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Welcome to Hell - The devil’s in the defensive detail
IN a derby match as exciting as Arsenal 4, Tottenham Hotspur 4, you can’t really begrudge the Spurs players for their slightly giddy, uncle-at-a-wedding dance routine once the final whistle had blown.
In their happy, rosy faces you could see the delight it brought them, and it would take a mean-spirited Grinch to waste three lines of newspaper text reminding them that they are still bottom of the league and its been 15 years since they won on Arsenal soil.
Those little enchanted faces reminded me of when my school team won the Haringey Cup,
circa 1992, and in our adolescent heads we imagined we had won the European Cup against AC Milan, and not the bullies from Gladesmore Secondary School.
It’s every Tottenham supporting schoolboy’s dream to get a draw against Arsenal, and for the lucky eleven on the pitch last night, it came true.
Of course Arsenal should have won but, in all honesty, their lead was built just as much on
bad goalkeeping and defending as Tottenham’s comeback.
Wenger might wonder how his keeper could be beaten by a long range hit-and-hope from David Bentley which was almost at ground level by the time it crossed the line. Tottenham might wonder whether Alan Hutton has already handed over his space in the car park to Glen Johnson. Neither team will win anything playing like this, but it will be fun watching them try.
IT’S been a huge week for Tottenham Hotspur.
We recorded our first win of the season, finally elevating us beyond the clutches of the seemingly endless semi-football fans who appear from every nook and cranny smirking with comparisons to cocktail sticks and triangles.
We also secured our ninth manager since Arsene Wenger took control just down the road.
Perhaps Harry Redknapp truly is a miracle man. Not only did he manage to win the FA Cup with Portsmouth, but he has also got Ledley King to play two games back-to-back, a feat that if he achieves regularly could bring a huge improvement to our defensive record.
Similar improvements seem everywhere at the Lane this week – even Daniel Levy is getting in on the transformation, finally learning from last season’s Jol fiasco by conducting his business quietly and decisively.
Wenger welcomed Tony Adams to Premiership management with the words “Welcome to Hell!”.
Perhaps it is hell over at the Emirates with their unappreciative fans and tight wage structure, but not all clubs operate like this.
Many of them pay incredibly generously no matter how well you perform.
Just ask Juande Ramos, Sven Goran Eriksson and other managers who has underachieved in their first season.
There’s a tip Tony. |
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