Sports Focus - Spurs

June 10th 09, 09:19

At first glance you may be wondering exactly why a digital agency is writing about sports. But look again and you will see that not only are we a digital agency, we are huge sports fans too, which is great, because we’re also the digital agency of choice for some of the biggest names in the sporting world. So along with our digital expertise, marketing opinions and forward thinking technical posts, we also like to pay homage to our sporting pedigree. As our first in the series, this month’s Sports Focus looks at the season for Spurs…

To describe this past season as being turbulent for Tottenham Hotspur would be an understatement of the highest order. Spurs fans are probably used to riding that emotional roller coaster more than many other sets of fans around the league but with the way things played out over the past 10 months, you'd have been forgiven for thinking that it was something straight out of the Hollyoaks school of script writing! Thankfully for the club and its fans, Daniel Levy seems to have finally got it right with the appointment of Harry Redknapp from Portsmouth.

After kicking things off back in August under Juande Ramos, a return of only 2 points from the first 8 games proved to be the proverbial straw that broke the Spaniard's back and swift changes were made including back room staff, coaches and even the tea lady......although that's still a rumor! As with many new managerial appointments, the impact was swift with a 2-0 victory coming against Bolton at home, before Harry had even taken a full training session. A memorable 4-4 draw with bitter rivals Arsenal at the Emirates stadium followed, featuring a 40-yard David Bentley volley (eventually proving to be his only significant contribution of the season) against his old club and a 2 goal comeback from 4-2 down with 89 minutes on the clock...that Hollyoaks bunch had been at it again! Despite a small blip of form away from home around the turn of the year with somewhat undeserved losses to Newcastle, West Brom, Wigan and Bolton, Spurs fantastic home form, 1 loss under Harry, with a club record of only 10 goals conceded ALL season, they found themselves pushing hard for 7th place and European qualification on the final day, when at one stage relegation had been a very real possibility. Arguably, the January transfer window re-signings of former lillywhite heroes Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane being one of the key factors in what was a remarkable campaign.

Throw into the mix a Carling Cup final lost on penalties to Man Utd after out playing the champions for large parts of the game, rubber stamped by the fact that young keeper Ben Foster won man of the match; Harry Redknapp can be truly proud of the work he has done so far and more importantly be hugely optimistic that with a few key additions in the summer (and maybe a few under-achievers on their way out) building a side around the likes of Luka Modric, Aaron Lennon and the always inspiring Wilson Palacios, challenging for the top 4 next season alongside teams such as Everton, Man City and Aston Villa is almost a given.

Simon Evans
Account Director