How many times did you give up last season?
Wednesday, August 11, 2010 at 3:27PM How many times did you give up last season? I know some of the knee-jerkers amongst us probably gave up after we got trounced by three of the top four early season. After that, there was possibly a further five or six times that fourth was deemed 'out of reach'. Yet, we persevered and dug deeper than ever. Sure, I had some minor moments of doubt. Who wouldn't with our history of choking? But I sang on this here blog many times about the virtues of belief. The impossible dream became a reality and now, as we fast approach EPL 2011, there appears to be something eerie about the start of this brand new season.
It's almost like Neo from the Matrix has slowed things down, so much so that he's fallen asleep on the sofa, cup of tea on table, slippers falling off his feet.
Is it the despairing World Cup England had or the fact that the transfer marker remains in a comatose state? I'm not feeling the pressure. Perhaps I've yet to be bitten by the bug. I'm not nervous. More pragmatic. But heart ready to be placed on sleeve. I'll explain...
Purely from a THFC standpoint, it's in our nature to be at times (LOL) pessimistic. It's a defensive stance. In fact, for many people regardless of club colours, discussing and then assuming the worst allows them to prepare for it. Just in case. It's not exactly wearing your heart on your sleeve because you are in essence protecting yourself from the big fail. And some of our fickle faithful are guilty as charged. Although that 1-0 up at Eastland's had me biting my hands off such was the intensity of the occasion. But I'm not talking about one off games. I'm talking about our ambitions for the season ahead. Our mentality. As individuals and a collective (a rather famous thread over at one Spurs forum at the start of last season spoke about relegation fears. No joke).
Ostrich with head in sand is so yesteryear. Where's the peacock showing off its plumage?
We have more or less the same squad of players that got us into 4th with some slight improvements, yet you'd think we are somehow weaker for it. Not saying everyone is thinking this way, but I guess there is concern over why we've not strengthened massively considering that after years of trying we've cracked the big time. Consolidate, right? Buy big. Draft in a superstar. Make a statement to everyone. Close the gap further.
Well, that would be good if there was actually some viable affordable players out there. We need some tinkering in some areas, one or two players to make sure the squad is beefed up for our two main priorities, but no major surgical work is required. Botox rather than a nose job - Although liposuction might be an unavoidable treatment (out with the excess). Anyways, the priorities:
1) Finish in the top 4
2) Get into the CL group stages and enjoy it
All eyes will be on City again because of money spent. Man Utd and Chelsea will be the title favourites, although neither are exactly worlds apart from the chasing pack. Arsenal are becoming more and more like us. Pretty football, no end product, and no silverware (well, not completely like us then). Liverpool - who knows? They might find the resolve to fight it through till the end much like we did. Back to basics for them, might just work. Villa you can probably discount what with the goings on there at the moment. Everton could be the dark horses as they seem to duck and duck in and out of challenging the top tier. They are due one.
So, not much has really changed. This season is going to be last season with a couple of extra bells on it. There has been no mammoth game-changing factors introduced. If you're going to say City, they've had another influx of players - need to let some go and will probably need to re-shuffle and find their feet...again. Their chances concerning 4th might well be dependent on the form of the teams around them...again. If they do power themselves into the top four places early doors, then we might find ourselves with genuine fragmentation. Well, depending on the club they replace. I'll let you decide what's better for football. City in the top 4 or Liverpool. I'd say I'd be happy with both as long as Arsenal finish 5th and we finish above them.
Back to our challenge of finishing top 4 - we've made it there the once. We know what it takes. We've learnt some valuable lessons in defeat. We found new levels of performance and grit. We have experience and application we've not seen before. We finished 4th, we didn't win a medal for it, but there comes a maturity from the achievement that will serve us well this season. This season is not a transitional season. We simply seek consistency. Continued structure. We know where we need to improve and we know our strengths and how to use them. The trick is to look forwards not back.
Belief.
All we need to do is believe.
The doubt, I think, sits with the concern that if we lose one or two key players we might struggle with competing in both the league and the CL. Last season, we - at any given moment - missed key player(s). It's mouth-watering if we avoid injuries, to have the likes of Modric, Lennon etc all season long with others (Bale anyone?) firing on all cylinders too. That's probably my only concern. I'd welcome a talisman of a forward - but I'd say a couple of new squad players just to make sure we are never left short is a vital to our plans.
The progression of Harry Redknapp's Tottenham goes on. So, perhaps my particular eerie feeling has to do with being confident, more so than pessimistic. I'm not fazed. Neither should our players be.
One thing I'd like to see is for us to win a Prem game away to one of the 'Sky Top 4'. It's not the moon on a stick. It's three points.
COYS.
Reader Comments (45)
Ha. Your attempts at beating the Big 4 away are doomed. We will continue ruling out your goals, denying you penalties and giving them penalties for nothing
Good article :)
How many times did I give up last season?
Sunderland away was a tough loss at that stage of the season. The day of the Man City game I must have given up at least ten times, then started believing again, on a loop.
I agree, it is a shame we have not made any major signings (yet), but also agree that we don't really need that much except for a few squad players.
Who knows though? What with the regained form of Dos Santos and Keane we might not need any yet. O'Hara could also be vital at the latter stages of the season. The Kyles might get some game time as well. 2 utility players should do it.
I'd take Hleb in a heartbeat as well. He'd be great for us.
Quite rightly are we confident. The squad is strong and the football is good, we're a whisker away from playing in the CL for the first time ever - in its modern format - and we have what seems like a competent management team. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that it may be down to others improvements rather than our failings that will mean we finish lower than last year. Man City are bound to be in the top four, while Liverpool will be contenders agian now that they have, in my opinion, a great manager and Torres and Gerrard still at the club.
So where does that leave us? Sixth at best, knock-out stages of the CL and maybe a League Cup final. Pessimistic?
i hate the waiting...the will, we won't we anticipation...my head tells me to be pragmatic...my heart tells me on our day we're as good as any of the "top 4" and I managed to wager £50 e/w for us to win the title (against some cocky gooner...oh how i would love to take his money).
We're yet to see Bale and Lennon at their best on the pitch at the same time...Gio looks like he's staying and may have a Bentley style re-birth as a class act...the future's bright...and I'm off to Wankdorf to see us play Young Boys...life is beautiful....think I'm gonna cry...COYS
I gave up time after time last season, it comes from years of Premership bleakness; of flirting with relegation intermittently; of god awful managers and some really duff players. When the big turnaround began with the Santini appointment it raised expectations. Jol's two fifths were good seasons, one when we were nearly pasta winning post. Good wins liberally sprinkled. A brilliant two seasons courtesy of Berbatov and Keane. Starting to beat West London Spartak. But, like last season, always the snakes to slide down - like the 89 minutes after Defoe's wonder goal against Mutd. And last season had some pretty big, mean snakes [losing Modric; losing Lennon and Defoe and neither of them coming back]; the Liverpool and Wolves away games - two of the worst EVER. That run-in was incredible. Defoe can't score for toffee, his selfishness drying up Pav - and here comes Bale, and Danny Rose, and Crouch with his one goal in six games average. I can't see it happening again because it relied on too many factors beyond the club's control, so why should the same squad have the same breaks this year? The trick is to make your own breaks and that's something a Tottenham side hasn't done since 60/61. Not gloom, just another season sponsored by Gaviscon to come.
Spurs always put us through the mire and last season was a monster because we thought we'd fall flat on our faces time and time again because thats what we do, we buckle and choke. So to come through that shows how we've got to grips with wanting to better ourselves and wanting to take things forward. This season should be no different. The test, if there is a test of course is if we lose say the first game and then lose again. Do the old demons resurface or do we laugh them off?
On a related note I've recently had this strange fear, it goes like this, Lennon has always been a bit of an up and down player. He was fantastic for us last year, for 6 months prior to injury. What if he can't regain that quality? Can someone please talk me out of it (preferably lennon himself, on saturday, via the use of a football)
Minor point (fringing on pedantry) but we have signed Sandro, although he will be tired, have missed our pre-season, not speak the language, need time to adapt to the Prem and will probably be brought on slowly by 'Arry. As we saw with Bale and Pav last season though it's a marathon not a sprint and fresh players breaking into the first XI in the second half of the season can be the difference between 4th and 7th.
We'll beat City in a thriller is my guess. Azza will be just fine. We've got players at Spurs who try to out do each other performance wise. Look at Bale. About time we had this culture.
Arry builds squads of players, not necessarily stunning teams of 11 players. Hence the players that are likely to arrive ie; Bellamy, Parker, Richards. All players you would say would be good squad members as the season progresses, but none that you would maybe have in your ideal Spurs starting lineup.
We have some players in our 1st 11 that other teams would give their right bollock for - Bale/Lennon/Dawson/Gomes/Defoe/Modric/King etc etc. I say, in Arry we trust, and lets look forward to the season start. Not far to go.....................having said all that, I would not say no to a Tevez type player joining us up front.
YID YID YID YID YID YID
Sandro will add depth. And from the looks of it, JJ will probably end up staying and cameo for us also - depending on the form of Wilson. We'll be more than alright there.
It's the CB positions and up front we need tweaking. But I'm confident we'll get who we need.
Who we need might not be who you (me) want.
I gave up twice last season, Wigan & Wolves, Wigan because I remember how our season went the last time we scored 9, Wolves self explantory.
Apart from hoping for no major injuries, a born again Keano & a sober Jimmy Two Saint's, together with Pav having a holiday & pre season should give us a fighting chance of 4th.
Last season i gave up a few times, this season I'm not getting my hopes up at all.
Lets just have a good run in the Champions League and finish in the Europa League positions.
Maybe win a cheeky cup. ;)
I think I gave up more towards the end of the season until we beat the Scum. Nearly had a coronary during that game.
On the point of Sandro, does anyone think Harry will even name him in the squad of 25 considering we won't see him till late August/early September and he will probably need time to bed in? I can't see him being registered to play until January perhaps?
I know that we're counting on these players who have regained form as "new signings", sort of. However, my big fear comes from knowing that there will also be some players who were great last season, who might lose form. That would be a terrible blow. What if Bale, Lennon, Gomes, or BAE drop off in form? What if we get 2010 Defoe instead of late-2009 Defoe. I'm just worried. I guess it comes with supporting Spurs.
Sorry Spooks, haven't had time to read the article yet.
I'm watching the Norway - France "pointless" friendly. Norwegian the commentator just reported that Harry himself is at Ulleval Stadion. Can't imagine they would say that unless it was confirmed, it's on the biggest commercial network.
Loic Remy is playing. As is John Carew, but let's hope that's a coincidence.
Norway's Moa might catch his eye though. Diamond in the rough, in my opinion.
Am I I.T.K. now?
Remy seems to have come off at halftime (was getting a bite from the fridge).
Failed to impress first half. Relatively willing runner, decent movement. Two headed chances. One from a cross, at goalie. One from corner, just over. Doubt he changed anyone's mind one way or the other.
Good article btw. :-)
Correction. Carew was never on the pitch. Whew...
I agree with Connartist and think it will be much harder this season because it's not just about City and Liverpool strengthening but also clubs like Wolves, Sunderland, Stoke, Bolton and even Everton which will make picking-up points outside the top5 even harder.
Maybe there will be extra cohesion in the team due to no new faces, but equally other teams will noy have any surprises in the way we play or our strengths and weaknesses, all making it more difficult for us.
If the "improvement by having a settled squad" argument is to prove correct then we should beat City comfortably on Saturday, but somehow.........
To be honest before the Arsenal game I thought how on earth can we get a result against them and Chelsea and possibly Man United. What a run in! Not to mention City away on the last day of the season!!! Maybe at that point I thought we might not be able to do it. But beating Arsenal and Chelsea within three days was nothing short of a masterclass from Harry and the boys.
Watching that Arsenal game was not enjoyable at all! It was when the full time whistle went though. Why do we do it to ourselves, football fans must be mad. But then beating City is a moment I will never forget. I for one thought a top four finish might not happen for Spurs but I always hoped it would. When Crouch put that ball in I truly went crazy, overwhelmed with joy. We broke the monopoly of the top four!!!!
I must say though a small percentage of our fans seemed to give up long before then though. In fact some of the posts I read last season were nothing short of a disgrace. I remember reading plain stupid comments about Harry must go and that we will finish 7th or 8th. These comments even came on the back of winning a few games and then we would lose one. I must say I was furious with the way so called fans slated our Manager and players. You couldn't reason with these people. Though you have to remember these FEW fickle people don't understand football and any real THFC fan knows Harry got the best points tally in decades. He is also our best Manager in decades and has worked miracles since taking on the job. I also remember after beating Chelsea and when we pulled our other fantastic results during the season that these so called fans seemed to vanish from the blogs. There stupid comments were nowhere to be seen. I hope we don't see them again. Although I know we can't stop rival fans making stupid comments and pretending to be Spurs fans and trying to get a response out of us. That will always happen though. Thankfully the majority of Spurs fans are very grateful we have Harry in charge and appreciate what a fine squad we have.
This season I personally feel it will be even more difficult to make the top four if the City team gel. They have bought so much talent it will be interesting to see what happens. I think Everton could be a force if they keep their players fit and Liverpool might be better than last term. So if we get near the top four we will be doing ever so well. I hope we do though. I would like to see a couple of defenders sign as we know we need a replacement for Woodgate, also I think maybe cover for Ekotto would be a wise move. Bale must be used as a left winger and not a left back. So two players would be enough. We must remember we have spent over a 130m in the last few years, only City have spent more. We have been very lucky to be given such funds after not being a top four team or winning lots of silverware over the years. So we can't moan for a second about not spending loads of money this transfer window. I also think we must keep our players for the rest of the transfer window. I would let Hutton and JJ leave though. Looking forward to this season. COYS.
Come on Spurs. If we loosen the price tag on players like Jenas and Keane we might give Harry the chance to upgrade them. Taking it to the wire trying to get top dollar for our misfits is a habit from the bad old days.
I lost hope during the first six weeks of 2010 when we only won a single one of six Premier league matches. Then Pavs and Bale and Bentley came into the side and we started winning again. Felt seriously suicidal when we threw away that FA cup semi. But did anyone really expect that last run of games to go the way they did? I remember a lot of calculations involving how many points City would drop...
I watched the City match in a pub with a lot of neutrals, one of whom asked me if I was having a heart attack, since I'd been hyperventilating non-stop since about the 10th minute...
Posted on the Guardian today that I'm not bothered that much about City's signings--that's a seriously unsettled group (Way to go, Craig, air that dirty laundry! Let's blow the bank and bring that team player to White Hart Lane's changing room). Even Chelsea with Jose took some time to gel, and I don't think Mancini is Mourinho. Probably we should be a little more worried about a resurgent Liverpool under Roy this year.
I'd be happy with the current squad, if we keep all of the forwards and don't repeat the failed experiments of last season, to wit: Defoe not ever passing to Keane, and the regrettable tendency to hoooooooof the ball up to Crouch. Memo to the squad: He's better with his feet than his head. We never got a chance to see the Keane Pav possibilities play out. Agree we'll need a little luck with injuries, but as last season demonstrated, our players are versatile and capable of stepping up and into different roles as needed.
This Saturday will be huge psychologically for both players and fans. Fingers crossed and faith firmly in place.
P.S. to Rick: Blow me, buddy. You want to be holier than thou, let's see you take on the boo boys hurling abuse at their own players during the match. That does real damage. These sites exist for exchanges of differing opinions, not trying to outdo each other in unthinking "support." I supported Spurs long before Harry arrived and I'll be a supporter long after he's gone, which, by the way, will be as soon as someone e.g. the FA waves more money at him. Assuming he's not in jail first.
Pardon me but what number does this year end with??
Nuff said!
COYS!!!!
I gave up quite a few times last year , not on Spurs but on Harry as a manager and well is was proven wrong (to my own delight) , this year i will try a different approach
We are contenders for the top spot ... and somewhere deep down i really believe that
We just need to take it one game at a time this year. I would be happy with getting into the CL group stages and qualifying again for Europe next year (top 6 or Cup win).
I don't think we need to make an massive signings, except maybe for a genuine 20+ goals a season finisher (doesn't seem to be anyone fitting that description who is available at the moment) - we just need to strengthen the squad with some "battlers" for those away trips to Stoke, Bolton, Wolves et al. after a (fingers crossed) exciting away trip in the CL.
Otherwise, on our day and with all players blazing, I reckon we could beat anyone. Its just a case of Hazza getting the boys up for it. Defoe really needs to have a dozen goals in the bag by Christmas.... or ship him out.
Losing to Wolves twice was hard to swallow. Didn't give up though!
Ziegemonster, I've heard the boo boys during games and it's doesn't help the team does it? Of course these sites are designed for people to voice their opinion. But when an opinion is completely ridiculous saying a Manager should be sacked for losing one game I think it's a total joke. As do lots of other supporters. Surely you have to agree some of the comments are just daft and spineless.
Rick, I'll be more civil in my response since you were more civil in your post. I am strongly, and unlike my erstwhile prop and support Belgian Spur, unrepentantly of the view that Harry Redknapp is not good enough to manage Tottenham Hotspur for the long or even the medium term if we are serious about cementing our place as a consistent participant in the champions league and challenger for the title. I have listed multiple reasons for this view over the last year and none of them has included "we lost one game" although in some instances, like the FA Cup semi, a specific game can be used to illustrate a particular weakness.
I am frequently irritated by other posters comments, particularly the scapegoating of particular players, which is all too common. But, while I will post a response saying why I think they are wrong, I don't tell them to stop posting at all or assert that they can't be proper supporters since they aren't 100% "behind the team." Personally, I think anyone who screams abuse at a Spurs player during the match needs to have his attitude adjusted, preferably with a 2x4 to the head, but if someone wants to express the cyberspace equivalent on this site, well, it's up to them if they want to play the asshole here. Or Spooky, really, since this is his site.
Hey, you can think or even tell me that I'm an asshole because of my views. Don't tell me not to post or say I'm worse than an some arsenal troll because I don't agree with you.
BelgianSpur, no hard feelings!
Rick out!
:)
Haha Ziege , sorry mate but the fact that he did include Pav and got the team fired up (and not choking) when it came down to it made me wonder if my assesment of HH was perhaps too harsh or just plain wrong
He won (or the team won depending on how you look at it) and he brought us to that so craved 4th spot so result wise he is the best manager we had for ages
He got the results and the quality of the game was also there. And i believe strongly that only fools never change their opinion when face with their own mistakes
ps the last phrase isn't ment to offend you in any way , i reread my comment and thought you might think that is was direct at you ... wich isn't the case !
First Wolves game was a black day. Wayward passing? Lacsadaisical attitudes? Tactically inept? Completely unprepared? Useless shooting? Walking instead of running? A sorry excuse? I never ever want to see us play as badly as that again...ever.
Rick, we may (or may not...I don't know) have laid out £130 mill over the last few years, but we certainly have not Spent that much since we always make a profit overall. So that is no excuse for not spending this window. I suspect the major problem in attracting players is a combination of our wage structure and the tax regime in the UK compared with other countries, particularly Spain.
Even if we add no one to the squad, we are capable on our day of giving anyone a game. For a MASSIVE season we need:
1. Palacios to re-find his best form
2. Tommy H, Bentley, Pav, Bassong and Kaboul to continue improving
3. Dawson, Bale and Gomez to pick up where they left off last season
4. King to be available for the big games
5. A resurgent Keane, Gio coming good, and O'Hara back at the club
6. Krancjar, Modric, Lennon, Corluka and Defoe all finding their pre-injury form of last season
7. Maybe one of the youngs 'uns - Rose or Jake L, say - to break into the first team
So I'm not asking for much (you'll notice I haven't mentioned Jenas) (or Hutton). Never give up, and COYS!
All this about us spending a fortune but can someone tell me how much we have spent net in this window and last January and last summer. I am thinking about £5m net spending in three windows. Not exactly bonanza time is it so lets keep some perspective here.
Excellent interview over at ROM, Spooks
Its inbuilt in most Spurs fans to expect the worst....so many false dawns, dreams going up in smoke, high hopes for a season dashed by a dreadful start.
I am an optimistic realistic (if that aint a contradiction). We can do well, we all know it. We have the quality, we have the class....whether we do do well is another matter all together.
Last season I became pessimistic after the LFC (a) defeat. They were there for the taking, and we bottled it.
My expectations dropped further after dropping points to Villa @ WHL and then losing away at Wolves.....typical Spurs was my thought and the firsttime I was slightly critical of Harry , for his choice of team @ Wolves.
But we then followed that with 5 wins on the bounce...outstanding!! and ended the season after the wolves disappointment with 9 wins out of 12 (27 of 36 points) which would have been even better if we really needed to beat Burnely on the last day.
I never gave up hope during that run in, even after Sunderland & Utd defeats. It was always nip and tuck and we held strong. It was an impressive end to the season and lets not forget that as we stride into EPL2011 with our faith in the same group.
COYFS!
Gave up within seconds of Dawson slipping on that bastard Wembley pitch and Pompey going 1-0 up. And then it all fell beautifully into place the following week. Hoping for more of the latter this coming year.
Gave up?...well sort of....as a spurs fan for 34 years i don't know if what I was experiencing was 'giving up' or not I just wasn't surprised because I have experienced that one many occasions (3 up to man u at HT during Glenda's reign being one). I of course was gutted at the Wolves x 2 results, hull (h), everton (a) and Sunderland (prob the worst of the lot)
re Devonshirespur's post re Liverpool (a)
They were there for the taking but as far as bottling it....it was as much to do with that cunt Webb as anything else. If Defoe's goal had not been incorrectly chalked off it would have been a different game. After that the lads did understandably drop their heads. Webb gave nearly everything he could against us that night.
2 dutch gits in the pub (arse fans) that night were giving it large about how shit we are and how the scum were gonna win the league etc etc. In a moment of epiphanic clarity i commented as follows; " oi you smart cuts we will run you for 3rd cause you aint getting anywhere near 1st"
Mature response I know but wasnt far off was I.
So I might have "given up" but thanks to those scum fan bastards I believed again.
Obviously I said cunts and not cuts.....wouldn't have had the same effect.
Belgian Spur, no offense taken at all. I do occasionally wonder to what extent the intense personal distaste i have for the man is affecting my judgment of his abilities. My first recollection of Harry was seeing him commentating on some match, several world cups ago, and thinking "Who is this massive prick?" Nothing that he did in the subsequent years, especially the Porstmouth-Southampton-Portsmouth shuffle, improved my opinion. So I felt pretty sick when he was named as our manager, not least because I knew we had fallen so far, we actually needed his skill set.
I read a poster on another site who said that he didn't think harry really did much in the way of micro managing, more laid out his expectations and let the players get on with it. And that it usually worked because we had very good players. Mind you, this guy was okay with Harry as manager. Similarly, I credit the players with our success, in spite of Harry, not because of. And you know he only started Pavs (in the last 10 minutes and with Crouch) just to shut the crowd up. He was well and truly pissed off, and captured on camera, when Pavs scored two in the next match.
So, in an attempt at reasonableness, despite the fact that when I read Spooky's line "The progression of Harry Redknapp's Tottenham goes on." I actually gagged a little bit, I will say that if Harry get's us into the CL knock out stages and we retain a top 4 spot, I will acknowledge that he's a footballing genius and a Spurs legend. Fair enough?
Tomtraubert, I believe the proper Dutch spelling of the word is kuyt
Nycyid ...... nicely done mate
cheers tom
I am fickle and proud of it