Quick one to be honest...A genuine email exchange between MJ and I. I suppose it's a mini review of the Easter football bonanza of sorts. MJ started it off, I think he went fishing for a live GWA who was smarting over recent results! Also peeps, don't get me wrong, I love Harry Redknapp - he has done a great job at the Lane, but since the last couple of months have been painful - not necessarily the big games, but the '3 points on paper' matches where we have fallen short.
The below is a real and unedited exchange EXCEPT for a bit in my weakness where I reckoned Chelsea will beat us (I am actually ashamed of myself for that one). Maybe it was MJ's use of the phrase NewWorldOrder against me. A phrase which I coined over 6 month ago to describe Spurs' ongoing improvement! PAINFUL!!!! However on reflection I reckon we are for the Cup. COYS!!! I love my club. Now club, please love me, and win all your remaining matches!
It's good to be back!
GWA
wheels are fallin off the mighty spurs' waggon! whats gone wrong? Harry’s tactics and the same old ‘fatigue’ this time of year. Same happened last year too! Man says we are not a 4-4-2 team because we looked too ‘open’, but if we keep the ball the way we kept it September through to December, we can work any tactic. Plus Gareth Bale being ‘allowed’ to roam anywhere he wants is not working. Keep him left hand side flying. Simple. But being real, if we mess this up (even more than we have done), squad usage, team selection and tactics in light of injuries (specifically Aaron Lennon’s) has cost us. Harry has reached his heights at Spurs. Let England have him. Raar, I’d even take Mancini despite my comments below! seems nuff spud fans have turned on Arry recently. Same as Wenger earlier in the season. What shocked me in both your recent matches was the lack of urgency in the team, even with 10mins to go, it remained the same pace. I haven’t ‘turned’ on Harry per say, but in my opinion there have been cardinal sins in the way he has reacted or dealt with situations. It is clear to me that Harry can not manage squad rotation well enough. He hasn’t known when to rest players. He hasn’t known when to ‘make do’ with selection. He let man like Pienaar go, only for Pienaar to shine back at Everton (remembering we have recently struggled out wide in Lennon’s absence). We had a similar slump in form last season – we haven’t learnt. What I am probably saying is that if his preferred 11 is fit and firing, then Harry is quality, but any deviation from that, and he struggles. He doesn’t empower the squad players. Never bigs up Defoe. Dos Santos treading water. Pienaar was never seen. Sandro on a leash (I STILL don’t know what he is capable of because it is clear Harry tells him to ‘give it’ to anyone nearby). There is no way we should be struggling for 4th. No way. It’s that simple. I’m not vexed, more disappointed. Now THAT is one for the blog. Blog it up mate!!! So the NWO is now a redundant statement, unless you are referring toNewcastle joining the big boys. I agree you should not be struggling for 4th. But you are. And its gonna be very difficult with Newcastle firing like they are. Arsenal are still not confirmed in top 4 so wont run up my gums to hard. NOW - hmmm. The NewWorldOrder is still in effect, as is the CircleOfLife, but bwoy, my team have made it hard for me. IF and I say if, we qualify for the Champs League in 3rd – that is NewWorldOrder. If we qualify in 4th and win the FA Cup – that is NewWorldOrder, anything less is not so much. There’s a lot to play out for the remaining matches. Not straightforward. I’m still confident of CL qualification. Arsenal can get got. Chels aren’t that good really andNewcastle may run out of stream.
superb and somewhat comfy win by us against big spending city. Arsenal was very good, but City was very poor considering it was last chance saloon for them going for the title. Mancini persevering with the Badman especially after a very iffy first half was a fatal error. Mancini said last week that he didn’t trust the Badman, but on Sunday he trusted the Badman. I proper ranted on that one on the weekend. He brought Tevez back, for what? And the only striker that would have stayed till next season, Dzeko, he has marginalized. I’d have Spurs take Dzeko. the badman was the only one who had any fight in him, but he is a liability. City were very poor, but we had fight all over the pitch. I have my doubts about whether the Badman was fighting for the team or whether he is just crazy. You lot played well, but given that it was their title decider City needed to show more. Imagine, Tevez put on after 80mins. Dzeko stuck on bench. Arsenal given the freedom of their right (City’s left) hand side. When Kolarov came on, he sat central! If Harry and Spurs is the cardinal sin, City and Mancini is the ultimate. 400mill over a few years! 2nd is progress, but not for that kind of outlay. poor for me. From where they were 2nd is poor. The team will be broken up now. I can’t see Aguero, Tevez or the Badman staying. Neither Dzeko. They will certainly lay down the big guns to get RVP, but given their woeful performance when it came to the crunch, alongside AFCs improvement RVP may be persuaded to stay.
Utd given win by ref. Poor decision but given the possession % in the first 15 mins, even 11 v 11 Utd would have won at a canter. The red probably made QPR more organised true, the possesion was something stupid like 15% to QPR. Still shocking by the ref and diving Young.Shocking by the ref (and lino – offside) but not a title changing match. Utd would have easily won. Scholes and the other old heads are why Utd are where they are. No nonsense like a Tevez refusing to warm up or a Balotelli in the ranks. Fergie wont have that foolishness. EVER! Utd haven’t stepped out of 4th gear to win this title. Fergie is the ultimate manager.Brought back Scholes and got cussed. Who’s cussing now? They’ve won the league at a canter.
chelski blows chance to join you lot. There’s too much going on for Chelsk at the moment. Prem form will give. They cant win champ league but will be looking to beat you guys. Tough game for you both. Harry has already said he wont 4-4-2 it. So we will have Parker, Modric, Bale, Lennon, VDV, Average ahead of the defence. AGAIN Defoe scores but will get dropped for the big game. Don’t rate chelski at the mo, your both in indifferent form so this could be the making of one of you. Luckily Chelsk has no pace, but with the big Drog up front, he will cause us problems. Grant Holt yesterday bullied Ledley all game long. It was sad to see.
Are newcastle gonna pip you to 4th place? They are the form team right now. Very impressive. Cisse is the effective January signing that we all crave our clubs to make. Instead my team signed Louis Saha and Ryan Nelson!!! Cisse is best buy for sure. Starting to affect Demba now tho. Taken his staring role in team. Have you heard Merson commentating, 'he's only gone and hit the Demba'! It doesn’t matter if Demba Ba drops off, as long as another player(s) bangs in the goals –especially when man like Cabaye and Ben Arfa want to raise their game for the run-in. Pards: Manager of the year. Pards has done superb, getting rid of big time charlies who have done nothing since leaving, like Nolan, Barton, Carroll. Pards has improved the squad no doubt. The club have cashed in too (saved wages, income from sales). Maybe Pards is an outsider for the England job…
