The grand scheme of things

It didn't feel right writing anything else without mentioning the late Dean Richards, I'm in no position to write an obituary or anything, so I'm speaking only as a football fan and the effect it had on me...




Logging onto the BBC website on Saturday, the words 'Ex-defender Richards dies aged 36', struck an immediate cord. Hardly an uncommon surname but, immediately I knew it would be ex-Tottenham, Wolves and Southampton defender Dean Richards, such were the troubles he had at the close of his career. 

Richards' death hits home hard because, although he never played a starring role at White Hart Lane, it is the first loss of a team that I grew up watching. 

Now and again, days come along when one of football's old boys passes away and it's sad but you know they had a great career. 

I'm approaching my 30s and, sad as it is to say, I have always dreaded the day that Gazza became the first big tragedy from my Spurs-supporting life. 

The fact that it's Dean Richards severely upsets any natural order and, all of a sudden, the fact that he was so young and the cause was ultimately undiagnosed, makes a generation of everyday football fans feel all that more vulnerable.

Over time, you learn to deal with certain hardships as a football fan. Inititally, as a youngster, seeing your favourite player leave your football team leaves you in tears, convinced for a short while that life can never be the same.

Then there's that dented pride as players younger than you get called up for England and you realise that the dream of scoring the winner in the World Cup final has once and for all passed you by.

News of Richards' passing takes these hardships to a new level and caused a lump in my throat. 

I never knew the man himself, so could never do justice to him with a tribute, but on a personal level it's a reminder that life's moved on from the days when seeing the ball hit the back of the net was the only thing that mattered. It's another rung of the long ladder of growing up and it's a reminder to make the most of what you have while you have it.

From what I've read in the past few days, Richards certainly made the most of what he had and never gave up his involvement in something that he loved dearly. For that, he, his family and anyone who knew him should be very proud.

Canning the winter-break worm

Alex Ferguson reopened the can of worms that is the 'winter break' last weekend and Sunderland gaffer Steve Bruce yesterday stuck his waders on and paddled into the argument in support his one-time mentor.

The proposed break has been a subject of debate for years and, whilst it would be no doubt be nice for players to get some time off and recharge the batteries, I just cannot see how it would work.

This isn't one of those "they get paid a lot, they can work for it" rants. I'm aware of the problem as much as anyone else, but I'm not sure how the Premier League are meant to just magic time up out of nowhere without help from external factors.

Sir Alex suggested we do "like the German league" and have a three-week break over Christmas, reconvening with the FA Cup in January. I'm sorry Alex, but where exactly is your working? In the two weeks over Christmas, most teams play four or five games, so how are these lost games going to fit back into an already-crowded spring fixture list?

What you would end up with is a sort of phantom rest period as players return refreshed only to run themselves into the ground over the following weeks. Players would have to keep training properly to remain match-fit and retain form, so why not play matches rather than waste the time?

What Sir Alex seems to be missing is that in Germany, as in Spain (where they have a two-week break), there is only have one domestic cup competition running throughout the whole season. We shoehorn two cups into our calendar, one of which doesn't start until the New Year.

The evidence suggests that, for a winter break to be a success, something has to give. The most obvious option, don't bite my head off, is to lose the League Cup.

It had become an ideal way for the big clubs to bleed young talent, and give teams like Middlesbrough (2004) and Blackburn (2002) the chance to snatch some silverware. But more and more these days, as the big clubs progress in the competition, they smell silverware and the big names reappear on the team sheet, making it a pointless and predictable exercise bringing a handful of teams' seasons to a false summit.

Without the League Cup, maybe the FA Cup could be restructured to start in October/November to spread it over the season and still give time for replays, which I believe are a vital ingredient in keeping the lower league clubs interested in the competition. Just to please supporters of both competitions, maybe it could be sold as merging the two! The Football League FA Cup!

Ultimately, a winter break is suggested so that players are not burned out when entering major tournaments. It's not just England who suffer from exhausted players, the whole of the South Africa 2010 World Cup was plagued by defensive football and underperforming superstars (Messi, Rooney, Torres, Kaka, Ronaldo), so it is in FIFA and UEFA's interests to lend a hand in sorting the situation.

The Champions League is clearly where the money is, so shortening it is never likely to be an option. But Manchester City have played 10 games in the UEFA cup already, are in the latter stages and are still having to play home and away games against sides like Aris, who finished fourth in the Greek Superleague last season.

I'm not trying to undermine City in any way, but they don't need to be playing these sides at this stage of the season - the Europa League needs stripping back. Not only would it ease the stress on teams' schedules but it may even raise the competition's profile in the process (but that's another story).

Interestingly enough, Spurs went out of the League and FA Cups early on and, as a result, they have only three games in the whole month of March, and that includes a 10 day break after facing West Ham on March 9 and a further 12-day break until Wigan on April 2.

Obviously, teams want to challenge for as many trophies as possible but they have to accept that in doing so, their players will tire out and, until the governing bodies wake up and make big changes to help everyone, then it's just a case of clubs deciding what competitions matter most and picking their fights wisely. Then, by default, they'll get their mid-season break.

Players must start to take responsibility

If you're a seasoned Tottenham fan, then you know what we're like and last night's result will not have come as a surprise - but that doesn't stop it being a big disappointment.

People will immediately point the finger at the manager, why didn't Niko Kranjcar start? Why was William Gallas on the right? Don't start Jermain Defoe with Roman Pavlychenko. 

I have my own opinions, but Harry Redknapp will have thought long and hard about the most suitable line-up for last night's game and, given our injury list, he'll have had to play people out of position and make decisions he didn't want to. 

He will have had good reason for every decision and at some stage the players really have to assume responsibility. 

In Hunter Davies' famous Spurs book The Glory Game, written in 1972, Alan Mullery says, "With Spurs, I think we could do with a bit more of the killer instinct. Players will go out on the field when we're playing sides at the bottom of the league in a sort of complacent frame of mind."

So, it's not a new thing. Inconsistency has always been a problem at Tottenham; maybe it's because we tend to look up rather than down. On Planetspurs.com, Bracknellyid says, "Even during the dark days of mediocrity we were always more concerned about the possibility of a European qualification rather than a relegation dogfight."

This is seemingly ingrained in fans and players alike. In interviews our players now mention winning the title and the Champions League, without ever qualifying just how important it is we keep up with Chelsea, Liverpool and even Sunderland and Bolton. 

Maybe now, with success in sight, players start taking their eye off the ball when it comes to playing teams lower in the table. The opposition may be a smaller side, but it's no less important a game than playing the teams at the top - or even Europe's elite.

Bad results don't come along too often at Spurs these days - four times this season we have won three games on the trot. But when things do go wrong, they seem to go wrong quite spectacularly.

Before last night's game, people claimed that, by attacking, Blackpool would play into our hands, leaving space that we could exploit. In truth, it seems to have worked the other way round. After conceding early on to yet another clumsy penalty, we pushed forward in search of goals but Blackpool twice hit us on the break.

We had 25 attempts to Blackpool's 8, and 7 corners to their 1. This will only give fuel to those fans angry that we didn't buy a striker in Janurary. 

I thought that 'Arry would come out after the game and curse our bad luck, but he pointed the finger very directly at poor finishing and you get the impression that he is growing tired of our misfiring forwards.

We all know our forwards know where the goal is, but their attitudes need an overhaul. Jermain Defoe needs to play for those around him, not just himself, Pavlyuchenko needs to knuckle down and not whine to the press at the first opportunity and Peter Crouch needs to channel some sort of killer instinct - not smiling and sticking his tongue out when he knows he should have done better.

Arsene wenger once said of Arsenal's quick rise to success, "If you eat caviar every day, sometimes it is difficult to come back to sausages and mash.

This group of players have to realise that, if they want to continue dining with the Kings and Princes of European football next season, they've got to pile through a few plates of bangers and gravy in the meantime.

Redknapp - The long-term solution?

Writing yesterday, I questioned how anyone could have any doubt that Harry Redknapp is the right man to lead spurs but a few people rightly pointed out that, like him or not, he might not be in the job long-term.

If it's not his summer court case that tears him from our grasp, then it could well be the England job. Redknapp himself is quick to admit that he would love a crack at managing the national side and, whilst he can play the Press like a fiddle, who could blame him for wanting a go?

The flailing international outfit seems bereft of motivation in recent years, so who better for the job than the great motivator himself? And, from his point of view, if he is the missing ingredient to drag a bunch of highly paid toerags into line, then a World Cup campaign could prove a beautiful swansong to his career.

I'm not wishing his Spurs tenure away or anything. Where Tottenham Hotspur is at stake, I couldn't care less for the national side, but I need to write about something from day to day. So while the subject is hot, if Harry was to move on, who could continue his work without us falling off the pace again?

David Moyes emerged this week as a serious option. Well, when I say "serious", I mean the Press have started throwing his name about.

Popular opinion is that he has worked wonders with Everton on a shoestring budget and, given the backing of a club like Spurs, could develop into a real contender as a big-name manager.

Moyes demands respect and has no time for egos. However, given the gap that has recently opened up between Spurs and Everton, I'm not convinced that he could slot straight in and impress himself upon a bunch of lads who are all rapidly growing in fame quality and stature.

This group of players are starting to realise their massive potential and the ball needs to keep rolling. Everton as a club is vastly different from Spurs and Moyes has spent the best part of a decade doing things their way - too much of a transitional period could see our big names look elsewhere.

Mourinho's name is starting to be thrown around by the more fanciful of Spurs fans. Whilst it would instantly brand us with the tag "Massive Club". He is probably too big for us and, if not, then he probably sees himself as too big. I can't help think that Mourinho is playing time out around Europe until the Manchester United job comes up.

In the past, I always liked the idea of Martin Jol coming back in if Harry leaves in 2012, but I would have liked to see him stay at Ajax and give Europe a real go, or have a few years at another big club in-between. The fact he's fallen quiet indicates that maybe his priorities lie away from football in the long-term.

If we want to protect our style of football, however, and continue to build on the great strength of character currently developing, then in my mind the only factor against Bolton's Owen Coyle is that it might be just too early for him.

The most important thing in any new manager is that they are strong-minded enough to stand firm over Daniel Levy's principles. Whilst the chairman is now doing a great job running the club I don't trust that, given the chance, he won't attempt a return to the director of football system that we know he so adores.

It has been mooted that Harry has the press wrapped around his little finger, and that by registering his interest in the England job, he knows he'll be able to negotiate a better contract that could keep him at Spurs until he retires.

If that proves to be the case, then let's hope his charms work just as well in a court of law over summer.

How long can the anti-Harry brigade hold out?

Tottenham travel to Blackpool tomorrow sitting in fourth place, two points in front of Chelsea and two points behind Man City in third having played one game less.

Whatever happens at Bloomfield Road, it is a formidable position to be in and yet still some people find reason to question the manager and his methods.

Last week I read people commenting that he should rotate the squad more to avoid so many injuries, others that he needs better strikers and some have even suggested that Harry Redknapp lacks what we need to get to the "next level".

Sorry, but just how many levels do we need to rise, and what more does he need to do before everyone is convinced that Redknapp is one of the best managers we've ever had? Certainly in recent history at the very least.

I would never do disservice to Martin Jol because his consecutive Top 5 finishes after a decade of chopping through the mid-table wilderness, continually cutting ourselves free of the thorny undergrowth further down, were a massive achievement.

Even though Redknapp often trumpets the PR line that he took over "a team bottom of the table, with two points from eight games", it has to be admitted that the side was, in general, upwardly mobile before the Ramos saga ground to such an embarrassing halt.

But Redknapp's influence was instant and has been long-lasting. Under Jol, our record against the big teams was appalling and we lacked both the fitness and character for long seasons and massive European nights.

Jol's manner in front of the cameras after a bad result told us that he didn't know what went wrong and, at times, that football wasn't the be all and end all of things. Redknapp knows that even good teams lose and he isn't prepared to dampen the team spirit just because we've played well but couldn't find the net.

Everyone knows that Redknapp is a motivator and a man-manager, but he has proven so much more. Tottenham can now go to Stoke and Blackburn and 'win ugly'. We can grind out results when we aren't on top form, we can dig out a priceless touch of genius in the 92nd minute and we can seemingly now adapt our tactics to mix it with the best sides in Europe.

Redknapp has not only had an influence over the way we play, but also the way the club is run. Before him, Daniel Levy was soldiering on with the director of football system, which just wasn't working for us. It was undermining managers and confusing everyone.

Martin Jol fell foul of the system, performing brilliantly but never really having the board's full backing, they only begrudgingly gave him the job after Jacques Santini quit, leaving Levy's great vision of a director/manager/coach was absolutely in tatters. Juande Ramos was its next victim.

Redknapp came in and said: "Do it my way, or not at all." He coaches, he picks the team and he has a first-hand input in the players we acquire.

In the past, Tottenham made cock-up after cock-up in the running of a football team. Obviously, that's easy to say in hindsight. But I used to look enviously across at Arsenal who had passing football, a long-term manager they believed in and top-to-bottom organisation and think, "S***. that's how to run a football team."

Nowadays, I'm immensely proud of the way the team is run. We play great football, the whole of Europe is watching us with bated breath and, when I tell people I'm a spurs fan, their eyes light up and they love to talk about it.

I don't think it's going too far to say that when Levy fired Ramos and his staff, and brought in Redknapp, it changed everything. He has already taken us to the "next level" and, if you can't see that with your own eyes, then you're missing out on a fantastic time to be a Spurs fan.

Does 'Arry really need a bit more front?

Many football fans will have been disappointed that Harry Redknapp didn't engineer another smash'n'grab, last-minute swag deal on transfer deadline day. 

If reports are to be believed, the window slammed shut on our gaffer's fingers as he was failing to negotiate deals for forwards Sergio Aguero, Giuseppe Rossi, Diego Forlan and others. Since then, there has been a flurry of debate over whether our current striking options have enough in their tank to see us step up a level.

While Liverpool and Chelsea made huge signings, there seems to be a bit of fear among Spurs fans that we missed our chance and we could get left behind.

On BBC's 606, Kentspur says: "Suarez or Carroll would have been good… As has been said for a long time, we need a marquee striker purchase. Sad that 'Pool made two in the window."

Of our current crop, Jermain Defoe is struggling to find his form this season, Peter Crouch blows hot and cold and Roman Pavlyuchenko can't hold down a first team spot long enough to run on to a through ball. The goals are still coming, just from other areas of the pitch as Aaron Lennon, Rafa Van Der Vaart and lately Niko Kranjcar have provided the goods.

Everyone knows the dangers in bringing a big name in to a settled side but Spurs fans seem to be in agreement that we need something extra up front.

Also on BBC 606, Macdonaldo says: "It definitely needs freshening up. It's the difference between scrapping for 4th and challenging for titles."

But would adding a lethal finisher up front upset the balance of the team? The old adage says "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." If we continue to field a team with such quality all over the pitch then why do the goals need to come from strikers? 

If other players are finding themselves in goalscoring positions more and more often, then that must be testament to our style of play and proof of just how good and varied our movement is. I would hate for a "goal machine" to come in and grab 20 goals a season only for our style of play to change and our passing to focus towards him. That's how teams end up relying too much on one player. In the past few weeks we have coped brilliantly with big players injured because our goals can literally come from anywhere.

My main gripe is with the chances that go begging game in, game out due to either a lack of accuracy or composure and I never feel confident that any of our strikers can score a one-on-one or a penalty. So I'm all for a change but it's a delicate situation so as not to disrupt the harmony we have and the success we are enjoying. 

On Planetspurs.com, Bracknellyid says: "I think the majority of us Spurs want a big-name striker brought in. The fact we threw stupid money around Spain 48 hours before the January window shut tells me the manager and board also feel that way."

Harry and Daniel Levy do seem to be very much in the market for a striker and the summer could be very interesting. It would have to someone without a big ego and who can slot in to our style of play, not to mention having to meet our wage structure and then still provide the goals. 

It's a strict criteria and a decision that needs not to be taken lightly. Personally, I'm happy that the transfer window came and went and that the decision won't now be rushed. It's not like we're doing too badly as it is and I now have much more faith that we'll end up with the right man.

 

From San Siro to the Seaside

Watching Arsenal come back from behind to beat Barcelona last night brought me back down to Earth with a thud. Not just because their lightning-quick counter attacks stole Spurs' European thunder but because it was nothing out of the ordinary for them.

True, beating football's bee-stinging butterflies, was massive moment for Arsenal and, as some may tell you, long overdue. But these huge occasions are ingrained in Arsenal's modern history, year after year they return to the top table to dine with Europe's elite and, if I'm perfectly honest, I'm insanely jealous.

Our exploits this year have far exceeded anything I ever thought I'd witness as a Spurs fan and, if it's to be a one-hit wonder then I can be safe in the knowledge that, for just a while, all eyes are on us. It would be difficult to complain, such is the financial muscle bent on shoulder-barging us out of the top four.

But Champions League football is addictive. Europe seems to suit us, and Europe seems to like us. Battling for the limelight with Arsenal on a regular basis would be a dream come true, so now "finishing fourth" sways back to the top of our priorities list. 

We follow our San Siro social with a trip to Blackpool's Bloomfield Road on Tuesday, desperate to avoid that most crippling of comedowns - the Champions League hangover. 

The Seasiders will be no pushover and, where Milan failed, they'll have determination and character in abundance. As they say in tennis "there's no point breaking your opponent's serve if you don't hold your own." 

In that case, Tuesday night is our service game.

The performance we all wanted to see

As a Spurs fan, it's hard to get much better than that. Winning at the San Siro is one thing but winning in a composed and disciplined fashion proves what a lot of people had doubted - that we can cut it at this level.

Regardless of what we did 50 years ago, this Tottenham squad are on unexplored terrain. The fans are also on new ground; for the first time certainly in my lifetime, none of us really know just how much the side is capable of. Each month, each week, the bar is set higher and the possibilities are widened.

We all hoped that we were capable of getting a result in Milan but nobody knew we could do it like this, 1-0 - a scoreline famed by the old enemy. But it wasn't boring, boring Tottenham. Far from it. As Harry Redknapp promised, we "had a go" and we played the Tottenham way.

What Harry didn't let on was just how prepared we were. In the press, we looked a bit on the back foot, like a nervous challenger. In the ring, we looked like the new breed.

We would have to attack, said harry, as it's all our players know. Injuries had us down to the bare bones and we had no Plan B. Well, either Plan A worked a treat, or injuries actually played into our hands. 

The supposedly makeshift midfield of Sandro and Wilson Palacios provided the defensive mindset that these big away games necessitate. The largely inexperienced pairing guarded the back four almost without interruption, keeping Milan's front two from getting a sniff of the action and bringing the ball forward or playing it out wide when, in the past, a panicked punt up the field might have been enough.

Personally, I didn't think the first half was as "all Spurs", as has been touted. True, we started strong and we used the space and time on the ball, afforded to us by a lazy Milan side, to rack up long periods of possession and to settle our nerves. But at no point did I feel we had Milan on the ropes, as our high balls never held too much threat, so ineffectual were Crouch's knockdowns.

The big man is undoubtedly priceless in the Champions League; opponents don't know how to deal with his game. But with a little more precision, common sense and killer instinct, instead of just winning the ball or getting his header away, he could be unstoppable.

The second half was our big test as Milan's attacking substitution fell flat and their tactics turned dirty. Mathieu Flamini knows he should have been sent off, Gennaro Gattuso knew that the crowd needed stirring and Milan's reputation as European royalty allowed them to get away with murder. 

Bigger sides than us have fallen foul of a big occasion turned nasty and for a while Spurs were rattled. The sight of Vedran Corluka stretchered off, and Gattuso grabbing Joe Jordan round the throat introduced our players to a big bad world where they had no protection - for a while it felt like the wolves were closing in.

Stoking their own fire and flaring their own tempers proved eventually to be Milan's own undoing. Spurs gathered their thoughts and took a deep breath. Crouch reacted cautiously when provoked by Gattuso and Milan's desperation was summed up when Lennon raced clear to set up the winner. 

If Mario Yepes' wild, all-or-nothing lunge would have connected with Lennon it could have been the end of the winger's season, so it's testament to him he was aware of Yepes and of Crouch's position, silencing the critics who have fairly slated him for running with his head down by hurdling the knee-high tackle before playing in Crouch to cap off a memorable night.

"If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, you'll be a man, my son."

Regardless of the outcome in the return leg, last night was the moment this Tottenham side grew up, they should now have the confidence that we go anywhere and get a result and, once again, the bar has been raised another notch.

Who are AC Milan and how do we stop them?

AC Milan's formidable three-pronged attack will have to be subdued if we want anything out of this game. Harry Redknapp said we will play attacking football as it's served us well so far but all three are well-regarded hitmen - so our defence is still going to have a huge job on its hands.

Who is Robinho?

The pacy Brazilian striker was once hailed as "Pele's successor" by Pele himself and has notched 10 goals in 29 appearances so far this season, to add to his 25 career international goals in 84 caps.  

How do we stop him?

Robinho's most likely to be employed down the left, so Corluka or Hutton will have their work  cut out. I fear that Hutton could struggle to contain his surging runs towards the penalty area. Once behind the back line Robinho is devastating, so Corluka is better equipped to stifle his largely selfish game by standing him up and pushing him towards the channels. 

From his Man City days, we know that Robinho is temperamental and drifts in and out of big games. The Sun report that the forward says it would be a "disaster" for AC to lose to us. They may be feeling the pressure of being strong favourites, which could work in our favour.

Who is Zlatan Ibrahimovic?

The lanky Swede is one of the world's highest-paid players and his record this season reads 18 goals in 31 games - in addition to 13 assists, which means he's just as dangerous creating as he is finishing. The British press have made much of the fact that Ibrahimovic rarely scores against British sides. But his brace for Barcelona knocked Arsenal out at the quarter-final stage last season.

How do we stop him?

Concentration and attacking the high balls. The majority of "Zuperman's" goals come from his quick feet inside the area, and his technique in bringing down a high ball in the box is second to none. At 6ft 5in, he's far taller than Gallas, so he needs to be closely marked by Dawson/Bassong to discourage the ball to feet, whilst keeping tabs on his wide colleagues at all times to stop him bringing them into play.

Who is Alexandre Pato?

Relatively unknown, when compared with the other two but the Brazilian has scored 45 senior goals in his Milan career thus far, made even more impressive when you realise he's only 21 years old. He missed the cut for the Brazil squad for the 2010 World Cup and has been criticised for his recent lack of Champions League goals.

How do we stop him?

It's sods' law that if a striker's been misfiring, then they'll find their form against us. But Goal.com charts his assists this season as zero, indicating another striker with a selfish strea. And reports suggest he is struggling to gel with his strike partners. Pushing him wide and isolating him from cutting inside or linking with his Ibrahimovic may be enough to keep him quiet.

Spurs must learn from previous San Siro experience

"Quite incredible, Gareth Bale has scored a hat-trick at the San Siro."

The second half of the Inter Milan away leg back in October may live long in the memory, but it papers over what could actually have been a total disaster for our Champions League campaign.

Bale played like a superstar and may have notched a quick-fire hat-trick but the very reason we were 4-0 down in the first place is something that Spurs need to bear in mind going into tomorrow's return to the San Siro.

Jermaine Jenas told Sky Sports this morning that we won't be fearful of AC Milan, we're familiar with the San Siro and will still be looking to attack as it is the way we play.

Personally, I'd like to see us learning from the last game and playing with much more maturity.

Last time we haplessly collapsed; misplaced passes, a red card and three goals down within 15 minutes. Most worryingly, it's not the only time it, or something similar has happened this season. Young Boys set a dangerous precedent and the recent FA Cup tie against Fulham proved it's not yet out of our system.

Keeping the ball in the early stages and easing the nerves is of paramount importance - we have to bed ourselves in graduallyand then look to settle into our own game; rather than steaming in at Premier League pace from the off, getting caught out and staggering around like nervous wrecks until half-time.

Instead of brashly declaring our lack of concern at facing the Italian giants, we need to be aiming to learn from the mistakes of last time round - not just for our European campaign but our progression in general because the hapless collapse has already happened too many times for comfort.

Legal battle won't help Stratford situation

If the Olympic Park Legacy Company do decide to back West Ham's bid then we can concentrate on an important part of the season.

With our Champions League last-16 tie against AC Milan just around the corner, the last thing we need is the club threatening legal action over a stadium bid that was surely never viable.

Admittedly, it's easy to say in hindsight, but it now seems obvious that Spurs were never going to win over a committee or the public with a move to Stratford.

Aside from the trumpeted controversy over demolishing an expensive stadium and establishing "the legacy" at Crystal Palace - away from the site of the Olympics, there is an obvious problem with moving one of London's biggest clubs on to the doorstep  of another.

Spurs moving in next door would spell disaster for West Ham, especially if they are relegated this season. The OPLC will surely be keen to cause as little upheaval as possible.

All this before even thinking about the fans. I'm not staunchly anti-Stratford, at the end of the day I'm a Spurs fan and I'd like to think I'd support them whatever. But, being a Spurs fan means I've grown up with the club being based in Tottenham. 

And, however it is dressed it up as "moving with the times" or "growing as a club", a large part of what I associate with Tottenham would disappear. Currently, I know the pubs around the ground,  where to get the best chips, and that I see more goals in the Paxton Road end.

I know where I sat at each game over the years and who I was with. It makes the occasion much more emotive and heightens the sense of pride, identity and nostalgia. 

People have mentioned that other clubs have moved in the past but there can't be too many folk still make the long trip from Wimbledon to Milton Keynes week-in, week-out

I can't see thousands of Wimbledon fans still making the 40-minute trek to Milton Keynes to watch the Dons. And so what if Arsenal moved from Woolwich to north London in 1913?Football was nothing like as established back then and they didn't have a 130-year history to uproot.

Sadly, even as I write, stories are surfacing online that Spurs are preparing for a legal fight for the Olympic site. Like I say, I'm not totally opposed to the move but if does look like a lost cause, unlike our season - so let's hope the players can keep their mind on the football ahead of the Sunderland and AC Milan games.

Josip Ilicic - by no means an established talent, but seemingly used to the circus!

Spurs were yesterday linked in the press with Slovenian playmaker Josip Ilicic, currently playing for Palermo in Italian Serie A - and today his agent described our interest as 'indisputable'.

Palermo seem to be gradually establishing themselves as a top-five force in Italy, and this season has seen the emerging prospect of Josip Ilicic light up their season. 

Ilicic is not an established talent, however. Far from it. After knocking around the Slovenian league until the age of 22, he arrived at Palermo in the summer for around £1.75m. And it's no coincidence that the move came days after he had scored against the Italian side in a Europa League qualifier.

Now, at 23, Ilicic has 24 career goals to his name, which is by no means prolific but this season he has really come into his own, scoring eight in 23 appearances so far and garnering the attentions of a supposed number of Premier League clubs.

Also of interest to Spurs fans, Palermo fans have penned an open letter to their president Mauricio Zamparini begging the he do everything in his power to stick with the club's current manager Delio Rossi, whose refreshing ideas and style have seen the team climb the league table rapidly.

President Zamparini has a reputation for falling out with managers and derailing Palermo whenever they seem settled.

"The coach is working well, the team is with him, the fans share and respect our ideas. The table and performances speak clearly. Why should we shoot ourselves in the foot." The fans pleaded with the club owner.

It's difficult not to draw comparisons with our own club and this Stratford saga that seems to be taking over our season.

At least Ilicic will be used to off-pitch distractions. On top of that, if he recreates the sort of audacious skill shown below in the Premier League, he'd probably be very welcome.

Don't let the Stratford saga overshadow a great time to be a Spurs fan

Tottenham today stoked the fire under the seat of those responsible for choosing the fate of the Olympic site amid rumours that a decision could be announced this week.

Spurs released an artist's impression of their proposed stadium at the Stratford site and chairman Daniel Levy released a statement in the London Evening Standard defending our controversial bid.

In the article, Levy explains that a running track would be removed because "athletics and football cannot successfully co-exist". He goes on to boast about the efficiency of the plans "removing and recycling around £80m moving zero to landfill" and said the stadium would "host world-class concerts, sports, entertainment and community events".

The piece also details our intention to upgrade Crystal Palace athletics stadium in order to preserve the sporting legacy left by the London 2012 Olympics.

As a lifelong Tottenham and football fan, I couldn't give a stuff about Crystal Palace or world-class concerts and I couldn't care less about the so-called Olympic legacy. The only legacy I have any interest in is that of Tottenham Hotspur - and that is being written now, on the pitch.

The last few seasons have seen the quality of football at White Hart Lane sky-rocket and this whole Stratford saga is in danger of detracting from what should be our most enjoyable season in decades.

Bracknellyid wrote on Planetspurs forum: "I'm tired, bored and very, very upset that the greatest period in my time as a White Hart Lane ticket holder is being ruined by one word - f**king 'Stratford'."

Sports minister Hugh Robertson spoke to BBC Radio 4 about the future tenants of the Olympic stadium, explaining that, "It's important to get this absolutely right and I'm not going to be hurried by any artificial deadline."

Clearly these decision dates being discussed are no more than sensationalism. The whole story up until now seems to be a succession of red tape and red herrings - angry exchanges between men with lots of money.

I'd urge Tottenham fans to concentrate on the pitch. We know as well as anyone that things in football change in the blink of an eye - if there's something special happening, then it's happening now; long before any proposed move takes place. So don't let Stratford ruin your season.

What a day, and what a goal but what is Super Pav playing at?

On a weekend when Roman Pavlyuchenko snatched the spotlight to bemoan his lack of first-team opportunities, it was silent assassin Niko Kranjcar who stepped up and scored what could be one of the most important goals of our season.

Tagged the great entertainers, an attacking force and a title threat in 2010, the wheels have looked to be wobbling in 2011 thus far.

I didn't make it to the game but, with Sky Sports News on in the background and the rest of the Premier League playing out schoolyard goalfests left, right and centre, anything less than a win against Bolton at home would have left us feeling bruised and out of touch with the top four.

"I am tired of being treated like this. Now, until the summer transfer window, I am forced to stay," Pav told the Daily Mail.

"Then, if nothing changes, I am going to demand to be sold or at least to be sent on loan"

He may have a point. nine goals from 25 games is a better return than any of our other out and out strikers. But on the flipside, playing in 25 out of 36 games isn't bad going either, especially when Spurs have one of the most competitive squads in the league when it comes to starting places.

Either way, these are not the murmurings of a man who sounds willing to knuckle down and fight for his right to wear the shirt.

Niko has spent his fair share of time on the bench this season having ammased only 11 appearances. But with our current injury problems and our lack of signings in the transfer window, all the squad players are going to get a chance and Pavlyuchenko would do well to take a leaf out of the Croatian's book.

I'm a big fan of Sooo-pah Pav and loved it when he turned his fortunes around last season, coming on and netting twice against Wigan in a late-February battle that kick-started our final push for fourth spot.

Pav really set his season alight that day and, with the fans on his side, he went on to prove his worth. Redknapp does seem to give him less chances than some of the others.

Maybe it's Pavlyuchenko's attitude around the training pitch or the dressing room that sees him overlooked so often, but he should know from last season that if he puts the work in and gets on with it then he will be rewarded - he shouldn't be running off to the papers to complain about his plight.

If we're going to keep the heat on the top four and fight all the way to the end for a Champions League spot, then we need to be developing a winning mentality. Not a whining one.

Blackburn 0-1 Spurs - Feb 2nd, 2011

Peter Crouch's early goal proved decisive after a string of Heurelho Gomes
saves earned Spurs a win we badly needed but scarcely deserved.

After four games without a win, Harry was eager to banish the memory of the
embarrassing 4-0 FA Cup defeat to Fulham, but injuries were the main thing
on the fans' minds as we filed into Ewood Park.

Luka Modric and new-signing Steven Pienaar were late additions to a sick
list that also included Gareth Bale and Tom Huddlestone. Throw in the fact that
Steve Kean's Blackburn had won four home games in a row and it didn't make
for a comfortable build-up.

Our nerves were settled in the third minute when Rafa Van der Vaart,
switched to the right to fit into a more traditional 4-4-2, was given acres
of space to measure a ball into the box.

Crouch out-jumped man-mountain Christopher Samba to head back across
former-Spur Paul Robinson and into the corner of the net for just his second
Premier League goal of the season.

If that was the dream start we so desperately craved, we failed to build
upon it and further chances were few and far between.

Blackburn reacted well to falling behind and threw everything at us in two
sustained periods of pressure that saw Junior Hoilett and substitute Morten
Gamst Pedersen almost snatch the equaliser.

Gomes tipped a first-half Junior Hoilett effort wide and David Dunn's
goal-bound free-kick was only deflected wide by his own team-mate Ryan
Nelsen, attempting a bizarre back-header that he should really be leaving to
the forwards.

Spurs defended well as William Gallas, limping from the early stages, closed
down everything that came near and Jermaine Jenas threw himself into a
number of scrappy exchanges in our own box.

Sebastien Bassong, lacking in confidence, continually dawdled in possession,
leaving us vulnerable at the back as he was caught napping on two occasions,
and Aaron Lennon's unwillingness to tear down the left was a source of
constant frustration for the away end.

The pacey winger still looks like an 18 year old finding his feet down the
flank, too scared to push on and really terrorise his opposing number.

When Lennon did break forward, he was our main threat. A 60-yard dash during
a rare second-half counter-attack saw the Blackburn defence part in front of
him ­ the fans screamed for him to shoot, only for him to slide the ball to
Jermain Defoe whose shot from an angle was well stopped by Robinson

From then on it was the Gomes show. Our Brazilian shot-stopper denied
Hoilett with a fingertip save from an 20-yard drive destined for the bottom
corner and again came to the rescue when Mame Biram Diouf found himself in
the clear 12 yards out.

Another smart Gomes block kept out Pedersen's rifled free-kick as the
introduction of Sandro signalled an end to Spurs' all-too-rare attacking
intent.

Shutting up shop seemed to work but Samba's injury-time header, somehow
deflected over by the battling Jenas, was a little too close for comfort.

Not a pretty three points - but important.