I introduced my children to good football. First, to Arsenal of the great Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Patrick Vierra, Cesc Fabregas and Jens Lehman to name a few. Then, there was a sensually stroking Barcelona who they watched at Loftus Stadium in Pretoria against Mamelodi Sundowns. This was a great team of Ronaldinho, Lillian Thuram, Thierry Henry, Xavi and Iniesta among others. Lionel Messi has since come in and Ronaldinho gone.
The problem is that my children are completely human. They do not know the end of a good thing, actually, the beginning of a good one. They have since split to following Arsenal, Barca and Real Madrid. They did not see Tottenham Spurs coming, even at my expert warning 2 years back. They always thought it was a beginner's luck for Harry Redknapp.
When Spurs qualified for the UEFA Champions League, they said I befriended Harry. I told them I do not know the guy. They prophesied how Spurs will be humiliated in Europe. I disagreed. Now that the group of death is concluded and Spurs are on top of the champions of Holland, Germany and Italy, who happen to be holders of the Champions League, there is talk of how much they will suffer in the knock-out stages. Children! They do not know a good thing when they see one. I can only guess they will be saying how much Spurs will fail to defend the title if they won it. If they defended it, it will be how impossible it will be to defend it again and again.
Football is a game of 2 halves and 90 minutes in total. You make your own luck by fighting a good fight. It is necessary to have the material with which you believe your complete product will satisfy you before others. Given that Spurs are no powerhouse by any measure, without comparing them to anyone but themselves, their season may as well be over and that will suffice. especially for their fans. These are the years that will live in their hearts permanently. It is unimagined history for many, except for those like my sons. At least they never expect much from Spurs as they are labelled 'terrible'. And Harry doesn't care.
The London team achieved this feat amid their most trying times in terms of personnel. They have a complete 2 sets of central defenders, their most priced midfielders and the hottest striker for them and England on the surgery table. I am talking of Gomes, King, Dawson, Kaboul, Huddlestone, Modric, Van der Vaart and Defoe. This a spine for any teams that could have conquered any league any day regardless of who you fielded along them. As we all know football, this does not guarantee that these would have made the team better, but a sane coach with such players in good health and chooses not to use them would be crazy. Harry is crazy, but not that much.
With their history, resources and personnel, Spurs will not mind even if the world ended today. They are on a high and to believe this is the end of their glory, is for you and me to worry about. They have the least pressure to impress going forward. This is actually what a team needs for success; less expectation, from both themselves and others.
As for my children, I should have forced football down their throats and made them into Messi, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo of Brazil. This modern thing of letting childern become what they desire to be, is just not on. Look at the William sisters!! Ok, enough..
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