NORMAN GILLER’S SPURS ODYSSEY BLOG No 353
Submitted by Norman Giller
Like the England batsmen, I spent my weekend in a spin. After Spurs got their predictable drubbing at the Etihad, I found myself defending both ENIC and José Mourinho against vicious attacks from keyboard warriors who were ready to march on the capital (not Capitol) like a Trump-inspired lynch mob.
I should point out that among the savagery, there were sensible, balanced people making out a case why Tottenham are in urgent need of major surgery at the top, in the boardroom as well as the dressing-room. On the other side of the tracks, there were so-called fans actually wishing for a defeat for Spurs so that it would hurry the departure of Marmite Man Mourinho and/or chairman Daniel Levy. What sort of support is that?
In out, in out, shake it all about, the way to run (I almost said ruin) a football club.
The question I posed on line: “To all those #ENICOUT supporters – who in their place? The Glazers? Blood on their hands Arabs? Sullivan and Gold? Lord Sugar? Mike Ashley? Abramovich? Conniving Chinese? Trump-style Americans? Better the devil you know …”
Not a soul came up with a satisfactory answer, simply because there isn’t one. Pacifying and uniting all the Spurs supporters is an impossible job, and there is not an owner walking this earth who could meet the demands of among the most fickle fans in football.
I was attacked for calling the Chinese “conniving”, my assailants clearly unaware of the wide-ranging corruption and bribery that has poisoned football in China.
In my 70 years following Spurs, the men in charge have been the Bearmans, the Wales’, the Richardsons, Douglas Alexiou, Irving Scholar, Alan Sugar, and ENIC, with their main shareholder the fabulously wealthy Joe Lewis.
I even took stick for pointing out that Joe – 84 last week – was born down the road to me in a room above a pub in Bow in the East End. “What’s it matter where somebody was born?” I was challenged. “We just need an owner who wants to invest in the club to win things.”
You honestly think ENIC do not want to win silverware? Chairman Daniel Levy is being lambasted for appointing Mourinho, a man who has won 25 trophies. How ambitious does he have to be?
Every one of Tottenham’s owners has been castigated in turn by Spurs supporters, as have a string of managers. Just here in my waffling time at Spurs Odyssey there have been constant hashtag movements: #RedknappOut #AVBOut #TimOut #PochOut and now – sweeping social media – #MourinhoOut.
How about a hashtag: #FansWhoCannotBeBalancedAndUnbiasedOUT?
I am not being wise after the event, because when Mourinho was given the job in November 2019 I wrote here in my Blog that it would end in tears. But while he is in charge we must get behind him, not in his way.
You have to be a very naive or blindly optimistic Spurs supporter to have expected a team low on confidence to go to the Etihad and come away with three points against comfortably the best side in the Premier League.
Our guru Paul H. Smith reports the sorry proceedings HERE, and points out that City have now won 16 consecutive games with a squad that cost the little matter of half a billion pounds.
“City’s owners are so much more ambitious than ENIC,” one of my detractors pointed out.
You really think the Dubai royal family would be a good fit? Just have a read of this article giving a background picture of the City owners: https://www.josimar.no/artikler/the-men-behind-manchester-city-the-dark-side/5040/
You would prefer them in charge? You have a conscience? What a misnomer the ‘Yid Army’ would suddenly become. Yes, it’s a funny old game.
As I’ve said all along, better the devil you know.
We continue to tick off the matches on the way (fingers crossed) to silverware in what is the Centenary of the 1921 FA Cup win, the Platinum celebration of the 1951 Push and Run title, the Diamond Jubilee of the 1961 Double Year, the Ruby anniversary of Ricky’s ‘Goal of the Century’ in the 1981 FA Cup final triumph, and, of course, the Pearl anniversary of the last time Spurs won the FA Cup in 1991.
These are the fixtures facing Spurs to the end of this month
Thu 18 Feb Wolfsberger(away, 5.55, Europa League, 1st leg)
Sun 21 Feb West Ham (away, 12.00, Premier League)
Wed 24 Feb Wolfsberger(home, 5.00, Europa League, 2nd leg)
Sun 28 Feb Burnley (home, 2.00, Premier League)
I wonder what the keyboard assassins will be saying if we can win all these, and then go and conquer Man City in the League Cup final at Wembley on April 25?
Okay, now who’s being blindly optimistic. COYS!
The 24th week of season seven of the Spurs Odyssey Quiz League challenge, and the question is:
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 Hampshire-born player won 17 England caps, captained Spurs after being signed by Glenn Hoddle and which manager bought him from Tottenham in 2005?
The answer: Yes, relatively speaking, the Redknapps, Jamie and his Dad Harry.
See you back here same time, same place next week. COYS!
