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Spurs: Lucky to get one

Times Online — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:55:38 +0000

How often do you hear that said ? Quite often, but with Tottenham’s whopping 9-1 score-line against Wigan Athletic on Sunday, you would really have good grounds to say that of the Latics team.

Apart from there not being a lot of time available between the eight Spurs second half goals, the one that Wigan did register was a blatant handball, which, on any other Sunday, might have been back page news in the grand tradition of Thierry “Handball” Henry.

Paul Scharner used his arm to control Rodallega’s cross inside the penalty area and looked embarrassingly across to the referee’s assistant (although why they are called that when assist is the last thing they do) expecting to see a flag raised. When it wasn’t, it saw him wheel away with his scoring arm aloft.

The Spurs defenders and goalkeeper did remonstrate, but they probably felt a bit sorry for the Austrian player. He has enough to carry on his shoulders without being branded a Henry-style cheat.

Firstly, he is an Austrian international and came into this game fresh from a 1-5 thrashing by Spain. Secondly, he sports a weird half black/half white dyed hair-do, which might be considered trendy in downtown Salzburg, but in Wigan, I imagine makes him a target for anyone who might recognise him.

And finally, Spurs went straight down the other end to score and make the score 4-1 and go on to record a record defeat for Wigan. Being unkind to Scharner in these circumstances would be churlish and besides, he has to go out in Wigan with that haircut after this defeat.

He is also described as a “powerhouse” player on the club’s website. He’s hardly electric, but it might explain the charring to his hair I suppose.

Records tumbled as Spurs rained goals down on Chris Kirkland who was left exposed by some schoolboy defending, although at least schoolboys would have continued playing until about 8:00 p.m., whereas some Wigan defenders gave up at 4-1.

A headed clearance by Michael Dawson fell just in front of Titus Bramble, who just swung a flabby boot at it and it went into orbit as it looked as if he signalled his disinterest in trying to get anything out of the game.

Erik Edman had a torrid time up against Aaron Lennon on his return to the ground where he was introduced to English football. Emerson Boyce is another international (for Barbados), but looked out of his depth, as he failed to intercept Palacios’ pass for Defoe’s fourth.

With Niko Kranjcar echoing Lennon’s play on the other flank, the chances kept coming and in Jermain Defoe, Spurs had a player willing to gorge himself on them (although if I was a typical Spurs fan, I would be moaning about the three good chances he didn’t score).

Aaron Lennon set up three and scored one himself, meaning that the absent Fabio Capello missed his return to the side, but perhaps Kirkland and Titus Bramble might still harbour hopes of going to South Africa as the England coach won’t have witnessed them being on the end of a 1-9 score-line.

Kirkland was heralded as Wigan’s man of the match, but then, with all he had to do, it is hardly surprising and even then, he had the energy to be outraged by the last goal, which he went to the ref to complain about.

In the middle of the midfield, Tom Huddlestone and Wilson Palacios both closed Wigan down to restrict their time on the ball, which in a curiously subdued first half, saw the Latics player spray passes around with gay abandon … mainly straight into the crowd though.

It was a strange atmosphere, as Crouch stopped to convert Lennon’s bouncing cross that Bramble left and the chances kept coming, but the half time break arrived with Wigan having had some opportunities to get back into the game.

Bringing on David Bentley to perform his set-piece party trick seemed cruel and he showed that he can make a difference, as his neat little pass to Kranjcar got the Croat on the scoresheet off the crossbar, but it was well deserved

At the end, nobody sang “Can We Play You Every Week”, as that would have been cruel and would do nothing for Wigan’s goal difference, but seeing the visiting fans trudge back to their coach for the long journey home, which would have seemed a lot longer, it reminded me of many journeys I had made home from Spurs away games. Not having lost 1-9, but having lost was bad enough.

I would not imagine that the result means a great deal over the course of a season (goal difference aside) and it certainly doesn’t make us a shoo in for a Champions League place until we start to improve our record against the top three, but it does send a message out to them. How many times have you seen a side play a poor side and end up winning 4-0 or 5-0? To go on and rack up a really big win does indicate that the firepower is there.

Perhaps the bloke who passed by us on his way out with ten minutes left and on being told he might miss some more goals replied, “It’s getting a bit monotonous.” is more representative of Spurs fans … finding a black cloud over ever silver lining!

Wyart Lane

www.mehstg.com

Tottenham: Victory masks lack of creativity

Times Online — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:28:42 +0000

It appears that Steve Bruce learned a lot from Alex Ferguson. Not only has he taken on board how to form a team that plays a good brand of football, but also he has picked up how to deflect the failure of the side to convert chances made by shining a light on the referee.

Maybe he had a point, as if Wenger-like, he had not seen Jordan Henderson chop Vedran Corluka down in front of the bench just before the break after already being booked he could have exited the field. Much like Bruce wanted Gomes to do when returning striker Darren Bent seemed to go down a bit before he hit the Spurs keeper. With the ball heading away from goal, it is interesting that Bruce claimed this was a foul denying a goal-scoring opportunity. For only a couple of weeks back (when it took an air filled deflection to get Bent on the score-sheet), he had missed an opening from a similar position against Liverpool, hitting the outside of the post. Then again, Kevin (the players') Friend may have been as aware of Spurs fans about the first touch Bent possesses.

The telephonic/computer communicator got a mixed welcome back at the Lane. Some claps, some boos. But he failed to show Harry that Sandra might have been a better choice up front. The player was not disliked at Tottenham by the fans, despite what he says. The team never played to his strengths, which is the longer ball over his shoulder, which is not the first time Tottenham had done this to a striker (c.f. Sergey Rebrov). However, when the chances came his way, he failed to score ones when he might have been expected to (against Arsenal in one of his first matches and the infamous missed header against Portsmouth).

He is being better served now at Sunderland, with a host of other ex-Spurs players behind him. Marton Fulop was called upon when Gordon got kicked in the arm by Jermain Defoe and his first task was to pick the ball out of the net, following Defoe's set-up for Huddlestone to thunder the ball in off the underside of the bar to give Tottenham a two goal advantage that Sunderland could not pull back.

They probably didn't deserve to be one goal down let alone two, but then Spurs learned that dominating a game (against Stoke ... and look what happened on this page after my piece about that game) earned them nothing. Spurs went long too often and the tactic of playing two up front with Keane just behind them failed to work to the team's advantage. Palacios looked lost and Jenas' effectiveness was limited as Hud joined them in a midfield three. Ledley King left the field before the end of the game again and only when Redknapp brought on Kranjcar for Keane did Tottenham liven up to give the Black Cats problems in their own area.

Tottenham were indebted to the yellow carded Gomes for the penalty save, but also to the Brazilian who stripped Sunderland of hope with good stops from Malbranque, Richardson, Turner and a Bent header. On another day it could have gone against Spurs, but they rode their good fortune and frankly Sunderland looked less than potent up front. Frazier Campbell looked the player he did coming off the bench when on loan at Tottenham last season. Full of pace and energy, but misdirected in his runs and use of the ball. Andy Reid pulled the strings in midfield and his slim-line look could earn him a part in the Hobbit. However, his one piece of superb skill was unlucky to hit the post and bounce out. Malbranque is a willing worker and he has the ability to get into scoring positions, but I remember him being a better finisher than we saw on Saturday.

Having half of Tottenham teams gone by obviously helps when trying to play good football, but there is a reason why Harry Redknapp might have passed on the chance to keep some of them. The way Spurs are playing at the moment, they are desperately missing the creativity offered by Modric and Lennon, as most teams would, but winning helped put them back in fourth as the international break arrives. When it ends, they might have one or both of the missing midfield links back in place.

With rumours circulating that the Spurs boss is keen on signing Brazilian defensive midfielder Sandro, he might not be a forward, but perhaps he might prove better than the manager's wife.

Wyart Lane

My Eyes Have Seen the Glory
www.mehstg.com

Tottenham: bored into defeat by Stoke

Times Online — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:02:32 +0000

Not mine, but Stoke City fans probably don’t worry about value for money, as their team get the points in a style suited to their strengths. For the opposition fans and players, the time-wasting, which started as early as the 18th minute is tedious and frustrating. But I suppose that is the idea.

Stoke City seem to be the anti-Danny Blanchflower, who believe in boring the opposition into submission, although they do get their own brand of glory in pinching a win at White Hart Lane for a generation. I was there the last time they won and needless to say, it was a worthy win, achieved by footballing skill and ability.

Not that the current side are not without skill and ability. Goalkeeper Steve Simonsen is a master of his art. That art being performance art, as his display of “Goalkeeper as OCD sufferer” will win rave reviews in the Culture section of this website.

Surely, not even the likes of Mark McGowan or Johnny Woo could have surpassed his exhibition of a man tormented by the placement of a football for a goal-kick. His superb transition from one edge of the six yard box, which displayed the allegory of man’s inability to control the force of nature, to picking the ball up to replace it on the opposite corner of the area left one feeling his pain and inner angst that took him minutes to execute on each occasion he was required to take a goal-kick.

A close runner up in Football Scientist of the year was Rory Delap for his match-time experiment of the effect of the reduction in circumference of the ball on its flight from a throw-in into the penalty area.

The Irishman’s ingenious use of the materials available to him won praise from the judges, as his violent rubbing of the ball on his jersey made the atoms on the surface of the ball agitate almost as much as the Spurs players, who complained to the referee about the excessive time devoted to this physics practical in the middle of a football match.

Having reduced the ball’s diameter by micrometres each time, it thus flew quicker and further through the air and caused untold havoc in defences across the country. However, on this particular occasion, he had not factored in the unmoveable object in the Tottenham team to counter this, with Peter Crouch deployed in his own area to head the ball away.

Luckily, Crouch moved a bit quicker than the Stoke players and was a threat in attack as well, using his height to plant a parabolic flight on the ball, although Simonsen also found another previously unidentified gear to move his feet to push the ball wide.

Simonsen did similarly well to stop Lennon’s curling tester and when Kranjcar tested the true flight of a ball from 25 yards, the keeper was behind it as it swerved in the air, almost defying the laws of movement. When Kranjcar did get the ball past the goalie, the woodwork came to his rescue, although no doubt Simonsen would have claimed an advanced knowledge of geometry had helped him work out his angles.

Crouch came the closest to breaking the deadlock, with another header that went over the keeper, but Beattie defied gravity to kick the ball away from the line.

However, it is an interesting legal point as to whether the referee would have awarded a penalty to Spurs for dangerous play had Keane gone in for the header, with the Stoke striker’s foot so high. On the evidence of the day’s officiating, Lee Probert would probably have not, as it took him an hour to realise that the Potters were pottering around too much over every dead ball situation.

In the end, the missed chances cost Spurs and with three substitutes on the pitch, one of the Stoke subs – Whelan – reduced Spurs to ten men with a foul on Lennon that saw him hobble off, before he scored the only goal of the game, when Gomes was required to shake himself from his clumber to stop only the visitors’ second shot on target with five minutes left.

The first was with the aid of a deflection off Kranjcar’s leg that took the ball down into the ground and over Gomes, requiring Jonathan Woodgate to dive towards his own goal and head the ball wide, but he also caught Beattie’s head as he came down and had to leave the field with concussion just 14 minutes into his first game back from injury. He was almost as unlucky as those of us who had to stay and watch the remaining 83 minutes of the match.

Five minutes added time at the end of the game might have been little compared to the true cost of time that needed to be added on due to stoppages, but the calculation probably allowed Spurs to get away with a 0-1 defeat, with City’s fitness from not having played a great deal for the previous 84 minutes leaving them the fresher side at the end.

When you look back at history, it is those who stand out from that previous Stoke win at White Hart Lane. Jimmy Greenhoff, Terry Conroy, Gordon Banks, with Tony Waddington leading the team into their golden era. History might not remember this bunch of Potters with such affection, but Tony Pulis has got his squad playing to a pattern that suits them, but might not be to everyone’s taste. With the success it is bringing, I guess he would contest what Danny Blanchflower said.

Wyart Lane

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory

Tottenham: it won't always be pretty

Times Online — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:46:37 +0100

Having under gone some dental treatment, I expected the Bolton game to be similar to having my teeth pulled, but in the end, even though Spurs settled for a point after the poor first half display, it was a fairly entertaining game. Bolton showed that they could play a bit and Spurs showed that if need be, they can dig in and get something from a game that they might previously have been turned over in (like last year).

For all of Darren Bent’s two goals that saw Spurs come back from 0-2 at the Reebok last season, what did it get us? Nothing, as a last minute winner gave the Trotters the points. This year, Spurs had to come from behind twice and could have won it as Crouch hit the bar after Jaaskaleinen got something on the shot that took it into the floor and up onto the woodwork and out.

It was disappointing that there were only 21,000 there to see it, but then times are hard, an October day in Bolton means even polar bears put their winter coats on and Gary Megson is the Wanderers manager. He gets more stick than perhaps he deserves, as he has done a good job on limited resources and there are now teams who are like Bolton used to be, all competing for the same type of player.

Perhaps 21,000 will be the most that the local X Factor reject (every club probably has them, but most don’t punish fans by letting them perform) who murdered a couple of Kings of Leon songs in the interval ever plays in front of. As you would expect, he got some stick from the 3,500 Spurs fans, who could step in for Simon Cowell at short notice to give their expert advice, if required.

When they say that Spurs are Southern Softies, the majority of the first half performance might be what appears in the dictionary next to it. A lack of attentiveness from the start let Bolton in for an early goal and it came from a long throw. A set piece, just like Bolton previous eight goals this season.

The second home goal was their first that didn’t come from a set-piece and a good one it was too. Some neat football in the build-up included a cheeky back-heel and a delicate cross, which was then headed home at the far post by Kevin Davies, just to add a touch of Old School Bolton to it.

As for Tottenham, after the far too early shock of going a goal behind, Crouch was the target for Palacios’ cross and his head down was drilled in by Kranjcar, who had come through from midfield to support the attack, which is what Spurs need a bit more of. Although having said that there have been twelve different scorers so far this season, so goals are coming from everywhere.

The second equaliser was a far post corner, which Charlie Corluka got on the end of and put his header back where the ball had come from into the other side of the goal. He should win more headers from set-pieces and become a more regular name on the score-sheet.

It could have been even better for Tottenham had Jaaskaleinen not got the inside of his thigh to Crouch’s shot and taken it into the ground before bouncing up onto the crossbar and out.

So, the point brought back from breezy Bolton was an improvement on last season and while fully accepting that Spurs are unlikely to win the Premier League title, a season on season improvement is what Tottenham supporters can view as success and it something that perhaps the team are realising might be achievable with a bit of effort and by bringing back points from trips to the North like this. And sometimes, it won’t be pretty.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg.com

Tottenham Fanzone: whistle while you work

Times Online — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:50:06 +0100

Surely that is what Howard Webb gets paid for? Or is his decision making is linked to some bizarre performance related pay? In some respects he is more like Howard Hughes in that he goes missing when the big decisions have to be made.

One wonders, as what should not have been a penalty at Old Trafford last season (which got the champions back into the game when they were struggling) suddenly was not a spot-kick when it was Tottenham going on the attack against Chelsea. Webb had a similar position of view to that when Gomes didn’t bring Carrick down to the one where Carvalho caught Keane, but there was a different outcome. The ball went at right angles when Carrick went for it, perhaps indicating Gomes touched it, while the trajectory continued in front of Keane when Carvalho knocked into him.

Andy Gray and Martin Tyler were of the view that if Spurs had been at home then they would have got the decision, but, in my view, that would not have been the case. They might not have seen many games at WHL, as there is no such thing as Santa Claus and there is no such thing as a homer either.

If things even themselves out over the course of a season, when will Tottenham get their share of decisions from the last decade that have gone against them ? I know Chelsea should have had a penalty when Assou-Ekotto punched the ball away from Lampard’s free-kick, but the score was 0-3 then. Sometimes, as in all great comedy, it is all about ... ... ... ... timing.

While there is no guarantee that Tottenham would have converted the penalty, if they had, it would have been 1-1 and a different game. Knowing Spurs, there is still no guarantee that they would have got anything from the game form that position, but it would have made for a more interesting final half hour. Not that referees should give decisions just to make the game interesting, they should give them, like Everest, because they are there.

Interpretation of the rules of the game is one thing. The spirit of the game and how it is put into practice is another. When Didier Drogba was flat on the floor in the first half, Spurs were on the attack and the Chelsea players pressured Jermaine Jenas to kick the ball out so he could get treatment.

What once was a genuine goodwill gesture is now being played upon to stop the flow of the game. Drogba might have been injured, but when Chelsea threw the ball back to Tottenham, the Ivorian chased it down and wanted to go on the attack.

His surprise when he received the opprobrium of the Tottenham players was expressed by saying he was lying face down when it all happened. Being his natural position for much of the game, surely he must be used to following the progress of the game from there.

And why wasn’t he asked to leave the field after receiving treatment? If the practice of kicking the ball out every time Drogba hits the turf continues, then I am afraid it won’t be much of a game for the spectators! They might attract a new audience of armchair-watchers, who flick over from Holby City, ER or Casualty though.

In terms of the game, the penalty claim did affect Spurs, as Chelsea made it 2-0 within three minutes. It was not as much of a blow as the loss of Ledley King when the team are without the services of Michael Dawson and Jonathan Woodgate, only for him to be joined on the sick list by Sebastien Bassong, who suffered whiplash after banging his head on the hard pitch near the end.

The game could have been closer if Tottenham had taken their early chances. Defoe and Jenas both went close and Huddlestone’s drive might have got past Cech if it had not came at him so quickly and he could have put the ball a yard to the keeper’s side.

Chelsea scored a goal when Cole got behind Corluka, then the Croatian managed to get a tackle in on Drogba for the third, but the ball bounced off the striker, taking it past Cudicini and leaving him with a tap in. Ballack’s goal in between was also a simple affair after a run down the left had pulled the ball back to him in front of goal.

After six games, Spurs sit in sixth, having played the top three sides. The next run of games will be the real test, when they come up against a number of teams who are in the bottom half, but, as many Spurs fans will tell you, these are the sides against whom Tottenham often some unstuck.

With a lack of central defenders, it might be more of a test than supporters thought when the fixtures initially came out.But then it might not be down to the players, as the officials might have a role to play in the outcome. Ask Mark Hughes.

Wyart Lane

My Eyes Have Seen the Glory

Tottenham: United showed us no Respect

Times Online — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:58:00 +0100

Let's get this straight. Manchester United deserved to win. They scored more goals, played the better football and were blessed with many of the decisions in the game.

But I remember a time when United used to play with their feet and not their mouths. But with Darren Fletcher doing a good impersonation of Derren Brown in amazing viewers at to how he can run for 90 minutes while keeping up a running advice line in the referee's ear and also predicting what the official should do, perhaps the new breed of United player is being built in the mould of former Liverpool and present Arsenal players?

With Ferguson saying that Scholes was only sent off because he was ginger, he is coming close to his Arsenal counterpart in the "Should have gone to SpecSavers" stakes.

Every season, I look forward to United coming to Spurs, so I can see their expansive flowing football, but for the last three seasons, I have been disappointed. Last season Ronaldo reverted to type and the season before, they were lacklustre while Spurs sparkled. This time, it was a slick performance that was worthy of the three points, but a niggly one which Andre "Ancient" Marriner allowed to go their way with some erratic officiating.

Scholes swiped Robbie Keane's legs from under him in the first half. A challenge which was considerably worse than many of those which subsequently brought yellow cards, but as Spurs were on the attack, the ref failed to punish him when play stopped and neither did he pull it back to give Spurs a free-kick. I made Scholes on his fourth yellow by the time he was given his marching orders.

How Vidic, already shown a yellow, got away with a scything tackle from behind and then with punching Crouch in the head, Marriner will only know. I thought that assistants were there to assist, but Andre must have taken the responsibility for doing fouls and left them the important job of throw-ins (which they let O'Shea get away with perfecting his foul throw after ruling his first one illegal) and goal-kicks/corners. His positioning was almost as suspect as Cudicini's at the free kick that pulled United level.

Not that it helped Tottenham, as they had just brought a fine save out of Foster from Jenas's curling effort from outside the box and Crouch had headed the resulting corner against the top of the bar. But that was about the last threat that came from Spurs, as United re-organised, left Rooney up top and he was enough to run the defence ragged and hit a third on the break from a Tottenham corner.

Anderson scored five minutes before the break and the game was lost during this twenty minute spell in the first half, when Marriner failed to give Spurs a decision of note. Perhaps he thought he was at Old Trafford.

The free-kick that Giggs curled past Cudicini earned Palacios a caution, but only because Giggs, Fletcher and Scholes surrounded the referee and pressured him into giving. I believed that this sort of behaviour was what was to be ironed out of the game.

Instead it seems to be making more of a comeback than The Specials. When Fletcher (no doubt venting his frustration at playing for a country who will be cheering on England's opponents next summer) attempted to perform a vertical take-off with some puerile arm waving at a decision given against him for about two minutes, it was a piece of extreme parental tolerance by Marriner that failed to see the dissent properly dealt with.

"Respect" is the name of the campaign and "Get On With The Game" is the other promotion on flags brought out by small children before kick off.

Neither were adhered to by United in this match and while they have been well deserved champions in the couple of previous seasons, it would be nice if they won gracefully in addition to winning well.

Wyart Lane

Tottenham: reversal of fortune

Times Online — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:11:45 +0100

For Tottenham a year has been a long time, having brought a turnaround from the bottom place the club occupied at this stage last season. But then again, Hull City's drop into the bottom three is the opposite to their flying start in 2008-09.

For a while now, I have advocated a different approach away from home. We have been so poor away from the Lane that we might a well go to away grounds and give it a go. Get a couple of goals ahead and then see how we do, rather than sit back and wait to see if the opposition are bad enough to let us win or draw. So, it was pleasing to see the team clicking right from the kick off to put Hull under pressure and take an early 2-0 lead.

Defoe looked really sharp. Every time he gets the ball, he wants to hit the net, which doesn't bode well for anyone else in the Spurs team wanting to be top scorer, but he did play a part in the other two goals as well.

The thing that perhaps took Hull by surprise was the swiftness of the Tottenham counter-attacks. That and the trickery of the front two, who skipped and flicked around Dawson, Turner, Mouyokolo and Gardner with consummate ease.

Defoe fired the first after working a yard on the left and Palacios busted a lung to run 70 odd yards to get into the opposition box and fire past Myhill for his first competitive goal for the club.

Then Phil Brown took off the sullen Cousin and brought on Geovanni, the architect of their good start last season. He had an immediate impact ... or at least was the recipient of one from Assou-Ekotto, that brought a free kick wide on the right.

Swung in by Stephen Hunt, it beat the Spurs defence and the Hull forwards and ended up in the net. Cudicini, who had come on for thigh injury victim Gomes just after the second goal, was expecting a touch and got caught out when the ball went across everyone.

It was a sloppy goal to let in and one that gave Hull a period of hope, as they tried to capitalise on the lack of cohesion in the re-arranged Tottenham back four.

It looked touch and go that an equaliser might come and but for a linesman's flag for Folan climbing over Bassong, it might have arrived.

The big man is a handful, but mainly for referees, who have to deal with his Championship style physicality. But there was no such problems for the officials with the Tigers defence, who were mesmerised by Keane's and Defoe's touches and left the little England striker to run through and blast past Myhill on the stroke of half-time for 3-1.

Expecting an onslaught after the interval, it didn't really come, as Hull brought on Barmby and re-shuffled the side, but that was the only change they made.

There was not an improvement in their play and there were few moments when the Spurs goal was threatened, apart from Cudicini having to tip over a header from Turner over the bar.

Robbie Keane passed wide to Aaron Lennon, who had the beating of his marker all evening, then moved into the middle to guide a header across the goalie to make it 4-1.

At this stage, Hull had gone ... much like many of their fans. There were enough chances for Jermain Defoe to complete his hat-trick before the final minute of added-on time when he took a return pass from Lennon to smack the ball past Myhill from the edge of the box with a ferocious shot.

After losing at Chelsea the Tigers failed to roar and Spurs put in a good shift to make sure they rammed home their advantage, which is something they had failed to do in the past. All things considered, it is a "t'riffic" start to the season as our manager might say.

This will all be fine, just as long as Spurs' good start does not reverse last season's form and we drop off in the second half of the season.

Wyart Lane

Tottenham: beating Liverpool at their own game

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:21:57 +0100

A fixture against Liverpool was hardly the opener Tottenham would have asked for. Fresh after the summer break and having beaten Spurs 3-1 in their last Premier League game on a glorious sunny day in May, the team who lost only two league games and still lost the title were going to be out to prove they were going for it again this time around.

Only Liverpool weren't that fresh at White Hart Lane yesterday. And they weren't the same team. Xabi Alonso had gone and Rafa Benitez's decision to play half the team who were on one leg perhaps helped Spurs record their second successive 2-1 league win over the Reds at the Lane.

Missing Alonso, Liverpool lacked the incisive passing they have had in the last few seasons and the mind games Rafa played over whether Gerrard, Carragher and Skrtel would be fit seemed to back-fire on him. It shows his ability to get results when they are really needed might cost him the title once more. Early days, but having lost 50 per cent of the number of matches they did last season, you might say their title challenge is almost over.

Torres wasn't up for the game and was obviously carrying an ankle injury, as he was limping from the first challenge and looked a pale shadow of the player who terrorised the league for the last two seasons. Bassong and King did not have too many worrying moments from him and apart from three long-range efforts from Gerrard, the visitors rarely looked like scoring. Liverpool's equaliser came from a good piece of play by Glen Johnson who beat Huddlestone and Assou-Ekotto to burst into the box where Heurelho Gomes rushed out and brought him down. Gerrard delivered from the spot.

But by this time, Tottenham should have been out of sight. Swarming all over Liverpool, they played the ball neatly and swiftly, causing problems that their opponents used to pose for other sides. Palacios won the ball, passed and even fancied himself for a goal and why not? He had seen Robbie Keane spurn three good chances towards the end of the first half, one of which produced a fine save from Reina scrambling across his goal to block a diving header going into what appeared to be an open goal. And when Liverpool conceded a free kick outside the box with one of a string of fouls - their only answer to stopping a rampant Tottenham - Huddlestone's first effort came back off Insua's face to Assou-Ekotto, who arrowed a shot into the top corner past Reina's despairing dive for his first goal for the club.

Admittedly, Liverpool were suffering after Jamie Carragher head-butted Martin Skrtel in the face, leading to them both needing treatment, adding to their players who were already half-fit. It was funny, as when the team sheets were read out, we had hoped for a collision between Gerrard and Torres, but in the end, that wasn't necessary. Stitches for Carragher deprived Spurs of one of their most frequent scorers in this fixture over the years, but he did his best to try and make it a win for Tottenham, although he was beaten to the 59th minute header by Sebastien Bassong, who powered it into the top corner to beat Reina all ends up.

Bassong had a very good debut, looking strong and good on the ball. Although he suffered a traumatic season last campaign with Newcastle United, he was obviously a player who was capable of much more and the fact that he provides a threat at set-pieces will help Spurs in an area of their game they don't usually excel in.

The final whistle came as Liverpool pressed and Spurs started to wilt in the hot sun, but they were the ones with the win and Liverpool returned home with nothing, apart from the satisfaction that they are still above Everton. One win doesn't make a season and I don't think you will hear Spurs fans giving soundbites that they are going to win the title after the first game, unlike Manchester City fans. As many people have said before, it is not about buying the best players, but the ones who will fit into your side to make the pattern of play work. The other big money signing of the summer for Spurs, Peter Crouch, came on as a sub and had a couple of headers, but the best play from Tottenham came on the ground as they passed and moved very well.

Three points from one game? Perhaps Harry Redknapp really is a miracle worker as it took us nine games to get to the same total last season.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg.com

Spurs : TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR D.A.

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Wed, 20 May 2009 23:25:01 +0100

After being much maligned, the Tottenham defence completed a Premier League season with only 10 goals conceded in their 19 home matches to establish a new club record.

This beat the previous best of 16 and also set a new record low number of goals let in during a league season, beating the 11 of 1919-1920, albeit that was from 21 home matches.

So, all those who labelled Heruelho Gomes a clown and the Tottenham back four who were leaking goals, but not many more than we scored, have provided the basis for Harry Redknapp's revival of the club from the bottom of the table to Europa League challengers.

With Fulham two points ahead with a game to go, Everton visit the Cottage, while Spurs travel in the opposite direction to play Liverpool. A poor record at Anfield doesn't hold much hope of a result that will see Tottenham complete a double over the Reds, having been only one of two sides to defeat them this season, but then you never know with Spurs. If the team don't succeed in gaining European football, then it will allow us to conentrate on the league next season.

This win over Manchester City was an odd one. Spurs controlled the first half and then allowed City to get back into the match in the second half, before getting a fortuitous decision that swung the game in Tottenham's favour.

At times, it looked like a meaningless end of season game, with both sets of players enjoying the sun rather than sweating on getting into Europe. The pressure to gain access to the Europa League was more acute for City because of their wealth burning a hole in the pockets of the money men behind them. Unfortunately, that will have to remain in the bank for a little while, as it will be more difficult to attract the top players without the lure of Europe. And attractive players are what City need, as I imagine the likes of Dunne, Caicedo and Richards are not the sort of players that the owners see as leading the club to the Champions League.

Tottenham got a good goal when Huddlestone played in a fine ball for Defoe to back-heel through his own legs to notch the opener. City rode their luck with Keane missing two good chances and King and Defoe forcing Given into sharp saves. It was only when Bojinov came on that City looked threatening and he hooked a shot past Gomes for the first goal conceded in eight games for Spurs to grab a City equaliser.

When Richards clumsily fell over on loan United forward Fraizer Campbell, as Defoe shot on goal, it was a shock when Tottenham actually benefitted from a referee's decision for a change. In truth, Richards had been all over Tottenham's players for much of the game, with few free-kicks given to the home side for it, thus it was all the more surprising that Halsey pointed to the spot. It was touch and go as to whether Tottenham would score, with Robbie Keane taking the penalty against his Republic of Ireland team-mate Shay Given, but he managed to send the keeper the wrong way and Spurs had the lead again.

It could have changed near the end, when Kompany (who partners Dunne in a gents outfitters ... sorry defence) had a header heading for goal, until Benjani changed the direction and headed it over the bar.

Good defending or a bit more luck ? Whichever way it was, Tottenham's good luck or good defending (following a run of four 1-0s to the Tottenham !!), the rise has gone onwards and upwards and maybe it might just continue.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg.com

Spurs : Webbed Up

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 23:46:46 +0100

Tottenham Hostpur do not have a good record at Old Trafford. Sometimes Spurs do not play very well at Old Trafford. Sometimes, it doesn't matter how well they play at Old Trafford, as the officials deny them anything with some perverse decisions.

I am thinking that in future it might benefit Manchester United, the paying Spurs public and the planet to save the petrol for the team and supporters and just give the three points to United ... as Howard Webb obviously sees this as the way forward.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg,com

Spurs : Tune In, Toon Out

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:11:01 +0100

The hype surrounding the Spurs - Newcastle United game on Sunday revolved around one man. Alan Shearer. And that is the way he likes it. But his face might not be as popular around the Gallowgate if he can't turn around his side as Harry Redknapp has at Tottenham.

To take over a club in the relegation zone with eight games left might be seen by some as a win-win situation. Keep them up and you are a hero. Get relegated and the blame can be apportioned elsewhere in the direction of previous regimes. But to have the stain on your managerial CV of taking the club you love down a division, with no guarantee of an immediate return (as others have discovered before him - see CharltonAthletic, Norwich City and the South Coast Big Club all in the bottom three of the Championship) is surely something you wouldn't opt for. Shearer might have been better advised to wait until they had gone down and then taken the job, thus ensuring Keegan like legendary status if he got them promoted.

But what ever his reasoning behind deciding to manage the Magpies, the joke circulating around Newcastle that he might be on Match of the Day next season, while United won't may have a ring of truth about it. Certainly for the majority of this match, they looked certs to go down. Winning their remaining three home games is a tough ask, even if there is a passionate Geordie crowd behind them. On this showing they will struggle and with Portsmouth and Fulham both in a bit of form, they might find it harder than they think to get those vital points.

Tottenham have risen from the foot of the table to a comfortable mid-table place when I thought the battle to escape might go to the wire, which, being an away game against Liverpool heading for the title for the first time in years, was not an enticing prospect. But now we are close, although no means certain, to getting a place in the new Europa League competition despite not playing that great. The wins over Chelsea and Aston Villa were good value for the way we played, but the wins over West Ham and Newcastle haven't really required us to be at our best.

The need to be able to kill teams off is something Harry needs to drill into the team. It wasn't for the want of possession in the first hour, as Newcastle kept giving it to Tottenham and the play up to the edge of the penalty area was fine, but nobody seemed willing to take a shot on, other than Tom Huddlestone, who thrice tested Steve Harper, although Mark Halsey (a former goalkeeper himself) denied Harper a tip over the bar by giving a goal-kick.

Hud had a very good game. Much like Jermaine Jenas, he needs to add to his game the ability to dictate a game from his midfield position. And that was what Redknapp was alluding to in his comments leading up to this game. To his credit, Tom did that in that first hour, demanding the ball and spraying passes 60 yards to feet. But he also showed he can be mobile, looking leaner than he has done in the past, covering the ground both going backwards and forwards, as he got on the end of Hutton's pass to put a ball right across the face of goal. it is this sort of performance the Spurs boss will want from him on a consistent basis.

Darren Bent notched the winning goal, having been put in by Bassong and with Harper cutting out his square ball for Keane before knocking home the rebound, but I am not sure whether he has the confidence of needing to be first choice ans this might be holding him back. A big money signing, but that was due to other circumstances (Ipswich's sell-on clause and Charlton not needing to sell at that time) and he has never been the first name on the team-sheet among the forwards. His ability to hold the ball up front is suspect and improved when Pavlyuchenko came on against West Ham last week, with Roman also scoring the sort of goal that you cannot imagine Bent getting at the moment. It is a shame, as he is a goal-scorer and the sort that we have lacked in recent years; a powerful runner and someone who is in the right place in the box at the right time, but sometimes, it just doesn't work out. Look at David Bentley - an immensely talented player, but one who is now second choice for the right midfield spot at Spurs, as Aaron Lennon's fine form continues.

I think there is still a way to go at Tottenham and certain areas of the team will be addressed by Harry Redknapp in the summer, but we don't really need too many players to come in during the summer, as it will take time for the team to bed in and the last thing we can afford is to have another bad start.

As our manager is ever keen to tell us, Tottenham only had two points from eight games when he arrived. A similar record in the last eight game for Newcastle will surely condemn them to the relegation that threatened Spurs until Redknapp sorted the team out.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg.com

Spurs : No-One Likes Me

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 22:36:03 +0100

When a normally sensible referee turns bad, you get both sets of fans upset by his decisions, with usually one set happy at the end despite it all.

Blackburn fans will have ended up the less disillusioned by Peter Walton's performance, although they were apopletic with his dodgy deicison to give Tottenham a penalty after half an hour. Big Sam was nearly popping a vein on his temple too, but in the end he could comment on the ref at the post-match press interviews without it sounding like sour grapes.

Some referees are consistent in their rank poor decision making. Walton is usually one of the better refs, who uses his common sense, while playing good advantages. Today, he played advantage, but without the benefit of replays, he failed to make best use of his assistants as one of them did not show any interest in giving a penalty against Givet when the ball hit his arm. Having given the spot-kick, Robbie Keane incurred the ire of the Ewood Park crowd, by placing the ball forward of the penalty mark. He stuck it past Paul Robinson after all the hoo-haa.

But the reaction from the home crowd was pitiful. Screeching for every decision, they showed that their knowledge of the game was somewhat skewed. We all have moments when we bias our footballing view, but I am not sure if the Rovers fans deserve their team or whether the team deserve Premier League football.

Sam Allardyce has always played to his team's strengths, but at Blackburn he must be struggling to know what they are. The first half saw them carve out a few chances as they came on like a low rent Stoke City; using long throws and free-kicks to target the towering hulks in the box. The tactic at 0-1 down was to take off a forward (injured though he was) and not bring on another one, but to stick a giant defender up front. Christian Samba has form against Spurs, by scoring a late winner last season at the Lane, but that was from a set-piece and not because he was asked to perform like Didier Drogba for 45 minutes.

Quite how the papers drooled over his showing as a striker I am not sure. Blackburn looked more impotent than John Wayne Bobbit following a night outdrinking with Sarah Harding. There was less threat to the Tottenham goal until the referee took two quick fouls by Wilson Palacios and turned them into a red card. This may have been coming, as Wilson looks more likely to see red every time he goes in for a tackle than yellow, so for two yellows, it was not quite expected. While the loss of Palacios let Blackburn make a more vigorous attack on the Spurs back line, it might have been a more equal contest in terms of numbers and scoreline as Ooijer committed two rapid fouls and only received one yellow card before going on to score the winner.

Referees have a hard job, but so do sewer men.

In the end, it's all about consistency.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg.com

Spurs : Parking The Bus Part III

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 08:39:22 +0000

While there have been less than a great deal of success against Chelsea over the Premiership years, perhaps the showing the brought Guus Hiddink's first defeat in charge of the Blues was one which might change the tide given time.

I blame Arsene Wenger for the delayed kick off. He recently said "I em surprized zat futball az nut bin targeted by tarroriz" and lo and behold, a school kids minibus was parked in the shadow of the South Stand, causing Haringey Council's parking enforcement staff to put on their brown cords when they were about to lift it onto their removal vehicle and saw a number of bags inside.

Fast forward to Monday morning at school ...
Teacher : "Johnny, where is your homework ?"
Johnny : "Well Miss, the Bomb Squad blew it up !"

Perhaps it might be much the same at the Chelsea training ground on Monday morning.
Gus Hiddink : "Johnny Terry, where are your hopes of winning the Premier League ?"
Johnny : "Well Guus, Tottenham have blown them up !"

And it would be difficult for anyone outside SW6 to deny that it was a win that the performance deserved. Working hard to deny Chelsea time and space, Tottenham had enough going forward to cause Chelsea to have Petr Cech as their busiest player in the first half. Saves from Keane on three occasions and a Jermaine Jenas shot that fizzed over his bar were not quite balanced out by a shot by Essien and an Anelka effort that Gomes kept out well.

Spurs had got their midfielders back behind the ball making a lack of space difficult for Chelsea to penetrate. Their passing quite often got through the Spurs defence, but either found no blue shirt running to where the ball was or found the advertising hoardings behind the dead ball line.

Five minutes into the second half Spurs attacked on the left with Luka Modric. He knocked the ball past Bosingwa and instead of letting the ball go out, the defender played it to a team-mate in the box and a block tackle saw the ball spin into the air and was hoofed away. It went to the centre circle, where Woodgate intelligently directed his header right to Aaron Lennon and his pace took him up against Ashley Cole, who had been rattled since early in the first half. This time, instead of going to the line, he cut the ball back to the edge fo the box, where Modric had followed play and the little Croatian beat Robbie Keane to the bal land swept a first time shot into the bottom corner past Cech's dive.

A similar move could have brought a second for Modric and Keane also hit a first time shot back after a clearance which only just cleared the bar. Lennon might have also set up another, when he raced away leaving Cole in his wake, but he tried to hit the cross too hard and it flew over the top.

But as the second half went on, Spurs tired and Chelsea got more of the ball. What they did with it was mostly pump high balls into the penalty area. A couple of times they did manouevre past the defence on the ground, but Gomes baulked Anelka's and Malouda's efforts. The two best chances came in the air. One for Terry, who met Lampost's free-kick with a firm header, but the "Octopus" stretched out to pushe ball around the post with a firm hand. The second saw Alex climb all over King and direct his header down and saw it bounce out off the bar and the Spurs keeper smuggled the ball away.

While most Chelsea fans mockingly congratulated Tottenham in beating their team for the second time in 17 seasons in the league, it was for the second season that a game at White Hart Lane had dented their title ambitions. One balanced Chelsea fan said on the radio that you are only as good as your last game and on this form Spurs are on the up, topping the current form table over Chelsea.

With two wins and two draws against the West Londoners in the last four games, perhaps people will soon be asking "When was the last time that Chelsea beat Spurs ?"

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg.com

Tottenham Hotspur: Aston Villa go wacko

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 08:53:21 +0000

In the same week that Michael Jackson announced a string of performances in London, Martin O’Neill’s Aston Villa’s charge for a Champions League place went off the wall. And it was two sides from North London who did it ... well you know that lot from Woolwich need all the help they can get these days.

While for Spurs fans, it was a thriller, in truth, Villa were just plain bad. The whole bandwagon that has been building up behind the Midlands side seemed to deflate, as the O2 was knocked out of them by a Spurs, who had a little bit of luck, but grew in stature as the game went on and deserved to turn history on its head to get this win.

After just five minutes Jermaine Jenas responded well to a ball that popped up off Brad Friedel, who went for the ball with one white gloved hand. He knocked his header past the stopper who had got on the floor. It was just the start Tottenham wanted and although they were pushed back as the first half went on, they failed to make Gomes work that hard.

I can’t help it, but I thought that Villa’s pretty Young thing looked dangerous, he failed time and time again to use the positions he had created for himself. A couple of times he found colleagues, but they just messed up their shots or found Gomes equal to them. For once the Spurs keeper looked secure and happy with what was going on around him, as when the home side attacked, he probably thought about his defence “I want you back” and Woodgate and King did just that, with Corluka replacing the struggling Zokora stopping Young on the wing. As for the Brazilian keeper, when he’s got to be there, he was on this day. Only beaten by a Heskey header, he saw it bounce off the bar as half-time approached.

As many minutes of the second half had passed as in the first when Tottenham scored again. Lennon’s mazy run saw Palacios shoot and Friedel save, but Keane was alert enough to turn the ball back across the keeper and towards goal. Darren Bent was there to touch the ball over the line and claim “The goal is mine.” His game improved and he worked harder as the match went on and for the striker it might be a Hallelujah Day, where he realises what he needs to do to make a difference to the attack.

I remember the time passing during the second period and Spurs looked in less and less trouble from Villa’s attacks, while Modric, Lennon and Keane could all have added to the tally. For once, it looked like Tottenham were not going to stop until they got enough.

With greater control in possession in the second half, it looks like Harry Redknapp wants to be starting something at Tottenham. And while Jon Carew used his height to rise above Woodgate to head a goal at the death, Spurs still held a 2-1 lead and Villa were unable to beat it.

It’s only human nature that the Villa crowd booed Agbonlahor and the side when they had lost, but it is only the first time they have been near a CL place. We’ve been there twice and look where we are now. For O’Neill to issue a “leave me alone” message is understandable, as the harsh reality is that you are not alone in wanting to break into the top four, with a number of clubs hoping to do so. But the MEHSTG editorial always reads … “Keep The Faith.” Sometimes that is all you can do.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg.com

Spurs : Fourfer

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:26:31 +0000

Coming off the back of the sapping effort put into the League Cup Final, Spurs faced a relegation battle against Middlesbrough, who, like most teams Tottenham have to play, started to pick up their form of late. However, with the cup-tied players providing some fresh legs and those who did play finding some more left in the engine, Spurs put on a good show to rack up their biggest league win of the season.

The 4-0 win over one of our fellow bottom dwellers was a shock after a series of disappointing performances this season.

A shock also, because there has been a series of dreadful games against Boro over the years. So a clean sheet and four goals were more than welcome, although Boro were keen to go forward, hitting the post and having two goals ruled out for offisde.

Spurs started early, but not before almost committing seppuku with Jonathan Woodgate obviously in senitmental mood and wanting to keep his hometown club in the top flight by presenting the ball to Stewart Downing in front of goal. Luckily, Heurelho Gomes, who has now kept successive clean sheets and is on his way to Edwin van Der Sar's record, saved low to his left.

With a blink of the eye, Tottenham went ahead with Dawson's flick on from a corner finding Robbie Keane un-marked and he volleyed home from a coupleof yards out. It was the sort of goal I am sure he would have wanted to re-open his account with the club and continue on his way to 200 goals.

Tuncay was impressive with both the disallowed goals and a cross that ended up as a shot that hit the post and bounced away. Apart from him, there was little to commend in the Middlesbrough side. Downing might have been trying to make an impression with the Spurs hierarchy by letting us off the hook and hleping us in the quest to stay up ... or does he play like this every week ?

Huth was particularly hapless, falling for a dropped soulder by Modric to allow him to get away and set up Pavlyuchenko for a second Spurs goal and then getting nut-megged by Keane to put Lennon through for the third following a passage of passing that was reminiscent of Leeds v Southampton in the 1970s, but without the cynical kicking.

3-0 at the break, but we have been here before and with the energy gauge on Sunday's team dropping towards empty, the worry about the effect an early goal from the visitors might have was paramount in our minds. However, there was not too much to worry about, because, even with a reduced performance in the second period, Spurs still had too much for Boro.

Modric showed we can't let him go, as he is a classy midfielder, while Palacios alongside him is a Duracell ball-winner. Jenas did well showing lots of running and Lennon was the key that unlocked the Middlesbrough defence. Keane linked things and Pav held the ball up well. The defence were solid and showed that even without King and Corluka, Zokora could fill in at right bak to stem the supply of Downing.

It leaves Tottenham needing three more wins to be on 40 points and with lots of teams at the bottom facing each other between now and mid-May, there is still some way to go, but displays like this would go a long way to securing the immediate future of the club in the top flight and paving the way for the way forward.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg.com

Spurs : Hull of a Winner

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:43:33 +0000

It's been a long time since a league game and an away win was a most surprising result, even though Hull City had been on a bad run. For Spurs, the three points were most welcome and sets them up nicely for the other three cup finals they have this week.

If Spurs really want to be successful, Harry Redknapp will need to get used to having two or three games a week. The clubs he has managed previously have left him with few matches at this time of year, but at Tottenham, he has had to shuffle his squad to cope with the games. Not because they are not good enough (although some might disagree), but because the players the club bought not only in the summer, but in January too, are cup tied for different competitions.

Maybe if we survive the Premier League relegation battle, we can start next season with a squad that will be able to face all the competitions ahead with the knowledge that they won't have to sit out the odd game here and there. It will help with some sort of consistency in the team that takes to the field. And the understanding might grow, leading to a reduction in goals conceded from set-pieces and late in the game.

As far as this season is concerned, the UEFA Cup is the least important of our involvements, although if the youngsters that Harry will field tomorrow win the game against Shakhtar Donetsk, it will be a boost for them and the team to be in the quarter finals. The League Cup Final on Sunday is like a bonus this season, but Redknapp can do what Ramos did last season and win a trophy within a few months of taking over as manager. We will have to go some, as United will play a strong team, even if it is not their regular first XI.

That leaves the League. Sitting in fourteenth after the victory at the KC Stadium, Spurs need the four more wins that Harry has set them to stay up. The total then will be 40 points and the minimum Tottenham should be aiming for is wins over the likes of West Bromwich Albion, Blackburn Rovers, Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Newcastle United, with some of our other games winnable (depending on which Manchester City turns up; West Ham United) and anything from Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Aston Villa will be bunce.

This game did see Tottenham graft a bit to get back at Hull after they dicated the first half following their equaliser. A well worked corner saw Lennon left by Marney to have time to take a touch and drill the ball past Duke. The unnecessary conceding of the corner that lead to another and then the goal was typical Spurs. The first corner saw Cudicini come for the ball and get baulked, then he subsequently came for the next one he had not got a chance of getting and the ball dropped kindly for Turner to prod over the line from close in.

After the break Tottenham took the game to Hull and their tempo and passing was better. Despite a long spell of pressure, they failed to make the most of it and had to wait until Jenas spread the ball wide to Assou-Ekotto. Too wide as it worked out, although Anthony Gardner's leap out of the way when the Cameroon full back shaped to cross allowed him to put in a good ball. Having stayed up from the original corner, Jonathan Woodgate rose high to meet the cross with a header that was the finish it deserved.

Although every time a dead ball situation meant the ball was coming high into the 18 yard box, a chill runs down my spine, Spurs managed to see out the last few minutes without too many scares.

If they can do the same with the fag end of the season, with a finish anywhere above the bottom three, we can bask in the summer sun knowing that the Premier League still awaits in August. Until then, it will be a decidedly nippy spring.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg.com

Spurs: Changing Faces

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:15:52 +0000

With Harry Redknapp supposedly the King of the Transfer Window, it is surprising to hear that he hates them and even with the millions Daniel Levy is making available to him to splash out, he is making some unusual choices to build a squad to dig Tottenham out of a Premier League hole.

The return of Jermain Defoe started it all and a return to the Lane for a striker who was obliged to move on to get first team football as he strives to get back into the England set-up. Defoe is a very good Premier League striker, but struggles when he steps up to international level. He is not the only one, but at club level, he can take chances. Sometimes too greedy, but if he scores the goals that keep Spurs up, then it can be considered money well spent. And it is the £7 million more than we sold him for that is the premium we had to pay for a January signing when we are in the mire.

The return of Jermain Defoe started it all and a return to the Lane for a striker who was obliged to move on to get first team football as he strives to get back into the England set-up. Defoe is a very good Premier League striker, but struggles when he steps up to international level. He is not the only one, but at club level, he can take chances. Sometimes too greedy, but if he scores the goals that keep Spurs up, then it can be considered money well spent. And it is the £7 million more than we sold him for that is the premium we had to pay for a January signing when we are in the mire.

Then came the signing of Wilson Palacios and Wigan must have been laughing their JJB socks off all the way to the megastore. £12 million for a player worth £550,000 twelve short months ago is a hell of a mark up. Is he that good ... over £1 million more than we paid for Berbatov? Well, if we can move him on for £30 odd million he might be. If not in the current Manchester City dominated transfer climate, Palacios' real worth is probably about £5 million, so once more, the increase in price is huge.

I am not sure Redknapp fancies Gomes in goal for Tottenham. His improvement since Tony Parks has arrived as goalkeeping coach has been marked and if he had not been injured when he "had" to be played, things might not be as bad as they are for the team. However, bringing in Carlo Cudicini is a good move to have some experience in reserve, although my abiding memory of him is being in goal as Spurs came back to grab a 4-4 draw against Chelsea at White Hart Lane last season. We will not know whether Ben Alnwick or the young Italian kid will be any use to Spurs in the short term, but then if Cudicini is good for nothing that will be a bargain!

Then the weirdest move of all. On the same day that he gets rid of unpopular midfielder Hossam Ghaly, Harry brings back unpopular Pascal Chimbonda. The last meaningful involvement he had was to slouch off the Wembley pitch in the League Cup win over Chelsea, before his agent prompted his sloping off to Sunderland. Upsetting manager Roy Keane on his first day was not the ideal start, but set the tone and he has only got back into the team since Keane's departure. Quite how Harry squares Chimbonda being in the Premier League team of the Year a few seasons back with a player who we have seen amble about the White Hart Lane pitch, but apparently has "energy, he gets forward, he's a great attacking full-back" I am not quite sure. At the moment, I would settle for someone who is a "great full back" and I do not know how injury victim Alan Hutton will view this transfer when he is fit again.

The worrying thing is that there are still seven days left of the transfer window. And already Tottenham are being linked with an interest in the Liverpool outcast Robbie Keane.

On the last day, will Redknapp really come good and persuade his old mate Alex Ferguson that he really doesn't need all those forwards and let Berbatov come back to the Lane to complete almost a full re-union of the team that did so well before the League Cup win last season ?

Well, the last one is a fantasy league signing and while the wheeler dealings of Redknapp might have bigger numbers attached to them these days, do they still have the same magic attached ?

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen the Glory
www.mehstg.com

Tottenham Hotspur: Redknapp magic has worn off

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 23:39:14 +0000

With a goalkeeper on one leg, it was perhaps only a question of time before Wigan's winner came and lo and behold, just like our last two away games, the winner came in the last minute of the match.

There are few things more reliable than Tottenham's capitulation after holding out for 89 minutes of any match. You just know that they won't be able to hold out for those vital 60 seconds (or however much time is added on).

So it was a little surprising that Harry Redknapp sent Tottenham out with five at the back and three in midfield, with a bold two up front for an away game, when we have been playing a lone striker, even at home, this season.

It was to be the first of a few surprising moves he made. Not starting with Lennon was one, as the little man has been on fire and gave Wigan trouble in the Cup game a week ago. We knew it was going to be different in this game, but he would have givent heir wing backs something to think about.

So when he was sent on and Spurs reverted to 4-4-2 it seemed to play into the Latics hands. They suddenly started finding Valencia wide and the pressure started building.

More surprising was that our goalkeeper had pulled a groin in clearing a ball and looked in agony. I know he usually looks like that, and who wouldn;t in our current position ?, but Harry doesn't seem to fancy our reserve keeper Cesar Sanchez. So why have him on the bench ? The forgotten man Ben Alnwick had been sitting on the sidelines with Redknapp in the last two games, so we thought he might be getting the nod to be the back-up keeper. It is a situation the manager needs to sort out, as his indecision cost Tottenham this game.

Yes, the substitution of Dawson had to happen, as he took his third knock to the head in the game after doing well in defence. And it was Jenas who lost Figueroa at the corner for the vital split second, but it was Gomes who would have been there for the ball had he not been hindered by his injury.

Jermain's Defoe much heralded return failed to catch fire and on his first game back (not his debut) at the club, he failed to get much supply, as Ledley King's role in front of the back four was a purely defensive one and with the three in midfield chasing down Wigan players, there was little outlet to him. O'Hara tried on a couple of occasions and were it not for a rugby tackle on him and then being flattened by Palacios, he mgiht have got away, but the referee wasn't having any of that.

In fact, it wasn't a dirty game, but six yellow cards were brandished. Surely, he might hav eused some sommon sense in talking to players rather than booking them for their first offence, although he showed some contrary interpretation, as he let Valencia off with a yellow for elbowing Bale in the face and ignored every time the "knock me down with a feather" Amr Zaki waved an imaginary card to indicate he would like someone booked for him being blown over by a passing zephyr. It is something that was supposed to be outlawed by referees and is an odious addition to the game, which is not welcome.

Wigan were probably worth their win, as they had the best of three quarters of the game, but their passing was awful and their link-up play mis-fired. The sad thing is that Tottenham were worse and unable to grasp the nettle and take control of the game.

As the Redknapp Effect wears off, something needs to change quickly to stop us dropping into the bottom three on a regular basis.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg.com

Spurs : Bubbling Up

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 22:10:53 +0000

A victory over the Irons took Spurs above them, as the home fans left the ground looking like the shelves in supermarkets which previously held Irish Pork. 2-0 was not a poor reflection of the balance of the game, as Tottenham had the bulk of the chances and West Ham failed to trouble Heurelho Gomes until the 72nd minute, but almost grabbed a late equaliser, before Tottenham went up the other end and scored a second.

Harry Redknapp's return to Upton Park was not his first since he was removed from the manager's office there, but it was his first with one of the clubs the Irons try to get a rivalry going with. In truth, Orient are their natural local rivals, with Tottenham having other clubs to worry about, but it makes them get all hot under the collar.

However, an early scuffed shot by Luka Modric that should have given Tottenham the lead and a good drive from David Bentley, which Green pushed out, showed Spurs to be the more potent of the two sides, although West Ham had chances, all of which were off target. When Aaron Lennon, who set up all three good first half openings, crossed the ball between Green and Collins, Pavyluchenko was just too far beyond the far post to drag the ball itno the net and hit the woodwork.

Spurs have been vulnerable at 0-0 and even 1-0, but the failure of West Ham's stuttering forward line to click into action allowed Tottenham to ditch the long ball up to Pavlyuchenko in the air and adopt a more grass based passing game. Corluka and Lennon linked well on the right, while Modric came into the game more and began prompting attacks and even got in the box a couple of times.

When Lennon slid a cross into the penalty spot area, two West Ham defenders played statues, while Ledley King rose before Darren Bent got there and headed the ball down and saw it bounce up past Green's despairing dive. King had played well at the back, snuffing out the physical threat of Carlton Cole by using his reading of the game to get to the ball first, so it was good to see him up front and getting the opening goal.

The second came seconds after the Irons had almost got level. The ball pin-balled aorund the box and heavily criticised keeper Gomes pulled out a good block save to stop Neill's shot and then had a slice of luck he had been missing early in the season and was in the right place as Di Michele got the benefit of an offside decision, but could only hit the ball striaght at the Tottenham goalie, who held onto the ball from the effort on goal. Spurs broke and worked the ballto the left for O'Hara to bury a shot past Green from 25 yards and wrap up the game.

So empty was the ground at one end that the expected derision of their own team or ours failed to be of the scale that once would have been the norm.

Perhaps as Spurs' form is bubbling up, Zola's initial effect on the side may need to be recovered to inflate their reputation before they get dragged into the relegation mire.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg.com

Spurs : Thought and Deed

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 22:52:09 +0000

What I thought of referee Steve Bennett's deeds will not be fit for a forum like this, so I will restrict myself to those of Tottenham, who failed to live up ot their recent reputation and dropped more points, with a slice of luck involved in Everton's winner.

It was only one goal that separated the two sides at the end, but, although Everton forced Heurelho Gomes to work throughout the game, Spurs created enough chances to have got at least a point out of the game.

Maybe they didn't deserve that, as their build-up play was laboured and lacked a killer final pass, with more costly a cutting finish, but the efforts that were made within shooting range were all hit wide or at Howard. At the other end, the much-maligned Gomes restored some of his reputation with some good decision making and some reflex saves, which will go towards re-building his battered confidence. The goal cannot be put down to him, as a quick free-kick caught Tottenham doxing and Pienaar was left on the left side of the box to drill a shot at goal, that the Brazilian probaly had covered until Corluka's leg intervened and took it the opposite way.

Aaron Lennon had created havoc last week against Blackburn, but Everton had put Pineaar and Lescott on duty to block him off, so the lack of supply eventually moved him to the left wing in the second half, where he is less effective. Without that line of supply and with Huddlestone being frustrated by the lack of options from his forwards' movement and the number of players Everton got back behind the ball, the creativity that might have sparked a goal out of nothing. The closest Spurs came to that was a Bentley free-kick that was pulled back out of the danger area to where Pavlyuchenko had dropped off, but his shot was too high. The next time the two linked up, Roman got in front of Jagielka, but Howard leapt out to push the shot over the bar.

Too many Spurs players looked slow in thought and deed today. For once, Gomes would not be included among them, but the team need to get back into the winning habit soon, as the bottom three hang perilously closely below Spurs at the moment. Perhaps the return of Jenas and Modric might provide a little more spark soon and help get more of the 11 shots off target on it.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen the Glory
www.mehstg.com

Spurs : Let's Get Physical

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:39:58 +0000

With Blackburn seemingly formed in the shape of their manager, the flying tackles, some of which were decidedly Third Division, like one of their players, were let go by referee Howard Webb, but two in quick succession on Lennon by Olsson seemed to have riled the self-styled "Guv'nor".

The two "challenges" omitted one he got away with after Webb played on and failed to go back to book the Swede after he took Lennon late again. Ince's claim that Spurs coach Joe Jordan was trying to get Andre Ooijer sent off also has a hollow ring to it, as from inside the first minute, the Dutchman seemed to be doing a good enough job of that himself. On countback (if such a thing existed in football), Ooijer might have been sharing the soap with Olsson, as he commited six bad fouls and it was only the last that breached Webb's leniency and brought a yellow card.

More enlightening was Ince's interpretaion of what went on off the pitch on Sunday. His claim that Blackburn played so well that they silenced the fans was perverse in the extreme. Lunchtime kick offs are crap ! Sunday Lunchtime kick offs are crapper ! The crowd was flat from the start, as this was hardly the sort of opposition to get the pulse racing and the fare served up by both sides was error-strewn and lacking in a touch of quality for the main part of the 90 plus minutes. Plus it was wet and cold, Surely he must be used to the silence at Ewood Park ??

The noise was all from the Spurs fans, with the few who roved South not having much to shout about other than the sending off. With the Good Doctor informing me of Benni McCarthy's likeness to Dwight Yorke (especially around the midriff), his lackof mobility saw him subbed at half-time for a much needed defender and leaving Santa Cruz up on his own, as he had been when McCarthy was on the pitch. Having said that he had Blackburn's best chance to score, when he volleyed Olsson's cross over the top from close in halfway through the first half.

Pavlyuchenko made no such mistake with the Spurs goal, sweeping the ball home past Paul Robinson after Aaron Lennon had robbed Olsson of the ball and raced away from him before cutting it back for the Russian to gleefully net the opportunity.

Robbo got a great reception and was regularly waving to the Spurs fans behind the goal at the Park Lane end and ran the length of the pitch to throw his gloves into that end after the final whistle. In contrast, Gomes only got a few ironic cheers when he caught a through ball without any pressure and that will not help his confidence. He did get a few songs about him (complimentary ones) in the second half and his usual cheers from the hoem support when he does his "elbow over the crossbar" warm up.

A poor game with Blackburn being worse than Tottenham on the day. Whether they would have been better with eleven, I don't know and I guess we won't find out until the return match. But Paul Ince has not yet quite got the same verbal persuasion that his former boss did at Manchester United. In fact, he didn't sound too perplexed by the fact that they are second from bottom. Having just been there, Spurs fans will be pleased that Rovers have replaced them and Ince's suposition that if they play like that, they won't tsay there for long must be jangling a few nerves up Lancashire way.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen the Glory
www.mehstg.com

Spurs : Bye, Bye Baby Blue

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 09:59:34 +0000

With a wave of a red card, the teams were reduced and with the fans leaving the City section of the crowd before the end, it looked as if it would be touch and go for a while as to who would have the most left by the final whistle.

Mike Dean is usually a reasonable official, but the turning point of the game came when he dismissed Gelson for two quick fouls. It was the right decision, but the flurry of reds at the end of the game left fans of both sides a bit short-changed. "A foul is a foul" - whether it be in the first minute or the last and too often you see people punished for fouls that others get away with, so perhaps it was Dean's standard that other referees should reach rather than him being singled out for scrutiny.

When players are sent off it does change a game, as Spurs found out early on in their visit to Stoke City recently. But then, maybe it is a part of the modern game that managers will have to plan for. With Gelson going early, Harry Redknapp pushed Modric further forward and made use of the extra man. And it was the striker in form, Darren Bent, who made use of the error of judgement by Richard Dunne, who let the ball skid past him, to finish with aplomb (as strikers often seem to do). That got Spurs back into the match, when they had moved the ball around well in the first 15 minutes and created a couple of good chances.

Redknapp seems to have got the players not only believing in themselves, but in the system he is playing. Generically, it is the same as Ramos fielded, but the players are now willing to buy into it and by getting the confidence back, the passing and movement are improving game by game. Although the majority of our goal threat is coming from Bent, with Pavlyuchenko waiting in the wings and now getting on the score-sheet, other contributions will come from midfield, as they support the lone front man.

The second goal was a good example of this, with Jenas popping up in the target man role, holding the ball up with his back to goal and laying it into the path of Bent, who slid a shot in off the post for the winner.

With the way Spurs games have been going lately, I am surprised not everyone stayed until the end, but the disappearing baby blue shirts signalled that while Spurs might be coming out of their doldrums, Manchester City fans might be thinking that they are heading back to the rollercoaster days of the past.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg.com

Spurs: What a comeback ... all is forgiven

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 23:23:31 +0000

With a late, late winner, Spurs took the three points rather than gained a draw as they had in midweek, but the scoreline not only flattered to deceive, but also managed to paper over many cracks that still exist in the Tottenham side.

Thanks to Jamie Carragher's third career goal for Tottenham Hotspur and Roman Pavlyuchenko's injury-time near-post finish, Spurs overcame the early set-back of Dirk Kuyt's third-minute strike.

But in between, Liverpool showed some of the slick passing of yester-year and also some profligacy of the "Spice Boys " era that allowed Tottenham to earn a most unexpected win. I am not exaggerating when I say Liverpool could have had five goals in a fifteen minute spell in the second half.

Gerrard was denied by a fine reflex save from Gomes after the ball deflected off King and then the Liverpool captain hit the bar after the goalkeeper showed the other side of his character with a sloppy pass to Keane. Another shot that went wide from Stevie G and a similar end to a stretching Kuyt volley were followed by Alonso missing the best chance, when he was alone at the far post and headed Gerrard's free kick wide of the post, when all he had to do was get it on target.

Perhaps Tottenham realised that they were riding the new-found luck of Harry Redknapp's tenure. Carragher did not read the script - any fool knows Spurs do not score from set pieces. His header downwards past his own goalie was probably better than a Tottenham player might have achieved. The winning goal saw Dossena allow Bentley to cut inside and unleash a swerving shot that Reina did well to save. However, Agger and Arbeloa failed to do as well, as Bent was alive enough to get to the rebound and knock it to the near post, where Roman turned it neatly into the other side of the goal for a neat smash and grab raid which might go against stereotype.

Benitez has been criticised for his substitution of Robbie Keane, but he was having one of those days he often had for Spurs. Yes, he laid the ball into Kuyt's path for the opener, but his other flicks were not coming off and it ended up with him coming off. It should have signalled Babel to run at the tiring Tottenham defence, but he failed to get involved and gradually, Modric's running cut through the Reds' midfield.

If anything, the changes Spurs made at half-time seemed to give Liverpool the impetus. Holding their own at the end of the first period, Spurs allowed the visitors too much space and time to do what they wanted for the opening spell of the second. Liverpool cut through Tottenham like a knife through butter, but that knife was blunt when it came to a cutting edge in the box.

Tottenham only had a few chances, but it is not how many you create, but how many you take. As on Wednesday, a higher goals per chance ratio saw Spurs get more than they deserved out of that game, but they need to cut out the individual errors that are peppered throughout the side. Especially at the back, where they tend to be more costly. If they can do that, then two goals a game might be enough to win. Or even one. But the mistakes mean the front men have to make the most of what comes their way.

Harry is not a miracle worker. He is not the messiah. He is just a very, very nice man. His way with players has obviously won them over, so it will be interesting to see how he deals with them over the coming months to get the best out of them and to make sure the "dressing room" isn't lost.

Even if it got to that position, I believe that Redknapp could still win it back at the last minute!!

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen the Glory
www.mehstg.com

Ladies Day

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:08:13 +0000

A point at the home of the Woolwich Wanderers is a good one at the best of times, but when you come back from 2-4 down with a minute of normal time remaining, it is even better. But does it mean that Arsenal Ladies will be replacing their men in the Premier League ??

Surely, by the logical extension of Fabregas' comments, if Spurs are not good enough to beat their women's team, then neither are the Gooners men side. It would be interesting to see who would have the more extreme reactions in a match between their men and women. Would the women have as emotional a reaction to losing two points as Gallas, who left the field muttering to himself or Wenger, with his John Cleese/Basil Fawlty style squat in front of his own bench at the final equalising goal ??

For Tottenham, the point brought them a bit closer to the pack above them, but we are still bottom of the table. The three points against Bolton on Saturday were probably more important, as they are now in the group flirting with the dotted line of relegation (this early in the season). With a home game against Liverpool coming up Saturday evening, the table toppers will be facing the bottom team and the outcome would have been entirely predictable a few weeks ago.

Now, Harry has brought a "new manager's" attitude to the first team. Whether they now think they have to impress or they have been released from the shackles of Ramos' reign, only those inside the club will know. At 2-4 down, I could not have foreseen the side with Ramos in charge making a fight of it until the end.

But even more than Harry's input, perhaps it was Wenger's changes that rang the tolling bell for Arsenal's expected win. Lots of comments about sympathy for Spurs' position and for the sacking of Ramos were spurted before and after the game in an attempt to cover the errors on and off the field that the Gooners made. But they did not escape the phone-in callers in red and white who had watched the game.

As I stated earlier in this article, it is more than a quarter of the way through the season, although still early in some respects, but I think it is safe for us to say that thoughts of winning the title have gone

...

for Spurs. Although Arsenal are a fair bet for the Premier League.

The Ladies that is !!

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg.com

TAKING THE POT

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:50:56 +0100

For a whole number of reasons Tottenham are still rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table.

Despite a rash rash of red cards, it is not all Lee Mason's fault and the money men at the club need to take stock (and shares) of the current crunch that is happening at Tottenham, where there appears to be a lack of credit being apportioned around.

The money that Spurs took for Berbatov, when they knew he would leave, left Tottenham bereft up front. Darren Bent is doing his best, with his goals, but he can't do it on his own and neither Campbell nor Pavlyuchenko appear to be trusted enough to start a match alongside him.

This makes you think that they were not Ramos' choices, nor the goalkeeper Sanchez, who failed to make the line up even though Gomes appeared to be wincing in pain (with a rib injury and not at the performance of those in front of him) from the start. This is an odd one, as he is the one Spaniard who was brought in and therefore, one you think might have had the Ramos stamp of approval.

But Juande is not the one who is getting the stick, as he has an unbalanced squad that lacks key players in vital positions, which might yet cost Tottenham their place in the Premier League, despite many commentators telling us that they will get out of it. I would like them to explain how and if not to me then to the Spurs management.

Slaven Bilic is being mentioned as a replacement, but if Ramos is to be sacked, he will not only leave the club, but will take with him another sack ... filled with a huge pay-off, with a possible £15 million for the remainder of his contract. What is to be achieved by that knee-jerk reaction, when a new boss would want his own players, back-room men and probably the removal of the Director of Football, will cost the club more than the money they received for their former Bulgarian striker.

False economy or credit crunch ?

Spurs fans await the pronouncement of the money experts at the club, when they should be awaiting the words of how the football team are going to change things around.

And that is why Tottenham are where they are.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg.com

Just Say No

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:01:54 +0100

Why have Tottenham failed to procure a win this season ? Why have they failed to hit the net regularly ? Why have they failed to look a like a team ? Well, let's take a look ...

It is hardly surprising when the team have

no prolific goalscorer

no service of the type the strikers they do have need

no leader on the pitch

no direction on how they are fitting together as a team

no pattern of play within the squad

no depth of squad

no confidence in wanting the ball or doing something positive with it when they do get it

no grafters who will battle their way out of the situation they find themselves in

no passion from the manamgement team, which is surprising with Poyet there

The squad looks short on the back of the programme, let alone once it gets on the pitch. The players are not really having to battle for their places, as there are no real contenders to come in to replace them. There is a lot of youth in the side, which is fine when thigs are going well, but without that success, they all look to ... who, for leadership ? Jenas and Woodgate are the most experienced players and for all their games played are not fist clenching, up-and-at-'em types.

Things look bad when we have had better starts to the season than this and still been relegated. I for one am seriously worried, as I don't accept all this talk about "there are a quality bunch of players there and when they get their first win it will all fall into place."

What we really needed from the board and Sporting Director were the players for Ramos to do the job with and to have them before the season started.

I would rather have points in the bag than money in the bank.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen the Glory
www.mehstg.com

Even a plan B from outer space would help Spurs now

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 23:49:28 +0100

Tottenham have made their worst start for 53 years. Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch scored the goals that gave Portsmouth a 2-1 win over Spurs, who have yet to win this season. Along with Grimsby Town, the only sides in English league football yet to do so.

Them's the facts, and the harsh reality is that Spurs sit at the bottom of the table.

The team have yet to gel/put in enough effort/show some character/acquire or play the players in the right positions/learnt to speak the same language ... depending on who you listen to.

Having watched the game back on TV, I would rather not listen to Alan Smith and David Platt chunter on about Tottenham's troubles. While both were professional international footballers, the same cannot be said for Lee Dixon and if he can give insightful tactical analysis on TV's Match of the Day, then so can I.

Watching the game at the time, it seemed that some players were as shell shocked as some of the fans about where the team find themselves. What they need to do is to give themselves a good shake and get real. They need to start picking up points quickly and winning games, as draws will not be good enough in the current position.

The team needs to be shaped to give other teams a problem, not play into their hands. Pompey had let in ten goals in two games, so what do Tottenham do ? Play one man up front, giving the home defence time to pick off any ball that Pavlyuchenko might actually be able to control. Any flick-ons went to no-one and as the free-kicks, corners and crosses were mostly poorly directed (although Aaron Lennon could be excused on his substitute appearance), the lone striker had little in terms of chances to score.

If we are going to lose away from home - and we do so more frequently than not - let's take a leaf out of Hull City's book and have a go. Nobody would begrudge Spurs getting beaten if they at least posed some problems for the side they were visiting.

And the players need to be played in the positions where they will do most damage to the opposition. And regularly. I know Ramos has injury problems and players will be cup-tied on Thursday, but a new goalkeeper really needs a settled defence in front of him to develop an understanding. If not, then anything could happen. Hopefully, they players have some sort of common language that they can communicate in. If not, crash courses in basic football English need to be given.

All this is not rocket science. I am sure many other fans have identified some of the issues that need resolving and let Ramos know in no uncertain terms at Fratton Park.

But at the moment, there appears no Plan B. Even if it came from Outer Space it would be something.

The Krakow game will be a tough one in an intimidating atmosphere. What it will be like when they return to White Hart Lane to play Hull City on Sunday may well hinge on their ability to protect a one goal lead in Poland.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg.com

Bent Out Of Shape

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 23:11:21 +0100

For a team that has been expensively assembled, it looks like someone has mislaid the diagram telling us how it should all fit together. It is not all Darren Bent's fault, but to listen to some fans you would think so.

I mean, he scored for the second game running and nearly sparked a late rally that would have seen a last minute equaliser from a couple of corners had Spurs enjoyed any luck. But that is something that is missing (apart from Jenas' volley hitting the unknowing Bent and going in) as well as the look of the team playing as a unit. However, he is being viewed by some sections of the crowd as the butt of what is going wrong. But he doesn't pick the side nor is he responsible for the errors of others.

The continued insistence of players being played out of position or in the side when they are not aware of their roles means the team looks more disjointed than the pre-match gyrations of Cocky Cockerel. Modric played in the left midfield slot. Dawson out of confidence and exposed to any pacy runner who goes straight at him. Corluka making a debut to forget. No ball winner in the midfield playing against a side with two. A front pairing that had not had much time together to develop any understanding. It did not make for a performance that was easy on the eye.

Bent and Pavlyuchenko were not well served by the rest of the team. Feeding high balls up to two strapping Villa central defenders was a recipe for the ball being whipped straight back at them. The one time we looked dangerous was when we managed to get the ball wide. Lennon had the measure of Shorey and a very high and late tackle on the little winger earned the England defender a yellow card. Perhaps he would be inhibited in making a rash challenge again ? Well, he didn't have to worry, as Lennon rarely saw the ball again.

The two strikers were not on the same wavelength very often and to see the woeful crossing from wide positions just hurts. The defence looked sound, but were opened up by the pace of Agbonlahor and Ashley Young, one who made a goal and the other who scored one, thanks to Gomes' weak wristed save. They were two goals which were emininently stoppable, but not by Tottenham at the moment.

Villa deserved the three points. Spurs didn't and the Bent goal and the late surge was too little too late.

It is not panic stations just yet, but the train will be leaving for them if we do not mind the gap or we will get left behind with other teams who see a light disappearing into a tunnel.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen the Glory
www.mehstg.com

Bridge of Size

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 12:41:38 +0100

Once more Tottenham fail to take all three points at Stamford Bridge, but perhaps more embarrassingly for the home side, they failed to beat the bottom club and it is now three matches since their last victory over Spurs ... something that was once considered a forgone conclusion.

I would not be so presumptious as to say Spurs deserved to win and even the point was a result of the ennui around the Bridge that even seemed to affect the home crowd. Perhaps they thought it was going to be a stroll in the sun.

Although Chelsea enjoyed the bigger share of possession, as Tottenham have found in recent weeks, it is not the amount you have but what you do with it. Chelsea failed to seriously threaten the Spurs goal as much as might have been imagined, with the previous match at Stamford Bridge seeing them run in four goals past Portsmouth. Spurs rarely got forward enough to cause Cech many problems, but looked a lot more compact and they did make some good moves down the flanks.

The Pensioners missed Drogba, who is a physical presence, which Anelka is not guaranteed to provide and the midfield were not as evident at pushing forward as they usually are. Deco looked a skillful player, but perhaps the hurly-burly of a London derby proved a bit too much for him to decorate.

A point was perhaps more than a lot of Tottenham fans might have hoped for, but we will bag it and move forward. By the time the team steps out for the game at home to Aston Villa in two weeks, there will be a number of changes to the side, with the transfer window slamming shut for another few months later tonight. With Pavlyuchenko and Corluka signed and more rumours going around as I write, the season now tends to start a few games in ... well, it certainly does for Tottenham !!

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg.com

You've Got The Power

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:24:28 +0100

With a lack of points and lack of strikers, the focus has turned to the power battle between the Tottenham board and the agent of Dimitar Berbatov. Whoever wins, it will still not address deeper issues which need resolving.

It is not just the whole issue of temperamental players who are throwing a strop because they can't get what they want, but of what we are doing paying to watch these over-inflated egos running around in our club shirts.

How pleased will Alex Ferguson be when he signs the Bulgarian, perhaps only to find that pitching him into the same team as Ronaldo, who has also demonstrated a propensity for toy throwing when another big club comes a knocking. For two seasons (well one and a bit until we won the League Cup), he has shown a talent not possessed by many in the Premier League. Ironically, it was one that Ferguson was not willing to take a punt on two years ago. But he also has another side, which was evident in Germany before his move to the Prem.

Roy Keane said he would drive a player who didn't want to play for his club anywhere he wanted to go. Ramos described this as an interesting approach, but frankly, Berbatov will have enough cash to make his own way to wherever he wants to go. And Keane might need to get his keys out with Pascal Chimbonda in his squad, having already been dropped for turning up late for a morning walk.

The outcome of this saga, with the threat of Berbatov being condemned to the reserves, will perhaps signal the future success or otherwise of the club's transfer dealings. I don't know what Clive Allen (the reserve team manager) has done to deserve this. As the second string consists mainly of youth team players making their way towards the first team squad, thus Allen's title of Development Squad coach, it will be interesting to see the amount of effort Berba puts in playing in that arena.

But the result of the opening two Spurs games indicates that they need to start putting in the hard work on the pitch to match their opponents and make space for themselves, need to start making more of the possession they have and for Juande Ramos, he needs to target not only a front man, but also a ball-winning midfielder, who will allow the creative players to play.

It became more obvious as the game went on that Sunderland would score. The goal came out of nothing, but that is the sort of goal Spurs have been on the receiving end of over the last couple of years. It is also the goal we do not score enough of. A well worked equaliser, with Modric at the heart of it, was knocked home by Jenas, but a lack of concentration at the back allowed a simple cross to be headed home unmarked by Cisse.

The sort of goals we conceded last season will need to be eradicated and a tightening up all over the field will help that. It will need more than tightening up next week at Chelsea, with a position in the bottom three calling by 3.30 p.m. on Sunday at the latest.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen the Glory
www.mehstg.com

No consolation

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 06:10:43 +0100

With all disrepect to MIddlesbrough, going North with one forward starting is handing the game to the home team and having spent a billion pounds on midfielders, they have to have someone to pass it to if we are going to score ... unless they score themselves ... or someone scored for them.

And so it turned out. Robert Huth nutted the ball into his own net, but by then it was all too late.

Tottenham have spent a lot of money this summer ... and in the last few transfer windows, but we are seemingly suffering the same problems. Our away form is chronic and we lack the ability (or willingness) to take the game to home teams. Only when the broody Bulgarian came on did we look like scoring, but that was only because we had two up front.

Last season we got a point there and we had a couple of forwards. The season before it was 3-1 to us at Riverside. So are we going backwards ?

Well, not necessarily. Having scored a hatful in pre-season it was inevitable that once we got to the real thing it would be a different story. But this team is being built for the future, although that doesn't mean they don't have to start playng now.

It's going to increase speculation about Berbatov's future, but more meaningfully about who takes his place. We learn it will not be Arshavin or Kanoute or Pavyluchenko or Owen (thank goodness), but still the question mark hangs.

Huth's late goal was no consolation, but if it means we bring in another striker who will fit into the way Ramos wants to play, then not all is lost.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg.com

End of the Binary Code

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Mon, 12 May 2008 23:52:09 +0100

For a while back there, I seriously thought Tottenham were caught up in some weird Catholic conspiracy involving any number below 2. After the floods of goals, everything went 1-1 and 1-0.

Anyway, Tottenham managed to break out of that with a marvellous 0-2 defeat to Liverpool, with the sun the only redeeming feature of the day.

To say that Spurs played a football match might be something a Trading Standards officer might be willing to investigate under the legislation they enforce. Some sort of mis-description of what it says on the packet. But it would have been cruel to make Spurs play football in this game.

It's like making kids go back to school after they broke up weeks ago, as Spurs finished their season on February 24th when they won the League Cup.

But surely, if the team want to adopt a winning mentality, they have to do so in meaningless games like this one. Although how meaningless £500,000 might be had they managed to climb another place in the table. A few weeks wages I suppose.

I am surprised that Ramos has allowed the season to drift into inanity. Fans pay good money to see the team perform and on Sunday's evidence, I am sure that a few of them out there knew that they would not be back next season. Some who will be there also failed to step up their performances, leaving the display as limp as the shirts worn by the fans who were sat facing the sun for the whole game.

Liverpool deserved the win because they got going in the second half, threw four men up front at times and obviously are more used to winning than the Tottenham team, although we have drawn as many games. Perhaps a sign that they know how to turn defeats into points and draws into wins.

It was a joy to see a forward who has the hunger and desire to run at defences with the ball and that made things happen. Torres was unlucky when he nonchalantly dinked a shot against the bar, with Cerny stranded, but he already had his goal by then. Turning past an off balance Dawson to slip the ball past the keeper.

In comparison, Dimitar Berbatov restricted himself to one moment of magic for the fans who chanted his name before he moves onto to greener grass. He took down Tainio's ball over the top and in one move struck a dipping shot that Reina did well to push over the bar. Other than that, it was a performance of pointing and shrugs, which will be worth their weight in gold if we get £30 million for him. Don't get me wrong, I would love him to stay, but he gives a taster of what a great player he could be rather than just a really good one.

Great; super; brilliant. All over-used terms in relation to the Premier League, where there have been some decidedly average teams and games this season. Derby's demise comes as they are likely to be labelled the worst side to grace the PL and they were not the worst team I saw at the Lane this season. Even Man U failed to impress on their visit.

But what do we expect over the summer ? More big money to go out and big wages for players coming in. Wild speculation about who this might involve. And first of all our season ticket renewal notices.

I am sure it might contain some 1's, but I hate to think how many 0's might be involved.

Enjoy the summer break.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg.com

The Riot Act

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Wed, 07 May 2008 23:44:55 +0100

With a string of passes and one finish that beat Marcus Hahnemann, Spurs had beaten Reading for a rare away win. More surprising was Tottenham getting a win at all with the long string of draws that they have been achieving. Perhaps there will be more stringing the fans along during a summer of speculation.

Firstly, the ground expansion has been quashed for the time being, as there are “land residual values” and “land assembly” issues which prevent the board deciding what they want to do. What does this mumbo-jumbo mean ? And why can’t they just tell us what they mean ? Is it that the club can’t afford prices being asked for by those who own the land next to the ground to build a new stadium ? Or is it that they can’t get planning permission to change some of the roadways around the existing ground to enlarge White Hart Lane or to re-orientate the new stadium ?
We won’t know for at least another “quarter”.

Then comes the “who will stay and who will go” epic. Already big names like Ronaldinho and Eto’o have been mentioned, but it is unlikely that either will arrive without Champions League football to look forward to. The same probably goes for David Villa. Perhaps more realistic is the link to Diego Capel, as Sevilla have not had as good a season as recently. Will it be Anton Ferdinand and Lassana Diarra ? I hope not, as one is over-rated and the other over-rates himself.
It is a question of waiting and seeing.

Finally, the season ticket prices will be out soon, with rumours of a £100 increase and two extra games included for that additional payment. Two more meaningless cup games, which would not really justify £50 a pop.

So, perhaps it was with some relief that Juande might have read the side the Ramos Riot Act. What else could have suddenly prompted a performance like that, when for weeks, the side have looked tired and drawn.

Keane was lively, Bent unlucky not to get on the scoresheet, Huddlestone trying to prompt the ball going forward and Jenas’ runs going until close to the end.

One goal proves to be enough, as there were few threats from the home side, which looked like they were suffering from the long run without a goal. And with one game left, it is like that will be their cup final. Ironic that when they showed no willingness to reach the FA Cup Final. They are a good club, well run, but should not forget their background and how they got where they are. Not wanting to pay top dollar for wages is hindering Arsenal, so Reading might need to do that to bring in quality and keep it.

The season goes down to the last game at the top and the bottom then. The Premier League championship will be decided, the UEFA Cup qualifiers too and who will grab the last two relegation places. As for Spurs, there is still something to play for, with tenth an option if results go right on the last day.

If they do, it might just cause a riot … down the Boleyn way !!

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg.com

Drawing A Line Under The Season

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 09:08:55 +0100

Another 1-1 draw saw Spurs allow Bolton a vital point in their bid for Premier League survival and in the process take our unbeaten (and unwinning) run to four matches. Hardly title winning form, but then that hasn't been on the agenda for a long time.

Not that the football was that bad, as the sun on our faces helped make the lack of three points easier to bear, as it signals a summer of haggling and money spent, of which some has been shelled out already.

Luka Modric watched the game from the Director's box and must have been bamboozled by what he saw. A team who have won a trophy and are assured of a European place in the UEFA Cup, having great trouble putting away a side fifth bottom in the table. Admittedly, teams in similar positions in the Croatian league and other European leagues might just be cannon fodder, this one went as far as Spurs in the UEFA Cup this season and have finished above them for a number of seasons prior to the last two.

Tottenham should have left their penultimate home league match with all three points. Bolton were set up to contain Tottenham and must have been as shocked as everyone else when they scored 25 seconds into the second half. Their goal followed something I have never seen in years of watching football at all levels.

Alan Hutton had made a run down the wing after a through pass, but it went out and as he reached the touchline, he was giving a helping nudge by a Bolton player that took him over the advertising hoarding and straight into the disabled section. Hutton managed to stop himself injuring any of those sitting in their wheelchairs, but in the process seem to twist his ankle. That was in the 16th minute. He battled on for the rest of the half, being a regular target for the fouls of the Bolton players; sharing that honour with Aaron Lennon. However, at the start of the second half, he made the jog from the tunnel to the far side of the pitch to take up his position at right back. He was making the distance gingerly, but when he got there, he turned around and jogged straight off !! Obviously, this was the test of his injury that showed he couldn't give it the regulation "five minutes" of the second half to see how it went. Spurs looked as though they would start the half with only ten men, but Tom Huddlestone came out of the tunnel and with Zokora moving to right back, the team took the kick off.

Dawson's ball from the kick-off was intercepted, moved up the right wing, where a low cross from Steinsson was blocked at the near post by Cerny as a Wanderers player came in and when it broke loose, Stelios hammered it into the net. The players and the fans, who made a lot of noise for only 1,000, went wild. Some of the Spurs fans did too.

It was a sleepy moment, which after a less than alluring first half, the fans might have been worthy of, with the sun shining down on the crowd. Bringing Huddlestone on soon paid dividends, as he began doing what he does best; prompting play with short and long passes and despite Bolton's massed ranks of defence, space began to be found. With Zokora having a storming game after his re-location, Bolton suffered against our right side, with Lennon and Zokora making inroads around the slow Matthew Taylor and the labouring Samuel. A move that saw the ball moved about well ended with a quickening of the pace by Jermaine Jenas with a ball into Keane. He turned on the edge of the box and had a shot that took a flick off the leg of a defender and as Cahill watched it go beyond him, Steed Malbranque ran in at the far post to slot it past Al Habsi for the equaliser.

This prefaced a period of play when it was all around the Bolton goal and although the stats show that Tottenham had something like 20 odd efforts on goal to seven by Bolton, few of these were on target, as I only remember Al Habsi having to make a couple of saves and Guthrie managing to knock Darren Bent's late header away from the goal-line at the far post. Too often shots were fired off target, none more so than Jenas' first half free-kick which missed by a considerable distance. He didn't have one of his best games, but he did keep making himself available for the ball and a few other players might take a leaf out his book in that respect. JJ needs to sharpen up his game and start imposing himself on other teams to make an impact. He is a very good player and needs to step up a gear at this stage of his career.

Unfortunately for Tottenham Dimitar Berbatov was having a game of flicks and tricks, which didn't come off. He dropped deeper and deeper once Bent came on, but really should have done better with a free header from O'Hara's free-kick, but put it over and didn't even require the keeper to make a save. He has scored well this season with 23, but you just yearn for a greater strike rate, as he could easily have doubled that.

The closest that Spurs had come in the first half was right at the end when one of a long series of fouls on Hutton gave Tottenham a free-kick on the right hand corner of the box. For once, it was left to someone else other than Jenas and the natural left-footer Gilberto took it. It didn't look the greatest free-kick, with the ball staying low, but it got through the wall and was threatening enough to make Steinsson kick the ball against his own goalpost with the goalkeeper stranded.

So yet another Tottenham shot hits the woodwork and according to stats (again) the team have hit it more than any other team in the Premier League. It is a thin line, but shooting into the net might have given us enough points to have been satisfied with our league season instead of frustratingly lower than halfway.

Will it be Champions League we are talking about next year rather than middle of the table ?? A tough ask, but Modric might just be the start of Ramos' revolution.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen the Glory
www.mehstg.com

What’s The Point ?

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:52:28 +0100

You could almost have predicted the outcome of Tottenham’s game at the JJB Stadium before the match took place. In fact, rotten at predicting as I am, that is exactly what I did on the MEHSTG website. It is a bit like a film you have seen before where you know that there will be a happy ending for someone. And further to that, it might be worth a punt on the last three Spurs games finishing 1-1.

Juande Ramos came out this week and said that the players would not be able to influence his view of them, which he has formed since his arrival in November, with the remaining matches against Bolton Wanderers,

Reading

and

Liverpool

to come.

Perhaps he has seen in that short time what we Tottenham fans have witnessed over the last two seasons.

Berbatov is a class player. No question. Most teams would be more than happy to have him in their side, but there are times when the self-regarding attitude he has for his own importance overcomes what he can do for the team. Therefore, a bid of £30 million would hopefully fund an equally talented replacement and rid us of the spoutings of his self-promoting agent. If we can keep him, all well and good, but if he has to go, let’s make some extreme profit. Sometimes these “Star Wars” can get a bit of a saga.

The goalkeeping position needs to be addressed. Cerny has done well, but looks to be on his way and maybe Paul Robinson has played his last game, unless Ramos has a sentimental side and will let him take the gloves for the

Liverpool

game. A commanding presence is needed to help give the defence confidence.

Hopefully, Ramos will have learned that playing players out of position does not work. The pairing of Zokora and O’Hara in defence to fill in for Chimbonda and Woodgate did not work, with the goal Wigan Athletic scored being a ball into Heskey in space near the ‘D’ (like a Raider of the Last Arc) and the chance when Marcus Bent hit the bar nothing more than a regulation straight pass that opened the defence up like Roy Schneider’s knife through a shark’s belly in “Jaws”. It was all too easy and without our Superman Ledley King and potential new captain Jonathan Woodgate out, Michael Dawson and Didier Zokora got themselves off the Hook with some last ditch tackles.

The midfield look industrious and with Jermaine Jenas looking like a marathon man, he just lacks the poise of a hitman, as the chance he was provided with by Aaron Lennon was fired over the top with his left foot. His work often escapes the eye of reporters, such as those in the empire of the Sun and there is little reflection in their minority reports about his effect on a game. With Lennon showing how important the need for speed can be, there is also Steed Malbranque, who provides the French connection on the left. Huddlestone is Rock which the team have been playing around, with his solid frame and educated left and right feet spraying the ball to all corners of the ground … and most of the time to a yellow shirt.

Up front alongside Berbatov, Robbie Keane was a man who looked back in anger when he was substituted again, but he had not had one of his best games and handed over possession when the Lactics scored. He was replaced among the strikers by the third man – Darren Bent. A man who would do better of he had some service and his colleagues will have to learn that chances have to be taken.

With little to play for, Spurs cannot seem to summon up the wherewithal to go the full 90 minutes. Goodness knows how they managed ET in the League Cup Final.

Sporting Director Damien Comolli might need to duel to always get his man this summer, but you can bank on him being a regular at the terminal at airports from

Munich

to the Pacific, as he tries to lead the chase and throw down the gauntlet to other managers to catch him if they can. Ramos’ thinking on bonding this band of brothers shows real thinking … no artificial intelligence for Juande.

Having finished fifth for the last two seasons and having reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup in the last two seasons too, perhaps Juande can give us one of those Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

But to do so, the players will need to be pushing through the twilight zone to get to where we all want them to be.

Wyart Lane

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory

www.mehstg.com

Stumbling Over The Finish Line

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 23:56:49 +0100

How often do we hear the phrase “It’s a marathon, not a sprint” ? Too often, but on London Marathon day it might have more than a ring of familiarity with the tail end of Tottenham Hotspur’s season.

It is not just that fact that the team seem to have got to the stage where their minds have gone, as they hit the wall on February 25th, when the League Cup was in the Trophy cabinet and there was nothing more to play for other than progress in the UEFA Cup, which stopped soon after that.

It is also the fact that they have nothing to motivate themselves for. A bit like an elite runner in the Marathon who hits a bad patch and will not reach a time they are happy with, they will just drop out. Meanwhile, those members of the chosen ones to run the course who are doing it for charity and are sponsored to do so, will run until they drop. These players pick up their money (with or without win bonuses) and for Juande Ramos to say it is difficult to get them to perform at “Maximum motivation” is a slap in the face for supporters.

Yes, Tottenham sit in the middle of the table with no chance of threatening the top six and while it is mathematically possible for Bolton Wanderers to catch Spurs, the likelihood is that the point against Middlesbrough will guarantee Premier League football next season. But if this group of players cannot motivate themselves to win against the remaining opponents this season, what makes anyone think that they will be more up for it next season when they face the same foes, having failed to overcome them this time around ?

For the run of two wins in eight games, it appears Tottenham are exhibiting relegation form rather than that of a side who want to show their new Head Coach that they are ready to move up a gear next season. I think that even a sprint finish now will leave some questions over their stamina and mental preparation. If they get to February 2009 and have no silverware behind them, will they be able to push on to get a European finishing position in the league table ?

I know that some of the current crop will not be there at that stage, but which ones will go is a matter for conjecture. The papers seem to have Aaron Lennon on his way, but he had a good first half before Ramos switched him to left wing, which is where he fails to deliver even more than on the right. His beating of Boro defender Grounds should have been a focus of Tottenham’s play, but instead it was left for him to get on the end of Berbatov’s home-made cross and volley in off the knee of the young visiting left back. Lennon’s other major contribution was to save Spurs by heading Wheater’s header off the goal-line. Yes, Lennon winning a header !

The one factor that Aaron has that a number of the team possess is his sheer pace. But just as the team do not supply the ball properly to get the best out of Darren Bent, rarely does Lennon get a ball in front of him. He more regularly gets it played behind him, so he has to turn and then go forward to take on his opponent. Bent needs the ball played in front of him, preferably over the defence, to run onto, but when he was introduced, I think he only had a couple of touches and then they were ones he had to make happen rather than the ball being played for him.

Spurs do possess players who can make things happen. Berbatov is the main one, with his deft control and ability to conjure up a pass out of nowhere and with Robbie Keane, they make a pairing that have movement and skill to give problems to the opposition. On the day, Keane failed to mark his 250th Tottenham appearance with a sparkling display and Berbatov often tried to flick the ball on when a simple side-foot might have sufficed. Sometimes, a pragmatic approach can pay dividends until you are a few goals ahead and then the showboating can begin.

Jermaine Jenas can also be a source of a surprise attack as he showed with his willing running. On one run, he was manoeuvred wide by Pogatetz (an objectionable fellow who must relish the fact that he remains on the pitch for 90 minutes as he kicks and verbalises his pent up frustrations out once a week), who made himself big enough by extending an arm in good defending style, while his run through when Keane was standing offside was so quick that he beat the ball to the space and had to turn to find it. He did have the presence of mind to pass to Berbatov, who then set up the goal.

But by the end of the game, Jenas was almost reduced to the status of a fan, as he stood watching the match, unable to get any more from his legs, like those being helped along the Mall as they approach the finishing line.

It was another example for Spurs of one goal not being enough. With a midfield that tired and a defence, which made some mistakes to let Boro in, the goal for the visitors was just a question of time in coming. Downing had the freedom of most of the Tottenham half to move forward before he was shut down and then Jenas managed to head the ball as it flashed past him and then Cerny.

Gareth Southgate leapt for joy when it went in, but he must have been beating the ground with fury when Alves was clean through onto a ball that foxed Dawson, only to slip it past Cerny and past the post. The Boro manager said that the half-time team talk that got his side back into the game after they slowed Spurs to play too much. I cannot imagine a Southgate hairdryer treatment, but then in the mood the Tottenham players are in, it wouldn’t take too much to change the way the game went.

Perhaps Spurs should have finished the match with a space blanket (which might have clogged Boro’s progress into the last third) and some high energy drink. The medals hanging round their necks are losing their lustre already and they should think about giving the watching thousands something to cheer about before reaching the final furlong. Then, like all those sponsoring for charity, we won’t mind handing over our hard earned money.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg.com

Communication Breakdown

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 23:40:39 +0100

Isn’t it funny when a player speaks exclusively to the club website ? I mean, we all know that ghost writers pen their auto-biographies, but do they do their entries on the website too ? That looked to be the case when Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane had a stand up row in the middle of Ewood Park in what sparked up what looked like a game dying a slow and lingering death.

The website interview with Berba extolled the ‘telepathic’ relationship he had on the pitch with his captain Keane and how he enjoyed the fruitful partnership they have on the field. Well, it looked as thought here were some wavelengths being crossed as the two of them argued and wagged fingers about who should have passed to who and who should have run where. What do they do in training I wonder ?
If there was a lack of harmony among the forwards, the animosity might also be pointed towards the left back area, where Pascal Chimbonda allowed David Bentley – the known danger man – time to control the ball and then take it past him to cross low for Morten Gamst Pedersen to sweep it home from 12 yards out. It was a cheap goal for a side who looked poor in the extreme until they scored. This gave them the lift they needed and it put Tottenham on the back foot, whereas the boot should have been on the other (back)foot. An early goal created by Malbranque and Jenas for Berbatov to knock across the line, after taking a touch to control it … and all inside the six yard box, should have signalled an onslaught on the Blackburn goal. Well, it did … of sorts, but the failing that has haunted the Tottenham team all season in not being able to kill off teams returned like a ghost of points lost past.

Ramos really needs to address four things.

1. The goalkeeping position.
Cerny was back today, for a supposedly injured Paul Robinson. Either the club are being kind to him in covering up the reason why he is not playing or he is having a nightmare medically off the field, as well as having a mare on the field. Cerny looks a solid enough keeper, but he fails to make the big saves. Witness what Friedel did for Rovers. He made enough saves to justifiably say he kept them in the game and earned them a point. Cerny made the routine saves, but failed to totally convince. Will the Spanish coach keep Robinson ? From what he has seen of him, I would have thought not.

2. Why Spurs are unable to score more goals once they have the opposition on the rack.
With over 60 goals scored, getting them into the net is not a problem, but why is it so difficult when they are seeking to put the other side under the cosh ? I fail to see why it becomes harder to put the ball between the posts and under the bar.

3. The defence.
I would keep Michael Dawson, despite his current crisis of confidence. Jonathan Woodgate had impressed me, even though in his Middlesbrough performances against us, he didn’t really shine. Alan Hutton is immense – in talent and size, although he hits the ground quicker than the hooves of a horse in the Grand National. With Gareth Bale to return from his foot injury to replace the hapless Chimbonda, the first choice back four would only perhaps need another central defender to challenge Dawson for his place. Gilberto can cover left back, Gunter right back and if they let Gardner go, they might consider promoting Archibald-Henville or Dervite to compete with Kaboul for the other back-up central defender role.

4. Where the supply line from wide positions is going to come from.
We hear rumours about Lennon being sold off and N’Zogbia coming in, with the most likely signing (if Ramos can get him) being Diego Capel of the coach’s former club Sevilla. Malbranque is not getting any younger and although he has been one of the most consistent performers this season, he may be sidelined next term if Ramos can find a suitable new-comer.

So, Damien Comolli will need to be racking up the air miles to find the men that Ramos wants and needs to take Tottenham to the next step. I thought this game would end in a draw and with nothing to play for, Spurs, for once, seemed to be determined to prove some sort of point.

Maybe it was the one that took them to 40 at long last.

I know the season is fading like the light from a fag end, but perhaps if someone tells them that if they can try to get to 50 it might make it interesting. Message received ?

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg.com

Thieving Magpies

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:41:20 +0100

Well, British Summer Time is here and don’t the Spurs players just know it ?? All that was missing today were a few deckchairs and some sun-tan lotion as the players basked in the spring sunshine and the glory of their League Cup win.

But hold on ... that was five weeks ago and is now approaching ancient history.

With the side sat in mid-table and being relatively safe because of the paucity of quality at the very bottom of the table, Spurs players probably think they are safe; even though they have not yet reached 40 points.

Safe from relegation they may be (although I will feel better when we have six more points in the bag), but safe from Juande Ramos’ axe they are most certainly not. The Spaniard will be scrutinising every player’s move between now and the end of the season to see if there is anything in their make up that can benefit his plans for taking the club forward. There is no doubt that some players will be imported during the summer and talk of “sweat camps” and end of season friendlies should send a message to the players that doesn’t require a mobile phone.

Newcastle United have been struggling this season, but the Tottenham team managed to make them look like world beaters in the second half of this match. I am grateful we were not playing Derby as they might have added their second victory of the campaign to that over the Toon.

The first half was as open as a game could be with both teams fielding three forwards each. But it was Beye that hit the bar when presented with the ball in the box by the benevolent Jonathan Woodgate. Then Robinson recovered a bit of his reputation (although maybe not soon enough for Ramos to keep him), as he dived to his left to stop Barton’s low shot.

When Tottenham went forward, they looked threatening, as has been the pattern this season. Keane dragged a shot across the face of goal and Berbatov fired over with a lot of bodies between him and the net. Bent put a weak shot at Harper after being put through, but when Steed Malbranque put in a steepling cross, it was the £16 million man who rose to nod a towering header past the keeper to give Tottenham the lead.

It looked like that was it then. It was just a question of how many. Not, as someone on the radio phone-ins said, that Tottenham shut up shop. If that was the case, it would be akin to inviting looters to queue up in an orderly fashion while opportunities to rifle through the defence came along.
Dawson’s faintly ridiculous push on Martins (how did the Newcastle man win headers against him for most of the game ?) gave Geremi the opportunity to fire the ball through (I think) the wall and past the keeper.

Mark Viduka’s leave put Michael Owen in with the chance of bending the ball round Robinson. No chance of the Englandstriker picking up an injury this year, as there was barely a tackle worthy of the name going in from players in a plain white shirt.

In comparison, Newcastle were getting after the Tottenham players with vigour. Sensing that they would not get a better chance to pick up an easy three points, the Tooners closed Spurs players down, put in challenges that an under-10 should hold off and came out with the ball.

In the end they didn’t even have to do that. Substitute Adel Taarabt came on probably with the words of the coaches ringing in his ears to go out and run at the opposition. He might have taken them at their word, as he bumped into black and white shirts and lost the ball, but then, with seven minutes to go, he received the ball halfway in Newcastle half and passed it square … straight to a United player. Two passes later, the ball was in front of Martins, who turned Tainio and then the ball was behind Robinson.

One defeat does not make Spurs a poor side, but it is the form since the win over Chelsea at Wembley that is worrying. They bucked up to get a point against Chelsea, beat a Portsmouth side without a few of their first-choice players and who came to WHL for a draw, overcame a poor West Ham team reduced to ten men for half the game and have since lost to Manchester City, Birmingham City and lost to PSV at home, looking a shadow of themselves.

The new formation failed to work and when Ramos decided to change it, his choice of Aaron Lennon on the left wing was not the best for the team nor the player he had criticised for his lack of end product. Why put him on his bad foot ?

The Head Coach might have been trying things out for the future, but with some of the teams behind us catching up and the gap between us and West Ham United in tenth not narrowing, Spurs fans want to see them competing in every game. Don’t forget, an extra place up the table earns £500,000, which is surely an inducement for the board if not the players.

There was a bad start to the season, but that is now even further in the distance than the League Cup win. Things need to be put in a positive frame of mind going into the summer, otherwise, it might be tough if Tottenham want to persuade top players to come to a bottom half of the table team.
“Can We Play You Every Week ?” begged the Toon Army.

I am hopeful that Ramos will ensure that nobody wants to do that, but he has a job and a half on his hands unless the players wake up and smell the vitriol from the fans.

Sudden Impact

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:52:18 +0000

You might think that it was a suitable idea for a Hollywood script. Football star makes big money move to big club. Finds himself out of favour. Comes on in game tied at nil-all. Scores goal to break deadlock and then sets up a second goal a minute later.

But for Darren Bent it is real life and comments he has been accredited as making over the Easter weekend indicate that he might not be satisfied with the role he is being given to play.

Unfortunately for Bent, the casting director is not one who is basking in glory over some of his players in this story. Currently, the new producer of the next Spurs team is looking at the cast list and will be picking those he believes has star quality to star in forthcoming attractions next season.

For the former Charlton Athletic striker, the on-pitch time is limited and he sees himself type-cast as the “new Jermain Defoe.” Well, at the moment, the producer is looking at the best way to get a performance out of the star man. It did seem to work out on this occasions, as his two supporting lead men – Berbatov and Keane – stayed alongside him in the final scenes and he was supplied the lines by promising back-up Tom Huddlestone.

Chasing his dream of a ball over the top, he ran into the left wing position and produced a telling ball as an assistant for young idol Jamie O’Hara to notch his debut Premier League strike.

It was the feel-good ending Spurs fans had been hoping for with Portsmouth donning the curly moustache and black hat to set out their defence of their goal with every last ounce of effort. But “Hangdog” Harry Redknapp’s troops could not hold out at the Alamo forever. A Keystone Kops moment almost ensued when Keane hid behind a goalpost to rush out and nearly nip the ball off James’ toe, but it was the big finish that earned Spurs the rave reviews and Pompey had that sinking feeling. The South Coast club are obviously going for the big return to Wembley, with a crock of gold awaiting at the end of that particular rainbow, should they find success.

But meanwhile, back at the ranch …

Some of the action Bent has had so far this season has been consigned to the cutting room floor. The move to a different level has left him lacking exposure and also being put in the shade by his fellow players. For all his exploits in his Charlton Athletic B movie roles, he has found it difficult to find his motivation as he has been introduced in the closing stages of each performance.

But he has made a difference when he has been put in the spotlight. His goals are attainable and are mounting up as the season continues, but this may not be what he sees as his chance to win the golden globes. One piece of silverware in his first season isn’t bad going, but with ambition riding high, he might choose to ride of into the sunset.

Wyart Lane

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory

www.mehstg.com

Grant us three wishes

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:06:23 +0000

Once Chelsea regarded a trip to Three Point Lane as a merry jaunt to North London and much was as normal for them with 80 minutes gone and having taken a 4-3 lead after Tottenham had fought back to 3-3 from 1-3 down.

But what happened in the last five minutes may yet come back to haunt them and signal a change in fortune for Spurs.

Having already been beaten on their previous trip to North London just three weeks before in the League Cup Final, perhaps the journey might not be as comfortable as it used to be for the Pensioners.

Replacing the Chosen One was never going to be a simple task. For all the tea in China (or all the oil in certain arts of Russia for that matter), it was a poisoned chalice that container the heady brew that the Blues fans are not finding to be true. Avram Grant lacks the character, the tactical nous and the overcoat of Jose Mourinho. What he also lacks is the luck of the Portugeezer.

While Chelsea having been grinding out 1-0s against all and sundry against the backdrop of press coverage that labels them as dour and efficient, this game opened up from the third minute, when Drogba appealed for a handball from a free-kick that hit the wall and managed to sneak onto the end of a cross to head the away side into the lead.

Having lead the match from that time until Tottenham’s equaliser at 3-3, the match took a turn in the direction of the Lilywhites when first Grant took off Kalou to be replaced by Alex to defend the lead. Ballack then came on for Joe Cole to shore up the midfield and Spurs pushed forward to seek an equaliser, which came when the ball hit the back of the neck of a defender and Robbie Keane did what he has done all season and seized on the loose ball to instinctively loop a shot over Cudicini from outside the area to hit the net and spark great celebrations.

Two minutes from time and Tottenham were level again. The Chelsea support went very quiet, but at least some of them stayed until the end this time. Just long enough to see Dimitar Berbatov take the ball in the penalty area, shimmy to evade Alex’s desperate lunge and stand facing goal with only Cudicini to beat. His shot was struck true and firm, but the Italian keeper stood up and stuck out a strong hand to make a really good save to keep the ball out. Then the final whistle went and Spurs fans left feeling disappointed that the three points at the lane were not theirs.

It is not an exaggeration to say that Tottenham were brittle at the back. Twice we were cut open by Joe Cole for his goals and once previously when he set up Essien for his strike. One of Cole’s goals started with a throw-in and the players did not switch on at all, leaving the ball to be played across the edge of the penalty area for Cole to finish past Robinson.

While three of the goals came from Spurs backing off Chelsea, our goals were all well crafted or well-taken. Woodgate’s prodigious leap looked like he was climbing all over Drogba’s sizeable back, but when seen again on the big screen he only made contact as he came down after rising really high to power his header past Cudicini.

We had to wait until the second half for the second – another header from another set-piece, as Berbatov jumped and looped a header over the Chelsea keeper, who looked like he should have been better positioned to save it.

But these were nothing to compare to our third and fourth. The ball dropped to the far post from a corner and Tom Huddlestone showed great composure to thump a left foot shot through a crowd and in at the other post. That made it 3-3. Keane’s fourth was just as good.

It is a shame that the game was marred by Mike Riley’s weak refereeing. His failure to send off Cashley Cole for his late, high tackle on Alan Hutton was shameful and his insistence on booking people for dissent puts the yellow card on the same level as the foul by the Chelsea number 3. The fact that Cole showed further dissent by turning his back on the ref was allowed to go unpunished, which conflicts with how Riley dealt with dissent in other incidents in the game.

He also attracted a crowd of dissenters, when Terry and co. gathered around him to protest Cole’s innocence, something I thought was to be dealt with. Then came Huddlestone’s booking for diving. Fair enough, but where were the same yellow cards for Joe Cole and Didier Drogba, who must be the biggest bloke in the world who gets knocked over by the slightest touch ? I don’t mind the referee being strict, but I would prefer that they be consistent.

Perhaps the most unseemly side to Chelsea is their bullying and intimidation. Terry was running out of the Tottenham penalty area when a Chelsea corner was cleared and ran past Chimbonda, who was on the floor, making contact with the defender’s head with his knee. Drogba pulls players and spins them around after they have passed the ball. Makelele makes sure that he gets there as soon as he cane, but often not as soon as he should. At the back, players hit opponents from behind and get the free-kick given against them, but there is the bigger deterrent of fearing you are going to be clattered every time you receive the ball.

For once I agree with Alex Ferguson about players getting protection.

But take a look at Henk Ten Cate on the highlights when Hutton gets taken out by Cashley. His over-aggressive approach is one which has little place in the game. It is splashed all over the papers that he has clashed with Chelsea players and that he may be the victim of a power struggle. If he is ousted, it may the best thing for everyone.

I fail to see why it is necessary for Chelsea to resort to such tactics, unless they are the only ones that Grant is good at. If they are as good a side as their fans on the phone-ins say they are … and they showed in flashes that they can be an effective attacking force … then why do they need to perpetrate such strong-arm tactics ? Although they would not enjoy the comparison, they are turning into a modern-day version of the Leeds United side of the 1970s.

They may be successful, but their circle of friends is disappearing faster than a 4-3 lead with minutes left.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg.com