Audere est Facere.
As pointed out on Twitter – Mancini promised it, Rafa guaranteed it, ‘Arry delivered it.
Where so many failed before, ‘Arry, in his first full season in charge, delivered what was asked of him. Big name continentals, directors of football, local heroes, couldn’t do it but ‘Arry could. Triffic. 2 points 8 games.
Oh but yesterday was a tense affair, as memories of the last day of of the ’06 season kept coming back, it kept drowning out all the thoughts of the many times Spurs have been Citeh over the last few years, thoughts going back to Wembley ’81. But that day at the Spammers lingered and it was helped by memories of the cup semi against Everton in ’95 another day that could have, should have been the beginning of something but turned out to be the end of something. Would European qualification that year kept Jurgen at the club?
Some tension was released when the team sheet was announced. Ledley and Gomes fit. ‘Arry’s going with his best available and he didn’t take the advice some were offering. We’re not a go there and defend team, it doesn’t work for us, never has, probably never will. The old cliché stands us in good stead. Attack is our best form of defence. So ‘Arry went with two up front and two real wingers in Lennon and Bale.
An old school English manager out thought his continental opponent.
‘Arry got it right where Mancini got it wrong. Needing the win why did he replace one defensive midfielder with another, when Barry was injured. Who in a Spurs shirt, on and off the pitch, wasn’t happy to see Johnson and then Bellamy removed while Adebayor stayed on the park? ‘Arry’s changes were made for a reason, good reason, and not just for making changes sake.
We deserved it, both on the night and over the season.
Yes on the night they had more of the ball, they may have passed the ball more accurately and goal attempts were pretty even in number. But where they even in quality, whose were the more dangerous and which side looked a class above?
Their dangerous players didn’t perform, Johnson apart. Tevez had a short spell but was quickly snubbed out in both halves and with him playing deep and central, well he had to get through Dawson and Ledley. He may have got passed one, he wasn’t getting passed both. Again Ledley was outstanding. He is by far the best central defender in the country, I still can’t believe the criticism that came his way by some supporters who wanted rid. Where some England internationals ponce out of blocking a shot with their body Ledley was putting his head between powerfully hit balls and goal.
Their life was made easier by Adebayor’s presence. While Assou-Ekotto only came to Spurs for the money, as Adebayor only went to Citeh, but our little, slightly mental full-back gives his all in receipt of that money the ex-Scum Wanderer really can’t be arsed bothering a lot of the time. You have to spend your money wisely when it comes to mercenaries.
I also have to apologise again to Younes Kaboul. I shuddered when we bought him back, I shuddered when ‘Arry stuck him in at right-back but through this run-in he has performed above and beyond. And with a yellow to his name early last night he did another excellent job in marshalling Bellamy.
But through it all while Gomes made some excellent saves from Johnson and Bale’s almost own goal, I do apologies again to our big Brazilian, it did have a feeling of the “law of the ex”. As one time Spurs bench warming stand-in ‘keeper Fullop kept denying his former employers the goal they so richly deserved. It was nervous it was tense right up until he deflected Kaboul’s cross onto Crouch’s head.
It was all over then, Citeh with the changes Mancini made were all over the place with no structure and no heart.
All those commentators who picked either Citeh or even more bizarrely Liverpool to clinch that 4th spot, based on red tinted specs bias and the run-in. Well that run-in has seen the Scum, Chelski and Citeh beaten in a run of five wins out of six and no falling at the last hurdle.
Now there’s just the matter of the last game of the season at Burnley, win that and hope the second string Roy Hodgson puts out against the Woolwich Wandering scum give their all trying to get a place in the Europa League final and we can really celebrate Champions League not just the Champions League qualifier.
And this is how to celebrate…