| So, a few weeks have elapsed since
MEHSTG first came on-line and games have come and games
have gone. Although we have picked up some points
(surprisingly in some instances), we still have yet to
pull away from the bottom of the Premier League. Form has
been erratic to say the least, but it is results that
count. Consistency would be achieved if we can string a
few results together to engender some confidence in the
players. Writing this after the Leeds game, people have
been saying to me that we only need four more victories
to be safe. That may not sound many, but it comes down to
winning four games out of the nine remaining and that's
when it starts to look a bit more daunting. The games
against the fellow strugglers Crystal Palace, Barnsley
and Everton are the key matches, but these teams are not
going to roll over and surrender the points to us. They
see their matches against Tottenham equally as important
and will be battling for anything they can get out of it.
That could be the vital difference. Spurs have the class,
but do they have the grit to get something out of a game,
even when they are up against it. The Blackburn result
was an amazing one considering the way we had been
playing. Backs to the wall stuff and a fair slice of luck
rolled in, but a performance that should have been the
springboard to progress from. The draw against Leicester
was a valuable point and they were the best two
back-to-back results we've put together for a long time.
That's why the tactics for the match at Hillsborough were
so unbelievable. When Tottenham have gone ahead in games
this season, they've invariably done alright, but having
nothing to defend, from the first whistle wouldn't fill
me with great hope of getting anything from the trip.
Having something to fall back on helps and even at Leeds,
Spurs had chances that they failed to convert, before
Leeds scored the only goal of the game. The team are not
scoring many goals and it therefore becomes so much more
important that they take their chances and go on from
there. The matches remaining are running out and while
there are winnable games amongst them, the players have
got to go out and win them. We must take our destiny into
our own hands. The question
of transfer policy rears it's head again, as the signing
of Moussa Saib was said to be the last of this season.
The money available to Gross to spend must be there, but
is he being told to get on with what he has got ? The
injection of quality players, who would be willing to
fight to get us out of this position would pay for
themselves if they kept us afloat in the Premier. There
are arguments to say that a new player coming into the
team at this time will not have long to settle in, but
conversely, the problem of the wing-backs has not been
solved after almost three years. Gross clearly doesn't
rate Edinburgh and Austin, feeling they have overstayed
their time, but apart from playing Carr, who could be
alright and Wilson, who is surely only filling in until
he signs someone, where does that leave the team. Jamie
Clapham has been shipped out to Ipswich, who are
impressed enough to want to sign him permanently. With
the other favoured defenders all being of a centre-half
background (Vega, Scales, Campbell, Mabbutt, Calderwood),
it leaves the side very vulnerable should anything happen
to those in possession of the places at the moment.
Looking long-term, we need to get some cover in those
areas because the only other defender near the fringes of
the squad is Mark Arber and he has only been a
substitute. While Christian seems to be deciding who will
be on their way out at the end of the season (not a bad
thing), he is obviously keeping it close to his chest who
he is going to bring in. I hope that he and Pleat have
some idea of the players who would fit into the team, as
I have a feeling we are going to need them, if not
between now and May, then certainly next term.
Keep the faith.
MY EYES
HAVE SEEN THE GLORY OF THE CUPS AT WHITE HART LANE
MY EYES HAVE SEEN THE GLORY OF THE CUPS AT WHITE HART
LANE
MY EYES HAVE SEEN THE GLORY OF THE CUPS AT WHITE HART
LANE
AND THE SPURS GO MARCHING ON.
BRUCE CASTLE
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