Tottenham Hotspur - fan's review of 2008/09 Premier League season
Tottenham Hotspur - fan's review of 2008/09 Premier League season
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Tuesday, 02, Jun 2009 05:40
Good, bad or just the same old, same old? What the fans made of the 2008/09 season.
Ending the season having missed out on a fourth consecutive European campaign by the slimmest of points margins in the league and having been beaten by the champions in a cup final shoot-out should be a disappointing end to Tottenham's season.
However, after Juande Ramos presided over the club's worst ever start an eighth-place finish and a Carling Cup final loss should be considered more than satisfactory.
Relegation had seemed a painfully likely possibility under Ramos, with no fight or cohesion in the squad, but blaming the early season apathy of the departing Berbatov is not a sufficient excuse for a squad who performed dreadfully under one manager but superbly under the next.
Premier League safety was rightly Harry Redknapp's primary concern after his arrival, leading to a cheapening of the Uefa Cup campaign that prized pragmatism over positivity, but the transformation of the team in Redknapp's incredible early days cannot be ignored.
Whether in the unlikely Carling Cup comeback against Liverpool, the battling Premier League draw with United and, in one of the most impressive performances of the season, the 2-1 away defeat of former Champions League hopefuls Aston Villa, Redknapp has begun to get the best out of a very expensive squad, with even bit-part players like Benoit Assou-Ekotto rising to the challenge.
The 5-2 capitulation to the eventual champions showed there remains a lack of belief within the squad of challenging the top four but with the lowest goals conceded at home in the entire league, and Wilson Palacios allowing Luka Modric to pull the strings in midfield, challenging Villa and Everton should be next season's realistic aim.
Grade: B-
High Point
The 4-4 draw with Arsenal undoubtedly evoked the biggest roar from the Spurs faithful, especially David Bentley's stunning volley against his old employers - the winger's only achievement of note in the season.
However, Tottenham's best moment came in the 1-0 home defeat of Chelsea.
Luka Modric scored a fine goal, performances from one to XI were of the highest quality and it was Guus Hiddink's only league defeat as Chelsea manager.
There's nothing like beating an old enemy either.
Low Point
The 2-1 away defeat to Stoke in mid-October.
Though Spurs were comfortably beaten by Udinese in the Uefa Cup a week later, this was the straw that broke Juande Ramos' back. From Gareth Bale's 17th-minute sending off, it was all downhill against a newly-promoted side that a squad of Tottenham's quality should have thrashed.
Though Darren Bent got the visitors back in it, the lack of ambition when 2-1 down made relegation suddenly seem a very real possibility.
The manager
Harry Redknapp couldn't really have had a better first season at the Lane.
Taking the team from their 'two points from eight games' ignominy - as he wouldn't shut up about for his first few months in charge - to a Cup final and marginally missing out on a European place that would have seemed laughable in the terrible last days of Ramos.
'Arry's January signings certainly strengthened the squad and the only real criticism of his management could be his poorly-veiled tapping up of the likes of Kenwyne Jones.
Fan's Player of the Year
- Aaron Lennon -
Though he'd hinted at brilliance in the glorious back-to-back fifth placed finishes under Martin Jol, it was this year that little Aaron finally proved his potential.
He tormented opposition defences throughout the 2009 half of the season - including the full-backs of the 'big four' - and successfully developed his oft-lamented final ball.
David Beckham might still play a part in the England squad, but his right side successor plys his trade at White Hart Lane.
Needs for Next Season
Asked this question six months ago, the list of weaknesses would have been lengthier than Robbie Keane's Anfield dry spell. But under Tony Parks' supervision Heurelho Gomes has become an entertaining and accomplished keeper, Benoit Assou-Ekotto a marauding, pacey wing-back and Luka Modric a playmaker to rank alongside the finest in the league.
Ledley King's inconsistent fitness means Jonathan Woodgate needs a regular partner whose abilities exceed that of the dogged Michael Dawson while Redknapp needs to work out the most efficient way of deploying Modric behind Keane and Defoe.
Spurs have neither the money nor place in Europe to attract Carlos Tevez, but if there is money to spend after Redknapp's January splurge, tempting Steven Warnock, Joe Cole and Eidur Gudjohnsen to the Lane could be worth the money.
Of the regulars, Modric, Lennon and Palacios must stay while Pavlyuchenko deserves more time.
Lewis Bazley