Pav Sends Brum Packing

That’s it then. All over for another season and what have we got to show for it this time around? A 5th place finish in the league, quarter final exit from the Champions League, 4th round exit in the FA Cup and 3rd round in the Carling Cup. That’s the cold, hard stats of the season. Nothing more, nothing less. A good season, par season or bad season? Everyone’s got their own opinions on that. I’d go for somewhere between good and par which according to Mr Redknapp means I’m an idiot and should support another club, but as this is the penultimate update before I go on my summer hols I’m not going to go into another one of his inane ramblings.

Yesterday, once again almost highlighted our season in 90 minutes. We dominated a team but created very little in the business end of the pitch, but a win’s a win so I’m told. Thankfully, we did send Birmingham down, eventually. A team who had it all in their own hands but came to White Hart Lane not looking to attack in the slightest. Their priority was to nullify anything we could throw at them, much like Blackpool did a few weeks ago. Maybe if both teams had decided to take it to a tired, leaky defense they’d be looking forward to playing at Old Trafford next season instead of Ashton Gate. I have no sympathy for either team, although both sets of fans deserve better.

We huffed and we puffed but we didn’t trouble Ben Foster in the Birmingham goal very much. What he had to do, he did well and highlighted why he’d be one of my first potential signings if I was in charge of the chequebook at Spurs. We started with Crouch and Defoe up front, something that must’ve sent fear into the Brum defence but then we had a bit of luck and Crouch got injured. On ran the enigma that is Roman Pavlyuchenko. Not a particularly good player but he does have a knack of scoring goals. His overall game isn’t very good, his movement is usually non existent and his first touch is up their with Crouch’s for usually garbage but he’s been able to do what our other strikers haven’t this season and that’s score. The problem’s been his lack of playing time. Redknapp just doesn’t fancy him, which is fine except we’re constantly told there aren’t better strikers out there to buy than Pav. All very confusing.

Back to the game and we strolled it really. Caressing the ball from lilywhite shirt to lilywhite shirt, at times having 75% of the possession and ultimately keeping something like 60%. We were never really out of 3rd gear like any of our other games in the last couple of months. With back to back wins we finished the season on a high but the same old signs were there. We failed to kill them off when we were 1-0 up and had Pav’s second goal not had the slightest of deflections (and been hit so well) we could’ve once again been looking at another home draw against poor opposition. It’s something we need to learn and learn quickly if we want to do better next season.

It was good to see King back at the home of football but whether we’ll ever see him again depends on how many injuries he picks up between now and pre-season I guess. Other’s who might have had their last game for the club were Kranjcar, Crouch and maybe even Defoe? Jenas and Palacios were on the bench too but I wouldn’t expect either of them to be offloaded in the summer. Not saying I don’t think they should be but I’ll mention the ins and outs of the summer transfer window in my final update of this season later.

That’s it really, 3 points, a couple of good goals, an ok performance, getting the job done. Not much to write home about but then how many end of season games are?

All over the internet football blogs are coming to an end, with regular updates being put to one side for a couple of months as we fans take a well earned rest. Players and people within the game have no idea what it’s really like. Of course they have to run about and work hard but that’s their job. We have to do the same thing and then choose to be put through an emotional roller coaster in our spare time.

Men (and women) everywhere are starting to break into cold sweats with the realisation that their trusted excuse not to go shopping on a Saturday afternoon has come to an end. They can try to claim they’ve discovered the beauty of cricket but we all know that’s not going to cut it as you’re only allowed a certain amount of sport on the TV and the unspoken agreement is during the summer months it’s your job to carry the bags. You won’t be alone though, as you traipse your way from New Look to Jane Norman to Dorothy Perkins and back to New Look again you might catch the eye of another depressed soul, staring at their feet, reminiscing of happier times. Like your own childhood those memories will be forever clouded though, as they’re never quite as good as you remember. You don’t think of the windswept, ice covered away trips or the disappointing home defeats to relegation threatened opponents. All you remember are the afternoons spent in a beer garden with friends followed by a convincing victory for your favourite team against your local rivals. Things were so much better then weren’t they? Why do they need a summer break you ask yourself? What’s wrong with a 2 week holiday to the Costa Blanca like everyone else? Why don’t they put a summer youth league on to keep us entertained?

Do the authorities realise how much DIY we’re made to do in these two months? The NHS must come under increased pressure to deal with the sudden rise in home accidents. Millions of pounds wasted, and increased waiting times for people in real need as doctors and nurses everywhere treat those who have no experience with saws and hammers but are expected to use such dangerous equipment.

The fact is though, after more than 9 months dealing with the ups and downs of being a football fan, we need a rest more than most. We at Spurs have gone from being told we’ll compete for the title to we’ve got no chance of 5th. We’ve gone from beating both Milanese teams to losing to relegated West Ham and Blackpool. The ecstasy of Gareth Bale’s hattrick at the San Siro to the agony of losing 4-0 at the Bernabeu. It’s not been an easy ride but when you look back at it it’s been a fun one.

Maybe Redknapp’s right. Maybe this is the best season we’ve managed since the inception of the Premier League. Personally I don’t think it is but whichever way you look at it, it’s better than being West Ham, Blackpool or Birmingham this morning.

COYS