Will Spurs do a Jennings again?

[TheBigMatch]

Back in the summer of 1977, as if getting relegated wasn't bad enough, Burkinshaw decided tell Pat Jennings was too old at 31 years old, and he was not required to travel on the preseason tour or indeed required for the coming season.mg:

Concerned about doing the best for his kids at school locally, Pat was forced into taking up arsenal's offer.

A huge mistake by Spurs (Burkinshaw and the Chairman were even telephoned at the last minute to make sure it was what they wanted) and Pat went on to help arsenal towards 3 FA Cup Finals, winning one.

Thankfully Spurs eventually did the right thing and reclaimed Pat; playing for Spurs reserves in 1986 and being associated with the club ever since.

This summer it looks like there is going to be a big clearance sale of the squad that Jol thought was only good enough for top 6 but Levy and Co thought was top 4.

Amongst those that should go, is there a danger that Spurs will do a Jennings again? Not necessarily in selling to arsenal but letting a top class player go too early.

Robinson is debatable, but it has been two bad seasons (even last season his stats were some of the poorest), and would he play second fiddle?

Ledley King is my main concern. He currently has a dodgy knee but he is top quality and as we saw in the League Cup Final he is a winner. Yet we could see him discarded by Spurs and go onto recover and lead another team to victory.Eek

 

[mrboombarrakoomba]

Excellent post. I sincerely hope we don't end up making the same mistakes as we have done in the past, but this is Tottenham and we're the kings of shooting ourselves in the foot. Selling Pat to the Goons was probably the worst thing we could have done and a transfer that should have never happened. With the team we were developing back then (after getting promoted) I think we would have had a fair shot at the league with Pat in goal. Clemence was very good but Jennings was the best we've ever had.

 

[matjcole]

Ramos has cleared up the King issue on the main site

 

[eddiebailey]

Ramos has cleared up the King issue on the main site

Damage limitation after he departed from the agreed script.

Much like there was no "dazzling offer"...

 

[eddiebailey]

There are a lot of talented young players at the club who are not yet the finished article. Martin Jol's parting comment was to the effect that he was concerned that the club would not show sufficient patience with them. Ramos is not a patient man, he is focussed on winning. Now. Any player who does not cut the mustard is unlikely to be given a second chance. Some of them undoubtedly will go on to glory elsewhere.

 

[sundancer]

Good post, Jennings was the best I've seen and the decision to let him go was a bad one, still think that Robbo has a lot to offer and I hope we do not make the same mistake.

 

[PT]

Jennings was my hero. I stood behind is goal in the north stand and watched him many times catch a rocket with one hand and it stuck.

As it happens if Ramos carries out what we all think is going to occur - a complete dismantling of our carefully accrued dross, there's a serious danger of a repeat of this season, next season.

 

[Banjo]

Good issue. Jennings was simply the best keeper I've ever seen, and a total gentleman to boot.

But his departure was also linked with the dark goings on and betrayal of Spurs by Terry Neil. The real problem - I believe - was accepting an Arsenal man as manager. It was not the only time we made such a mistake!

 

[TheBigMatch]

I was too young at the time to understand how Burkinshaw managed to come to the conclusion that Jennings was surplus to requirements. We were hardly top four at that point. Don't think anyone understood.... we were still in shock from the departure of Bill , the annointment of Terry Neil mg:, the departure of Terry Neil :grin:, relegation under Burkinshaw , that the departure of Jennings was too impossible to understand Eek.

It still looks like Spurs are preparing the ground for the likely departure of King. What did Ramos say "we fully expect him to be here at the start of next season." Doesn't sound too confident about a full recovery.

All we can hope for is that they give King enough time, by all means make provision for covering King in case he isn't up for game after game, but give him enough time to recover and make another winning contibution to Spurs glorious history.

As for Robinson, although he can't be compared to Jennings... not even Clemence could in my opinion.... I am baffled at how he has declined over the past two seasons. It hasn't been just this season, last season his stats were one of the worst in the Premier League. Perhaps it goes back again to King and leadership in defense. We haven't had much over the past 2 seasons. The League Cup was an exception and Kings performance shouldn't be underestimated.

We've finally started scoring a top four standard number of goals. Pity our defense is relegation standard.

 

[SpurSince57]

Jennings was my hero. I stood behind is goal in the north stand and watched him many times catch a rocket with one hand and it stuck.

As it happens if Ramos carries out what we all think is going to occur - a complete dismantling of our carefully accrued dross, there's a serious danger of a repeat of this season, next season.

Carefully accrued dross that he was hired to transmute into gold. That, anyway, was my understanding. Was I being naive?

And it won't be a failure if we don't achieve a CL place next season. The Beloved Leader has said so.

 

[Dharmabum]

Sorry, but you can't compare the Robbo case with that of Jennings. Pat is one of the best goalies ever and, at 31, was in fact still at his peak. And selling him to Gooners etc etc.

 

[TheBigMatch]

Jennings was my hero. I stood behind is goal in the north stand and watched him many times catch a rocket with one hand and it stuck.

As it happens if Ramos carries out what we all think is going to occur - a complete dismantling of our carefully accrued dross, there's a serious danger of a repeat of this season, next season.

In 2005/2006 we hold 4th place for the majority of the season and only finally fall to 5th when our sick team fail to beat the l'arse loving hammers.

In 2006/2007 we claim 5th despite not having our captain for most of the season.

In 2007/2008 we win the League Cup by destroying ar5ena1, and by outplaying chelsea the team that still could potentially be Premier League and Champions League Champions.

So now that we have a manager widely considered to be far superior to our previous manager we are to carrry out "a complete dismantling of our carefully accrued dross".

Followed by a season or two to settle the side I presume before we realise who the "Pat Jennings" were.

 

[DJS]

Nah nothing to worry about - don't reckon Ar5ena1 would be interested in signing Robinson! :up: