Is it possible for seven inches to be the difference between a glorious campaign or one built around…if only…I wish…it was harder than it looked…and failure?
I guess we’ll find out the answer to this loaded innuendo question by May but in the mean time we’ll make do with Tottenham Hotspur star, Jermain Jenas and his probable thoughts as he drifted off to sleep on Saturday night. If he is smart though, in future years he’ll more than likely turn his improbable miss against Liverpool into a lengthy ‘fishermans tale’ for the grandkids.
At Anfield on Saturday, a venue that Spurs hadn’t won at in over 10 years, Jenas had an opportunity to put his club on the road to victory with a chance that must go down in the books as an ‘absolute sitter’. Even the phrase ‘my mother would’ve scored that one’ was being whispered in certain corners and the pain on Martin Jol’s face was there for all to see – and just to prove how cruel football really is, Craig Bellamy immediately missed a far simpler chance at the other end only for Mark Gonzales to save his blushes.
The blow to the Londoners was the equivalent of a Mike Tyson body shot in his heyday. Their remaining supply of air was violently expelled and with the Reds rampant, defeat number four was all but assured.
Now I’m certainly not advocating that we give up on Spurs just yet, especially since I predicted that they would finish 3rd in my pre-season preview, however there is reason for alarm and if I were Martin Jol, I’d be sorely tempted to scan the situations vacant page on a more regualr basis.
The reason for Jol’s apparent lack of job security can be easily identified and unforunately for the Dutchman it’s been the downfall of almost every manager who’s ever had the misfortune to coach this most ‘beautiful’ of games…goals!
Tottenham are firing more blanks than Tom Cruise in his latest ‘Mission Impossible’.
Two goals in six league matches is pitiful and the scary thing for Jol is that they’re not playing that badly when compared to some of the awful Spurs sides that have sat in mid table obscurity since the Premier League began in 1992 (ironically the EPL was the ‘brain’ child of former Tottenham Chairman, Alan Sugar).
Yet it was all meant to be different this season in the attacking department.
The addition of Bulgarian hitman Dimitar Barbatov for close to $20 million was clearly a sign of their and new sponsors, Mansion’s intent. The return of Eygptian hot head, Mido was another indicator of how desperate the North Londoners were on wresting supremacy away from their near neighbors Arsenal. The fact that they’d kept hold of Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe, scorers of 83 EPL goals for Spurs despite other suitors sniffing around seemed to say we’re serious…’about what’…I’m now forced to ask.
Tottenham and more specifically Jol are in trouble regardless of whether they beat Slavia Prague in the 2nd leg of their UEFA Cup clash this week (they hold a 1-0 advantage from the 1st leg) and their next five EPL mtches holds the key to their season.
Firstly they’ll host high flying Portsmouth at the Lane before travelling to a resurgent, Aston Villa. Then it’s three local encounters with West Ham, Watford and Chelsea. I believe that if they have only 7-10 points by the time they take on the Blues at home this will be the make or break game for Jol.
Consider this fact - Chelsea have 32 game unbeaten streak over Spurs in the top flight and if my estimated point tally is anywhere in this ballpark, Spurs will be desperately close to the relegation zone, making this the turning point of their season. Mark down November 11th if you’re a fan because this has ‘twitchy bum time’ written all over it.
And to think…but for seven inches I wouldn’t even be having this conversation and Jermain Jenas would be strolling around White Hart Lane with a smile on his face.
I think the tansfer bussiness of spurs is really being put to scrutiny, last season he had goos players who came in and clearly fitted in the side infact, l thought lee had made a bigger impact at totenham than park at united and , l can not understand why he spends $18m on two full backs in ekkoto and chimbonda when he had lee and stalteri.the team needs a real leader in the middle of the park and whilist they have a good strike force l can not see the chances being created.they can not rely on lenon if they are going to be in the top 4 they have to have some players to step up.For my money jenas is highly overrated and l remember wenger rejected him when he wanted to replace viera so l feel instead of replacing fullback he should have bought a good creative and passing midfilder
Berbatov will be back but can they compete in the midfield. The last couple of seasons there has been a huge gap in points between the front runners and the remaining european spots. I expect the same this time around with a tight battle between Pool, MU and Chelsea, possibly Arsenal up top but then a sufficient gap to had Tottenham fifth.
Nice take on this, Nick. Could we be looking at another Birmingham? "Too good to go down?" I sincerely hope not. I absolutely adore some of the Spurs players, and Martin Jol is my favorite EPL coach (even though he always benches Defoe). To me, they need at least one guy in each third to get it their form and health to tip-top shape, because things aren't going right in all areas at the moment:
Ledley King at the back - England's #3, if not #2 center half if you ask me. He's the heartbeat
Zokora in the middle - they need his brilliant creative presence to finally get the goals rolling in, and I feel it's just a matter of time for him
Defoe/Keane up front - I'm convinced that Mido is a utility player, that's all, and not one to expect more than 10 goals from in a full season. One of these two needs to live up to their potential, and in both cases it is considerable
I think if these guys could reach even modest form at the same time, the Spurs would start to climb.
Also, one question. When did Paul Robinson become so dazzlingly mediocre? He ate it at the WC and I haven't seen any inspiration since. I don't think there are three keepers in the entire league that would have let that goal at Old Trafford happen.
As an Arsenal fan I not dissapointed in seeing were the H...coldspurs are in the league but I think they will come out of there and be in the top half of the league. They lost the key man in mid-field in Carrick so it will take time to get used to a new mid-field and Ledley King is not back to his best yet but I think they have good enough players to get them in the top 10. As an African Zakora really dissapointed me, but Rooney did the same thing in 2005 against Arsenal to end our 49games run how comes it wasn't made into a meal like it is now?
You know, Nick, I never thought about it but Robinson doesn't have any kind of competition for club or country right now. He is undisputed in both. Last season he looked teriffic if you ask me, and that was right around when Calamity was still a threat to the #1 spot for England. Ironically enough, James is having a great season and Robinson is biting it. I wonder if Robbo was just never that good, and just had one solid season. I've never thought of GK's as being "form" players, ie: I don't think they normally experience great peaks and troughs in their level of play, so this is confusing me a bit... oh well, I hope the guy figures it out. John Terry and Ashley Cole won't always be there to clean up his howlers at the goal line.
Well well....where's the liverpool's games these days...I've been waiting and waiting for fox to show liverpool's games...my patience is over now and time to alert everyone here....Nick please have a look at this situation. We need liverpool to play in front of the world sometimes. Please please.......give us some games fox!!!!!!!!!!!
Unfortunately it's not Fox's fault that the Liverpool matches haven't been shown on FSC. Almost all of the Reds matches have been played at the 7.45am ET timeslot, which Fox sublicensed the rights to Setanta Sports.
FSC, however, will be showing the Liverpool against Aston Villa match next weekend. For the full schedule between now and December 31, visit my blog at http://eplleague.blogspot.com and scroll down.
Nick, this is completely off-topic but I just have to take a minute to say that you are really good on camera. You seem so relaxed and at ease with the whole process and exude a sense of confidence and fun. You make this soccer fan want to watch more. I don't know if you consider yourself a natural at that sort of thing, but I wanted you to know that you do a great job for the fans. Good on ya, bro.
NICK!
(a) PLEASE start writing again! We miss your wit
(b) Costigan seems like a good guy, but he's really awkward in front of a camera. Keep Miles. He's good.
I think Spurs are average! The only thing they have going for them is Ledley King, and he is top notch.
I don't think Robinson is England's number one, calamity (David James) he maybe but he's actually England's in form keeper at the moment, I think Chris Kirkland and Ben Foster have deserved there call up's, but they are in much better form than tubby Robinson, Carson is doing well at an underachieving Charlton and Robert Green has taken over number one duties at West Ham.
I think AJ will move ahead of Defoe in the strikers list for England, and I find it comical the Jenas continues to get called up when the likes of Nolan and Barton are actually producing.
My point is that I think there are more options outside of Spurs for England, saying this, perhaps they are signing ####! None of the new Spurs signing's look quality to me, Jol's fixation with full backs and central midfielders will be his downfall
Agree with Klingsmann being a win win!! But before everyone is running to bring their help to the USA. Why not focus on your own home town/country. In other words put some focus on your own rooms to improve ie The England National Team. Stop taking the spot light off of the Country who has one of the best Leagues in the world. Who consistently under performs. For us Yanks It is always a critique which lacks substance. Is this a do as we do??? I don't get it. Thumbs up to all of the US MNT, things are moving forward. There is no quick buck in soccer/quick solution. It is a sport that has been around for ever.. Be Patient our time will come..
Who will break into the 'B4' and who will avoid the drop. So many questions will be answered over the next nine months because it's back - the greatest show on earth - The Barclays Premier League.
