Running up that hill
Thursday, April 28, 2011 at 12:51PM So there stood the general with his army at the foot of the hill. Memories of a past glory in battle which was fought gallantly and won. Having returned to reclaim the land for a second time, his tired troops look up at the steep hill and frown. For it's not an easy task to climb and fight and then stand at its peak victorious, then do it all again.
Their foes, they are more prepared this time. The element of surprise, no longer a factor.
"Onwards we shall charge", the general commands.
Dissent in the ranks.
"Onwards? Charge? Again? Why can't we just go around the hill? Then come up the other way and surprise them? Fight from the top and push them back down", say the tired troops.
"We don't have enough men to do that", some say to each other.
"We don't have the right type of men", some dare to whisper.
"Onwards!" Screams the general.
"This just about worked last time, we've been stuck at the foot of the hill all year, it's too late. We should have attempted something different from the offset. They can see us coming", say the tired troops, dismissing their generals strategic know-how.
"Onwards! Let us claim what we deserve!" The general commands as he begins to lead his men forward on horseback.
And onwards they march, for they are soldiers and they obey their orders.
Once more. Running up that hill, battle cry from all.
And if they were to be pushed back once more by the barbaric hordes that await them then surely the general will admit defeat and return to the foot of the hill and await for reinforcements from the emperor. And then perhaps another tact will have to be embraced to once more reclaim the land and plant the flag of victory in it's peak.
The hill will always be there. The fight will always be a tough one. And if it's been done before, it can be done again. Perhaps next time, by taking no prisoners.
Onwards.
Reader Comments (63)
Probably the last article before I return from a breakaway over the weekend. Back blogging on the 2nd May. If I manage to capture a 3G connection in the wild, I might post some musings on the Chelsea game, but then I'll have to have seen it to do that. So perhaps I'll peep into Twitter once or twice instead.
That's if I don't fall over and die first. Chest and throat are raping each other.
Onwards indeed.
We've made it hard for ourselves but we can still do it!
COYS!
Blind faith. Its all we have left.
Everyone out!
Genius as ever spookty, genius.We blew it this season, truly missed a great chance to build on what was a good season before. Here's my idea for next season. Sell Bale for 30m plus, Jenas 2m,Pav,Defoe and Keane 10m, retire King and Woodgate and Niko wants out so another 6m and Bentley for 6m. Buy Given,Bellamy, Ashley Young,a world class centre back and a world class striker and maybe a couple of old heads on a freebie or 2.
We will have expect more from our snipers from here on out. It is not fair to expect everyone else to battle, if the frontmen are firing blanks.
Come on men, Defoe can be overcome.
You at the front ... stop Crouching! You should be more Keane! No-one's Baling out. They may be rich, but they ain't Modrich!
we`ve been spoilt by previous successes
our expectations run high
whatever happens ill be proud of our achievements
we are Tottenham
COYS
We are not spoilt. We are the 15th Richest team on the planet!! I mean't to say. I'd love to sign Drogba.
We are never going to get world class players cos we can't pay world class wages.
We are never going to finish in top 4 again cos we won't have world class players.
We are never going to keep our existing world class players(Bale, Modrich) cos we won't be able to offer them champions league football and world class wages.
We need a higher capacity stadium ASAP so more revenue can be generated to pay more wages, attract worl class players and regularly finish in the top 4.
Sorry Spurs fans but please get real. Last season was lucky cos Liverpool and Man City were in turmoil. We would have done great if we finish 5th in the league this season.
We are going to finish behind Liverpool. Anyone who thinks we still have a chance of finishing 4th have not been watching us closely. You have more chance of shagging me wearing a Gooner shirt.HHXX
RETREAT!
You people, with your unrealistic expectations, disgust me. Why don't you go and support the scum? We should all rejoice in mediocrity and Harry's BS.
at least we're looking up, not looking down!
Who knows what will yet happen, who knows who and what next season will bring? It's never dull.
we are tottenham, super tottenham, we are tottenham from the lane.....
Last season gave us a chase for 4th place and an FA Cup semi final.
This season has given us a run in the Champions League including games against AC, Inter & Real.
Next season will see us with no European football to distract us from chasing the top 4 properly again.
We became distracted, looking at those games against the aforementioned teams as being more important than beating the Premiership strugglers.
Look at the results around our European games:
Wigan (H) - Lost 1-0 after beating Young Boys midweek
WBA (A) - Drew 1-1 as we prepared to play Bremen
West Ham (A) - Lost 1-0 as we prepared to play Twente
Everton (H) - Drew 1-1 after a trip to the San Siro
Bolton (A) - Lost 4-2 after the whipping of Inter
Birmingham (A) - Drew 1-1 ahead of Twente game
Wolves (A) - Drew 3-3 after AC game
Wigan (A) - Drew 0-0 ahead of Bernabeau trip
I didn't include the game at Old Trafford as that was down to poor refereeing rather than performance.
Realistically, had it not been for European involvement, with minds focused properly, we'd have expected at least 14 points, but got only 5. That's a 9 point swing that would see us comfortably above Man City by now.
Let's not forget the 0-0 against West Ham and the 3-1 up at Blackpool where we couldn't hit a barn door..... Should have been another 6 points rather than 1.
Until we have a manager who learns about balancing the squad across the competitions, our best hope is to be alternating season in season out.
Being in the Europa next season will be worse - more games and they're on a Thursday, meaning less rest. Anyone else notice that Liverpool improved in the PL when they got knocked out of Europe???
hehe. nice one cyril!
Oh, the grand old Duke of Pork, He had five-an'-twenty men,
He marched them up to the top of
Everyone stands up
The hill and he marched Them down again.
Everyone sits down
And when they were up they were up.
Everyone stands up
And when they were down they were down.
Everyone sits down
And when they were only half way up,
They were neither up nor down.
Everyone half-way up (repeat)
COYS
NEXT SEASONS NEW PUMA KIT TEASER.. http://www.footballkitsonline.com/tottenham-201112-shirt-leaked/
I would still like the Europa league next year. I think it's important in terms of attracting players and also keeping the squad busy and rotated. I do feel consolidation is required and the kids given the chance. Walker will be back so Hutton can go. Sell bentley and have Rose/Townsend as Lennon cover. Pal jenus and o hara are surplus in midfield so can go as long as an experienced cm comes in like Parker. I think if nico goes a replacement would be required, dos santos anyone? And up front vdv must be classed as one of four with another being youth and two quality signing. So for me Keane defoe crouch and pav can go and replaced by two quality, vdv and one young striker. At the back retire king and woody - we have gallas Dawson kaboul and bassong(maybe he can go and one in). It's a much reduced squad but only what we need and will give our youth a chance. I personally feel it will be harder to lose the dead wood for a good price compared to getting in those we want
It's important because of the UEFA coefficients points.
No distractions next season. A few new names. The only option is to seriously go for winning the league. It can be done. City still aren't better than us and financial fair play kicks in. Liverpool a threat but we have to believe that the league is achievable.....
Then again turmoil is bound to strike the club, Arry will either be banged up or leave for Chelsea, England or Sandbach FC....
"You people, with your unrealistic expectations, disgust me. Why don't you go and support the scum? We should all rejoice in mediocrity and Harry's BS."
Apr 28, 2011 at 2:32 PM | Jim
Nice one TMWNN. I know it was you.....
If Chelsea defeat us (maybe I should say "when they defeat us") and Arsenal defeat Man U - then I want Chelsea to win the league. Logic - So that Man U fans may also feel as embarrased as us guys will feel when Liverpool come back from their crisis to pip us to fifth. Admit it guys, its very very embarrasing.
At one time, they were in the bottom 3 - and we were in the top 4.
Great article author.
City are better than us, that's why they will finish in the top 4 and we won't.
"You people, with your unrealistic expectations, disgust me. Why don't you go and support the scum? We should all rejoice in mediocrity and Harry's BS."
Apr 28, 2011 at 2:32 PM | Jim
Nice one TMWNN. I know it was you.....
If Chelsea defeat us (maybe I should say "when they defeat us") and Arsenal defeat Man U - then I want Chelsea to win the league. Logic - So that Man U fans may also feel as embarrased as us guys will feel when Liverpool come back from their crisis to pip us to fifth. Admit it guys, its very very embarrasing.
At one time, they were in the bottom 3 - and we were in the top 4.
Great article author.
How did that happen....?
I have never read so much negativity in my life. Get a fucking grip. We haven't given up the 4th place just yet. I will be having a bet on Spurs to beat Chelski. It's not impossible yet. Remember last year when we lost in the semi's. Start marching up that hill guys.
We will lose at Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City I'm sure. Only if Liverpool subsequently stumble and we win our other games will we even make 5th. History repeats itself as our only solice is in cups (this year the CL), but as a league side we are a disaster. Meanwhile Levy fiddles in the High Court while we kid ourselves that we are a big club with our 37,000 capacity stadium and near 50 year wait for a league title. It could have easily been uprated to 45-50,000 years ago, with all the financial benefits that brings, but Levy had to try and match the Emirates and has failed miserably. Without the revenue forget the title and lets hope one of the other cups proves an entertaining diversion for next season.
Wasn't me Ronnie. Jim must have completely lost the plot ;-)
Napoleon stunned the Austrians and Russians by starting the battle of Austerlitz at the top of the hill, allowing a controlled retreat, and then smashed the "allies" through the middle. Unfortunately, HH is no Napoleon...
Swings and roundabouts ronnie. We were bottom 2 years ago. I feel no embarrassment
Every time the beanpole walks onto the pitch is an embarrassment.
Napoleon relied on disciplined formations of superbly-drilled men, each with its own complement of artillery, to hold the Allied attack at Auschwitz on his weaker right flank until the divisions under St.Hilaire could attack the weak allied centre, upon which both supporting armies of Bernadotte and Murat would reinforce the flanks. Tell me, does all that seem doable for 'Appy 'Arry? ;)
Austerlitz, my error.
It wasn't me either.
Actually Harry had a platoon in reserve but forgot all about them
in the excitement.
"We are never going to finish in top 4 again cos we won't have world class players."
First of all, I want Spurs1961 to admit that he is an Arsenal fan. No Spurs fan would make that statement. We are never going to finish top 4 AGAIN?? NEVER EVER? REALLYYY??
IMO, I think that VDV has not improved our team. On the contrary, his presence has pushed Harry into playing a 4-2-3-1 (4-5-1) system in the league. The problem is that this formation works better in Europe - we do not have a striker that can be consistently good playing alone up there against PL defences. We got to the top four last season playing 4-4-2 in style and we should have stuck to that system for the league. He is a good player but perhaps Harry should respect him less and play him on the wing in our 4-4-2. He can roam from there.
4-4-2 against Chelsea. Lennon must start. VDV has unabalanced our team but he's a good player and seems like a really good bloke, so it's tough. Benny is out for virtually the rest of the season. Bale to left back where he first made his impact last season.
4-4-2 would be suicide, especially if the Chavs play 4-3-3, we'd be totally overrun in the middle.
However, owing to criminal negligence in the transfer market (Redknapp should be jailed for that, never mind dodging tax), 4-4-2/4-4-1-1, 4-2-3-1/4-5-1 are all fundamentally flawed when you play with clowns instead of strikers.
Saying that, I'd definitely go with 5 in the middle to at least try to gain some resemblance of control in the game and keep the goals against down to a minimum. Who knows, maybe we could even score a couple without letting the same amount or more in for a change?
4-4-2 will lead to a 'turkey shoot', with us, obviously being the turkeys.
4th is gone, stupid to pretend otherwise. Does anyone really care if we miss out on the Europa League? The game isn't the 'must win', that some would have you believe. A draw would at least fuck the Chavs up, so rather than typically, and totally naively, go charging forward using tactics from the playground (which usually results in us going behind very early), let's at least try to look a little bit professional.
I fear another 'great game for the neutrals', but 'one of those days' for us.
True TMWNN,
Imagine how Kranjcar must feel knowing that the "clowns" that have kept him out have a combined total of 7 goals in the entire season. He already has two goals from his brief 10min appearances.
Any average overweght spectator could score more than four goals if played continuously for over 30 games. Forgive us for expecting more from the tallest professional striker who brings "something different" to the teams he plays for.
Crouch, Keane and Defoe were bought for a combined total of almost 40 million pounds. So there goes the argument that lack of money due to limited stadium capacity is our problem.
It seems that Redknapp can only shop for players within the English premier league. Many people will only realise how detrimental this is when Redknapp leaves and leaves us trying to find buyers for Phillip Neville, Joe Cole, Jenas and...Crouch! We desparately need to accept our mistake and get Damien Commoli back.
Commoli brought us Kaboul, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Taarabt, Modric, Bale etc....He may have gotten a few wrong, Bent and Bentley as prime examples (though those were forced upon him by Levy's desire for England Team B players), but atleast we always had some hope of unearthing a super player. There was a chance. But Phil Neville? Joe Cole?
Sigh!
Lets see if we can snatch a knock-down goal against Chelsea. Aren't we the more glorified version of Stoke City?
Compared to the current dross, Bent is starting to look like Pele.
Gomes you're a fucking nitwit.
i think given the squad we have redknapp is under achieving bye bye harry tired of the excuses
All those Champions League heroics seem so far away now. Don't fucking give a shot about 5th place, it'll make no difference to whether or not Bale or Modric will stay. I hope Levy and Harry do something about the team this summer - new goalie, a long term centreback, cover at left back, a forward if vdv stays and Harry still plays 4-5-1. Just desalt deflated and disappointed at this point.
5th place will make a difference to levy all he thinks about is the bottom line
Forget the linesman. He was a blundering incompetent fool who couldn't officiate an under-fives match without tripping over his own laces. But the real culprits here are one Harry Redknapp esquire and his team of grinning idiots whom he refers to as 'coaches'. They couldn't coach a prawn sandwich. The whole match, chelski outran us, outpassed us and outplayed us, and what did the coaches do? Sit there and grin. Same as they have all season long. HR and his coaches have a great strategy for training the players-five a sides, morning to dusk, and then some penalty practice. Wow. Barcelona must be watching with undisguised envy at HR's brilliance. 'HR for Barcelona!' goes the cry. Please, even if it's Barcelona C, let him go.
Fair play to CIty, who are nailed on to finish fourth now. They've been much better this season that last. I just wish that we'd shown the same level of improvement. I'm sure that everyone in Europe just can't wait for Mancini to "park the bus" and play for a goalless draw in every away game; rather than have a Spurs team going balls out for a win every time.
Maybe if we had one of our injured centre backs available it might have been different; although goal scoring has been the big problem this year. Just imagine the current squad with Teddy and Jurgen, at their peak, in it. I just think that I've messed myself!!
I'm only an American so what the fuck do I know, but if that first Blues "goal" isn't yet another argument for some kind of recorded officiating I don't know what is. How many terrible calls is it going to take be EPL game officials to get this problem solved?
I've been told by some Rugby lovers that they've instituted some kind of instant replay system like the American NFL without slowing the game down, so what's the EPL's excuse? At this point it's hard for me to draw any conclusion other than it would cut down on the opportunities for corruption, but I hope I am wrong.
DubaiSpur...I feel you mate, but Harry gave his all today. He did stand up and instruct when he felt that things were not going according to plan. Atleast...he had a plan.
However, when Sandro (my new favourite player) scored, he should have celebrated with him (its his first goal in England for goodness sakes) ...and then afterwards he could have held him back and instructed him to be more defensive if thats how he wanted it. Giving him a telling off betrayed his true feelings; that he doesn't want Sandro to do well...because he probably wants to convince Levy to replace him with Joe Cole/Scott Parker/Neville or some other rubbish player he favours.
Lennon isn't doing well on the right. Kaboul seems to want to do too much.
If Pavlyuchenko never plays for us again...I really won't mind. I had hope for him but I've given up. He is poor.
Gareth Bale...Player of the season? Good for him. and I'm happy to see him do well. But I'll take the 40million thank you very much Real Madrid. I'll take Ashley Young and Mathew Etherington for half that money as replacements for that position. The rest of the money can be put into the Cavani kitty.
VDV? what a conundrum! If Man City can help us and buy him we should appreciate. He is a good player, likeable, talented, etc. But the measure when he takes the position of one of the strikers is goals. Not enough at the moment. Sorry.
I expected a loss...somehow, for the first time ever, I don't feel sick after a defeat. How were we ever going to win?
ronnie - i hear you bruv....bale wasnt up for it and for 40m i want someone who is 100% effort...modric is pure class/genius..dawson..gallas gave their all....and v der vart..sorry he aint fit and never will be-second half just passed him bye...
keep...daws..gallas...benny...charlie..modric(please)..lennon..defoe
wish list....keeper who can catch....parker...ashley young...drogba...or zamora/bent back..
lets at least get europa league if only to keep eastenders at bay on a thursday!!!
Just when we needed to step things up, we've folded like a deck chair
7 points from a possible 24 in the league - that's relagation form
And a no-holds-barred tonking in the Champs League
Since Harry has was happy to take all the credit for our success with a team he played little to no part in building* then he can the lions share of the blame for this dross he's served up.
* He's admitted VDV and Sandro were nowt to do with him, meaning he has spent around 80m on players and not one of them feature in our first choice formation;
---------------------Gomes
Corluka----Daws-----------King-------BAE
Lennon----Sandro/Hudd--Mods--Bale
----------------VDV----------Pav
I can't be bothered to indulge in the moanfest about the linesman and/or alleged plot against us. All to Wenger/Fergie/Mourinho-esque for me.
We didn't deserve 4th this year.
I heard some stat on the Spurs show that to me was the most damning of all--how when you compare Spurs vs United, Cheatski, City, Arse performances against the crap W's they all walked away with something like 20 points whereas we only got something like 8.
Levy pretty much sealed our fate when he said he didn't care if we didn't get fourth. He doesn't want to gamble. Wants to balance the books, tweak at the edges and improve us incrementally over the years. In theory that makes sense. We have an awful lot of dead weight we could get rid of but he has also been responsible for acquiring more.
On balance 5th or 6th is probably the best we can realistically hope for.
Thanks for the great season Spurs. It was fun ride.
I still can't smile without you.
Now let's see if we can't batter Liverpool and/or City for pride and pride alone
COYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!