Spurs need to know their place.

Spurs need to know their place

Posted by Lawrence Gray-Hodson On February - 6 - 2012







Every so often Lawrence Gray-Hodson, a man who made his name
in the upper reaches of Division 2 in the 1970s and 80s as well as
being a former Scotland and England international, writes a column
exclusively for Three and in.

This week he opines on Spurs title chances

—

When I was just starting out as a professional footballer,
Tottenham’s 1961 double was still spoken about because it hadn’t
happened over 50 years ago. Some of the older pros I played with spoke
in hollowed terms of great players like Dave Mackay, Bobby Smith and
that inspirational captain Danny Blanchpower.

As time marched onwards that achievement fell further and further
into the past, and although there were cup successes (who could forget
David Villa running through the Man City defence, his beard still full
of his pre-match meal?!), before dribbling the ball into the net. His
unconstrained joy only slightly tempered by his countrymen’s decision to
invade the Falklands to melt some of our soldiers faces.

There was the triumph in 1991 when Des Walker’s own goal and Terry
Venables canny management sent my old mate Cloughy into a spiral of
alcoholism resulting in his premature death, and in recent years they’ve
won the League Cup a couple of times. So it’s a big surprise to me when
I run into Spurs fans and they tell me that they’re contenders for the
league. It’s a bit like saying that a white man is a contender for a
marathon because he’s level with a Kenyan after 16 miles. We all know
how that situation ends up.

Spurs are, and always have been, a cup team. Without doubt this is
their best season since the last time they were this high in the league
which was a long time ago because I can’t remember it and while I
definitely have some issues with my short-term memory I can remember
ages ago like it was yesterday. And this isn’t to disintegrate Spurs in
any way, there’s nothing wrong with being a team that wins the
occasional cup and can’t ever win the league. That just makes them the
same as most teams except most teams don’t win the cups so they’re a bit
better than most teams.
Sandro: more concerned with his teeth than winning games


It’s not new either. I remember bumping into Steve Perryman in a Soho
bar one night back in the early 80s. They were going great guns at that
stage but he said there was no chance they’d win the league, blaming
Garth Crooks for being a malign dressing room influence, something which
came as no surprise. He was the most unpopular man in the league
amongst his fellow professionals. Only Everton’s Derek Mountfield came
close because he used to run his own finger up the inside of his
backside, then give you a poo moustache in the middle of a game.

If I look at this Tottenham team now I see some good, good players.
The little magician, Modric. The mercurial Dutchman, van der Vaart. The
Welsh wizard, Bale. And the outstanding Russian, Pavlyucheckov. Quite
what Harry’s problem is with him, I don’t know, because I reckon he’d
outscore your Rooneys and van Persies given the right chance and the
right service. If it were me I’d have Alan Lennon firing in the crosses
for him all game.

Yet to win a title you need more. You need players with character and
Spurs are lacking them. Look at the big Nigerian, Emmanuel Adebayor.
His nickname should be Mission Impossible because he self-destructs
wherever he goes. How long will it be before he throws his toys out of
the tram at White Hart Lane? Ledley King is hailed by many as a great
player but he’s lazy, apparently he hardly ever turns up for training!
While Scott Parker’s all-action style and Biggles hair cut might catch
the eye but it’s no coincidence teams he plays for keep getting
relegated.

And that’s not even mentioning Sandro who plays wearing a gum shield.
What kind of prissy kindergarten is Harry Redknapp running there that
he allows this kind of behaviour. Especially when he’s got a man like
Joe Jordan, for whom teeth were a secondary concern, as part of his back
room staff. What must big Joe think of Sandro, a man who won’t even put
his teeth on the line for his team? How can this group of players hope
to win the league when they’re carrying bottlers and cowards like that?

I hope Harry can put things right when he gets off from those
ludicrous taxi evasion charges. As if a man like him can’t afford a
twenty bob ride across London, because until he gets some real men in
the side, the odd cup is the best they can hope for.

Cant work out how much he is taking the p**s, but his not as clever as he thinks he is, if your gonna try and be clever, get your facts straight, Adebayor is not Nigerian.

Is it April 1st already?

Mind you I do like the thought of David Villa playing for Spurs