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)
this is Dear Mr levy......not Uncle Arsene.com ......mmmm
Haaahha!!! Fucking quality game, when it was 2-0 I literally thought, same old story, same old Spurs, but oh my, when there's nothing else I thought Harry could do, he only goes and wins the fucking North London Derby!!!! at the Emirates!!! Watch and revel in this as well, I see Piers Morgan got interviewed after the game, I think that pretty much clinches it for him as a person if he's a bloody gooner....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHnmXvZaspg
For so long now Spurs have lacked players they could label as world class. They have three at the very least and one or two others banging at the door.
Proper team. Can't not applaud them for their style and their grace and their will to entertain.
My my. Goons out in strength wiping the tears off their diseased faces. Run back to Arsemania and talk amongst yourselves about Theo and Jack. We don't care about yesterdays news.
I really think that when we get Dawson and King/Woodgate back we need to move Kaboul to R/back and Gallas to L/back. They cannot be sacrificed. BAE and Hutton are not at the same level.
Jenas, was ok, but Tommy as a Spurs Quarterback is a picture I cannot get out of my mind. I love the NFL and watching the Steelers/Partiot game and q/backs with 5 championships between them, i say Tommy will set Bale, Defoe, VDV and our new forward free. Its a picture that I love in my mind. I cannot wait for the second half of this season.
paul f.......its true.we still have work to do to be as consistent etc.the real test will be into the winter.......and kill of the games we need to....as far as challenging this year for the title is pushing a shade too far. but who knows....just consider bolton etc.....they could be the title deciders interesting .....whatever.....weve had our moment this weekend but its still early days of course........depends on the injuries...which is affecting chelsea for example....its man u who have secured points without a loss in poor form which looks ominous....the point of wins against milan and the arse it instills belief.....for me we have to stop going down 1 or 2 nil b4 we start to play..as stats dont lie....
Spurs need a forward and a centre back. That's it.
No matey - it really didn't - you see unlike you pikes my life goes way beyond football.
Really G string? I suppose that explains why you're sat on here fantasizing about shagging a cat!
Spook....................love it mate. 9 points in 3 games weren't a bad shout after all.......was it? Fingers crossed for a pulsating game on Wednesday night........I hope we get at them from the off.... and we're at least 2 down in the first half................... It's a joke..... seriously....a joke!
Two articles now where Arsenal fans have mugged themselves off. Keep on making me laugh. MUGS.
Hoping we are disciplined and professional on Wed. A win there and we are practically almost home and dry (depending on the other result). Not looking forward to the Twente away game. Reckon that will be a tough one and a true test of our CL resolve.
Another excellent write up. Good work.
I sense the club are holding back now with DVD releases. Nothing for the Inter game nothing for the 3-2.
Booster: "Spurs need a forward a centre back". I would have said that these are precisely the 2 position we do not need to strengthen. How many CBs do you want at the club? We concede goals because we have weak fullbacks and no midfield defensive cover. The CBs themselves are not bad players - actually I would say they are all rather good. We need 2 better, more defensive fullbacks (or at least one), and we need Palacios or Sandro to step up to the plate in tough away games. If neither of them is going to start away to Arsenal or Man Utd, when the hell are they going to start? The alternative, ie sticking as we are, will result in a lot more 4-3s, 4-2s and 3-2s, but we'll lose more than we win away from home over the course of a season.
13 Titles to your 2.....2 of which were at shite hart lane lol.
Have your day...But to say your in the title race is delusional and ever since a baby that's what i have been brought up to know...That the yid's are the most delusional fan's anywhere in the world.
You win one game against us and then your the best....have a laugh!!!!!
They're taking the piss, no?
http://blog.emiratesstadium.info/archives/9080
Yawn...
'the first ever female professional footballer to participate amongst men'
No, I think you'll find that's Sagna.
or Rosicky, he looks like a woman. hey there's a theme here?
CL dvd will be released if we get through to the next round / q-fs. Dont think for a second Spurs will miss that particular trick.
Tessa Sanderson in disguise
Look Islington Gooner, you follow a club that has abandonned its roots, histroy, DNA and fan base. It is entirely foreign. Foreign manager, foreign players, foreign coaches, foreign youth team. The largest shareholders are from Uzbekistan and the USA. This isnt a racist point - I've lived all over the world, my wife is Singaporean and kids are half Chinese. The point is, your club sold its soal. It isnt something you can argue with - its a fact. If you are London born and bred (you say you are from Islington after all) you should have more respect for a team that actually represents you and your area, guys like you, people you may even have dgone to school with or played against as a youth. We have plenty of English first team players (Lennon, Woodgate, Dawson, Jenas, Huddlestone) and even a fair few Londoners (Defoe, King, Bentley, O'Hara). You have one 17 year old.
Your team have become so detatched from the real Arsenal that you had a striker playing in a SCARF on Saturday. Not just gloves - we are talking about a FKING SCARF for Christ's sake! The shame of it! What would Ian Wright or Alan Smith have done with a scarf on the football pitch?
Gooners are so self-absorbed and obsessed they can never be gracious or admit to their own frailties - there's always an explanation why they've lost never because of the opposition or because they're not as good as their manager and fans claim them to be.
That link to the article about international duty - ridiculous. If it's tongue in cheek it's still hardly funny.
As for Islington Gooner - you just summed up the difference between us. Not silverware but tradition. Go back to before Wenger become your manager - you were probably not born from the sounds of it. For a good 100 years you bored the fuck out of the league. Horrid boring football and all of the Highbury-goers lapped it up, never caring about the performance - just the result. Even during the Graham era. Would never want my team to play like that and win stuff. It's not in our blood. Most other fans would agree which is why you lot stand out as such cunts. You dont care as long as you win and you can brag about it. The bragging is what you're best at. It's probably more important to you than the winning.
Any other set of fans watching a team like Arsenal in Wengers middle tenure would have carnival atmosphere and probably have most of the league enjoying it too and loving them. Instead everyone hates you lot.
Well done to Wenger for redefining your club. But Christ, he's a sanctimonious arrogant twat much like you and everyone else who parades around in red and white.
Spurs have never been a title winning side. We've never claimed to be. Keep your 13 titles. I'm more than content with our history in comparison to yours. Which is why I support Spurs.
Fuck me, going on your logic everyone would support Real Madrid. You brag about your 13 titles to all the other clubs? Do you think they care about Arsenal? No.
Twat.
Sorry - that'd be the 'soul' that Arsenal sold. Maybe their soal too, if I knew what that meant.
Jenas has given Gallas credit for commanding the team through the game - bit like what the scum were lacking in the second half? Would they have won with Gallas in their team?
Lovin it. COYS & FOGS!
Arsenal fans.
2 down.
3 up.
3 points.
Love it.
Arsenal fans = drones, clones all mini-Wengers running around seeing everything in WengerVision.
That arsenal blog linked in the above comments. That is epically stupid on just about every level. Well done. You've excelled yourselves this time.
" I think there must be a network outage in his area because he's not been online since"
Funny you mention that, most of them are still offline
apologies, link wasn't clickable that i put in, here it is, some real ugly gooners on here...check it out
You have to admire the audacity of someone posting on a Spurs blog claiming how much we're 'obsessed' with our rivals. Oh the irony. Cheers for that herdee, your posts made me laugh quite a lot. Get back to your great lifestyle, which must be true since you've spent a good few hours trying to take the piss out of the supporters of a team you just lost to!
We beat them 3-2 and rather than attempt to discuss the game they want to discuss the past.
Superb.
Come Spook let's be fair mate, not all of them wanted to discuss the past! Credit where credit's due!
Gstring was very happy to discuss Cricket, Secondhand Wank Mags, Extremely nice Pussy, which if you'll remember, he is probably penetrating at this very moment , (I shudder to think.....sky mask and duck tape - maybe) Pikey's, both Dutch and English, Worldwide climate conversion, and The going rate for a Gimp ( I think he mentioned 300euros for an hour)
Laugh Out Fcuking Loud.
Take that 'Y'' and stick this there instead 'I'' - It should now look something like this (Ski) Thank you and goodnight.... Sleep well Gstring....you little tinker you.
just keep replaying it what a comeback what team spirit COYS
Yeah.... couldn't agree more... how wonderful is dat... We won a game. Twitcher's a genius and we're great.. Ratface was great in midfield and slackjaw was awesome down da left.. really great... luved it... We're a beltin' great team now.... well done us... Just cummed up me pants... G'night.....
"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 a marauding rampant Bale who caressed the ball with one touch and passed the ball into the net with this another. It was bliss."
---------------------------
That just needed to be posted again, it was so good.
paxton yid has summed it up for me........the thing wrong about this modern wenger arsenal and its cohorts.........is the arrogance!?........wiped beautifully of the smug arse faces on sat..see ya.. wouldn wanna be ya!.................it was bound to happen as the last decade has created a muppet society at the emirates..........the drummer is animal and hes a spurs fan!
Loving the bitter gooners. Hearing how at the game on Saturday they all turned on their team more or less just after Bale scored. Gone where the ole ole oles and 'singing' and suddenly it was berating and slating their players, in the knowledge that they would capitulate - which is exactly what they did.
Arsenal on the pitch = no fight
Arsenal off the pitch = no fight
Beautiful.
"Local derbies can paint a false picture. Sunderland got hammered 5-1 by Newcastle on Halloween, yet that remains their only league defeat since August. During that run they have drawn against Liverpool, Spurs, Arsenal and Manchester United, beaten Manchester City and won 3-0 at Chelsea. Everton fans took great delight in chanting "going down" at Liverpool after a 2-0 derby win, yet six games and only one win later it is the Toffees who are one point above the relegation zone and looking over their shoulder."
Championship, here we come.
Why the comments about Redknapp's appearance? Maybe you should publish a photo of your adonis like self so we can see if you have boss eyes, hair lip, fat face, receeding hairline then we can insult you for it without mercy whatever you achieve.
N, there's a picture up the top already, or had you not spotted that one?
Admitedly not his best side, but he does a good 'roger moore' eyebrow.
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh the pain in these Gooners remarks. Are they fucking hurting or not.
I was at the game on Saturday, sitting as a guest among the Goons and the insults they were throwing at Fab after his hand-ball was disgusting. Calling him a Spanish Cunt and a Traitor and a Yid in disguise.
They were so down they were insulting each other. They were falling apart. Long may it last. Now there saying the result doesn't bother them. This hurt them deeply and all because prior to the game and at half time it was PARTY TIME. BRILLIIIIIAAAAANNNNTTTTT.