NORMAN GILLER’S SPURS ODYSSEY BLOG No 335
Submitted by Norman Giller

Blinkered of me I know, but I watched yesterday’s England/Belgium match with one eye on Tottenham’s upcoming Premier League match against West Ham. I was keeping my fingers crossed that Eric Dier and Harry Kane in his cameo appearance came through unscathed.

Now there is just Wednesday’s Danish bridge to cross, and then we can give all our concentration to one of the most eagerly awaited domestic Spurs matches in years.

Son … Kane … Bale! I cannot wait.

I don’t want to jinx them, but I honestly think they could form one of the most potent combinations in club football. It will be fascinating to see if Bale can still put on the burners, and a cocktail of his left foot volleys, the right foot rockets from Kane and the sheer speed and ingenuity of Son will cost any goalkeeper sleepless nights.

One thing’s for sure, I would not fancy being the defenders facing them, nor the manager/coach having to come up with tactics to contain the three of them. Good luck David Moyes!

I am certain that the cautious watchdog that sits on Jose Mourinho’s shoulder will bolster the midfield with an extra holding player rather than just go gung-ho, but even his instincts for attack will be on full alert.

Meantime, away from the tingling anticipation of the TNT Tottenham Trio, I am disturbed at the report that Manchester United and Liverpool are plotting to make radical plans to overhaul the Premier League.

Under an operation coded 'Project Big Picture’, the top flight would be reduced from 20 to 18 teams, with the nine longest-serving clubs including the current 'Big Six' being given a special status. Spurs, of course, are one of the Big Six, along with Liverpool, Man United, Man City, Arsenal and Chelsea.

This was a huge exclusive story for the Daily Telegraph, and they revealed that the shake-up is being driven by English football's two biggest clubs, and would be the the most revolutionary overhaul of the game since the Premier League was formed in 1992. The less wealthy clubs – surprise, surprise – see it as a power grab by the Big Six, in particular the American owners of United and Liverpool, who would become more powerful within the Premier League.

The plans would also lead to changes within the Football League, which – in a disguised form of blackmail – will be handed a £250million rescue package to see clubs through the Covid-19 crisis.

Everything ties in with something I was told months ago – that Tottenham are being lined-up for a takeover by an American consortium, with ENIC making the handover in stages. NFL club owners are in on those secret negotiations.

Time will tell if I’m right, but there is no doubt that eventually it will be the supporters who pay through the nose in what is a naked money-making exercise by the major clubs. Already the Football Supporters Association (FSA) has added its voice to the growing outcry over the proposals, with the Premier League and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport also protesting over the plans.

My advice is keep your bums on your seats and your hands in your pockets. Football belongs to the people, and they are trying to take it away.

I am only interested in what happens on the pitch … particularly when it involves watching Son Heung-min, Harry Kane and Gareth Bale performing together. Yes, Tottenham’s Triple TNT.

Make a date to be in front of your TV sets on Sunday for Tottenham v. West Ham, and don’t forget to fasten your safety belts. It could be explosive.

The sixth week of season seven of the Spurs Odyssey Quiz League challenge, and the question is:

Who won 81 international caps, signed for Tottenham from Portsmouth, and which club did he join in 2012?

Please email your answer to me at SOQL6@normangillerbooks.com. Deadline: midnight this Friday. I will respond to all who take part.

The rules are the same as in previous seasons. I ask a two-pronged question with three points at stake – two for identifying the player and one for the supplementary question. In the closing weeks of the competition I break the logjam of all-knowing Spurs-history experts with a tie-breaking poser that is based on opinion rather than fact.

This year’s prizes for the champion: a Harry Kane framed and signed photo two, books from my Greavsie collection with autographs from Jimmy Greaves, Steve Perryman and Dave Mackay, and, most important of all, a framed certificate announcing the winner as SOQL champion.

Last week’s SOQL question: Which Tottenham defender captained England three times while winning 32 caps, and which club did he steer to the League championship as manager?

The answer: Yes, dear old Alf Ramsey, who joined Ipswich as manager direct from Spurs in 1955. He won back to back Second and First Division titles with both Spurs as a player and then Ipswich as manager ... before the little matter of the World Cup. Remarkable! But he was never a 6-1 winner at Old Trafford :-)

See you back here same time, same place next week. COYS!

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