Paradox
Wednesday, May 2, 2012 at 1:48PM Is there anyway to hope success for Roy Hodgson without England achieving it? No? Of course not. Everyone is doomed then. I hate the clique that is the tabloid media, with their pro-Redknapp obsession, already sharpening their knives as displayed with the usual bitter and stupid questions at Roy's first press conference. The nations favourite have rolled out a speech impediment joke so we can't be that far off from vegetable photo-shops.
Let's stop pretending to be surprised. We're all actually guilty of similar charges. They are meant to report the news. They are hardly unbiased and they will always push whatever agenda that's close to them. It's no different to any football forum or set of fans with a unified belief they relentlessly perpetuate. Well it is different in one way, tabloids have a far greater reach than any blog or message board or twitter time-line.
During the press conference, you could hear them squirm in their seats, unsatisfied and rejected for not having their chosen one to bestow safe questions to and catch the responding sound-bite like two lovers blowing kisses to each other. This summer will be a barrel of laughs.
Also worth noting the nations favourite hardly reports 'the news'.
Regardless of the FA only approaching the one man and also the fact that they are saying there was more than two people on the short list, it did feel rather ominous. When the new England boss cited Redknapp it was to say that Harry had left him an answer phone message to congratulate him. It almost appeared to be apologetic, like Roy was a little embrassed to find out Harry was being passed by. The FA wouldn't pay the compensation for Redknapp, a likely scenario.
What's done is done. Shame the ambiguity and the flirting has given us an excuse (and masked the real issue at hand) to surrender so many points but we've struggled since the start of the year and with just three games remaining, all that's left is for us to win them all to give ourselves the chance of redemption. Even if it still hangs in the balance, dependent on results in others games and a certain cup final.
We've not won away since December. We've got two away games up next. The final game of the season is at home against a former manager. Hardly inspiring when our recent win was against a side that had no desire. Tonight against Bolton we face a team fighting to stay up and they'll be more than up for it with Fabrice present. We haven't won there in the Premier League either.
If you had a spare ten quid, you'd keep it in your pocket.
Still, believe. It's a boring existence if you don't.
Today is the 5th anniversary of Dear Mr Levy.com.
Reader Comments (53)
Happy Anniversary! I predict two away draws and a home win.
Happy 5th anniversary
Enough about England for a couple of weeks - it's all about the Spurs! Get HR on a new contract and lets roll...
Massive game this eve; Kaboul has to put Davies in his pocket
Happy 5th. Brilliant site.
Tonight a massive game. Lucky win here and we'll be well on our way I think. previous comment of a win and two draws may still be okay for 4th, but I think unless 3rd is matematically impossible then the players have always got to play to win every game, you never know, it's been a funny season.
We WILL tonight and what that will do is restore all the confidence that has been missing over the last few months and set us up for the final 2 games which we will also win... the Arse will then fail to win at the Hawthorns and we will end up 3rd, what a lovely way to end the season, cheering on Chelski to win the CL final so that they can all see Europa league football at the Emirates next season. It's huge tonight 3 points nothing less COYS !!
Of course Hodgson is doomed, as would have been Rednapp. England will be as mediochre as they were in the last World Cup since there is a real dearth of top quality English players , surely the real reason why Capello jumped ship---he could not face another collective shambles.
I hold no particular brief for Rednapp but surely the FA has some questions to face as to their conduct. They are certainly entitled to appoint Hodgson with his solid record, but their dalliance over a straightforward decision has been disruptive. It was interesting that yesterday a West Ham blog empgasised the role of Brooking in all this. If there is a moral in such a pathetic episode it is that the FA need a real clean out. A point made by many of us after the World cup and one that will no doubt be raised again after the Euros.
@ Bobby - I really hope that this will come to pass. That would be quality!
Happy 5th Anniversary DML. Best Spurs blog out there.
The problem for anyone who was appointed, other than Harry, is that the tabloids were going to be miffed. They hardly give the England manager an easy time as it is, so he is really going to find it tough, unless the team do better than anyone expects.
In fact I blame the media in part for England's poor form for years, everyone, manager, players, are scared of the shit they get from the press. Look at Paul Robinson, one bobble that wasn't his fault, and his career is on the skids, loses his England place and loses his Spurs place, about to get relegated with Blackburn.
I think Harry should go in the summer
If Hodgson has a bad Euros and a couple of bad qualifiers we are back in the "Harry for England" uncertainty shit again come December.
And for those who say "we've never had it so good" that may be true but Harry isn't here for the long haul - he's done his job and kept us up after being 2 from 8 - everything else has been a bonus, Harry isn't the man to create a Spurs dynasty.
I said on another blog yesterday that maybe Harry's tax evasion defence was the reason for them going for Roy - could a serious national body really employ someone with the "reading and writing age of a six year old" in such a senior position?
Congratulations on the 5 year anniversary Spooky. I've loved this blog ever since a friend put me onto it 4 years ago.
I bet the number of readers has increased a lot in that time?
I need to put in a few points at the start ...... firstly, as soon as Capello got the chop, I thought this is all working 'Arry's way and it sounds very suspicious. I also thought that the real man for the job was Roy because he would do the job for his country thoughtfully with enthusiasm and considerable knowledge. Then I thought that, if I was being honest, I didn't want Roy to get it firstly because he's too nice a guy, and secondly because it would mean that Redknapp would stay for us, which I have long ceased to find attractive. I no longer care for Engerland either, and I can't wait for them (no longer us) to be knocked out so I can enjoy the sour looks on the faces of Cole and Terry, and also get to appreciate the rest of the football without an agony I find it impossible to rid myself of when our second-raters are still in the mix. When Roy got the job, the pleasure for his success was replaced rapidly by a disappointment that what we had won from the raffle was another year of 'Arry telling lies, mucking up tactics, and making it up as he goes along. I think that by now Daniel LOATHES 'Arry, and will not entrust him with the sums that would accrue were (as I expect) we to lose fourth spot and Luka and Gareth leave. Getting rid of him will cost US the sum the FA would have had to give for taking the old groaner off our hands. We lose all ways. I expect at best five points from nine, and at best fifth place. Hooray for the Europa Cup!! I can't wait for the season to end now, and everything "Arry apparently gave us has been taken away. I hope I'm wrong ...... Despite all this, COYS!
I can't help wondering if Levy's demands for compensation from the FA may have driven a wedge between him and Harry as it's stopped him getting his dream job etc.
As for tonight anything other than a win probably means 4th is a serious doubt, especially if Chelsea win v Newcastle.
,
Few more things ..... forget to say well done for five years - my favourite Spurs blog EVER!!!
The additional bit is about our sweet game being firmly in the grip of a load of chancers who include the media group who not only LOVE our manager, but also are being villified in every place in the land EXCEPT football grounds. This is some irony. No one in the land wants to be associated with these toxic people, but our bunch of county types and ex-public school boy/bankers gets all their money from them apart from the odd million for supporting junk food manufacturing. The inmates have taken over the asylum.
But still ..... COYS!!
5 years??? Phuc*,that must of been some joint i had .. well done , good little read this.
I can only agree virtually whole heartedly with yours and the majority of sentiments made here. So now we have it , Arry admits that he was lying (in denial) as he put it: ' well people that know me say that the england thing definitely did effect my focus, so i guess it must have'. What an insufferable prick and utter deflector of any responsibility.. he resolutely decreed thru out our slump ala (his newest media fling) that it was ' complete rubbish '..' the players couldn't care who there manager was' ..' my job for now is at spurs'..the 'man whore' needs taking to the door and have all his things (one fa cup bag) , Les ferdinand (how not to score in 9 games training video) and anything else rednapp related (like the management for dumies hand -book) taken with him.
Hodgson - best man got the job and the climate of ' derision ' and ' contempt ' that filled the air during that ' staged ' and incipid press conference, absolutely stank to high heaven.. the circus deserved a clown and not an officer and a gentlemen the likes that woy is.
so lets go out there tonight and for god sakes one way or another, bring a positive end to an otherwise ' tempestuous season '..if we may be so discourteous, bold and unappreciative as to dare we say ' think of spurs without mentioning your trashy high-ness' , then we must begin to take ourselves off the front pages (just for a bit), stop this new ' intoxicating jeremy kyle style show' and just get back to the phuc***drawing board.
yid 4 life
coyfs
@TH - like a very slick pro boxer, u just beat me to the jab..nicely put. Re media standards..
im living abroad recently and have really been able to see the smog and pollution that is emitted from the ' garbage truck ' that is british sporting ' celebrity obsessed ' media. Lowest of the low and worst of all, as mugs we pay to dine on this tripe..
*rant over
Happy Anniversary Spooky Spud, great blog!!
Whatever happens we are united in wanting Chelsea to lose in Munich, and maybe some tragic accident involving Samir Nasri and his league winners medal!?
I have a sneaky feeling we'll come a cropper against Norwich (a la Wigan) so it will probably go down to the last game where we could face either a WBA who are already on holiday or a WBA wanting to give Hodgson a suitable send-off..... lots of football left to play.
C'mon you Trotters!! ;)
@TommyHarmer -- I think that by now Daniel LOATHES 'Arry,. Never was a truer word spoken. He must hate his guts. He's the most slippery, non-loyal, self obsessed person I have had the displeasure of being associated with our football club. I hope Levy bites the bullet and shows him the door at the end of the season. We don't need 'his sort' managing our football club. Anyway he's shown that he can't hack it with the big boys, nor can he outwit the 'Lamberts' of this world.
Congrats, always enjoy popping in.
Don't agree about the FA not wanting to pony up for motor-mouth, well, of course they didn't want to, but I don't think it was the primary reason. The England job requires a certain amount of decorum and dignity, both of which Redknapp doesn't even know the meaning of. He would have been a national embarrassment. Hodgson also has a much more appropriate CV, good luck to him.
Made it easy for them I guess. £10M is a lot for cash-strapped FA to fork out. If Hodgson was good looking and spoke sexy talk, he'd be adored.
Thanks all, love writing bollocks about Spurs.
this is such a cozy little spot.. nite nite !
here ...can somebody turn that cu** button off on rednaps face ?! Trying to get some rest fgs..
Is this your ACTUAL 5 year anniversary or are you mugging us off like you did a year ago with your "5th anniversary"????
Regardless, the best football blog around. Bar none. You strike a chord with most Spurs fans regardless of whether we may agree with your slant on events or not. We are all Spurs after all, and Spurs is all of us, what unites and divides us (Stratford, Harry etc etc)! Oh and you have manage to expose the true hypocrisy of many a Gooner troll (Dear Broken Children of Woolwich was possibly your finest piece).
These three games will define our future, if it goes Pete Tong I could feel a summer of letters to the chairman upon us.
Keep up the good work, even if you do talk like Ray Parlour...
Have to agree with whoever said above that redknapp should go in the summer. Can totally see another circus on the horizon with the England job again and other positions.
Maybe his fingers my have got burnt this time but it's not worth the risk. Certainly will be another eventful close season for us.
COYS
Happy 5th anniversary Spooky yidooo. Lets hope we pull the rabbit out of the hat, and finish 3rd !! "coys".
Never posted on here before. There are many spurs blogs and i first noticed this one about a year ago. Whenever i see there is a new article i always look forward to reading it and enjoy it. The best written spurs blog out there. Im always in such agreement with the articles it could actually be me writing them. But it isnt. Keep up the great work.
Happy 5th
If we were to snatch 3rd it would be the story right out of a fairytale. The comic relief that is Redknap will be ejected from WHL and we'll get someone of sound mind managing our side. Apart from winning, I'd like us to win with some flare. I'll accept a gritty win of course, but I'd like to see us playing a good game again, a proper attacking unit. Either way, I'm interested to see how the man with his head on the chopping block is coping and how he manages us today.
I guess it'd be alright if Newcastle beat or drew with Chelsea, regardless of the outcome this race is looking rather dicey. We have 3 more games while the arse have 2 left, it's still within the realms of possibility.
Happy 5th anniversary, keep on posting.
You're the daddy Spooky.
Congratulations.
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Well worth bearing in mind when blogging about THFC.
We will probably win tonight just to prolong the agony.
JH - I knew someone would remember that.
Hi Spooky
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Happy 5th! American fan who just tuned in last year - great blog.
And FFS! - off a throw in, come on fellas...
... and did they ever come on. Forwards scoring goals, outside mids assisting - what is going on?
Congrats Spooky - quality.
Good three points, and we're back in the mix. Take Villa out, give Fulham a slap - Christ, I've got to stop watching these programmes on the Seventies.
If ever you wanted proof that Array took his eye off the ball during the England manager fiasco, wll there was you proof tonight!!
Excellent display, clinical for a change, what a shame it may be too late!!
Great result. Over to you, Goons...
It might be a good point to say its not all so bad... 1 point off third and all that.
but thats not important.
This is the age of sky sports quick headlines.. Roy H was castigated at Liverpool for not giving the press its two pennies worth after a game - instead he stuck to his truth, We at Spurs give Harry hell for what we read in the press - shut up Harry you been saying this that etc (and Im not aiming this at you Spooky - I read this and you usually spell out my thoughts). More than that I've had a moment tonight thinking we may have been sucked into the media abiss recently - even sir Alex was told to quit for tactical ineptitude on Monday - really?
I teach for a living - music if thats less of a laughing stock. The one thing I know about me and my students attitide is that any little thought can get in the way of a good performance - that little voice that says "somethings wrong" that despite your best intrest kinda gets into your brain and gets into the way of the "just do this" thought. I don't wanna guess about a dozen professional footballers but it happens. even to the stronger minds out there. If anyone thinks this is BS by the way then please have a look at yourself under real pressure (pressure at the moment - not after the fact) did you act at 100% at the moment?
This is a long post - do i think Harry is the best manager out there? no - he has not rotated the team well, Rose is painfully short of form and it shows. Do I think Harrys a good manager - yes. He's not won us anything but we got to play champions league and we played it well... we turned over both sides of Milan - we beat the idiots down the Road and the russian crew. we are 1 point and -1 goal difference off of the arse.
Please, please suggest a suitable replacement before saying "Harry out"
breath in- breath out...
thank you for your time
still a feckin good win though.. COYS
Best performance since we thrashed Newcastle which confirms that:
A) The players of THFC are a lean mean glory machine under Redknapp.
B) The players of THFC turn into three legged donkeys at even the thought of Redknapp leaving.
I am sure Levy must love him too - success and glory + cheap as chips is a combo any businessman will rate.
All the message board experts told Spurs that disaster was around the corner every week Harry was in charge.
Levy has ignored their exhortations for four years and has reaped the rewards as a result.
What a combination - Harry and Levy - Four More Years please.
and, sorry, but happy 5th year on a blog spooky - more than most manage in a job. I think I waited 5 years for Gary Doherty to put in a good performance. (I may be wrong on this but it felt like 5 years). keep writing please.
Happy 5th on the blog!! What a goal by Modric. Keepin the faith!
Happy 5th! =D
COYS! Ain't nothing over till it's over!
Happy 5th year spooky!
2 games to win & 1 point to close. 3rd is ours!
HR gonna stay for another year. Team seems settled & happy enough at the moment, shows up in how we are stepping up play.
Just need everyone to keep their heads up and stretch for the attainable for 2 weeks. Believe.
Oh.. Love your fantastic blog
COYS!!
Excellent blog, the best. Now if Spurs and Man C win this weekend we should have 4th spot in the bag, throw in a draw or a win for Norwich and 3rd spot is on, could be worth a flutter. COYS
Great performance last night, barring the first 7 mins of the 2nd half.
Bale staying wide = goals
Lennon being fit = options on both flanks
He might have scored twice, but Adebayor is still a waste of money.......
Wonder if both us and Newcastle can pick up 6 points now and hope that WBA take something at home to Arsenal on the last day of the season....... Watch them squirm as they drop into 5th and the Europa League. Ah, we can but dream. First job is to take 3 points at Villa Park this weekend.
Everyone knows, let's face it, he's a deadman walking!!! But that's enough about Fabrice.....Harry lov-in forecast, imminent....come on Norwich!!!
WHAT a season. My God. I'm loving this. You cant deny we've gone about it the Spurs way from start to finish. Textbook Tottenham.
I'm off the crack, I've poured the whisky down the sink, I'm back at Church, I've moved to a new town and met a lovely new lady called TOTTENHAM
Congrats Spooky on the anniversary. Did the missus get you anything?
At the start of the season I always look at the run in and I thought, happy days, all very beatable teams. We have had our 'big team' blip, and with the current confidence, 71 points will get us 3rd. We still need another slip from Arsenal though, obviously, but wouldn't it be lovely that on the last day, Uncle Roy and WBA turn them over and give Harry and the boys a well deserved Champions league spot? And what about good ol Martin Jol? Will he tell his Fulham side to play a bit lazy and let those good boys from Tottenham increase their goal difference?
Funny old game.
COYS its not over yet...
I think the penny`s dropped boys. Looks like he`s finally realised Bale on the left Lennon on the right both come in with chalk on their boots and there`s a good chance we`ve won the game! Must`ve been the `England distraction` that prevented him from spotting that one.
Great performance, but still managed that spell at the start of the second half when it looked like the entire team had never seen a footbsll before, having purred through the first half. Amazing what a fifteen minute rousing `Arry team talk can do!
Should win on Sunday - nice big pitch, shite opposition, still nervous about how the team sheet may read though!
If I close my eyes and concentrate hard enough, I can just make out fat boy Holt nodding in a corner in the 87th minute and the Geordies turning over City.
Never mind all that though, lets just hope our lads can take care of Villa.
PS best of luck to Cardiff City tonight!
Kyle Walker.............................legend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!