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I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO PUT THIS, BUT IT'S BRILLIANT.

Greenspur

Very old member
Sep 1, 2004
2,681
3,090
Source: Yorkspur's, Vitalfootball.

Dear Mr Villas Boas, I am a fan of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and have been since 1986. I have watched and supported Spurs through different eras, some fairly successful, others less so. I have a number of concerns about the way the club is being run. After months of growing confusion things came to a head at about 21:45 on Monday February 25th and I feel I can be quiet no longer.

There are clearly many things about Tottenham Hotspur Football Club that you either do not understand or have not been explained to you. This penchant for scoring late, decisive goals. Snatching draws or wins from the jaws of defeats or draws. It is novel, but it is not the Spurs way. We concede late goals. We do not score them. We suffer the disappointment, not the opposition, as we were doing at the start of the season. None of this 'we saw a problem, we came up with a solution' business. 'We did our best but they are a tough team and they never give up'. That's how we deal with that.

Which brings me to Manchester United. One of the golden rules is that we lose to Manchester United. We play well and we lose. We may be a goal or two up before it happens. You almost had this down at Old Trafford, we did actually hang on to win but we can overlook that as you were still new to the job. But how can we explain what happened at the Lane? Late equalisers against Manchester United are most definitely not what we do.

The confusion has clearly spread to referees; now United are suffering poor decisions, as demonstrated by the foul by Caulker on Rooney in the box being overlooked. And what is this obsession with dominating possession? Keeping the ball around 60% of the time? We charge forward. Charge. It works sometimes, others it doesn't. If it doesn't work, still charge. Wearing them down and patiently trying to find an opening? Keeping the ball when we are ahead with 5 minutes left? It works for other teams I'll grant you. Just not sure it's for us.

Transfer market, and I cannot emphasise this strongly enough: Under no circumstances should you be saying that the players you have are good enough to achieve our goals. Don't want them feeling too good about themselves. We hang our dirty linen out publicly. These phrases should see you safely through the next window: 'We need to add a couple of players', 'he's good but he's not our player', 'I haven't heard anything about that' and of course 'you'd have to ask Daniel'. And if you agree a fee to sell a player and for whatever reason it doesn't come off, well, there's always loans or the reserves. Don't be letting them back in.

Squad rotation. Why change a winning team? Take last season. Bale, Modric, Parker, VdV, Lennon. Could you name a better midfield 5 in the land? Why bother rotating when you've got those 5? If they're exhaused they're still basically more talented than those on the bench. VdV at 50% is still better than Kranjcar at 100%, right? If a player isn't good enough to be in the first team straight off the bat then they're not good enough, full stop. If I were you I wouldn't even bother talking to them. I mean, if they're not playing, its a waste of time, right?

On this note, if someone gets injured, regardless of how well their replacement plays in their absence, there must be an understanding that as soon as the first choice is fit again they reclaim their place. Immediately. I could go on to discuss our approach to the Europa league and cup competitions in general but I think there's enough to be getting on with here. Things may seem to be going well, but it just isn't the Spurs way.

Regards Yorkspur

Just so that you know ... this is not my article, but Yorkspur's from Vitalfootball.

Read more: http://www.spurs.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=7514630#ixzz2ME27MjKL
 

chico

Well-Known Member
Dec 2, 2004
710
1,194
Nice post! Sunday so big I'm over-excited already. IF we win, as Lord Blackadder would say, my underpants are (will be)exploding with delight!
Things do indeed feel different ,and it's great , just got to finish the job , and take 3rd .
 

rupsmith

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2006
1,714
2,328
Very funny read - a bit harsh on what Harry has done (but please lets not start that discussion - even though i have mentioned it) - but very funny all the same.

Bale did say this today though

Some doubted Bale could improve from these performances but this season has seen the Welshman emerge as one of the world's best attacking players and he says Spurs' manager Andre Villas-Boas must take most of the credit.

"Harry [Redknapp] was more 'go out there and play how you feel and express yourself. With Andre there is a certain shape and a style we play," added Bale. "There is a lot more tactical work. I think it is something that is good to learn. We've done well this year and I think that is down to our defending as well as attacking."

Villas-Boas has converted Bale from an orthodox left-winger (and occasional left-back) into a marauding central player and the results have been devastating with a return of 13 goals in 12 games since the start of the New Year.
 

minesadouble

Drove my Chevy to the Levy
Jul 27, 2006
749
2,933
Amusing article. I have supported Spurs since 1962, although I was only 6 then. I vaguely remember the days when we feared nobody, often beat United, and were king dicks of the transfer market. But I know what the writer feels like. For too long, the Spurs way seems to have been like the Charge of the Light Brigade. Glorious failure, with the odd cup thrown in as a false dawn. The Spurs way was Pleaty's 4-5-1 collapsing in the home straight, or Ossie Ardiles, playing 6 strikers at the start of the season, sacked by November. Or Gerry Francis and George Graham, doomed attempts to turn Spurs into machines merely grinding out points. Or Cristian Gross and his tube ticket, appointed for no apparent reason whatsover. The mood started to change with Jol, who was really an accident, after Santini left. We reverted to chaos with Ramos (although a cup was thrown in at the start, just to fool us) and then we switched to Harry, who might be a caricature, but he was a proper Spurs manager, as Venables was.

The question now, is whether AVB is actually Bill Nick Mk 2, the definitive Spurs manager who for a while combined glorious football, with league and cup and european success. It took Bill 3 years to build the double winning side, in the days when we could outbid any club when we wanted, when no club was as dominant as the Mancs are now. Whisper it, but I think if AVB's given the time, the backing and the fans support, it'll be a rollercoaster, but he might just do it.
 

Gaz_Gammon

Well-Known Member
Apr 16, 2005
16,047
18,013
Whisper it, but I think if AVB's given the time, the backing and the fans support, it'll be a rollercoaster, but he might just do it.


Agreed but let's put the season so far in perspective and wait until the silverware is in the trophy cabinet at WHL before announcing the coming of the second Bill Nick shall we? I have lived as a Spurs fan for far too long for the odd late comeback, and glut of goals from one player to have me frothing at the mouth..... :bag:

One game at a time is and old, old saying but never a truer one in my opinion.
 

deka_spur

Well-Known Member
Nov 3, 2006
221
369
Very good, but the one thing that still annoys me about Spurs is they seem to stop playing when they get in front, start to sit back and defend the lead, and hit on the counter, where as we should keep playing the way that got us in front. And then the inevitable happens and we concede a goal - and then we start playing footy again - and fortunately get ourselves out of trouble most of the time.
If we can correct that I believe we can challenge for the title. (not this year obviously).
But anyway - enjoying the ride so far, and look forward to another win on the weekend
 

DreadySpur

Well-Known Member
Dec 15, 2006
1,037
642
Very good, but the one thing that still annoys me about Spurs is they seem to stop playing when they get in front, start to sit back and defend the lead, and hit on the counter, where as we should keep playing the way that got us in front. And then the inevitable happens and we concede a goal - and then we start playing footy again - and fortunately get ourselves out of trouble most of the time.
If we can correct that I believe we can challenge for the title. (not this year obviously).
But anyway - enjoying the ride so far, and look forward to another win on the weekend

Well to be fair on Monday, the only reason we stopped playing when we got in front was because the ref blew his whistle for the end of the game :D
 

ibbz

Well-Known Member
Nov 7, 2004
1,837
951
Amusing article. I have supported Spurs since 1962, although I was only 6 then. I vaguely remember the days when we feared nobody, often beat United, and were king dicks of the transfer market. But I know what the writer feels like. For too long, the Spurs way seems to have been like the Charge of the Light Brigade. Glorious failure, with the odd cup thrown in as a false dawn. The Spurs way was Pleaty's 4-5-1 collapsing in the home straight, or Ossie Ardiles, playing 6 strikers at the start of the season, sacked by November. Or Gerry Francis and George Graham, doomed attempts to turn Spurs into machines merely grinding out points. Or Cristian Gross and his tube ticket, appointed for no apparent reason whatsover. The mood started to change with Jol, who was really an accident, after Santini left. We reverted to chaos with Ramos (although a cup was thrown in at the start, just to fool us) and then we switched to Harry, who might be a caricature, but he was a proper Spurs manager, as Venables was.

The question now, is whether AVB is actually Bill Nick Mk 2, the definitive Spurs manager who for a while combined glorious football, with league and cup and european success. It took Bill 3 years to build the double winning side, in the days when we could outbid any club when we wanted, when no club was as dominant as the Mancs are now. Whisper it, but I think if AVB's given the time, the backing and the fans support, it'll be a rollercoaster, but he might just do it.


Good post, well said! I'd like to add is AVB actually Keith Burkinshaw II, rather than Bill Nick, as Bill Nick is a demi-God and mere mortals cannot be compared to such as He.
And Harry being a "proper Spurs Managers like Venables" humph... Harry isn't and wasn't and never will be fit to tie venables Shoelaces - and nor do I consider than arrogant prick a proper Spurs Manager.
 
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