2009 - a year of rapid improvement

Cometh the end of 2009. And whilst it wasn't strictly an annus mirrabilis for Harry Redknapp's men, it was certainly a year of overriding positives. As we sit healthily in 4th place going into the turn of the decade, there's a sense that the only way is up.

Even the traditionally difficult Christmas period has been kind to us. Boxing Day's hard fought 0-0 draw with Fulham was as much down to the goalkeeping heroics of Huerelho Gomes than it was down to anything else. Faced with a dangerous home side and a rampant attack, we found ourselves under pressure for the majority of the game. But Gomes, a name one tends to forget when discussing Tottenham these days, gave everyone a sterling reminder of his talent. He sprawled left and right time and again and kept goal as if to single handedly claim a point for his side. To confound the wonderful performance, it was on the same ground where he committed one of his higher profile errors last season.

Gomes has turned things around no end and all it took was a little faith from his boss. Whilst Carlo Cudicini was signed to provide back up and a kick up the arse, Gomes responded by putting to one side the troubles of his debut year and delivering a string of excellent, game changing performances. Redknapp's faith in his keeper has paid off and one must also credit Tony Parks, the goalkeeping coach brought in last year to assist the then error prone Brazilian. Every successful team needs a strong presence at the back and, in Gomes, Tottenham appear to have found one.

With a good keeper and a good defence, teams will struggle to score against you. And that's exactly what has transpired. The comfortable 2-0 win over West Ham two days later saw Spurs play with a confident swagger and an upbeat tempo AND stretched the unbeaten run to four games. What's more, no team has managed to score against Spurs in this period. West Ham rarely threatened after the returning Luka Modric bundled home an 11th minute sentimental goal on his comeback to the side. This after wing wizard Aaron Lennon once again came up against a defence he could torment. His direct running was a constant threat to the wobbly away defence and his pace and intelligence set up both goals.

In fact, Spurs should have scored more. Tom Huddlestone, who had a fine game, found himself in space often and rolled a shot straight onto the post when played in by Vedran Corluka. Jermain Defoe was revelling in the extra attention placed on him against his old team and he curled a wonderful free kick just a shade wide of the post with Rob Green beaten. Whilst the lead was just a solitary goal, there was danger that Spurs might throw it away but they secured the win with a swift counter attack.

Wilson Palacios fought tigerishly to win the ball on the edge of the Spurs box and flicked it to Modric, who advanced up the pitch and sensibly gave it to the pacy Lennon. The impish winger drove on with both Peter Crouch and Defoe further forward. Lennon moved it on to Defoe, who was forced to switch back on himself. Defoe then took it past two defenders before having his fierce shot rebounded out to him by Green. He made no mistake with the second chance as he powerfully lashed the second attempt high into the net to seal the win.

Spurs move back into fourth with Aston Villa, one place behind, in action tonight. After all that's said and done, it's not a bad way to end the calender year. January saw us hovering nervously around the relegation places but a run of fine form in March and April saw us not only leave the danger zone but threaten to secure a European place. Continental football eluded us but we bounced back in some style this season and are hitting heights not seen since 2005/06. On the periphery of the top four and with a squad that most managers would cut their right arm off for, the immediate future looks pretty decent for Tottenham.

Harry Redknapp has proclaimed there won't be too much transfer activity this month but don't be surprised to see Roman Pavlyuchenko sent on his un-merry way. The fourth choice striker has been sulking on the subs bench for months now while his agent talks up a move to sunnier climates. Rumours that Liverpool are interested in him won't solve that particular conundrum but any playing time will make the Russian a happier man. His departure would probably see another striker brought in; rumours abound that Redknapp is interested in Craig Bellamy but it's probably best to wait until things actually start to happen before speculating.

My personal best memories of 2009? 9-1 was a bit of a giggle. It's not everyday your team goes about physically destroying a team, setting record after record in the process. Going top of the league back in August was also something you don't see everyday. The second half of the year brought a whole host of positives as we went from strength to losing to Stoke to strength. The only regrettable incidents were that calamitous North London Derby and losing the Carling Cup final on penalties. It's safe to say David Bentley will never be trusted with a penalty in a Spurs shirt again.

With 2010 on the horizon, there's lots to cheer about. A juicy FA Cup tie with Peterborough is up next followed by some tough Premier League challenges. Liverpool away and Fulham at home are two games that will capture attention and provide more clues as to who is going to snatch that fourth place. With the end of the season now in range of Tottenham periscopes, thoughts inevitably turn to what a result means in relation to the final league placings. And with a tough end of the season coming, Spurs will need every point they can muster.

Hang on to your seatbelts. It's set to be an exciting one. Bring it on.

Fulham on Boxing Day - Naturally

It's as if the Premier League get bored when it comes to arranging Boxing Day fixtures. Fulham for the third time in three years? Conspiracy theorists will be having a field day.

To compound matters, we're being playing this edition away from home. If Ewood Park is a traditionally tricky venue, then Craven Cottage is just as troublesome. A 2-1 defeat last season (courtesy of a Heurelho Gomes shocker), a 3-3 mugging the season before in Martin Jol's final weeks, a fortunate 1-1 draw thanks to a last minute Pascal Chimbonda goal the year before that. Suffice to say, we've not had a happy time of it in West London of late.

Fulham are also an annoyingly dangerous side. Darlings of the media and conquerors of the top four (Liverpool, Man Utd), they are efficient and well led. Roy Hodgson's stock as a manager is rising with every game and in Danny Murphy and Clint Dempsey they have hard working and clever attacking players. Throw into the mix the recent goalscoring heroics of Bobby Zamora - heroics that have even seen calls for him to be included in the next England squad - and it's obvious we'll be facing a competent opposition.

But what of our own Boxing Day record? Fans will be pleased to know we normally do quite well. Norwich, Birmingham, Aston Villa and Fulham were all dispatched with relative ease in successive years from 2004 t0 2007. A bore draw with Fulham was the extent of our achievements last season, which was disappointing when considering the 5-1 thrashing we meted out the previous year. History suggests we'll have a big chance on Saturday even if logic dictates that it'll be tight.

Regardless of form or history, it's another game that'll demonstrate just how strong our top four claims are. We've heard it all before but it's worth repeating: tricky away games at sides close to us in the table will always be the most crucial. Forget this North London Derby rubbish. If Sky had any sense, they'd train their cameras on this one.

Boxing Day football is always a treat. Like an extra present to go along with all the others from the day before. Of course, defeat can sour the overall sense of happiness and goodwill. Needless to say, Tottenham results have darkened my festive living room in the past. But a win can serve to reinforce said feelings of goodwill and alleviate the guilt over that sixth bottle of wine you've just polished off. In short, Christmas wouldn't be complete without the traditional Boxing Day game. Sure, you Granddad might have fallen asleep all afternoon but at least the Spurs won.

This will likely be my last blog for a few days so allow me to take the opportunity to wish all readers a very Merry Christmas. I hope everyones days are as fulfilling as possible. Just think how much the players will be drinking - we all know how much they enjoy a party. Remember: when you open that DVD of the 9-1 win over Wigan, try to look surprised.

Happy holidays.

The changing tunes of the media

It seems a month and a half is quite a short time in the world of football. After Tottenham's battering at rivals Arsenal back in October, they came in for an unrelenting torrent of harsh words and home truths from the media and were roundly derided for their pitiful display and lack of genuine top four credentials. How all that has changed now. Two wins on the spin, impressive wins at that, and there's suddenly a bright light shining from Fleet Street all the way up the road to White Hart Lane. Encouraging and praising words are coming by the page load from the employed scribes and it's as if there's a feeling of collective satisfaction towards the efforts of Harry Redknapp's men.

And let's be honest, notwithstanding the current Roy Hodgson/Fulham love in, if any team has deserved a good paragraph or two, it's Tottenham. A crushing win over Manchester City didn't just boost morale amongst the ranks, it sent the feeling of goodwill sky-rocketing. It's Christmas cheer gone mad. Even the internal controversy of the Dublin 16 failed to halt the Spurs winter juggernaut as a brace from Peter Crouch secured a well earned, if not handsome, victory at traditional banana skin opponents Blackburn. From would be failures a month ago, Spurs are once again being somewhat championed as the top four elect and, whilst it takes a fool to fall hook, line and sinker for the voice of the fickle media, it's certainly refreshing to hear positive words once again.

Hell, The Times even saw fit to open their match report with the immortal line 'And the Spurs go marching on.' The article continues along such surprisingly upbeat tones:

"Once upon a time, Tottenham would have been buried by a snowstorm in freezing Blackburn, but this vintage work as hard as they party. Two goals from Peter Crouch took them six points ahead of Liverpool and if it was never pretty, it was undeniably resilient. Of such dogged, doughty performances are serious assaults into the top four based."

And then, at the end of the piece:

"As Liverpool crumble, for Redknapp’s clinical, unyielding and occasionally lambent troops the Champions League may just be about to beckon. And then, even the manager might just be inclined to sanction some sort of party."

There's every likelihood that the author is the same reporter who was quickly predicting, at best, a mid table finish for Spurs as soon as Robin Van Persie had scored the opener at The Emirates in October. But, regardless, he makes a good point in the article in question. This WAS a game we would have lost in the past. A bitterly cold Northern outpost, the prospect of an unattractive game of football, a few players with Christmas and booze already on their minds - the ingredients for cock up were most definitely in the mixing pot. But Redknapp's Tottenham have a resilience and a steel about them that is rare for teams emanating from N17. There's a collectivity about the side that indicates they won't be the usual pushovers they can be when travelling anywhere north of Watford. And it's qualities like these that are simply crucial for a side with pretensions of a possible top four finish.

The Guardian went a step further with their hyperbole, indicating that in different circumstances, Crouch's two goals would be classed as title winning form.

"In the past, Peter Crouch's ability to snatch three points with almost the only two attempts on goal Spurs fashioned all afternoon would have been called the sort of display that wins championships. Tottenham's ambitions are more modest but this was certainly the kind of display that wins admission to the Champions League."

Cheers. Again, they're correct. It's been said a million times already that winning tough away games is a sign of genuine worth and Tottenham have certainly been doing the business away from home this season. West Ham, Portsmouth and Hull aren't the most exacting of away days but maximum points were deposited from every venue, the Pompey win being the first example of Spurs' mental robustness. And the traditional Tottenham slip ups - Bolton, Villa, Blackburn - were all negotiated with no indication of defeat. Spurs are finally learning the lessons of the past and, in doing so, are placing themselves in the optimum position to achieve that sought after top four place.

Still, you can always trust the tabloids to place a predictably negative slant on proceedings. The Mirror chose instead to focus on Redknapp's anger at the players who took that much publicised trip to Ireland's capital against his wishes. From a quick skim over this article, one can sense the reluctance to praise the winning side: "The result may have flattered the visitors..."; "...Huddlestone hit a truly terrible shot..."; "...Crouch out-jumped Nelson to awkwardly head the ball in..."; "...they (Blackburn) could not find away through a stubborn defence that creaked but remained unbeatable." Oh well, you can't win them all. Although, in all fiarness, Huddlestone's shot WAS diabolical. Worked in the end, though, so who's complaining?

You'll have the forgive the obsession with a media review - I'm a wannabe journalist, deal with it. But it's interesting to observe the monthly shifts in opinion. It's almost as if at the moment it's fashionable to say nice things about Tottenham. Suffice to say, a dropped point here and a poor performance there will certainly put us back in our familiar place in the press doghouse again. But such things are as inevitable and as unavoidable as Sam Allardyce not accepting defeat without complaining about the legitimacy of the goals his team conceded.

So, to paraphrase John Aizlewood in The Times, the Spurs go marching on. Six points from two games, a win away from the top four, only eight points behind leaders Chelsea and a goal difference that would make Rafa Benitez weep in envy. If you'd have been offered that at the start of season as a Christmas present, you'd have abandoned all disbelief and bitten Father Christmas' hand off right there and then. With Boxing Day bringing another tricky away fixture at Fulham, it'll be another chance for Spurs to show a bit of testicular fortitude before a tasty home tie with West Ham a mere couple of days later. Either way, it's certain to be a thorough examination of Spurs' new found sturdiness.

David Pleat once said, "We like a tackle here at Tottenham. We're not pansies." Surely he couldn't have envisaged the modern day vintage bringing new life to that particular adage.

Christmas, Blackburn, Dublin and the idiocy of modern footballers

I hate going to Blackburn. It's one of those niggly, annoying away trips where you just sense that things won't go to plan no matter how well prepared we may be. Even in the best form, things will still go wrong. It's just one of those things that I've come to rely upon as being the norm. Like not winning at Bolton. Or Arsene Wenger finding something to complain about around the winter period. Or the X Factor winner being a bit of a twat.

This weekend's trip to Ewood Park is no different but, as if that wasn't enough, we now have Xmas-Partygate to contend with. Several squad members intelligently decided to go against Harry Redknapp's strict rules and fly to Dublin for an illicit Christmas piss up. The muppets. What's more hilarious is that it reportedly took part before the Wolves debacle, giving a better explanation for that particular lacklustre display. Honestly, is there a more moronic thing to do? They're not exactly refuting the myth that all footballers are thick in the head, are they?

Apparently, Robbie Keane was one of the group ringleaders. Of course he bloody was. The much maligned 'captain' could do without any off-pitch scrutiny at the moment. I'd say he's currently playing for his place but he's not even getting a start these days. When he does line up from the off, he quickly fades out of the game before he even gets into it. Woefully out of form and short of confidence, a breach of club security is hardly in Keane's best interests. But details of his involvement are still up for debate.

Redknapp has promised to take action and one can imagine his fury at the situation. With his players in pursuit of a possible top four finish this season, focus and determination would have been required. But Redknapp has been let down and in a big way. His anti-alcohol stance is well known and was observed in the wake of Ledley King's booze fuelled arrest outside a London nightclub earlier this year. The club Christmas party was tossed out the window and Redknapp would have wanted a team of hard minded professionals. What he's ended up with is a handful of misbehaving youths and the unfortunate task of dishing out disciplinary action.

Will it all be pushed aside before the Blackburn game tomorrow? One would hope so. Redknapp's vow is to win the game and take action afterwards. And win the game they should, on paper at least. The midweek win over Man City will have reinforced the idea in the player's heads that they're actually a good side. And with a struggling Blackburn comes the opportunity for more points and some much needed league table stability ahead of the onrushing and hectic Christmas period.

The home side are without a win in five and have scored just a solitary goal in that period. What's more, top scorer David Dunn is a doubt with a calf injury. But the absence of one player will not make or break Tottenham's chances, who, incidentally, are without Luka Modric and David Bentley (remember him?). The visitor's chances will depend solely on whether they can take their opportunities or not. They have a plethora of attacking resources and one senses that they'll create an opportunity or two. They'll need Messrs Defoe, Crouch and maybe Keane to be in a clinical mood otherwise it could be another case of what might have been (think Stoke, Villa, Everton, Wolves, etc).

Defensively there are few genuine worries as Michael Dawson's form over the last month has been monumental. His captaincy and lionhearted defending go hand in hand and he's marshaling the back line to wonderful effect at present. And he'll need to be at his heroic best again tomorrow against a side traditionally known to pick up results against Spurs.

This is also a typically feisty fixture, with a red card coming in both games last season. The blustery, wintry conditions will probably only add to that and Redknapp will want his players to keep their cool, especially noted hotheads like Benoit Assou Ekotto and Jermain Defoe. Another sending off would only be detrimental to the teams chances and a suspension will do no good over the busy next few weeks.

As ever, I'll venture a prediction, safe in the knowledge that it'll likely go the complete opposite way. I'm plumping for 2-2. Again, I'm sitting on the fence and, yes, it is starting to hurt. I think we'll have no problems making chances and we should score a couple. I just worry about conceding, especially in a game where we always seem to have problems.

Either way, a win would be extremely advisable for the players. They're all ready set for a bollocking from their boss and a hard fought win would make said bollocking go down much easier. So much for Christmas being a time of great joy and friendship.

Lennon the difference once again

Much better. Never underestimate Tottenham's ability to raise your spirits on a gloomy winters night. And raise spirits they certainly did as a 3-0 win silenced the critics and scribes who were preparing their 'not-good-enough' themed copy, expecting another Spurs defeat. Instead, the big spenders from Manchester came out second best as they were outplayed by the big spenders from North London. In the battle to see who's better prepared for fourht/fifth/whatever, Spurs once again came out on top.

If Tottenham do achieve anything significant this season, then it's looking more and more likely that Aaron Lennon will have a lot to do with it. Put simply, he could be the difference between winning a lot of games or drawing/losing them. In the last 12 months, he has matured into a devastatingly good winger, one who is now capable of playing the role of match-winner for his side. A quick burst from Lennon and the opposition can be left sprawling on the floor and a goal down. Whereas before he may have been all pace and not much else, he's added more and more dimensions to his game to the point, now, where he can be regarded as Tottenham's main attacking outlet.

Against City, Lennon wasn't perfect but he did more than enough to help his team win the game. With his teammates spending most of the game searching him out with long balls or passes to feet, it was obvious he'd shoulder the majority of the burden. But instead of buckling under the pressure, Lennon delivered. Time and time again, he'd work himself into a position where he'd be one on one with Sylvinho, the Man City left back. And when Lennon gets one on one, you'd back him to come out as the winner. His quick feet and low centre of gravity mean that he strikes fear into the majority of full backs. and if it's not working out on the right, he can seamlessly slot in on the left.

Lennon's edlivery has also come on at pace. Whereas before his crossing was inadequate, he has now learned how to whip the ball across in an effective manner. He's not a Beckham-like crosser of the ball, not by any means, but he does get it in a good place. And if he doesn't cross, he'll work it to the line and cut it back to the waiting striker or onrushing midfielder. When he gets the ball on that right hand side, he needs only a few inches of space and he can work a goal scoring opportunity. And when you have Peter Crouch waiting in the box, his options only increase.

Tonight he was involved in two of the goals, although a lot less so for the third. The first was vintage Lennon - if he's old enough to be described as 'vintage'. Receiving it on the right, he allowed himself a few steps and effortlessly took the ball past Sylvinho before he hung the ball up in the air towards Crouch. The gangly forward's header was blocked by Steven Ireland and Niko Kranjcar knocked in the rebound. Having been a touch quiet for most of the opening half hour, Lennon had helped to strike a crucial blow and he did it just by beating his man. Simple as that. City tried to counter the problem by getting Gareth Barry to double up on Lennon - which is pretty much the only effective tactic against a winger of his skill - but far too often he was in greater space. This is why he'll be so crucial for Spurs over the course of the season.

The second goal was all long ball football. Gomes kicked high, all the way to Crouch's head and after an expert knock into the path of Jermain Defoe, the England striker made amends for his penalty miss at Everton and poked home an excellent route one goal. 2-0 and with City yet to have created anything to do justice to their costly attacking riches, the game was effectively over, barring an Goodison Park-style Tottenham collapse.

City did have their moments between then and the final whistle, with ex-Arsenal forward Emmanuel Adebayor giving the home crowd some moments of communal hilarity when he blazed over twice when in a good position. 'Adebayor, what's the score?' was heard on a number of occasions from the buoyant home masses. And Tottenham were to have the final say in what could be a season defining match for them. Lennon took a short corner and fed Kranjcar, who skipped past a static Adebayor and rolled the ball in for Tottenham's third and his second of the night.

As mentioned, tonight could prove to be a significant result for Spurs. Up against a team with similar levels of ambition and ability, they proved that they had the stones to compete as they completely controlled a game many were expecting City to perhaps come out on top in. Whilst the painfully annoying and needless defeats to lowly teams remain, victories and performances are coming in the bigger games - the games against the greater opponents. Spurs will never be a Champions League side if they can't beat Wolves. But by beating a team like City and so comprehensively, hope can remain of a high placed finish this season.

As for Lennon, if he doesn't get on that plane to South Africa come the end of the season, then someone ought to be shot. In fact, with displays like these, it's hard not to imagine him occupying the right winger berth full time. Time and again, he'll take on full backs and time and again he'll skin 'em. He's been given the gift of pace but what he's added to that is ball control and intelligence. It isn't so much that Lennon can beat players regularly; it's that he chooses his moves carefully. Sometimes he'll cut inside, sometimes he'll cross early, sometimes he'll take it all the way. Essentially, he knows best what to do in any given situation. He's not the finished article. But he's well on his way and his form for Spurs this season could well be the depending factor on the team's final outcome.

Kranjcar may also have been superb tonight and his two goals lit up the arena but for pure match-changing ability, look no further than Lennon. Not you, Sir Alex. I wasn't talking to you. In fact, you can ignore everything I've just said. Please.

As for Tottenham, more wins please. All these points now... they'll be absolutely crucial come the end of the season, just you watch. There's little room left for mistakes.

Time to make amends

Right, Man City at the Lane tonight and our first chance of the season to test ourselves against the financial cream of the crop. They may not be amongst the Premier League's elite quite yet but with their spending power and monetary clout and the fact that, in reality, they're in direct competition with us for the same spots, their visit has more spice about it than usual.

We've a fine record against the blue half of Manchester. With 17 Premier League victories over them, they're our favourite opposition. But statistics count for nothing these days and predicting a winner from tonight's game looks as difficult as scoring past Wolves at home after they go one up in the 3rd minute. Sorry, couldn't resist.

The defeat to Wolves will at least have given Harry Redknapp an excuse to give his players a great big kick up the arse and, with all the fortune in the world, they'll want to right as many of the previous few weeks' wrongs as possible. Beating City, however, is a different proposition this season. They've lost just once - away to Man Utd - and they'll travel to N17 with confidence. Whether Tottenham will be able to use this to their advantage is yet to be seen.

With Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate still on the elongated mend, Michael Dawson will continue to lead the side both as captain and at the heart of a weakened defence. Sebastien Bassong is an able trier and a fine deputy but I'd rest a little easier if we had one of Woody or Ledders at the back. Jermaine Jenas is an injury doubt which may force Harry's hand if he was considering midfield changes. Wilson Palacios has lost his snarling bite of late and may have been in line for a squad rotation but with Jenas on the periphery, Sgt. Wilson will likely keep his place alongside the slowly improving Tom Huddlestone.

Luka Modric's comeback from injury saw him make a cameo appearance against Wolves but, unfortunately, this is all he's likely to be limited to again tonight, unless the situation requires him earlier. It's always best not to rush players back from severe injuries but with squandering chances becoming a regular theme with Spurs, Redknapp may require the services of the diminutive Croatian sooner rather than later.

Spurs are certainly capable of a result tonight and it would be typical of them to bounce back from the disappointment of the weekend with a win over superior opposition. Consistently inconsistent and all that. But, as I said, it's a tough one to call. It's certainly a fine gauge of Tottenham's ability as top four/five contenders. As with the game with Villa, it's match-ups like these that will ultimately determine who is in the best position to challenge for that coveted top four spot, or the next best thing. Spurs didn't have the cutting edge to finish off Villa but at home and in front of a fervent home crowd, they may just be capable.

My prediction? I'm sitting on the fence: 1-1. Call me what you will but I can't pick a winner. What I see is two very good, very evenly matched teams and it may come down to one or two individual moments of brilliance. Step forward Jermain Defoe/Carlos Tevez.

The greatest pass in history

Brace yourselves. No seriously, brace yourselves. The following pass will rock your world to the point where stability is unwelcome. It's speed, direction, accuracy, trajectory, swerve and all manner of descriptive words are so perfect you'll want to have it on repeat over and over again. Why I've chosen to put it up now is of no real reason but, rest assured, if you haven't seen this before, you'll want to now.



Oh yes. For those who question Tom Huddlestone's worth to the side, just watch this ball a couple of times. Forget that it wasn't on the big stage but reserved only for last year's UEFA Cup. The ability to strike a ball that well is unique. Let's be honest - he belts the life out of the thing. But he connects with such grace and technique that the ball sails across almost the entire length of the pitch directly to it's predetermined direction without going out of bounds or to the wrong person. It's as close to perfect as you'll ever see. The only negative was Gareth Bale's inability to finish it with a goal.

So the next time you find yourself wailing in discontent at another misplaced pass or lamenting another missed Huddlestone tackle, remind yourself quietly of this pass. It could warm you on the coldest of winters days.