Siege mentality and smelling salts
Thursday, April 19, 2012 at 1:46PM
I'm looking forward to writing the season review for 2012. Regardless of the final five games and what they might bring, regardless of whether we secure top four or don't, it won't change the fact that we have some tweaking, rebuilding to do. Redknapp or no Redknapp.
Nothing major in terms of ripping out the foundations and starting afresh. Just key areas of the team need to be looked at (defence, strikers) and decisiveness on potential transfers out. Redknapp has always been short term in application. Something long term is required when the next managerial change occurs. Long term in both the vision for the new coach and player acquisitions. The transition is not going to be one that shakes us and leaves us crying in the corner rocking backwards and forwards. No foaming at mouth. No matter your opinion on Harry Redknapp, he's achieved stability. Compared to the past 10 or so years we've gone from one poor managerial appointment and clean up job to another. Stability equates to competing if the right level of quality is possessed. We've done just that this season. Although we've been let down when it matters most. The foundations are strong. The cracks can be easily repaired. Just hire a new builder. Might take a summer to have everything fixed up in time for the next stormy winter.
Redknapp has got us winning games across seasons consistently, away from home. And aside from a handful of losses, always looking strong at the Lane. Our recent end of season form matches to last season and the issues at hand concern Redknapp's inability to rotate with impact. We've burnt out and the lack of guidance and consistency with formation has compounded matters for the worse. But all this is for the summer. I’ll probably break up the review into about 10/15 different articles. It's been a meaty season, plenty to chew on, plenty to bite at. Some of it, no doubt, will be hard to swallow.
I was told recently that our current form is our actual form, that this is us performing to our expected level. What does that even mean? I asked the same thing to the idiot that goaded me and apparently 'you're only as good as your last game'. In other words the team he supports who have been relatively slack all season and have come into form towards the end of it are showing their real form whereas they were under performing before then. I guess, as opposed to them simply taking advantage of our slackness. Funny how we're not considered to be under performing now, rather over-achieving at the start and playing standard Tottenham football at present. The semantics of football confuse.
What does it matter? It doesn't. But the reality is, we've failed to retain that measured composure across the entirety of the season. Quite ironic that we have suffered for not suffering a blip of form in the early part, but instead have held it back until the very end and half-imploded.
Drama the Spurs way.
I just want to gently remind everyone of our form from that first part of the season. The energetic, confident swagger and swashbuckle Tottenham side that had no fear and fought as a unit. Take that same desire and mix it with the team ethic from 2010 which was battered, written off and bare bones that played out of their skin and arguably punched above their weight (what with the squad depletion) to claim 4th spot. We've seen plenty of 2010 tenacity from this team, but its AWOL currently.
I just want to gently remind everyone that we are still one of the very top sides in the country and regardless of the players we need to sign/replace/sell we're a club that has been on the up for the past four or so seasons. Yes, we are under achieving based on squad comparisons and based on prior form when taking into account everything and everyone. Yes, this learning curve might prove to be costly. Yes, we need to be far more shrewd and tactically astute. Yes, our manager failed to draw a line under the England job. Yes, we are on a downward spiral trying desperately to find a way to claw some momentum back with very few games left to do so.
I just want to gently remind everyone to love the shirt. Supporters and players alike. Especially the players who need to be gently reminded that talking about it is no longer of consequence. Actions speak louder than words. You can't get more clichéd than that. Aside from the usual clichéd Spurs free fall.
5 games. 15 points.
These are the only words of consequence.
Stop being apologetic. Stop bemoaning. Stop worrying. Start believing. One last time, one last chance. This season, when done and dusted will be gone forever. Manager, players…you wont have another chance to relive these moments so how about you get a grip of yourselves and attempt to reclaim some of that lost pride you have so easily surrendered recently? You are not your wage packet. You are not a transfer request. You are not your agent. You are me. You should be me. Living and breathing Lilywhite. You are the thousands at the Lane. The thousands all around the world. You are the history and you are the traditions. If you can't get yourselves up for this then leave, there's no point in you wearing that Lilywhite shirt. My shirt. Our shirt.
Wake up before the slumber turns into a coma. Turn that faint whisper back into a noisy song.
What have you got to lose? Everything. Because everything is glory.
Reader Comments (28)
Well said Spooky. I for one think we will still finish 4th and still have the perfect platform to push on next year.
Not much left now. so might as well believe. A Real Madrid fan told me on Sunday that we don't deserve to be in the Champion's League competition after what happened there in the semi-final. I don't know about undeserving, the fact that we managed to drop so many points and yet clutch 4th place somewhat tightly, perhaps it shan't be for not. In an ideal world I would have obviously had us for 3rd and Shitecastle in 4th just to keep the goons and chelscum out of the top four. Whatever, just want to see us see the season through.
3 points from a hostile away trip will restore the belief.
Performances have been there in most of the recent games. It will not be easy but I believe we will get 3 points on Saturday and everything will be back to normal. With Arsenal facing Chelsea and then a tricky away trip to Stoke we really need 3 points to put some pressure on them.
Bring on QPR and lets reintroduce them to the pride of London!
I would be wearing my Spurs shirt at goals tonight as always :)
Ive been smelling salts all season.
We'll finish 4th and those jammy bastards from West London will win the CL, thereby ensuring we don't qualify for next year's competition.....
15 points from the last 5 games is the only way we'll get 3rd and the CL guarantee.
It will be interesting to see what happens "if" Chelsea do indeed with the CL and we finish 4th. Will Modric & Bale still want out, despite being partly to blame for the slump in form recently? Of course, Chelsea still have to get through a 2nd leg away to Barca, and then beat either their former boss or a team who will be in very familiar surroundings for the final.
I see Saturday's game is on ESPN, meaning I will have to watch online via other methods. However, I'm tempted to avoid it in the hope that I don't jinx it or sit their horrified for 90+ minutes.
Cmon you Spurs! Got to be fully behind the lads all match on Sat vs QPR.
Great post Spooky, Inspiring!
COYS!
Finishing 3rd or 4th will not diminish the disappointment I have felt since the Toon game, which is indicative of progress made & expectations created. Unfortunately, I expect our awesome midfield to be sold off as (or before) we bring in the strikers we should have secured post Berba (how many windows?!). Not seeing the avalanche of goals that Modric, Bale & Parker deserve for their efforts is the crime here & the reason (along with the noted rotational incompetency) that the nosedive of form has impacted so threateningly. Parallels will soon be drawn with the quickly dismantled Pleat 87 team. You read it here first.
Spooky, expect a call from Daniel sometime soon, making you an offer that you cannot refuse-to go into the Spurs dressing
room before each of the 5 remaining games and simply read out what you have written here.If he does'nt. then I'm sure
Harry, via an interpreter, will be instructed to subtly plagiarize you. Either way, it's got to be done.
Anyone who thinks that next season will be the "perfect platform to push on", or only require a bit of "tweaking" is completely out of their tiny mind.
This 3-4 year journey with an excellent group of players and a very average manger is about to come to the end of the road with fuck all to show for it. To think some people were actually comparing rent-a-gob with the great Bill Nick is about as deluded as it gets.
One or two will leave regardless of CL qualification, 2 or 3 will have to pack it in, and 3 or 4 ought to be forcibly removed from N17 altogether. We need a new manager with new ideas and new players. I reckon CL football in a completely transitional season such as the next one would actually be a hindrance; play the yoot if we qualify and concentrate on league consistency and a solid foundation. This present side is built on sand.
Make no mistake, next season is a fresh start
always behind the team, always praying for 3 points but fear we could be looking at 6th place on goal difference come the end of the weekend.
Need some deflected goals, offsides not given etc. Pinball penalty area madness resulting in a goal off Adebayor's left bum cheek. Just need something.
COYS
Fact is we all would have taken champions league at the start of the season. Not to finish there is infinitely more damaging than qualifying for it. Anyone who believes otherwise is deluded. Same reason 4th spot will always trump a trophy. Football has changed whether you like it or not. We have much more power being in CL in order to rebuild as we can get rid of Modric and anyone else who is not committed and go out and get equally good or even better players. Same goes for the manager. To think that we can attract the same high quality players we need to improve and the top class manager we need by NOT being in the CL is just wrong.
TNWNN - you're overrating the rest of the league mate. It's not half as difficult as it looks. Obviously, I'm holding back on Levy who is key to this and might be the one that holds back on Spurs. If he does so, then sure, I agree, we're screwed.
Dr - This is the very last battle cry of the season for me. I'm spent.
Great article as ever Spooky. Im trying so hard to be positive. I know we have the ability to turn this around and a win on Saturday, especially if the Goon Chelski game is a draw, would be enormous. But do our players believe or even care what happens from now til the end of the season. I really hope so. COYS
Good article, however... we also need a balance of players who make an instance impact and players who hopefully will remain and significantly improve along with the team over a number of years. HR has been good, but silence creates enough vibes to unsettle players and some will go irrespective if we make the CL or not. You look at the teams around us (excluding Newcastle, but it is isolated) what player wouldn't want to play for the mighty Tottenham on how we played this year, I rather watch Barcelona lose than some team hoofing and diving it or a team with mercenary players with no loyalty. 5 Games 15 points and we will make 3rd. Smelling victory.
slightly off topic but gotta say im liking roberto martinez more and more
there's something about him that says he could be the one for the long term that we are looking for
Like any set of football fans, we're now having a right whinge and knee-jerk reaction: Sack the manager, sell our players and start rebuilding, etc. Granted, the last 7-8 weeks have been as miserable as can be and I, along with plenty others, are depressed as can be. Look at every single other team and they too have gone through such a patch - our just seems so feckin massive because we've managed to stop scoring goals, get beat and somehow blow 3rd place with a 10 point cusion!
While I agree that this summer is going to be one massive summer for us: high-earning players out on loan everywher, we've have players on loan/short term contracts, the manager situation, top players 'already sold' etc, lets back the boys as this season isnt over yet! While finishing fourth may seem a little like a consolation price, it isn't and we'll all have one merry dance come next season.
Back the lads and lets get this season completed!
CMON YOU SPURS!
Insightful article Spooky, the comment you made, "Redknapp's inability to rotate with impact. We've burnt out and the lack of guidance and consistency with formation has compounded matters for the worse'". This imo encapsulates the problem with his tactical nous, or should I say lack of one. Sure, I agree that he has brought stability to the club at a time when we were faltering, but he likes to dwell on that far too much and likes to classify us as a mid table club who should be happy with what he achieved so far. I beg to differ, since when has becoming fourth in the PL been given the distinction and accolades of success? Getting a bit anxious now as he does have the propensity to mess it all up. Indeed Spooky I agree, it truly is time to batten down the hatches.
@Timber
4th is no consolation prize, i would take that now if offered in a heartbeat and i would kiss you for it
even if we do somehow finish third, we don't deserve it and that's where we've really failed this season
Koume, my thoughts exactly. The man must be praised for the way he has changed Wigans style of football in order to get themselves out of trouble. Martinez is what you call a clever modern day manager, who can change tactics to win games on a ltd budget. Good job we are not playing Wigan, after what he did to Manu and Le Arses.
We have to play as a unit on Saturday. Over the last 3 games we look as if we have 4 players on the pitch. We must work as a unit up and down the pitch and not be stretched. I think he must play Parker and Sandro or Livermore in midfield with Modric and Bale behind VDV and Ade. No Lennon, we can't afford this luxury tomorrow. If we can keep our shape and work as a unit up and down the pitch and not lose concentration, we can do it. Do not go hell for leather for a goal. Keep the shape, focus and build the momentum and confidence over the 90 minutes.
Who wants Arse to beat Chelski and keep them well and truly planted in 6th place???
just off the topic ,i think chelsea are a disgrace to be part of champions league semifinal , this is suppose to be showcase of best teams in football but the way they played and got away with lucky lucky win was just awful , i really hope barca dismantle them in campnou and put them into their place..its embarassing that shitty teams like liverpool and chelsea are reaching and winninmg cup finals , not because of their stunning abilities and quality but playing boring cowardly football..and i think those who think next season we r going to push on are really hoping too much bcoz this was the season where we cud hv really go on and did smthin special but dnt kno sm hw i feel frm nxt season we mite find orselves in bit of difficulty , hope i m wrong.
the you know what has hit the fan..modric gone, bale could go,ade off..with a squad like we had we needed to win something and get 3rd.our defence needs a big rebuild.redknapp had a great squad this year and we are just limping into the end of the season.i still think martin jol did a great job with the squad at his disposal,redknapp did a great job in getting us stable again but we need to push on with the search for a new gaffer.thanks harry wish you all the best in ur next gig.....coys
Firstly, great article once again Spooky. I often have daydreams of myself storming into the Spurs dressing room and giving them the team-talk that they've clearly never had, but nice to know you've had those daydreams too, or seem to.
Secondly, it is of VITAL importance that we do actually spend a bit of money in the summer, and indeed major changes to need to happen but not in the massive upheaval "oh shit" kind of way that everyone seems to be harping on about. I'm going to outline in this a complete set of changes that I think would really set us up for next season and make us ACTUAL title contenders, unlike our brief love affair with it this season.
A) MANAGER: Harry will go to England. Even though this isn't a done deal yet, it might as well be. The only reason they're considering Hodgson as well is so that Redknapp can't put the FA in a corner over his contract. Regardless, bye bye Harry, thanks for everything, you've been wonderful. Sort of. Suggestions for new manager:
1) Louis van Gaal - he's opinionated, strong, likes full control and plays attacking football - would be perfect for Spurs, has a wealth of experience (CV containing likes of Ajax, Holland, Barca and Bayern Munich - pretty fucking good!), win ratios are very good, and is tactically astute! - def first choice
2) David Moyes - done great job with Everton, clearly good at getting top players on the cheap, teams are always extremely organised and play with great team spirit - could do with playing more exciting football though, but this will probably come with the squad
3) Brendan Rodgers - only been in the Prem a year but clearly knows what he's doing - straight-talking, actually good with the media, not a self-obsessed ego, has tactical nous, plays nice football - 3rd choice because its a gamble
B) PLAYERS: lots to do here but in small ways, so it's easiest to give an out/in and then divide that into positions:
OUT
Strikers - Adebayor (wages, poor first touch, better players out there); dos Santos; Saha (pointless signing, shone at first but crap now)
Midfielders - Jenas; Bentley; Pienaar; Rose; Modric - first two are plainly shite, third deserves move back to Everton, fourth lacks required quality; last clearly wants to go and doesn't go anymore, so fuck him, let him go, get dosh for him - anyone who doesn't want to wear the shirt can fuck off
Defenders - King (i hated writing that, but im afraid hes not safe anymore, sorry Ledley); Corluka (shit); Bassong (shit); Gallas (too old, not safe - only keep him if he's prepared to be a back up)
Goalies - Gomes (you know why); Cudicini (he's no Friedel, ain't got the quality anymore)
IN
Strikers - Gonzalo Higuain (you only need to look at his minutes/goals ratio to know why, Madrid may let him go for £20m, would be worth it); Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (worth it - good in the air, lethal in the box, scoring for fun at the moment, only prob is laziness); Jordan Ayew (young, still raw but bags of talent - could become something special)
Midfielders - Junior Hoilett (free, quick, exciting and would provide competition for Lennon); Cristian Erikson (a long shot but perfect replacement for Modric, massive massive potential with this guy)
Defenders - Vertonghen (required quality, leadership skills, very good player); promote Steven Caulker to first team
Goalies - Bogdan (he's got some real potential this one, could turn into a top class player if he improves his decision making, got the reflexes of a panther, something really special); Hugo lloris (long shot but he's world class, would probably put Friedel on the bench but who cares?)
Tell me what you think guys, am interested to know what everyone else is thinking!
Spooky, I think you're underrating our propensity to fuck it up.
It's back to square one next season, CL or not.
I love this site, but a lot of it is just chest thumping bravado.
Time to get back to basics. You can start with a nice long letter to the Almighty bald one; let him have both barrels. ENIC's failure to properly invest when we last qualified for the CL and in subsequent windows has seen this squad grow stale. They're just happy to milk the fans season after season. If they didn't deem it worthy to invest in the team the season we did qualify for the CL, when will they?
I'll probably end up falling back into old skool Spooky if this summer is one that does not instil 100% confidence. Levy has been holding back, it would seem, in transfers. Whether that was strategic from his point of view in prep for this summer, we won't know until post-May. I'm going to wait and see.
I'd agree with what TMWNN said, although I tend to like the chest-thumping bravado. If only the players could hear it...
Can we please all agree that this debate would be academic if Levy had bought the top striker we desperately needed (yes, Adebayor is good, but is he everything we needed? No...he simply does not score enough and goes missing for large parts of games/entire games)? Can we also agree that Levy should have ponied up for a defender in January?
I also wish Harry had been a bit more adept at squad rotation.
If two of those three things had come to pass, I don't think we'd be looking at these last 5 games as do or die...perhaps even one of those three things would have sufficed.
Redknapp has brought stability. Yeah Right. Builds us right up so that the fall is devastating. He's been bad for the club overall. He's left us with a heap of 'past it' players who need replacing. He's not happy to have shagged West Ham, Southampton, Portsmouth and Spurs, he's going for the final robbery with England. The FA are such mugs. I suggest he will get us 8 points from our last 5 games and out of CL qualification. I also believe we will loose Bale and Modric close season and possibly Lennon.