The Rise & Fall of Paul William Robinson

England's number one, so went the not most complicated of chants. Spurs history of 'keepers has been a slightly chequered one, from the greats of Ditchburn and Jennings through to the lesser well remembered Mimms & Keller.
Since possibly Ray Clemence Tottenham never again had a solid reliable stopper between the posts, this coupled with our then legendary dodgy and ever changing defence hardly helped matters.
If anything our goalies have been.....well....just above average....what they lacked in ability they made up for in crowd interaction (Erik the Viking) or an of the time trendy middle parting (Ian Walker)
Sure Walker was England's number one briefly but the way he smiled to himself every time he let a goal in didn't help but make him less than convincing.
Every top club had a top 'keeper, 'build from the back' is the saying isn't it? But it wasn't until the signing of Robbo that we felt at last we had found our missing piece.

I remember hearing of Robbo early on, Nigel Martyn was number one @ Leeds Utd at the time and was considered to be up there with David Seaman as far as goalkeepers went (he was even voted Leeds Utd's Best Goalkeeper of All Time by the fans), but some midweek cup heroics started to get Robinson noticed and when Martyn upset the then Leeds Boss El Tel  he stepped up and never looked back.

Robinson's last season up North wasn't the best - after all Leeds were relegated, but Spurs had obviously been keeping tabs on him, for the sometime maligned David Pleat was quick enough to snap him up for just £1.5m pounds.

Being between the sticks @ White Hart Lane makes a player the closest relation to the hard core support - both emotionally & geographically, we ask him the score, to give us a wave even, he throws his gloves into the crowd & a bond is built - I was there when the Park Lane faithful sang 'Happy Birthday' to him even unfurling a banner in his honour (sad but true!)
To have a decent 'keeper again was a novelty as a Spurs fan and how good was it to sing to any travelling set of supporters that we had "England's Number One" in goal?

Inevitably though confidence plays a huge part on a player's form and goalkeeper is a position where every mistake is magnified and analysed. Robbo just never recovered from his mishaps and it was a shame to see his decline. In a world of 'If onlys' a Paul Robinson in his prime could have given us that extra push we needed when Harry first took over and with our new number one Brad Friedel still going strong in his forties, who's to say we won't see Robbo's return?

Almost half way

With the winter blues grabbing most of us sat @ work, the one thing that keeps us smiling is the fact we are sitting pretty amongst the crop @ the top of the tree! With many predicting a bleak out look after the walloping we got @ The Lane in our first home game of the new season. 'Arry and the gang have turned it around and along the way we have convincingly hammered Liverpool and yet again beat the scum! Thrown into the mix have been some tough battling away wins @ Fulham, Blackburn & WBA! the WBA game being a prime example how we have developed since last season, as in the past we would have only managed to take a point back to The Lane!

Last season Sandro looked like the player we had been missing, hard tackling, no nonsense type of player add in that Brazilian flair and things were looking good in the middle of the park! Many including myself questioned the signing of Parker this season, but the player has been a revolution since pulling on the famous Lilly White jersey, I do feel for Sandro, as the guy has been limited to just a handful of appearances since Parkers arrival, but the facts dont lie, since Parker joined, we have yet to taste defeat in the League! How long will Sandro be happy warming the bench is another topic in itself!

Another key feature of our team this season, which was missing last season is the resurrection of Jermain Defoe! With 10 goals in all competitions already, its a vast improvement, With JD & VDV fighting it out for the right to partner Ade, Both players need to perform week in week out, to get their name on the team sheet!   What a fantastic situation to have! The only downside to this is that Defoe is having a bit of an issue with playing time ahead of next summers Euros, lets hope 'Arry can talk the player round!

@ the back we have finally found the right back we had been craving for! Kyle Walker has come on leaps and bounds since he first signed for us from Sheffield United. Lightning quick and doesn't mind sticking a foot in and who can forget that winner against the scum that alone has certainly cemented his status as a Cult hero!

So as we head into the 2nd part of the season, it's been two thumbs up so far!, but with games coming thick and fast can we continue on this winning run, and can we keep the squad fit? And the one big question is, what can this team achieve? The league? The F.A Cup or even the Double?

A Sunday classic @ The Cottage

Our Sunday league run continues this weekend with a trip along the Thames to The Cottage. I'm sure in the old days we used to play on Saturdays too!

In our recent league meetings against The Cottagers, it's fair to say they haven't lit the world alight. But with the added spice of Big Martin Jol coming up against us, its got the making of a classic written all over it! 

BMJ is an iconic figure to most Spurs fans. From touch line fighting against the scum, to some fantastic league results, Jol helped turn the club around giving us the platform for what we see in front of us now. Every Spurs fan agrees the way ENIC treated BMJ was dreadful! Without reflecting on to much negativity before the game, would any Spurs fan begrudge Martin Jol walking away with a cheeky win against his old employers? 

On form

Another game, another win! Never one to grumble about back to back wins! the performance this weekend of the team, was iconic! From defence to attack every man played his part in yesterdays win over QPR. Scott Parker has made a massive difference in the center of the field, an old skool type of player, reads the game with ease! It's a shame we didn't have him on board last season......

After a slow start for our PFA player of the year, Bale is starting to kick into gear, 2 fantastic finishes yesterday should hopefully kick start his goal scoring this season! The only worrying point from yesterday was that of our big man up top Adebayor. After a great start to his Spurs career 'Ade' has gone on a bit of a mini goal drought! Although he does offer an outlet for the long ball, he's final touch has been a bit off of late. With 'Arry claiming that Defoe looks like a 'world beater' in training, could we see the little man replace 'Ade' up top if this lack of form continues?

With King & Gallas back from injuries our defensive options are looking strong again. For me personally seeing King on the team sheet is a massive plus for us, he reads the game as well as any of the current defenders in the world, exploring every option, and like a classic defender follows the golden rule 'If in doubt kick it out!'

If King can stay fit for @ least 20 odd games this season, it could be the difference between top 4 or top 6. With Dawson facing a long layoff, theres no doubt we will need King's experience.

Our recent run has almost gone unnoticed amongst the press, and long may that continue, 6 wins from 7 is no easy feat in the top flight, Although the likes of City and United are a few points in front of us, this season could see a surprise package rise from the depths of North London.

On the eve of 'Arrys' 3 year anniversary @ The Lane, could we be celebrating in style come May?

Jermain Defoe he's a ..............

After a stop start season things looked a bit worrying for Defoe over the summer, speculation that he was on the move, that him & 'Arry had fallen out with each other & that the players confidence had been shot to pieces.

@ The start of the new season things seemed to be going well, Defoe looked as sharp as ever against Hearts in the Europa league playoff game as well as in the early season games against Wolves & Liverpool.

Then came a bit of a bomb shell from fans idol VDV. After picking up another win against the scum VDV claimed that he only likes playing behind the striker and not on the wings........

'Arry had a choice to make, With Adebayor the main man up top it was between VDV & JD for the 'second' striker role.

Unfortunately for Defoe, 'Arry went with the Dutchman.... and well VDV true to his word plays better behind the big man up top! Banging in 3 goals in his last 2 games!

During the Newcastle game Defoe came on for a cameo appearance for VDV and scored a cracker! But it seems 'Arry can't leave out VDV and so what does the future hold for Jermain Defoe?

Super Pav?

"I feel very much adapted and comfortable at Tottenham,"

After a range of mixed performances since The Big Russian joined from Spartak Moscow, Pavlyuchenko feels his finally @ his best ahead of the new season. Pav's scoring record in cup games is amazing, 18 goals in 25 games, now before some bright spark throws a curve ball, this also includes champions league games! It's in the league where Pav has struggled for consistency. A return of 19 goals in 73 appearances works out a goal just under every 4 games! Hardly as prolific as many of us feel he should be! The fact that the Russian hasn't really got to grips with our language must be part of the reason, as 'Arry's mentioned many times before that the interpreter gets more of the ball in training than Pav!

But if we flash back to the end of last season, against Birmingham everything Pav did was magical, two fantastic long range efforts secured 5th spot and sent us in to Europe. Many of us were left frustrated, because if Pav could of shown that kinda form in front of goal earlier on in the season we may have finished in the top 4!

Personally i feel he needs an arm around his shoulder followed by a trip to the local for a few pints and plate of pie & mash! If we can get him firing on all cylinders then there's no need to go out and spend mega bucks on a new striker.

Recently Pav's agent has said that he wants to stay @ The Lane and fire us back into The Champions League next season, but after seeing us linked with every striker out there, he is unsure if fits in to 'Arry's plans for the coming campaign.



"Obviously, someone is going to be either sold or sent on loan.

"There is no news about my contract yet, so all we have to do now is to wait and see."

My solution......?

I feel Pav should be given a fair crack of the whip next season. A good run of games to get the confidence running through the veins would be a start. You only have to look @ his scoring record while playing for Spartak Moscow, it was amazing. For Russia he averages a goal every other game and for us in the cup's he bang's them in for fun. So Mr Redknapp as much as you have legendary status in my eyes, i would say give Pav one last chance to unlock that potential. If he falls flat on his face there's always Harry Kane that could come in and do a job!

Potential is a funny thing, it's finding away to unlock it thats the challenge. 

On target

After a full on Sunday roast and a pint or two of cider, the talk of the table went from the week ahead onto Tottenham's target for the coming season. With no real transfer activity happening and with 'Arry having both hands tied behind his back what would be a realistic target for the Lilly whites to achieve? 


It's been 20 years since we last lifted the FA Cup, a cup that put us on the map, a cup that every Spurs fan want's to see us lift again, The magic of 1 has all but vanished, 2001 & now 2011 pass without a cup @ the end of the season. After going out of both cups in the early rounds last season, the least we should expect this time around is a semi final appearance? 


Another season in Europe follows and although its not the Champions League it still offers us a chance to show the others on the continent what we are capable of. With the younger generation looking to break through it could prove a valuable lesson in finding out just where are youngsters are @ in terms of their development. Some fans feel that winning the Europa League would be the ideal achievement come May. 


What about the League i hear you cry? With Chelsea, United & City all looking @ getting to the final of the Champions League it could mean that the likes of us, Liverpool & Everton fighting it out for 4th spot or even better! One things for sure two of the 'Big' clubs will miss out again!


With fringe players unable to leave, and with a certain 'superstar' wanting to leave its left the summer looking a bit overcast, Chelsea for all their money seem intent of buying history like its up for auction. "Next lot up is from Tottenham Hotspur and a certain Luka Modric" opening bid starts @ £25 million.......


But on the flip side of this would the loss of Modric be a blessing? With VDV filling the void left? Last season we ended up having more playmakers on the pitch than needed, each looking to play the killer ball, which often left us red in the face and another game ending in 0-0. 


With all these if, buts & maybes anything is possible. 

An F.A Cup and a top 5 finish would be a fantastic season in my view.