Call me old-fashioned – okay, call me old – but I cannot understand the recent sport of crucifying whoever sits in the manager’s chair at White Hart Lane.

Harry Redknapp was painted as the enemy within rather than a reasonably successful coach with a gift for man motivation. It got horribly personal, with keyboard warriors describing him as ‘Twitchy’ and using gutter adjectives never allowed to scar the Spurs Odyssey pages.

I will admit to bias with Harry because we have a friendship bridging nearly half a century, but I know his fourth-fifth-fourth finishes are going to be hard to match.

Next, it was the turn of André Villas Boas, an intense, intelligent but robotic young man to whom I would not have given the job, but once he was installed I resolved to give him the support and encouragement he deserved.

But in the Tottenham-slanted forums I quickly found him suffering the same abuse as Harry, and – here’s a funny thing – from many of the same snipers who led the lynch mob against Redknapp.

Now the cynics and assassins have got Tim Sherwood in their sights. I often wonder if some of them are Gooners in disguise.

The abuse he took after the 1-1 draw at Hull made me look again at the result. No, Spurs had not been beaten, but to read some of the criticism you would have been convinced Tottenham had taken another thrashing.

Let me remind the army of critics of his Premier League record to date: Played 8, Won 5, Drawn 2, Lost 1.

Yes, the 5-1 shellacking by Manchester City was humiliating, but this defeat was dished out by the team I consider the best in the country … even taking into account Chelsea’s well-planned victory at the Etihad last night.

It could easily have been 4-2 to Chelski. The unbiased will have to admit both teams are several notches above Spurs. Mourinho out-thought Pellegrini, but remember that City have won all their other matches against the top seven clubs, with an average margin of 3.1.

Tottenham are crying out for continuity and stability. We want the days back when even we lay preachers could get close to naming the team each week without having to consult The Lancet.

There are some out there who would have Tim Sherwood ditched before he has had time to warm his bench seat alongside Sir Les. Many seem to think they understand more about the team and the game than a man who has captained a Premier League title-winning side and his right-hand man, one of the great Tottenham strikers.

Come on, wake up to the fact that the team is in good hands. Get behind Tim and Les Ferdinand. Not in their way. Stop spreading negativity. It is contagious.

The anti-Sherwood brigade cannot see that they have manufactured a scenario where they are desperate for Tim to fall on his face so they can crow un-Cockerel like that they were right. This means, sub-consciously, they want to see Spurs beaten. What sort of support is that?

Try saying positive things about him and his team. You will be surprised how refreshing it is to look for the sunshine rather than the rain. Suspend the crushing criticism until the end of the season and then make judgements.

The hard facts are that Man City, Chelsea and the Arse are the hot favourites for the top three places. Spurs will have to improve to finish ahead of Liverpool, Everton and Man United. Just accept that and you will enjoy the rest of the season without it being spoiled by the weight of expectancy.

There are enough off-the-pitch problems for you to get your teeth into. Mark Butcher, famous as the LustDoctor and as piercing and perceptive as any blogger on line, gives ENIC the forensic treatment here: http://www.thefightingcock.co.uk/2014/02/the-crimes-and-delusion-of-enic-fc/

He raises some points that will get your blood boiling, and perhaps take the heat off Tim Sherwood, who has enough on his plate trying to get the tactics and team selection right for the match against Everton.

Support Sherwood, and that plea is aimed in particular at Mr Levy, who seems to change managers like other men change their socks.

It’s time for unity among we supporters, not civil war. Save your anger for ENIC!

A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY: March 18 2014.

That’s when the industrious trustees of the Tottenham Tribute Trust stage a special screening of Julie Welch’s wondrous Those Glory Glory Days at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Town Hall Approach Road, Tottenham N15 4RX (kick-off 8pm).

All profits from the evening are going to the Trust Fund that helps our old heroes who have hit hard times.

Golden oldies Cliff Jones and Terry Dyson will be among the VIP guests, along with omniscient MC Paul Coyte and ‘Dame’ Julie, one of the finest women sports writers of any era who led the revolution that opened press box doors to women reporters. She used to write the likes of me under the table (not difficult), and her knowledge of that era is second to none.

I am giving 100 Bill Nicholson Revisited books to be sold on the evening at discount price, just a small gesture so that I can help give something back to those great old players whose careers I was privileged to chronicle in the summertime of our lives.

You can get full details of the Glory Glory night from Voice of the Lane Daniel Wynne, email: daniel.wynne@tottenhamtt.org I hope you will support us.

THE GILLER TEASER

Each week here in my new Spurs Odyssey home I will be testing your knowledge of Spurs. Last week I challenged you to name the Tottenham goalkeeper when they won the FA Cup in 1981.

The answer, of course, was Milija Aleksic, and the first name chosen at random from the correct entries is Kim Edwards, of Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex. She wins a signed copy of Bill Nicholson Revisited.

This week’s teaser:

Which club did Glenn ‘God’ Hoddle join as a player when he left Tottenham in 1987?

A signed Bill Nicholson Revisited book to the sender of the correct answer whose name is randomly drawn first. Email your answer please to gillerteaser@normangillerbooks.com

Thank you for the Danny Blanchflower anecdotes and tributes I have received to date. If you wish to have a personal story/tribute published in the book I am writing on the life and times of Danny please send it to: danny@normangillerbooks.com. I will respond to all who make contact.

If you are among those unlucky not to win the Bill Nicholson Revisited book, perhaps you will consider ordering a copy from www.normangillerbooks.com A fiver for every book sold goes to the Tottenham Tribute Trust

Thank you for joining me.

COYS!

The "Giller Index" - listing all Norman's articles for Spurs Odyssey

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