A positive Article for once.

The Progression of Harry Redknapp's Tottenham







Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 10:00PM










There's little point in drafting up a 10,000 word War and
Peace blog on Harry's tenure thus far and how best we progress into next
season. I say no point because I have the Bill Murrays since the season
ended, what with a distinct lack of newsworthy commentary (other than
our shared meltdown of the Modric media circus) it's ground-hog day
every day if every day is spent looking back at how it all ended.
Not a lot to chit chatter about until the window opens and the
universe sucks itself into oblivion whilst we all watch on in agonising
slow mo.
In the previous end of season articles (all linked below) I more or less stated what we all know has to be done.
Keep the spine of the side together.
Sign a forward(s).
Patch up other areas and let the deadwood go.
Hardly rocket science. More on the transfer window and the theoretical blueprint for success in the next article.
So what of Harry and his (our) team?

There will always be fragmented opinions on the 'miracle' Harry
performed when he arrived. Yes, we were in a mess, but he only proved
that back to basics man management was enough to get the players out of
their disillusioned state and work as a unit. He stuck men in their
rightful positions and got the best out of them. No complexities with
the chalkboard. No language barrier. Plenty of mayo and Ketchup. We
played for each other, in support for each other and with pride.
Sure, it wasn't the Houdini act Harry wants us to believe it was. But
credit to him. You can hardly be critical. From the depths to the
heavens. The desire to get into the CL and the manner we fought for it
was like nothing we've seen at the Lane for years and years.
Okay, so it's never perfect. When is it? Much like it isn't at any
club. Sure, we have a right to want more and shouldn't anchor ourselves
just because it wasn't too long ago that we struggled with upwards
direction. Ambition - it's imperative in the stands and in the mind sets
of the players. Perhaps, the job of the manager is made easier if he
was to manage expectations without the ambiguity and bloated
contradictions.
Never them, always us. That's how it should be.
We'll always have our team under the microscope. We (the fans) always
believe we know best and we also know it better than someone who has
just a little more hands on experience at it. Get on twitter to see the
evidence.
There's always been an element of circumstance and luck (Gareth Bale,
almost loaned out/sold on). But on the flip side, as an example, he
worked wonders with BAE. When he returned from injury to left-back, the
new-born Bale discovered a brave new world on the left flank. The Rafa
signing perhaps highlighting the erratic opportunistic nature of the
transfer window and the knock-on effect which was positive and negative
with hindsight. Perhaps reactive management isn't the best template to
work from, but it's got us stable for the moment.
We still lack that bullying nature, that killer instinct and that
fabled cutting edge. We didn't do too badly considering our handicap,
but not doing too badly amounts to 5th and not 4th or higher.
We did attack Europe, defending with naivety at times, but that was
more down to the fragile mentality of our players who had to grow and
mature very quickly. Which we did. Individual lapses of concentration
proved costly. But the dismantlement of Inter at home and the patient
counter-attacking in the San Siro against Milan, a joy. We finished top
of a supposed difficult group and did so scoring goals for fun.
Back in the league, we ended another couple of hoodoos.
We still find ourselves questioning formation and tactics. The van
der Vaart conundrum and Redknapp's favouritism to what he thinks is
best, the reason behind the lack of cohesiveness that damaged our points
total. Far too many games at home drawn. A fine line between 4th and
anything below it.
Last season we were underneath the bed sheets with lady luck. This
season, we were alone, eyes shut and hands free dreaming about her. You
make your own luck and we were far too often apologetic in our body
language, never seductive and playful.
The over elaborated expansive play paradoxical at times with the one dimensional hoof.
The disappointment exists because we know we lost out on fourth when
others were not exactly a millions light years ahead of us. They simply
grinded out more results.
But much like the CL was a journey of self-discovery, the experience
of handling both Europe's elite competition and the bread and butter of
the league will serve us well as yet another building block of our
progression.
The team has to unite once more. All the ingredients are there. Just
need to spice it up with some seasoning and not look to over-cook it.
I'm beginning to think perhaps Harry's ego has been left a little
bruised. He refuses to accept responsibility publicly, hiding behind
sound-bites proclaiming our 'best season ever'. Telling us we haven't
had it so good. It's how he works the PR. He's a self-promoter, always
has been. He's at a big club which means he has to live up to the
expectations he has actually carved out for us by bringing stability and
performing at a higher standard - one that equates to the players we
possess and potential.
He's mis-managed that a little. Too many sound-bites clogging things up. Too much on the defensive.
I personally think no matter when he leaves, if the club is left in a
position not too dissimilar to the 2010 season (or the one that's just
ended) it will be deemed a success. In terms of there being a foundation
for someone else to hit the ground running. Spurs can not afford the
overhaul ilk of transition we became accustomed to through-out the 90's
and the early parts of the last decade. Although we were never falling
down from a higher step, just constantly tripping over the first one.
Have we ever had it so good?
Truth is, we haven't. Well, we have, but not for a long time and only
in terms of being able to look ahead and agree we can challenge for a
place in the CL. Hopefully winning a cup isn't completely dismissed as
an objective as it was this past season.
We are fragile (the fans), having had a taste of the top tier
anything less feels like its a relegation of stature. It's emotional,
slowly transcending from pretenders to contenders. We're in a state of
positive flux, as are the teams around us (some arguably touching on the
negative but hardly in crisis). Our perception of what is progression
and what is stagnation is dependent on you and thus varies from one fan
to the next.
So what are we contending? Depends on how Harry spurs us into the
summer and the start of the 2012 season with support from chairman.
We are in good health. We need to tighten up and we need to
rediscover that hunger. There is no need to look for inspiration because
it's there already.
The top four.
Don't bother knocking, just kick the door down.