The fight club
Now Robinson and Mido fall out as Tottenham start to get passionate
WAT C H O U T Premiership, the Fight Club is here, with Martin Jol as the ringmaster egging fractious Tottenham battlers on to a Champions League knockout bout.
S p u r s ’ s e a s o n h a s b e e n punctuated by training ground and dressing room confrontations, but the bust-ups seem to be making a positive contribution to their impressive start.
The latest contretemps came at half- time on Sunday, prompting Spurs to fight back from 2-1 down to grab a 3-3 draw at Middlesbrough.
This time it was Egyptian centreforward Mido having an exchange of views with goalkeeper Paul Robinson. Both players went on to sterling second- half shows, with Robinson pulling off a string of fine saves, and Mido powering home a late equaliser.
Straight after the match, Mido said: ‘I would like to say that I had a bit of an argument with Robbo in the dressing room at half-time. You only have to look at the reaction to see what kind of spirit we have.
‘Robbo came out second half and he was the best player on the pitch, and I came back and scored the goal and was fighting for every ball. This is the kind of spirit which will let you win games and go places.’
Showing that all was forgiven and forgotten, Mido added: ‘If I have to say something about Robbo, I only have to say that there are a lot of goalkeepers in the Premier League, but Paul Robinson is the best.’
This clash was more a frank exchange of opinions than an exchange of blows, with no real animosity between the pair.
‘Paul loves Mido. He might have told him to get moving or to get a shift on or something, but that’s it,’ said a close friend of the player. ‘If Paul had hit him, he wouldn’t have come out for the second half!’
‘ We have a great spirit and we fight for each other, and it is not easy to beat us,’ added Mido. ‘ I think not so many teams have the same team spirit that we have. I am very proud of that.’
It has not been all kiss and make up, a fact which might not be unrelated to Jol bringing over the combative Edgar Davids as a midfield enforcer.
What we didn’t all realise was that he liked a training-ground scrap as much as a tough tackle.
Robbie Keane learned that lesson earlier this month as a practice match dispute descended into a fist fight — star striker and bestpaid player trading insults and blows and finding themselves on the back pages.
‘There was an incident but it’s all over and forgotten now,’ said a Tottenham spokesperson, pointing out that Davids had been first to congratulate Keane on making the opening goal in their next game. ‘We see it as a sign of the players’ passion and commitment to do well for the club.’
Davids certainly has no shortage of passion. Three months before scrapping with Ke a n e , t h e Dutchman is understood to have pitched into battle with Johnnie Jackson over a mistimed tackle.
While the post- conflict male bonding went less well on this occasion as the occasional leftwinger departed to Derby on loan, crueller Spurs supporters might look on Jackson’s exit as another result for Jol’s martial methods.
Maybe Brad Pitt had it right. Gather a group of brow- beaten, mid-ranking under-achievers and let them punch the living daylights out of each other. Self- esteem flows with the testosterone and in a few short months you have a happy band of world-beaters.
d.castles@dailymail.co.uk