'Follow' e-Spurs on Twitter here!Article by e-Spurs Writer Chris Mecoy
Hello Spurs fans,
I'm gonna start by saying that my Dad and I have countless arguments about Tottenham, usually with him being more upset than me. Whether it be our transfer dealings, style of play, match tactics, or player performance, he's less of a 'glass half full' kind of guy than me.
This got
me thinking. He was born in 1959 and started getting into Tottenham
in the mid-sixties. He was too young to remember
the double winners or the '63 Cup Winners Cup victory, but he'll
remember the 1967 F.A. Cup win and the
three trophies we won in the early 70's.
He was one
of the many who went to Wembley six times in eighteen months to watch
the mighty Spurs, from the 1981 F.A. Cup
Final against Man City to the Charity Shield two seasons later.
I was born
in 1982. I don't remember the UEFA Cup win, and I started to really
get into Tottenham around the start of
the 1988-89 season. Clearly this is why he can be less enthused about
Tottenham than I, simply because
he's witnessed some of the best sides to wear the cockerel in the
history of our club. I haven't.
That was
what I wanted to talk about today.
It was
around this time (mid to late 80's) that we started replacing our
skillful superstars, such as Ossie Ardiles, Nico Claesen, Mark
Falco, Clive Allen, and of course, Glenn Hoddle. We replaced them
with the more hard working, but sadly, nowhere
near as skillful players, such as Vinny Samways, Steve Hodge, Steve
Sedgley, and David Howells.
We still
had the obvious quality coming in, such as Gazza and Waddle, but I
imagine it must have felt like
Tottenham's golden era of the 80's was coming to a rather premature
and abrupt end. From David
Pleat's great 'nearly men' of 1987 to a tame 13th place finish the
following season, Tottenham's second
golden era was over.
Ever since
then, we've had our fair share of top players, with men like Lineker,
Klinsmann, Sheringham and Ginola lighting up the Lane, but
never a squad capable of even a small challenge for the title. In
fact, we've had more relegation fights than Championship
challenges in the last quarter of a century. For a club of our
stature, this was unacceptable.
Despite
their best efforts, and some entertaining football, even Tottenham
legends Hoddle and Ardiles couldn't curb the downward
spiral we were in.
Add to
that, established managers such as George Graham and Jacques Santini,
and we could be forgiven for thinking
we were further away from a successful side than ever.
Then along
came Martin Jol. This was
the start of where we are today. Nowhere
near the finished article of course, but the signs were there that we
would start to see our name in the upper
echelons of the Premiership come May. Players who have become
mainstays of the side such as Dawson,
Lennon, Assou-Ekotto and Bale were signed. The style of football
we've become accustomed to returned, and
finally victories against Arsenal and Chelsea!
Despite
the season long blip caused by the disgusting behaviour of the board
in sacking Jol, and the hiring of Ramos, a
man who I believe rivals Christian Gross as our worst manager ever,
it has been an upwards climb since 2005.
Martin Jol
was, and still is, a man who will always be welcome at White Hart
Lane, and, truth be told, a little wasted at Fulham,
and old 'Arry did one Hell of a job for us. In fact, if it wasn't for
his, and his mouthy son's, constant obsession with Spurs
regarding the Bale saga, most of us would remember him with a lot
more fondness.
AVB.
Not
everyone was too happy with his appointment, believing him to be a
failure in England. I'm happy to report that I
wasn't one of them. I was delighted, truly over the moon with his
appointment. The choice
to hire him has already been vindicated with him becoming one of our
most popular managers of recent times. A year,
some great signings, stylish football, and a record points total
later, and here we are.
Paulinho,
Chadli, Soldado in. Possibly more, and hopefully Bale staying. Some
of the deadwood and fringe players out, and we
have the best Spurs squad in the last quarter of a century. In my 25
years as a Spurs fan, I've never felt such joy at the season
starting, never had as much faith in the Chairman, the
Manager, and the players, and never felt we were as capable of a
title challenge as we are right now.......Even my
dad's excited!
COME ON
YOU SPURS!!
Comment on this article below.
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I feel your excitement.......in fact I'm so bloody excited I'm going to wee myself when we kick off against palace. Mind you this window was coming. I was waiting for them to start spending some money. Only Chelsea and city have spent more than us in the last 5 years. Spurs do spend but they do it when the time is right. Like now for instance. They have the right staff now to rely on. All we need is a left back and a centre back and possibly another striker. This will be the biggest spending window we have ever seen so far. And personally I think bale will be off next season. I hope I'm wrong and he stays but most likely he will go then. And it will be a new record
ReplyDeleteThings could be moving to the next level at the lane , as of old arry i was glad to see the back of him, but admit i was not happy with AVB's appiontment, but take away AVB's first month in charge he has totally changed my mind, agree spurs type players are coming back to the lane, and even if we fail to win trophies at least the football will be sweet.
ReplyDeleteThe early eighties was a good time at the lane with true spurs style of play, then bang it all went to rat shit and we sank to mid-table with no flair or style , Ossie came in never had a clue but attack attack made for good veiwing, only ruined by a total farcical defence, back then Judas Campbell was still a donkey and had players like Kirkslade and Cundy at the back with him oh so dour.
Now though with the new signings and Kabul and Sandro back to fitness i am looking forward to a resergent style spurs, maybe to match the excitement of the eighties and with a bit of Levy scrouge spending we will be there to stay.
Modic could now regret spitting out his dummy as it will be white hot lane COYS
Good article. But you forget to mention one thing. In the 1990s we could not compete because we almost went out of business. That 13th place finish and selling of stars was the start of the downward spiral. You go on about Redknapp doing a great job for us but Alan Sugar deserves a mention for keeping us alive. Redknapp, for the squad he had, should have won us a trophy, which he didn't. So all he is to be remembered for is for our highest league finish since 1990. AVB is a man who knows how to win titles and build competitive sides, as well as rotating the squad when it needs and keeping players happy. This may be our best chance of winning the title or pushing the others all the way. It's a very exciting time to be a Spurs fan, since the 1980s. I cannot wait.
ReplyDeleteThe current Spurs side has no creative players in it, apart from Tom Carroll. Paulinho is a box to box midfielder who can defend. Dembele is a good dribbler of the ball. Sandro is purely a defensive midfielder. None of them are creative.
ReplyDeleteLots of mediocre signings like Dempsey (sold), Sigurdsson, Holtby, Chadli, Dembele. Terrible signing - Adebayor.
Poor squad players - Rose, Livermore, Naughton.
For Spurs to get back to being entertaining, they need to bring in flair players of the calibre of Isco, Eriksen, Pjanic. Spurs should have brought in Gerard Deulofeu on loan for the season. Everton got him instead and will be great to watch this season.
Clueless. I follow spurs from Bahamas. A side I like for some reason who I want to do well. But having watch them u can officially say. Shocking full backs along with dawson who is lovely fella but well short of top class. No creative midfielders one top forward years away
ReplyDeleteYou say no creative players but the first half against
ReplyDeleteEspanol our 3 new signings and the rest of the team
Linked up beautifully and was a joy to watch . And that's only the beginning the team will improve which is really exciting . As of bale I think it's to early in his development for a move and I would hate to lose such a talent from the premier league but no one player or person is bigger than the club . We were Tottenham long before and we will be Tottenham long after . But I pray that bale stays with us because it's what he wants . COYS
Your sentiment is not far wide of the mark. Some of your facts are a little bit off.
ReplyDeletePleat lost his job at the start of the 87-88 season after 'a bit of late night driving took him into the wrong neighbourhood'.
Terry Venables came in and began to re-build the team. Although Spurs were mid-table at the end of 87-88 they actually finished 6th the following season and 3rd in 89-90 as Venables team began to take shape. The league form was again average in season 90-91 but an F.A. cup win, after beating Woolwich in the semi, kept the supporters happy.
By this time the financial problems were apparent but the team were still enjoying some success. Gascoigne and Lineker's departures at the end of 91-92 and a 15th place finish were a worry by now.
Venables began to re-build Spurs for the 92-93 season and players such as; Darren Anderton, Teddy Sheringham and Neil Ruddock were brought in. Sol Campbell and Nick Barmby also came through from the successful youth team of that time. They finished the season strongly in 8th and got to the semi final of the F.A. Cup. Venables was sacked a few months later, Neil Ruddock followed Paul Stewart to Liverpool and the seeds were sown for ten years of misery.
Your assertion that the end of the 86-87 season was when things changed is not strictly true.
Spurs were awful during season 93-94 under Ossie Ardiles. He had to rebuild again but went the same way as Venables by the start of 94-95. The team re-grouped under Gerry Francis and finished 7th and got to the F.A. cup semi once again. The real problems began in the subsequent seasons.
I actually think that Venables inherited a very talented squad in 1987 and our subsequent problems were partly down to his dabblings in the transfer market.
Clive Allen was sold and Paul Walsh and Paul Stewart were brought in to score goals, which they didn't. Some of the players Venables brought in were just not up to it. Steve Sedgely, Terry Fenwick, Gudni Bergssen, Justin Edinburgh, Dean Austin and other mediocre players began to fill the squad.
The first 11 were strong while Venables was at the club because Gascoigne and Lineker could win games on their own. Venables management was shown up by the time they left the club because the squad players were of a poorer quality than he inherited. It was nothing to do with lack of funds either. He spent a fortune on Stewart and Gascoigne. In fact Venables did better in the transfer market when he had less money to spend.
His tenure started the real problems off but it wasn't obvious until he had been gone for a couple of years.
Glad to see a few realists among the 'happy days are here again and AVB is the messiah' twerps currently clogging the Spurs sites with their wishful thinking. Last season was about Gareth Bale and NOTHING else; without him, we'd have been mid-table, and any doubts about AVB would have been settled because he'd have failed for the second time in two years, and would probably be enjoying his second multi-million pay-off instead of continuing his policy of turning Spurs from the most attractive side in the league of two years ago into the bores of the Espanyol game. It might all come together this season (and if Levy/Lewis/ENIC are finally spending, the age of miracles might not have passed), but I think blending these new players into an effective team might well be a painful process - we shall see.
ReplyDeleteCrisandroLondra doesn't have a clue, Holtby, Chadli and Dembele mediocre players my arse. Holtby is Germany's U21 captain, Dembele and Chadli are regulars in the best Belgian national side for years and Adebayor a terrible signing is a joke, it was a disaster on a par with the maiden voyage of the Titanic! And the jury is out on Sigurdsson, he will sink or swim this year in my opinion, a handy squad player but would not feature in m starting XI.
ReplyDeleteGood article and full of optimism - not smoking any funny stuff are you?
ReplyDeleteI was born the year before your Dad, Spurs since '65/'66 and '67 was was fab, especially as my school was full of Chelsea supporters.
Remember all the ups and downs since, got really fed up with under performance in the 90's. It's been good to watch Spurs the last 5-6 years, however too many silly losses (eg Spurs v Fulham 0-1)and draws against lesser teams have really hurt us, we need to be ruthless especially at The Lane. Last two seasons did my head in, there was no way The Scum should have been above us, and as for Chelsea being out played for more than five hours of CL semi-final and final football and still coming up with the Cup to deny us CL football - well that was hard to take...
I wonder if they can tempt Bale to stay, because if they do it's not top four we should be aiming at, but....shhhh you know what!
One day before I cark it (sorry living down under now) I want to be able to tell Woolwich and all their scummy arrogant fans were to stick that Clock...
Cheshuntboy, when the fuck did I say any of the shit you just said?! Read the messages before commenting, clueless.
ReplyDeleteCheshuntboy has tagged you with the wrong post! :-)
ReplyDeleteI agree with OLDYID's earlier reply. Our decline in the early nineties was due to the reign of the terrible Turks taking our great club to the point of financial collapse. Credit to Sugar must be given for the rescue act, painful but necessary. Younger fans should remember this. Now thankfully we are well and truly looking good again and I expect a very successful future starting at Palace this weekend.
ReplyDeleteCrisandrolondra (is that right?) - Please use any intelligence you might have before taking to your keyboard - it wasn't my post, OK?
ReplyDelete