In Harry Redknapp, Have We Finally Got Our Man??

StillRickyVilla

Yesterday was the first time since the legendary Double year of 1961 that we won our opening 3 games.

The captain of the '61 team, Danny Blanchflower, once said:

"The great fallacy is that the game is first and last about the winning. Its nothing of the kind. The game is about the glory. Its about doing things in style, with a flourish, about going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom..."

Yesteray, Harry Redknapp breezed into the post-match press conference and said:

"We played with 4 attackers today, we may get battered some weeks if we play so open but we're going to win plenty as well. We are just going to go for it and see where that takes us..."

I can understand the cyncism of spurs fans and wider football public. Lets face it, the last 20 years has been a disaster! We have grown tired of the disasterous managerial appointments. We've had the lot, the Shelf cheering the other team to get staunch Arsenal fan George Graham the sack, Ossie's all out attack with NO defence, monumentally bad foreign appointments like Gross & Ramos, Gerry Francis trying his best to turn us into QPR. Every time we seem to be on the verge of great things, another off-the-field nightmare occurs. Terry Venables had moulded a team which had bookies making us one of the favourites for the championship before Sugar sacked him for ego/business reasons. Martin Jol was under-mined and hounded out despite being one lasagne from the Champions League.

Despite years & years of shooting ourselves in the foot, we must remember who we are. We must look at the bigger picture. We are Tottenham Hotspur, one of the great clubs of English football. We understand that Man Utd and Arsenal (and Chelski, artificially, due to Abramovich's money - they are not even a big club) have enjoyed recent supremacy with Ferguson & Wenger. However these guys will not go on for ever. In Harry, have we finally got the man to revive the glory times?

We've been through far too much pain over the years to get too excited after 3 great results. But even the most cynical Spurs supporter can surely forgive themselves for thinking "maybe, just maybe....."

therecklessone

Can I just say:

Please, please, please stop counting our chickens before they've hatched. Even asking questions like this make me cringe, I've seen too many false dawns in my time to know this is only the start of a long season.

No disrespect to the manager or his team, we've played exceptionally well and deserve to be where we are, but it's 3 games into the season!!!

You are all going to jinx us...:o

StillRickyVilla

therecklessone wrote: »

Can I just say:

Please, please, please stop counting our chickens before they've hatched. Even asking questions like this make me cringe, I've seen too many false dawns in my time to know this is only the start of a long season.

No disrespect to the manager or his team, we've played exceptionally well and deserve to be where we are, but it's 3 games into the season!!!

You are all going to jinx us...:o

No worries man. Just enjoying the moment. Don't let SkyBall Man U, Arse & Chelski fans get you down, it probably won't be this season, but one day it will turn in our favour!!

ziedth

I was watching the Chelsea Fulham Game there yesterday on fanzone and all the texts where coming in saying how spurs fans where way ahead of ourselves ETC ETC.

I don't think for a min any sane fan will be thinking of a league challenge i'd love to know where all this talk is coming from. I'll still be very happy with a top 6 finish TBH. Anything higher is a bonus.

Gamesnash.ie: Pat

I think we have a top manager - his comment about having 4 attackers, maybe get battered some weeks etc was music to my ears but at the same time did remind me of Ossies days where Klinsmann was our most defensively minded player

I think that there is a difference between having genuine hope for a top 4 finish or higher and having an expectation of it. Obviously 3 games into a season does not make a sound basis for an expectation and leaves a lot of room for egg on the face - again !! BUT the best start to a season in many years, a team playing attractive attacking football and not looking too bad defensively, a far more balanced midfield, a strenght of character shown in the west ham game to come back from the goal down and a bit of depth in the squad are massive improvements on the starts to recent seasons. I think we can all be forgiven for having a smile on our faces and some hope in our hearts as long as it doesnt lead to a cast iron expectation.

StillRickyVilla

ziedth wrote: »

I was watching the Chelsea Fulham Game there yesterday on fanzone and all the texts where coming in saying how spurs fans where way ahead of ourselves ETC ETC.

I don't think for a min any sane fan will be thinking of a league challenge i'd love to know where all this talk is coming from. I'll still be very happy with a top 6 finish TBH. Anything higher is a bonus.

Harry himself on Skysports today was saying if we maintain this form we would challenge for Top4. All the analysts on MOTD2 last night were saying the same.

The chances are we will slide back to mid-table, but please let there be someone enjoying the moment?!

Once we slide back to between 6th & 10th we can go back to our mundane existances, but in the meantime my advice is to enjoy it!

Dublin Spur

Harry is the manager we've been waiting for.
This isn't knee jerk after 3 games.
It's based on our form since Nov, the football we've played and the players he's bought.
For me Harry is the real deal. I love the fella.

I still don't think we'll break into the CL though.
My feet are firmly on the ground.

tippspur

I'm enjoying at the moment by not foolish enough to think it's going to keep up like this all the time,were playing well and long may it continue and we have a better defence than we had in Ossies time.

StillRickyVilla

On the TalkSport website they are running a SpursOmeter poll! - "Can Spurs Win The League?" - its currently running at 46% think they can - this is clearly completely insane but it shows the level of irrational passion that Spurs fans can produce!!

Clearly Top 6 is the target with Top 4 being unbelievable if we can really maintain this form throughout the season.

Interesting to see 'Top 4' Liverpool being trounced at home tonight - In all honesty they REALLY are nothing special & we already have a 6 pts lead over them.

BOLT

therecklessone wrote: »

Can I just say:

Please, please, please stop counting our chickens before they've hatched. Even asking questions like this make me cringe, I've seen too many false dawns in my time to know this is only the start of a long season.

No disrespect to the manager or his team, we've played exceptionally well and deserve to be where we are, but it's 3 games into the season!!!

You are all going to jinx us...:o

With respect (i.e. with sod all!) in MY time i've seen more false dawns!
When 'Arry was appointed, I was happier than a proverbial Sandboy (Whatever the feck that means), many Spurs fans were very 'anti' 'Arry and I hope they are all busy eating their callow words....Given time 'Arry can re-establish Spurs at the pinnacle of the game (And yes, I also have a wager on Defoe as top Prem scorer):D

Wendell Gee

The question is not can we win the league, or even finish top four, those questions get answered in the last 10 games. The question is can we maintain our improvement under Harry
1 Can we maintain our good home form? One defeat, to a horribly negative Everton team last November under this regime. The next two games will show a lot. I'm hopeful
2 Can we get some wins on the road? 2 from 2 so far that'll do to be giong along with
3 Can we hold leads (not leeds- that would be too easy). 3 from 3 here. Looked vulnerable when Benayoun came on for Liverpool, but hung on. I think Huddlestone is too easily bypassed whern we're under the cosh
4 Can we field a settled 11 with balance. Big strides here. Harry knows the team he wants at present. Woodgate, Jeans, and Dawson (in that order) will ask questions when fit.
5 can we keep our best players? This is key. Modric and Palacios are coveted, be sure of that. Winning will keep them interested in staying, drifting into mid-table, and we have to worry.
6 Can we take on, and beat, the big 4? Beat Birmingham, and then get ready for the mother of all battles with Man Yoo and then Chelsea, with us top and flying. Tht's the ultimate challenge.
If we do all those things in the next three games, we have the depth, the quality, and the gaffer to have a right go.
Not qualifying for Europe means no congestion, rest between games, time to focus and prepare for the next test
However, it also means a big squad that need an odd run, so the carling is vital for a third season running. Hutton, Chimbonda, Naughton, Bentley, O Hara, Dos Santos, Pav and Crouch should all start at Doncaster, with Cudicini, Corluka and Bassong playing to build up an understanding.
Finally, would Bentley be worth a run in the middle in place of Hudd. He couldn't get it going last year, but any time I saw him ,with a couple of notable exceptions when his chin dropped, he seemed to be trying too hard. At home to Burnley he was shocking, but in the second leg I thought he really worked his socks off. Just a thought- there might be a good player in there somewhere.

StillRickyVilla

Dublin Spur wrote: »

Harry is the manager we've been waiting for.
This isn't knee jerk after 3 games.
It's based on our form since Nov, the football we've played and the players he's bought.
For me Harry is the real deal. I love the fella.

I still don't think we'll break into the CL though.
My feet are firmly on the ground.

Good point, i think we are actually 4th, certainly 5th, on results since Nov 08.
My main fear is not that we are currently not good enough, we patently are, as Harry has proved since Nov 08. More that we have a nasty habit of shooting ourselves in the foot - you just wonder what disaster will strike this time!!

But i'm hopeful at least Harry will be there long-term (hopefully - the only way i can see him leaving is the England job) as the Director of Football (Pleat, Comolli what were we thinking!) debacle has gone & Harry has a happy knack of influencing the Board to his way of thinking, which in Levy's case is no bad thing!!

StillRickyVilla

BOLT wrote: »

With respect (i.e. with sod all!) in MY time i've seen more false dawns!
When 'Arry was appointed, I was happier than a proverbial Sandboy (Whatever the feck that means), many Spurs fans were very 'anti' 'Arry and I hope they are all busy eating their callow words....Given time 'Arry can re-establish Spurs at the pinnacle of the game (And yes, I also have a wager on Defoe as top Prem scorer):D

Think we should have a competition!! It started for me when Burkinshaw left in '84 (after taking us to 2 FA Cups (when the FA Cup was the greatest Cup in the world) & a UEFA Cup (when the UEFA Cup was harder to win than the European Cup)) saying "there used to be a football club there"!
To be fair to Shreevsy, we really should have won the league the next season but he was never really a proper manager, more a coach

StillRickyVilla

Wendell Gee wrote: »

The question is not can we win the league, or even finish top four, those questions get answered in the last 10 games. The question is can we maintain our improvement under Harry
1 Can we maintain our good home form? One defeat, to a horribly negative Everton team last November under this regime. The next two games will show a lot. I'm hopeful
2 Can we get some wins on the road? 2 from 2 so far that'll do to be giong along with
3 Can we hold leads (not leeds- that would be too easy). 3 from 3 here. Looked vulnerable when Benayoun came on for Liverpool, but hung on. I think Huddlestone is too easily bypassed whern we're under the cosh
4 Can we field a settled 11 with balance. Big strides here. Harry knows the team he wants at present. Woodgate, Jeans, and Dawson (in that order) will ask questions when fit.
5 can we keep our best players? This is key. Modric and Palacios are coveted, be sure of that. Winning will keep them interested in staying, drifting into mid-table, and we have to worry.
6 Can we take on, and beat, the big 4? Beat Birmingham, and then get ready for the mother of all battles with Man Yoo and then Chelsea, with us top and flying. Tht's the ultimate challenge.
If we do all those things in the next three games, we have the depth, the quality, and the gaffer to have a right go.
Not qualifying for Europe means no congestion, rest between games, time to focus and prepare for the next test
However, it also means a big squad that need an odd run, so the carling is vital for a third season running. Hutton, Chimbonda, Naughton, Bentley, O Hara, Dos Santos, Pav and Crouch should all start at Doncaster, with Cudicini, Corluka and Bassong playing to build up an understanding.
Finally, would Bentley be worth a run in the middle in place of Hudd. He couldn't get it going last year, but any time I saw him ,with a couple of notable exceptions when his chin dropped, he seemed to be trying too hard. At home to Burnley he was shocking, but in the second leg I thought he really worked his socks off. Just a thought- there might be a good player in there somewhere.

Yes i entirely agree with you, apart from the last point about Bentley! Point 5. we MUST hold on to our players this time!!! and yes Point 6. we will know ALOT more about our chances after Man U & Chelsea.

kmick

I cant see top 4. Maybe next season when Liverpool and Man City have burned themselves out.

fintonie

Dublin Spur wrote: »

Harry is the manager we've been waiting for.
This isn't knee jerk after 3 games.
It's based on our form since Nov, the football we've played and the players he's bought.
For me Harry is the real deal. I love the fella.

I still don't think we'll break into the CL though.
My feet are firmly on the ground.

I agree with you,

other posters have said about false dawn,

without the false dawn there would be no chance, we have seen the top teams have alot shakier starts than spurs and were still touted to be able to go on and win,

even coming close to the end of the season with 6/8 points difference pundits will say a team still has a chance,

I know its very early, but you have to win to be in the hunt, the fact that people are talking about it is exciting, just to see another team up there which may give them a run for there money while not spending loads.

Harry is definitely the man to keep them looking over there shoulders, I wish him and spurs all the best for the rest of the season.

Hatch99

Fcuk that lads, cool the jets.
All this talk of winning the league and top 4 is ****e talk.
3 good results and we are talking ourselves up like nobodys business.

Lets play it cool and see where we sit after 12 games, if we are still flying high, then I might start getting excited

p.s. Spurs -1 tomorrow night must be a good bet 13/10, -2 is 7/2.

StillRickyVilla

Hatch99 wrote: »

Fcuk that lads, cool the jets.
All this talk of winning the league and top 4 is ****e talk.
3 good results and we are talking ourselves up like nobodys business.

Lets play it cool and see where we sit after 12 games, if we are still flying high, then I might start getting excited

p.s. Spurs -1 tomorrow night must be a good bet 13/10, -2 is 7/2.

To be fair, NOBODY is expecting us to win the league or finish top 4! We are just all hopeful, passionate and emotional - IMO the main reasons for being a football fan of any club in the first place!

If you wait 12 games before showing any emotion it could well be all over by then & you'll have missed the boat. My advise would be to enjoy it while it lasts!

BERBA

kmick wrote: »

I cant see top 4. Maybe next season when Liverpool and Man City have burned themselves out.

Think the pool are in big trouble. Were 6 pts clear of em already and they have yet to play any of the so called TOP 3. Pool strength in depth is shockingly poor. Think if us or Man City are going to make that big leap then it could be pool that loses out. They've taken 10 steps backwards since their 2nd place finish last season. Alonso sale a big no no.

Anyone on here thinks Ngog and Voronin are better than Crouch and Keane?

Well Senor Benitez does!..and thats his downfall , his stubborness - just might help us in to top 4 this season.:D

id settle for 1-0 v brum on sat and another 3 pts.

COYS