What now for Tottenham Hotspur?
After a disappointing start to the season and the furore surrounding Martin Jol’s position as Manager, what can Tottenham fans expect from this season?
Despite all the hype about fourth place and the Champions League, I’m afraid our start to the season and the ridiculous behaviour of Daniel Levy makes these aims unattainable.
I know people will say it is still early days and all, but can you imagine one of the top four teams not performing to the level they should be, and throwing away points?
Ok, so Manchester United have not had the most spectacular starts, but they have gotten wins out of scrappy, tight games; namely against us and Sunderland.
And what have we done? Disappointing against Sunderland, capitulation to Everton and despair at Fulham. I have not forgotten the Derby result and the performance against Manchester United, but as far as top four teams go, none of them would have had a start like ours.
So, let’s forget about the top four for now. Once again, I think we should expect fifth or sixth…this is not a disappointment, but a reality.
Look at the quality of the ‘lesser’ teams of the top 4, Liverpool and Arsenal. Look at the strong starts they have both had. More than anything, look at the strong mentalities of the teams; the ability to hold on to narrow wins, and the ability to play well and not so well, but still get results.
We are not on that level, and I’m afraid once again everyone has been fooled by media hype and the constant talk of possible Champions’ League football.
I feel the teams who are closer to us are Everton and Blackburn. We are more likely to finish the season with points tallies nearer to these teams than to the top four.
Once again UEFA Cup is a more likely aim for us. Sure, it’s disappointing, but we must be realistic.
For those who talk of our top quality players, players who would get into a top four team, such as Berbatov and King…well sure, we have a great strike force, and with the additions of Kaboul and Bale, a stronger defence and left side.
However, where I feel we are weak is the centre of midfield. I know we have a lot of players capable of playing there, but none are of the quality of a Gerrard, a Lampard, a Scholes or a Fabregas.
We instead, must do with a Jenas, who, worryingly signed a five-year contract meaning he’ll be with us until 2012. I look upon this without any enthusiasm as I do not feel he is of a good enough standard to be our ‘inspirational’ central midfielder.
If we do wish to break into the top four, we must get rid of players like Jenas, who cannot pass the ball accurately enough, does not score enough goals, and does not do enough for the team when we need that little bit extra from the middle of the park.
I know the statistics of Jenas scoring 8 or 9 goals last term, the most he’s ever managed in a season and the most scored by any of our midfielders…but you know what? It’s still not good enough.
Look at the impact the aforementioned central midfielders have on their teams and the games they play. Why have we decided to keep Jenas, who is about as inconsistent as we are at the moment?
I’m not trying to make JJ a scapegoat, as other players such as Paul Robinson have not been good enough so far this season. However, I knew it would only be a matter of time before I would feel disappointed by Tottenham. By no means do I support Levy’s actions in trying to remove Jol, but unfortunately we have become victims of our own success.
This country loves the media hype, and Spurs were tipped for such great things this year. After Martin Jol was then typically criticised by the same people who praised him, we go into the international break buoyed by our improved level of performance, but still disappointed with a lack of results.
As much as I hate to say it, I do not expect much from the Arsenal game as to beat our rivals we require momentum, yet we certainly do not have this at the moment.
I expect our season to start getting better after this game. I may be seen as pessimistic, but I am almost certain we will not be fourth this year, but we must maintain our last two seasons’ finish of fifth, do well in the UEFA Cup and progress well in the FA Cup and Carling Cup to continue our push for a one-day realistic shot at the top four.
Too true, I knew Spurs would play shit at the beggining of the campaing and new Arsenal would be in te top four not Tottnham!
Finally an honest, straight article. Jenas is not the answer in midfield and is a squad player at best. We need a midfield general. Someone who has the respect of the players and can control a game. An improvement in this area alone will tranform our team. Making JJ a scapegoat is one thing, but asking questions of a player who plays in the most influential position in the team is to be expected.
Can’t agree with you more and I for one would have been satisfied if we simply aimed to keep our fifth and pushed the top 4 i.e. simply not make it easy for them……still think its an open race for the top 10 let alone top 4….. we’ll definately have a few surprises by the end of the season but too early for any real analysis as Man city now have 2 straight losses …..goes to show good start can go down the drain just as quickly………
Why blame Jenas?
Okay for some reason you appear to blaming Jenas for our troubles. His stats speak for themsleves and so do the majority of his performances, Oh and one of his goals was slightly face saving goal against the scum. Huddlestone I think is great player but sometimes needs to play with more urgency and close down like he did against united.
Admittedly Jenas does need to improve but none of fans like Jenas or want him succeed he has all the qualitys to be a great player maybe not quite a Gerrard but still a great player. He just needs or suppport why isn’t his name sung around the lane.
Now to where I think our problems are, Robbie Keane probably one of our best players I think, I abosultly love Robbie Keane, he is a White Hart Lane legend. But he is a striker and needs to get into goalscoring postions dropping off infront of midfield and dictating the play is not where we need him that is Jenas or Tommy. He has started 5 games this season and scored nothing he has played great done very well for team but he is paid to score goals we have a creative striker in Berbatov lets play him with one that scores goals Bent or Defoe.
Yeh,as we get on the Jenas thing again, i’m afraid Jenas ain’t going nowhere while Jol’s in charge, which is why Jol has to go, as much as i like him i think there’s a bit of shafting going on behind the scene’s.
Sorry we need a new manager to take us to the next level the team is more than good enough. Arsenals team cost 30mil, they did not seem to have a problem with a good start.You do not need to watch every match to see the psychology behind what is going, the years of observing patterns of results reveal such obvious clues. If jol was on a learning curve he would have cracked it by now that is obvious.
“So, let’s forget about the top four for now”
Whilst I agree with a lot of your sentiment, it is precisely these sorts of comments that make Spurs contenders for the greatest ever under achievers. As someone who had the privilege to stand on the terraces during the double years, now heading for 50 years without success, I am thankful that Levy has upped the anti. No matter how nice Jol is, it is not appropriate for a manager to state before the season starts that he would consider 5th place again as a success, not after all the investment that has been made available. Spurs has always traded on its ability to entertain, with successive managers looking back to the sixties as an example of our history. I can tell you all now the sixties sides were very entertaining, but they were all built on a sound defence of top class players. Spurs will never make the top four until they understand that. Of the current team the under achievers are Robinson; talks like a world class player but doesn’t play like one. Reacts to slow; often off his line allowing goals like the recent overhead kick. Does not come for the ball at the right time, and when he does often loses it. Gardener and Rocha are just not up to it. Chimbonda makes mistakes but makes up for it other ways, Dawson and King are top class, Bale has added much needed left side support Lee and Okotto just about OK. The main problem with our defence is the inability of any top quality central midfielder to back the defence. Maybe Boteng will help us their. We have a wealth of talent in pacy attackers to numerous to mention, however Janus and Huddlestone are not up to it right now.
It’s All about Defence Stupid, which draws a very big question mark over who wanted to buy Bent, A very big mistake, and the answer to that one will answer who should be sacked.
Are’nt you capitulating! You lack ambition and belief in your club.Clearly whilst i agree that there exists a realistic place i for one would like people to stop accepting that the top 4 are class above. Yes they have been seasoned top 4 teams but like most teams they all started off being table teams even kings of England Liverpool went through a lean spell and only in the 2003/2004 season onwards reclaimed their status and lets just put that at 3 seasons back they were fighting 4th, 5th and 6th places. Now on to Spurs they clearly have what it takes and everyone associated with the club should get behind the team and urge them on or should i say Spur them on to greater heights, after all its only in England where these so-called tiers exist within the league.Forget about 4th place we should realistically start any season with a view to l,ifting the championship trophy, don’t just make up the numbers because already the mindset is to take it easy and roll-over.Perhaps this season we will indeed take two steps back to move forward…
Good piece, however jenas had a few decent games (i.e derby & Man u). I suppose he is the best we have got which isnt good, but the weak link on our team at present is in goals. Robinson has been very poor, his positioning is inept at best. On nani’s goal the ball was less than 30 yards out of the pitch but robbo was at least 7 or 8 yards out of his goal. If he had been a few yards in he would have made that save. Whether he has little confidence in the back four or lacks confidence in himself, i think for the better of the team Jol should drop/rest him for the next few games. Cerny has proved he can step up to the plate and i think he should get his chance.
I think our problems will take a bit more solving than simply getting rid of Jenas. With our current squad we ARE indeed capable of outplaying any side in the PL. The Man U result was a travesty of justice and, with the possible exception of Everton, I think we have been the better side in all our matches so far this season.
I believe our problems are psychological, possibly made worse by all the anxiety recently over the Martin Jol saga. To his other failings, we can add that Big MJ obviously does not react well to pressure. Compare with, for example, Alex Ferguson. Facing a huge match for Man U against a talent-packed Spurs, Fergie declared unequivocally: “We will definitely win.” He could not have been that certain of the three points, but unlike MJ, who seems to be falling apart, Ferguson clearly thrives on pressure, to the extent that he will even heap it on himself.
Another example: Just about everyone and his dog rhapsodises about Arsenal’s attractive football, but the Spurs players have shown on various occasions that they can be equally watchable, perhaps even more so. The difference is that Arsenal - and Arsene Wenger - actually BELIEVE implicitly in the type of football they play, and in their own ability to play like that. They have internalised their way of playing to the extent that, leading by a single goal, they will typically stick to their passing game, keep possession and try to play the game in their opponents half. They BELIEVE its the best way to play. Wenger has taught them this. Their attitude seems to be: “We stand and fall by the way we play. If we lose, we will lose playing great football!”
Spurs, on the other hand, as against the mighty Fulham, will jettison their playing philosophy and resort to FEARFULLY thumping the ball upfield. We will bring on a third centreback in place of an attacking midfielder. We have showed we can play but, unlike Arsenal under Wenger, we are SHOWBOATERS, not true BELIEVERS.
When he took the job, MJ spoke a lot about “the winning mentality”. Nowadays it sounds like a phrase he read in a book on motivation - he, too, is clearly not a true believer.
I read with interest the articles above, and would like to add a sense of realism to the normal ongoings at Spurs.
Firstly let us see where we are today.
Two Top five finishes in the last two Seasons. We qualified Twice for European competions through League results, a feat which we have not done since the Premier League started!And we on course to win the Uefa cup!
We have a board who have backed the Manager 150% through player purchases in the last 3 seasons! We are playing good attacking football and bar the last five games were on a high following on from the last Two seasons.We have Jenas ,Berbatov Lennon Bale Tarrabt Dawson - yes i agree the only player we lack is a Gazza or a Gerrad or Lampard to drive us on in midfield but maybe this is an opportunity for the likes of Huddleston or Kaboul or Boateng or Tarrabt to pick up the opportunity as Lennon took his chance when he arrived.
Speaking of Big MJ leave him be. He has been the Best Manager for a while remember Santini Gross or George Graham!
What we need is consistency, string a couple of results and
we gain the confidence and start shooting up the table. We wouldn’t want this crop of brilliant young players to be sold off if a new manager comes in
Watch this space
Great, accurate post mate.
The expecation level seems to affected everyone, the board, the manager, and even the players a little bit. i like most people got carried away with the summer hype, and have come down to earth with a bump. If we can beat Arsenal and then go on a run including taking a point at Anfield, then 4th is still a possibilty. As we have dropped points against the lesser teams it puts more significance on the games against the current top 4.
If Jenas improves or at least becomes consistent, then spurs will win alot more games
For the sake of this season, Martin Jol cannot under any circumstances be fired. The season has started, and if he is fired now, then Spurs season is destroyed. Maybe some additional assistance in training is required. The focus shouldnt be to change Jenas, but to make Jenas a world class player. Lets change Chris Houghton and bring in somebody who can make our talented players world class. We have a great team. We will beat the arse next week. We will finish 4th or better. Just whatch and see.
Good post, guys dont kid yourselves, Jenas will never ever be the player you need, you needed two CMs and a better left winger to challenge the top four.It aint happened
It looks like we’re stuck between a rock and a hard-place at the moment. While a Champions’ League berth is still possible, it now seems harder than ever. Whereas if we don’t manage to break into the top 4, it looks like Berbatov will leave. The board have made a mess of the whole thing, and should be questioning themselves rather than Jol.
3-1 Arsenal. I rest my case.
Instead of blaming individual players why don’t you just face facts thats the whole team are not good enough. You’re obsession of beating Arsenal or finishing above them is embarrassing. Look at the table now and you’ll see there is a 9 point gap and Arsenal have a game in hand. Once again you were 1-0 up and once again you don’t have the ability to finish games off, a la Fulham! You will struggle to finish in the top 8 this season. As for 4th place? Maybe you should be targeting 4th from bottom instead! Oh I nearly forgot. 3-1 3-1 3-1 3-1 3-1 3-1 3-1 YOU FUCKIN MUGS!!!! YOU’LL NEVER BEAT THE ARSENAL!!!!!
Oh by the way “RavSpur”. You didn’t “beat the arse” did ya? LOL
It was never in doubt Arsenal are simply far too good for spurs enough said
Well I’ve seen some systems in my time, but this is a first
ONE - ONE - NINE