Opinion
For a large portion of the season Tottenham Hotspur had thrilled and threatened the dominant forces of English football. They are now stumbling blindly to the finish line and swatting away Newcastle and Chelsea, who threaten to steal away fourth spot.
The 2-1 loss to Norwich on the weekend was
met with a chorus of boos around White Hart Lane. It was the latest in a string of average performances and the problems are stacking up against Spurs.
Most obvious is the poor run of results since manager Harry Redknapp was short-listed (in a list of one) for the England job by every player and manager in the league. Fabio Capello's resignation in February coincided with Redknapp's acquittal in a long-running tax evasion case. The timing was extraordinary and, as far as most were concerned, the path was cleared for him to succeed the Italian.
All parties have kept mum about Redknapp's future, but the uncertainty may well be hindering Tottenham players. The team has mustered only two wins since Capello resigned and Redknapp was brought to the fore. The Spurs manager maintains the ambiguity of the situation has had no bearing on his team's performance, yet that's difficult to believe there has been no subconscious effect.
Close to everything that was going well for Spurs before Christmas has now been reversed. Take Gareth Bale, for example. He is at his most effective when exploiting the left flank and tormenting right-backs.
