Are we there yet?
Friday, August 27, 2010 at 1:09PM When we lost to West Ham United 2-1 and Arsenal danced on the Highbury pitch in celebration its no exaggeration to describe the day as one of extreme dejection and pain. It wasn't to be. It was all very Tottenhaming, what with the vomiting on the pitch and the illness and conspiracy stories (It was Dein!) and the fact we gave that particular part of east London a proper knees up and another folk tale to sit alongside stories about the Kray Twins and Phil Mitchell's latest breakdown.
We couldn't just go there and lose, we had to do it with a sprinkle of drama and quite frankly ridiculousness. I mean seriously, did we somehow bring it upon ourselves? Subconscious manipulation of fate and destiny birthed from fear of failure, allowing for self-destruction? It was ours to lose and we lost it. That night, just to top it all off, I suffered from chronic food poisoning and was basically sick for 3 days (well, it took me that long to recover). Talk about a sympathetic reaction. Pathetic.
How people scoffed (not at me, I didn't share the details of my personal hell because after my recovery I spent months locked inside my home writing depressive poetry and staring at a canvas with a brush and black paint). They scoffed at Spurs for the blatant choke. And Arsenal in the mean time told everyone who'd listen that their 4th spot finish was never in doubt. Back in your box you go, you silly Lilywhites, dreaming of such things that are beyond your reach. How very dare you. The one chance we had, was apparently gone and that was that. None of the Top 4 would slip up again. Fluke, luck, punching above our weight. All labels tagged onto our backs as we fell back in amongst the pretenders.
What we didn't know at the time was that the EPL elite would begin to slowly falter. No need to wait for further slip ups. The rest were going to catch up because the teams at the top were going to stagnate a little bit. Not in any drastic way, but we've covered this before. The gap between the pretenders and the challengers shifted and shortened. There are probably still only 3 clubs who can genuinely challenge for the title, but its no longer an impossibility to work towards challenging for it. The first step is to be good enough to get yourself into the exclusive private party for four in the penthouse apartment.
We thought we'd push on from that 5th spot finish, and did sort of but not really, finishing 5th again without really challenging for 4th. And then internal politics meant it was goodbye to Jol and hello Ramos. And then one dizzy headache later, Ramos is gone and Harry arrives.
Another hefty sprinkle of drama. And then enter the re-birth. See whilst all the haters sat around pouring scorn on our continued ambition, regardless of what soap opera engulfed our every day existence, we never lost sight of what we wanted.
Okay, so we all wanted 4th spot and CL and people would purposely translate this as a statement that we believed we were good enough each and every season, but again whilst the haters continued to laugh, we started to believe. Not exactly a delusion if you get there in the end. Granted, we spent a lot of money (within our means) but the right balance was never there. The all important ingredients were missing. But if you're not going to aim for something, you'll never going to make the steps in the right direction.
We all know the story after Harry arrived, turning it around from two points from eight games, to one of complete ecstasy up at Eastland's at the back end of last season. All the anguish of the past couple of fragmented decades and we finally kick-start what might be, just might be, a new cycle. As others look like ending or stalling of just petering out, we need to avoid giddiness and continue to push on.
Years of completely shambolic non-progression (see the 1990's) and plenty of stop start transitional seasons (the 2000's) has finally been wiped away with a fairly superb achievement, guided by Harry Redknapp and his hug-and-kick-the-ball-about man management.
We over complicated things for so long. Too desperate for success, without pragmatism, and far too many romantic notions what with our obsessions with the past. The culture of comfort is now gone, replaced by a hunger to want more, to better ourselves. A winning mentality at White Hart Lane. The eternal dreamers have finally woken up to find a lucid reality.
And this is just the start of it. We've got a lot of improvement to be had and experience to earn. And even some of the haters through gritted teeth are now grudgingly accepting that this Spurs side is not quite cut from the same cloth as the ones from our recent past. We're a good side. More than decent.
Not that I want to stand starry-eyed, mesmerised by the CL anthem and our inclusion in the draw for the group stages, but damn, you sort of have to still pinch yourself because the memories of past struggles and misguided hopes (let's face it, at times we wasted faith in teams and players who simply didn't have it in them) are still quite fresh in my mind.
And this isn't a positive knee-jerk based on the comfortable spanking we dished out to the bewildered Young Boys in what was a very wet evenings entertainment.
This is just another statement of intent.
So, let the ones who prefer to continue to pour scorn on us, continue to do so. They said we'd never get out of mid-table, they said we'd never finish high enough to get into Europe, they said we'd not get anywhere near 5th spot, they said we'd never finish 4th, they said we'd bottle it, they said we'd never qualify for the group stages.
Well, stick it up ya. All we have ever been guilty of is wanting more for ourselves, and for once, our team has reciprocated our ambitions.
Lap it up people. There's no shame in smiling.
We have arrived.
Reader Comments (40)
Exactly. Let them put us down, let them say we will never get fourth again or never get past the group stages. Instead of making ourselves look stupid we should silently go about our business, enjoy the fruits of this and hopefully go onwards and upwards.
COYS
It have two football loves in my life and thats Spurs and my Hometeam, ironically both teams have had similar problems and were considered to be punching above their weight. Both teams aimed a lot higher then what they achieved year after year , both teams love the flowing sexy football but choked when facing the slugger teams, both had promising youth that never lived up to that particular promise ... and so on, the only difference is Spurs have money whereas my hometeam hasn't.
But things have changed gradualy , the believe came first , the management stabilty came a bit later and then last season it all came together. Spurs broke in to the top 4 after a fabulous end of the season while my hometeam tore up our century long rivals with 6-2 in a game that decided who was going to finish second, and won the Belgian cup final (we actually won something)
The true pessismist in every fan came alive during the summer , both teams remained quiet on the transfer market and consolidating after such an emotional and succesfull season seemed almost impossible ... Almost ...
And then came this fine week , Spurs got in to the CL after all these years and all the Mockery and Kaa Gent brokedown the former Dutch 'giant' Feyenoord to qualify for the EL for the first time. Both of them at home coming back from a goal behind and both of them with fluent football and believe , no more choking, no more humiliation ... only pride !
I am a very very happy man
Who gives a toss what they say, enjoy, enjoy enjoy we've earned it.
This whole situation feels weird! I remember hearing a conversation between a man and a impressionable young lad who was starting to understand what supporting a football team is all about. He had chosen Spurs as his team, but the man had advised him against his decision explain that supporting Spurs means he would be signing up for a lifetime of misery and disappointment. I started to think this man might be right.
Today I know he is wrong !
i like this comment - 'and far too many romantic notions what with our obsessions with the past'. It seems Redknapps main obstacle was overcoming large sections of the fans who felt he 'wasn't Tottenham', or simply wasn't Jol. I realised that we are obsessed with the past. This even has overcome our desire for success (in some people). What we fail to realise is that success is success. What made us great was the success, the double, the early European campaings. It wasn't being the nice guys who entertained but ultimately weren't at the races. I think some people actually find it hard to accept that we are no longer the glorious losers, and i freely admit it is quite a hrad adjustment to make! It's like this new, ruthless, efficient, tough, succesful team is scaring us!!
Like my cousin, she is extremley bright, and very driven. She runs her own headhunting company in the city, and will probably be a millionaire by the time she is 30. Very passionate and opinionated too. So ambitions and succesful its hard to believe. When I spoke to my uncle the other week (he's a black cab driver, Arsenal season ticket holder) i said 'damm, xxx is doing really well, you must be so proud and pleased' and he fixed me with an odd look and said 'Yeah......but Chris, she scares me sometimes'.
I think Bill Nic would turn in his grave if he saw the stick Harry still gets from a lot of people. It's like there is/was a fear of winning, a fear of that nastiness needed to win. Bill Nic said to win without style is useless, but he also probably took it as granted that to have style without winning is even more useless. The winning is the basic important part. We have the 'winningest' manager we've had for some time. I'm on board, letting harry lead me where he will.
We're in the Bigs.
I have no idea why News Now doesn't like this article. Not got any norty words in there, do I?
I like it Spooks. Let's hug.
Cracking stuff. Had it all day at work today about how we're going to lose and get thrashed and this and that. If we won it, the same people would tell us there's no way we'd ever win again.
It's their way of dealing with the fact that we've got there. Fuck em.
"Newsnow is run by a cabal of Arsenal supporting media owners, hell bent on denying us the recognition we deserve" -
Dedicated to the great Rafa Benitiez - we'll be seeing you soon xx
Mama Cass best summed it up - "You've got to play your own kind of music, sing your own special song, play your own kind of music - even if nobody else sings along."
Great article again spooks, you are fast becoming the Thudd of Spurs blogs.
My only ambition this season was to get into the group stages of CL. Now we are there, let's enjoy it. Nick the odd point away from home, glory glory WHL European nights, and if we happen to pinch 2nd, then brilliant.
My only wish would have been for Berba to have had more faith and stayed with us, would have been epic for us in the CL.
COYCLS!
See that's the reason it was so important we achieved this and why it's important to perhaps sign one major player between now and the deadline. I've underplayed it, suggesting the adventure is more important than the end result - but I reckon if we impress in this competition, we'll be more than an attractive proposition for many. Players like Bale, Modric etc wont have a reason to leave if we're in it again next season.
Finally!
Friends and non-Spurs supporting family have been full of praise. I think some of them are turning. Although West Ham mate isn't best pleased.
I've always believed we're a club that should be right up there, if we worked towards it. I think the culture was wrong at Spurs for ages, way too long, and players signed would just not bother testing themselves and willing each other on. We were very shit in the 90's, so middle of the road mid-table. Had some fantastic players, some great games , but also got slaughtered and seemed to have an abysmal away record. Times really have changed.
"Newsnow is run by a cabal of Arsenal supporting media owners, hell bent on denying us the recognition we deserve"
LOL
Would love it, just love it, if we qualified out of the groups.
So, now that we've finally reached our goal from the past 5-10 years, what now? Whats the big "delusional" goal? Premier League? Champs League? Or is it just to stay where we are?
Just saying, we've always had this lofty goal of finishing 4th every year, and now that we've done it, we should be aiming higher, but to say that we are aiming to win the title sounds a bit ridiculous, so what do we have to aim for?
We have to aim higher, like Harry said, what's the point if we don't? Might be out of our reach but look at last season, we dropped points, if we dont drop the same points again this term we'd be top 2. I know every club drops points so the logic is flawed, but what it does mean is there is room for improvement. And we'll have to improve anyways to stay ahead of City and catch up with the scum.
And, Spooks, achieved without crowding the ref, kicking pieces out of the opposition, manager moaning about anything that doesn't go our way, with Huddlestone and Modric our key midfielders, proper Tottenham way players.
We havn't cut any corners and found ourselves in the middle of a flock of sheep in a field. We've played good football and achieved success in a way that all Tottenham supporters, past and present, can be proud of.
If you can't get success by playing good football its not worth achieving.
I'm pleased and proud.
But as your typical Spurs fan responded to an apochryphal Jenas hatrick
'Yes but can he do it every week?'
'All well and good but can we qualify every year?'
Enjoy the moment. I'm lovin it.
"If you can't get success by playing good football its not worth achieving.
I'm pleased and proud."
Completely agree with Jimmy G2. If we're no longer recognizably Spurs, what was the point of hanging in there, suffering the coronary wear and tear all these years? Why not just have switched over to Chelsea when they went bucks up, if winning was all you wanted? What's so pleasing (to coin a phrase) about this, is that it has been progress towards the goal, with the notable ramos detour. There's been development of players, who if not home grown, at least joined us as youngsters. We didn't just buy this. We built it. We're top four, we're in the champions league and we're still undeniably Spurs, doing it the hard way, but getting it done.
Silly, perhaps, but I repeatedly got chills watching our lads playing with that starry champions league ball.
BTW, WTF with the injuries? Scheduled for surgery Defoe is fine, but just-stay-out-there-and-hobble-about-a-bit Gomez is out? How does this confusion arise? They look nothing alike.
Redknapp is in the process of building a truly well-balanced squad with the right sense of professionalism and competitiveness, as he has done wherever he has managed. There's still a little way to go after the scatter-gun approach to squad building under Comoli/Ramos, but we will only get better.
It's just as important that Levy has finally understood the lunacy of selling our best players, the likes of Carrick etc, which may have benefited the club financially but, as we all know, effectively hobbled our chances of competing with the top teams.
The future is Lilywhite!
Mike - this is why there is no disassociation with fans and club. There are plenty of Man City supporters that don't like the way they are buying anything that moves. Apparently Adebayor wants out. They only signed him last season. The conveyor belt system is souless. I'd hate Spurs to ever go down that router, but what with the new regulations round the corner, if clubs can only spend within their means I reckon we'll be laughing. Loudly. Soon.
dont be surprised if we make a bid for adebayor tho!!
Make it so.
good thing about big Ade is he thrives playing up front on his own. That's why he never really worked with Tevez....cos Tevez also likes it on his own.....which is why he never thrived with Rooney.....
We might have arrived, and now have a short term working visa with a shengen? tourist thingy. A few more years, we'll get residency and then eventually get naturalized be able to properly say that we belong here. Much like those Frenchies down the road.
As long as we don't get deported.
I'm loving how quiet it is with the lack of spammers and goons browsing on in to tell us how happy they are that Young Boys knocked us out.
Oh wait..
FWIW:
Man U went out before the group stage in their first CL. They didn't get out of the group stage the following year.
Blackburn were bottom of the group the year they got in.
Toon didn't get out of the group stage the year they got in.
The scum didn't get past the first group in their 1st or 2nd year in CL.
But Cheatski & Bindippers got to the QF in their first years.
All that factual 100% correcto? Might use that in a blog post. Ease the pressure. And inspire.
there's a reason "to dare is to do" is our motto!!!
Well spoken Spooky. There is a quiet optimism in the air that we are on the way to doing something really remarkable. I don't want to say we will win the league, but don't be shocked if we end up doing so.
Lemonade, Don't forget Leeds. In their first CL adventure, they came out of a group (2nd) containing Barca, Milan and Besiktas, then made it out again in a group containing Real Madrid, Lazio and Anderlecht (two group stages in the old format), eventually bowing out it to Valencia in the Semi's. Of course, the rest, as they say, is history...So on second thought, maybe it was best you forgot Leeds.
If u include wen leeds won the league they went out to rangers i think 1st round? But no group stage? Found the stats on stato.com or something like that, but i remeber man u havin trouble adjustin to cl
RIght you are, winners of the last "First Division" before the advent of the Premier League. They beat Stuttgart (in very odd circumstances it seems) but lost out to Rangers in the second round. My mistake. Although, you do have to understand that Football didn't exist before I started really following it in the late 90's.
Football was invented in 1992.
carl shut shut up the nou camp. tho there was only about 4 ppl in it. 72nd min? I think Imre Varadi might have been in the vicinity. or Frank Strandli. remember it vividly for some reason.
Carl Shutt
Oh what memories. Looking back on that era gives me shivers down me spine........not in a good way.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Shutt
Seriously
I have 4 very good friends that support arsenal and the crap I got after the first leg was unbelievable.....how did they react after the 2nd leg......oh well it was only young boys.....you'll never get out of the group etc etc.
Here's how I see it..
Home Away
Inter - Draw Loss
Bremen - Win Draw
Twente - Win Win
Total points : 11 = Qualification
Thoughts? Am I deluded and riding this crest of a wave too much?
Looking for a win at Twente might be a bit optimistic, but we'll do 'em. Werder Bremen though, is a stern test for any team. Per Mertesacker is a hell of a defender (and about as tall as Crouch) and Torsten Frings is one of the more underrated midfielders in Europe. Even though Ozil's gone, they still have one of the best young wingers in Germany in Marko Marin.
Bremen home is the key game. Twente away will be much easier
Twente isn't all that easy , if Bryan Ruiz has his day then we are in for a surprise , had the honour to see him play quite a few times (used to play for my hometeam) and he is a great young player. But he is the numer 1 replacement for L Fabiano if he leaves so that would make life a lot easier , kill two birds with one stond (and a few million pounds)