How to win a North London Derby, by Harry Redknapp and supporting cast
Monday, November 22, 2010 at 12:07PM Arsenal 2 Spurs 3
Oh ye of little faith. Myself included. Go on, hands up, even in the dejection and misery felt when the second Arsenal goal went in who had a feeling that somehow we were not out of the game? Even if you couldn't quite bring yourself to believe, I'm certain there were many of us out there who took solace in the fact that surely things would not get any worse which would mean they could only get better. And Spurs, when they do better it's not the bog standard type of bland and boring good. It's undeniable heart in mouth fantastic good.
The way we shaped up for the first half wasn't the only problem we gave ourselves. Giving space to Fabregas and the scum allowing for infinite time on the ball for them to lap up whilst we failed to display any guile or determination, brushed aside with ample easy. It was all gearing up to be another textbook Emirates humiliation. Let's all lube up and bend over because it's less work than standing up against the wall and throwing the bar of soap at their smug terrorising face.
Not sure what the worst highlight of the first half was for me. Gomes trying to claim the ball softly softly, scared it might suddenly and inexplicably evolve into something with a mouth and bite his hands off. Our Brazilian preferring to squander it allowing Nasri (the first ever female professional footballer to participate amongst men) to score from an acute angle for the 1-0. Cheap. Stupidly cheap. The ball from deep that found its way into the path of the ugly bint was from our seasoned tormenter Cesc who was given the freedom of the park to turn and pass. You felt at this ever so early juncture he would do this at will.
Another highlight was Nasri running off to celebrate, screaming out and slapping his chest and badge. I guess all for Willy G's benefit. Calm down Zizou. The second goal was another nomination for worst highlight of the first forty five. Because of the nature of its birth. Pav, keeping the ball in, but not in our possession (not that I'm blaming him but he started the move, the unlucky sod, from our own penalty area) for them to then counter attack off the back of it and score - it was easy. Comfortable. Effortless.
Cracking stuff. Sorry I meant cacking stuff. I was cacking it.
Surrendering by virtue of not turning up. Again. I was being inundated with texts messages and tweets. Laugh out loud they told me. I was at home, on my own in the living room, with the missus pottering about in the kitchen/bedrooms/wherever tidying up. Still slightly more noise than you'd expect to find at the Emirates, especially once she started to hoover up the hallway. But I sat in solitude, no words from my mouth other than a muttering of 'ffs'.
Volume on the tv was turned down, I didn’t bother with the half-time Sky Sports assessment. I didn't need two pundits and a presenter to tell me we were f*cking sh*t. It's not like Arsenal were tearing us a new one. They were having a go. Okay perhaps they were tearing us a new one because a comparison of both sides would have had us at opposite sides of the footballing spectrum.
They dominated possession, had us chasing shadows. Slick passing whilst we burst lungs for what seemed like nothing.
But yet that whisper in my mind taunted and teased me. It's only two nil right? I playfully posted on the Glory Glory forum at half time we'd win 3-2. A gleeful prediction shared out of desperation. First five minutes I said to myself, we'll know if once more we have displayed a lack of mental strength and belief that will doom us to yet another away failure to them and a 69th away game without a win to the traditional Top 4.
Within five minutes of the re-start, we scored.
It's the type of irony that I'd happily share a bed with and go bareback. Here is Tottenham Hotspur. Unused clipboard. No tactics. Completely out of the game and suddenly not just back in it with a goal but looking like we believe we could get something more out of it.
Harry is not Jose. Never will be. And it's usually all pretty much reactive and instinctive in terms of application. He adapts to the predicament and the players react to his new instructions. It's refreshing, be it naïve at times, and frustrating (the question still remains: Why not start off the opening minute the way we started off the 46th minute?).
Harry twitched and tweaked. He narrowed the midfield so that we were no longer stretched on the flanks. Tightened it up so that we could not just stand up against their midfield but take the fight to them - make them chase us and the ball. And the introduction of Defoe (on for the sacrificed Lennon) was the catalyst for the comeback.
BAE finding Defoe who jumped six hundred feet into the air to head the ball onto van der Vaart who had sixteen Arsenal players around him, pushing the ball into the path of a marauding rampant Bale who caressed it with one touch and passed it into the net with this another. It was bliss. It was a punch to the gut of the enemy that left them winded unable to stand up in defiance. World class control and finish from a player that will be world class in time.
We can chat away amongst ourselves about how they reacted to our goal, if you want. Perhaps for all their fancy pretty football and stand-out individuals, they lack a spirit and belief they once had in abundance. Who cares? I don't. We've been gutless for years and in the past two we've grown in stature and I'm hardly going to make excuses for the opposition. If they can't handle it and if they allow themselves to be engulfed by a resurgence in-game, then boo f*cking hoo. It makes them not good enough to win. Our places on that football spectrum - reversed.
As the minutes ding donged by we started to show commitment. Pride. Apparently at half-time Harry had a go at Bale for shaking Sagna's hand after a clash. Told him off, explaining we are not 'nice guys'. Whatever you say about Harry and his agenda(s), he wants to win. And if he's our manager then that means he wants us to win. He worked magical mojo at half-time that galvanised the side and allowed our top players to further galvanise the ones around them.
This meant the likes of vdV and Modric were now more involved able to play to their strengths. JD up top with Pav, vdV out on the right but running into central positions. 4-4-2, be it not set in stone. We were set up with one thing in mind. Attack. The intent forged with leadership - something you might nod towards the opposition and agree they lacked. It was more direct in style in terms of pushing forwards but it was effective and it instilled confidence.
How many times have we seen this now? Never say die Spurs. We lived dangerous at times but we have to accept that this new breed of Spurs has it in them to claw themselves back from the brink.
Belief.
Luka weaving and dinking through red shirts only to be fouled (more irony here - isn't it Wenger who constantly bangs on about flair players being hacked down constantly?) allowing for Kaboul and Rafa to stand over the ball, surveying options. Blast it through or curl it around?
What we got was a gift, one to cancel out the generosity of the first we gave them. Hands up if you're a bottler? Thank you Cesc. Heart in mouth once more. Cool as you like, Rafa sends him the wrong way. There's even time for some age-old conspiracy support work from Phil Dowd who booked Raf for placing his finger to his mouth whilst running past and looking at the Arsenal fans before he got to the away section to celebrate. Because that's really really worth a yellow card that. Unlike, I don’t know, an Arsenal player scoring at one end of the pitch and running down to the other end and sliding in front of the away fans.
2-2. And one or two red scarfed fans must have muttered to each other about choking and capitulation. Usually associated with Lily white and not ghastly red. Unlike the classic 4-4 there was still time on the clock and the third goal helped to illustrate that even though our defence is much maligned (with three key players out) their defence (with one key player out) is at times as accommodating us ours. I'd still prefer Gomes between the sticks than what they have to choose from.
In came the cross from Rafa (yet again involved), Kaboul's touch with his head finding its way into the net. This was now ridiculous. Uncharted (well, forgotten) territory. 2-0 down, 3-2 up. 17 years finally ended. Sixty eight games laid to rest. How very dare we. Can the new script-writer be signed on a 20 year contract please?
I screamed and shouted like a mad man whilst the missus (now sitting on the sofa whilst I bounced off the walls) asked me, "You're not going to start crying, are you?"
I held the tears back, man up I told myself. Like the eleven heroes standing proud on the swamp, within touching distance of a win. I remembered the words of a gooner (via Twitter) at half-time telling me in an unholy patronising manner that it was all okay because we had Bale and you never know - we might roar back in the second half. Now that's irony. I think there must be a network outage in his area because he's not been online since.
Eleven heroes.
And in amongst the talismanic leader and undoubted world class ability of van der Vaart and our crafter of creative work Luka we had Gareth 'never does it in the league' Bale and a certain Jermaine Jenas who has managed to make us forget that Huddlestone is missing from our midfield. At the back Kaboul, continuing to grow and mature and casting himself as a brand new NLD 'legend' for popping up with the winner.
And then there's William Gallas. Not good enough to have his hand shaken by Nasri, but more than good enough to shake the spark out of his former team-mates. Whether he is reclaiming past form or played to impress because of the occasion (or a combination of both) he deserves the plaudits for a commanding performance. And I hope he continues to play at this level. He has done himself a massive favour, endearing himself to the faithful. He's proved a point, to us, himself and them lot down the road.
I wasn't sure what to make of Harry handing him the captains armband. I'm hardcore Tottenham like most of you I guess, and it's sometimes hard to see past certain emotions. It's naturally not going to sit well seeing other players bypassed and Gallas made captain, but it was a stroke of genus. Inspired. If it wasn't for his effort first half we might have been punished further, with the game out of sight before half time arrived.
To win, in this manner, and to have Arsenal collapse on their own patch and take a hard kick to their chest from our boot - it was all rather majestic. Adding this onto the back of our 2-1 Lane victory and seeing how a similar hoodoo with Chelsea was finally laid to rest in recent times - it's not something to be dismissed as a mere fluke. We've grown a set of balls. Hopefully this victory will kick-start a run of games where the focus is evident from the start rather than appearing mid way through. Cease the moment and all that type of stuff.
Post-match was equally telling. vdV once more displaying the mindset that we've never had in the past - suggesting we move onto the next game. I like that. Not for the first time he's saying quite publicly - keep your feet firmly on the ground. But that's not to say we - the fans - can't gloat. Just a little. It's deserved.
Shall we make a dvd? Perhaps Arsenal will release one covering the first half only.
We dared to do. It was a thing of beauty to watch them lot display the type of traits we have been cursed with in the past. Plenty of graft to be had yet. But you sense no open bus parade mentality any more from us. Just the desire to improve.
Kudos to Harry. Even if it takes us 45 minutes for us to find our way. Although there is something wonderful about the guts and spirit we now possess. We obviously have no need for a clipboard. Maybe we can lend it to Arsene Wenger. As long as it doesn't come back broken.
Spurs; as likely to win the title as Arsenal. For a backhanded compliment, that pretty much shows the demise of the dark gulf that has separated us for so long. Not off the back of this single away day comeback. But over the past 2/3 seasons. They are still a good side and we still have to finish above them to truly claim the tide has turned. But it's hardly beyond the realms of possibility any more.
Going forwards, this game, this NLD, is no longer one we should look ahead to and knowingly have to endure. We can now look forward…and enjoy.
Come. On. You. Spurs.
Reader Comments (141)
You really are a dopey yid - thinking that anyone gives a shit about your meaningless thoughts and your awful writing style. Please get a job. Or kill yourself. The economy is fragile at present - we don't need to be supporting chusma like you...
to hear all the gooners sing with total arrogance in the first half and silenced at the end was poetic justice..........i was chortling ant texting ....then laughing.....a famous victory......where's all this going to end?......one of the three?....FA Cup,Title challenge..champions league final?.....more gas still in the tank!
Cheers string. Loving your work equally so.
My pleasure - so are we agreed you'll get down the job centre dopey?
while of course i understand you have the bragging rights this week after your very impressive fightback, i find it amusing to hear you say you are pretty muich our equals now based on past 2 or 3 years. Yes you have improved and finally managed to break the top 4, but you seem to imply it was at our expense! We still finished above you, and we are still above you now. get over yourselves and realise one game does not make you world beaters - we know that more than anyone after past few results. finish above us, challenge for the title, and get to the latter stages of CL before comparing yuorself to the arsenal
Bale's comment in the post match interview that 'everyone in north London will be happy with this result' capped off a lovely afternoon for me.
herdee string. as far as the analysis goes..........the stat is 3-2 ............and wenger threw his bottle out of the pram!!
the stat is also first time in 17 years - pretty poor record really.
Oooh, Herdee... Did it smart that bad? Please tell me it did?
Great right up - hairs on back on neck etc. In Harry we trust.
Cheers, Spooky! Loving your stuff, like usual. I've been waiting a long time for this. But yet, it's next stop Bremen.
Come on you Spurs!
A Yid from Finland
'Cease the moment and all that type of stuff.'
Oh dear.
I'm guessing, and this is just a wild stab in the dark, that cheesestring is a gooner.
Spooks, I love the fragile economy, and that I'm having to work harder for my buck. It makes the time spent reading your work so much more valuable.
'No tactics and you fukced it up' has to be the best post I've read in ages, so kudos to whoever posted that one as well.
Am I the only one who finds comments like those by "herdee string" actually make the result even more satisfying?
hahahaha @ herdee string. Nothing like a man who can take defeat in the same dignified manner he celebrates victory.
Anyway, as you said Spooky, it was all about the tactical genius that is Redknapp!!! Ok, maybe not genius. In fact the substitution was the obvious one with Lennon playing poorly, it was he who start their break for their second goal and not Pav, take a look again. Two spurs players on the edge of the box waiting for the pass and the wrong decision made to cross hopefully towards the back post. Anyway, that history.
What has come out of the game, apart from the 3 points and the awful record now put to bed, is hopefully the need for us to play 2 strikers. With the likes of vdV and Bale it's more of a 4-3-3 or 4-3-1-2 formation at times anyway. Now that's sexy football. We score 3 and they score 2. That'll do me every game from now on in.
COYS
Well said man, finally we get to enjoy an away win to the so called Big Four, win the next four games and we can really see ourselves as title contenders. Kaboul, this guy just loves to pop from nowhere ady save us, remember 4-4 against Villa, man i love this guy!!
COYS
No matey - it really didn't - you see unlike you pikes my life goes way beyond football. Let me tell you what I'm doing today - while you scumbags are living in the UK in horrible freezing temperatures, where I am its 29c, it's 9.30 am and I've just made 300 euros for one day's work (which lasted just one hour and twenty mins) - I also have some extremely nice pussy to penetrate later, whereas you are stuck with second hand wank mags or alternatively jacking off to the image of the Dutch pikey Rafael. So it really doesn't bother me - particularly as I gave up on this Arsenal team some time back. Don't agree with how they function as a corporation, don't buy into the Wenger bullshit. More interested in cricket. But I can't help when I see this dopey article getting a reaction from you dopey, Arsenal obsessed retards. Champions League final??? That is just priceless.
jimbo.....arsenal would have been 4th last year if spurs had not dropped a few stupid points towards the end....putting bragging rights to one side......we do have a good squad and its still young so the expectation is there.......
At halftime I thought, "we'll score - we always do." But THREE???!!!!???? Never forget it, never will.
I don't blame Gomes quite as much as you for their first - Fabregas's ball to Nasri was excellent and it was only Nasri's heavy first touch that took it as close to Gomes as it did. By the time Gomes sees that Nasri's first touch gives him a chance to get the ball first it's a split-second too late to make a decisive play, but Gomes still comes and blocks Nasri's shot. Better that than getting sent off again early doors - better to be 1 down than down to 10 and seeing Cudicini facing a penalty with 80 mins still to play as we did at Inter. And Gomes made up for it with a great save from Fabregas in the 78th minute.
Gallas was on a mission on Saturday - all our dark fears that Agent Gallas would go native on us were turned on their heads. He ran himself ragged and performed imperiously, to the point where he was limping heavily at the end. He didn't join our players in celebrating but he made his statement... and in doing so has probably drawn very deeply on his reserves of strength. Don't forget he's 33 yo, and there's only so many times you can go to the well, so we can't expect him to drag himself to that level again any time soon I'm afraid.
Kaboul is looking every inch the player we thought we'd signed first time around and more.
COYS
I was knee jerking at half time and also receving texts from gloating gooners , did not even want to watch any more and whil i was preparing some food in the kitchen i got a text from my now spurs fan little brother : BALE BALE BAAAALE so i rushed back up (as spooky said ; oh ye of little faith) leaving my food to burn (thank god for the GF for preventing a fire) and witnessed what i'd never witnessed before while being awake ... a win against the scum , not the dream version, not the FM11 version but the full blow reality version of football. COYS and then some ...
Ohh herdee string, you really do know how to please Spurs fans. Your palpable pain and hilarious attempts to compensate is such sweet, sweet music to our ears.
herdee string........who gives a toss where you are.........
300 Euros!! You're bigging up 300 Euros?
Guy wins £10m the lottery. On handing over the cheque the Camelot rep says "took you seventeen years to win eh?!" See where I'm coming from fellow Yids?
HS, by reading your comment it is evident that the goons have been hit hard and are still down, hurt and humiliated ! As our Younnes said " you are a cheap lot " !
Best troll ever. His life goes beyond football yet here he is to share with us his misery. The cunt.
btw "herdee String":
"29c, it's 9.30 am and I've just made 300 euros for one day's work (which lasted just one hour and twenty mins) - I also have some extremely nice pussy to penetrate later, "
GMT-3, 29C, 300 euros for 1h 20 mins work...
...that makes you a Brazilian rent-boy, right?
for an hour and 20 mins work, i think it's not a bad day's pay chappies. who cares where i am? i do - i'm not in the shitty, stinky UK - i'm hurting? not at all - i always find your fascination with arsenal amusing. we don't care about tottenham - you make us laugh. you care about us though...and always will.
1961 and never again. now get back off the interenet and on to your minimum wage jobs.
WTF is that wanker string!! Another great read spooks.
I certainly enjoy your posts.... Job centre yea right
herdee string.... Sad Looooooseeer!!!
Oh and Herdee , what a wonderful life you have , being so happy and rich and blessed with extremely nice pussy and still you find the goodness to share your thoughts with us , the job hunting low life pikeys ... And all that because of a game between a team you don't care about against a team led by a dutch pikey.
Thank you and please do get run over by a bus on your way out.
look girls - get back to analysing the wonderful result and stop worrying about me.
yep, you got it 100% right. i am a brazilian rent boy. and i dream of being able to suck all the jiz out of Gomes' balls one day. yummy yummy yummy...
herdee string, seems like he watches cricket but somehow he found himself in a spurs blog site. Stupid cunt or dumbfuck, i dunno.
ok - will go look for a bus asap - love to all spurs fans. been great knowing you. keep it going. it's luck for spurs when the year ends in one...
A Spookily great post as ever: you really have a knack for tapping into the Tottenham fans' zeitgeist, coupled with a neat turn of phrase and some evocative images (ah, the soap!).
Such a shame you seem to have provoked a bad reaction from a sensitive gooner, who perhaps ought to be studying for his or her GCSEs, and not wasting time on Spurs websites! Yes, herpy spring ... get back to your studies you naughty boy (or girl if appropriate). Bless.
I am a gooner who can respect Spurs the team- for the good team they are now and for the football they have played over the years and the fact you have a more rational manager and as a result a better balanced side than us. I dont respect Spurs the fans because you are usually hysterical and grossly exaggerate the importance of a SINGLE game against us. Your reaction every time you play us is clear evidence that you have an inferiority complex and are insanely jealous of this club. You have fluked a win- the first time in 17 years on our ground- courtesy of us- big deal- 3 points in November- you aint going to be able to rely on luck everytime you play us..
Great article Spooky.....Anyone else think that Arsenal are becoming an absolute disgrace to the game??? Not shaking hands, throwing bottles, storming down the tunnel, bad sportsmanship and not a good example! Wenger needs to fucking grow up, the c**t can never admit his little angels got outplayed. And who kicks the shit out of who???? how many times did Bale and Modders get taken down, not that it bothers me cause its football but that moaning nonse bangs on about it!
Brilliant NLD loved every second of it. Well every second other than the first half. Arsenal are truly gutless. Their fans, their players and that egotistic stubborn manager who is pissing all over his legacy.
Nice work.
Herdee, doesn't sound like it bothers you!
Anyone who says "I also have some extremely nice pussy to penetrate later" is a virgin!
Is cheesestring for real? he can survive on 300 euros a day? must be dirt cheap where he lives clearly.
I just feel sorry for his cat.
herdee string has made my day. He has a job and a girlfriend! And although he is whining like a little girl he doesnt care about being humiliated. honest.
Gooners throwing their toys out makes it so much sweeter.
goonergerry started off with a degree of self respect, but wasnt long before his bottom lip started trembling and he had a little paddy.
cheers mate! I had only just stopped smiling for a minute there. And its back again!
"Let me tell you what I'm doing today"
Err..on the web making a fool of yourself?
Judging from herpeestrings last post he is a spotty no mates oik living in a bedsitter somewhere in south London. I'm gussing he probably masturbates exessively too. poor chap!
No player ratings Spooks?
..okay maybe not his last post but i think you know which one I mean, n'est cest pas?
The main point is that L'Arse got beaten on their own patch after being 2-0 up with nothing to indicate we were going to score.
Unfortunately it says more about the fragility of L'Arse than our mental strength. As I mentioned elsewhere, we are now fighting back from bad positions so often that it's become a bad habit. We are used to it. It's expected of us.
To all the Arsenal fans here and elsewhere - we know you're stilll above us. But for how long? Call it fluke, luck, act of God, whatever. L'Arse blew it big time. There is every indication this sort of implosion will happen again.
Is this the season of change?
gooner gerry, so which is it? are we a good team, or did we fluke the win? we were poor in the first half, you capitulated, Bale's goal was not luck, Kabouls header and the cross in from VDV were also not luck.
The only luck was that when the barcelona branch of THFC was created a few years ago, a certain spaniad seems to have signed up at the time.
Believe me when I say, that this result is not that important in the grand scheme of things, it's just another barrier broken that is all. Next up is actually qualifying for the CL knockout stage, now that is more important.
If we were consistent in getting results that too would be more important. But one game, nice though it is, does not make a season. We're not the ones getting carried away, you only have to visit goon blogs to here the calls for whinger's head to know what 'knee jerk' really means.
Player ratings - for all:
5/10 first half.
10/10 second half.
2-0 down
3-2 up
Thats Number Wang !!!