This is not an attempt to absolve anyone of any blame for the unacceptable performance at White
Hart Lane last night, but it's become painfully obvious to me in the last 18 months or so that in
the fans' eyes it's players that win games... and managers that lose them.
Let me give you an example:
Towards the end of last season, in what would be Gerard Houllier's final game on the sidelines, we
took on the hapless West Ham at Upton Park.
By Chris Wright
In which, in order to hype their upcoming Premier League coverage, most of Sky Sports'
flappy-faced pundits (including Graeme Souness, Butch 'stay on your feet' Wilkins, 'Triffic
Redknapp Jnr, Red Nev and 'Michelle' Salgado) band together to take on all comers at a 5-a-side
tournament, including Kasabian a beat combo popular on the Hit Parade.
Frontman of Glasvegas, James Allan once played as a winger for Cowdenbeath, East Fife, Queen's
Park, Gretna, Stirling Albion and Dumbarton, making 105 appearances in the Scottish Football
League. He was part of the Cowdenbeath squad that won promotion as runners up in the 2000–01
Scottish Third Division.
Josh Clarke supports Leyton Orient, but in his younger days was an apprentice with
Norwich City. Sod's Law meant that they would draw each other in the Third Round of the FA
Cup, which meant an unexpected trip back to Norfolk for him.
In what is normally the most romantic weekend of the English football calender, a week of deep
introspection and soul-searching has left me unable to bask in the potential banana-skins, giant
killings and Ronnie Radford moments that the FA Cup 3rd Round is capable of throwing up.
