Lasagne > Fulop
Monday, May 14, 2012 at 7:57PM
Only Spurs can witness their season end only to have it extended to wait to see if fourth spot translates to Champions League football. No lasagne this time, just Martin Fulop. Would have preferred the lasagne in goal to be honest, stronger backbone.
Mission accomplished then with a top four finish but then not quite job done and not quite what we had planned when you go back to the hedonistic days that came before the month of February. At one point we flirted with a title push. It's been some season. In the end it feels like we've let ourselves down but only because of those standards set early doors. We should have achieved so much more than what we've been left with. What we've been left with ain't too shabby but in context, it's bitter sweet and hard to swallow. What we have is an agonising wait for another football match to play out before we look to book tickets for the continent.
At the very start of the season I'm not sure many believed a top four place was going to be easy to achieve. Remember the back end of last season? Most wanted Harry gone after our league form slumped. Thanks mainly to other teams faltering and us pelting it, you can now nod approvingly to the suggestion that we should have done better because of the position we found ourselves in. But then when you strip away all the hype and you admit to the defiances of the squad, the mismanagement of loaned players along with the variety of outside interference that hogged the headlines from riots to heart operations to court cases to the England job...we've done as good as a team managed by Harry Redknapp can do. He found himself in a position he's never been in before and he fluffed it. A little more bravery and astuteness here or there from the gaffer might have seen us capture the odd lucky point to secure that 3rd spot even with the blip playing out the way it did. The crux is, can he learn from his mistakes at such a grand stubborn age?
No matter our ambitions before the start of the season, we've under achieved when you take into account how much the top tier of the Prem has opened up and invited us in to attack it. We've played some fantastic stuff but we have proved to be a side that only truly works when everyone is available and fit to play. Redknapp struggled too often with the pressures of rotation and tweaking strategy and catering for growth (Bale and the left flank and roaming the perfect example of losing control). Other clubs might complain they had their fair share of injuries and lack of depth issues with squad. Fact is, Harry and the players lacked the guile at vital moments that have proved to be costly. We had a 13 point lead at one point, that's Harry's doing. I'm not ignoring that. But it's also his doing that we lost that lead. I'm also not going to ignore the fact that a few seasons back we finished mid-table below West Ham United. We now compete season in and season out but that cutting edge is still required to make it all a little less nervy. I'm sure we wouldn't be complaining too much about a 4th place finish had Barca had beaten Chelsea in the semi-final. If WBA had a better keeper between the sticks would you have forgiven Harry for all the fluffs? Probably not, right? Because if we had finished in 3rd one point ahead it still doesn't change the fact that we slumped post-Feb. Either way, it's been harder than it should have been. We also lost ownership of a hashtag. The shame.
Still, little old Spurs with their 36k stadium and wage cap are once more sitting in one of the CL places (caveat: German club that needs to do us a favour). Next season we have to be prepared to build on this season's platform keeping in mind that one or two clubs that might believe themselves to have under achieved might come back with less of a brittle spine for the 2013 season. But even if they improve, if we do so to, they'll be worried as much about us as we would be about them.
We need to fix up in key areas during the summer months. Early business and not last minute. Redknapp also has to drop the 'it's as good as we've ever had it' defeatism. Although that's unlikely. He thinks and lives in the short term. Would be nice for him to tell us it's disappointing we've not finished higher and that next season we'll aim to do so. Not likely. But that's the crux of the problem I have with him and his lack of consistency with us. Nobody cares that we sat in mid-table below West Ham four or so seasons back. It's the here and now that matters, the present day. The past is the past and we need to be led into the future with relentless hunger to better ourselves. Aim high. Always aim high.
To do so, little Spurs have to play big. Since our last top four finish we've spent £16M compared to Arsenal (£64.7M), United (£80.3M), Liverpool (£132.9M), Chelsea (£160.4M) and City (£212.7M). Impressive yeah? But we need to do more than just survive in their company. We need to be able to bully them. Get on it Levy.
I'm repeating myself now. Lucky I completed my end of season review ('The regression of Harry Redknapp's Tottenham') already. Everything I've got to say is in there.
I can now look forward to all the ITK nonsense that is about to explode in our faces. I didn't give them much stick last couple of windows so I might need to allow the therapy to consume me as the alternative is to follow England in the Euro's and that is one ugly alternative.
The end of season finale (ep 43) of The Fighting Cock podcast will be recorded on Wed, out Friday.
Onwards.
Reader Comments (79)
for once I am with the gooner on this. English football is bent, I have no doubt whatsoever about that, and haven't had for at least 5 years. Just put yourself a reel together of the howlers in Chelsea's favour over the last 2 years, then ask yourself what you would think if you saw the same thing from Italian or Argentinian football. Against us along they've been awarded 2 phantom goals in 2 seasons! I'm not talking offsides or handballs (tho they've had those too against us in the same period). I'm talking about goals being given that didn't cross - or even look like they might have crossed - the goal line.
likewise look at our matches vs Utd. Can anyone imagine Adebeyors goals against them at whl would have been disallowed if THEY had scored it? it's inconceivable! if that was deliberate handball he should be in cirque du soleil. Likewise when a phantom penalty was given to them when we were 2 up at old Trafford. Again, inconceivable for me that the ref really thought that was a pen.
Do I think, in all honesty, that fulop was paid off? Yes I do. He's an easy target (low pay, low profile). Do I think arse were behind it? No I don't. I think at the very least the PL should be looking at betting patterns for that game though. How much money went on arsenal to win? When was it placed? Can we see Fulops phone records and movements in the hour preceding kick off? It's not just that he gave them one goal, he gave them 3 - exactly the number they needed to win. If Brom had scored 6 would he have let in 7?
We have to stop kidding ourselves that our game isn't bent. The amount of money that gets bet on English matches from the far east alone should tell you the chances of it being clean are minimal.
Soon after the goons beat WBA, I had a conversation about this with a friend who is convinced that all major sporting events are fixed. I contended that team sports are surely a lot harder to manipulate because of the greater number of participants. But he pointed (correctly) to the Italian league - which only proves that it can be done. Besides, you only need one man - the ref, for example - to determine an outcome.
For me, the principle difficulty in acknowledging the possibility (and probability, in many cases) of corruption is that I don't WANT to believe it. Because what sort of a world is it where there is victory - and enjoyment of its spoils - without merit? This sort of a world, so it seems.
In fact, it's probably not even a little cynical to assume that, for as long as the human race has enjoyed competitive sport (in one form or another), there have been people willing to exchange profit for result.
It's not Fulops fault we finished forth, it's ours. We should have won more games!
On a slightly different topic.... Here's the new 2nd & 3rd kits as posted by Under Armour themselves on a Youtube advert:
http://www.epltalk.com/tottenham-hotspur-away-and-third-shirts-for-2012-13-season-photos-42706
@brilliant
For this season and this season only, what really matters is that we secure a CL berth, even a qualifying one.
If we do, we can kick on and presuming that our chairman has learnt lessons from January, secure some quality signings.(although I see he`s already pissing Ajax about with target number one).
If we don`t get CL, the danger is that we lose our existing players and endure a few more decades of mid table nothingness.
My ultimate dream would be to win the prem, but we need a CL berth to ever be able to do that.
We need to think in straight lines here. All these excuses - refs, last minute goals, this distraction that distraction.
Let`s look at Sunday. L`Arse were on the wrong end of a shocker from the ref for WBA`s first goal.
Manure take the gold medal for being the victim of last minute goals.
A manager with a spine would have used the adversity to his advantage.
Ours blatently didn`t. Us `Arry bashers persist because we are aware that he has progressed us - but when we see him playing Bale on the right and Luka on the left, we see him throwing away our season.
Given that Fergie found it necessary to bring a player out of retirement, Redkrapp should consider himself fortunate to have the squad that he did.
Ironic, that fans of the club that gave the league Barry Daines, Mark Kendall and Gomes is suggesting brown envelopes for inept `keeper displays?
By that measure, how much do you think our lads pocketed for being totally unable to score from corners?
Don`t give the manager, chairman and players easy excuses. Regardless of funds, wages and who we are, we should have finished third, given a 13 point lead. Now we need to see the reasons that it didn`t happen. Or more impotantly those responsible need to see those reasons. And act upon them. That`s how winners are bred.
Let`s just hope that the lessons have been learnt and then all will be forgiven.
"Since our last top four finish we've spent £16M compared to Arsenal (£64.7M), United (£80.3M), Liverpool (£132.9M), Chelsea (£160.4M) and City (£212.7M). Impressive yeah? But we need to do more than just survive in their company. We need to be able to bully them. Get on it Levy."
Thanks Spooky. Enough said. The expensive stars' gameplay covers up other coaches mistakes but Harry's failings are always exposed because he doesn't have the worldclass strikers and defenders. Do any fans REALLY think that Harry would rather bring in Ryan Nelsen over Phil Jones, if he had the money to spend?
While there are numerous potential reasons for our slump, I honestly think that the main reason is simply down to our lack in mental belief - the 'winning mentallity'. Our 'winners' are Gallas (who played pretty well but only managed about 10 games) and vdV. Possibly Parker too (who really dropped off from March onwards). Fair enough we brough in experience but the likes of Saha and Nelsen aren't 'winner'.
We do have one of the most talkented squad in the prem, but we lack in the 95% mental side if the game. Look at Chelsea. And Arsenal. They are not better/much better than us yet the goons have landed the Champs League for 15 consecutive years(!!) and Chelsea have won the FA Cup 4 years in the last 6 (amongst other things).
We'll get there but have got to back the team - whiel Harry has got many annoyances I hope he gets a new contract - then we can re-shape the squad. We've been crying out for stability for numerous years (decades).
Cmon Bayern!
Moe, it isnt about excuses. With the squad we have, with the budget we have vs 5 other clubs, Redknapp has worked a miracle to get 2 fourth place finishes. He's the best manager we've had since Bill Nick. I just don't know what you want. All this stuff about 'spineless', 'had the balls' etc. It's nonsense. He's done far better than MON has done at either Villa (who massively outspent us on wages the last time we got 4th) or Sunderland, where everyone conveniently forgets he inherited an expensive squad, won a few games to get safety and has then done fuck all. Yet I don't hear Sunderland fans complaining about him.
The main mistake Harry has made is in finishing 4th 2 years ago. Expectations are wild now. Fans expect us to win every game. Literally EVERY game we don't win is apparently the managers fault. But do you really think we should win every match? Other teams do win football matches too you know!
You must be viewing our squad with rose tinged spectacles if you think anyone could have done a better job than Harry has done this season. Seriously, since Xmas we've had one half decent fit centre back (king is finished, gallas useless), one right back full stop, 2 strikers worthy of the name, one right sided midfielder (injury prone). We have a good first xi, but an upper mid table squad. It's a fact, and it's reflected in the wage bill. And short of getting taken over by team Qatar, which I would hate, it ain't gonna change. You really should give Redknapp more credit, and you really, really need to be careful what you wish for. Ramos had this team in lower midtable, and then rock bottom of the league.
Timber - look again at arsenals and Chelsea's squads. then look at their wage bills. They ARE much better than ours. Chelsea have got £24m strikers who dont get a game in their reserves (lukaku). How many starts would livermore have had at either arsenal or chelsea? How many games would Nelson and Saha have played for Arsenal? It isn't mental belief, it's lack of true quality depth, meaning the same players play all the time, meaning they are nackered by March. It isn't rocket science. Wherher people like it or not, there isn't much more Harry could have got from this squad.
i couldnt disagree with Your assessment of Gallas more. He has been awful, his legs have gone and he has a dismal attitude. Had Redknapp had any back up at all, Gallas wouldn't have kicked another ball for the club after that cup semi.
Posted in wrong article, copy-pasted it here!
Finishing 3rd never brought this much joy to the arsenal fans! Never! Rather, coming from 17th in sept. and finishing above you after your massive 12 pts gap at one point is what made it a bit special. How stupid you must feel now after the illtimed ' mind the gap' shit. You gloated about your 'gap' till it lasted, but your team let you down! Now it's us who is having the last laugh! You brought it upon yourselves so bear with it! It's gonna be a long long summer for you mugs if Chelsea win CL. That would bring even more laughs and ridiculing that you truly deserve!!!!!! I don't wanna see the day that you finish above us, oh never! Just saw enough of what you loosers would become with liitle glips of success, which is being above arsenal, no matter how brief it might be! Happy st. Totty's day!!
paulf
No I don`t think we`ve a god given right to anything - if I did I`d stroll down the road, wear sickly red and bin all my principles.
As I wrote, Bale on the right, Luka on the left - nonsense BUT if those mistakes are learnt from then it`s fine. That means if all our talent leaves this summer and come next season the height of our expectation is be to finish seventh - then so long as the same mistakes aren`t made, that`s fine by me. (obviously I don`t want us to be that weakened!)
Spineless - yes I`m sticking to this one. I`ve asked this several times - highlight to me one outstanding result this season, one you wouldn`t expect us to acheive. Ok we beat the arse and hammered Liverpool, but these were hardly home wins that were beyond our wildest dreams.
Spineless in that HR has this season failed to motivate the team against the big sides. I`m not expecting us to win every game, but our record against the top sides was apalling. `Unlucky against City` - no. Gifted them a 2 goal lead then lost the game through a lazily hoofed clearance. `Outplayed United` - Yes and lost to them twice - heavily.
Wigan did it, Blackburn did it. Either I`m so tinted that I don`t see Blackburn and Wigan as better than us - or they`re not better than us, but they did acheive results against the big clubs. (That said, yes I`m pleased that we are where we are rather than where Wigan or Blackburn are)
I think that, regardless of what we expected before the season started, my expectations when sat third with a 13 point gap were no more than realistic.
Frustrations are beginning to brew already. Why doesn`t Levy agree a fee with Ajax. After the weekend, either the player won`t want to join us or the asking price will increase - depending on one certain result. It just feels like `here we go again`.
I see that Del Piero is making sound waves about playing in the prem - he`s a more likely signing for us.............at 37.
Ha Ha Ha, the irony! The bloke who is accusing moe of talking nonsense is the same bloke waffling on about betting scandals and having the gall to rate turbo-trap as the best manager since Nicholson.
I suppose Friedel was in on this scam too, was he? That goal at QPR looked very suspect. Perhaps our forwards have been paid off too, eh? What with all the chances they've missed, or maybe there was a little Thai fella in the crowd at Villa Park remotely controlling the ball to stay out the net.
With the squad we have, with the budget we have vs 5 other clubs, Redknapp has worked a miracle to get 2 fourth place finishes.
Your really ought to stop listening to Redknapp and his pals in the press and start thinking for yourself. He hasn't worked a miracle at all. Reddknapp inherited a good squad of players and was handed 10s of millions to strengthen it. The first top 4 was achieved in the climate of a Liverpool side on the slide and in turmoil (which they still haven't recovered from), and a City side which had sacked its manager half way through the season and was in transition. A little credit should be given here, but it was hardly the stuff of miracles.
To class this season's top 4 as a miracle is absurd. Both scumski and the scum lost over a quarter of their fixtures this season yet with a squad that has quite rightly been heralded the best since the mid '80s, Redknapp still somehow contrived to finish lower than the worst scum side for an age. Can you honestly say that the scum's squad was better than ours this season? We underachieved, not overachieved, but I guess you'll point to where we were in the past in some weird belief that it influences this season.
He's the best manager we've had since Bill Nick
Burkinshaw, Pleat and Venables have all had more success than Redknapp, fact.
Fans expect us to win every game.
I don't know one fan who expects us to win every game, but I know a lot who just want to hear some honesty rather than a load of old bollocks, "one of those days" etc.
We have a good first xi, but an upper mid table squad. It's a fact, and it's reflected in the wage bill.
Upper mid table? A bit vague. Name four squads better than ours this season, regardless of wage bills.
Ramos had this team in lower midtable, and then rock bottom of the league.
Even Ramos took us to a Wembley final and won it beating the scum 5-1 on the way in the semi-final (not losing 5-1 to scumski).
It's no wonder the club are happy with mediocrity when there are fans as gullible and as easily pleased as you around.
Moe, I could not agree with you more. What is really pissing me off is our inability to secure a transf without fuss. What on earth is Levy playing at? For gods sake, the difference in asking price is 2 million, not 20 million!
He will piss him off and in move Arse and United!! For gods sake make the deal and move on to the next one.
IM telling you, if Levy f@@@@ this up, then I would agree that he is as much to blame for this as Arry is!!
The problem with our beloved is clear for everyone to see. Too many fans giving them an easy ride by harking back to the bad old days, fuelling some warped inferiority complex.
I don`t agree that we`ve over acheived.
But, suppposing we have, why is over acheivement such a dirty word?
We need a manager and chairman who are prepared to stare `over achievement` in the eye and offer it outside, rather than cowering away from it.
If l`arse are better than us - i don`t agree - but if they are then they have under achieved and had we done no mare than made par ( wolves and norwich home) we would`ve got 3rd.
Still looking at our results and can`t see a stand out win.
The season is the proverbial marathon and all the top six teams had good spells and complete rubbish. Much has been stated about us blowing a 10 point lead, that's 3 games ahead, what we did to achieve that was nothing more that magnificent, a he-man effort by all. Every body blew leads end of November the champions were up by 7pts. and as late as March 10th United were leading by 8 and they still lost, be it by the slenderest of margins - GD.
End of Feb, we were 7pts ahead in 3rd. by the end of March (25th) they were 7pt ahead of us and going to Wigan which should have made them 10 clear. We ended 1 point behind.
Which brings me around to that 3rd goal against West Brom. If the Dzecko goal was disallowed because of shirt pulling (and that was happening in abundance on the lead up to that goal) thus halting City's come back we would have had hours of phone ins dedicated to just that, Fulops antics in my eyes ain't no different. There is something very wrong with that goal keeping display (not wanting to come over all Davspurs). There is nothing to be done 4th it is and c'mon Bayern or whatever they say over there.
moe, I too agree with everything you have stated. I believe this squad of players, if used properly, are more than capable of challenging for the title. We are in the prem, in it ....to win it.
There's a lot of discussion on here about whether or not Redknapp has had a successful season and whether or not he's a good/great manager. My take on it is that, as an employee, he offers absolutely no loyalty. He cannot be trusted to keep his big mouth shut. He is not in the least committed to the club (Oh the 'sound bites' are good when he wants effect) but if Chelski or England had come calling, he would have been gone like a bat out of hell. Also he is at an age now and has been managing for enough years to be able to outwit the likes of Wenger, Ferguson etc. but he hasn't got the tactical skills. He has man management skills, but no tactical skills. When the England job came up, he went into jelly and lost control of any control of the teams he was putting out there. Suddenly, from being the most attractive and skillful team in the EPL, we turned into confused, afraid and nervous all over the pitch. Down to Redknapp's inability to keep his concentration on the day job.
As an Employer, there is no way Levy can trust him, it's not possible to give him any rope, he courts the media. He thinks he has worked wonders at Tottenham. It's time for him to go. He hasn't worked any miracles and the 'arse lickers' that think he's some kind of a Messiah that has saved the club have it all wrong and (like him ) see the club as some kind of a cup team. Well I don't and I don't think Daniel Levy thinks that either. He's build the club up from an Alan Sugar style (miser club) to a club with expectation, with a new training facility second to none in the league and progressing on a new stadia which will allow them to rub shoulders with the very best in Europe, even the World. Redknapp had a massive opportunity this season (just gone) to tackle the Manure's and the City's of this World and he fucking blew it. He's a traitor to his Chairman and to the club and the fans and I want him out. We actually did very well with honest dignified men like Bill Nick and Keith Burkinshaw and we should be looking to find another winner with those qualities and not a 'wheeler dealer' who prostitutes himself to the highest bidder.
The way he spoke about 'it would be probably right if Modric was allowed to join Chelski' at the beginning of the season stank to high heaven of someone promised a brownie if it happened. I dont trust him in any way.
We have had good luck and bad luck but the timing of the bad luck always comes when we can't rectify it soon afterwards like with lasagne or Fulop.
With Bayern M @ 5/6 and Cheatski @ 16/5 we now need some good luck and the bookies are right, cos supporting the Spurs will be a damm sight less irritating from Saturday onwards from those south of the Channel and East of the Urals.
Fulop released by WBA.
Job done.
Hang on, Foster is there on loan and they've released Fulop. Why release someone on one bad performance, unless something is being swept under the carpet. He single-handedly reversed the efforts of his team and sank third place for us, the better team losing.
Arsenal scored 74 goals. Rvp scored 30....44 scored by the team. Spurs scored 66 goals. Ade scored 17...49 scored by the team. Arsenal a one man team because spurs team minus adebayor scored 5 more goals than arsenal minus rvp??? If you take out city united spurs and chelsea,newcastle who are top scorers of the rest of the league with 56,have only scored 12 more goals than arsenal minus rvp. People need to stop this one man team talk about arsenal. Our defence has been woeful,a laughing stock....but we still finished 3rd.
Who paid Fulop to Fulop
Your comparison of the top clubs transfer fees are misleading. Very misleading. Both Arsenal and Man U, in that same period have taken in nearly £100m worth of transfer funds, (Man U 80m for Ronaldo, £10m for Brown & O'Shea) and Arsenal (£95m for Nasri, Fabregas, Ade, Kolo Toure & Clichy).
Therefore, the fact that you're not taking into account that ManU and Arsenal's net spending has been negligable (and in Arsenal's case actually negative), portrays Tottenham as the little fish amongst the big spenders when that is quite clearly not the case.
Okay. I'll just back up the argument with the 36k stadium and no CL revenue last season. Or do we take into account all the empty seats at the Emirates?
The point being made is that football is driven by money and where the money lives so does the power. Yet the football is not as monumentally divided as it was during the Sky Four era. If Levy splashed more cash Spurs would actually have competed better this season (and that's not to say we didn't compete at all).
Harry in!
Good god, I'm a knee-jerker :)
You need to bully whom, exactly ? FC Carrotfarmers on C5 ??
Back in your box where you belong. Now off goes Bale, Modric and anyone else who had ideas of CL. You had one season and got carried away with yourselves.
Small club. Small dicked fans. Blog full of comments about the glorious Gunners once again. Your Lords and Masters and CL combatants for 15 years running.
Get it right up you !
Small club? You're celebrating Chelsea becoming the first ever London club to win the European Cup, you utter utter fucking cunt. Keep on mugging yourself off. Never been prouder to be a Spurs fan. You can't handle the fact that we love our club no matter what. Pains you. Keep on posting cunto. Good luck in the qualifiers. Hey, this year you might not get dicked like you've been dicked for 15 years.
#15yearsofgettingdickedintheCL
x
Think you'll find Chavski get in the qualifiers, not Arsenal. For a geezer that writes a blog you know very little.
No decent journalist would leap to the conclusion that I was either celebrating their win or even that I would have wanted it. As it happens, I'd have rather Bayern won any day and was cheering them on, despite the fact that it would have meant your little Sunday league club taking up a berth in the big boys tourney. But, when it comes to writing I have always found you lacking in objectivity, realism or not-being-a-bellendishness so no surprises that your conclusions are ill considered at best.
How do you feel about losing Bale and Modric, Spooky ? You looking forward to the Europa ?
Well, at least issue a correction, having said Arsenal are in the qualifiers... no? Or gloss over your lack of knowledge by ignoring it.... ??
#20yearsofgettingdickedintheEPL
;-)