SHOULD Son Heung-min end uplifting the Europa League trophy for Tottenham, it will only start the argument — not finish it.
Win their first silverware since 2008 and some will claim Spurs are back among the Big Six, others may sayEnglish football’s ultimate fancy Dans never went away.
All while it’s a reasonable shout to suggest they should never have beenin it in the first place.
Spurs did well to in the last eight. A cracking achievement, given how hopeless they are on the home front this season.
Monday night’s came just four days after a stirring victory in Germany.
The European quest is impressive of late and hopefully they’ll go all the way and bring the trophy back next month.
If they do, it will finally end anagonising wait for glory stretching back 17 years — about the same time as it takes to walk from the ground to Seven Sisters Tube.
The 2008 League Cup final success over is a fast-fading and flimsy claim to historical fame.
Because that came almost a decade after they had bagged the same trophy. North London’s original football club have never been serial winners.
try to playaesthetically. They have employed a few skilful players — David Ginola, Glenn Hoddle, Paul Gascoigne. But, ultimately, they are famous for being famous — like .
So what exactly is it that makes so many people within the game class them as members of the so-called Big Six?
And in an age of fluid wealth, when clubs can be transformed overnight withforeign investment, maybe it’s time to dismiss the idea of an elite enclave.
Defining the size of a football club has no universal measure.
It’s genuinely surprising that as football lurches towards total automation, some smart-arse has not conjured up a Stephen Hawking-style algorithm to calculate it to ten decimal places.
Capacity of ground multiplied by number of honours, then dividing that by length of time between trophies is one possibility.
Money in the bank, times international players, minus number of losses squared, all over position in the league table?
Football today bears no resemblance to the 1980s. Back then it was easier to work it out as money didn’t muddy the equation so much. Life was simpler.
Along with Manchester United,Liverpool, Arsenal and Everton, were in a league of their own. It’s not so clear-cut now.
Behind the competition
They have a lovely, big ground. Stamford Bridge is tiny by comparison — but Chelsea are now by far the most successful club in London.
Newcastle are awash with Saudi cashand winning this season’s Carabao Cup means they have won as much asTottenham since 2008. Aston Villa are waking up from a decades-long coma.
They entertained us in the Champions Leaguethis season and are fighting hard to get back in it.
Manchester City werepoor neighbours of United for donkey’s years. Eddie Large was their most famous fan.
Yet this season is a write-off, even though they may yet win the FA Cup and qualify for a 14th successivecampaign in the Champions League.
They have billions locked away in their Arab owners’ vaults and have amassed four Premier League titles on the trot. The Etihad isn’t the biggest mind.
Resentment
There’sbeen just two seasons since 2010 when Spursfinished outside the top six. Yet they are 16th and every match at their enviable new ground is tainted by resentment towards the ownership.
They will lose more league games this season than they will win.
Even if Son does get his hands on that trophy, three cups in 26 years is hardly massive. Relegated Leicester have won bigger things — the title and FA Cup — in the past decade.
It’s mind-bogglingly complex working out who is the biggest and the best.
Maybe it’s easier switching the sums around and instead of going mad deciding who is in the Big Six, work out who isn’t.The Tottenham conundrum is much simpler then.
MARESCA CAN'T WIN
ENZO MARESCA copped it from some fans for not joining in the post-match celebrations of Chelsea’s win at Fulham.
Even though he had just been booked for overdoing it on the touchline when Pedro Neto smashed home the winner moments earlier.
There is a palpable distance between the Chelsea supporters and the reserved Italian.
I’ve yet to hear them sing his name and there is a feeling that whatever he does, they will never completely warm to him.
With Chelsea trailing at half-time on Sunday, Maresca was forced to take the long walk past the away end at Craven Cottage and was roundly labelled a “w*****” by a noisy minority.
I don’t blame him for not wanting to attend the post-match party and salute those who, 45 minutes earlier, were giving him such stick. It seems he cannot win, despite having just won.
Meanwhile, over at all-but-relegated Ipswich, boss Kieran McKenna’s name was lustily cheered when read out before they were thumped 4-0 by Arsenal. It seems he cannot lose, despite losing a lot.
ROCKET'S LAUNCHED
LEAST surprising result of the week is ’s demolition of arch-adversary Ali Carter at snooker’s World Championship.
The Rocket rocked up to the Crucible, typically out of form and playing the wounded animal, claiming he would be lucky to pot even one red ball.
Acrushing 10-4triumph later — having won five frames in succession —and O’Sullivan is in the balls, as they say. And into the last 16.
He is someone who changes his mind on a daily basis whether or not he wants to pick up a cue. But he has seven world titles dating back to 2001.
O’Sullivan turns 50in December — and there is a serious beliefthat he will be enjoying his eighth world crown, having surpassed the haul ofhis other greatbaize nemesis, Stephen Hendry.
ENI'S WRIGHT JIBE IS JUST WRONG
THE BEST broadcasters choose their words carefully.
Eni Aluko has not with her surprising attack on Ian Wright for “dominating” punditry in women’s football.
Ex-Chelsea star Aluko says: “If we had a situation where there was an equal opportunity for broadcasters and coaches that there is in the women’s game but that’s not the case. I can’t dominate the men’s game.”;
No, she can’t but maybe that’s for individual reasons rather than sexism. Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan will be sharing the biggest presenting gig in football with Mark Chapman on Match of the Day from next season.
That’s two women and one man hosting the country’s flagship highlights show covering the biggest men’s league in the world, with a vast audience.
Genuine question . . . am I missing something here?
