Arry Watch: The complete and absolute tactical analysis of Tottenham Hotspur « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News. Supporting the Lord Wenger; coach of the decade

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By Tony Attwood

Since 1960/61 the Football League’s top division has been won twice at White Hart Lane.  Unfortunately for Tottenham, both times the league was won by Arsenal.

As a result last season Tottenham celebrated 50 years since they won the league – although I was rather sorry to see that there wasn’t much made of the great anniversary in the press.

But it was a close run thing this year as Tottenham were in the running to win the league until quite late on.  I know this because Mr Redknapp said that this was the case on 22 November after Tottenham beat Villa 2-0 (there was an article in the Guardian on it).   And then again the Sun on 15 January 2012 had the same approach after Tottenham drew with Wolverhampton.  They were third at the time.

He also said it was “an even-matched league” and that “there is a title in this club” (both quotes from the Guardian article).

So why did it not happen?

In one way it did not, not happen, if you see what I mean.  While Arsenal and Arsenal fans like us were awash with utter and total disappointment as Mr Wenger raged in anger and frustration, after the opening games of the season, Mr Redknapp has taken a different line.

For  even after the QPR game Mr Redknapp said that having only one win in nine EPL games was not too bad because the only bad show was the 1-2 against Norwich.  Even though during the run they also played Wolverhampton.

Now however another enemy has appeared to harass Tottenham’s push for the title – too small a squad size.  And it was when I saw that argument I decided to write this little note.

If you recall last summer, we couldn’t find a cabbage to sign for the club (at least according to the AAA)  until the last couple of minutes of the transfer window.  It started when our side was raped by the money clubs.  Remember Cesc?  Remember Nasri?  And if that were not bad enough we then had the loss of Jack.  And all the while no one wanted to sign for us.

But Tottenham however took a different route.  Their manager  wilfully sold their squad.  Keane, Crouch, Pavlyuchenko, Pienaar, Palacios,  Corluka, Bassong, Jenas and Woodgate.  Either sold or leased out for the duration.

So when Mr R says, “We haven’t got the biggest squad,” I wonder.   Of course he is right – but why?

And when he continues, “I could not make too many changes as I only had one striker and two centre halves. If one of those got injured I was bang in trouble. I had nobody. We were desperate,” well, my mind wanders a little.  Arsenal have had such problems – we ran out of full backs you will remember, but we used centre backs who can play full back.  Don’t they have swap over positions at Tottenham?

In these interview Mr R also returned to a favourite theme.  “You just have to win football matches that is all.”  He said that after the QPR game.  And who can disagree?

The tactical analysis of Tottenham is, in fact, “we are doing fine”.   He didn’t actually say that after we beat them 5-2 – he graciously admitted that Arsenal are, “a dangerous team with real quality,” which was not only true but also reasonable, fair, and took guts to say to an audience of Tottenham fans.

But on March 4 when losing at home to Man U he said, “I thought we were outstanding….  They created nothing.”   For the defeat to Everton:  “We battered them non-stop” and for the 5-1 thumping by Chelsea he blamed the ref.   That was I think the 8th game in which he blamed the ref – something he has previously said he never does.  (“I never walk in after games and complain about a referee but this guy is scary.” – Arry on Steve Tanner in 2008)

As a set of theories to explain a down turn the notion that there is no crisis, that the club is short of players because they have all been transferred, and it is the fault of the ref, is not much of an explanation.   So the Independent then took on Mr Redknapp who came up with  another reason for the downturn.  “We are the biggest threat to ourselves, probably,” he said.

So where now?  While Mr Wenger has spent his time at Arsenal glorifying the club and its heritage, Mr Redknapp does the opposite, as when in 2009 he said, “This is a football club that has been put together by I don’t know who, and I don’t know how. It’s a mishmash of players with people playing where they want to play.”

Mr Redknapp’s tactic is therefore… well, I don’t know.  No players, wrong players, no plan, wrong plan, nothing wrong, we’re wrong.   Something like that.

After not coming above Arsenal in the league for 18 years this season is Tottenham’s biggest chance, after Arsenal had two star midfielders tapped up by other clubs and a third removed by injury for the whole season, and a transfer window in which nothing went right until the last few seconds.  Surely, with that much mess, this was the great chance to get above Arsenal.   We were something like 17th in the league after three games – and although that was only after 3, it left us a long way behind, we had a goal difference of minus 8.

I wonder if it is a money thing?  Tottenham somehow make a profit each year, but no one knows how since the owner is in a tax haven and doesn’t declare the in’s and out’s of the money.  Maybe there is something in that, which is causing the muddle.  Or perhaps it is Mr Redknapp.

Since I have not been able to find an Anti-Redknapp movement and an Anti-Tottenham-Tottenham group I don’t really get the thinking down the Lane.

But still, maybe Mr R is about to move on to take over England.   That will be interesting because every other club he has left (Bournemouth, WHU, Southampton, Portsmouth) have gone bust once he has gone.

When was the last time Tottenham finished a season above Arsenal Arsenal and Tottenham: the history of antagonism

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