IGOR THE GREAT?<\/p>\n
So much for the glory game, for daring to do. For Tottenham Hotspur, this season\u2019s highest aspiration \u2013 beyond an unlikely Bigger Cup triumph \u2013 now rests on That Lot From Down The Road\/Woolwich FC (delete as applicable according to historical pettiness) blowing their title challenge again. Following Wednesday\u2019s events at Wolves<\/a>, the north London derby has now become AN EVEN BIGGER GAME. Igor Tudor, Tottenham\u2019s new interim manager<\/a>, has an instant chance to write himself into Spurs history. Or perhaps infamy. Winning the derby would be a dream holiday in other people\u2019s misery, to misquote lifelong Gooner John Lydon. Arsenal\u2019s collective collywobbles have permeated to their fans, a collective now wracked by anguish. A bit like the regulars in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, actually.<\/p>\n Tudor was something of a left-field appointment, though one made in desperation, as there were few live candidates for the job Thomas Frank made a right horlicks of. Mauricio Pochettino is in exile across the Atlantic, with word that he will make a prodigal return after coaching the USA USA USA in the Geopolitics World Cup. So, a temporary fix was needed. Ryan Mason\u2019s spell at West Brom, Frank-esque in its disappointment, meant he would not be returning for a third sweep of the caretaker\u2019s broom.<\/p>\n It was always unlikely that a call would be put into Ange Postecoglou. All is forgiven? Not a bit of it. Big Ange has lately been holding forth at the Overlap kitchen island, dining out on his Bigger Vase success with Gaz Nev, Jill, Wrighty, Keano and lashings of Huel. \u201cSuccess has many fathers, and failure is an orphan\u201d was Ange\u2019s kiss-off to Micky van der Ven\u2019s recent claim that Spurs\u2019 triumph in Lisbon owed much to the players\u2019 deciding Ange\u2019s wasn\u2019t the way they wanted to play, mate.<\/p>\n Nobody, it appears, is coming forward to take any responsibility for the dreadful Premier League season Spurs played out concurrently. Last week, Frank paid the same price as Ange for Tottenham sinking down the plughole, which is where Tudor comes in. Having coached Hajduk Split, Galatasaray, Marseille, Lazio and Juventus, among a considerable list of others, he\u2019s no stranger to fixtures where winning or losing can overshadow an entire season.<\/p>\n Who made the decision? Tudor, with many years of involvement in Serie A, as a former Juventus player in the days when the black and white stripes struck fear into opponents and refs alike, resembles the kind of name who Fabio Paratici might have on speed dial. That\u2019s Paratici who departed the club at the end of last month to Fiorentina with a comment that had Tottenham suits\u2019 ears burning. \u201cIn my case, Fiorentina have a serious set of owners, a very serious set of owners who are of great value,\u201d Partatici cheered, striking at what most Spurs fans think is the real problem, whomever the manager. Good luck then, Igor.<\/p>\n QUOTE OF THE DAY<\/p>\n \u201cTottenham have been given the name \u2018Spursy\u2019 \u2013 when you have opportunities but get no results. Madame Speaker, that is precisely how the Minister of Finance is handling the Swedish economy. The government risks making Sweden \u2018Spursy.\u2019 That won\u2019t do. Sweden cannot perform like Tottenham\u201d \u2013 Swedish MP Mikael Damberg launches an unfortunate broadside at the Lilywhites as he attempts to illustrate his nation\u2019s economic struggles.<\/p>\n Ouch. Photograph: Anders Wiklund\/EPA<\/p>\n \u201cIn Football Daily letters on Thursday<\/a>, Jonathan Harris suggests a rule change such that \u201cno VAR review can take longer than 90 seconds \u2013 if you can\u2019t tell in that time, it\u2019s not clear and obvious\u201d. If you had a pound for every time I\u2019ve heard\/seen someone say \u201cit\u2019s not clear or obvious\u201d about a factual decision \u2013 offside, ball out of play, a foul in or out of the penalty area etc \u2013 to which those criteria do not apply, then you could afford to buy some prizes so you would not have a prizeless letter o\u2019 the day. And how long do you think it would take before an official rushing to judge a complicated offside by the deadline made a mistake, then realised a few seconds late?\u201d \u2013 Philip Cornwall.<\/p>\n \u201cThe only logical question centred around [sic] how many more Arsenal<\/a> would spank\u201d, wrote Barry Glendenning on Thursday. By definition, a centre is at the middle of other things; centred around is a nonsense. Revolve\/circle around, centre on\u201d \u2013 David Bolam (and no others).<\/p>\n Send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com<\/a>. Today\u2019s prizeless letter o\u2019 the day winner is \u2026 Philip Cornwall [prize funding still TBC \u2013 Football Daily Ed]. Terms and conditions for our competitions can be viewed here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"IGOR THE GREAT? So much for the glory game, for daring to do. 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