Its time someone gives credit where its due. Since I started this site, I have staunchly refused to rant on about the football world here. But now I can’t take all the petty ignorance, and also the so-called smart-ass attitudes some bloggers and so-called football writers (like Phil McNutty) have in their writings.

To begin with, I can’t help but to notice how people react everytime Harry Redknapp says something to the newspapers. It seems like anything he says is bound to be politically incorrect, as if he is living in a dreamland. And I’m also perplexed by the lack of mention from the Tottenham fans whenever they talk about their team being able to win the Premier League or anything such. It seems Harry somehow disappears from the calculation, and Spurs have a team so good that Bale and co can win without having a manager at the dugout.

Spurs were languishing at second from bottom in the table when Harry took over at Spurs, and he has very little to prove anymore. Spurs, for so many years, were pretenders, but now they are contenders. They have given the top four a run for their money, have claimed the Champions League spot, and have completely skinned the likes of Inter Milan and Werder Bremen in Europe’s premier competition.

They have beaten the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool back-to-back even when they had their backs to the wall (like yesterday, when they lost Van Der Vaart and Kaboul to injuries and then had to see Defoe miss a penalty in a morale-sapping manner). They believe now that they can beat anyone, they play beautiful football, and the little bit of tinkering from Harry has also proved to be good of late (like last week at Emirates when Defoe came in at half-time).

Harry also made great signings during his time there, the signings of VdV and also William Gallas in the summer transfer window were both touch of geniuses. Wilson Palacios was a revelation last season, and once upon a time Gareth Bale was a jinxed player because Tottenham could never win when he is on the field. He did not improve all by himself, surely? Surely his manager had a big role in helping him find his feet?

Give due credit for the man, he had brought Spurs to the heights they aspired to be at but never managed to achieve for so many years. In fact, he is probably the only English manager who encourages his team to play tiki-taka type of football.

Next, Sam Allardyce. Oh, it is so easy to hate Big Sam isn’t it? I couldn’t understand the level in which many jumped the gun the moment Blackburn were trashed by United at the weekend. Let’s get one fact clear here. Blackburn were recently sold to the Indian poultry giants Venkys for 45 million pounds. That’s almost a half-price discount of Cristiano Ronaldo. You can now imagine what resources exactly Big Sam had in his hands all this while.

Blackburn is comprised mainly of average players (in exception of Morten Gamst-Pedersen) so for them to sit in mid-table safety is more than satisfactory. For most part of last season, Rovers played with Christopher Samba, a centre-back, as their main striker. Yet they were grinding out results. No credit to Big Sam for that? Just because they got trashed by a rejuvenated United team doesn’t mean they are bad. Just last week they had the beating of Aston Villa at Ewood Park, and the grass seemed all green. Talk about short memories. That said, Blackburn are still in mid-table, and losing to the current league leaders is not a disaster.

What people have against Big Sam is his penchant for kick and rush football. Why don’t you hate Jose Mourinho then? It’s not like his team plays the most pleasing types of football on earth does he? Just because he is good at managing a certain style of football doesn’t mean he needs to be hated. He is doing what he can do with the players he has. You can’t play tiki taka with the likes of Jason Roberts and El Hadji Diouf can you? Stop living in denial by attacking the big man.

And now to Rafa Benitez. People love to hate him. They say Mourinho is God, and Rafa is a joker. Short memories again. When Jose Mourinho first took over at Inter Milan, Roma were the only team who provided a feeble challenge, as Milan’s age caught up with them and Juventus were just fresh off the Serie B blocks. Inter nearly threw away the title with a series of shocking performances, and struggled against plenty of teams, but grinded out a result against most of them. He was eliminated early in the Champions League in his first season, and it was largely considered a sub-standard season. It was only last season that Mourinho worked his magic.

But then again, Mourinho had the luxury of spending. He spent on Ricardo Quaresma, Sulley Muntari, Mancini, Goran Pandev, Wesley Sneijder, Lucio, Thiago Motta, and Diego Milito. Of all, the four latter names were a success, though the same can’t be said about the preceding three. But the fact is he was given new ammunitions in every transfer window. All Benitez got was Phillipe Coutinho, and that too after Mario Balotelli was sold off to Manchester City. It’s not easy following up an all-conquering season, and to judge him at a time when he had only Goran Pandev as his available striker in the win over Parma yesterday is bordering on the ridiculous.

And what’s with all the praises for Mourinho? He is only continuing Manuel Pellegrini’s good work on the team. The shape and the method of play is just the same as Manuel’s, and in fact Real had an incredible season last time out. He was given money to spend on fresh, young talents such as Angel Di Maria, Mesut Ozil, Sami Khedira, and Ricardo Carvalho, and he even had the guts to show pathetic sportsmanship in the win over Ajax. What is he, king of the world? Winning everything is one thing, but first and foremost one needs to learn to respect the game.

Arsene Wenger may have not won anything for long, but that is not excuse enough for Jose to divert from the real purpose of the comments. Is there a rule that only treble winners can comment on some rubbish, arrogant, cocky behavior shown by another treble winner? All of them are in the same footballing world, so don’t take credit away from them. I want to Jose manage Arsenal, with no funds at all, and I’ll see how he does.

So, short memory-infused idiots, wake up!

« »