of games in February, we were already looking like a team losing its momentum; we were struggling to beat teams as opposed to cutting a flamboyant swathe through them. It was no surprise to me that the squad’s fortunes took a turn for the worst. What did surprise was the completeness of the collapsed.
Our back line is forever changing which would be fine if we had quality back up, but as we all know this is not the case. Also, given that so many of our goals are scored by midfielders and defenders – due to our not having a regular scoring striker – this means that if the midfielders and defenders tire or come under increasing pressure as they did in Feb/early March, they are less able to get into offensive positions, so the goals dry up a bit.
Blame, if it need be apportioned, should surely be placed at Levy’s feet for having not consolidated the squad during our champions league season two years ago, when the club possessed both the allure and the extra cash. I would guard against simplistic blame however, due to the supposed difficulty of a club in our financial situation acquiring better than we have without becoming Leeds ish.
I’m not convinced what happened was scandalous, more a sign that our squad hasn’t the physical or mental stamina we hoped. I also don’t buy into the notion that the players were affected by the ‘Engerland’ issue to any great extent.
Given our wage ceiling, I reckon Harry and the boys did themselves proud overall. I also hope that whether or not we enter the CL, Levy finds whatever it takes to consolidate the 4th, 5th, 4th finishes of the last three seasons. Nothing’s in isolation, and it’s for that reason I’m not overly bothered by the ‘rough patch’ we suffered.
I said when Arry arrived that I’d judge him against Jol’s record; well he’s bettered it.
Onwards and upwards,
Go on the Bayern,
Go on the Spurs.
P.s. I am a brain surgeon.