Tottenham Hotspur: A Hatchet Job

Recent events at our club have left an air of negativity hanging over WHL that leave me feeling very uneasy and more than a bit disappointed. I can’t seem to shake the feeling and it’s getting to a point where I don’t want to pick up a paper or browse the net because everything I read is just so depressing.

The fact is that the media firmly has its teeth into Spurs, and like a rabid pitbull once they are locked on it takes something sensational to distract them. It’s difficult, but if you can wipe away the bullshit and ignore the disgraceful politicking then perhaps things aren’t as bad as they seem.

Let’s start with The Horrendous Treatment of Martin Jol. As you may recall reading here, Martin is not going anywhere, but that does not excuse the naïve actions of an experienced board who thought they could meet another manager in a public hotel and get away with it. They then went on to insult our intelligence by pretending that it was a coincidence, and since that didn’t wash they now claim that “they have never offered the job to anyone else”, well maybe so, but this smacks of a technicality. Let’s face it – if you’re caught in bed with another woman is it really going to matter to your wife whether you actually had sex or not?

Daniel Levy has subsequently given 2 statements on the club’s website that he thinks will put this all to sleep. The problem is that he continues to play us for fools by giving the type of non-committal answers that would make Tony Blair proud.

However, when the dust settles the stark facts are that nothing has changed. BMJ is still the manager, the board still expect results and maybe, just maybe these meetings actually did help to clear the air. Jol himself has acted with admirable dignity throughout, he has the support of the players and the majority of the fans and so perhaps now it is back to business as usual - I hope so because it's now becoming boring.

The press have not quite finished with Tottenham though. They would have us believe that this whole sordid affair has been the catalyst for a miniature meltdown within the club walls. That Jol and Commoli don’t see eye to eye even though they say time and time again that one won’t buy a player that the other has not signed off on. They suggest that mild mannered janitor Jermaine Defoe has taken the opportunity to throw his toys out of his pram, that Zokora is deemed not good enough despite having played 2 out of the 3 games so far this season and that the entire incident has unsettled the team.

Can anyone explain to me how a bit of managerial wrangling affects a person’s ability to kick a football to one of his teammates? Sure the players may be interested in the gossip, perhaps even concerned and in the case of Robbo, disappointed, but what relevance is that to a sportsman’s performance? If anything we may see a player backlash against United on Sunday as the team try desperately to deliver for their under-fire boss.

Next we have The Berbatov Affair. I just point blank refuse to believe that Jol would request the sale of one of his best players because he got arsey about being substituted. Man U have taken an interest, but then don’t their spin doctors always blow up a media storm for any team he sees as a threat – it’s been Fergie’s tactic for years. Of course in the case of Berba, we are led to believe that they have tabled a £22m bid. Although that may appeal to the more business minded on the board, Daniel Levy is a fan at heart and I cannot see him agreeing to sell – particularly after the week he’s just had!

The press seem desperate for Berbatov to join Man U, probably because they know how lucrative a transfer saga involving Man Utd can be. Just think about how many papers the Tevez deal must have sold. I am more inclined to believe that Berbs is not pissed off with Tottenham, is not “furious” about us not signing Petrov, is not holding a grudge about being substituted and is generally happy to be playing for Spurs. Do the snippets of his personality we have been treated to suggest he is a prima-donna to you?

Lastly we have Robbo’s Big Mistake. The BBC, and particularly John Motson, should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for the way they have carried on. During the England game Motty and serial wanker Lawro just would not stop talking about the first Germany goal and were slagging off Robbo as if he was a complete liability. The fact is that this was their dream scenario – the more observant of you may have noted that Motty had the daggers out while the teams were in the tunnel as he banged on about the “question marks over Robinson’s place as England number one”. So it must have been a dream come true when he let one in after a blunder.

But hang on, what blunder? Surely Robbo was well positioned to collect the cross that he was within his rights to expect. Surely he actually made a fantastic save to tip the miss-kick onto the bar. Surely he cannot be blamed for the inability of the England defence to either react to the rebound, or in the first case to clear the ball properly. And where was the focus on how Lehman let Lampard smash one through a 15” gap at his near post?

So in conclusion I would suggest that, just like West Ham were when they were trying not to get relegated, or Arsenal were when Henry left, or Chelsea were when Mourinho was not winning the title; Tottenham are not in crisis, but are simply the plaything of bored, conniving and possibly pissed journalists at the moment.

What we need is for something new to happen – and I'll tell you this, if Spurs come away from Manchester with three points tomorrow then I can guarantee we will be off the back pages next week and the feeding frenzy will head Old Trafford's way…