Phoenix Rising- Is This the Year of the Hot Spur?

Well, it was only 2008, when the sports editor was contacting me for an article about my Hot Spurs relegation battle.  Now, that is a subject that makes me uncomfortable.  The thought of my favorite team being relegated for one bad season was enough for me to know I could not possibly write an article on that subject.  My oh, my!  How the times have changed!  From the ashes of one of the worst starts in Premier League history last season, the Spurs have risen to the top of the league with a new manager Harry “Houdini” Redknapp and a much improved cast of high-flyers .  Am I dreaming? Are the Spurs for a legitimate contender for the EPL title?  I get goose bumps because the answer is yes.  Who knew a non-fiction London screenplay would unfold that was made for Hollywood without the Beckham’s?

Why do the Spurs soar above the rest this year?  Team management is reason.  The coach and the chairman, Daniel Levy, work together to make personnel moves that improve the team.  Harry is a motivator and has the reputation of a being a keen judge of soccer talent at a good value.  When White Hart Lane was figuratively burning last year, the Spurs fired the coach and other executive responsible for administering the talent after starting the season with little offensive firepower after liquidating their interests in Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane, and Jermaine Defoe.  Harry came on board and realized the talent he had in Modric, Lennon, King and Assou-Ekotto, but almost as importantly he recognized weaknesses in the midfield, in the goal and in front of goal.  Harry and the chairman made the right moves to keep the Spurs up.  Wilson Palacios was brought into help dominate the midfield and string passes together.  Carlo Cudicini was bought from Chelsea to provide a reliable back up goalkeeper to Gomes, whom was having problems with his confidence.  Finally, Robbie Keane was bought back from Liverpool , at a substantial profit, and Jermaine Defoe was bought back from Portsmouth.  Harry has coached his players on their roles in the team and the players are responding appropriately.   

This season Harry has continued to improve the team by selling Darren Bent and bringing in Peter Crouch or “Crouchy” as I would call him if he played on a team with me.  Harry was less than impressed with Bent missing what appeared to be an easy header goal in a key game and, even remarked his wife could have headed that one in.   While I laughed at Harry’s remark initially, it was made out of frustration and in an attempt to lighten the mood in a pressure cooker of a coaching situation.  I believe Harry’s leadership and wit will improve for the better.  Bent was understandably insulted by this comment.  As far as room to improve for Harry, Harry should be more of builder of confidence than a destroyer of confidence this season.  While Bent is a talented and speedy player who scored at least 10 goals last season, I believe Harry realized Bent was worth more to Sunderland  than to Spurs.  Since Bent and Defoe are similar speedster forwards, an aerial attack from that tall drink of water, Crouchy , would be a welcome added  dimension to the Spurs offense.  As we saw in last week’s game against Birmingham, Crouchy knows how to head the ball and scored a crucial game tying goal.  

Confidence is the second reason for the Spurs impressive start.  Defoe is playing better than ever.  The defense has looked solid.  Palacios and Modric have been the best midfield in the league so far.  King, Assou-Ekotto, Corluka have played together like a well-designed machine.  Jonathon Woodgate’s absence in defense has not been noticeable since the defense has been that good.  Even Gomes, who had the least amount of confidence last season, has been playing up to his potential this season.  While Gomes and Modric have been injured early to start the season, the Spurs give no indication of falling off.  Robbie Keane has been a great leader for the Spurs, but is in need of a few goals to boost his confidence.  In Saturday’s match against Manchester United, the reversal in confidence from last season’s positions is similar to the prince and the pauper.  Tottenham is playing with confidence and Manchester United is shaky and unsure of how good they are without Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez and Edwin Van der Sar.

Teamwork is the high octane fuel for Spurs victory.  This season the passing has been clinical and controlled and the scoring chances have been numerous.   I am hoping coach Redknapp is working on finishing during practice this week.   In last week’s game against Birmingham, Tottenham’s passing was silky smooth and a great example of possession soccer.  The Spurs are having fun, motivated and enjoying playing the beautiful game and it shows.  The best example of this is Crouchy’s jubilant expression and the congratulatory team celebration after his goal that must have seemed like a dream come true after his start in the Spurs academy as a youth.   The teamwork is what makes soccer more than a sport.  While it is early in the season, this Saturday’s match against Manchester United will answer for those few uncertain neutrals whether this is the year of the Hot Spur. 

There is no doubt you will have some themes to talk to your mates about for Saturday over a frosty pint: Berba versus his old team, the confidence and teamwork subplots, Sir Alex versus Harry Houdini, which team is more likely to win this year's league title. 

Come on you Spurs!