Spur of the moment
Frederic Kanoute
Doesn't matter where, when or how well we play them, we just KNOW we're somehow never going to beat them. Pretty much every other team can manage the odd victory against them once in a blue, but us? Oh no. Somehow it seems it is just not permitted.
So why? Why, why, why?
Okay let's get the obvious answer out the way first. No getting away from it, they are STILL that much better than us. You only have to look at the League table. Better organised, especially at the back. Better quality players, especially in attack. Does anyone really believe that if a chance like Rooney's header had fallen to Adebayor he too would have taken it with equal panache? I doubt it.
But the fact they are still better than us doesn't necessarily mean we are always bound to fail, so what else can it be? And please don't give me luck and biased referees. Even though it's over a decade since all the breaks seem to go our way (our 4-1 win when the unfit Schmeichel had a 'mare) it cannot possibly all be down to that.
For me the biggest difference has to be Sir Alex Ferguson. Not just because he is the shrewdest judge of talent, nor that he is the best man-manager and motivator out there. Neither that he knows exactly how to set his teams up to play against us. Not even that he is such a massively intimidating figure with referees that they so often end up giving the big decisions United's way.
No, for me it is one thing and one thing only above all else. Psychology. His extraordinary ability to psyche out the opposition, not just days but weeks ahead of the match. Who here doubts that he is the absolute master of this aspect and that it does not play a very significant part?
We know how he employs all kinds of mischievous tricks against some other clubs to undermine them With some, such as Livrpool, it may be provocation With others intimidation, scorn, insults, whatever. But oh no not with us. With us he has long since realised that one very simple tack always works without fail.
Flattery.
Flattery pure and simple. Nothing else. He makes it known long before our games that he thinks we are on the up, that we're a great footballing side, that we are especially difficult to beat because we play such attractive football, that games against us are historically always entertaining etc etc etc.
But of course it's all utter flimflam, designed to make us believe we can match them for football and that therefore we will play an open game, meaning in turn we'll end up leaving wide open spaces at the back for his skllful forwards to exploit.
If you don't believe me, answer me this. When did we last park the bus against United? Never. Never, never never. Yes I know it's mainly because that's just not our game and that we don't do it against other sides either. Even so I'm convinced Ferguson's encouraging words help ever so subtly to soften us up. You can just imagine how it gets into the heads of the players beforehand. Yeah, we ARE pretty damn good, we CAN match them for football, even outplay them. Let's show them!
Ha-ha-ha-ha-HA! What suckers.
Surely if we are ever going to beat United, given their outstanding ability going forward, the first thing we need to concentrate on is keeping it tight at the back? I'm damn certain a manager like Mourinho or Martin O'Neil would do precisely that. But in all the years I've been supporting Spurs (nearly 60!) I cannot remember the last time we ever did it. Maybe back in the late Sixties or early Seventies when that was how most teams played anyway, I don't know.
But I'm equally sure that if we did so we'd have a much better chance of grabbing all the points. Doesn't mean we'd have to abandon our tradition of playing exciting attacking football and end up playing negatively. Just that if you keep everybody behind the ball you have a better chance of catching THEM on the break whilst at the same time keeping a clean sheet our end. That's all I'm saying.
I'm convinced this is THE biggest reason we never manage to win against United. No doubt I'll be shot down in flames by some of you, but if so, please give me a better reason.
I'm all ears.
So why? Why, why, why?
Okay let's get the obvious answer out the way first. No getting away from it, they are STILL that much better than us. You only have to look at the League table. Better organised, especially at the back. Better quality players, especially in attack. Does anyone really believe that if a chance like Rooney's header had fallen to Adebayor he too would have taken it with equal panache? I doubt it.
But the fact they are still better than us doesn't necessarily mean we are always bound to fail, so what else can it be? And please don't give me luck and biased referees. Even though it's over a decade since all the breaks seem to go our way (our 4-1 win when the unfit Schmeichel had a 'mare) it cannot possibly all be down to that.
For me the biggest difference has to be Sir Alex Ferguson. Not just because he is the shrewdest judge of talent, nor that he is the best man-manager and motivator out there. Neither that he knows exactly how to set his teams up to play against us. Not even that he is such a massively intimidating figure with referees that they so often end up giving the big decisions United's way.
No, for me it is one thing and one thing only above all else. Psychology. His extraordinary ability to psyche out the opposition, not just days but weeks ahead of the match. Who here doubts that he is the absolute master of this aspect and that it does not play a very significant part?
We know how he employs all kinds of mischievous tricks against some other clubs to undermine them With some, such as Livrpool, it may be provocation With others intimidation, scorn, insults, whatever. But oh no not with us. With us he has long since realised that one very simple tack always works without fail.
Flattery.
Flattery pure and simple. Nothing else. He makes it known long before our games that he thinks we are on the up, that we're a great footballing side, that we are especially difficult to beat because we play such attractive football, that games against us are historically always entertaining etc etc etc.
But of course it's all utter flimflam, designed to make us believe we can match them for football and that therefore we will play an open game, meaning in turn we'll end up leaving wide open spaces at the back for his skllful forwards to exploit.
If you don't believe me, answer me this. When did we last park the bus against United? Never. Never, never never. Yes I know it's mainly because that's just not our game and that we don't do it against other sides either. Even so I'm convinced Ferguson's encouraging words help ever so subtly to soften us up. You can just imagine how it gets into the heads of the players beforehand. Yeah, we ARE pretty damn good, we CAN match them for football, even outplay them. Let's show them!
Ha-ha-ha-ha-HA! What suckers.
Surely if we are ever going to beat United, given their outstanding ability going forward, the first thing we need to concentrate on is keeping it tight at the back? I'm damn certain a manager like Mourinho or Martin O'Neil would do precisely that. But in all the years I've been supporting Spurs (nearly 60!) I cannot remember the last time we ever did it. Maybe back in the late Sixties or early Seventies when that was how most teams played anyway, I don't know.
But I'm equally sure that if we did so we'd have a much better chance of grabbing all the points. Doesn't mean we'd have to abandon our tradition of playing exciting attacking football and end up playing negatively. Just that if you keep everybody behind the ball you have a better chance of catching THEM on the break whilst at the same time keeping a clean sheet our end. That's all I'm saying.
I'm convinced this is THE biggest reason we never manage to win against United. No doubt I'll be shot down in flames by some of you, but if so, please give me a better reason.
I'm all ears.
