Think the unthinkable, and suggest that Tottenham have a decent chance of winning the Premier League, and Harry Redknapp launches into a mime of alarm and disbelief. It is as if you’ve mentioned, in passing, that the old Queen Mum was a part-time Burlesque dancer who performed under the stage name of Fifi La Phew.
Ain’t gonna happen, old son, he’ll tell you, when his eyes are back in their sockets. How can little old Tottenham compete with the Abu Dhabi All Stars? Spurs haven’t got a brass farthing. How could he look his old mate, Fergie, in the eye, and tell him his time at the top is up? That’d be a right liberty.
Sorry, but it is a possibility. The motto, which screams “To Dare is to do” from the stands at White Hart Lane, could do with a little editing. “Dare to Dream” is a far more appropriate maxim for a club with Tottenham’s understated ambitions.
Assumptions of a Manchester monopoly at the top of the Premier League are premature. Should Tottenham win their game in hand, at home to Everton tonight, they will draw level on points with Manchester United. Suddenly, the prospect of a first title in 50 years has more than mere historical symmetry.
There was an element of mischief in Sir Alex Ferguson’s suggestion that Tottenham are playing the best football at the moment. He rarely misses a chance to belittle Manchester City, but there was substance to the jibe.
At times, Tottenham have been irresistible. They have a goalpost-for-jumpers mentality, a thrilling fluidity. Anything is possible if Redknapp reaches agreement with his parsimonious chairman, Daniel Levy, and invests wisely in this transfer window.
Of course, he has personal issues to address. Tottenham’s squad is thin, compared to their natural rivals. But at this time of year, Redknapp is in his element. He’s hoping against hope that Gary Cahill and Chris Samba don’t go to Chelsea and QPR respectively, as seems likely. He has more chance of getting Blackburn’s Junior Hoilett and Marseille striker Loïc Rémy. There are also persistent rumours of a move for a marquee player like Kaka.
Mention that, and Redknapp changes tack: “It will be difficult for us to finish above Man Utd or Man City,” he says. “But you just never know, do you?”
