Camdne New Journal

Publications by New Journal Enterprises

Home

Archive

Competition

Camden New Journal - by RICHARD OSLEY and THOMAS NEUMARK
Published: 20 March 2008

Ronaldo roadshow goes on, but will Spurs snap up Ronaldinho?

IT’S an unavoidable, frustrating law of being a football supporter. It happened with Roy Keane. And Cantona. And Jeremy Goss.
More recently it’s happened with Frank Lampard. Spurs fans had it with Thierry Henry. It might have happened with Jurgen Klinsmann too had he not spent most of his time at Top Four Tottenham in mid-air.
The law is simple. The more you dislike a player, the more he will tread all over your Saturday afternoons and Wednesday nights with goals for the teams you hate the most at the most inopportune moments.
OK, so it didn’t happen with Jeremy Goss.
Never, however, has it happened on this scale. Christiano Ronaldo is perhaps the most grotesque, showboating winker who has ever rocked up to the Premiership.
His cocksure facial expressions when Rooney got sent off in that England match have not been forgotten. He once did that stupid shushing gesture when he scored at Highbury.
Yet, as much as I dislike the guy, he’s ended up scoring 33 goals already this season and put Moan United back in the Premiership.
You can make jokes about his cry-baby tears when Arsenal beat him in the FA Cup final and so on, but at the end of the day, you have to hand it to him. Ronaldo has proved himself as a class act. Without him United wouldn’t even be in the chase.

LET me tell you a little secret about Spurs fans: we’re never happy. Sure we’ve just won the Carling Cup beating Chelsea and destroying Arsenal along the way. And yes we thumped West Ham and made it to the last 16 of the UEFA Cup.
But I am still not happy.

Why? Because that’s what they want me to feel. Every season as a Spurs fan has an irrefutable rhythm, sure and constant as the tides. It goes like this. Over the close season the level of excitement and anticipation is electric. Rumours and boasts fly around north London like demented mosquitoes. Will we sign Ronaldinho? How much money can I borrow to bet on us finishing in the top four? Finally, we tell ourselves, finally the wait will be over.
And then the season starts. Disappointments, false starts and let downs until Christmas when I have to say the words all Spurs fans have found themselves saying: “It’s a transitional season – next year’s going to be the breakthrough.”
But even then the torment isn’t over. Somehow Tottenham always find a way to rally by the end of the season showing just enough promise. I find myself thinking that next season will be the one when we crack the top four. And maybe even sign Ronaldinho. But oh no. Not this season. A pessimist is never disappointed. Still, they’re looking pretty good at the moment...

* Thomas Neumark is a Spurs fan who lives in Camden Town

• The New Journal is inviting readers to tackle Osley in The People’s Perch. Send your column and a photo to The Crow, 40 Camden Road, NW1 9DR or by email sports@thecnj.co.uk

Comment on this article.
(You must supply your full name and email address for your comment to be published)

Name:

Email:

Comment: