- Jul 28, 2004
- 27,719
- 54,929
I have a sleepless night. It seems to be a transfer window occurrence, and I often throw out a lot of optimism, a swirl of clichés and a hint of my own personal agenda into articles such as the one I am trying to begin.
Tonight I can't for some reason. I struggle to find the optimistic fool within who manages to justify the clubs ever action and figure out how it's all going to work out. I really want to, but my overly romantic inner self seems to be hiding away. Strange that, as I'm described as a hopeless romantic in all areas of life, be it to do with my personal ambitions, my girlfriend, my views on how the world should be, or Spurs, who I have always maintained are my biggest emotional catalyst.
Somewhat perturbed by my inability to reach beyond the surface right now and verbalise my feelings about our club at this moment, a talent which I believe I usually possess, I've taken a step back to figure out why. The only logical conclusion is that I no longer care in the same way, that I have lost that fire within me. But what could have caused this?
Perhaps it is the fact that we've been through this situation so many times, a summer with a manager who was not in place the previous summer, a manager who is going to do things his way, change things around, and supposedly take us to the next level. Ramos was the Juan-derful. We loved Martin Jol and he loved us. Santini a saviour. Hod was meant to be God. Each one sacked within the first third of a season. Each one spending more than the last. Each one failing. Their efforts compounded by our directors of football, Pleat with his constant undermining, Arnesen with his scattergun approach of signing every player under 23 around, Comolli with his desperate search to uncover the next big thing but instead giving us an expensive assembled group of players who just didn't fit.
It can't be that. Managerially we're in good health after all. We have a manager now in Redknapp who has more experience of managing in this league than any of the previously mentioned names. A manager who has a track record of playing good football, buying the players his club needs, and getting the best out of what he has. I recognise all this, I appreciate all this and I like it. No more director of football, just one man who has been there, done that and bought every t-shirt. He knows how to handle the media, he knows how to handle players and he knows how to impose his methods on a club.
Another cause of my diminished passion could be the Manchester City effect. Here is a club who have not had success for far longer than we've been starved of it, a club who don't finish above us in the league, a club who our very own assistant manager played for against us in the 1981 FA cup final in what is their most recent brush with success, and they are buying the world and it's dog. Tevez, Barry, Santa Cruz, all players we would have gladly welcomes to White Hart Lane. Robinho last summer, Adebayor a few days ago.
We, in the meantime, are struggling to find the money to sign Peter Crouch if the press is to be believed (emphasis on 'if'), and have only brought in two young right backs, loaning one back immediately. This lack of transfer market success may well be to do with the inflation in player prices and wages which Manchester City have caused. A good example is the £12m relegated Middlesboro just received for an injured left winger who failed to be involved in a goal last season.
Once again, I find no answer here. Last summer we changed the squad a lot, and it is obvious that the mass upheaval did our season a lot of damage. We should be looking to keep things the same and get some consistency going, with at most one or two first team additions and only if they are of genuine quality.
We have a defence who's home record was the best, and a goalkeeper who went from zero to hero last season. Our right winger is one of the best in the league with pace and skill in abundance, while our man on the left assisted 9 times in his debut season and most probably is yet to show us his best.
We finally have that midfield enforcer, and for all his flaws, Jenas finished the season pretty strongly. We also have four strikers who are all proven in some form or other. Beyond all this there is depth, with talent such as Dawson, Huddlestone, Bentley and Bale all on the fringes. I can comfortably say that our lack of change this summer does not concern me, because the need for change is minimal.
The only other explanation I have to offer for my dulled enthusiasm is my fear of getting too attached to my favourite players anymore, having seen two of them ripped out of the club last summer. How can I identify with players when there is every chance that in a years time I will be heartbroken by them. Manchester United and Liverpool are always ready to swoop when a club outside the elite has a star.
No, this explains nothing. I've always seen heroes choose other options, they've always had their boots filled. Sheringham left, Ginola arrived. Campbell left, King stepped up. Berbatov sought the lofty heights of Manchester, but Modric was brought to entertain.
I wonder, actually, if my optimism and passion has actually deteriorated. Reading back over what we have written, I appear to be quite content with the managerial situation, happy with the players we have in place already, and still able to find and expect heroes at our club even after being hurt in the past. Now that I think about it, I'm as in love with our club as I ever have been, feeling as good about the season ahead as I always do, and I even have a sneaky feeling that (here comes the Spurs cliché) this is going to be our year.
They say that writing a note is a good way to figure out one's feelings. Albeit in a public way, I reckon I've done just that. I hope that reading this note has the same effect on some of you.
Come On You Spurs!
Tonight I can't for some reason. I struggle to find the optimistic fool within who manages to justify the clubs ever action and figure out how it's all going to work out. I really want to, but my overly romantic inner self seems to be hiding away. Strange that, as I'm described as a hopeless romantic in all areas of life, be it to do with my personal ambitions, my girlfriend, my views on how the world should be, or Spurs, who I have always maintained are my biggest emotional catalyst.
Somewhat perturbed by my inability to reach beyond the surface right now and verbalise my feelings about our club at this moment, a talent which I believe I usually possess, I've taken a step back to figure out why. The only logical conclusion is that I no longer care in the same way, that I have lost that fire within me. But what could have caused this?
Perhaps it is the fact that we've been through this situation so many times, a summer with a manager who was not in place the previous summer, a manager who is going to do things his way, change things around, and supposedly take us to the next level. Ramos was the Juan-derful. We loved Martin Jol and he loved us. Santini a saviour. Hod was meant to be God. Each one sacked within the first third of a season. Each one spending more than the last. Each one failing. Their efforts compounded by our directors of football, Pleat with his constant undermining, Arnesen with his scattergun approach of signing every player under 23 around, Comolli with his desperate search to uncover the next big thing but instead giving us an expensive assembled group of players who just didn't fit.
It can't be that. Managerially we're in good health after all. We have a manager now in Redknapp who has more experience of managing in this league than any of the previously mentioned names. A manager who has a track record of playing good football, buying the players his club needs, and getting the best out of what he has. I recognise all this, I appreciate all this and I like it. No more director of football, just one man who has been there, done that and bought every t-shirt. He knows how to handle the media, he knows how to handle players and he knows how to impose his methods on a club.
Another cause of my diminished passion could be the Manchester City effect. Here is a club who have not had success for far longer than we've been starved of it, a club who don't finish above us in the league, a club who our very own assistant manager played for against us in the 1981 FA cup final in what is their most recent brush with success, and they are buying the world and it's dog. Tevez, Barry, Santa Cruz, all players we would have gladly welcomes to White Hart Lane. Robinho last summer, Adebayor a few days ago.
We, in the meantime, are struggling to find the money to sign Peter Crouch if the press is to be believed (emphasis on 'if'), and have only brought in two young right backs, loaning one back immediately. This lack of transfer market success may well be to do with the inflation in player prices and wages which Manchester City have caused. A good example is the £12m relegated Middlesboro just received for an injured left winger who failed to be involved in a goal last season.
Once again, I find no answer here. Last summer we changed the squad a lot, and it is obvious that the mass upheaval did our season a lot of damage. We should be looking to keep things the same and get some consistency going, with at most one or two first team additions and only if they are of genuine quality.
We have a defence who's home record was the best, and a goalkeeper who went from zero to hero last season. Our right winger is one of the best in the league with pace and skill in abundance, while our man on the left assisted 9 times in his debut season and most probably is yet to show us his best.
We finally have that midfield enforcer, and for all his flaws, Jenas finished the season pretty strongly. We also have four strikers who are all proven in some form or other. Beyond all this there is depth, with talent such as Dawson, Huddlestone, Bentley and Bale all on the fringes. I can comfortably say that our lack of change this summer does not concern me, because the need for change is minimal.
The only other explanation I have to offer for my dulled enthusiasm is my fear of getting too attached to my favourite players anymore, having seen two of them ripped out of the club last summer. How can I identify with players when there is every chance that in a years time I will be heartbroken by them. Manchester United and Liverpool are always ready to swoop when a club outside the elite has a star.
No, this explains nothing. I've always seen heroes choose other options, they've always had their boots filled. Sheringham left, Ginola arrived. Campbell left, King stepped up. Berbatov sought the lofty heights of Manchester, but Modric was brought to entertain.
I wonder, actually, if my optimism and passion has actually deteriorated. Reading back over what we have written, I appear to be quite content with the managerial situation, happy with the players we have in place already, and still able to find and expect heroes at our club even after being hurt in the past. Now that I think about it, I'm as in love with our club as I ever have been, feeling as good about the season ahead as I always do, and I even have a sneaky feeling that (here comes the Spurs cliché) this is going to be our year.
They say that writing a note is a good way to figure out one's feelings. Albeit in a public way, I reckon I've done just that. I hope that reading this note has the same effect on some of you.
Come On You Spurs!