Buzzing, just buzzing...
Thursday, May 6, 2010 at 2:00PM Not sure where to begin. There is so much to take in, I can hardly concentrate on matters concerning in-depth analysis. I know I sound like a broken record, but I always knew we'd do it. I've banged on about it for ages now. I think most of us could see it but could hardly even consider embracing the idea, because in our heads, that would be as close to jinxing it as we could possibly come. This quote from AANP sums it up:
"As a long-time Spurs-supporting chum put it to me yesterday, we’re not built for this sort of thing. Let-downs and heartbreaks we can deal with, but this business of every single blasted game coming loaded with significance is just too much to take"
And when the stakes are high, the faster the heart beats and the more intense and unbearable things are. Which is why a defeat here or there had some of the faithful, knee-jerking. It's a defensive inbuilt psychological mechanism that aids us, protects us from the disappointments. Same old Tottenham we say. And when disaster strikes, we shrug knowingly and then look forward to next season.
The semi-final and the 3-1 up at Sunderland have proved to be in some ways inspirational to the team.
9 wins out of 11 games to secure glory. That's just fantastic. Unquestionably fantastic.
What we've gone and done has made every single miserable moment worth it because this win, this historic moment, is all the better for the pain suffered in the past. Next season? I can't wait for it. Is it small time to celebrate this achievement? Of course not. Considering how bastard hard it's been in the past decade to get anywhere near the Top 4.
So, I'm now going to attempt a match review. This is gonna be messy.
I can't say I enjoyed the match. The experience made me sick. Even with my continued confidence since Christmas, it all appeared to desert me just before kick-off. I found myself shifting uncomfortably, almost not wanting to watch, preferring if possible to lose myself in a trance for 90 minutes and awake to find we've won. No such luck. I had to endure it, and for the first time this season I was actually incapable of retaining any form of composure. I found myself dismantling every nano-second of the game, micro-analysing it to the nth degree. It all played out in slow-mo.
21 wins in 28 games for City at home. But we hardly ever lose up there. The stats being churned out just made me dizzy. This was the £30M/£40M/£50M match they said. Cash Wednesday (seriously, only Sky could call it that). The play-off.
Bricking it big time.
First half, was okay. Not amazing. Something lacked, at least that's how I was seeing it. Lennon and Bale not so much in the game thanks to the constant hoofing of the ball up to Crouch. Our play seemed rushed at times. All a bit too much too soon too little. No retention of the ball. City were having a go. We were just a tad too passive. But with hindsight I guess we were measuring up the opposition. Slowly slowly getting a grip of the game. Patiently waiting for the tempo to change in our favour. Which it did in the second half.
However, the nerves obviously blinded me because a neutral would have pointed out that the game could have been 2-0 either way. 0-0 was good, for us. Just needed to test Fulop more. Crouch unlucky with his effort off the woodwork. King scored. Should have counted. Tevez a menace for City.
I found myself thinking 'this is f*cking bollocks Spurs. Get stuck in, and smash these over-rated ****'s out of their own ground'. Wanted to see a bit of that dare to do dance from the boys in Lilywhite.
Second half. Lennon on a run across the middle, doesn't pass to Bale, shoots, wasted. 55 minutes in, first shot on target that Fulop was made to save. Decent effort from JD. Hudd stamps. Lucky with the yellow. Still need to be brave. Modric showing great spirit and fight in the middle of the park. More action. Moddle getting crowded out in the box. Lennon cross, defended well. Then a cross and Defoe and Crouch stretching…almost, almost. Agonising.
Then the word ominous appeared in front of me in the form of a footballing God, all smug and arrogant, asking me how things were going, before disappearing with a cheeky wink. The git.
I was emotionally dead at this point. And although I could not see it at the time, we were bossing it. Creating chances. And City's flirtatious first half of attacks was becoming a distant memory.
Lennon off, Bentley on. Heart stopped for a brief moment when Gomes allowed the ball to go under his foot. Then we had a mazy mazy Crouchie run. My heart. My poor poor heart.
In the midst of all this, when City did have a moment, we had Ledley King. You know him right? He's the one that isn't human. Phenomenal player. The block from Tevez, just amazing. You shall not pass indeed.
Just before that, Fulop pulls off a stupendous save. Or just saves a weak Crouch header. Depends how badly you knee-jerked at the time. I held my head in my hands.
Then it happened.
Before kick-off, around 6pm or so, Chas (from Chas and Dave, obviously) was interviewed on a London news programme. He cited Crouch and said he felt he would be instrumental in the game. I sort of scoffed. This was before the sides were announced. Amazing In the Know knowledge from Chas. Even though he looked a bit dazed on the piano, he was on the money with his prediction.
Fulop, having palmed the ball instinctively away from a Kaboul cross, deflected off Bridge, finding Crouch and his beautiful beautiful head. Crouch making amends.
Absolute insanity.
Kaboul dancing past Bellamy with ease thanks to a pathetic attempt by the Welshman to stop the pulsating Frenchman. Crouch getting the goal he deserved for his second half performance and the travelling Spurs fans along with every Spurs fan the world over going mental, just mental.
82 minutes. And the dream, the dream was not just alive and kicking but stripping off and about to run around naked, big willy flapping around all over the place. This was it. You could taste it now. Er…not the big willy, Champions League. Obviously.
The ominous feeling was gone, the footballing God appearing before me, no longer looking on smugly, but instead whistling the theme music to the Champions League.
This. Can't be. Happening. What are these emotions returning to my wrecked body?
Wilson on for the excellent Modric. Four minutes of injury time.
Then the final whistle. And years of hurt vanquished in the midst of celebrations. Bottle jobs? That fallacy has been buried 6 feet under. This Spurs squad has time and time again dug deep in the face of adversity and come through it. No dodgy lasagne in sight.
It wasn't just at Eastland's. This CL position was won against Arsenal and Chelsea at WHL. But obviously won across the 37 games played. Even with the hiccups. We have been consistent. Spurs. Consistent. Amazing.
King, so deserving of this. Kaboul was a monster. Dawson, Huddlestone - all of them, every single one of them have played a part. I even thought Jenas movement for the drenching of Harry in his post-match interview was superb. All the players deserve credit. Not just for this game, but through-out the season. And to think at any given moment we had a key player out injured. That's actually scary that. Sign a couple of top top drawer players in the summer and I can see us sustaining a Top 4 challenge again. Which is key to progress, because the next step would be to challenge for bigger things. But yeah, one step at a time...
This (CL qualification) might not be an FA Cup final. This might not be silverware. And history will only remember a 4th spot (3rd still a possibility, but let's not get too greedy), but the significance of this is far more important in the here and now.
We stopped City from getting CL football and possibly consolidating their position in the Top 4 for years to come. The pressure is back on them to go for it again, whilst we can prepare for retaining this position next season. Which I have no doubt we will do. The elite, the Sky Sports Top Four has been cracked. This is massively important, mainly for the purposes of belief and mental strength. A winning mentality. The players now have a benchmark to aim to better in 2011. This isn't a fluke or an upset. We deserve this. And can only build on it.
Qualifier obviously standing in the way of the group stages, but I'm sure we'll be just fine. We're edging ever closer to them lot across the road too.
I'll cut this short now (I know, it's been anything but short), as I could go on and on, but will instead blog more later in shorter parts. Like I said at the start, so much to cover.
I have plenty to say about Harry Redknapp (spot on selection and tactics) and of course Daniel Levy, the man who scrapped the DoF system and went back to basics. From bottom 4 to top 4. And yes, that includes a letter to the chairman. But will leave those thoughts for later on in the week. I'm also looking forward to seeing how the press and pundits react to our achievement. Yes, I'm referring to Hansen and Lawro and the mongs on Gillette Soccer Saturday.
Remember last season. 2 points, 8 games. Gillette Soccer Saturday playing a comedy video of a clown, ripping the piss out of Spurs with various stand-up jokes whilst the panel laughed away. Remember this season, after winning 4 straight games then coming unstuck against Chelsea and Arsenal and United. Back in our box, they said.
You might feel dirty for it, but gloat. Gloat to your hearts content.
What a f*cking season. We've actually gone and done that thing that everyone wanted and everyone else expected us not to do. We did it. And the club shop dvd of 2010 will no doubt be a best-seller.
I choked up at the end. Cried for the first time since Italia 90.
We dared. Congratulations.
I f*cking love football and I love this club. Bask in it. It's richly deserved. New chapter, new adventure.
I've gone all giddy.
Reader Comments (90)
Last night is what football is all about. Goes to show what we've been missing for so long.
I think this article just made me do a little sex wee.
I have to say that sums up my evening and my emotions too.
Myself and a mate, both born and raised Yids sat there full of emotion and not knowing quite what to say at the end.
We stood up, to a man, we stood up and stood firm.
The icing would be 3rd, that is, the icing on an already massive cake.
Proud today, proud of them all.
I thought it was obvious Crouch would play last night but I'd say that's the first performance he's put in since joining that we all know he can produce.
I don't particularly remember lots of long ball stuff as you seem to, but then many Crouch haters wouldn't see it as it was.
Why was Crouch was good last night? Because we DIDN'T lump it up to him. Yes, of course there was the odd long ball which is fine but it was mainly to his feet which inconceivably are better than the giants head.
Anyway, apart from the first 15 minutes we completely dominated the game. At no stage did the City crowd even get behind their players. The travelling spurs fans, as always, out-sung their opposition. Great stuff. Great night.
However, there's still the small matter of the qualifiers to deal with. Lets hope we don't draw a monster and get through to the league stages proper. If we do an Everton it will all be for nothing. There's 2 more games to go before we can honestly say we're a champions league team.
COYS
Here here! Almost had me welling up at the end of this piece with pride!!! COYS.
Brilliant read Spooky! as ever!!
Still on cloud 9 or should i say Cloud 4?? nah prob shouldn't say that lol
There are a million little loose ended sub-plots that this 4th place achievement has tied up. Congratulations to our boys, Harry, the staff, the sponsors, the supporters, the followers, the bloggers, the non-attending fans, Gary Lineker, Darren Bent, Craig Bellamy, Dimitri Borvatev, the missus, people-who-support-other-teams-yet-have-kind-words-for-us, my front-door step, the beer I've drunk and pissed out and to that bald bloke with the glasses and the THFC tie.
They've made an old Mexican (lived here for two years now ) very happy. I hope Fulham are on top form on Sunday.
Spooky I love you! Spurs I love you! What a day for 'arry's boys. Haven't stopped smiling since the 81 minute mark. Let's all just lap it up, no more silly talk of 2 more qualifiers before we really get to CL - this is a time to CELEBRATE! we are there (and Citeh are not!)
COYMFS
Forgot to say: Bask indeed. A few seasons back the target was set: a top four finish. That target has been reached. Let's take a moment (or two, or three, or five hundred) to pat ourselves on the back, and move on.
Excellent blog there - Tottenham are a special club with magnificent supporters. I'm looking forward to MOTD and Gary having a pop at Hansen and Lowro.
Also will be great to watch the World Cup scouting for potential CL class players to come and join us.
COYS
Fantastic article, and fantastic times for spurs. Couldn't be any happier right now. Hopefully now we can get bring in a big new sponsor, new world class players, and a world class stadium.
A brilliant read.
And who cares if we can't knocked out in the CL qualifiers? We have a whole summer of dreams ahead of us.
Well done to all the boys, and Harry last night. Like so many games this season, they've really made me proud. What a great feeling it is today......and its made all the greater by the fact that we actually f*cking deserved it!! All season we've been in or around 4th and shown we are a better side/squad than any of our rivals.
Got to thank you aswell Spooky. I am not a religious man, so your blogs in recent weeks have provided me with much needed 'solice' in those arduous days between our games. At times when I was perhaps doubting the Lilywhites or worrying about the usual 'bottle it' syndrome we so ever readily display, I would click on to your blog and everthing would seem better. You made me remember the good times, and whatsmore, dream of the better times to come - and most importantly restored my faith in the boys. My particular favourite was the blog prior to the Arsenal game. "To dare is to do, so lets just f*cking do it" - still sends a shiver down my spine!
So thanks for your blogs all season - lets hope next seasons are just as inspiring!
COYS!
We need to bask in this, however I wont gloat over any citeh fans, if they get a decent manger (say Mourinho for example) then they with their bags of cash will have the last laugh on us all.
I think I 've actually cried all the water out of my body. What a game, what a night, what a team
COYFS
I could barely breathe, never mind watch that match.
Funny article here: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1132137_city_fans_champions_league_tattoo__for_2011
Spooky you make me cry ...
I hate to say it...I mean I really do, but well done Mr Levy.There I said it, doesn't feel rigth and YES a little bit of puke came up, but he did it. And Spurs this is where we kick on and become a consistant top 4 team. We dare to dream, welcome italian chic down the lane, good luck walking home haha. We have a great squad, go forth and strengthen and get rid of the waste....Yes..Ladies and Gentlemen, lets give Jenas away for free, we can afford it. We could give him to West Ham haha....we are big 4 and they are little 4...with jenas...they woudl be championship.
Oh..I dream of Milan,Barcelona and the rest, bring it on. Our top young players will stay, Bale not going to Utd or and the only place Modric is going is to get his nails painted. Obviously we need to sell hutton,keane,Jenas but lets do another 30 million.....lets buy a man from Mars...lets dare and lets do. Where is my Berlitz handout book. Well done boys,Redknapp and cough cough Levy:)
Spooks, you've made my cry at my desk.
COYS.
What a night! Faith - I always had it, but still I couldn't stand to watch it, nor miss it.
Yep, 2 more matches yet and already these in the pot...Celtic, Zenit St Petersburg, Ajax, Anderlecht, Dinamo Kiev and of course Ekranas Panevezys!!
http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uefa/seedcl2010.html
I have to say that when I surf newsnow for a decent read on our beloved, beloved club I am always pleased to discover one of your posts. Unlike Tottenham Hostpur you rarely disappoint. Is this the turning point? Have the Pride Of North London and Dear My Levy finally discovered a truly fantastic synergy? For once I am beaming, a three week tension headache has turned into the most wonderful hangover that merely serves to remind me just how happy I am.
Nice one Spooky. I know I love Spurs but I think I might love you too.
This is a quality blog!! good stuff spooky also fox mulder as well on the gudjonson write up
Great write up. Captures the night for me perfectly. It's such a great buzz this, because you know from here on in until the start of the season its all going to be about positivity.
just cant stop smiling, someone told me there was a election on or something, everything has just gone out the window !
so its happening then. gawd bless arry 'the churchill dog' redknapp!!!!
Long time reader of this site, usually when i should be at work. Got stared at by everyone for laughing out loud at the you can just taste it comment.
What a great time to be a Spurs fan
COYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think the buzz is going to last all through the summer months and beyond. Great times. For they are a changing.
ive tears in my eyes reading this[[
Thank you tottenham!! im a happy old man!!
Thank you Spooky. You know how I feel.
Man hugs to all.
COYFS
Christ, get a grip people. It's like the Love Parade in 'ere !
"82 minutes. And the dream, the dream was not just alive and kicking but stripping off and about to run around naked, big willy flapping around all over the place. This was it. You could taste it now. Er…not the big willy, Champions League. Obviously."
Had me in tears.
It was such a wonderful feeling when that final whistle went, and the slightly scrappy quality to the goal reminded me of Woodgate's winner against Chelsea in the league cup final. I think our consistency this season is even more impressive when you think how the team has changed. Some managers bring in players and mold them to the system, but as our season has gone one we've shifted and morphed into so many different versions of the team with players taking the limelight, others getting injured.
Our tactics have constantly adjusted to fit the players - at the start of the season we relied on Lennon and Defoe, with Lennon setting up so many of Defoe's goals, and a narrow midfield of Huddlestone, Palacios and Modric. Then with Modric's injury Krancjar came in and became a goalscoring threat behind Crouch and Defoe, Lennon's injury allowing Bentley to show himself to be the player we all knew he could be, and although this meant that Defoe wasn't getting the deliveries he had thrived on earlier in the season, the chance in system allowed Pavlyuchenko to rediscover his form. Then for a spell we had our three Croatian stars passing the opposition to death, and all along we had the slow and steady rise of Gareth Bale. Remember Everton? remember how he was at fault for both their goals? But he put it past him, Ekotto came back which pushed him further forward and Modric into the middle, and suddenly Huddlestone and Modric was the important partnership in the middle. Our team has changed so much over the season but we've risen to every challenge and every player played their part...almost. It's a shame we didn't see Woodgate all season, although his absence allowed Dawson to become Awesome.
I'd also like to mention Jermaine Jenas. Of all the much maligned Spurs players that have excelled this season, Pavlyuchenko, Bale, Bentley, Dawson, Assou Ekotto, he is the one that never made the step up, perhaps if he had a better run of fitness we would be talking about his renaissance as well...
Jimjam - good shout on the goal. I forget to talk about this in more detail. The goal did have a sort of final quality to it, in the sense that it felt stretched rather than a clean effort. Cross, deflection, save, header looping in. It was like Custer's Last Stand, one final push, one final effort and bang, it's in. It was the most satisfying goal of the season, and for Crouch to get it makes that £9M spent even better value.
Shut up Machine, you old depressive git ;)
Shit I'm welling up again, nice one spooky!
Seriously thanks to everyone for a truely entertaining season ..... its been a trip. Now for the euro trip!
congrats to harry redknapp for his team lineup....the midfield of bale hudd modric and lennon was a masterstroke of genius...does anybody know of a midfield thats comprised of genuine flair players with the grit and balls to break down sides like the lads did last night?redknapps a f*cking genius......thats style redknapp has built into this tottenham side is the sort of style that will conquer europe.....redknapp is the best english manager around...and he should be the england gaffer......long may redknapp reign at spurs...........
5000 miles away I was glued to Setanta sports yet could barely watch it. What a day and it was not luck. As the point has been made it was a consistent performance throughout the year.
I think Spurs have the squad with the greatest potential in the top 6-7 clubs. Remember this has beena season when they have played without Woodgate, Modric, Lennon, King and Defoe --all top players--for long periods but others have risen to the occassion as needed. just look at how Kaboul has played in the last couple of games at right back when all the pundis said he could not.
Hold this squad together and the sky is the limit.
We have depth in this squad but even better is we now have players who have followed through on their promise and potential and actually achieved something real. 4th might not be anything special as Spooky says but it means something in modern football for us to actually achieve something and deservingly so when you think how difficult it's been.
I've been blurting out how much I love everyone all day, like some kind of deranged emotional drunk at a wedding.
I love you guys... I love Spurs... I love this feeling...
I'm going to LOVE watching the boy Lineker ripping the piss out of the couch mincers on Saturday night!!!
Watched with 200+ yids in New York. Mental, absolutely mental. I've been waiting 31 years for this and I bawled like a little girl at the end. Even now my emotions are a mess; tied in knots - it's all too much.
Like your great write-up said, we're just not built for this. But, bloody hell, we've changed. Spurs have changed and the false dawns are now just a part of history. We are a real team and with everything that means. COYS.
Watched here at home this morning (Aus), and was in raptures, finally, we so richly deserve this, and next
t seasom will be a doddle!
Glad to know I'm not the only one who cried!
Those tears of joy and pride washed away the memory of all the crushing hurt I felt 4yrs ago.
We're better equipped now than we were under Jol, now is the time for us to prove how big a club a we are.
PROUD TO BE A YID
I love you Tottenham Hotspur
200 yids in NY? Any non-supporting/Americans there with you? Always wondered about how they react to watching football fans who support a team from another nation.
I've watched the game 3 times over.
Beat that.
I think everyone's covered what I'm feeling - praise for Harry, King, Dawson, Crouchie etc.
This feeling is immense, even through the hangover.
Thank you to everyone at the club from Daniel Levy right down to the girls at the bar in the Park Lane upper (who ran out of lager at half time last Saturday, WTF?).
It's been one hell of a season. Come on Fulham, help cap it off.
Audere etc facere.
What is this audere est facere you speak of?
mr spooky, thank you for a tremendous seasons worth of articles, I love you and spurs very very very much.
What a fantastic night, what a season, what a fucking team we have. Jesus, did anyone notice how fast the hudd ran last night? What a night, I have just shed a tear after seeing Ossie interviewed, brilliant.
...he's had a dream for a year or 2.......one day he's gonna play at Wembley, now his dream is coming true.....Ossie we gonna be behind ya, altogether man for man......we know ya gonna play a blinder, in the cup for TOTTINGHAM!.....come on you spurs are on their way to Wembley.
End of season party round mine on sunday, everyone is invited apart from that mug brook.
Yid YID YID YID YID
So so proud.
My Missus' old man is a huge City fan and I just happen to be spending the entire weekend up at her place from Saturday. I hope i get let into the house!
Poor guy though. Not only does he have to put up with my insane, Champions league-chiselled grin all weekend but then he has to put up with a Spurs fan getting jiggy with Daddy's little princess.
WHAT A NIGHT, THANKU TOTTENHAM AND ALL FANS WHO MAKE OUR CLUB SPECIAL.
ANYONE WHOS GOING TO THE BURNLEY GAME WERE ALL MEETING IN THE WALKABOUT BAR IN THE TOWN CENTRE.