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Harry’s got no excuses after Spurs fail to rise with Keane
Tom Collomosse09.02.09
Harry Redknapp proudly showed off a new Armani suit as he collected a lifetime achievement award last week but still the quality of Tottenham's play rarely matches that of their manager's clothing.
Even though three of the five signings — Carlo Cudicini, Wilson Palacios and Robbie Keane — that Redknapp believes will turn around his side's season were in his starting XI, Spurs were easily kept at bay by an Arsenal team yesterday who had to play with 10 men for 63 minutes of the match after Emmanuel Eboue was sent off.
This was the perfect opportunity for Spurs, whose self-belief remains extremely fragile, to gain the kind of result that would have convinced Redknapp and his players they could avoid relegation this term.
But try as they did, Spurs lacked the guile to break down Arsenal. Their attacks were far too predictable, with new captain Keane struggling to make a major impact on his return to White Hart Lane following his £16million move from Liverpool last week.
Luka Modric and home debutant Palacios were impressive in stages, with £14m signing Palacios adding the energy and commitment Spurs have sometimes lacked in central midfield this term.
Yet there was never a point in the game when the Arsenal defence looked genuinely stretched.
True, Roman Pavlyuchenko, Modric and Keane all missed chances to give Spurs a first Premier League win over their north London rivals since November 1999. But Arsenal had just as many opportunities to steal victory, with Eboue having a goal disallowed for a foul on Jonathan Woodgate, while substitute Nicklas Bendtner and Alex Song also went close in the second half.
After the amazing 4-4 draw between these sides at Emirates Stadium in October, this was far less exciting an encounter. After bringing back Keane to the club and handing him the captaincy, Redknapp had claimed the Irishman would provide the influence on the pitch that Spurs require.
But as Keane struggled to make an impact, it was a former Arsenal skipper who was outstanding, showing that he might finally have overcome the problems which affected him during the first half of the campaign.
William Gallas was stripped of the captaincy by Arsene Wenger in November after the defender had questioned his team-mates' commitment, and it appeared his Arsenal career was over.
But Gallas displayed his mettle with a near-faultless display in the centre of defence.
However, Wenger had little to be optimistic about after this game, which saw his team fall 12 points behind leaders Manchester United.
He believed Arsenal had been robbed of victory by referee Mike Dean's decision to disallow Eboue's 13th-minute strike and he will now be without both the suspended Eboue and his main striker, Emmanuel Adebayor, who was carried off with a hamstring injury during the first half and will be absent for three weeks.
Yet both Wenger and Arsenal fans will have been cheered to see Gallas in such fine form. With the 31-year-old now near his best, Arsenal have conceded only two goals in their last six matches.
But if they are to enjoy a positive end to the season, Wenger must impress upon his players the importance of keeping their cool at all times — something Eboue failed to do.
Clearly irritated that his goal had been chalked off, Eboue's first booking was for failing back chatting after Dean had awarded a free-kick against the Gunners. Then, the Ivorian was dismissed for kicking out at Modric when the Croatian was inside his own half.
Wenger hinted he would speak to Eboue about his temperament. He said: “They tell me he retaliated and if he did he deserves a second yellow and then a red. I want to see it first before assessing the situation.”
Wenger now has the job of integrating new signing Andrey Arshavin, who was an unused substitute, and the fit-again Eduardo Da Silva into his starting XI, as he awaits the return of Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott from injury.
For Redknapp, however, there can be no more excuses. He has been backed to the hilt by chairman Daniel Levy during the transfer window, with almost £50m spent on players. Levy will not be amused if Redknapp criticises the make-up of his squad again.
Redknapp said: “Our home form has been fantastic but now we need to start going away from home, being a little bit stronger and picking up some results. If we do that, I think we will be okay.”
As the international break gives Spurs a breather, Redknapp will be keeping his fingers crossed that, when they resume their fight for survival, his players are as sharp as his suits.
Reader views (24)
Tottenham had the three clear cut opportunities in the game-Keane's header, Pav's miss past the right hand post and Modric's last minute chance that was saved by Almunia.
On another day we could quite easily be talking about a 3-0 Tottenham win.
Spurs played well, but as mentioned by the Reporter, their confidence is still a bit fragile.
Havign said that, it was always going to be hard when Eboue got sent off. Arsenal defender very well and had number behind the ball, and then tried to hit now and then on the counter.
Summing up, Tottenham are heading in the right direction and in Palacios, Redknapp has brought in the type of player they have needed for years.
Arsenal look likely to miss out on Champions League Football next season and it could be disastrous for them, but given their youth system(well, other teams youth systems that regularly get plundered...)their future will be bright.
- Joseph M, London, UK
Got to be a gooner
- Richard Wheaton, herentals
Honestly, no John, but seeing and knowing Spurs, they have fail to kill teams off, we have a good team, but when we get near the 18 yard box, we let ourselves down, too many players took 1 touch too many and needed someonr who was willing to shoot from any distance!
Palacios had a solid game...Why did he play Jenas?
We never used the extra man advantage, should of had Modric playing the 2 strikers. When Bent came on didn't do much! Our bench was'nt strong!!
- Adrian, london
"You will never be challenging for what really matters, the premiership or the champions leauge let"
To be fair, neither will Arsenal for a few seasons to come
- Tom A, London
Spurs did have the better of the game before and after the sending off. The 'disallowed goal' wasn't that - it was a foul first and the whistle had gone. New comers Palacios, Keane and Cudicini were good. They will take time to settle I'm afraid. Arsenal did play well containing us and having a go on the counter.
...I expected a better game in truth and I don't think there's too much to read into the result. Worth noting Spurs continuing improvement.
- Coys Switz, switzerland
To all the arsenal wingers on here who say we couldn't beat you with 10 men, well if Eboue wasn't such a cheat it would have been 11 for the whole match.
Spurs bossed the mid field for the first time in ages and Palacios was fantastic.
We did lack the killer punch and some of the crossing in the box just wasn't good enough but credit to arsenal, they defended very well.
Spurs scored 4 at the library and stopped arsenal scoring at the lane, so arsenal can't say they're better than us.
Come back from 4-2 down with 2 mins to go and you can start talking....
- Mark, st albans
The way some people read a game is incredible - as are some of the ridiculous comments they come out with.
Steven Dale & Adrian: Do you HONESTLY believe that going down to 10 men for over an hour handed Arsenal an advantage? Honestly?
If that's the case, why don't you both petition Harry to start his next game with only 10 men...
As for someone saying Arsenal parked their bus in front of goal, what absolute nonsense - they attacked just as much as Tottenham. Maybe if Arsenal were to park the bus a little more they'd pick up a few more points.
Arsenal may not be playing 'top 4' quality football this season, but Tottenham are barely playing Premiership quality football at all - shameful when you consider your budget in relation to half the teams above you.
- John, London
More odd comments about who I support. I am just realistic, unlike most fellow Tottenham supporters who live in a wierd fantasy land, seem to think we are doing well & our players are world beaters. Reminder, we have been fighting relegation, yes relegation, all season. Two teams below us have a game in hand & we have a very tough run in, plus extra cup games to contend with. Harry's initial impetus has stalled & we have only won of our last nine Premiership matches, which is relegation form. Just for the record, as I have stated on many occassions I still feel we will avoid relegation. However, we must not be lulled into a false sense of believing we are too good to go down.
- Rob Hotspurs, South London
It wasn't a disallowed goal - the whistle had blown before the ball was kicked towards the net whilst the other players had stopped because of the whistle. foulo, no goal, get over it.
- Sam Fisher, Brize Norton, Oxon.
I can't help but laugh at the Spuds, we are missing Fabregas, Walcott, Rosicky, Diaby, Arshavin and Eduardo not match fit, yet the spuds spend £50 million on mainly ex players, and still they are only 2 points above the relegation zone, could not dominate against a weakended 10 man team, looked awful and gutless as they have all season. You will never be challenging for what really matters, the premiership or the champions leauge let alone beat Arsenal in the league. Pathetic team, you make do with losing in the carling cup final.
- Harry The Crooked Crook, Exeter
I have to agree with Steven, Rob, you do sound like a closet Gooner.
Yet again, Spurs with all the possession they had, did'nt trouble Alumnia at all. Modric, keane and Pavlyuchenko should of scored. But we lacked quality, from wide areas, Lennon, had a chanc, please someone coach him how to cross a ball!
Considering Arsenal concedes goals at set pieces!
That was a game, where spurs thought they could nick it at the last minute... The sending off dones them a favour more than us!
- Adrian, london
steven dale, whatever your comments the plain facts are you lot are struggeling and may go down! where as arsenal even if we dont get 4th spot we will still be in premier league!!
- Paul Connolly, herts
Spurs fans saying Arsenal were rubbish shocker and you feel on a par with Arsenal.
Fact is you couldn't beat 10 men, usually you are the better side then score but end up losing. Yesterday although you had a few chances Arsenal had just as good chances with 10 men.
It's been 10 years and 19 games since beating Arsenal but every time you fail to beat them you still think you are on an equal par ? You are 2 points from safety for a reason just as Arsenal are 5th and not 4th for a reason..
Also, Harry stated he never see the Eboue incident so what does this make him ?
- Livers, Rotherhithe, London
Watched the game on MoTD as a neutral.
Presumably the goal was disallowed for Eboue pushing the Spurs defender, yet the blatant manhandling in the box of Denilson (I think) during the taking of a second half corner was not deemed foul play.
Doesn't add up to me, it's about time all the holding and pushing that occurs in the box in dead ball situations is penalised.
- Mark The Hammer, London
Harry, spurs where rubbish and if thats the case then what class did Arsenal show not to beat us? lets admit it. If this was Liverpool, Man utd, liverpool or even chelsea we would have lost at the lane. But are Arsenal are no better then spurs who dominated the whole game even with 11 men on each side.
- Joe, London
I am stunned at the criticism of my comments, as usual. If fellow Tottenham fans think yesterdays performance was good, then Im amazed. We gave Arsenal a good game for the opening half hour, but lost the initiative to the ten men afterwards. We are only 3 points ahead of the bottom club & two teams below us have a game in hand. Out of the remaining 13 games we have to face Man Utd, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Everton away & Chelsea at home. The remaining 8 games include difficult away ties against Hull, Sunderland & Blackburn. Home against West Ham & Man City could also be tricky, leaving only the matches against Middlesboro, WBA & Newcastle as possible home bankers. With the Carling cup final & European games adding to our fixtures, compared to those of our relegation rivals I am worried.
- Rob Hotspurs, South London
1. I have read "Rob Hotspurs'" comments many times on this site. He is a closet Gooner.
2. Tom, were we watching the same game, or are you, too, a closet Gooner? Spurs were the masters of their own inability to get the three points, not Arsenal's defending, when Pavlyuchenko, Keane and Modric failed to score. On another day, we'd have won comfortably and deservedly so.
3. Arsenal were second-best even when they had 11 men. In some ways the sending-off worked in their favour.
4. If the Goons play like that from now on until the end of the season, only a disaster will stop Chelsea and Villa taking the 3rd and 4th spots for the Champions' League next season. Perhaps the Goons will pray for another dose of food poisoning to bale them out.
- Steven Dale, London, England
Its still obvious that you either hate Arsenal or love them. They have a load of their top class players still out, but its rarely spoken about. Judge them when they have their real team out. As for Redknapp, well, I wouldnt trust him to stay as manager, anyway he signs used players mainly. Spurs arent top class, havent beeb for years.
- John Hamilton, st.ives Cornwall
Spurs were rubbish and the class of Arsenal shone through in the end.
- Harry Hotspur, Taunton UK
mr rob hotspur, gooner is now mr rob portsmouth too..he must support plenty of teams..
- Tom, uxbridge
The goons were there for the taking,at least they didnt sit back and take a point like liverpool when they were playing v 10 men.spurs had a real go and if they had a bit more killer instinct in the last third and Modric had scored then it would have been much better...Palacios WAS outstanding and the crowd really took too him,he seems to be a good passer and works his socks off,so what the mr positive rob saw i dont know.we have to play a lot of the sides around us at home,so there is no reason to be downhearted or negative...get behind the lads...
- Phil, croxley
Arsne Wenger should be ashamed of his own and his players attitudes. He never sees incidents where there is a flaw in a players attitude. It's permanent like a toe corn. He saw the dissalowed goal 3 times though and had the cheek to say he thought it was perfectly okay.
The man is bordering on childishness.
Wilson Palacios won the mid-field battle on his own and was a breath of fresh air. Only the neutral's on sky and MOTD saw that.
Harry's team are now well equipped to progress with the degree of safety Palacios gives them and they will become harder to beat because of this one signing.
Arsenal are missing a Wilson Palacios and, in fairness, some other good players (OUT INJURED) but Wenger has lost a lot of respect with his post match denials of obvious events and his sulking demeaner.
I believe Arsenal will not get any better while Wenger stretches out his retirement run-in.
Either side could have had the three points here and even though Tom Collomosse did not say, or I suspect, see it, it is sometimes just as difficult to play against 10 men than 11 when they decide to 'park the bus' and work on the break.
THATS WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED HERE.
- Kevin, North London
Were you at the same game yesterday? Or did you watch it from the Emirates?
- Gary Boone, Ruislip, Middlesex
To be honest I was quite dissapointed as I expected us to beat Arsenal, especially with the impetus of having Robbie Keane back. Once Eboue had been sent off & Adebayor injured we should have pressed forward & taken advantage, failed to. I can see little difference between Palacios & Zokora and Robbie Keane looks worse for having been at Liverpool & is desperately missing Berbatov, whom he linked up with well. I dont think we will go down, but Im concerned & feel that we will have a very difficult next match away to Hull.
- Rob Hotspurs, South London
