A defeat was always on the cards before kick-off

I’m waiting for Redknapp’s end of season press-conference ‘we had 0 points and were bottom of the league heading into September but fair play to the lads, they dug deep and we finished a respectable 6th place which, in all fairness, is the best it’s gonna get’.

Naturally, I’m taking the Michael but for some fans, a full 90 minutes into the new season are already jumping on the ‘Harry out’ bandwagon.

Yes, a 3-0 loss to Manchester United wasn’t ideal but were Spurs really going to go to Old Trafford, a place they haven’t won at since 1989 when a sole Gary Linekar goal separated to two sides, and pick up three points?

It was a tough task for the squad even if United were without Ferdinand, Vidic and Rafael. But then again, Spurs were without King, Gallas, Sandro and, perhaps the biggest loss of all, Modric.

Personally, I feel the blame should fall squarely on the Croatian’s shoulders. Why? Well, who doesn’t play in one of his teams biggest games of the season and the Premier League opener? Modric, that is who.

Some say he was on strike to force Levy’s hand into selling, Redknapp claimed his head ‘wasn’t right’. Nobody who’s the truth but for the 25-year-old to decide he doesn’t really fancy making the trip up north to face the defending Premier League champions is a slap in the face you gotta say?

Completely undermining our pre-match preparations wasn’t the right way to go about treating your team mates, who have stuck by you, and the fans who pay the players wages only for the player in question to stay behind in London, presumably to play new mates Juan Mata and Romelu Lukaku on FIFA while laughing at Spurs losing.

Frankly, his refusal to play is similar to Berbatov in 2008 and it makes me sick to the stomach. He gets paid, clearly not enough, to perform on the big stage and surely by not partaking in the game last night is a breach of contract?

It brings back memories of the ugly saga between Fenerbache and Ariel Ortega in 2003 but the Turkish side were man enough to take legal action against the AWOL Argentinian.

I’m not saying Spurs should follow suit and sue mr ‘no like chicken badge’ as that is more likely to piss him off further but by holding firm, Spurs look like the may be developing a back bone and refusing to bow down to player power, something that has become all too familiar in the modern game.

Heck, even Nasri played for them lot down the road on Saturday and he is hankering for a move to Manchester.