Glory, Glory Tottenham Hotspur…

After years of paddling around in the kids pool, Tottenham finally get their chance to dip their large man toes in the big boy pool. Champions League football beckons at the Lane next season. Question is, will they sink or swim? For now, Tottenham fans are not worried about the two-legged play-off in August. For now, they are just happy to have been invited.

Regardless of how they do in their first Champions League tournament, for Spurs fans, this is a monumental time. Not only have they achieved their main objective of the season by qualifying for Europe’s most prestigious footballing competition, they have also surpassed expectations by beating London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea. In seasons past, they always failed against the big boys. Not anymore. This is a new Tottenham.

‘Arry Redknapp has done a phenomenal job guiding Spurs into the Champions League in his second season as boss. He has built a team that play for each other. He has developed Michael Dawson into a potential England international. He has made Gareth Bale a positive attacking force and his displays have made him a target for Manchester United. He has given Huddlestone so much confidence that you can now see his “Hoddle” like abilities. He even made Bentley step-up to the plate following Aaron Lennon’s injury. And his boy Peter Crouch came up trumps netting the winner against City. You could go on and on about what a great job ‘Arry and his staff have done. It’s good to see an English manager getting the opportunity to manage an English club in the Champions League.

Spurs are now breathing down Arsenal’s neck in more ways than one. They have certainly caught up to their North London rivals with regards to talent on the pitch and they are certainly miles ahead in the spending ranks. Plus they have done much better in domestic competitions over the last few years. They’ve actually won something! Credit to Tottenham Chairman Daniel Levy for making some bold decisions and for being willing to make mistakes in order to achieve success. With Tottenham having gained on Arsenal so fiercely, is the power shifting to the blue side of North London?

There’s lots to dissect after this game, but the other obvious winner last night was British football. Manchester City made some bold statements at the beginning of the season. They spent huge amounts of money which left them so assured about qualifying for the Champions League. Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure and Wayne Bridge were already guaranteed Champions League football with Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea. So if it was really about playing Champions League football, then surely Adebayor, Toure, Bridge and Tevez would have have stayed at their previous clubs no? Gareth Barry wanted to play Champions League football but snubbed Liverpool for Manchester City, who were not even in the competition. All of these moves were motivated by the big bucks City were willing to pay. And it didn’t work. Does this mean you can’t buy success?

For British football, Tottenham and Manchester United, the fact City didn’t qualify is great news! But despite their failures, City have much to be excited about next season. They will no doubt have a new manager and they will certainly bring in some new faces. Of the faces they currently have, it’s questionable who will stay. One thing is for sure, Adam Johnson looks like a future star and was the best buy of the bunch that rolled into City over the last few months. If I were running the blue side of Manchester, I’d build my team around Johnson.

For now, the day belongs to Tottenham. It’s been such a long journey for their fans. They are ready to cheer their team on in Europe. Could they be singing “Glory, Glory Tottenham Hotspur” all the way to Wembley in 2011 or will it all end in tears before the party has even begun..?

Look out for the party crashers…

Dunne_and_Collins_2_911003aThe wannabe top four teams of the Premier League are really making a case for themselves this season. Aston Villa beat the power house that is Chelsea 2-1, Tottenham piled on the misery for Portsmouth with a victory at Fratton Park and Manchester City continue to prove they are serious about challenging for the title even though they walked away with a draw against Wigan.

Seeing these types of teams rise up and worm their way into the elite group of teams in the Premier League is a great thing for English football. It certainly makes the game more exciting for us fans and it’s great to see the likes of Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester City making a run for it. Don’t you find this refreshing?

Aston Villa is my team of the week. They have often lost games like they won against Chelsea. It’s happened to them many times against the current big four. But they showed a superb team spirit and togetherness which eventually won them the game. Brad Friedel was a monster in goal and he certainly saved his team on a few occasions. Collins and Dunne were immense on set pieces and their goals were much needed after Drogba put Chelsea ahead. Whether Aston Villa have the squad and fitness to fight on in February, March and April we shall see. This has always been the question mark against Aston Villa. Can you see them breaking into the top four this season? Can they stay consistent?

Tottenham’s path to victory this weekend was a little easier. Beating Portsmouth isn’t exactly a difficult task this season, but with ex-Pompey boss Harry Redknapp returning to the team he helped build, it was going to be a heated affair. In fact, there were a few ex-Portsmouth and ex-Tottenham players on display in this battle. Sharp shooter Defoe scored against his old club but saw himself go from hero to zero after being sent off for a stamp on Portsmouth’s Mokoena. Despite the setback, Spurs went onto win and they maintained their place within the top four. Can they keep it going?

Liverpool have some serious problems. If Torres and Gerrard are not in the squad, they struggle to win. I cannot see them winning the league this season. It seems they may have to make some major transfer moves in January if they want to push for the title. What’s lacking for me when I watch Liverpool is their team spirit. They might put in the effort, but where’s the fight? You can’t blame a balloon for your loss. You need to make your own luck on the pitch sometimes and Liverpool just couldn’t find the inspiration to do that. Can you see Liverpool turning it around this season? Benitez is under pressure, can you see him losing his job if things don’t improve?

West Ham lose to Stoke. Are the East Londoners in trouble? Surely the buyout of the club couldn’t come fast enough for Hammers fans? Is Zola’s job safe for now?

My goal of the week was Robbie Blake’s for Burnley against Blackburn. How great was it to see two old rivals like Blackburn and Burnley back in the Premier League battling it out in one of football’s best local derby’s? The fans created an incredible atmosphere and the old rivalry was well and truly alive. Long may they reside in the Premier League so we can see more great games like the one witnessed on Sunday.

Oh and will someone send the lifeboat out to Phil Brown and his Hull City tigers…

Harry Redknapp Houdini strikes again…

re_delle_manette2-761666The smartest thing Spurs have done in years is to hire Harry Redknapp. A strong character in the dressing room and an experienced Premiership manager, Harry knows how to rebuild bottom up! He is one of those characters that galvanizes people and gets them to believe in what he’s trying to do. Evidently, the cockney rebel’s influence is already working its magic down at the Lane.

Like a fine wine, Harry seems to get better with age. He took good players to Portsmouth and turned most into great Premier League players. He created a team. He saved Portsmouth from relegation and then in the very next year won them the F.A. Cup, his first major trophy as a manager.

Harry knows what it takes to survive in the Premier League and he knows what it takes to try and be competitive to win the title. And he knows how to instill that bullish spirit in his team when it comes to a London derby battle. Arsenal were shocking last night. Their defense was a mess and Alumnia’s display was comparable to a Sunday league goalkeeper suffering from a Saturday night hangover. Credit to Spurs for fighting on and believing they could get the win and a slice of London derby pride. That was Harry’s influence. He gave the players belief and Spurs looked like a completely different team.

If Harry adds the likes of Teddy Sheringham to his coaching staff, Spurs will really be building a solid foundation for future management. Before they appointed Harry Redknapp as their new boss, things were looking gloomy for their fans and their so-called revolution of new signings. Now they have Houdini in their corner, anything is possible…