Harry might not be staying long.

If you can't be with the one you love

Love the one you're with.

The JimmyG2 Column

So it's official: we are going to do it the Spurs way after all. It would have been mucheasier to have maintained our third place in the Premiership in style as we threatened to do. We could have joined the ranks of the mentally strong vying with Manchester United on equal terms for the run-in. We could have watched the Champions' League final in comfort smiling with detached amusement as Arsenal sweated on the result.

But we so obviously didn't. Capello resigns, Harry is crowned England manager unfortunately not by the FA and our season threatens to crumble to dust. But wait, Roy Hodgson gets the England job, Harry congratulates him and we win two consecutive games for the first time since January and it's all back on again.

Modric returns to form and scores a goal; Bale and Lennon stick to their respective wings and set up goals for others; Van Der Vaart scores a couple; Adebayor likewise; We score direct from a free kick and from a well worked corner; Sandro comes in for the injured Parker yet the world seems to have kept on spinning regardless. What a difference a couple of games make.

1 win in 9 before Blackburn becomes 3 wins in 11 after Bolton and a return to the champagne football we had almost forgotten. We win for the first time for years at the Reebok; Kevin Davies doesn't score and we go back to fourth a point off Arsenal. Sandra is running up some new curtains for Harry’s office and just as Spurs fans got used to the idea that Harry is leaving the taxi has been cancelled.

This is the Tottenham way and why we thought it would be any different I'm not at all sure. The uncertainty surrounding Harry must be part of the cause. Perhaps he was so pre-occupied with Team England that he didn't notice that Parker was totally shagged or that Ledley was having trouble standing up let alone running, or that Bale, kept wandering off the left wing to the detriment of our performances. Gareth is Welsh anyway so why would Harry be bothered.

But Harry's back and so are we. The games against lower half teams are not easy ones but at this end of the season teams 'battling for their lives' have to come out and play in the fresh air. They can't skulk in the back of the bus on their Play -Stations, WII's and PSP's. (Technical info. supplied by grandchildren ). However contrary to what my Mum used to say the fresh air and wide open spaces did their health no good at all.

This suits our high speed counter attacking style. There's more space for Modric and Van Der Vaart to exploit; more space for Bale and Lennon to run into; bigger gaps for Adebayor and we love it, love it. Suddenly the attack has tracked down where the opposition had hidden the goals.

The more open the game the more we have the players to exploit it. Sandro gives us a greater attacking edge than Parker as his runs are more positive and he can shoot as well as tackle. Lennon gives us more balance and spreads the focus of our attack.

If the squad can stay fit for another couple of weeks it could be a whole new chapter in the 'Harry Redknapp, Spurs manager' story for at least another year. Plans for the appointment of a DOF when Harry left have been put on hold. If Levy were to appoint one Harry might put up with it or resign, which might suit Levy either way. But if Harry is not top of your list of favourites remember the old 1970's Stephen Stills hit. 'Love the one you're with'

Where are we in the Redknapp saga?

Of course there's always been at least three camps on the Harry question. The first lot never liked him from the start. They regard him as a lucky, mouthy chancer who inherited a good squad and didn't quite manage to do anything substantial with it. We scraped into the Champions' League last year and imploded when it really mattered and ran out of steam and ideas when the going got tough in the Premiership this season.

The second group in which I place myself understood where the first group were coming from but suspended judgement, crossed our fingers, held our noses, enjoyed the surprisingly successful ride, gave credit where it was due and ended up more disillusioned than the first lot who never liked him in the first place and knew it would end in tears.

The third group carefully compile their statistics and charts that showed that Harry is our most successful manager since Sir Bill. They put the extended blip down bad luck, poor decisions by officials, injuries, the drought or whatever and still secretly think we might still make it to third. Some of them probably still believe we might win the cup.

Many fans though increasingly agreed that Harry thoroughly deserved the England job or the sack if he didn't get it and were looking forward to next season with the enthusiasm of vampires anticipating younger, fresher blood. They could see past a pre-season of rumour, gossip, ITK and frustration to the smell of cut grass and fresh paint. Mmmm.

The more enthusiastic you were about Harry the more betrayed you began to feel. So I was never that shattered. His strengths and weaknesses were evident from the start. His ability as a man manager and his commitment to entertaining football suited the club, the supporters and me.

His ease amongst the media which led to his popular acclamation as the next 'English' Manager of the England team, gained increasing strength as Spurs prospered. But the media, the fans, the pundits don't appoint the England manager. Once the wheels started to fall off and the plates went spinning out of control the FA got cold feet and looked for a safer pair of hands.

So the show is back on the road with nothing to distract us. Walker has signed a new 5yr. contract;

goal flood warnings are in force for the Birmingham area on Sunday; Tom Huddlestone will be back next season; the new training ground is almost complete; the new stadium capacity is being upped to 63.000, the world in short is on the verge of being our lobster once again.

So welcome back Harry, all is forgiven, as long as we make it to fourth. Failing that, Harry could be sacked, or retire but financial considerations might see him with us at least until the end of his current contract at the end of next season. Success next season will see it extended.

Aston Villa 0: Tottenham Hotspur 3  and on to Fulham where we might need to make it four in a row.
But don't be surprised if we don't. It's the Tottenham way.

Video Spot.
Plenty of versions of this,  the upbeat Isley Brothers version is good but  here is Crosby, Stills and Nash, live. Authentic 70's sounds and 'Woodstock' sentiments which we can apply to Harry who is sometimes difficult to love but he's the one we're with at the moment.