The regression of Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham - Part II
Friday, April 27, 2012 at 3:52PM The progression regression of Harry Redknapp's Tottenham - Part II
Momentum and Mental Strength...dressing room lost?
Our form, aside from the opening two games of the season, was sensational. Here was a Spurs side winning consistently home and away and if we came unstuck (Stoke away) we bounced back. It's all very muddled currently. It’s a combination of ineptness and a devastating disappearance of belief.
The court case will have distracted everyone at the club. It would have taken a lot out of the manager and regardless of what the players have said in the past, its birthed uncertainty. Our form began to display signs of degradation around the same time. We kept winning games but the victories were not always convincing, although it’s always good to claim a win when you’re not playing well because that’s the sign of champions. Enter another variable. The media. Everyone was appreciative of Spurs. The pundits, other managers and even opposing fans. It’s how it works. Much like Harry Redknapp, everyone is reactive to what is happening at the time, so naturally everyone rated Spurs and talked us up.
I have no idea what Harry is like in the dressing room and whether enough was done to keep us grounded. Equally so, not sure Parker is one for the rousing speeches at Spurs. Easier done at a club like West Ham where he was infinitely better than the quality of players surrounding him. We have no Roy Keane type figure. King is a leader by virtue of his football (and his football has not been great this season). Did we start to believe in the hype? If so, surely the experienced players in our squad took responsibility? From the looks of it they either they haven’t or it was beyond their influence.
The City game destroyed us. An inch away from winning it and in the blink of an eye we lost it. There’s no doubt there is a lot to be said for experience (take a look at United and Ferguson). But we reverted back to the fragile Spurs of old when as opposed to the past when we didn’t have the players to back it up, we do this time and yet somehow we’ve still managed to p*ss it all away.
To compound things further, Harry’s tactics started to have a clear detrimental effect - as witnessed at the Emirates. Our first major run of form that was underwhelming saw us play okay in some of the games, but we were powder-puff up front and lethargic at the back. We lacked that much needed leadership at the first sign of trouble. There was no team reaction. With every game we waited in anticipation of there being a battle cry, a want and desire to reclaim some pride. But it hasn’t been forthcoming. The semi-final was the concluding cluster of catastrophe which has summed up the second part of the season with the QPR game an encore of hurt.
D Wolves 1-1 - Dropped points
L Man City 3-2 - Toe to toe, could have been 3-2 to us, wasn't, footballing Gods say 'no'
W Wigan 3-1 - A response
D Liverpool 0-0 - A stutter
L Arsenal 5-2 - A capitulation aided by naivety and a distinct lack of belief
L Man Utd 3-1 - Mugged by a patient experienced side that knew just how to pick us off on the break
L Everton 1-0 - Woeful first half followed by a clueless second which entailed just 'attacking' them with no game plan
D Stoke 1-1 - Dropped points
D Chelsea 0-0 - Congested the midfield then took a stranglehold of the game. Should have won. Since then we've gone to pieces, they've got two Cup finals
W Swansea 3-1 - An anomaly that had us believing again
D Sunderland 0-0 - Could not break down a team that just sat back and defended
L Norwich 2-1 - Pathetic display
L QPR 1-0 - Equally gutless, shapeless
DLWDLLLDDWDLL
Add to it the Chelsea 5-1 for good (bad) measure.
The drop in form crept into our game prior to the City game but that match at the Eastlands felt like a boxer coming off the floor from a technical knock-out to then win the remaining rounds only to lose the fight thanks to a late flurry of punches giving them a split decision. It was demoralising. If that game robbed us of our belief and that the Gods were against us, we deserved nothing from a game that meant everything when it come to visiting Arsenal. Here we witnessed a strange selection and an absolute joke of a choke. Unlike anything we’ve seen recently in league meetings against them. It was an unequivocal surrender. Tactically shambolic. Players switched off too.
We were ‘okay’ against Utd. This found myself (and one or two of you) thinking we simply had to find a moment in a game to rejuvenate ourselves. Confidence comes from winning but if you feel hard done by and you come through it against the odds it can inspire that spirit and fight once more and with it will return momentum. Except, with each passing game it never happened. Aside from the Swansea win where Harry actually showed some astuteness and away to Chelsea in the league the rest have been near diabolical. Nothing has changed sufficiently enough to warrant that all it will take is such a moment.
We look like a side that has lost sight of the grand prize and have given up. There hasn’t been enough coaching or hands on management to aid with navigating the players through this. And the players, for them to react in this way by not reacting. It has the touch of the Ramos about it. Now that’s irony we could do without. Has the dressing room been lost? Yes. Lack of decisiveness and commitment from the manager whilst he flirted with all concerned regarding the England job has impacted team morale and has deflected Harry’s thoughts away from Spurs to the FA headquarters. He hasn’t given us his full intention, so why would his players do the same? A teacher that sits at the front of the classroom, playing guitar and singing a sonnet to himself is hardly to going to capture the attention of his students who are too busy throwing conkers out the window.
The players haven’t exactly covered themselves with glory either but as witnessed under Ramos, good players can turn to bad players because of lack discipline and focus and belief in the man in charge.
Whatever happens on the training pitch isn’t good enough either. Forget set pieces and corners. This has been a problem for years (next man in can fix it - ha!). The lack of planning and preparation for each opponent seems to be non-existent. i.e. Let them cope with us. If they cope with us, break them down. If we can’t break them down, make sure you mention it in the post-match interview that we couldn’t break them down.
Who knows what might have happened had John Terry not allegedly said what he said to Anton Ferdinand. He should have gone. Instead Fabio did and the rest (Harry for England) fell into and then out of place (Spurs).
Fact is Harry Redknapp has already left Spurs. He left the moment the England job became available. The issue is not that the job has distracted Harry, it's the fact that Harry has allowed it to. Not sure what has been said by Levy on this matter in-house, but it would have been good for the club and the manager to have released a statement immediately off the back of the rumours to draw a line under it. They didn't. Harry whored himself as Harry does. It's impacted us but it's not the only reason. It does however illustrate the undying loyalty he has to himself.
Regardless of the 'outside of Spurs distractions', they mask the real problem. Harry hasn’t got the edge and he bottled it. We’ve got a manager who can control his own destiny when it’s going well but is limp when adapting to the occasion of elevated expectation and fixing problems of his own creation. Players, teams...they need instructions. They simply can’t completely rely on running around and kicking the ball forwards. As good as we can be when it flows, we’re not exactly reinventing push and run.
continued...
Reader Comments (29)
There's no rational excuses for Redknapp for what he and Levy allowed to manifest itself. Spurs is a business. Any forward thinking Director or Chairman would have nipped this thing in the bud as soon as the Everton result came in. But they allowed the 'freefall' to continue and this scumbag to take his eye off the ball. He will always regarded as a scumbag by me as he knew his head was turned and he didn't hold his hands up.
Newcastle 5-0 after Harrys trial in btween Liverpool & Arsenal games That is who we were in the first half of the campaign and after a couple of blips in January the team who we thought we'd be again. Fantastic posts. Wish you didn't have to be writing them.
Love the shirt.
So when can we await official statements on Harry's resignation from the club? And news of the new manager? Last day of the season is it? He should have honestly left as soon as Capello resigned. Either that or she should have gotten thrown into gaol. That was pretty much in the middle of the season still, I'm sure someone could have taken over and managed us a few more games than we had thusfar.
North London was ours!
North London was ours!
Till 'arry's mind left for Wembley
North London was ours!
I'm as mystifyed as anyone about the way our season has imploded, but I'll say this...... Harry bashing will get us nowhere fast. As regards the court case, being that it was a success for H, SURELY it should have had a positive boost to the team???? saying it had the opposite effect makes no sense at all to me. PLEASE football Gods, relent! Enough is enough! Praying for at least 4th and if the Gods REALLY relent, even 3rd.....Ok .... I know, I know...
Sorry Spooks, unusually for me I don't agree with you. Some appalling officiating decisions and some poor luck are the biggest factors in our lack of form. You all want to blame someone (insert Harry Redknapp) and the one-eyed monster leaps out from your sub consciousness to proffer the ludicrous twaddle I see/hear written/spoken by far too many 'fans'. Unusual for you to fall for it. Get a grip.
We owe Harry a huge debt for rescuing us. The players love him, so should we. I hope he stays, but if he reads the bollox on hear I shouldn't doubt he will think twice.
Get some perspective.
COYS
Cookiebun, you´re absolutely right. Levy is equally to blame as Harry. Would any person who loved Spurs let things go so far and put our almost certain participation in the CL in jeopardy? There is something wrong with Levy. He is hiding something. He can't be that idiot and so an irrelevant with football issues person!!
There's no doubt we'd have picked up plenty of points if it wasn't for what, 5 offside goals that were never offside and plenty of horrible decisions at key moments - but every club could probably claim to have suffered similar controversy at one point. You can only account for a percentage of 'dropped' points to these incidents. Our actual collapse is altogether a different beast. A very limp one.
Great post.
What if 'Arry doesn't get the England job? It's possible. He can't be the only one in the frame (Hodgson has a superior CV) and the Spurs Meltdown wont have gone unnoticed by the FA. Will we then be left with a sulky manager or can he put the disappointment behind him and focus 100% on THFC? I'm not sure he can as his past history is that of 'moving on' when the going gets tough or when he realises he can go no further with a squad.
What worries me is not this season. I've given up on that. The 'best' we can 'hope' for is a Europa spot but it's such a long, draining competition, I'd rather give it a miss (and so would 'Arry, which is why we flopped in it). But what about next season? I would assume most clubs start planning from Feb/March onwards: who'se in/who'se out, transfer targets, contract negotiations etc etc. Obviously Levy has not been able to effectively do that as 'Arry is only looking at the England job and the Euro Championships. Many Spurs players don't know what their future will be, so have been similarly distratacted and confused. Look at Modrich, Bale, Walker to name a few. Their hearts are not in it. In fact, they look like they could do with a long break as many have been overplayed by 'Arry, which again shows he's not the perfect manager everyone seems to think.
What does everyone think about us being linked with Cappelo, and who should we sign in the summer?
Personally I think Harrys time might be up, Capellos is a great manager and I'd love to seem him at the lane and a world class striker has to be the number 1 priorety
Great Article
Re Ian Holford, i agree we have had outrageous bad luck but Harry did not rescue us at all. We were on 2points yes but we had/have a top4 team. Anything less than top4 is crap.
Harry has been shown up recently and has proven to us that he hasnt a clue.
His wanting Chelsea to win the Cl and then backtracking today is farcical. Redknapp is one dumb cunt. Levy will collect compensation from the f.a and we shall get a manager with a brain.
Anyone who rates Jake Livermore as highly as Redknapp does is deluded beyond belief.
FUCK OFF REDKNAPP.
I should add, I'm getting all this depressive shit out of the way now so I don't have to do it at the end of the season.
What I don't understand is this drivel about being overplayed. Our players are amongst the best in the Premiership and . I guess, average around £30k a week. They are/should be very fit, living a clean and healthy lifestyle and for the most part have played footy since they were lads. Surely to God they can manage 30/40 games in an extended season. Otherwise wtf are they getting paid stupid money for? Thousands of lads up and down the country work all week and then play Sunday League week in week out with little training or monetary incentive.OK the level isn't the same but it's not that important!Any players bemoaning their state of fatigue need to grow some....quickly before the Blackburn game. Or throw in some youngsters who might not earn much but will surely go down fighting and not like lambs to the slaughter. Rant over-I thank you COYS
Ianholford !! I prey to "god" Harry reads this. Levy get rid of this buffon now, our season is over anyway. unforgiveable for bringing shame to our club.
The man lets Corluka go for Nelson, and Pavlo for Saha, is the man for real ffs.
Spooky good post as usual.
Ness - remember pre-Ramos and the issue with fitness and diet? We are probably not doing enough of the right things on the training pitch. We've only taken the league seriously and the perhaps the high tempo certain players are playing at is just too much across the entire course of the season.
Lol. Everyone has an opinion I guess, all you Redknapp haters enjoy your bile, out of interest where were you when we were flying in 3rd. Your mindless claptrap is a reflection of today's football 'supporter'. Fuck off. (I know you will understand that)
COYS.
Ianholford, Are you related to Redknap. This is a blog where as fans we say what we feel, just as we do with mates when we talk about football. There is no need to tell us fans who are not happy with Redknap, to fu(k off. talk it, no need for this, we are all spurs, whether we are right or wrong.
Re Ian Holford, your missing the point. Top 3or4 is where we should be with the players we have. You make out that being 3rd is as good as it gets for us. Redknapp is a tool and so are you.
Tell me what Redknapps strengths are then Holford, what has he done for Tottenham?
It makes me sick just thinking about whats gone on recently and Redknapp is the main culprit. The wanting of Chelsea to win the Cl sealed it for me with Redknapp. What a prat.
Sorry for some of my language on my posts Spooky, this run and all that has got to me bad, it feels like being raped by Jack Wilshere. Im fuming and want that troutface cunt gone.
We just dont know and i think thats whats eating us.......if we had training ground fights....arry slaging levy...levy slaging arry....senior pros coming out disgruntled it might make sense.......i know i am confused as hell....remember everton game...ok we lacked craft but could they have given more?.... Watching barca v chelski...perhaps football gods do exist and it just aint meant to be..... Personally i would say harry out but not fuck off..more a cheers and ciao. Change often works in football and two to three years is often all a manager can keep it fresh for. For me i would take cappelo..or even go old again and let woy hodgson take the reigns. Please a win tommorow....good weekend all.
I thought I've been quite balanced with these articles. Seems that for every person that wants Harry out there's one that will blindly support him no matter what. Shame we're at each others throats over it. He's hardly worth the effort.
As for Ian, are you saying because we sat in 3rd Harry is beyond criticism?
ianhalford - you want some perspective? What would Fergie or Mourinho have acheived with this squad? And what other manager anywhere would have dreamed of playing Bale on the right?
My main thoughts are posted on part 1 of this blog.
I think it should be clear that Redkrapp is already signed up for England.
Why stay at Spurs then?
Well that way he can swan into the Euros with no expectation whatsoever and look a million dollars if he manages to win a group game. We should of course expect to see Green playing up front and Rooney in goal!
As the author quite rightly pointed out - Harry the whore - what a great line!
Don't care about what's happened and why anymore. It's a mixture of many things.
Just want the two faced scumbag out the club so we can all move on and get behind the new man.
Thanks Redknapp, now fuck off and take your sack of lame excuses with you!
Let's get some depth in here.My grouse with Mr Rednapp is that he has chosen his staff badly. He can be the great communicator but he needs folk on the training ground. You don't decide how to play 10 minutes before kick-off.It comes from hours practising drills; free-kicks, corners,second phase play .Our level of preparation looks amateurish. We cannot take corners; never work the keeper from free kicks and Parker and Modric play too deep.Get both of them a video of Scholes.Mr Rednapp can stay next year but he needs a clearout of the assistants, bringing in a next generation coach and offensive specialist.If he needs a driver , get him a chauffeur ;don't employ Kevin Bond to drive him home and back , muttering how they are both underappreciated.
So, Bale is off if we don't make the CL. Great news. And HR's story about going in for Tevez - a clumsily designed soundbite to deflect criticism of the January dealings.
I think the majority are reaching the conclusion that's he's taken us as far as he can, which admittedly has been quite a long way, so it's time to look for the next steward, someone younger and hungrier and not harking back to the 1960's when discussing players' match fitness. Let's at least don our helmets once last time for the next 4 must-wins and then start looking for the next man at the helm.
Is it safe to watch Spurs yet?
Honestly I'm not sure if I'll have the mental fortitude to tune in to some dodgy stream.
Joking, of course I will watch. I am too masochistic not to.
As for In-Harry-We-Trust vs Harry-out, I have long been one of the former. I've got more and more sympathy for the latter though.
I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt IF we can win the remainder of our games.
Otherwise he can love right off.
I've been relatively quiet on this subject. I've been shaking, crying a corner, praying for this shit to end.
Fans wanting people to get off of Redknapps back are forgetting a golden rule of modern football - there is no such thing as loyalty. So why should we have it for a player or a manager? Bale's comments earlier didn't help. When the going gets tough, jump ship? Thanks, mate. Redknapp shows us absolutely no loyalty, so if he isn't providing results on the pitch, then fuck him. See ya later baconface.
Spooky, you've written a lot before about singing for shirt. Something everlasting, history and the future. Not singing for the temporary features of the club. We sung for Redknapp once and look what's happened.
I'm in the process of reading all IV parts and comments in one go. However, I feel obliged to comment on one or two posts as and when. If It appears I'm shotting from the hip then so be it....
1. Spooky.... cheers mate!
2. Letterman1. To your post... "I'm as mystifyed as anyone about the way our season has imploded, but I'll say this...... Harry bashing will get us nowhere fast. As regards the court case, being that it was a success for H, SURELY it should have had a positive boost to the team???? saying it had the opposite effect makes no sense at all to me. PLEASE football Gods, relent! Enough is enough! Praying for at least 4th and if the Gods REALLY relent, even 3rd.....Ok .... I know, I know... Apr 27, 2012 at 4:52 PM | Lettermen1"
.... Ever slipped the noose at the High Court (or suchlike)? Let me tell ya... there is nothing like it. The rush is incomparable. Nothing - I repeat nothing - else matters. Then you hit the wall.
"Get some perspective.
COYS.. Apr 27, 2012 at 5:02 PM | ianholford"
rose-tinted do mate?
Apr 27, 2012 at 7:33 PM | ianholford...
Ian, I can only speak for myself.... From day 1 I've been warning anyone who'd listen about Harry Redknapp. The man's got form. Untill now I've buttoned it out of respect for the club (by club I'm talking football, the sport). The actions of the last couple of months speaks volumns.... case rested.
Now to your language........ see you?
P.S Harry please go and check into a clinic. You are suffering from post-traumatic stress. The "minor" heart problem was a warning.