Make mine natural...

Blame it on the Astroturf ‘Arry…

3-2 to Young Boys of Berne (you can’t help but stifle a laugh at the mention of the Swiss club) cannot be said to be a bad result for The Boys of Spurs. Redknapp was scathing about the artificial surface but what should really worry him is his team’s inability to function as a cohesive unit, just 4 days after their swashbuckling display against City.

In Redknapp’s defence, his reasoning that leaving out four players who started the City game due to injury concerns was valid. Astroturf is just not natural is it?

Article 13.08 of UEFA's Champions League regulations states as follows:

 "With the exception of the final, which must be played on natural turf, matches in the competition may be played on artificial turf in accordance with the UEFA stadium infrastructure regulations and provided that such artificial turf meets the FIFA recommended 2-star standard.”

Why the double standards UEFA? Someday some hack from some far away land would probably initiate legal proceedings in the European Court against the use of Astroturf in lieu of grass on Champions League pitches due to the fact that it constitutes an unsafe working environment.

Back to Spurs

Redknapp has always had a reputation as a wheeler dealer (Marc Rieper, Slaven Bilic, and Marco Boogers) from his West Ham days.

So the news of Gallas about to sign isn’t a huge surprise and it would be a huge improvement from Bassong. A “partnership” (if Gallas ever does partnerships) with Dawson/King (when he’s fit)/Woodgate (is he still alive?) would greatly enhance Spurs chances of survival (I actually meant advancing in Europe/consolidating their top 4 position).

However, it escapes me how Niko Kranjcar did not start against Young Boys. His introduction in the second-half made a telling difference as he could actually grasp the ebb and flow of the game. Spurs had looked too hurried too often in the first half.

It’s fine and dandy to give the game a go and play an all out English game, harrying, running and punting. But the lack of European smarts might be Spurs’ downfall this season, even if they qualify for the group stages.

If they do get knocked out, at least ‘Arry can blame the Astroturf…