Bad day at the office, Harry, but some big deals on the bench!
Published: 2 September, 2010
THE CROW
ARSENAL
CHECK YouTube and you’ll see Harry Redknapp going all swearheli this week when some doofus TV reporter suggested he’s a transfer market “wheeler dealer”.
OUT-RAY-JUS! Wheeler dealer? Our pal Harry? No, no, nooo. Not him. No way. Absolutely not. No. I can completely understand his seething-mad flap.
On deadline day, Redknapp was simply interested in acquiring a midfielder, Rafael van der Vaart. That wasn’t wheeling and dealing.Spurs are clearly thin in midfield.
I mean they only have Luka Modric and Wilson Palacios there. And Tom Huddlestone.
Oh, and Aaron Lennon and Niko Kranjcar. And, silly me – forgot – there’s also Jermaine Jenas, David Bentley and new man Sandro. Err... oh, and don’t forget Jamie O’Hara and Danny Rose.
Clearly short on midfield cover, it was natural to want to buy. Silly, silly. Redknapp actually now has to leave out some expensive players.
Internationals will be warming the bench looking as miserable as Emmanuel Adebayor in his big ol’ sub’s coat.
People give us all earache about the morals of Manchester City’s spending, rightfully so. But Spurs are doing something very, very similar. They are trying to change football history by chucking money at it.
It’s a bit tacky – but more importantly, it would be a shame if young English talent like Rose could be don’t get the chance to blossom in the same way Ashley Cole, Kieran Gibbs and Jack Wilshere were allowed to at Arsenal.
RICHARD OSLEY
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
OUCH! Harry described the loss to Wigan on Saturday as “a bad day at the office.” And although I was upset by the defeat, I wasn’t surprised.
It was typical Spurs – give us a delightful Champions League meal with all the trimmings midweek and Premier League indigestion three days later.
Recent history shows us consistency isn’t necessarily synonymous with Tottenham: that they will have the odd hiccup, so let’s look on the bright side.
How many times have we heard other British teams complaining about having to play a league game days after a European match? Admittedly, this loss was at home and Young Boys didn’t put up much of a fight on Wednesday, but there were no complaints from Harry.
I console myself with the knowledge that we’re in Europe’s premier club competition, a fact the boo boys at the Lane seem to forget.
Think back to how many times we’ve had to listen to “The Champions League Anthem” played at games we’d only dreamed of competing in.
Spurs are now there by right: not default.
Yes we expect a certain level of performance, but we’re not there yet: so let’s get behind them after the harsh days and give them fans that they can be proud of.
And regardless of the remarks you have to endure at home or at work from rival supporters, recognise that our team is slowly but surely rising to the top.
TONY DALLAS