Ain't no pleasing you
Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 6:57PM guest-blog by Chris King
When is it no longer acceptable to complain? To moan about a service provided, an experience gained or an attitude presented to you?
What makes it unacceptable? Do you have to take in to consideration everything that has gone before – to apply a “mus’n’ grumble” attitude to everything you do – as hey, there is always going to be someone far worse off than you; someone below you – way below you.
When do you hand over your right to complain? As soon as UEFA doles out their 30 pieces of TV silver; or does it go back further than that – to Eastlands last term, to when Harry signed, to when Jason Dozzell went back east?
This is the picture currently being presented to Spurs fans – fans who feel they want to exercise their right to politely point out where the team has gone wrong over the last couple of months. To comment, complain even criticise (lick windows and howl at the moon as some in the media are suggesting us “nutters” do). Yet we are being reliably informed that we are clueless; that we have no right to moan about this past season – as this is the best it has ever been (since circa Sky and all that).
Swallow your penance, shut up and accept your lot.
But what if you are one of those book learning types; you know – those that can read. Can look at a set of results, the names in a squad; understand maths sufficiently well to add up points that could (read: should) have been gained against those clubs below yours. What if you then came to the conclusion that all was not right? That something had gone wrong; horribly wrong – and the slight swagger you presented to the world back in March – was now a hunched shuffle, which had you sloping back in to the pack – to where most believe you truly belong.
City beating us was no great shock last night – eggs, paper bags, and the geek’s even nerdy dad could have Spurs in a rumble right about now. Yet if you read twitter last night, or skimmed through the obituaries – sorry – I mean match reports this morning - you’d think we were just popping off cloud nine for a pint of milk, a decent keeper; and we’ll be back amongst the big boys before next season was but a few weeks old.
It was official – we weren’t allowed to complain. We weren’t allowed to pluck figures like one win in 10 (I appreciate it’s more, I just like round figures) out of the cold, hard facts. We weren’t allowed to comment on the apparent lack of desire at times against West Ham, West Brom or Blackpool.
We weren’t allowed to question the tactical acumen applied to the team selection in those game, or last night – or the switches made, and the personnel introduced.
Unbeknown to Spurs fans, a new law was passed across the land placing the penalty of treason on any negative comments directed at the Red Top’s new “King of Hearts”. Harry is lauded as a very good manager who had a bad run with a few dodgy decisions, sendings off, injuries – it was always someone else’s fault.
But what if we want to complain? What’s stopping us?
Well there’s the ever so slightly patronising undertone that we’ve been shockingly bad for so long that, To Dare – is apparently above us. We should be happy with the fact that we’ve beaten AC and Inter Milan – we’ve had a run in the Champions League that no one expected of us, and that we took our beating against Madrid like men.
If there’s a Spurs fan out there that can’t find a positive from the season, then there is a little more than something wrong with them – and in fairness, to those baying for Harry’s head, only Vicente del Bosque would get the sack after some of our European results this term – but there is no disputing that our season was derailed sometime in March – and if we can’t moan, then at least let us ask why it all went so wrong?
I don’t buy in to the notion that the European experience did for us. We’ve been all over clubs at times – West Ham at home, City home and away – and what have we got to show for it? If we can’t criticise Harry, do we point the finger of blame at Dear Mr Levy? – who is so cunning in his transfer bargaining that he left us a striker light, and gave us Pieenar – a player who appears to have left what form he had, back up in Liverpool – no doubt a victim of that gang that targets the prized possessions of their local players.
But we can’t moan – nor question. So what do we do? We do what all Spurs fans do at such times, we argue with each other. If no one is prepared to listen, we find someone to at least shout over the top of on the same subject matter; though for once, we all seem to be shouting the same things.
No Journos will return our tweets, opposition fans only see the folly in our arguments – we’re no longer the darlings – back to being the overly expectant, laughing stock we’ve been since the ‘80s.
If last season delivered the earth, this season promised the moon and the stars as well. There was, daft as it now seems - the faint glimmer that we might even be the club to take the title race in to May. Looking at our last 13 league games, the teams we’ve played and the points we dropped – would it really have been so daft?
Though I guess it is not really our fault. United, Chelsea and Arsenal are where they supposedly belong – City have bought their place at the top table, and Liverpool – well, they’re just the Liverpool of old; same efficiency, same manager, same reliance on the back pass to the keeper. So if it feels like we robbed ourselves of glory; chances are it just wasn’t meant to be.
So if you feel like moaning – ask yourself a few questions: are we better than we were under Francis? Have we enjoyed some fantastic European nights down the lane this term? If the Red Tops want Harry for England, surely he’s still the man for us, right? If we’d have won half of those last 13 games, would we be back in the Champions League next year?
Actually, don’t ask that last question; it’ll only cause you to question, to moan….. To ultimately, be wrong!
Chris King, a regular on the old Shelf and held a season ticket in the Park Lane Upper. He now lives in Leeds, where he spends most Saturdays trying to teach his daughter the words to Spurs’ songs. Writes for In Bed with Maradona and his own blog Northern Writes.
Reader Comments (73)
"we sacked one manager for practically the same thing (granted, different era). Or error."
Sacking Jol was a mistake, no argument. But this is not the same situation.
When Santini did his midnight flit, Jol was what? a glorified trainer? He stepped up as interim manager and did so well that he was given the post "permanently." Jol was at a very early stage of his managerial career and could be considered an up and coming manager. So it was reasonable to expect he would learn from his mistakes and grow within the position, if given time (and the players we so desperately needed but Comolli wouldn't buy.)
None of that is true of Harry. He's at the end of a very long managerial career. If he doesn't know it by now, he aint gonna figure it out. He won't even admit he's made mistakes so forget about learning from them. And he has much better quality players and greater depth, not that he ever uses them.
Also, Jol bled blue and white, he was Spurs, committed to the club. Harry can no longer be arsed to do his job because he's spending all his energy lobbying for a new one with England. Or Chelsea. But he clearly does not want to be at Spurs in the future.
The rant against Jol was that we weren't moving forward fast enough and Levy tried to take a short cut with Ramos. If we don't sack Harry, we are asking to move backwards. Because he clearly doesn't see anything wrong with that.
ziege....
Speaking of Comolli. Is it about time that us Spurs fans review our sentiments regarding his tenure? Tbh, the man has gone ahead and made a very successful career as DF since his time at Spurs. Just look at the feel good factor around Liverpool at the moment - esp. compared to the little belief that Spurs fans now have regarding the management currently in place.
Maybe Jol was the one who did'nt know a good player when he was given one. Much of our current team actually comprises of Comolli signings.
I miss Comolli...especially when I look at Crouch prancing about in our colours and when another Joe Cole/Neville/Adams link with our club props up on the news. We need a new DF, ASAP.
I read somewhere that Jol was talking to Newcastle about the job there whilst Spurs boss, whether as a serious proposition or to bargain for better conditions I don't know. Not sure that displays commitment.
HR is not a genius, he has presided over an under-performing outfit for the second half of the season, and we've been a big disappointment in the transfer market, but adopting rose-tinted views that life was better under Jol or that everything would be better if we only played dos Santos and Taraabt isn't the answer. Neither, I suspect, is taking a punt on an unproven, up-and-coming young Carlos Cantspeakenglish who after dazzling the Portuguese league with consecutive titles accepts a dizzying offer but fails to get to grips instantly with the EPL. Back to mid-season sackings, star departures, mid table, transition seasons, dressing room unrest, rebuilding for the future (again) and another new saggy managerial face lumbered with unwanted, overpriced players bought by the predecessor and six months into a 4 year contract. "Maybe next season".
The point? If you want to ditch Redknapp, must be someone proven. Otherwise, one more season and then its off to the Lancaster Gate retirement home.
If the FA don't come calling, we could have Harry for quite a long time to come.
Anyone in the Harry out camp - please recommend someone to replace him. There's no one in the English game - we've had our fingers burnt with National coaches, Spanish maestros, managers the board lost faith in.
Harry appears to be liked by the board, liked by a large group of the fan base - I just can't see anyone out there - even with the sort of "whizkid" style younger French or German bosses. What a club like Spurs needs is a Guardiola type to have been a name, played a bit elsewhere then come back to learn the ropes under Harry - remember, Guardiola was learning the ropes in the reserves under a manager not many of the fans liked. I just don't think such a player/manager exists.
Chris - is that not what is happening with Sherwood? I thought I read earlier this season that he was brought in to learn the ropes under Harry, with the plan that he would eventually succeed him.
Can't think of any other ex-player that has gone into management, that's also young enough to fit the bill.
Hughton?
You know when you have a gut feeling? I have a gut feeling. And I'll have to pass.
Chris - here's a cut n paste of HR's successors from other posters (not my own suggestions)
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.
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
Of all those, only Villas-Boas pulls my chain, possibly Moyes, but not convinced by Klinsmann. That sounds like another Ardiles or Hoddle waiting to happen.
Quote of the week for me:
"If we finish fifth and we've still got a chance, that will be a better season than last year, even though we crept into fourth. It's getting tougher and tougher."
- Harold Redknapp, defying all known forms of logic
"If we finish fifth and we've still got a chance......"
Eh?!?!?
What about bringing Karl Robinson in from MK Dons to work with Harry?! That said, he's just signed a new deal.....
At least with Holloway you know you may lose a game but he'll have some truly eccentric media riposte!
Could Hoddle do a job with the current batch of players?
All this worrying about how the season has ended is pointless now....
Let's start looking forward to next season!!!
As it stands, based on Fair Play it looks like we kick off our season with the Europa League play-offs on 30th June.......
I think this is why we're not shooting at the moment - attacking play gives you fair play points.
The less fair play points, the less chance of us qualifying.
Harry's probably instructed the lads to get at least 2 red cards and just stay in our own half on Sunday
No More 2 Points:
"Much of our current team actually comprises of Comolli signings." And you could put together one if not two full squads of Comolli signings who are no longer playing for us. We were a revolving door of players for quite a while...posted a couple weeks ago that I thought stability within the team might have been one of the reasons we did so well last season. Given the number of players Comolli bought, it's almost law of averages that some will come good. But many didn't.
But that was not the point of my post. I'm saying that because we were mistaken to fire one manager doesn't mean it would be wrong to sack another. There are glaring differences between the situation with Jol and Redknapp. And by the way, recall when you heard about the alleged newcastle talks--it was after Levy sacked Jol, not at the time it was supposedly happening, which screams spin control by the club. Jol certainly wasn't in front of the press daily doing commercials for his suitability for the newcastle job, like Harry and England.
Football starting in June - result!! We should start the league quite strongly then. If we fade away in the second part of the season we will probably still do better than winning 1 in ten League games during Feb, Mar and April.
Ziege....
Regarding Comolli... You are right. In all honesty, he was no angel. I ts him that I actually wanted out at the 2points, 8games stage (Believe it or not, but I was probably the only person who though Ramos could turn things around. Ramos actually went to Real Madrid after leaving us where he proceeded to break an almost century long record of consecutive wins. He lost 6-2 to Barca though and his contract wasn't renewed. Poor soul...we ruined him!)....but, (back to Comolli) all i'm saying is that, i'd rather him and his revolving door than trust Redknapp and believe that getting rid of Adel, Gio, possibly Lennon and replacing them with Joe Cole, Adams, Neville, Pienaar, fucking Crouchy etc while keeping the worlds happiest benchwarmer Jenas is what will work for us. Because once he leaves, what will we do with this pathetic bunch?
As for sacking Redknapp promptly...I am for that entirely. I think his ego has grown tenfold since we rescued him from his regular relegation dogfights. He actually believes he has been playing with the Mourinho's and Guardiola's of this world his entire career (Hence his attitude towards sorry Spurs whom he "rescued from sure relegation"). I dont know how it will happen but surely the gods of football won't allow this tactless con-man to remain as Spurs manager for too long.
Gus Poyet anyone? He's just got Brighton promoted! He could have got us Suarez too! :)
Howard Webb is ref on Sunday, against an old skool Top Four side. So basically we haven't got a fucking prayer. (although Lawro reckons we'll lose and that's sometimes a good thing).
I must admit, initially I thought it would be better if we finished 6th and missed the Europa League, but then if we do manage to finish in the Top Four we could enter a vicious circle and not be able to handle it along with the league the year after. Basically, I think we need consistent European football, whichever competition it is, to maintain the fitness levels of our squad and make them strong enough to handle a busy season of games. So we REALLY need to win on Sunday.....
.....Fair Play League it is then.
What a sensible grown up article and set of responses.
Call yerselves Spurs fans?
You're a bloody disgrace.
You'll give us all a good name.
I would be proud if Spurs got into the Europa via the Fair Play league.
No big stadium, no big money men,no big wages but a very great club who did the business at the top level this year without any of them.
And we can do it again.
Starting at the end of June apparently..
Go Spurs go.
You know what? I woke up this morning and read a Harry comment that has got me fuming. According to that reputable Beano substitute 'the Daily Star' Harry has had a pop at the armchair fans and sighted that all the 'real fans' you know those that actually go to games Are really happy with this season...
Now, I'm on the season ticket waiting list. Most seasons I get to may 9 or 10 games. This season I managed 2. I've spent the majority of my Monday mornings trying to buy a ticket or two whilst stuck in the hell that is the ticketmaster queue. Does this make discount my opinion on our performances this season? If I've managed to watch the majority of our games through 'other' means does that make my opinion not count?
Sorry Harry, that's bang out of order. I wish you would hold your head up and just admit that the second half of this season has been a massive let down. Performances have been poor and damn right we 'real' fans from every walk of life have every goddamn right to be disappointed. I love this club with every fibre of my being. Every win brings me happiness and every loss hurts. So how dare you tell me that I'm an arm hair critic with no real opinion. I'll still be here when you've fucked off. I was here when we were shit before and no matter where we go I always will be.
That's the difference Harry. Your not a Spurs fan. Despite the good times you've given us we will always support this club and our opinion right or wrong does matter.
Rant over. Too early for me to proof read it so you'll have to take it grammar mistakes and all.
“99.9 per cent of people who go to Tottenham have loved everything they’ve seen. That’s all that matters.”
Jimmy , some of the reactions might be very fickle - borderling Kneejerking but i found the article to be pretty balanced and 'grown up'. One has the right to be critical (maybe over critical in your opinion) but to be called a disgrace by people with other opinions is a taking it a bit further
It's kind of like the PC behaviour , beware of anything you say that's out of line - the angry masses are coming for you.
It's not all good now but neither is it all bad
Spurs , treating its loyal fans to an emotional rollercoaster ride since 1882
"If we want to get in the top four next year, we'll have to push on. They're all going to have a go next year, make no mistake. I talk to all the managers: Manchester United are going to have a go again, Chelsea will have a go again, Manchester City are going to have a massive go, Liverpool are going to make a big push. I haven't spoken to Arsène Wenger but I imagine Arsenal will have a go as well this year, so it's going to be even tougher to get into that top four next season."
Will we be having a 'go' next year too, you untouchable saviour of our usually woeful club?
We was nothing before you came. I'm sorry if anyone has had the temerity to express their stupid opinion, idiots! I realise now if you say everything's good then it must be good.
You're the best Mr Redknapp
p.s. can't wait to see you applaud Dalglish after Liverpool beat us on sunday, I bloody LOVE it when you do that!
belgian spur.
I said it and meant it.
The 'disgrace' was ironic.
as was the second comment 'You'll give us all a GOOD name'
Thought Spooky had got you all trained up for irony.
Good article, sensible discussion.
"Liverpool – well, they’re just the Liverpool of old; same efficiency, same manager, same reliance on the back pass to the keeper."
At least Reina creates goals for the team and not result in gaffes like good ol' gomes.
Perhaps the match this weekend might change a thing or two about that perception of yours.
Jimmy , Fair enough :) Daft reaction from me then , but i do stand behind what i said ...