Breaking News: Politician Keeps Promise...

David Cameron's decision to veto EU treaty changes aimed at tackling the Eurozone Crisis have provoked concern and criticism from many at home and abroad. It is true that his actions could well lead to Britain being even more isolated from the rest of Europe than it already is. If the new-look treaty proves to be a success, and the Euro goes from strength to strength, this could have disastrous consequences. Yet the chances of that being the case look slim, as the changes fails to address any of the real issues behind the crisis.

In proposing budgetary control, and increased regulation and taxation on the financial sector, the amendments seem to be very much a case of shutting the joint chequebook after Greece has spent all the money. They provide solutions that may have been useful in preventing the crisis from occurring in the first place, but offer very little in the way of solving the problems that the EU is facing now. It is all well and good proposing hefty penalties for those who break deficit restrictions, but in the current climate, it's difficult to see how any penalty handed out to the struggling economies could possibly improve the situation in which they find themselves. Moreover, there is no attempt to address the underlying problem of the single currency - that it has brought together countries of different economic levels in such a way that the poorer nations are reliant on financial support from their wealthier neighbours, and those neighbours, in turn, are reliant on the survival of their economically weaker allies. It is already well-documented that the EU simply cannot allow Greece to default on its loans, and thus must continue to fork out billions of Euros to keep it afloat. This is not an issue that will simply disappear with time, but is a fundamental flaw in the system. Most worryingly, with Italy and Spain remaining alarmingly close to the edge of the financial abyss, the outlook is bleak should another nation require the kind of assistance that has been handed out to Greece, Portugal or Ireland.

It is true that David Cameron has taken a big gamble, and that, either way, he cannot really win. If, in the best-case scenario, the treaty changes are a success and the Euro goes from strength to strength, Britain will surely be left isolated in the shadow of the resulting European economic superpower. And if, in the worst case, the Euro does fail (which, at this point, looks considerably more likely), his veto will no doubt be blamed for contributing to its demise, and Britain will still face another financial crisis. But that crisis will not be as bad as the one we would be facing if we had signed up to these changes and the Euro had failed anyway. The revisions to the Treaty, in effect, tie the eurozone closer together, in such a way that if one nation goes down, all will be brought down trying to save it. At the same time, by failing to address the real crux of the problems facing the single currency, the amendments have not made this outcome any less likely. By remaining on the outside, Britain is at least safeguarding itself from being dragged down along with them, though whether it would be strong enough to withstand the after-effects is another matter entirely. Thus, faced with a very difficult decision, and under considerable pressure from his European counterparts, it would appear that the Prime Minister has stuck to his promise not to sign up to anything that would not be in Britain's interest. For that, at least, he should be commended.

Mylo Xyloto...

It's been a bloody long time since I've written anything on here, but the release of Coldplay's new album this week has prompted me to do so.

I genuinely think this could be their best album ever. From the electrifying 'Hurts Like Heaven' down to the slower 'Up in Flames' or 'Us Against the World', this really is Coldplay at their absolute best. 'Paradise' is reminiscent of massive hits like 'Clocks' and 'Speed of Sound', while the addictive 'Charlie Brown' gets better every time I listen to it. They have teamed up with Rihanna to produce 'Princess of China', potentially opening up a whole new fanbase in the process, and this might even suggest that, like with Jay-Z on their last tour, Rihanna may share their gigs (I somehow doubt she would accept being the 'support' act!). True, there is no new 'Fix You' or 'The Scientist', but perhaps that's because those songs are so superb in themselves that any attempt to recreate them would be futile.

Most importantly, this album adds a vital element to the band's repertoire as a whole. Critics have branded their music as being too slow, too emotional, and, frankly, a little depressing. 'Viva La Vida' attempted, in part, to move away from this, although the decision to jointly name the album 'Death and all his Friends' rather betrayed that. But there can be no doubting that this is a faster and more upbeat Coldplay. This album is the missing link. It is the energy that some argue has been lacking from the band's earlier work. And credit to them - the critics laid down the gauntlet, and Chris, Johnny, Guy and Will have responded in breathtaking fashion. Yet crucially, they haven't been swayed by those critics into producing more mainstream music. The real brilliance of Mylo Xyloto is that it covers new ground for the band, but does so in a way that is so distinctly Coldplay. No-one else could have written these songs.

I have been excited about this album since the Glastonbury performance, where old and new songs blended together seamlessly to produce one of the greatest sets I've listened to. There was a danger, however, that the album would be a bit of an anti-climax, that the other tracks would fail to live up to those that had been selected for the festival shows. Yet any concerns were ill-founded. From beginning to end, it is a masterpiece. For those yet to listen, do so, you won't regret it. And for those who have, I hope you have enjoyed, and continue to enjoy it, as much as I do.

A Bridge Too Far - Has 'Arry Taken Us As Far As He Can?

Last night's drubbing in the Bernabeu is being treated as a shock to the system. The Sky Sports team, in particular, were stunned by our poor performance and amazed that we hadn't been able to put up more of a fight, citing Peter Crouch's sending off and Aaron Lennon's mysterious last-minute illness as the main reasons behind our incompetent display. But the truth is, the signs have been there for at least the last month, and last night's performance bore the hallmarks both of our woeful defensive display at Wolves a few weeks ago and the attacking impotence of the recent matches against West Ham and Wigan.

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Now, I want to make it absolutely clear that I am both respectful of and grateful to Harry Redknapp for everything he has done so far for the club that we love. He will always, quite deservedly, be a Spurs icon for his achievements. This article is not written in anger - I am the first to hold my hands up and admit when we have been thoroughly outplayed and deserve defeat, as was the case last night. This is not a criticism of 'Arry's management per se - our resurgence over the past couple of years is due in large part to his management style, and he has got the best out of players such as BAE, Bale, Lennon, Modric, Gallas and Dawson. My concern is whether he is the right man to take us on to the next level (any successful club must always be looking to progress), based both on his managerial weaknesses (for everyone, no matter how strong their strengths, possesses weaknesses) and his obvious desire to manage England.

As regards his management style, my concern is that he is not aggressive enough, that he doesn't possess that killer instinct, and that, ultimately, he is just too much of a nice guy. Now, either this is the case, and this reluctance to kill off games is being dispersed among the players, or else each of the players themselves naturally lack that instinct (the two exceptions being Modric and Bale, both of whom have been outstanding all season, and whose heads rarely, if ever, drop until the final whistle has sounded). Either way, 'Arry, as the team's principal motivator, has got to be the man to put that right, and I can't really think of an occasion this season on which we, as a team, have shown that particular instinct, the desire not just to beat, but annihilate the opposition. One recent example springs to mind - against Wolves, while leading 3-2, a Gareth Bale shot rebounded off the post, and Aaron Lennon, rather than following up aggressively and putting the ball into the open goal, slowed down and effectively let it run out of play. Would Man Utd, or Chelsea, or any other 'big' club, have been so complacent? West Ham, for me, was another example, and Redknapp himself revealed this particular weakness after the match, when claiming that anyone disappointed with our performace that day could not be a real football fan. I'm afraid I would have to disagree - as pretty a performance as it may have been, it did not get the job done. West Ham are a relegation-threatened side, and yet we, a team with alleged top-four pretensions, were unable to put a goal past them. If Redknapp is truly satisfied by that performance, then he has just illustrated my point.

Defensively, we have never been the best side, that's for certain, and while we have put in some outstanding defensive performances this season (Fulham at home, Milan home and away, and about 60 minutes of the game at the Emirates, to name a few), we keep making basic errors. Last night, while we held our line well, we failed to press Madrid when they had the ball, giving them the time to pick out passes. Now, admittedly, Crouch's itchy feet had left us in the lurch, and consequently to press too aggressively would have created too much space for their players, but at the same time, you cannot give players of Xabi Alonso's quality time to pick a pass, because they will murder you. Now, for those who might maintain that this was the result of Crouch's sending off, I would argue that we made exactly the same mistake against Wolves - we sat back, let them come onto us, pick out their passes, and get amonst us. It's all well and good playing a rigid defensive line, but if the line is so rigid that their players simply move around it, then it no longer serves its purpose. This was illustrated by Adebayor's second goal last night, which was almost a carbon copy of Steven Fletcher's 86th minute equaliser in the Wolves game - we held our line but failed to press, allowed a cross to come in, and failed to pick up their attackers. It's a rookie mistake, and one that has cost us on a number of occasions this season. This is particularly inexcusable for a defence that trains against Crouch!

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As for Redknapp's England pretensions, my concern is that if, as seems certain at the moment, he will replace Capello in a little over a year's time, would it not be better for the long-term future of the club to replace him now, while we are still in the limelight and have the opportunity to attract a top-class manager? If we fail to qualify for the Champions' League this time round, which is looking increasingly likely, then our task next season becomes even harder. Manchester City, assuming they replace us in the Top Four, will no doubt strengthen their squad, and will be an even tougher proposition next term. Chelsea have signalled their intent to remain a big player with their purchases of Torres and David Luiz, and Abramovich has promised more cash to splash in the next window. Man Utd and Arsenal are running away at the top of the league this season, and it is highly unlikely that they will have collapsed by this time next year, and Liverpool look a worryingly resurgent prospect under Kenny Dalgleish. All said, unless we can get our act together sharpish, we may have to face the fact that our current squad has peaked. Even if Bale and Modric remain with us next season, it is unlikely that they will be able to resist the lure of the Champions' League for long should we be unable to provide it, and if we are unable to replace them, which would be a tough task, the squad would surely be irrepairably weakened. And with Daniel Levy's unwillingness to put his money where his mouth is, it is unlikely that any top-class manager would be keen to take on the challenge of a Spurs side that is on the decline.

I'm not really writing this on the back of last night's result. Ultimately, we were totally outclassed by a superior side, and that's all there is to it. I'm writing this based on the past month or so of frustration, as game after game we have failed to take maximum points against the 'weaker', potentially relegation-bound sides. But last night effectively brought the past month's failures into the spotlight, and for that, perhaps it was the best thing that could have happened. For all I have written, I thoroughly hope that the team can galvanise and prove me wrong. We, and 'Arry in particular, tend to perform best when the pressure is on us - just look at our ending to last season (and the contrast of the 4-2 defeat at Burnley on the final day when 4th place was secured!). Now that the Champions' League is no longer a distraction (let's be honest, even the most optimistic fan cannot hope that we will be able to turn last night's deficit around next week), perhaps we can focus on the League and snap out of our current rut. Saturday's game against Stoke is huge - on the back of the public humiliation of last night, it could really be make or break, a test of the character of the squad and their willingness to respond to their critics. And whether or not you agree with me that 'Arry ultimately has to take responsibility for our weaknesses, surely we must acknowledge that these weaknesses exist, and that they must be soon corrected if we are to salvage anything from what, only 2 months ago, was shaping up to be such a promising season...