The anomaly festers
Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 9:58AM From March 2011 (Interim results and Chairman's statement):
The statistics will show how fiercely competitive the Premier League now is. We shall look back and be disappointed with our form against clubs in the bottom quarter of the table if we fail to qualify for the UEFA Champions League at the end of this season. It has been in these fixtures where we have taken fewer points than any other team in the Premier League and this is the anomaly in what has otherwise been one of our greatest ever seasons.
How best to fix the anomaly?
Is the problem truly one that can be resolved by replacing our forwards with some of genuine world class ability? Or is there a general stagnation of coaching and ideas from Harry and his back room staff? Have we over-complicated formation and strategy? Not highlighted complacency quick enough? Are we perhaps going through the motions on the training pitch? Or are we allowing emotion to cloud our judgement? Victims of a lull of form or the result of degradation that has been festering for a while?
Redknapp got us into the Champions League. Whether this was an expectancy based on the players we possessed is something that's been discussed many times before (the thinking being it was hardly a miracle achieved). It's a fine line between success and what many would deem failure and this season, there is (even though 6 points separate us) not a lot between us and City. Even with the anomalies we could have made it back into the CL, still leaving us with questions unanswered whether Harry can once more reclaim an uncomplicated system, style and swagger next year without the odd anomaly holding us back.
With CL nigh impossible, it's now all assumptions around the fact that what we are seeing at the moment are issues that can not be resolved. Harry apparently distracted by the media game he plays, even though there hasn't been a season in his career where he hasn't taken part in it.
Next season is monumental. We took a risk on him in the first place and it worked. It's worth another gamble? Or not? As I mentioned in my last blog, it's a collective failure this season. But then such a failure always rests on the shoulders of the gaffer. Then again, it depends what you class as a failure. You might be content, much like Levy might be when remembering how he cited that CL would not be possible season in season out. Which would point towards another season of Harry at the very least.
Discuss amongst yourselves.
Reader Comments (59)
Who else would we realistically get to replace him? I'm happy he's there and would rather another season with a quality striker then he can take England and we'll have Jose...
We've played crap half the season, still we're only 6 points away from CL-spot.. I blame the strikers. Score some friggin goals for god's sake....
Redknapp is quoted in the Guardian today:
Let's hope he doesn't spout the same defeatist bollocks in his team talk tonight or we really are screwed.
Man City spending loads of money has nothing to do with our results against the bottom clubs and that is why we are below them, not their cash.
It was in our hands and we lost it.
had enough of harry and his media love in.Never stops talking about everyone else and if i was Levy id be giving him a warning about what he has to achieve next year.We had the chance to show everyone we are here to stay instead we just went through the motions and our results since the end of feb have been a disgrace.It shows how bad the premiership has become with us being so crap the last few months and being still in touching distance of the top 4.Harrys been found out ie tactics,motivational skills etc.He stuck with the same dross this season when we all knew how crap Crouch etc are.Instead of addressing that situation he carried on with em and now its come back to bite us on the backside..
well and truly gutted(even more so after watching the bloody scousers last night with Suarez being a real pain to the fulham defence)..
i blame the lack of spooky blogging to hold together the collective spurs' supporters mindset
It’s about the bloody game Harry…each and every one of them. Too much time making excuses (in advance now even) rather than thinking about how to win each and every bloody game. A little pride and passion…just a little please.
As Spooky said, it`s a combination of shortcomings that has left us somewhat, short. The defence has to be addressed with a quality GK brought in to keep Gomes on his toes, don`t want to see him go, as imho I feel he has an awful lot to offer.
Old shipwreck timber has to cut free and set adrift, i.e. Jenas and the likes, again competition in for Lennon and Bale brought in.
As for the strike force, well, do we keep Defoe? For me NO, I would rather two top notch strikers brought in and start to blood Kane, as Rose has been used of recent so too should Townsend.
Going to be a very interesting summer transfer window, it will show just what Levy has as priority number 1, the squad and our progression, or this bloody OS saga.
Arry`s alright by me for another season. What about our good old German, Klinsmann? COYS!
a brilliant word used by 'yiddogray' ....... realistically. Us fans need to be far more realisic. we have all got far too carried away by last year. im happy for harry to have another year, england call and then for us to get Moyes.
ps.
I would like to see more aggression shown towards the officials by Arry and his merry men, Old Reds moaning n` bitching pre and after match, Manures players harassing, bitching and swamping officials when things don`t go their way has payed great dividends over the years. The same goes for the KGB, Bindippers and our squatting neighbours, and people wonder why they finish in the top pack season after season.
GET SOME BALLS!
This has been "one of our greatest ever seasons",really??? i must've missed it! I dont know how finishing 6th is a great season and this is the problem we have at the club, supporters who have only been following the club since 1992 when the PL was formed,have such low expectations cos all they,ve seen in that time is our club chronically underachieving! We were 4th last year we're not gonna b 4th or higher this year so the season's been a FAILURE! As 4 redkrapp the less said about him the better,i live n pray 4 the day he leaves the man's a clown!!
realistically... spurs have been playing far below their potential in the league the entire season, disregard who above us and any money they might have or perceived strength. We aren't right in it because we cant beat fucking blackpool at home with it all on the line. And for that I think we need to hold everyone responsible, but Harry is where the finger pointing will land and, i think, deservedly so.
It's OK to the question Harry's failings but poor to question his future. So who else is in the reckoning? We'd have a season of a new boss bedding in, getting in his own players/staff, Harry's favourites leaving, etc. No, stay as it is. Cut out gaffs by Gomes, sell the crap (Jenas, Keane, etc), add a couple quality signings, especially up front (why o why couldn't we get Suarez?) & without doubt we will challenge. Very dissapointing end to the season (Wet Spam going down would some consolation!) but lets see it out & be positive for next season. COYS!
I think Harry probably needs to go. He got us out of a hole, but - to me - will never be able to create a lasting legacy. Now, managers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some are strong on coaching and developing players, some are tactically astute, some know a player when they see one, some are man-managers and motivators. Only the very best can do it all. Our Harry relies on the old arm round the shoulder thing. Perfect for a quality team that had somehow managed to accrue "2 points in 8 games". But is it enough for a sustained assault on the top-4? And is he really man-manager he's made up to be, if he's unable to motivate his players for the bread-and-butter games?
As Harry has been (all too) quick to point out, we will never be able to compete with the Manchesters and Chelsea in terms of transfer fees and wages. This is a given. And to Harry, it seems, this is the perfect excuse to give up. Which means that a change of tack is in order. We have to snap up young talent and have a real go at developing it. Harry is a 'tried and trusted' manager (also evident in his reluctance to rotate squads). He has almost exclusively bought players for Spurs that he has either managed before or who have proven themselves in the Premier League. This will get us nowhere. Once players reach the PL, their price tags go up (witness the exorbitant fee for the journeyman Palacios) - and we need to buy smart and sell smart to keep up. This means developing young talent, selling for profit, buying better talent, etc. We need a manager with a game plan, with an eye for talent (not bargains) and who does not throw in the towel because the big boys have shinier toys.
We need someone other than Harry.
"......Is the problem truly one that can be resolved by replacing our forwards with some of genuine world class ability?....."
YES - how many games have we seen us dominate and simply not score and finish a team off?? We have a midfield bunch of players that the vultures will be swarming around all summer trying to pinch from us - stick a couple of strikers up top with a killer instinct and we are good to go. Surely it aint rocket science.
Spooky, I love your blogs but pandering to the anti-Arry bunch is getting annoying.
COYS.
Things could have been so different IF we'd have signed that effing CF in Jan. Up until the end of Feb things were going pretty well. We were 4th with a game in hand over City and heading into the quarters of the CL. March and April have ruined our season and I think it's down to not investing in that area - we all know that Pav, Defoe and Crouch are not consistent Top 4 / CL material.
Our record against the bottom 4 has been awful, one win in those 8 games I think. That's because they sit back and defend deep and we haven't had the quality upfront to break them down. Also the glamour of those matches compared to playing Milan, Inter, Madrid etc etc. They just haven't been up for it which is v disappointing. Harry has perhaps not instilled an aggressive enough winning mentality (a la Jose) into the players but instead presided over too many complacent performances against inferior teams (inferior in terms of skill not heart).
BUT for a first season in the CL, quarters is excellent and finishing 5th against a City side who invested £130m+ last summer isn't that bad either.
It took Fergie 6 seasons to win his first title, let's not forget that. I think Harry has been brilliant for us in his first 3. We are a much better team/squad under Harry than we ever were under Jol, Ramos, Santini etc etc.
I hope he stays here for 5 years+ but am sure he'll get the England job in 2012. There are very few available managers that could do better than him. I do at the very least hope Redknapp stays for at least one more season but he will only stay if he is allowed to sign 2 or 3 great players. All of our key players will stay this summer. The only one I can see going is perhaps Lennon but hopefully Harry sorts that out and he stays. We will need to offload players such as Bentley, Keane, O'Hara, Pav, Woodgate, Hutton & Gio (and I think Niko wants to go and will be allowed to) and we will need to let them go for below-market value prices. We should still be able to recoup around £25-30m from them albiet at a massive loss.
Our transfer targets won't be completely different by us not being in the CL. Yes the likes of Forlan, Rossi, Lukaku etc might not be enticed but there are a number of great players in smaller clubs such as Osvaldo, Falcao, Wickham etc who would improve us in crucial areas and would still want to join a young team that has impressed so much in its 1st season in the CL, who beat Inter & Milan etc. I think they'll take the view that we can get back into the top 4 and maybe even challenge for the title in a CL-free season. Plus the lure of the PL & if Levy can offer £80k wages all help!
Where Harry has perhaps fallen down this season is in (a) not signing Suarez when we had the chance & which Levy was prepared to bankroll and (b) as mentioned not instilling an aggressive enough winning mentality (a la Jose) into the players.
Other than that it's been a great season.
COYS tonight. It's not over until it's over!
Although I do go along with Levy and more recently, depending on what mood he's in/result we've just had, Redknapp's assertion that we can't just expect to be in the champions league every year, you still can't get away from the fact we've missed a massive opportunity this season. Like you said Spooky we're only 6pts off citeh, which isn't all that much especially if you look at how we've dropped points these past few months. What pains me is that I'm coming away from probably the best season I've known going "If only......."
Not pie in the sky 'if only's' as is the case for all my previous years (apart from maybe last season) as a Spurs fan (I'm only 28), but real genuinely achievable 'if only's' that we've let slip through our limp and weakened fingers.
Anyway, anomaly overcoming techniques: I reckon it mainly comes down to player mentality which for me lies in the hands of the gaffer. We can play like gods in the big grandstand games, why not against Blackpool/West Ham at home? Is it an arrogance issue when playing the weaker teams, we just expect to beat them?
I'm not one for 'Arry Out, but his media onslaught is really pissing me off. Him on MOTD2 on Sunday! He might aswell have been wearing a t-shirt saying "Don't worry football fans of England, even though Spurs aren't having the best run at the minute I can still manage the national side, honest I can. p.s. please like me......... PLEASE!!"
Then he comes out with his recent favourite dichotomy: "How we supposed to finish in the top four, cos so-and-so are brilliant, and so-and-so have got loads of money, and so-and-so are making a comeback, it's going be near impossible next season etc etc" to "I'm going to win the title with Spurs soon"!!!! Does he know that the title lies in, and through the other side of the top four?!
I'm sorry to rant, and this isn't a knee-jerk (honest!) but he really gets my goat sometimes.
Keep up the good work spooky
COYFS
Well said SC, although our winning mentality was there - remember how resilient we had become, and how many times we came from behind (that's what she said!!) to take points.
I heard Arry stating that one or two of our players who were playing brilliantly and winning games prior to say end of January lost their form and i can't disagree.
As you say, not over till its over, some COYS. Whatever happens, it would be fantastic to do CITY tonight.
The issue with being realistic concerns perception. I've cited this before and you can tell from different opinions shared that people's expectations differ massively at times.
Based purely on squad and the manner of the reoccurring anomalies, you'd have to admit we've ballsed it up. It was there for us to lose and we've lost it. City have hardly set the world on fire and Liverpool were miles behind. Harry will deflect attention away from this fact, either because he wants to protect himself or continue to down play our potential and our genuine standing in comparison to the teams around us.
Whether he favours his own agenda or not, all assumption, wont help us now. If he stays, for his own good, he'll want to make out he's over-achieving again by aiding us to a top four place. Even though we wouldn't be technically over-achieving.
So, is the perception the fact that another manager could have had us in better nick at this stage of the season? Or perhaps the fact players dipping in form/players not being good enough is an unavoidable hazard regardless of the coach leading us? It's painful when you let it sink in, the fact that CL could so easily have been ours again.
For me, it has to be about stability. If we're in the thick of it again next season then that means that if Harry then moves on - the man replacing him will have the foundations for greater accomplishments.
You hope.
The blame is wholesale, across everyone as opposed to individuals.
Only United have lost fewer games than us this season!!!
Chelsea are 14 points ahead of us but have lost more.
Arsenal - 11 points ahead, lost the same number of games
City - 6 points ahead, lost more games
We've only lost 7 games, but it's the 14 draws that have us sitting where we are.
Against the "Big Four" the players have put in a performance for 90 mins every time and usually got some form of reward. If it wasn't for officiating disasters at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge, we'd be a lot closer to City.
However, those 2 games were defeats, not part of the 14 draws that we've suffered.
In most cases they've been in games where we've either dominated and failed to score, or we've not performed well.
They've also, most notably, been against the teams who are currently scrapping for survival.
It's like our players have a superiority complex. They go out onto the pitch thinking that it's enough just to turn up.
It's a complete opposite to the "Big Four" games where the media say we are the under-dog.
I'm sick of Harry's post match comments too. There's never an ounce of feeling hard done by, because he wants to keep a good reputation with the FA. There have been games where players have been injured by opponents or officials have made bad decisions and all Harry says is "It just wasn't our day"........ BULLCRAP!!!!!
There's only so many times the old arm around the shoulder and 'believe in yourselves' works.
Do the players believe in Redknapp any more? I know I don't, and I don't have to listen to his shit more than a couple of minutes at a time.
As predicted, the wheels have come off. Redknapp hasn't got the tools in his bag, nor the dough, to put them back on. I'm not sure there's a manager in the league who could have done a worse job with these group of players than Redknapp has these past few months.
A massive opportunity lost. Time to start again.
"..Spooky, I love your blogs but pandering to the anti-Arry bunch is getting annoying."
May 10, 2011 at 10:52 AM | In arry I trust
Thats funny. I've always accepted Spooky's pandering to the "In Arry I trust" bunch.
Harry Redknapp is still talking about Man City's money....? I'd excuse him if he claimed that that is the reason he will not win our TWO games against Man City. But that doesn't explain why he won't win against the promoted teams and the less wealthy teams. He is full of stupid excuses. If City win all games against all poorer opposition...then so be it. But they are not doing it. Getting to the top4 is not just about winning the games against the "rich" teams, its decided by the points earned against the other, not so wealthy, teams. So his ready excuse just doesn't hold.
Levy's, and indeed Tottenham's ambition is to finish in those Champions League places, so if this guy has already thrown in the towel....? Isn't it obvious that we need to replace him with someone who believes he has the skill/talent/knowhow to get us to where we want to be? Some managers believe in their ability and understand that money isn't everything. Hey! Is Borussia Dortmund richer than Bayern Munich? What if their manager had given up before the season began. Like ours already has.
Statistic. If the league had began in January, Liverpool would be second - ahead of "Rich" Chelsea and their 50million pound striker. Man City would be 9th!!!! So much for their money Mr. Redknapp. We would be 10th. Behind the likes of Stoke and Everton. Is that all about money?
Stupid stupid excuses by our TV pundit masquerading as a football manager.
Say what you like but this season has been HORRIBLE. Beating the poor Italian teams doesn't change anything. Schalke put 7 past Inter...did anyone see them against Man United? They (Schalke) are 11th in Germany and are basically a Div1 team.
Why are you guys scared of aiming high....?
Someone should make a DVD of our glaring misses this year in the League and send it to Harry under the title. "Chances Sandra could have scored".
Maybe then he will stop with the favouritism and realise we need something else up front than a tall guy and a ball greedy player with a total lack of understanding of how to stay onside.
Harry has done great, but already has his eye on the next job. For that reason only it's time to move him on. Fact is Moyes and Coyle with far less resources will be closer to us than we are to the other CL teams. What does that say about Harry's look at one side of the coin view to life.
How could Blackpool take 4 points of Spurs? What is their income, spend compare to Spurs? They should have stayed at home and took their donkey's for a walk in the crazy world of Harry Redknapp. Why waste their time coming to London to compete with us rich Londoners. Get real Harry - this season we failed to do what we did last year against the bottom teams. Failure to do it against these has cost us far more than City and Chelsea spending big in January.
By the end of the season this 6 points we are talking about will probably be nearer 12 as well. Just my opinion. The players look like they have given up. City and Liverpool are finishing well, while we are struggling to walk let alone sprint across the line.
@Lost my faith.
We are currently 1 win from the last 12, notwithstanding referees cock-ups. Jol was put on notice after two consecutive 5th places, and he never had a run as bad as the one we are facing at the moment. Assuming HR, is still with us at the start of next season and his legal difficulties are overcome (he is definitely not going to Chelsea) will he be put on notice too do you think?
Hand on heart, I've always been pro-Harry for the best part of it, although I'm wondering if I'm simply tolerating him more than others. I think the issue I have is that I know he knows he can be doing better. He simply hasn't been shrewd or decisive enough this season. I'm hoping he is next.
TMWNN/Ronnie (and feel free to chip in anyone else)
You are Daniel Levy. You sack Redknapp and the coaching staff. Who do you approach to bring in?
Using wealth as a yardstick, would mean our level is 6th in the Prem, and quarter finals of the League and FA cup. If we get into europe, this equates to out of the CL at the Round of 16 stage or reach the final of the EL (based on the wealthier teams being in the CL).
Using honours as a yardstick would mean alot lower levels for all competitions, except for the League and FA cup, which would equate to getting to the semi-finals.
Last season:
PL - 4th
FA - SF
LC - QF
europe - n/a
(exceeded in the league, reached our level in the cups)
This season:
PL - ?
FA - R4
LC - R3
CL - QF
(reached our level in the league, exceeded in europe)
Say what you like but this season has been HORRIBLE.
May 10, 2011 at 11:46 AM | Ronnie
WTF. What a joker!
@Jim
Agree with you over the realism, but not too sure about HR.
IMHO, though we have had horrendous luck with injuries to defenders, the last three months or so has led me to question the tactics. Our best performance this year as the 1-0 over AC, but we have never repeated the experiment of putting Sandro and Wilson as a pair of DM's again. There have been other decisions, but that night, I knew we had a winning formula, and the results seem to have been ignored, or worse, flushed away.
I guess the point can be made again that our level could so easily have been exceeded. So do fans and the chairman make the excuse, what will be will be and stick with it, or do we look elsewhere?
A lot of the anti-Harry rhetoric is around his agenda, England and taxes. But then equally so his tactics, formations and reluctance to stick with one thing.
History would suggest we stick with him.
@555
Andre Villas-Boas (Porto) - young, title-winning manager who served his apprenticeship under Jose.
Ståle Solbakken (FC Copenhagen) - one of the most promising younger managers in Europe. Seems set to become manager of Norway but could be swayed.
Carlo Ancelotti (Chelsea) - could become available shortly. Credentials speak for themselves.
Ian Holloway (Blackpool) - has proven to be much more than a quote-spewing nutter.
Michael Laudrup (Mallorca) - very good manager who can work on a budget, as he has done at Getafe and Mallorca in Spain. Won titles in Denmark and knows what it takes to be a winner from a trophy-laden career.
"...You are Daniel Levy. You sack Redknapp and the coaching staff. Who do you approach to bring in?".
May 10, 2011 at 12:02 PM | 555
555... I would like to see at Spurs someone who is...
1. Focussed on the Job and not on what to say to the TV guys.
2. Someone who believes that he has the ability to achieve beyond financial constraints.
3. Someoene who respects the "tottenham way" of playing...i.e. does not humiliate us by forcing us to watch hoofs directed at his favourite footballer, The four goals a season Crouch-y.
4. Someone who does not bench one of our best goalscorers (Kranjcar) when we are desparately struggling for goals.
5. Someone who knows when to rest players so as to avoid burnout (Bale, Modric, VDV, BAE, etc)....
6. Someone who doesn't use the words "impossible"...to motivate players
And...I can go on.
Anyone of these candidates would do...
1. Jurgen Klinsmann - Primarily due to his connection with our club. And his experience at a club chasing top awards.
2. Andre Villas Boas - Have you seen Porto play? They just don't care about finances and other rubbish. They totally go for it.
3. Jurgen Klopp - Borussia Dortmund. The mad genius.....Ohh!
4. Didier Deschamps - Marseille
5. Walter Mazzari - Napoli
And if push comes to shove...
6. David Moyes - Everton
All these are young upcoming managers who want desparately to prove themselves. Not to retire having been England Manager. They have time on their hands and can build a team. Other than probably Moyes, None of them would bid for the likes of Neville and Joe Cole. Lennon would stay and Jenas would be gone the minute they step in...because they are ambitious (and they have Sandro).
555,
What do you suggest then? Let Redknapp fritter our money away in this window and watch us fall further behind next season, all the time having to put up with his media whoring, the fake grinning in interviews, listening to him tell us one day how we're going to challenge for the title, then, the next day, tell us how deluded we all are for hoping to beat the likes of Blackpool, and how wonderful other teams are? What then, when he lands his long coveted job and leaves us without a second thought? Won't we be in the same situation then, a year older but not wiser, looking for a manager who isn't completely full shit? Why wait?
@555
Adding to The Fox's extensive list,
David Moyes, Jurgen Klinsmann, my ailing grandmother. Just anyone, anyone at all who doesn't publicly declare that it's hopeless to even TRY to beat City to that CL spot, just because they have so much money.
opened one up with this one havnt you spooky, to busy at work to actually write an essay for you today so ill keep it short,
Premier leagues not getting worse by lower teams beating each other it getting better. no match is a dead cert anymore and why would we not want that, yes we have been tailed along with it as well but its still not been a bad season. if you look at it retrospectively 2 more goals this season to turn 2 of the 14 draws into wins and tonights game is a crunch champions league match.
some better reffing in the man u and chelsea games and its a crunch game.
its thin margins, it really is...and whats to say that if crouch hadnt messed up at the bernabeu we wouldnt of made it further in the greatest cup competition in the world at our first attempt....
Chins up please yiddo's
COYS ... 0-2 tonight....pavvy and lennon.
@SC
Its all about what you expect/expected from your team this season. I surely didn't expect us to win one game (Jus managing to hold on to a 3-2 win against Stoke) in TWELVE (12) games. Especially when those games include West Ham, Wigan, West Brom, Wolves, and Blackpool(2),...
I can't even remember one game in the league where we have been the clear better team. All our opponents have felt that they could have won against us. We win by the odd goal. Have you seen Liverpool lately? 5-0 against Birmingham, 5-1 against Fulham, 3-0 against Man City....Clearly, they are the better team in these games. What was our best result this season? 2-1 away against Stoke? ....What was our best game in the league this season? 4-2 against Robbo's Blackburn? Forget the CL, Its been a pathetic and desparate season.
3-2 away to the scum
klinsmann?
If there is one thing we can trust our Chairmen to do it's to take away all sentiment and make a cold fact based decision on what is best for the financial future of THFC.
Harry has done very well since coming in, and should England come knocking for him we would get a hefty compensation package from the FA. Sacking him based on "maybe he will go to England" is not a great reason.
But if 10 games into next season this form continues, because Harry has not got the dressing room or whatever the hell is going on, then that situation may change as a relegation battle is one thing Daniel will want to avoid at all costs.
"......Statistic. If the league had began in January, Liverpool would be second - ahead of "Rich" Chelsea and their 50million pound striker. Man City would be 9th!!!! So much for their money Mr. Redknapp. We would be 10th. Behind the likes of Stoke and Everton. Is that all about money?....."
@Ronnie - the league begun back in Auguest and finishes in a couple of weeks
You know what's interesting is how other clubs fans perceive their own progression.
We are critical of our own players and manager, but if you look over to City, they've hardly improved on last season. There in the position they're in because of the points we've dropped. At least from our perspective. From theirs, they might argue they haven't even started to play to their expectations yet. Or perhaps how they performed last season and how they are performing this season *is* their level and under Mancini they wont improve further.
Which means, they've got lucky. We've lost our luck.
Regarding stats, I've seen some quoted that have us in the high ranks of most shots on goal. The fact we've scored few goals points once more to the fabled 'our strikers are crap' conclusion.
Question: How do we improve this side for next year? Is it:
A) Add a couple of quality strikers to the team to score some of the many, many chances created by our midfield players who appear to be the envy of many of the worls most successful managers
or
B) Sack Arry and bring in a new manager and sit back and wait until he 'builds' his own ideal team
This season was THE season to consolidate 4th and show others that we weren't a one season wonder. The opportunity was there and we fucked it royally. Redknapp had his chance but blew it. Next.
CEJ - no time to rebuild. Not in terms of dismantling and starting from scratch. Person who does replace Redknapp needs to be (I hate to say it) our 'Wenger' of 'Fergie'. Even though both took on teams in different states of flux at the time.
Next season has to be another top four assault. Anything less and we'll have no choice to rebuild.
Ronnie - thanks for those, some interesting suggestions. My main criticism of those is track record - a few of those have done well in lower profile leagues which may not necessarily translate to the EPL. What I mean is, would you take the risk of swapping what we have now for potentially another Christian Gross. Juande Ramos may well have made that list three years ago. Not saying you're wrong, but it's a leap.
TMWNN - I don't have the answer, I was genuinely interested in who you would back for the role. Getting rid is 50% of the solution.
Person who does replace Redknapp needs to be our 'Wenger'. Our 'Fergie' won't last 6 seasons.
555,
We'll have halved our problem then, eh? ;-)
Unfortunate thing is Spooky we neither have the fans or the board who would give the manager the time Fergie needed, or the structure that Wenger created.
Both of those were special circumstances which happen occasionally in football. Moyes is a classic example, never won a thing there in almost 10 years, but people here very quick to say he could be an option. Would they be happy if in ten years we had appeared in a cup final and once a qualifier of the CL?
What do people expect from Spurs? As Ronnie put above, our performances this year have not been good, so we have to improve. As long as that happens I will be happy. This year we did not improve.
Watching liverpool yesterday was just depressing. They have signed some proper players. Exciting and passionate.
I'm not going to go as far as saying this season has been a failure - we've had some classic moments (arse away, arse home, the cl adventure regardless of the fact that all the teams we played against would have struggled against stoke) but i can't help but feel totally deflated at the way we've just capitulated.
Don't be fooled, we are really quite shit at the moment - i would not be surprised if we got spanked by both city and liverpool and ended the season with a 1-1 draw at home to birmingham (having gone behind to a gomes howler of course).
In a way, we may be fortunate that bale has been ruled out til pre-season, this may actually work in our favor for keeping him for another season.
As for modric, our one proper world class player, I fear the worst.