One thing we as Spurs fans have learnt over the years is that the league table doesn’t lie. After 38 games we find ourselves the 5th best team in the country. Is this a catastrophic disaster? Is it the end of the world? Of course not, we are where we are because that is where […]
Spurs: Close But Not Quite Ready
One thing we as Spurs fans have learnt over the years is that the league table doesn’t lie. After 38 games we find ourselves the 5th best team in the country. Is this a catastrophic disaster? Is it the end of the world? Of course not, we are where we are because that is where after ten months of football, we deserve to be. The summer will be painful, but think back, we have endured worse hours than finishing a mere six points off second.
Personally, although the Champions League brings increased revenue, allows us to play our league games on a Saturday, I am happy we didn’t qualify. The thing about Spurs is; we aren’t quite ready for another pop at Europe’s elite.
Having spent a large portion of money and time at White Hart Lane this season, I couldn’t shake the fact that we are a work in progress. Everyone who stood/sat at the ground, watched on SKY or some juddering stream will have seen our deficiencies. We aren’t ready yet, who would put out their best china, invite their in-laws round then serve a meal which is undercooked and missing the vital accompaniments?
[linequote]When our time comes, we will qualify because we deserve to, not because a North East team who have been poor all year decide to start playing.[/linequote]
We lack quality in certain areas and we lack 16 years of experience of doing just enough to win fourth place and qualify for the CL. We and Tottenham have learnt far more about ourselves this season by failing to qualify, than we would have by being thrown into a mid August two legged qualifier. When our time comes, we will qualify because we deserve to, not because a North East team who have been poor all year decide to start playing.
This will lead many to claim that by failing to qualify we automatically limit who we can sign, but truthfully is this really the case?
Could we really match the wages that are on offer at Chelsea or the soulless Emirates?
Could our wage structure be flexed to convince an Edinson Cavani or some other exotic import to forgo an oily pay slip in favour of a 50-50 chance of even being in the CL?
Our best hope remains having faith in Andre Villas-Boas, the team he is developing and capturing some bargains from across the continent. If it turns out to be yet another false dawn then so be it.
Those that support Spurs, (under the age of 52 at least) don’t support them for the league titles or regular silverware. We chose Spurs for that piece of magic that is unquantifiable.
If you fail to see what supporting Spurs is about, then you need to take this summer as a chance to collect your thoughts. It’s the Glory Game, but is also one full of pain, bitterness and disappointment, yet to be Spurs, is to always offer the other cheek and give the team another chance. We wear White and Blue, not just Blue.
[linequote]Our best hope remains having faith in Andre Villas-Boas, the team he is developing and capturing some bargains from across the continent. [/linequote]
From the last ten months we need to take the positives out of what has been a transitional season. Spurs have lost players, changed the staff, moved training base yet still we have moved forward. This season we have taken the first steps in hopefully putting together something tangible for 2013/14.
The biggest positive from 2012/13 is obviously the metamorphosis of Gareth Bale from being an added dimension to a focal point. His goals, his attitude and the way he has conducted himself should make us all proud at his development.
Whether we had finished 8th or 16th his emergence will prove to be priceless (or at least 60 million.) There will be a time when he leaves, but he will leave a product of Spurs not Southampton. Just as Man U is attached to Ronaldo, Bayern to Franz Beckenbauer, Boca to Maradona, Santos to Pele, so will Spurs be eternally connected to Bale.
What Spurs need to ensure now is that for the time we have left with him, AVB and Daniel Levy provide him with the right sort of players to help him continue his meteoric rise. Should those two combine well over the summer, perhaps we can hold on to him for a little bit longer?
In defence Hugo Lloris and Jan Vertonghen have added a fortitude to our back-line not seen since Ledley King’s knees started creaking. They have been stand out performers, and these two players will only improve and their role within the team will only increase in significance next year.
We signed these two players without a Tuesday/Wednesday night theme tune, which doomsayers amongst you honestly believe we can’t do similar this summer?
[linequote]Just as Man U is attached to Ronaldo, Bayern to Franz Beckenbauer, Boca to Maradona, Santos to Pele, so will Spurs be eternally connected to Bale.[/linequote]
As we spend the long summer nights attempting to fill the void that football leaves behind, we must remember not to be too be depressed and despondent about what could have been. We could waste days analysing a sloppy back pass at Anfield, or a late goal at Everton or even a dull performance here or there, but we shouldn’t. Take the positives, move on and look forward.
We all know an Arsenal fan who has already started his summer boasting tour, but regardless of whatever Arsene Wenger spin you put on it, the truth is the gap is closing. Why else would their fans be shaking with delight at Wonga Stadium as their team time wasted by the corner flag?
Arsenal haven’t done anything of note this season, bar finish above us. They came second in their CL group, were then dispatched by Bayern Munich, held to ransom by a forward, witnessed black scarf marches against their board and then endured home games with row upon row of empty seats. If this is the measure of modern day success, I am happy to wait for ours.
Tottenham are coming, all we need is patience. We’ve waited this long, what’s another summer in the grand scheme of things?
All views and opinions expressed in this article are the views and opinions of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of The Fighting Cock. We offer a platform for fans to commit their views to text and voice their thoughts. Football is a passionate game and as long as the views stay within the parameters of what is acceptable, we encourage people to write, get involved and share their thoughts on the mighty Tottenham Hotspur.
16 Comments
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21/05/2013 @ 6:34 pm
Thank you for putting into words exactly what I was thinking.
21/05/2013 @ 6:37 pm
We failed yet again and everybody is saying it’s okay I don’t understand? If Redknapp finished 5th this season he would of been crucified well he was crucified last season for finishing 4th so what’s changed? So many mistakes this season from Levy and AVB it’s unbelievable.
Levy thinks it’s a 35 game season and doesn’t sign players until the very last minute which results us with an unbalanced squad. We picked up 2 points from the first 9 available; we would of finished 2nd if we won the first three games. People talk about it being our highest ever total points tally but that doesn’t mean a thing if you still finish 5th. I don’t know what’s sadder not playing champions league football next season or playing Europa league football next season.
That brings me to AVB according to the press and our fans we have the best overall player in the league, the best defender in the league in Vertonghen and the best keeper in the league in Lloris and we still finish 5th, how is this possible? AVB played one of the worse players I have ever seen in a Tottenham shirt for years in Livermore for half a season, he played let’s say a ‘past it’ goalkeeper in Friedel for half the season and played the worst defender we have in Gallas for half a season AVB has made so many mistakes. I don’t think Dawson is anything special but he’s certainly better than Gallas.
We would be in the champions league right now if AVB actually wasn’t scared of people reactions and played Lloris from the start because let’s face it Friedel is a joke of a keeper stuck on the line of the goal. Friedel cost us champions league football, he also cost us the Europa league with his awful performance against Basel and he also cost us the FA cup against Leeds.
That brings me to Jermain Defoe ‘the goal machine’ as some ‘fans’ like to say but I see probably one of the worst strikers in the league. When he plays he must touch the ball about 10 times a game which is beyond a joke. I hear Adebayor getting dogs abuse from the fans at WHL and nothing when Defoe is playing it’s nothing more than flabbergasting.
Everyone knew we needed to sign a striker in January and I couldn’t believe my eyes when we never and that has cost us, Daniel Levy has cost us again by not backing the manager he did it with Redknapp last year and now he’s done it with AVB.
That brings me to my last point and this summer transfer window, if we want to achieve anything next season AVB needs the backing from Levy. We need a complete overhaul of strikers I pray to the heavens every day that we will sell Defoe and I hope Adebayor is sold as well. Maybe we will sign Benteke maybe Damiao but I know one thing for certain we need fresh blood upfront. We have never replaced the quality of Berbatov when we sold him all them years ago…. WE HAVE TO THIS SUMMER.
We also need to try and I mean try to get rid of the average (I’m not really sure if premiership level) players we currently have on the books which includes: Bentley, Livermore, Huddlestone, Parker, BAE, Friedel, Gomes, Dempsey and Gallas who’s contract is up (Thank God) just to name a few.
It’s going to be a long hard summer of speculation of players coming in and out of the football club especially of a certain chap called Gareth Bale but with or without him next season we need to break in to the top 4 or it could be curtains for us (well until the new stadium in built anyway).
With the top 3 having new managers next season we have a chance to do something special so Mr Levy don’t let me down!
COYS
21/05/2013 @ 7:56 pm
The Fighting Cock i a great blog. What I like the most about it is the positive vibe it brings even in our darkest hour! We’ve missed out to arse*al by 1 point on the final day of the campaign in 3 of the last 7 seasons (dodgy lasagna, useless west brom reserve keeper, hopeless geordies). I’m convinces, however, that we’re moving in the right direction. This is Spurs, we have to believe. In Levy and AVB we trust. COYS…
21/05/2013 @ 8:11 pm
Considering everything, last season was not a failure. You have to accept the teams who finished in the top four were better equipped to do so, but to go so close gives me great comfort that we are on the way up. I, for one, am very excited that next season could be something very special. But then again, I am the eternal optimist when it comes to my love of Tottenham.
Keep the faith. COYS….
21/05/2013 @ 8:19 pm
Your argument that when players move on it makes the following season “transitional” is ridiculous (and anyway we moved backwards, 4th place to 5th) unless you mean the change of manager which is also absurd as Utd, City and Chelsea (again) will prove next season. We added Lloris and Vertonghen who are absolute class acts and lost Modric and VDV, the latter because the new manager didn’t rate him (I knew there and then that AVB doesn’t have what it takes). We could and should have qualified for the CL but didn’t for one simple reason, AVB is far too cautious. Look at Sunday and in a must win game he pairs Huddlestone with Parker and plays one centre forward. Okay, Bale gets him out-of-jail yet again with yet another last mintute belter but the damage had already been done. We needed to be winning at half-time and had All-Very-Boring been just a little more adventurous we would have been 3 or 4 up with no need to rely on being given a penalty. The trouble is Bale, as good as he is, can’t be expected to do it every week and you will remember the recent must win games at Wigan and Chelsea when the Huddlestone/Parker combination came up short. Now then, if Levy somehow convinces the likes of Hulk and Moutinho (is it any wonder that Porto won every game with those two playing) or Benteke and Villa to sogn then we will finish top 4 even if you put me in charge! AVB, very nice man, very, very average manager.
21/05/2013 @ 8:41 pm
Rubbish….more points than ever before, a tighter squad, better ends to games and seasons….no strikers who are up for the job.
your argument stinks.
Redknapp was shite…a chancer if there ever was one. In Levy I trust. You should support the gooners.
21/05/2013 @ 9:09 pm
“more points than ever before” (and?), ” a tighter squad” (that’s nice), “better ends to games” (needlessly), “and seasons” (what?) , “no strikers who are up for the job” (might have helped if two had been picked together)……and you say my argument stinks! Go on, I’ll let you try again because your first effort wasn’t very good was it.
22/05/2013 @ 1:46 am
Are you really advocating playing Ade and Defoe together? Did you not watch any games this season? when these two play together they are less than useless. Defoe especially. Playing 2 strikers does not mean you will be more attacking. How many teams in the premier league play 2 upfront? None in the Top 5, each have a CF leading the line a la Van Persie, Torres, Ba, Giroud etc etc. The reason VDV was let go is because he cannot last more than 60 minutes as his hamstrings are ruined. He doesnt fit with AVB’s plan of moving to a 4-3-3 formation. You mention being a bit more adventurous on the last day.. How exactly would this have been done? Battered them for the majority of the game and were undone by some suspect refereeing. In the second half we threw men forward and switched to playing three at the back. Please let me know what more AVB could have done so we can forward your details to the board to appoint you as the next coach as you obviously know a lot more than someone who is paid thousands of pounds to do the job.
22/05/2013 @ 6:35 am
On Sunday, yes, we needed two strikers so either Defoe or even Dempsey (as no point in having him anywhere else despite AVB’s masterplan to keep playing him in midfield where he is an absolute joke). Utd and City DO play two strikers, Chelsea haven’t and hence the reason they fallen away as title challengers for the last two seasons. Have you also forgotten what VDV did for us, created goals, scored goals and always an outlet (everything Dembele isn’t). Pure class and I’d take 60 minutes of that rather than AVB’s more mundane 90 minute offerings. As for taking Benny off (he shouldn’t have even started) and going 3 at the back, yes, I did like that and have been saying it all season so just a shame it took the All-Very-Boring one so long (37 games and 82 mintues to be precise) to work it out. As for whether I go to games, I most certainly do and I actually sit in the Directors’ area. You should come up and say hello sometime!
21/05/2013 @ 8:37 pm
Let’s put it this way; this season, Arsenal were over the moon to finish above us, and we were despondent. This is enough to explain our changing fortunes.
21/05/2013 @ 8:54 pm
Arsenal were over the moon to finish above us because they had such a poor side compared to us having lost their “Bale” and we should have been out of sight. We got more points than before because the standard of the league is dropping. We finished 5th when we should have finished 4th. Redknapp had his faults but the football was entertaining whereas this season we play far too deep because the manager can’t cut it at this level. Anyway, you enjoy the “project”.
21/05/2013 @ 8:38 pm
I am an arsenal fan.
While I share some sentiments as echoed here, do not believe the hype that you have closed the gap btw Arsenal and you. Look at it this way, you say you finished one point behind us yet we finished two points behind Chelsea. Are we then close to chelsea in terms of quality?
Bale as been wonderful just like RVP was for us last season. The question is, how would you fare if you lost Bale like we lost RVP?
The truth is, this was the season to finally overhaul arsenal but you missed the chance. Now Arsenal FC are really afraid of that happening, therefore we are now becoming more proactive instead of reactive. We are now increasing our commercial abilities which will show in the team next season in terms of stability, belief and talent.
Tottenham of this season can be compared to the Arsenal team before the emirates project. Have you thought of how you will fare when you start your stadium project?
Well, goodluck to you as I will always prefer you over Chelsea but I fear you will never overhaul us any time soon especially as you embark on your new stadium.
All the best.
22/05/2013 @ 7:27 am
“Now Arsenal FC are really afraid of that happening”.
That’ll be because the gap has closed. There’s only a bounce of the ball or a shagged out Wigan after the cup final, or a penalty not given between Spurs and Arsenal on the pitch this season, much like last season. Despite the sizeable disparity between the clubs off the pitch.
Anyhow, while I’m disappointed to come so close to the CL again, just because the football media says modern football is all about money and the CL doesn’t mean I have to play along; it’s about much much more than that.
I’m happy with the season and there is much to look forward. AVB does need to try and quicken up the passing and movement as we can be too predictable at home. One striker is fine as long as it’s the right one and the midfield complement him.
22/05/2013 @ 9:09 am
Respect to you Sir. I enjoy my Arsenal banter with my best mate Matt. Of course I hate Arsenal but like you say, not as much as Chelsea. Healthy rivalry and banter is a good thing.
21/05/2013 @ 8:57 pm
Guys, yes you were close, very close to that all important 4th spot. However, look at your GD compared to the teams who occupy the top 4 slots.
Fact is, an Arsenal team, shockingly poor still managed to outgun you in terms of goals, showing your reliance on one man -Bale.
You need to strengthen both up front and at the back, and you have narrowed your window of opportunity in not being able to offer prospective players CL football.
Will this have an impact for next seasons campaign…no doubt.
22/05/2013 @ 9:04 am
Wise words in my opinion. Am I gutted? Yes. Do I think we should have wrapped up third or even second? Yes. But I am a Spurs fan. Have been for 31 years. I dont take anything for granted. When we win my own being pulsates with joy and excitement. When we lose it hurts like I was on the pitch myself. I cant boo players and always want the manager to do his best. With glimers of hope I start to believe in where we will go and what we should be. I respect what Man Utd have achieved with Fergie but I wouldnt want to be a Chelsea or City. As it pains me I even have some respect for Wenger at Arsenal. But the difference is Spurs have class. The fans I have known and associate with know their football and love their club. The crap I get from friends on text is not on the same level and I dont want to be one of them. I loved the flowing football under Harry but loathed his bigger than the club personality and seeming lack of team spirit. If AVB is good to his word – and I believe he is – this is the time for the Spurs dynasty to be built. There will be disarray in the league next year with new managers and Wenger on his good bye tour. If we can buy well and build on this year then we will truly earn our position and glory with a robust team, playing in the Tottenham way. Forever the optimist, the future awaits and I’m excited about what it looks like being.
Great post.