It's time for redemption
Monday, May 3, 2010 at 12:55PM Some thoughts, stats etc...
White Hart Lane
6 league wins on the trot, 8 in all competitions. Only 12 goals conceded at home all season (Prem). The Stoke, Hull and Wolves games particularly frustrating. Those aside, only Manchester United this season have visited and left with more than a goal to their name. You have go back 36 times since we lost by more than one. Staggering feat. Not quite the finished fortress, but only a few more bricks required and a coat of paint. We've made it difficult at times by not taking guilt-edged chances, so I would expect us to push onwards next season and consolidate home possession by doing what we did to the likes of Wigan and Burnley more often. Could have had a decent DVD out of the Chelsea game had we shown definitive cutting edge.
But there is no major complaint. We have restored pride, the team are confident and impose themselves with style. Our home form is superb.
Bolton game
It's a tricky one this. Did we make things difficult for ourselves by not taking our chances? Perhaps. But I thought Bolton (credit to them) turned up with those party pooper hats on doing their utmost to ruin our day. Which makes the win and three points even better. Sure, we were not quite at our best and yes, it took a wonder-goal from Huddlestone, but that's how things work out sometimes. You dig deep, survive, and lap up those moments of genius. We had to win, no matter the performance. And we did, and that's all that matters. Credit to Gomes, King and Dawson for their defending. Warriors. Although at times it was full-on heart-in-mouth desperation. Gomes groin problem, surely a consequence of sleeping with the vast majority of the Park Lane WAGS. Talking of defending, I haven't forgotten...
Kaboul
Some say, he stood 8 foot tall, as wide as a truck with eyes made of fire with the strength of a hundred men. He was here, there and everywhere. A force of nature so strong that no mere mortal dared to approach. Seriously, wtf? Where did this performance came from? Nice one. Good work fella.
Other stuff from the Bolton game
Defoe and offsides. I honestly think this is a lost cause now. He just doesn't grasp the concept of standing level.
Lennon. Lovely. Nice to have him back. Please please please torment City on Wednesday.
Goal-scoring. Lack of. We seem to have a squad of players who can all score but strikers who make the art of scoring look as difficult as standing on your own feet for more than 10 seconds at a time if your name is Drogba. They (Pav, JD and Crouch...and EG too) have to get it together. One chance - one goal. Let's leave the Andy Coles behind for the final two games.
Bale. Still a beast when played on the left-wing. Let him be.
King
Hands up if you think he'll be playing on Wed too? Has it happened before this season? King playing in a Saturday game and then a mid-week game? I'm sure it has, at least I'm not alone in thinking this, although I (we) might be wrong. Any stattos out there willing to confirm or debunk?* On the subject of Wednesday and selection - it's a massive one for Harry. Does he stick or twist?
I say stick.
*Last season he played against Udinese on the Thursday and then Bolton on the Sunday which was Redknapp's first game. Still uncertain if he achieved a similar feat in the Prem.
Match of the Day
Lineker winding up Hansen. Excellent.
Wednesday
Cup final. £30M+ Champions League play-off. Epic game, one which we find ourselves in because we deserve to be in it. We have survived the initial hype early season, we survived the spankings dished out by three of the top four, we survived the hiccups and disappointments, and each time we hit a brick wall, we took a step back then leaped over it. We are sitting in 4th place because we are currently the 4th best team in the country. Two more games, the one at Eastlands in particular, will define our season and conslidate the hard work and graft.
Sure, yes, few expected deep down, to find ourselves in this position because we sort of half-believed that cracking the Top 4 was impossible. But Liverpool have imploded and we along with others have closed the gap. So to be in this position now - hand on heart - I don't want to be standing in front of you all on Thursday morning saying, 'Jolly good show, there's always next season'. And yes, next season we'll be challenging for the Top 4 again, I have no doubt in that. But to be this close, it will be too hard a pill to swallow to miss out.
The challenge (next season) can be improved tenfold further by claiming 4th this season and entering the big boys playground for the first time. City will no doubt want this as much as us. They know CL next season will short cut their efforts in challenging for the title, bringing that realisation sooner to them. Which is another reason why we have to cut short their dream and see ours out.
Let's no forget. The pressure we are under is equally felt by Manchester City.
It's time for redemption. 2006. Bury it once and for all.
The Amazing Life of Morris Keston - Win the book, click here.
Reader Comments (81)
My nerves had been under control until you posted this Spooky, and now I'm not sure I'm going to be able to do anything other than fret for the 55 hours between now and kick-off. Sleep tomorrow night looks unlikely. We deserve to be here with our chance - Man City might have the players but we have both the players and we have the team spirit, dammit and that's something money can't buy. COYS.
my whole sleep pattern has been destroyed since sat, COYFS
another great article summing up the feeling for wednesday, whatever happens, we can be very proud this season. but losing on wednesday it wont feel like it. the team deserve to be praised for a great season but i fear it wont be given if we lose out. i fancy west ham to do us a favour on the last day, however lets hope its over by 10pm on wednesday.
it will be my first game in 3d. i hope its a special one.
Audere est Facere
I go to sleep each night like it's Christmas Eve and I'm back being 10 again.
I wake each morning like I've got a really nasty dentist appointment in an hour.
COYFS
great stuff, cant wait. Feels that we sometimes make excuses in advance as we are used to not quite making it, not this time. We caN win at City, we have won at city and we will agan on Wednesday. I have my ticket and a place to crash to after celebrating that start of a new era when Spurs are the bride and not the bridesmaid COYS!!!
palacios or no palacios...
Tough call but no Palacios - let's learn from our last trip to Manchester and leave Kaboul at LB
Sorry typo RB (not left!!)
Upwards to the final corner of the roller coaster ride! Hold on to your hats lads! COYS!
strikers have been a bit off of late, i recon
--------------gomes/alnwick
kaboul----bassong/king----daws----BAE
---------hudd--------palacious
lennon/bently-----------------------bale
modric
-------------crouch---------------
defoe hasnt been the goal threat recently, and pav has been poorn bale and lennon running at the back which can pass into modders and crouch, we have the option to bring on defoe and pav for goals, but let city attack us, we were good on the counter against the arse, and we know city like the counter attack, so lets not give it to them. they have the pressure, if they dont score they will get nervy and we can kill them off.
modders is spose to be behind crouch there, but in a completly free role. let him do what he wants. hes a better player when hes a free roaming creative player
Good article, agree about the strikers Harry seems to have a blind spot there regarding Defoe should have used Jolles experience when after much experimenting with his forwards settlsd on Keane & Berbatov as his strikers,Keane & Pavelechenco could have produced the same result, Defoe seems difficult to to form a partnership with, keane, Modric, & Pav have at varius times have been described as World class, now how many times have all three played together for Spurs this season? Keane should always be used as a striker not midfield or wide left, lets hope we bring him back as soon as possible.
The lesson from the last trip to Manchester is that without Bale Spurs have no attacking threat whatsoever because the strikers are playing so badly.
Pav/Defoe up front is like playing with 9 men.
If Bale does not attack then spurs do not attack - one man team.
one man team?
pretty sure he hasnt really been effective till very late in the season. we were a one man team when lennon was performing as well? and defoe when he was scoring freely, oh and modric when he was on form?
oh and dont forget king, we only play well when he plays?
we cant win without palacious either dont forget as many people said
fuck me thats half the team that are the one man team? and yet we have played well without everyone of them this season
1man team my arse, kaboul amazed, lennons back so a few more assists for strikers hopefully, modfather, king, dawson, thudd.....1man team my arse
coysssss
Think I'll say a quick prayer for my liver before the game cause if we win, celebrations will reach extremes even higher than those experienced after Arse and Chelski.
What is the deal anyway, if we win, we're going to the CL for sure right? What if we draw?
ALL I ASK THE PLAYERS IS PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE WORK HARD, FIGHT FOR ALL YOU ARE WORTH, DO NOT BUCKLE DO NOT BEND AND DO NOT WAVER. FIGHT THEM IN THE TUNNEL, FIGHT THEN ON THE TOUCH LINES, FIGHT THEM ON THE PITCH, ALL OVER THE PITCH LET THEM FEEL THAT SPURS HAVE GIANTS ON THE PARK WHO BREATH FIRE AND STAMP THEIR WILL ON MERE MEN. NOW IS THE SPURS HOUR NOW IS THE TIME FOR MEN TO STAND AND BE COUNTED, WE FEW,WE HAPPY FEW......SOD IT I`M GOING TO LAY DOWN THIS IS GETTING TO ME.
if a draw we need to beat burnley, then def thru, if win def thru no matter wat
agree with david m...hardly a one man team but we need a striker to step up. Not one goal from a striker since the Sunderland game (except the penalty with Chelsea). Given the chances, not nearly good enough but might as well have them all come at once. Not sure what Harry does up front but I think the back 9 pick themselves if they are all healthy. Kaboul wins the RB spot and I'm hoping he has another STORMER. BAE at LB. Dawson in easy. If King and Gomes are healthy, easy. Otherwise Bassong gets the nod. Hudd and Modric in the middle. LENNON on the right and Prince Gareth on the left. Nothing hard there. What two strikers look most likely to break out of their funk? I have no idea. I think Harry views Gudjohnson and Crouch as late subs and I think he gives Defoe and Pav the chance again. Maybe Crouch for Pav. Crouchie has scored plenty of big goals in big games [see international record]. We can do this.....if I've got a magic wand and 1 wave of it. I do it over Gomes groin not Ledley's knee. I have much more confidence in Bassong than Alnwich....
I say if it works, don't fix it (injuries not withstanding). We can always bring on Palacios for one of the strikers if it looks like we're getting overrun in the midfield.
Does anyone know where I can see a clip of MOTD from Saturday?
try todayfoot dot com or 101greatgoals dot com
Cannae believe how this build up has me crapping like its going out of style, not to mention the dreams and nightmares I'm actually having.
Spooky! You pretty much summed up what I was thinking in terms of our strike force up front. I'm not really sure what happened. Defoe seemed to have stopped scoring a few months ago, not hungry enough I reckon and to think he was one of the top goal scorers earlier on. I think I'm also resigned to the fact that Defoe doesn't actually really understand the offside rule.
Pav I think has become a bit too comfortable now, thought he was going to be scoring nearly every game since he was let loose. Perhaps 'Arry should threaten him again with the bench.
This is probably not the time for knocking our players by any means, but would really like to see more effort, especially after they let so many chances go by on the weekend.
Spurs!!!
get a life, do u really think anone cares, you'll get knocked out in the qualifiers if you do make it. the by boys...don't make me laugh!
You care enough to comment, you sad fuck.
an u care enuff to be reading spurs blogs, u prick
we got our work cut out against tevez/bellamy/adebayor....three decent front men with pace..so without any luck cant see us winning if we use 4-4- defoe and pav..its got to be crouch and eidur for me....crouch and eidur can both hold the ball up....
We can get something from the city game. Spurs are well capable of it but then in lays the trouble, we all know, but almost dare not say it aloud, that Spurs IF, IF, IF we work hard, IF we play well ,IF everyone turns up ready to do battle for the whole 96 mins that we could finish this matter in our favour Wednesday night. Conversely, we also all know just as well that we could just as easily turn over and let them tickle our bellies.
I would love to go around the office tomorrow stating with blind confidence (as United, Liverpool , Arsenal and Chelsea fans do) that Spurs are going to win and win well, offer to put £50 quid at evens on us winning even offering 2 to1 for all takers, But I just cannot. Too many times I have tried to do that only to be humiliated by not only our losing but also the manner in which we lose. Where other teams seem to have meetings to plan the next great victory, We seem to have meetings on how to snatch defeat from the jaws of certain victory so that not only do we lose (we can all take that, every team does that) but we seem to be able to come up with new ways of humiliating us fans. Take the 3-0 up against Man u then loosing 5-3, take the stupid loss at the lane to man city a few years back when we were in the driving seat. Take the way we gave up the FA cup just a few weeks ago, before that conceding 2 at Everton (that`s not a problem under normal circumstances as Everton a good side) but we were 2-0 up with 10 to go and we then missed a penalty. Do you see what i mean here? under any other situation a draw at Everton would be considered a result but i still had the piss taken out of me at work the next day
For once fellow fans All I want is for my beloved Spurs to pay back all that humiliation by winning a meaningful match that will end up changing the future for us all. I would even take the draw and let the matter be settled on Sunday.
Can i get any professional help for this (being a life long Spurs fan)???
It is all I can think about despite work being a joke and having a 7 month old who came to his first game at the Lane this Saturday gone.
I just have to believe we can do this. We will, we must.
COYFS!
It's simple. We need to score the first goal, which means they need to attack leaving them open.
If they score first, I bet they shut up shop.
"Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
None but ourselves can free our minds.
Have no fear for atomic energy,
'Cause none of them can stop the time.
How long shall they kill our prophets,
While we stand aside and look? Ooh!
Some say it's just a part of it:
We've got to fullfil the book.
Won't you help to sing
This songs of freedom-
'Cause all I ever have:
Redemption songs;
Redemption songs;
Redemption songs."
COYS :D :p
Guilt edged? I love it. We're even apologising for our chances. That's the real reason we didn;t take them. It was perhaps the over riding feelings of hospitality when at home to Stoke, or Wolves, or Everton etc where we absolutely dominated but then all of a sudden had a pang of GUILT and any edges we had, we gave away.
Suffice it to say, that there'll be no need to gild-the-lilywhite when redemption finally comes on Wednesday night.
1-0 home to Bolton
Playing the last game against Claret and Blue
Fighting away tooth and nail againt our only rival for top 4
Anything more than a 1-1 and a lasagne will be fine by me.
God damn spell checker.
I think we have all suffered enough for the past 20 years and have seen enough false dawns. Now is the time so let's not eff this up. One more win needed at a place where we traditionally do well and have w@nkers Toure, Adebayor and Vieira. The latter two causing us a lot of heartache over the years and now Vieira claims he would love to put one over us.
F@ck off you tw@t, in your f@cking dreams. Like I say, it's our time now. Let's stand with our chest out, fists pumping and play out of our skins. We should be ready for WAR, willing to die to get the win.
Strikers...I mean what is going on?! I'm never one to criticise our own players but it's time to start scoring. Shooting practice in training, Pav working on his first touch, JD learning the offside rule. Whatever! Just produce the goods on Wednesday night and play like your life depends on it.
I don't know about other Spurs fans but it feels like we've finally moved on and I for one cannot wait for the game. Maybe a a few years ago we wouldve choked but not this year. We ARE one of the big four and let's prove it on Wednesday.
COYFS!!! BRING ON CITY!
I think its Citeh who will bottle it on Wednesday. First timers.
Daniel Levy: “The disappointment we shall all feel if we do not make the fourth qualifying spot for Champions League will be a measure of exactly how far we have come.”
Spooky:______________________________________________________________________________________!
Strikers...I mean what is going on?!
Um. Hasn't this been an issue ALL SEASON? It has and for this reason it doesn't scare me. COYS!
I know this: come Thursday the team that deserves to be 4th will be in the driver seat.
I believe this: it will be us because we deserve 4th! Spooky is right. After all we have overcome this season we deserve this. It's up to the lads to prove to the world that we are CL quality.
my father is a Man City supporter. He's been goading me all month. This 4th place battle has extra meaning in my family and I'm pretty nervous at the moment.
I hope Gomes and King can play.
They'll bring safety at the back and level-headedness to get the result we need (draw or win)
If I don't post again before the end of the season (travelling around Spain soon), Spooky, I've really enjoyed this blog. Nice one!
COYS!
Bruce, I'm on that already.
DML letter for pre-match Wed.
Spanish spur
I think we all know where you are coming from. I would love Spurs to dominate the prem for a while just to finally prove that every team has its turn. If the worst happens on wed night you will find your solace in the brotherhood of spurs fans. I do feel we will get something from the game though. We just need lady luck to give us a little hand by staying right out of the way for both teams.
Sodding Steve Bennett refereeing on Wednesday...
all the spurs lads an laddettes headin north i beg u sing your hearts out even more so (somehow) than u already have, show them what real supporters are, gwaaan ramsesV
"Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
None but ourselves can free our minds.
Have no fear for atomic energy,
'Cause none of them can stop the time.
How long shall they kill our prophets,
While we stand aside and look? Ooh!
Some say it's just a part of it:
We've got to fullfil the book.
Won't you help to sing
This songs of freedom-
'Cause all I ever have:
Redemption songs;
Redemption songs;
Redemption songs."
AGAIN COME ON YOU FUCKING SPURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's simple. We make sure we dont lose. No point getting anxious on the hows and whys.
If Gomes cannot play, then he cannot play. We will find a way.
We dug deep for the Arsenal game even though no one gave us much chance. We relied on Danny Rose and Kaboul in unfamiliar roles and we were worried because of the absence of Palacios. We only had three days of rest after a gruelling and demoralising semi-final defeat after extra-time. I feel that the sense of injustice, the pain of losing, the determination to beat Arsenal, and the guilt (yes) of underestimating Portsmouth all played a part in our performance. I daresay Arsenal assumed they would beat us as usual (or at least not lose).
And we did it again three days later against Chelski who had the benefit of a week's rest (and complacency).
We need to find that inner strength again. I fear Man City will not be complacent.
Focus. And for goodness' sake dont tinker with the team for nothing!
as per ref at least it aint u kno who
COYFS
Aye the good news is, Mr. H. "Loves to ruin spurs chances" Webb isn't officiating, and hopefully he'll be far from the stadium. Although that being said, he does belong to Man.U so maybe he would have for once been beneficial...
Beautifully put Quietly Confident from Singapore. It's well worth remembering the doom and gloom post Wembley.
Fear not. It's not so much "that inner strength" what's needed Wednesday it's more a case of "that inner peace" what's needed. And, as you so rightly point out, just like against Chelski and that 'other lot' Spurs are not favourites to win this one. Perfect scenario!
COYS.
King did indeed play two games inside of a week this season.
I was aware of it, then had it confirmed on an article somewhere on newsnow last night. He played a league or cup game on the tuesday night, then appeared in the league on the following saturday. It was either that or played in the league on a Saturday, then on the following Tues/Wed. I remember thinking at the time WTF ? King playing twice in 5 days ! Having suffered from sporting related knee injuries myself, similar in that my left knee used to swell up after the game, I can only conclude that, on the odd occasion, his swollen knee recovers quicker than it usually does. Sometimes, my knee used to take 5-6 days for the swelling to go back down, sometimes it would be 3-4.
We just have to hope that he has one of his speedier weeks !
Just to confirm -
King played on Tuesday 26th January against Fulham in the league, then played away to Birmingham on the 30th, also in the league.
Records count for nothing I guess, especially with what's at stake here, but we are up against Citeh who are just as capable as we are of fucking things up...Could be our turn...this is our time. Kill it off on Wednesday lads, we deserve it, you deserve it, Arry deserves it, the club deserves it.
Let's make Wednesday our last game of the season.