Spurs reach Cup Finals? (In shortest season ever)

A Short read
By Sunshine
February 2 2006

What should this piece be about? The result away to Fulham? The transfer window? Perhaps the strengths of the squad or maybe its weaknesses? How about our position in the league and where we’ll finish come May?

Should the tone be upbeat, should it reflect the intense frustration that most Spurs fans are feeling right now or should it have a darker, more depressing slant?

Every few months, I find it useful to write down my thoughts, without first going back to read what I’ve written in the past, in order to record, to gauge my perception of where the club is and how views, my ones in particular, have changed, if at all. Expect this piece to be an insomniac’s delight.

First off, let me say that if someone had offered me 4th spot in the league going into February, above AFC of all clubs, I’d have questioned their sanity. We were serious contenders for relegation a mere two seasons ago and scraped 14th spot in the league thanks to a decent run at the very start of 2004. Last season our form seesawed, but we still managed to progress and come May we’d claimed 9th place. This season a top 6 finish appears more probable than not, but the problem is that being 4th at this stage of the season, with just 14 games left and having already played Liverpool twice, 6th spot will almost seem like a disappointment. It would be nothing of the sort. It would be tangible evidence that the club are on the right track.

Spurs’ ideal (in my opinion, of course) first team this season was not a consolidated unit, far from it. Seven of the ten outfield players are either new (five of them: Jenas, Tainio, Davids, Lee and Stalteri) or were bit part players (two: Mido and Dawson) last season. That Jol has managed to mould them into an effective (if sometimes not exactly pretty) team at the drop of a hat is an achievement which should not be underestimated, especially by those who have started to question our Dutch coach's selections and tactics.

On the eve of the new campaign, I predicted that we’d finish 6th and I’ve seen nothing to make me want to change that prediction. Of course I’d rue what I’d consider a missed opportunity for a Champions League finish, but then the reality of the situation would kick in and I’d be pleased with our progress. The club obviously has a plan and it looks for all the world like it’s working.

Spurs have a young squad and it isn’t just full of potential, it has quality. It is also seriously flawed and although those flaws were not eliminated in these last two transfer windows, it is evident that the club are well aware of them and have at least tried (unsuccessfully for the most part) to address them. Comolli’s motto should be “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”. I’m certain that it is, just as I’m certain that he’ll come up with the goods, given time. Fortunately, given some of the comments I’ve read after this transfer window shut, he isn’t a player, so he won’t have to suffer the indignity of listening to the minority of morons amongst Spurs fans booing him or cheering ironically every time he attempts to do something (‘yes’, I am annoyed at the treatment that Rasiak receives from certain so-called fans). Don’t let the b_astards grind you down, Comolli (same goes for Rasiak whilst he’s wearing the Spurs shirt).

This January was a rumour-whore’s paradise, with cast-iron links to some very impressive players (Torres, in primis), but yet again we have been left chasing shadows. In the past, being knocked back has been of great embarrassment to many fans, but things they are a-changing and the way a modern continental Director of Football set up works means that there will be ever more irons in the fire and the percentage of deals that actually follow through to a successful conclusion will be lower and lower. Get used to it.

One of the deals that did come off was for Murphy, a player who had not only snubbed us 18 months ago, but had also claimed that Charlton were a bigger (whatever that may mean) club than Spurs. Unfortunately, the enthusiasm for what I believe will prove an excellent signing was somewhat dampened by the late, late loss to Fulham. He’s a player of great experience, one that has had the fundamentals of the game well drilled into him during his time at Liverpool, where he blossomed into a fringe England player. In a squad dominated by youth and what I sense is a certain lack of true belief amongst many players, a nasty piece of work (in a footballing sense) like Murphy is a welcome addition.

It is a pity that, with Davids missing (not to mention Tainio and Lee) from the line up which faced Fulham, Murphy wasn’t already on board, we could have done with him. As it turned out, we lost a game that we should have easily won. No disrespect to Fulham, but they were there for the taking and even when we went a man down, I still felt we could have come away with all 3 points.

Here are my ratings for the Spurs players that took part:

Robinson – 7
Didn’t have too much to do, but was always ready when called upon. A good performance, he could do nothing about the last gasp goal. We are lucky to have a player of his calibre guarding our goal.

Stalteri – 6.5
If he reads the stuff that gets written about him he must be sick and tired of the term ‘solid’. Another ‘solid’ performance by the Canadian. He’s an honest player who does what it says on the tin. Quite heavily criticised in his first few months at the club, given that many of our fans are snobs who take an instant dislike to anyone whose game isn’t pleasing on the eye, he has put together ever more impressive performances to silence the doubters. Against Fulham he kept a tricky customer like Boa Morte quiet, which is no mean feat. That said, I’m going to be harsh and state, after over half a season of watching him, that if Spurs’ objective is the top 4 (next season, hopefully), he can’t be anything more than a back up player. The club would, given their attempts to sign Zebina (who can play centre back, but is in essence a fullback), appear to agree with me.

Kelly – 5
I know he was out of position on the left and I know he hasn’t played much this term, but Kelly looks average to me. If West Ham really were ready to fork out a couple of million for his services (his contract is up in June, so this transfer window was our last chance to cash in, unless a tribunal goes nuts and places a huge value on him, which I doubt), then I’d have let him go and not allowed Ifil to leave the club on loan yet again, since I rate young Ifil far more highly, even at his still tender age.

Dawson – 5
The sending off didn’t influence my opinion. The lad won his fair share of headers and got some good tackles in, but he wasn’t his usual self. The Fulham forwards made sure he was wound up and, with a referee who wasn’t exactly shy of pulling out the yellow card, it was just a matter of time before Dawson left the field before the rest of his team mates. He shouldn’t be crucified for having an off game, since youngsters do tend to be inconsistent, but even though I feel we’re onto a winner with him, it’s plain as the very large nose on his face that he has a long way to go before we can be totally comfortable with him being King’s first choice partner.

King – 6
Players of his ilk can play well below their usual standards and still be effective. King isn’t 100%, because he’s carrying an awkward injury, and it shows. His importance to the side is not in doubt, but there are two things that I’m hoping: The first is that he doesn’t break down through injury for another 14 league matches; The second is that his injury problems get sorted out before the start of the new season.

Lennon – 7
I’d hate to be a defender with this bloke running at me with the ball at his feet. His technique and his tactical awareness still need working on, but when someone has as much pace as he does, those ‘details’ aren’t enough to dent the impact that he can have on a game. He looked an unhappy bunny throughout the game, but I just hope that that is his way of showing concentration, since nothing would please me more than seeing him tear around the pitch in a Spurs shirt for a very long time (or until he loses a yard of pace).

Reid – 6
I refuse to lay into the lad. He has played only a handful of games this season, he has been injured and his confidence is clearly at rock bottom. To make matters worse, he hobbled off early on in this game, throwing away yet another chance to regain some credibility amongst the fans and the coaches at the club. He had a very clever pop at goal go just high against Fulham and had that gone in, I think we’d have seen a very different Reid to the one that so many fans have already written off, despite his age and despite the quality of his left peg, which for the Premiership is not too shabby at all. Those expecting a gung-ho winger who races down the left flank will always be disappointed in this player and, given the direction in which things look to be heading, I very much doubt whether our Irish international will be at the club come next September. If that is to be the case, then I hope that we at least get some serious wedge for a player who can still have a bright future in top flight football ahead of him.

Carrick – 6
An elegant player who is precious in defence almost as much as he is when Spurs have the ball. He’s a ‘Work in Progress’ player, not yet the finished article, despite the way in which many pundits rave about him. Carrick does not need to improve his technique, his passing, his heading, his movement – he needs to develop his character, become more charismatic, he needs to become the leader of the team on the pitch. His role is to dictate our play, rather like the man who keeps time using a drum on Roman war ships so that the slaves doing the rowing know when to up the tempo and when to slow it down. He has the most delicate outfield role on the pitch, he’s the one who everyone looks to in order to produce the killer pass, he’s the one who should always be available in the middle of the park to receive a pass from a team mate who is in trouble. He is a fundamental player for Spurs and if we don’t control matches, he’s the one who will usually be responsible.

Jenas – 6.5
If Carrick is elegant, this guy plays the game like it should be a catwalk event in Paris or Milan, rather than a muddy pitch on a cold night somewhere in London. Jenas is missing one vital ingredient in order to make the step up from being a very good player with massive potential to one of the very best midfielders in the country: Fight. For just a moment, can you imagine a player with his pace and his athleticism combined with Davids’ mentality? It would be scary. Unfortunately, I simply don’t think that he has it in him. He’ll be a good player for Spurs, well worth the £7m we shelled out for him, but he’ll never be the legend that his ability deserves. He even scores the odd goal, here and there, which is practically unheard of for a midfielder wearing one of our shirts.

Keane – 6
I have a great deal of respect for Keane. He was one of the few players who made it possible for us to avoid relegation two years ago. He also has a lot of skill and his effort, in particular when he’s given the armband in King’s absence, can not be faulted. He may be a whining ninny at times, but his heart’s in the right place. Unfortunately, Keane will never be a top notch striker. He’s better than an off form Defoe, but on an even playing field, it really is no contest. Despite Fulham being a poor side, he was hardly ever a threat, which is a damning indictment for a striker.

Rasiak – 4
Go on, admit it, if you’re still reading this piece, this is the opinion that you’ve been waiting for, isn’t it? A good, old slagging off of a useless lump who can’t even win a free header when under no pressure in the middle of the park.
Well, you’d be wrong.
Despite looking as out of place as any number 9 I’ve ever seen in a Spurs shirt (more so, in fact…by a country mile, thinking about it), he tried hard, tried to put himself about and can hold his head up high when he picks up his wages. The toe rags that booed, jeered or cheered him ironically every time he received the ball should be ashamed of themselves. I hope his wages come directly out of the money that those idiots pay for tickets, merchandise, food and drink (when at White Hart Lane).
No one will be surprised to hear that I don’t think that Rasiak is a Premiership quality player. He isn’t. He isn’t commanding in the air, he doesn’t have any pace to speak of, he hasn’t got good feet and his speed of execution is comparable to the time it takes an inmate on death row in the U.S. to finally be administered the lethal injection which takes his life: Years (or, in Rasiak’s case, what seems like years).
So, who’s fault is it? Is it his fault he’s not better than he is? Does he not try as hard as he can? Perhaps he doesn’t want to be successful at Spurs.
One of the golden rules in management is that if someone isn’t up to doing a job, the responsibility lies with the person that gave them that job to do. I’m not one to overly criticise Jol, but I recognise that even someone who has done as sterling a job as he has so far, isn’t immune to the odd, glaring mistake.
I suppose the message I’m trying to convey (by the way, how’s the lad getting on at Reading? …”convey”…Bobby Convey…remember him?) to the morons who taunt him during matches is “Lay off Rasiak” and go play with the cars on a motorway.

Huddlestone – 6.5
Again, an elegant player and at only 18, his future looks very rosy indeed. However, with all these ‘elegant’ players in midfield, once Davids hangs up his boots, we run the risk of becoming a bit of a soft touch once again (which is why I’m particularly pleased that we’ve seen fit to draft in Murphy). I think he did well when he came on, but a player of his characteristics, with Carrick already on the pitch, was not what we needed. We needed a terrier. It’s not Huddlestone’s fault, granted, but I tend to attribute ratings on how effective a player was for the team, not just how much potential he showed or how well he did for such a young man. A loss, even with a midfield with an average age of just 21, is still worth zero points.

Defoe – 6
He needs to be given his place back in the starting line up, because sitting on the bench seems to be destroying him. Did OK when he came on and had a decent shot on goal, but you can easily tell that he needs an injection of faith on the part of the manager. We know how devastating Defoe can be and now that we’ve stuttered (3 losses from our last 4 games), if we’re to stand any chance of securing that dream 4th place (I know, I know…but even realists are allowed to dream), we need to get him firing on all cylinders again (and Murphy may just be the man who puts in the petrol and turns the ignition key).

Gardner – 6
The only thing greater than the potential that this player has is the certainty that he’s never going to fulfil it. At 25 and Spurs’ third most senior player in terms of appearances (I believe), Gardner can no longer be regarded as a prospect. If we can get in a replacement and we can get good money for him, I won’t be sad to see him leave the club. Frustrated, ‘yes’, but not sad. Didn’t do much wrong in his short spell on the pitch yesterday (except miss an open goal with his directionless header), but simply not up to the standard that a top 6 defender should be. He’s also injury prone, which in no way helps his cause. Flog him and let that characteristic become someone else’s problem.

What about the players that didn’t get any playing time the other day?

Cerny - A very good back up keeper to have. He’s dependable, showed his mettle in the Peace Cup tournament and accepts his role as back up to Robinson with serenity and professionalism. What more can we ask?

Lee – Comes in for some quite hefty criticism because despite being a left back, his left peg isn’t exactly non plus ultra and also because being a slight fellow, he can at times be out-muscled. It has become clear that many teams target our left flank, which means that he has been identified as the weak link in the defensive set up. Personally, I think he does a very good job, his stamina is excellent and he really does cover miles and miles of ground in every game. If he could cross consistently well with his left foot, he’d represent a devastating attacking threat, given the ease with which he reaches the by-line. He has very quick feet and most opponents will be content to jocky him, with the few that do decide to dive in being made to look like mugs 9 times out of 10. The lack of cover for Lee (Kelly is hardly a satisfactory reserve) is a worry, but Lee himself does not represent cause for concern , not in my book.

Davenport – He has never been given a chance to show whether he can cut it in defence in our first XI, despite being highly thought of by the fans of clubs to which he has been loaned (Southampton excepted, but that was a very particular set of circumstances). I see him as back up to Dawson and would prefer to see him take the field alongside King in Dawson’s absence, rather than Gardner. If he fails to impress, then I’m sure we’ll have no trouble getting a decent fee for him from one of the better Championship sides, come the summer.

Naybet – Written off as being too old and slow, his performances in the African Cup of Nations have shown that he still has what it takes. If Jol does not trust Davenport to fill in during Dawson’s two day enforced absence from the side, then I think Naybet should partner King, not Gardner. Gardner will get the nod, of course, but it won’t be the first, nor the last time that one of Jol’s selections has left me baffled.

Tainio – Here is a player that has already won the hearts of the supporters. He is 100% committed to the club and it shows in every single minute he spends on the pitch. Quick feet, strong in the tackle, an eye for goal and the willingness to run all day, he has been an excellent signing. To think that he joined on a Bosman Free makes the whole thing even sweeter. Although his favourite position is the ‘Davids’ role, I feel that he doesn’t have the stature to carry it off as effectively as the little Dutchman. Great player to have in the squad, though.

Davids – When he joined, many experts said that although his passing would still be top notch, he was old, a victim of recent long-term injury, had failed to impress at Inter the year before, was a mercenary who had only joined for the money and no longer had the legs for the game, never mind in such a physical, fast moving league such as the Premiership. An over the hill, has-been, former world class player.
At the time, I said that these so-called experts were talking complete rubbish and argued Davids’ corner energetically.
I had no doubts, not even the smallest, about the impact he’d have at our club: He has been magnificent, there is no other word for it. I won’t add much more, since it would only serve to distract from the simple accuracy of this statement (just the one thing: As I also said at the time, his passing isn’t all that – the ‘experts’ couldn’t even get that right).

Mido – I’ve been impressed by the attitude of this former ‘bad boy’. He has knuckled down, trimmed down and done the business for the club, despite many questioning his commitment due to the fact that he is only here on loan. Well done, son. However, even though he is still very much a young man and still has much to learn, I don’t think he should be anything more than a back up option for the front line if we have serious ambitions of breaking into the top 4 on a regular basis. A big centre forward, he makes his presence felt, but he also has plenty of skill. His aerial ability in front of goal is not as good as it should be and he is not as single-minded (when it comes to going for goal) as a striker should be, in my opinion. If we sign a quality target man who keeps Mido out of the starting XI, then I wouldn’t bet my mortgage on his attitude remaining faultless – call it a gut feeling.

Ghaly – I can’t comment on our new recruit. Jol and Comolli obviously rate him and the presence of Mido in the squad should make him settle a lot quicker. If he is as good as reports suggest (when he’s on form), then we might just have ourselves a bargain. If, on the other hand, Mido were to leave and this bloke’s mood were to subsequently rollercoaster, there’ll be trouble at mill. All bets are off, for the time being.

That’s the majority of the first team squad covered, how about the boys that have left the club?

Five ‘senior’ players joined other outfits this January: Routledge (on loan), Davis, Mendes and Pamarot joined Portsmouth, with Brown finding a new home at Fulham.

Let me be absolutely clear about one thing, whilst I had plenty of time for each of these players, the fact is that their collective impact on our charge to momentary 4th place in the league was as close to zero as dammit. Because of injury or simply because they were not picked (Mendes), I doubt whether they started more than a dozen league matches between them. Our season will be no worse off now that they are no longer at the club.

I hope Routledge has an impressive stint on the south coast and comes back fully fit and raring to go next season, but I must say that I’ve found his attitude since returning from a lengthy injury lay off quite disturbing. He was meant to get 30 minutes of playing time in his first game back, but was called upon early due to a first half injury to Tainio. Later in the match, Jol saw fit to substitute him, after he’d been involved for far more than the half hour that had been planned, and the look of disgust on the former Palace man’s face as he walked off quite frankly made me want to wring his neck. I can understand him being disappointed, but one thing that grates with me is petulance, particularly from a youngster who had only just recovered from injury. A subsequent, and recent, newspaper article in which Routledge complains about not being played has only served to deepen my suspicions about him. I hope that my fears are ill-founded, but if they’re not, I’d rather not keep a Mark 2 version (attitude wise) of Etherington on the payroll.

Injury robbed us of ever seeing the best of Davis. He is a player who, fitness permitting, can really do a lot for any team he plays for. Unfortunately, in football, things don’t always work out for the best and I was sad to see him leave, even though I understood the decision to move him on. I hope Portsmouth get relegated, but only because I don’t want him (or any of our other former players there) to come back to haunt us as early as next season. To see Davis stay fit and play regularly would be a fine thing and I’m sure that most Spurs fans would agree.

I like Mendes a lot, I think that tactically he’s a very precious player. His problem was the emergence of Carrick, since both were vying for the role of the side’s heartbeat (the playmaker role). Carrick won the race under Jol and has managed to stay uncharacteristically (given his track record at West Ham) injury free, meaning that opportunities for Mendes to prove his worth and stake a claim for a starting berth were (almost) as rare as a credible picture of Campbell with a woman. He’ll do well wherever he’s given a fair crack of the whip and I wish him well.

Pamarot came in for a lot of stick in his time at Spurs because ‘thunder-thighs’ was never seen as a Spurs-type player. An honest ‘labourer’, he may have been on the clumsy side, but if our defence became a mean outfit in the first half of last season, no one could say that the Frenchman didn’t play his part. Would have been out of the club a lot earlier had he accepted a move to Southampton 12 months ago and, failing that, had he not been midway through a serious injury last summer. He’s another player who will do a decent job for Pompey.

Last, but not least, Brown. His performances often lacked quality, but in a midfield which had been bereft of any bite for such a long time, his willingness to get stuck in won over a lot of fans. He, Keane and Defoe are the three men (not ‘lads’, not ‘blokes’ or ‘chaps’, but “men”) that kept us in the top flight two seasons ago and for that he (they) will always have my gratitude.
As for the player’s ability, I think that a club such as Fulham is about right. Good luck to him.

Another aspect regarding the sale of the four players is the fact that we’ve pocketed around £9m, easily covering the cost of bringing in Murphy and Ghaly (£2m each, I’m lead to believe) - A £5m ‘profit’, plus another few hundred thousand pounds off the wage bill from now until June….and all without weakening the side. That equates to very good business from where I’m standing.

Of course, just like everyone else, I expected more from the January transfer window on the incomings front. I expected a quality target man and at least one quality leftie. We got neither. Whilst this is hugely disappointing, to react like a spoilt child by saying that the club have screwed up is out of order: The January transfer window, in particular, is a mugs game for clubs that are desperate to sign players. Had Portsmouth not been desperate, as well as cash rich, we would never have received over £7m for the three players that they bought from us. I did not want the same to be said of Spurs. I know it’s not (directly) my money, but I also know that the club’s finances are not infinite, which is why I do care about the ease with which Levy opens his chequebook.

Purchasing players also isn’t just a matter of money, it is also important that the right players are available and are willing to join Jol and Co down at The Lane. If the players we wanted could not be secured, then I, for one, am happy that we kept our powder dry, instead of panic buying – That sort of behaviour has come back to haunt us in the past (and, naming no names, still does).

The only thing that will make the opening of Ashburton Grove bearable next season will be if AFC don’t qualify for the Champions League at the end of the current campaign. I wouldn’t bet my arm on them failing to do so, despite their recent hiccups, but the seeds of doubt have been sewn in their heads and Wenger is probably facing the toughest task yet in his career in N5 (or wherever they are today….you can never tell when or where they’ll pitch their tents up, that lot).

The subject of stadium capacity is close to my heart. Whilst I do not believe that a club needs a huge stadium in order to be successful (AFC proved that…and Newcastle have proved the opposite), it is, under the right circumstances, a money making machine. With White Hart Lane rooted to its 36,000 seat capacity, sold out (or as good as) at every home, it is clear that Spurs are missing out on a large slice of potential extra revenue…and we’ve been rubbish for over a decade: Can you imagine how many seats we could fill if we were to become serious contenders for a top 4 spot and had European football to serve up most seasons?

Unfortunately, I keep hearing the same old, tired explanations, with the most popular one being the lack of adequate transport links. Well, I started going down The Lane when crowds of around 50,000 would turn up to watch the likes of Chivers and Gilzean grace the game and although I appreciate that much of the support is no longer so locally based, I get the feeling that the transport issue is more an excuse than an explanation.

Whatever the situation, whatever the obstacles, I hope that the Chairman gets this issue into gear, as I have a feeling that it has stalled and stalled badly…and that a few years down the line, we will pay the price for not having sorted out the problems now.

The new training complex also appears to be a slow burner. If Spurs are to re-establish themselves as one of the premier clubs in England, let alone in Europe, then state of the art facilities are a must, both in order to entice top players and to keep them fit and healthy in their time at the club.

Things aren’t perfect at Spurs, our squad is flawed, our manager makes mistakes, we haven’t got a large enough stadium and our current training facility is not to the standard that it should be.

However, Spurs do not compete against perfection. What I mean by that is that our rivals’ squads are far from flawless, they don’t all have managers who are as good as Jol, their training facilities aren’t all better and our stadium is far from being the smallest in the league. We don’t have to be perfect in order to be able to fare well in the Premiership. What we need to be is good, consistently good. We need to make a habit of putting points on the board and banish the ‘habit’ of losing matches.

It’s a question of mentality: We have to develop a winning one. Winners, like Davids, don’t give up, they don’t agonise over setbacks, they don’t wallow in self-pity. If they do fall, they pick themselves up, dust themselves off, learn from their mistakes and do their damnedest not to fall down again.

We have 14 games left this season….14 Cup Finals, there to be won or lost.

The question is: Are we the same old Spurs of the last decade or are we winners?