Exactly a year after he replaced Martin Jol, Ramos was gone. Out of the blue, Redknapp appeared at Spurs to save the day. Right on cue, the players put in a performance and grabbed their first 3 points of the season. 2 points from 8 games became 5 points from 9. First up for Redknapp was a North London Derby away at Arsenal. It doesn’t get any bigger.

It was my favourite game of the season. We took the lead through what is possibly the best goal the Emrites has ever seen. Bentley teeing up a 40 yard volley, looping it over Almunia and into the net to leave everyone in a state of shock. It may well be Bentley’s only fond memory in a Spurs shirt but it will probably be the best goal he will ever score. Arsenal pulled a couple of goals back though and were soon 3-1 in front. It was looking predictable and familiar. When Bent made it 3-2 there was a brief moment of hope before an unfit Hutton made a stupid mistake, gifting Arsenal their 2 goal cushion back. With 89 minutes on the clock we’d probably given up. That was until Clichy fell over the ball, Jenas picked it up and curled a beautiful left footed shot just inside the post. 3-2, game on. What happened next was unbelievable. 94th minute, Modric smacks one from 20 yards and it hits the post - so near but so far, total despair - then the rebound falls kindly for Aaron Lennon and all he has to do is roll the ball into the net - sheer delight, hysteria and euphoria. It may only have been a point, but the manner of the comeback and the fact it was against Arsenal made it so much sweeter.

How do you follow that? A home game against high flying, unbeaten Liverpool. Our bubble was quickly burst when Kuyt scored after 3 minutes. To be honest, they were all over us and could have been 3 or 4 up by half time. However, after 70 minutes Carragher scored yet another own goal against us and it was game on. With 90 minutes fast approaching Pavlyuchenko taps in from 2 yards to secure another 3 points for us and condemn Liverpool to what would be 1 of only 2 defeats all season. Redknapp was in dream world. 9 points from 11 games.

We continued to improve until around Christmas when we had a pretty poor run of results, keeping us right in the relegation battle. The January transfer window opened and, bizarrely, 3 old faces came running back to the Lane in the shape of Defoe, Keane and Chimbonda. They were joined by the relatively unknown Wilson Palacious, who came with a £14m price tag. Everyone was asking who he was and what he did but we soon found out. Since the January window slammed shut, our form rocketed. We gradually started a steady climb up the league, picking up vital away wins at West Ham, Hull and Aston Villa. It was our home form though which really shone. Fortress White Hart Lane was back.

The new year also saw us in a cup semi final against giant killing Burnley. The first leg was at White Hart Lane and despite trailing 1-0 at half time, a brilliant second half saw us 4-1, with a trip to Turf Moor awaiting. We were already looking towards our second Carling Cup final at Wembley and very nearly paid the ultimate price for complacency. When Burnley made it 3-0 on the night and 4-4 on aggregate, taking it to extra time we all feared the worst. With away goals coming into play after extra time we had to score. After 207 minutes of football, Roman Pavlyuchenko continued his unbelievable form in the cup competitions to break Burnley hearts as he fired one low into the corner. Defoe added another a minute later and we were off to Wembley again, this time to face Manchester United.

The final itself was a full blooded, high tempo affair. It may have ended 0-0 but it wasn’t boring. Highlights for me were Lennon giving Evra a torrid time all afternoon and on the opposite left flank, Benoit Assou-Ekotto keeping Ronaldo tied up all game. Unfortunately, when it went to penalties I knew we wouldn’t win. We never do win shoot outs and this was how it proved once again. We didn’t retain our trophy but we did a damn good job trying and could walk out of Wembley with our heads held high.

Back to the league and we continued our steady ascent up the league. Only 4 visiting teams scored at White Hart Lane in 2009 - Portsmouth, Everton, Stoke and Man City. This meant we ended the season with the best home defence in the league, conceding just 10 all season, including a 7 game run of clean sheets for the much improved Gomes. This run included games against Arsenal and Chelsea, with the big 4 leaving White Hart Lane with just 2 points between them this season.

Our European campaign took a backseat this season, with the league and Carling Cup understandably a priority. Therefore, we got a look at some of the exciting youngsters coming through with Bostock, Obika, Parrett and Mason all featuring. We eventually went out to Shakhtar Donetsk who went on to win the tournament, so I guess their is no disgrace there.

After losing to Liverpool on the final day, we finished the table in 8th place. Considering the start we had this is pretty impressive and narrowly missing out on Europe may be a blessing in disguise. Next season we only need to focus on the league and last time we had that luxury we were a dodgy lasagna away from the Champions League. If we can combine this season’s defence with the previous season’s free flowing, goal scoring football then we may be going somewhere. We say this every year though, it is always ifs and buts and next year with Spurs.

But for now let’s enjoy the summer and I look forward to going back to the Lane in August, fresh with optimism and hope that maybe next year will finally be our year. COYS!

We did it! That’s right. Broke the old home defence record. So in a season where we had one of our worst starts in the history of this football club, we also managed to concede the least amount of goals at WHL- ever. It is quite fitting that, in a season of inconsistencies, we can create such a paradoxical truth.

We were lucky to beat Man City. The first half, yes we should have scored a few more, but we did not- it should have got us punished considering their second half display. And if you think Pav and Keane missed sitters, how about Benjani’s in the dying seconds. It was a terrible miss. Thanks to Richards’s clumsy push on Campbell we remain in the frame for seventh, though it is highly unlikely with the way Fulham are playing at the moment. Their recent form is as good as ours and I quite like Hodgson. He comes across as shining knight of morals in world of corruptible boards desperate for instant gratification. Sort of.

I feel sorry for Wenger currently. That’s right.

No trophy in 4 years is not good enough for Arsenal, but he knows that. He’s hardly had the cash we’ve had, or the squad Chelsea and United have had. Yet most of the time, Arsenal have remained in the fight, despite being a clearly unfinished article. What is it with fans picking on managers? Hill-Wood is too right with his analysis. Even members of his own board, blinded by a desire for short term reward, are failing to see the bigger picture. It’s hardly Wenger’s mistakes which are the problem, more the massive development of the other three clubs in the last 4 or 5 years. Those attacking him need to jump on a self help programme and realise instant gratification is no substitute for long term success, which is what Wenger is trying to bring. Personally, I might be rather gleeful to see Wenger leave and Arsenal fall into the inevitable disarray but he is a servant to that club and he will stick it out.

Tomorrow brings a near impossible task. We are required to beat Liverpool at Anfield, a feat we have only achieved once before in the history of the premier league, and for Fulham to lose to an Everton team at home who, quite frankly, have little left to play for. And then my fellow Spurs enthusiasts, we have an entire summer of ITK jargon, irrepressible transfer rumours and probably a few mildly disappointing transfer dealings courtesy of Knappers. On that note, bloody good job Harry. You’ve saved us and made us almost respectable again. Despite the criticism still be aimed at you from some of our fans, I hope you manage for us many seasons to come.

I think my favourite team this season has been Everton. Look what they’ve done with remarkably little in the way of finances. And some of the players Moyes have brought in are top quality, Cahill, Arteta, Fellaini, Lescott. These boys know how to play in the premier league and they know how to win, no matter what. I like that about them a lot. We could learn a lot from what Everton have achieved as a club. And yet the season’s about to be over.

I do not want this season to end, not when it seems Spurs are making real progress as a team. We now need consistency. We need roughly the same team, training and playing together for a few seasons, and perhaps something special might happen. Can you see this team remaining together for the end of next year? Just look at the average changes a Spurs team makes. Last summer we lost Berbatov, Keane, Malbranque, Tainio, Chimbonda, Robinson and a few more. And our team two years ago is frankly unrecognisable to one it is today. And this is a problem. A tiresome and highly predictable problem. We might lose a few of our best players this season. We might replace them with utter flops. And then we could well be back to square one. Such is the life of a premier league team outside the top four. Or is it?

Can you see players leaving Man City? Despite their average season, no I can’t. Perhaps Robinho, but the lad thought he was going to the Red Devils in the first place, let’s be honest. The main reason is money. They’ve got a good fan base, a stadium and backing. Soon enough we will have a stadium to match our fan base and considerable financial backing. Perhaps then, when Man United come calling to take our next lynchpin, our next Berbatov or Carrick, he might politely ask them to stick it. Because by then, he might be a superstar in a team capable of challenging the big boys. I talk like this is a realistic target, but it remains a series of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ and probably needs to be without the jowly face of Redknapp at the helm. I’m prepared for everything next season. Everything and nothing at all.

As much as I talk of the future, there is no point worrying too much about it. It will come round soon enough. For now, we have the present to focus on and a tough task of 3 points required at Anfield. Good Luck to the Boys.

KL

Minus the United second half disaster, we haven’t lost by more than one goal to anyone except West bloody Brom. So what have we learnt my dear friends? That Tottenham have remained defensively consistent all season. That Wooders and King are one of the best centre back pairings in the league. Whisper it, but one might go so far to venture that our defence is already ready for the assault for fifth place next season. I say fifth because I don’t want to say fourth. The word is cursed. Anytime a team outside the money laundering filth bags who usually reside there goes for ‘fourth’, they are cut down by a bout of poor form, injuries or dodgy lasagne. Villa have been this season’s example. Let’s hope we’re not next season’s.

Hang on. What am I on about? How dare I delve into the dreamland of fourth place! We’re currently mid table and to some, lucky to be there. We owe a lot to Knappers who fought bravely against the Franco Spanish invasion to bring Tottenham down from within. But our form in the second half of this season has been of a very high standard and if we can maintain that for the entirety of next season, well then we might have something worthy of a party on our hands. A family friends only gathering of course, let’s not get too carried away.

The Everton game ended in a fair result. I was convinced we would concede late on, but so often these days, our back four proved me wrong (they did this rather annoyingly in reverse at Old T). We attacked well in the first half and defended well in the second. That’s about all there is to it. The Bale curse continues. Hutton played enjoyably well in a rather unusual formation. Keane was worryingly poor again. I want to give him a break because class speaks louder than form. But this is a new class Robbie and you better get with it soon, because there are three other strikers at this club who are good enough to stick you on the bench. I can’t believe I’m saying that after being so happy to have him back from the Scousers. But football is a cruel world.

Talking of cruel worlds, I’ve got exams at the moment. What a waste of time. Judging intelligence based on timed paper which does little more than test your ability to write quickly and cram random facts into your head. I’m a firm believer in coursework. Timed work negates creativity to such a degree I think I might not turn up in protest.

I won’t do that. I’m too much a product of the system. And I quite like my degree. Sigh.

I tell you what guys it just feels nice to see a Tottenham team with a backbone at the moment. I think that’s what we have. If not, then it’s some sort of very, very strong body armour protecting our jellied core because we are not an easy team to beat. And at the start of the season we were giving out points for free. Even if we get beat in these last two games, we’ve done well to reach the top ten and regain a bit of credibility. I stand by the fact that we may not be ready for Europe, but I will be naturally disappointed if we don’t get 7^th. That’d be good after the start we had. Apparently we only got 2 points in….8 games was it? I can’t quite remember.

KL

To concede 5 goals to Manchester United in 45 minutes tells a tale of woe and destruction which is often associated with those that take a severe beating from the reigning champions. We’ve been there before of course. And the fact remains that we did concede 5 goals. Did we take a beating? Not in the slightest. We were blitzkrieg-ed for twenty minutes in the second half. Who gave the order? Well our Hitler for the day was Howard Webb. He took the match by the scruff of the neck and cried out ‘United, you’re not playing well and that’s not what I’m about. I’m about the Red Devils taking the title because I’ve just a deposit on a villa in the Algarve. Now get to it.’ Down goes Carrick and up go Manchester United.

Yes that decision was horrendous. Yes it was the turning point in the game. Yes it gave United the impetuous to pour forward. No it did not force our players to sit back and take it. No it did not force our defence into a shambles. And no it certainly was not the be all and end all of the game. It was a terrible decision but they happen. Sometimes they go in your favour and sometimes they don’t. In most cases, by the end of season, you end up about where you started. We conceded the penalty and there was nothing we could do about that. We could have upped our game, kept on scrapping and fighting for every ball and kept on playing with the pace and tenacity that had given us the two goal lead. But we didn’t. We let those golden boys, Ronnie and Roonie, smash and grab their way to victory. I can’t imagine what the likes of Woodgate were thinking. He’s supposed to be a nutcase in a pair of football boots, so why didn’t he stand up and stop them? It wasn’t just him. It was all of them and more.

The first half was something special. It was subtle and slyly done. It took me about 20 minutes to dare say to my mate, ‘we’re playing really well here,’ and then the delirium of the double whammy came and suddenly we had it cracked. We’d slipped in under United’s radar and done them over playing better football. If only we could have stopped there. Sherwood had it right at half time. ‘We’ve still got problems in the second half.’ I wish he’d buggered off to the changing room and told the boys in there rather than spout that rather dismal message to those of us unlucky enough to be watching Setanta. It set the tone for the rest of the game. We had problems and we got beat.

I’d give all the players a 9/10 for their performance first half, but I can’t follow through in the second half for obvious reasons. That’s what’s disappointing. Webb made a mistake but he didn’t give United the four goals after that. What’s more unsatisfying is that had we nicked three points, or even the one, the title race would have just got tasty.

I wrote in my previous instalment that it was an important test of character to beat Newcastle. We did. We should have ripped them apart of course, but the win counted all the same. Huddlestone was marvellous. We have to keep hold of him this summer. He is fast becoming one of my favourite Tottenham players. His passing is absolutely superb and I’ve never seen anyone shoot like him either. The way he hits that ball, well, you just can’t take your eyes off him when he’s around the penalty area. He could be part of something special next year.

I’ve noticed that, bar the second half against United, we seem to have played well in almost every game since January. We haven’t always got the points we deserve, and there were some games in which a moment of panic has cost us, but on the whole I’ve been thoroughly impressed with the team since the turn of the year. This is of course mostly down to the work of Redknapp. He has saved us from relegation and could still salvage something from what has been an unforgettable season.

West Brom have just won their first game in 3.5 billion years (January) and probably fancy themselves on the uppers. Welcome to White Hart Lane boys. I’m still fuming over our 2-0 loss to them at Hawthorns. I mean, heavens above, what happened there? We need to make that right and get a win because the three games coming up after that are going to be a darn-sight harder and I want to finish in the top ten at the very least. At least then I won’t feel this season has been a complete shambles.

The commentators on the feed I was watching the West Ham game on were babbling about the quality of our bench during the game. And it made me realise that they were actually talking some sense, which only tells me our squad is well balanced at the moment. I almost feel personally associated with David Bentley. If ever there was a moment or transfer deal to pipe up and claim to be an ITK, his move to Spurs was certainly my biggest claim of being ‘in the know.’ By chance, one of my good friends’ relatives is engaged to the guy and as my mate is a big Spurs fan too we knew about this move weeks before it was officially announced. And so he came and we were very happy to have acquired him.

Then something terrible happened to Bentley and he sort of became this icon at Tottenham for everything that went wrong with Ramos and co. He didn’t quite recover. But I remember his face in the interview after the 4-4 draw at the Arse and his wonder goal. And I’ve realised I actually still like him. He’s toiled this season but he’s worked hard and by my humble knowledge on the matter, has not complained. He deserves another shot.

I was reminded of his ability by those two excellent strikes for the reserves against the Arse. At a time where perhaps Lennon may be in need of a rest, or at least a half time sub, Bentley seems the perfect replacement. Well that is obvious. At the same time, if he comes on with a gruff arrogance and plays poorly, it could well be last chance saloon for him already. But he hasn’t had a chance to play for a Tottenham team in form, so this could be his chance to show the doubters he has the ability.

I’ve heard Jenas is a doubt for Newcastle. This seems to be the perfect opportunity to give Huddles a run out playing in front of Palacios and show us all he is a worthy playmaker. This is a Newcastle team in a shit load of trouble and just because they have Shearer in management does little other than boost those fans with his ‘star factor.’ Well being a star doesn’t make you a good manager and from what I’ve seen from Shearer in punditry, he is certainly nothing special. That will mean little to the team though, who need every point they can get to survive and they still have quality in their ranks. I haven’t even mentioned that they seem to beat us home and away in the premier league whenever they want, in fact if they win again this will be their third consecutive double over us.

Well fuck that for a laugh. We’re at home, we’re vastly superior and we should win this game. Then again it’s another team from the North East, the land where our softies from the Lane often leave humiliated. This is a massive test the more I think about it actually. I’m a lot more worried than I was against the Spammers. More because I would hate losing to a club in such disarray and kick start their quest for survival.

The Tottenham we knew under Ramos would bend over backwards to let Newcastle beat the crap out of us and take the 3 points and if this hasn’t changed under Harry I don’t want to see us in Europe. Why? Well because next season we will need to solve that problem, and I don’t want to see us in the Europa Cup until our team has the necessary qualities to win the damn thing. Otherwise it will be a waste of time, like it was this season, to have the sapping games away in Eastern Europe while getting turned over by the newly promoted boys on the weekend.

We played quite well though. I say quite. It never really does the job the word ‘quite’. It’s sort of says nearly there but not… quite. Well it wasn’t good enough in the end. Though you would have thought had Big Will stayed on the pitch we would have landed the 3 pointer.

The referee was a bit of a monkey, but both sides could feel aggrieved by his decisions, so I can’t complain with too much of a case. Knappers couldn’t believe we hadn’t won judging by his post match ramble, but such and such happens in football. I’m over it now, and it’s time for the Whammers.

Despite my initial distaste at everything West Ham represent, their recent form has been nearly as good as ours and they’ve had a more consistent approach to picking up points ever since we nuked them 2-0 at their place in early December. They will bring such objections with them to the Lane and it’s up to us to send them packing. I’m under the quite pathetic assumption that Palacios will not be available due to his red card, though any old geezer with their level one reffing badge would know it should be rescinded. Despite this, I am confident we can beat them if whoever sits in that DM role bloody well sits there and tackles like a champion. It’ll be Zokora won’t it, and if so, all hope of that will be lost.

A draw wouldn’t be a disaster, but we haven’t lost at home in any competition since Everton at the end of November. That makes me confident of victory. There’s something I can’t place about Zola though. Firstly, I suppose it’s how the hell he is doing so well. And secondly, the man has stayed under the radar to such an extent that his team are taking the plaudits. He has a relatively young squad bouncing around at the moment and we can’t be complacent. I’ve heard Boa Morte’s back on form, that Italian relic Tristan is a bit of a menace and if Parker’s back this team will have something about them.

The best thing about the Spam fam is that they will want to get the ball down and play it, which funnily enough is often how us Spurs boys like to play the game too. Watching the anti-football of Blackburn made me sick, and it should be good to watch two teams going all out for victory without using throw ins as an aerial assault. Our attack is superior to theirs if on form and if that’s the case we can expect a very good game. I predict at 2-1 win to the good guys.

KL

Four years in the making and following the release of their underwhelming last effort Some Cities, Manchester’s favorite ex house band (Google/YouTube Sub Sub to see what I mean) return with their fourth album, Kingdom of Rust

The first track is the bubbling electronic rock of Jet Stream, with observations of it fitting to Blade Runner proving to be accurate with its talk of “jet engines roaring” and “Tall Machines waiting in line”.

This is followed by lead single Kingdom of Rust. As the album version is longer this allows the song to breathe compared to the single edit as it doesn’t sound as rushed or thrown together. The song moves gracefully from a Tennessee Two style rhythm to cinematic strings as it winds its way over the English moors and through abandoned industrial yards dominated by the shadows of long dormant cooling towers.

From the booming bass line of the Outsiders to the hands aloft chorus of the Greatest Denier, the following songs are breathless examinations of English Landscapes, Urban Decay, Regret and being on the outskirts of society, subjects the Doves always specialize in.

10.03 is named after a train journey and indeed changes into a frantic break halfway through, as if to mirror those last few mins of a long trip home when the tree lines seem to become familiar and you grow more excited as the skyline is telling you your nearly home.

The only track that is out of place is the throwaway Manc Funk of Compulsion that would probably have been better served as a B-Side either from the Doves or even as Sub Sub.

Closing track Lifelines finishes the album off on a more optimistic note, proclaiming defiantly that “somebody’s giving in but I’m not” which is refreshing to hear given the current state the world finds itself in.

What the Doves do well is produce an epic widescreen sound and because of this I always love unfolding the intricacies of each new Doves album when it comes out and this one is no different, it’s like watching your favorite film over and over and discovering new detail in each frame, enriching the experience further.

Much like 2008 turned out to be Elbows year, maybe this is the year of the Doves, on the evidence produced here it certainly should be.

Till next time…

So this season we haven’t just cracked the code, we’ve picked up points against every single one of the top four teams we’ve faced. Strange that isn’t it? Unbeaten against the best teams in the league. We’re also now doing the same as, if not better, than we were under Ramos last year and apparently Redknapp has gained us 33 points from a possible 63. It’s mid table, it’s not that enjoyable, but we can now say with some confidence at least, that Spurs are safe for this season. I hope I’m not speaking too soon.

The game was fantastic to watch. Much like the Villa game, we seemed to be playing as a cohesive unit both in defence and attack and we made Chelsea pay. I like that. Making Russian thugs with more money than sense actually pay. And it’s not like they can complain, we deserved to win, they had no key player injured (Carvalho would have got sent off I imagine) and their manager was on a 6 game winning streak. We took them down in their prime.

Modric is top quality stuff and dare I say it, the new Berbatov. Not in playing style or personality, but in the fact that he may be too good for us to hold on to. I’m worried about that right now, I’m focussing on Harry hopefully keeping these same 11 players fit and in form for the last part of the season. We have some tough games coming up and some easier ones too and I can’t help but indulge myself into thinking a few more key wins could see us push for Europe. If we want to keep our best players (Modric, Lennon and perhaps even Woodgate could be subjected to transfer rumours this summer) we need an incentive like the Europa cup (which sounds like some cheesy TV show off Bravo). And if we want better players to replace those that leave, we almost certainly need to be in Europe.

In my last blog I labelled those thinking European football next year was a possibility as mad. But then if you’d told we’d take a deserved 6 points off Villa and Chelsea, I would have told you were mad as well.

So I heard in the old press that ‘Knappers has been saying Lennon never learnt how to play fuseball.

“He has that pace and skill but I don’t think he has really been taught how to receive the ball and get the ball,” Redknapp said.

So…erm…what has he been up to the last three years then? Come to think of it, all those times he hesitantly collected the ball out right and turned towards the defender, ran a little, stopped, ran a little, stopped, ran a little quicker, tried to cross…well sometimes he did look like he didn’t know what he was doing. It seemed to work quite well though.

I remember being at a game against Sunderland the season before last at the Lane, the score was 2-2 and Lennon had the ball in a promising position out wide. A guy behind me screamed, ‘skin ‘em both Aaron, they’re both shit…’ And I think the little lad duly obliged. We went on to win 3-2 thanks to a Carrick winner. (No I mustn’t say his name anymore, it makes me all wistful and silly.) Back to Lennon, is Harry now claiming responsibility for his spectacular form of late? That’s a bit cheeky, but with a 6 game unbeaten run sitting nicely under his belt, I can’t say I’m complaining.

I was relieved to see Ledders drop out of the England squad this week. What did they expect? He’s got a crocked knee and he can’t play more than once a week, it was a waste of time and petrol taking him over to the training camp to find out the same thing our physios could have told Fabio weeks back. I read in the paper that Capello may rate him as the best defender in the country. I sense some fabrication but even so, he can never play in regular tournament unless he gets a bionic knee and there’s probably a rule against that somewhere.

So the rest of the team have a nice break before an away day to Blackburn. We stole one of their best players, made him shit and stuck him on the bench. What have we got to fear? Well Big Sam will be playing ‘no back pass’ football so we can expect an aerial bombardment and Roberts and McCarthy are a real handful upfront. After that brings Wham and Newcastle to the Lane. We have more than the ability to win all three but I predict 4 points here. However if Harry can really keep this run going, we could be in for a real treat. It feels nice saying that.

KL

The more you invest yourself in something, the bigger the emotion is when the climax comes. That works both ways. If it pays off, you feel ecstatic. If it doesn’t, your world effectively ends for a while. On Sunday I had a relegation battle of my own to contend with locally, so I decided to try and forget about Tottenham and focus on what was perhaps the most important game of my team’s season. If we won, we were guaranteed safety for next year.

We ended up drawing 1-1. We didn’t play well and it meant we need other results to go our way next week to stay up. It is incredibly frustrating having your fate lie in the hands of others. In Tottenham’s case, the situation is completely up to us. After my game I knew Spurs were well under way against Villa but part of me didn’t want to know the score until the final whistle. In case finding out during the game might jinx us and condemn us to defeat. In the end I couldn’t stand it any longer and listened to the second half on the radio in the car. We seemed to be playing quite well despite Villa maintaining most of the possession. And being 2-0 up at the time seemed to me to be a gift from heaven. Even Carew’s late strike couldn’t ruin it for us. That’s now 5 games unbeaten in the league, DWWDW, which is back up there with our form when Knappers first joined.

I’ve heard mutterings of us heading up the table now. Into the top ten. Perhaps even a euro spot. Are you mad? We’re still in a relegation fight. Things haven’t changed. A couple of losses on the bounce and we’re right back in the shit. The team need to focus on every fifty- fifty ball, every last ditch tackle and every pass they make to keep getting the points we need and nothing more than that. If their minds start wandering into the false sense of security possible safety will give us, we’ll start playing poorly again. I’d be devastated to see that happen. Like the great man MJ said when he was in charge, it’s all about putting a run together and maintaining form. We can do that now.

I liked what I heard from the Villa game. We seem to be playing like a team at the moment and although I certainly would like to avoid jinxing us, the spine of our team seems to be the root inthis short term success. Gomes was again supreme at the back, which I’m sure disappointed his many critics. I can’t help but think back to the BBC- web –commentary- guy Stevenson, the one who can’t get a real journalist job so tries to come up with witticisms in cyber space (who bothers to do that nowadays) and his words claiming Gomes will never play for Spurs again after the Liverpool win in November. You bloody fool Stevo, you bloody fool. With King and Woodgate fit and available every week hopefully, we are a very strong outfit defensively and with Palacios in midfield providing that bite and more importantly the balance, he can definitely get the best out of Jenas and Modric in attack. We all know what Keane can do and add to that Lennon who is simply in the best form of his life at the moment (we will have a hard time keeping him come the summer) and Bent and Pav who know where the net is, well hot damn you have yourself quite a handy team. The balance is key here, something Wilson seems to possess is the ability to stay in position and he plays the DM role a damn sight better than anyone else we’ve had their for a while. It makes a massive difference having someone who can fulfil that role quietly and without fuss but who isn’t afraid to get stick in when need be.

Will Palacios remain a regular? I mean he only came from Wigan, so he’s not one of the usual ‘great potential’ players which are soon tarnished after a few steps on our hallowed turf. The guy ain’t the finished article, but we can work with him, mould him, grope him a bit…perhaps he’ll become something special. I think I like him you know, and he has the most outstandingly muscular upper body.

I sometimes find being a fan of one club and being involved in team news every week soon means you over analyse every game, every performance and every player. For example, to most football fans outside Tottenham Hotspur, Gareth Bale is still a very promising asset. To us, he’s just…well…on the bench. To me, Gabby Agbonlahor is one of the most exciting young English strikers in the premiership, but to Villa fans…well he’s worthy of a booing. Form is a fickle thing and it’s very hard to remember that when our football memories are so short. ‘Bent? He was shit last week, missed that sitter…oh and now look at him…his first touch is terrible…waste of bloody money.’ This the same the player who was electric in pre season, had a wobble, then couldn’t miss at the start of Harry’s term, had another wobble and now seems to have jumped back on the horse again. But who knows? And how can we make a judgement on him really when we all we care about are the goals he scores? It’s a toughie to pass judgement on a player and like I said in my last blog, sometimes it’s just a case of square peg round hole.

But if Bent goes in the summer, so be it. If Lennon decides his little cotton socks need to be dyed a shade of red…well so be that to. Neither is bigger than the club and the club doesn’t need another ‘Bugger-off- Berbatov’ saga. And let’s be honest, we don’t know where we’ll be come the summer. Although I say that almost wistfully, I’ve quietly realised that we never do know where we’re going to be, come the end of the season. Strange that isn’t it?

KL

Sometimes things just don’t fit.

Despite the best efforts or intentions, despite accurate predictions or research, sometimes things just don’t work out. Whether it’s reaching that dead zone in a relationship or trying something new for the first time. In footballing terms, it’s usually related to new personnel.

Robbie Keane didn’t fit at Liverpool even though many of us thought he probably would. And now he’s back with us and practically created all four goals we scored against Boro on Wednesday. Ramos didn’t fit at Tottenham, and now he’s at Real Madrid being hailed as their saviour. This seems to happen a lot in football and there’s not much anyone can do about it. I suppose Darren Bent and perhaps in Huddles are heading in that direction for us as well. They will make great players at some clubs who I’m sure will finish above us this year, Everton or Villa for example. That fact alone is frustrating, why can’t they fit in here at the mighty Spurs?

In Bent’s case he’s been given a reasonable chance (though not a long enough run in the team) and has scored 14 goals this season in 30 appearances including 9 goals in the league. We can also safely say many of those appearances would have been from the subs bench. Pavvy has played 30 games and scored 13 goals, with only 4 in the league and the rest in domestic cups. So Bent has been given a chance, scored a fair few goals and still can’t get a game. I’ve said it before, but he deserves better. The fact is, most of us would want Keane and Pavvy starting with Defoe next in line, which will probably be what happens next season. Bent is most likely off in the summer transfer window, having consistently been the 4^th striker at a club where our current situation means he can demand better. And if he has any ambition, he should. He owes us nothing.

Huddles’ situation is different. We nurtured him like a big lumbering baby and he is still to make the grade. At the start of Redknapp’s reign he played a lot and received praise for his performances. It even looked like he was adding consistency to his game, a trait we all been waiting for him to show. I even went as far as describing him as a wine maturing with age. I think I may have been too hasty. He has not been getting game time recently and with the addition of Palacios to the squad, I can’t see him getting a regular role at DM and he’s too slow to attack with the likes of Modric and Keane in AM. Where does he fit in? I’ve never heard him complain and he has never enjoyed a regular run in the side, despite some of Zokora’s less then convincing performances, so he will probably feel like he needs a move in the summer too.

What’s been your favourite goal this season? Dos Santos’ strike is up there for me, what a corker that was. Talking of Gio, he should get a good chance in the team shouldn’t he? Real shame about the injury, but he’s fit now and deserves a go. You can’t go from being a wonder kid at Barca to a ball boy at Tottenham. I don’t like that at all. In relation to that point, I’m not too sure where he would fit in, perhaps the wing or up front. But we should give him a chance to prove himself before he buggers back off to Catalonia.

It’s time likes these, where we look reasonably safe in the league, that I fear we will be at our most complacent. Our last four league games have been DWWD which is a reasonable return considering the position we’re in but we have 4 or 5 very hard games ahead; Villa, Chelsea, United, Everton and Liverpool all to play so let’s not go dancing in the daisy fields just yet. If we lose all of those games, which is quite probable, we’ll be back in the bear pit. And it’s a pretty ferocious pit at that, with not many meals going around and lots of grumpy, fuck off big bears. Would you fancy sticking the likes of the Mod and Ekotto in there? Benoit’s funky afro hairstyle would be used as a sponge to wipe up his blood and guts. I think what I mean to say with that ridiculous metaphor is that we’re reaching the business end, the result orientated part of the season, where opponents get tougher and rougher and all sorts of other generic fighting descriptive words.We need that rock monster from the Fantastic Four to get the clean sheets come May, not a cripple and a nutter at the back with a clown in goal. It won’t be easy. But, and the cliché rears its ugly head again, it never is with Tottenham.

KL