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So, the Messiah
returns to lead the chosen ones to the Promised Land !! In a wave
of nostalgia and sentiment, Glenn Hoddle has been re-installed as the
King of White Hart Lane. With a few hundred column inches
dedicated to his arrival over the last few weeks, a brave new era begins
for Tottenham Hotspur. Or does it ? Sorry to be a cloud over
the sunshine that has broken out over the ground lately, but Glenn has a
hell of a lot of work to do here. Just walking into the club will
not change things immediately and the financial backers of the club will
have a big influence on how that progress is made and how quickly.
Lots of things that we all want to hear have been emitting from the Lane
as the new regimes have been put in place. However, actions speak
louder than words. You may say, well they went out and got Hoddle
- fair enough, but are they willing to back up his plans with the money
he needs ? So far, the news is that Hoddle will have the same
spending money that GG would have had and will have to make do with
it. Even t the extent that money for the development of the
Academy will have to come out of the same pot.
This sort of thing
causes me some concern. Not because I expect there to be an
endless source of funds available for the manager to gather together the
top talent from all over the world, but that it indicates to me that the
financial impetus to take the club forward is not in place yet.
ENIC's share price has plummeted with the rumour that £50 million would
be the transfer fund for Hoddle to make Spurs great again. The
club have yet to sell their media rights and this is a source of income
that could be tapped into, although the desire for media companies to
get involved has waned a little in recent times. We will have to
hope that the new manager makes the club a more attractive proposition
to the pony-tailed types who decide these things.
The side is already
showing signs of adopting a new system of play involving passing between
the players. This cannot be something that they take to straight
away, but the youngsters seem to appreciate the new way and Chris
Hughton should again be praised for his work with the reserves, who have
stepped into the team and not looked out of place. His promotion
to First Team Coach is another shrewd move by Hoddle as he gathers a
team of Tottenham people around him.
With the dreadful FA
Cup Semi-Final performance behind us now, the rest of the season is to
be played out without any chance of a trophy and without half of the
first team squad. It is nice to see the youngsters being blooded,
rather than half the first team squad who have been bloodied !!
The injuries have show just how fragile our squad (and I don't mean the
players themselves) is. There is a lack of depth of quality
players and while some of the youngsters have shown an amazing
assimilation to the first team action, there is still a long way to go
before they can be considered in the same breath as the benches of the
top six teams. Anthony Gardner is one player that springs to
mind. His chances were largely non-existent during GG's
reign. He did come on in the first half of the away game at Derby
to show how comfortable on the ball he was, but that was a move forced
on him by injury and Thelwell's nightmare first half. Hoddle has
played Gardner from the start; yes, because of injuries, but also
because he wants to see what Ant can do. He has looked good and
although he has been up against some of the Premier League's top
strikers, he has acquitted himself very well. In time, he will be
a most useful for the club.
Simon Davies did get
his chance during Graham's time, but he has shown a willingness to get
forward from midfield, an element which has been missing since Leo and
Sherwood suffered their injuries. Simon looks a natural finisher
and goals from midfield should bolster those that the forwards
grab. His passing and running are useful, but a creative playmaker
is still needed to complement this "£10 million" man.
John Piercy has been recalled to the first team after a time in the
wilderness and he could be a useful squad member as he has the ability
to play in a number of positions.
As the season peters
out, the players will be assessed and the new faces needed lined
up. Sheringham is a media rumour favourite and could be useful in
putting Sergei in for some chances if he came. Galca, the Romanian
midfielder is much sought after by some big European sides (and Rangers)
and could provide a useful source of creativity in midfield.
Stefan Effenburg of Bayern Munich has said he would like to come to
Spurs and someone of his reputation could provide the strength in the
midfield to boss games that we have missed for a long time. Then
there are the English links which I must admit look a bit more
dodgy. £10 million for Dean Richards is an awful lot of
money. Others mentioned are not of the kind of quality we are
looking for either, but hopefully Hoddle will buy the players we need to
form a successful side and not just big names for the sake of it.
Like all other Spurs
fans I hope that Hoddle does provide us with a team we can be proud of,
but most of all I hope he is in charge for a long time and that the
Board support him. That will mean a stable club and hopefully, a
more successful future. Here's to Spurs winning the things mainly
when the year ends and starts in the same number !!
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
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