09/10: Season Aggregate Tottenham 12 Wigan 1
10/11: Season Aggregate Tottenham 0 Wigan 1
So last season was a spectacular come-down after our crushing of Wigan home and away (particularly home) from the season before. How we failed to score against them last season after blasting 12 past them in 2 games is unforgivable. The game at White Hart Lane was the classic dominate, fail to score, get hit with sucker punch script that we went by too often last season. From what I remember, the game at the DW was a dull, forgettable bore draw.
Wigan are a team that I've tipped to go down pretty much every season since they came up and they continue to prove me wrong. I quite like them as a club, I like Martinez and their 3-2 win over Arsenal last year gave me great pleasure. Having said that, there's nothing in this Wigan side that should concern us too much. N'Zogbia has moved on, Rodallega remains something of an enigma and even after scoring more goals in the past 2 weeks than he's managed in the previous 3 years, Franco di Santo hopefully shouldn't trouble us too much. Play half as well as we did against Liverpool and we should win.
But therein lies the Tottenham conundrum. How many times in the past have we picked up a great win at home and then rolled over against an average team up north. Shaking off our failure to kill off the weaker teams in the league is essential to our hopes of returning to the Champions League. Our form against the bottom half of the table last season was well documented and unacceptable. Beating the bottom 6 teams in the league home and away is not too great an ask and provides 36 points. Which, based on last season is over half way to finishing in the top 4 and half way to finishing 2nd.
With the additions of Friedel, Parker and Adebayor, we should be more clinical up front, solid in the midfield and less prone to brainfarts in goal. All of which should make us too strong for Wigan. Gallas and Sandro should return, but on the back of 4 consecutive clean sheets, I reckon if it ain't broke don't fix it. Gallas should only come in if Harry wants to ensure Ledders is fit for Arsenal by resting him.
It's games like this that define season intentions. The best teams in the league win at places like Wigan even when they aren't playing particularly well. We are one of the best teams in the league and we should win tomorrow. If we don't, our hard work against Liverpool will be undone and it's back to the drawing board.
Keep focused. 3 points. Nothing less will do.
Friday, 23 September 2011
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Lots of Silver Linings to be had.
Once again, one negative result and the optimism created from a terrific win is drowned in a sea of doom and gloom. I wasn't one of the brave and hardy souls who travelled to a cold and wet Stoke on a Tuesday night, the type of occasion that pundits love to imagine would test Barcelona. Those who travelled knew full well, as I think we all did, that it wasn't going to be the swaggering, swashbuckling display we saw on Sunday, but nevertheless were disappointed with what was served up.
There are those that say it's not the Tottenham way. We pride ourselves on our traditional cup success and going out in the third round with a second string team just isn't the done thing. It's disappointing yes, but I'm not too downhearted and here's why. (I'm not even going to use the 'Tin-pot Mickey Mouse Cup excuse').
Penalties. Yes we lost on them again. In my years supporting Spurs I have now seen 6 shootouts and we've lost every single one. Add to that supporting England and my experience of shootouts reads 11 shootouts, 1 win, 10 defeats. But at least 6 out of 8 successful penalties last night was an improvement on our usual success rate. Is it stupid to suggest Corluka as a regular penalty taker when he's on the pitch? He's stepped up and converted in our last two shootouts: last night and the Carling Cup final v United, with great calmness and confidence. Credit must go to the kids who had the minerals to step up, even poor old Massimo Luongo.
Clean Sheet. Again, we tinkered with our team and defence and kept a 4th consecutive clean sheet. Stoke may have made changes to their line-up too but what they put out was still a pretty strong line-up and keeping out 4 decent Premier League strikers in Jerome, Jones, Crouch and Walters for 120 minutes was encouraging.
I'm in the camp that believes it's good and important to see academy players get a go in the first team. Most or maybe all might not make the grade at Spurs, but it's still more positive than seeing a team full of disaffected reserves going through the motions.
If nothing else, last night confirmed that Pavlyuchenko and Gomes do not deserve places in the first team and should be moved on in January. Both still have good reputations in their homelands and if we can get close to £20 million for Crouch and Palacios then we should be able to get something similar for these two. They remain two of the remaining pieces of deadwood in a squad that was pretty well trimmed on deadline day.
Was great to see Sandro back last night, crazy hair and all. Gallas also came through 90 minutes against Brentford last night and slowly but surely we are getting a fully fit squad. With midweek games only every other week now, hopefully the worst of our injury problems are behind us.
Like PAOK, last night's game was just something to get through with a bigger challenge on the horizon. In a weeks time, we'll have forgotten we were ever in the Carling Cup.
Onwards and upwards.
There are those that say it's not the Tottenham way. We pride ourselves on our traditional cup success and going out in the third round with a second string team just isn't the done thing. It's disappointing yes, but I'm not too downhearted and here's why. (I'm not even going to use the 'Tin-pot Mickey Mouse Cup excuse').
Penalties. Yes we lost on them again. In my years supporting Spurs I have now seen 6 shootouts and we've lost every single one. Add to that supporting England and my experience of shootouts reads 11 shootouts, 1 win, 10 defeats. But at least 6 out of 8 successful penalties last night was an improvement on our usual success rate. Is it stupid to suggest Corluka as a regular penalty taker when he's on the pitch? He's stepped up and converted in our last two shootouts: last night and the Carling Cup final v United, with great calmness and confidence. Credit must go to the kids who had the minerals to step up, even poor old Massimo Luongo.
Clean Sheet. Again, we tinkered with our team and defence and kept a 4th consecutive clean sheet. Stoke may have made changes to their line-up too but what they put out was still a pretty strong line-up and keeping out 4 decent Premier League strikers in Jerome, Jones, Crouch and Walters for 120 minutes was encouraging.
I'm in the camp that believes it's good and important to see academy players get a go in the first team. Most or maybe all might not make the grade at Spurs, but it's still more positive than seeing a team full of disaffected reserves going through the motions.
If nothing else, last night confirmed that Pavlyuchenko and Gomes do not deserve places in the first team and should be moved on in January. Both still have good reputations in their homelands and if we can get close to £20 million for Crouch and Palacios then we should be able to get something similar for these two. They remain two of the remaining pieces of deadwood in a squad that was pretty well trimmed on deadline day.
Was great to see Sandro back last night, crazy hair and all. Gallas also came through 90 minutes against Brentford last night and slowly but surely we are getting a fully fit squad. With midweek games only every other week now, hopefully the worst of our injury problems are behind us.
Like PAOK, last night's game was just something to get through with a bigger challenge on the horizon. In a weeks time, we'll have forgotten we were ever in the Carling Cup.
Onwards and upwards.
Monday, 19 September 2011
Spurs 4 Liverpool 0: Here are our Top 4 Credentials
What a difference 90 minutes of football at White Hart Lane makes. 2 weeks ago, the final whistle blew on a chastening experience against Manchester City, where Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero showed that our Champions League playoffs with City are a thing of the past 2 weeks ago I shuffled into work with my beloved team bottom of the table on -7 goal difference. Peter Crouch had just spent another 90 minutes doing a poor impression of a Premier League striker and Niko Kranjcar was being used as a holding midfielder. Today, I'm reading every report, watching our goals over and over, we sit above Arsenal and since Dzeko curled his 4th of the day past Friedel, we've scored 6 unanswered goals. Things are looking up.
I'm not going to do player ratings; everyone excelled, everyone looked 10x their red counterparts. A little rundown of the game first, then a few special shoutouts.
The start was what we want everytime. Too many times last season did we explode out of the traps, dominate teams and have them on the ropes early but fail to land that early haymaker. Instead, we've missed with an Ortiz-style headbutt before stepping back apologetically for not quite connecting and getting a Mayweather sucker punch in the gob. Instead, we got our just reward, as our wantaway Croat curled a sumptuous scorcher beyond Pepe Reina. Reina must hate keeping at the Park Lane end. I doubt he'd quite recovered from Assou-Ekotto's bullet from a few seasons back as he could only stand and wave at Modric's strike as it screamed by. I've always said that Luka Modric can't shoot...
Liverpool were awful but we didn't give them a chance to be anything else. Just like the game against Chelsea the season before last, we put our foot on their throat early on and didn't take it off. Dalglish has made such an effort and spent so much money on developing a British core to his team that he may have missed the point that, at the moment, British players simply aren't very good. I was very surprised that Kuyt played no part yesterday and losing Meireles looks like a poor bit of business. Would he have been sold if he were English?
The sendings off certainly made things easier but we were comfortably on top before then and I'm sure we would have gone on to win without them. I'm so glad we didn't sign that fat thug Adam. His tackle on Parker was a straight red tackle and his sending off readdressed the karmic balance after his horrible stamp on Bale last season went unpunished. Good riddance.
One criticism from our performance is that we should have been out of sight before the second sending off. But from then on, it was a case of how many we would get. For a moment, it looked as if Defoe had ballsed up his chance after being sent clear by VDV, but he reminded us of his predatory instincts with a sharp finish after turning Enrique. Then enter Adebayor. What a difference a top quality striker makes to our efforts. Imagine if it had been Crouch instead of Adebayor today. He would have flopped around like an injured Daddy longlegs, scuffing good chances and holding his head with that stupid grin on his face. I knew Adebayor was big and strong and knew where the goal was, but I was hugely impressed by the subtlety of his game. Dropping deep, linking the play and working very hard. I really don't care if he's playing for a move to Madrid. If he stays fit and keeps up his work rate, I have no doubt he will fire us into the Top 4. His goals yesterday were beautiful in their finesse, composure and ruthlessness.
Aside from the obvious attacking stars, special mentions should go to the back four. Walker was as solid as I've seen him, King was King, Kaboul completely neutralised Carroll and looked every inch the successor to King's throne and my man-crush on BAE continues. He's just lovely isn't he?
Another special mention goes to Scott Parker. Wasn't sure what he would bring when we signed him but he was excellent yesterday. I've rarely seen someone work so hard, putting his body on the line and allowing the like of Modric and Bale to do their thing. He's looking like an inspired signing.
Deep breath. It was just one game. Anything less than 3 points at Wigan will undo this fantastic result and performance. Alan Smith declaring that Spurs were probably a better team than Arsenal now made me choke on my Horlicks last night. Let's prove it the week after. I want another Adebayor slide.
Sandro, Gallas, Lennon, Huddlestone, Pienaar on the mend too? I've had a bloody good weekend. How was yours?
Come on you Spurs.
I'm not going to do player ratings; everyone excelled, everyone looked 10x their red counterparts. A little rundown of the game first, then a few special shoutouts.
The start was what we want everytime. Too many times last season did we explode out of the traps, dominate teams and have them on the ropes early but fail to land that early haymaker. Instead, we've missed with an Ortiz-style headbutt before stepping back apologetically for not quite connecting and getting a Mayweather sucker punch in the gob. Instead, we got our just reward, as our wantaway Croat curled a sumptuous scorcher beyond Pepe Reina. Reina must hate keeping at the Park Lane end. I doubt he'd quite recovered from Assou-Ekotto's bullet from a few seasons back as he could only stand and wave at Modric's strike as it screamed by. I've always said that Luka Modric can't shoot...
Liverpool were awful but we didn't give them a chance to be anything else. Just like the game against Chelsea the season before last, we put our foot on their throat early on and didn't take it off. Dalglish has made such an effort and spent so much money on developing a British core to his team that he may have missed the point that, at the moment, British players simply aren't very good. I was very surprised that Kuyt played no part yesterday and losing Meireles looks like a poor bit of business. Would he have been sold if he were English?
The sendings off certainly made things easier but we were comfortably on top before then and I'm sure we would have gone on to win without them. I'm so glad we didn't sign that fat thug Adam. His tackle on Parker was a straight red tackle and his sending off readdressed the karmic balance after his horrible stamp on Bale last season went unpunished. Good riddance.
One criticism from our performance is that we should have been out of sight before the second sending off. But from then on, it was a case of how many we would get. For a moment, it looked as if Defoe had ballsed up his chance after being sent clear by VDV, but he reminded us of his predatory instincts with a sharp finish after turning Enrique. Then enter Adebayor. What a difference a top quality striker makes to our efforts. Imagine if it had been Crouch instead of Adebayor today. He would have flopped around like an injured Daddy longlegs, scuffing good chances and holding his head with that stupid grin on his face. I knew Adebayor was big and strong and knew where the goal was, but I was hugely impressed by the subtlety of his game. Dropping deep, linking the play and working very hard. I really don't care if he's playing for a move to Madrid. If he stays fit and keeps up his work rate, I have no doubt he will fire us into the Top 4. His goals yesterday were beautiful in their finesse, composure and ruthlessness.
Aside from the obvious attacking stars, special mentions should go to the back four. Walker was as solid as I've seen him, King was King, Kaboul completely neutralised Carroll and looked every inch the successor to King's throne and my man-crush on BAE continues. He's just lovely isn't he?
Another special mention goes to Scott Parker. Wasn't sure what he would bring when we signed him but he was excellent yesterday. I've rarely seen someone work so hard, putting his body on the line and allowing the like of Modric and Bale to do their thing. He's looking like an inspired signing.
Deep breath. It was just one game. Anything less than 3 points at Wigan will undo this fantastic result and performance. Alan Smith declaring that Spurs were probably a better team than Arsenal now made me choke on my Horlicks last night. Let's prove it the week after. I want another Adebayor slide.
Sandro, Gallas, Lennon, Huddlestone, Pienaar on the mend too? I've had a bloody good weekend. How was yours?
Come on you Spurs.
Friday, 16 September 2011
PAOK 0 - 0 Spurs: Player Reviews
It was dull, it was tedious and at times you were tempted to flick over and have a look at what was on Animal Planet instead, but in the end Harry got what he wanted, a point on the board and no injuries. With Liverpool looming and a group where home wins against Shamrock Rovers and PAOK should send us through, it was never going to require blood and guts effort. The postponed Everton game allowed for a full-strength team at Hearts which was, with hindsight, massive overkill. Since then, it's been 2 games contested by kids and disaffected reserves, no goals scored, no goals conceded. European glory nights indeed.
Credit must go to the PAOK fans for what seemed like a fantastic atmosphere. The shirtless, bouncing Greek masses were a great advertisement for the Europa League, even if the football wasn't. In terms of entertainment, second place must go to the referee, who approached the game with the usual zealous authority of continental referees. Strange free kicks for both sides, a re-taken penalty, a harsh yellow for diving for Kane and an even harsher yellow for trying to take a quick free kick for Carroll. If Europa League refs keep handing out yellows like last night, our under-11s may be getting a look in before too long.
Not much to write home about in terms of incident and chances, a few near misses for Yago Falque and a late flurry from PAOK denied by Cudicini and the bar was about it. So how did the kids and the adults looking after them fare? Onwards:
Cudicini: 6 Fairly competent display from our professional back-up keeper. Terrific save late on kept us in the game but was slow and sluggish coming off his line when giving away the penalty.
Walker: 6 Good and bad sides of Walker as usual. Lightning quick, strong and confident going forward. Defensively improving but again, lapses in concentration saw him out of position too often and Corluka took a booking covering for him in the second half.
Corluka: 6 One of our most senior players and wasn't too troubled by anything over the course of the night. Probably a bit too lumbering to play centre half against better teams but looked in control, certainly in comparison to Bassong.
Bassong: 5 Worrying decline since his promising first season with us, now looks panicked, awkward and painfully one-footed. Letting a cross go by him because he assumed Corluka was covering, allowing a PAOK player to miss from 6 yards was a cardinal defensive sin. Get well soon, Dawson and Gallas.
Townsend: 6 Unfortunate that injury to Danny Rose forces Townsend's inclusion at full back. Inventive, quick and skilful, young Andros could be a handful on the wing but he is clearly not a full back. Also needs to learn to release the ball sooner. Watch his teammates get frustrated the next time he runs up a dead end.
Falque: 6 Technically very good and found himself in good positions but didn't stand out unfortunately. Had our best two chances when having a shot cleared off the line in the first half and curling just wide in the second. Bit more game time and he could be an asset.
Carroll: 7 Pre-pubescent in stature but was excellent with the ball at his feet, recycling possession and keeping the game ticking over. Intelligent and with a good eye for a pass, like a (very) mini-Tom Huddlestone. If Tom gets on the creatine and gets down the gym he could have a future.
Livermore: 8 I thought he was great last night. Big, strong and deceptively quick, he already looks like a more senior member of the squad. Super run forward and calmness under pressure nearly led to a goal and he patrolled the midfield well. I thought he would be a bit out of his depth in the first team but he's proving me wrong. Long may it continue.
Dos Santos 5 Missed opportunity for Gio and reminded us perhaps why he hasn't had much of a look in at Spurs. Wasteful when in good positions and had an annoying Walcott-esque tendency to run straight into people instead of going round them. Attitude was poor, anymore shrugging and not tracking back when he loses the ball could lead to a Glasgow kiss from Joe Jordan.
Kane: 6 Should have had a penalty and very unfortunate to be booked for diving when clearly tripped. Looked more comfortable when he dropped deeper in the second half and was able to run from deep. Certainly worth more game time.
Pav: 4 What can you say? A man with 43 caps for Russia and in a team of teenagers he was the worst player on the pitch. Touch of a rapist, zero vision and please: Stop Fucking Shooting From 35 yards. I've been a supporter of Pav when others have dismissed him but now, as long as Adebayor and Defoe remain fit, I don't want to see him again.
Fredericks: N/A Can't really give him a rating as he was only on for 10 minutes and touched the ball no more than 3 times. Pace to burn and eager to show it off. Did well to beat a man on the outside (Lennon take note) but was bizarrely penalised for doing so.
Well, an awful game but one that the kids would've enjoyed and we've come out of an away game with a point which is not to be sniffed at. I don't think a DVD of that one is imminent. Let's forget all about it. Liverpool next. Now you're talking. Preview coming soon.
Credit must go to the PAOK fans for what seemed like a fantastic atmosphere. The shirtless, bouncing Greek masses were a great advertisement for the Europa League, even if the football wasn't. In terms of entertainment, second place must go to the referee, who approached the game with the usual zealous authority of continental referees. Strange free kicks for both sides, a re-taken penalty, a harsh yellow for diving for Kane and an even harsher yellow for trying to take a quick free kick for Carroll. If Europa League refs keep handing out yellows like last night, our under-11s may be getting a look in before too long.
Not much to write home about in terms of incident and chances, a few near misses for Yago Falque and a late flurry from PAOK denied by Cudicini and the bar was about it. So how did the kids and the adults looking after them fare? Onwards:
Cudicini: 6 Fairly competent display from our professional back-up keeper. Terrific save late on kept us in the game but was slow and sluggish coming off his line when giving away the penalty.
Walker: 6 Good and bad sides of Walker as usual. Lightning quick, strong and confident going forward. Defensively improving but again, lapses in concentration saw him out of position too often and Corluka took a booking covering for him in the second half.
Corluka: 6 One of our most senior players and wasn't too troubled by anything over the course of the night. Probably a bit too lumbering to play centre half against better teams but looked in control, certainly in comparison to Bassong.
Bassong: 5 Worrying decline since his promising first season with us, now looks panicked, awkward and painfully one-footed. Letting a cross go by him because he assumed Corluka was covering, allowing a PAOK player to miss from 6 yards was a cardinal defensive sin. Get well soon, Dawson and Gallas.
Townsend: 6 Unfortunate that injury to Danny Rose forces Townsend's inclusion at full back. Inventive, quick and skilful, young Andros could be a handful on the wing but he is clearly not a full back. Also needs to learn to release the ball sooner. Watch his teammates get frustrated the next time he runs up a dead end.
Falque: 6 Technically very good and found himself in good positions but didn't stand out unfortunately. Had our best two chances when having a shot cleared off the line in the first half and curling just wide in the second. Bit more game time and he could be an asset.
Carroll: 7 Pre-pubescent in stature but was excellent with the ball at his feet, recycling possession and keeping the game ticking over. Intelligent and with a good eye for a pass, like a (very) mini-Tom Huddlestone. If Tom gets on the creatine and gets down the gym he could have a future.
Livermore: 8 I thought he was great last night. Big, strong and deceptively quick, he already looks like a more senior member of the squad. Super run forward and calmness under pressure nearly led to a goal and he patrolled the midfield well. I thought he would be a bit out of his depth in the first team but he's proving me wrong. Long may it continue.
Dos Santos 5 Missed opportunity for Gio and reminded us perhaps why he hasn't had much of a look in at Spurs. Wasteful when in good positions and had an annoying Walcott-esque tendency to run straight into people instead of going round them. Attitude was poor, anymore shrugging and not tracking back when he loses the ball could lead to a Glasgow kiss from Joe Jordan.
Kane: 6 Should have had a penalty and very unfortunate to be booked for diving when clearly tripped. Looked more comfortable when he dropped deeper in the second half and was able to run from deep. Certainly worth more game time.
Pav: 4 What can you say? A man with 43 caps for Russia and in a team of teenagers he was the worst player on the pitch. Touch of a rapist, zero vision and please: Stop Fucking Shooting From 35 yards. I've been a supporter of Pav when others have dismissed him but now, as long as Adebayor and Defoe remain fit, I don't want to see him again.
Fredericks: N/A Can't really give him a rating as he was only on for 10 minutes and touched the ball no more than 3 times. Pace to burn and eager to show it off. Did well to beat a man on the outside (Lennon take note) but was bizarrely penalised for doing so.
Well, an awful game but one that the kids would've enjoyed and we've come out of an away game with a point which is not to be sniffed at. I don't think a DVD of that one is imminent. Let's forget all about it. Liverpool next. Now you're talking. Preview coming soon.
Tuesday, 13 September 2011
PAOK Thessaloniki: They have a Venereal Disease for a Striker.
It's games like this that make managers like Harry rue participation in the Europa League. If we had lost our final game of the season and Liverpool had won theirs, then it would be Liverpool jetting off this week to Thessaloniki while we put our feet up and prepare.
Oh well, I believe that no true Spurs fan can tire of Lilywhite nights in Europe. Be it in Milan or Thessaloniki, there's something about European nights. It may not have the glitz and the glam of the Champions League, but Spurs belong in Europe and I for one am looking forward to it.
So what to expect? A spot of digging online tells me that PAOK finished 4th in the regular season of the Greek Superleague, behind the 3 Greek teams that people have heard of, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and AEK Athens. PAOK beat Ukranian side Karpaty Lviv 3-1 on aggregate in the last qualifying round and are seeded 3rd in our group. I can't say I've heard of anyone in the PAOK squad, but striker Dimitris Salpingidis has almost 50 caps for Greece and seems to be their main man. A word of warning, don't spell Salpingidis wrong in google, as I've also discovered that Salpingitis is 'an infection of the uterus lining, fallopian tubes, or ovaries'. Lovely.
Nevertheless, the little I've seen of Greek football reminds me of Turkish football, the fans will be loud, the atmosphere will be intimidating, particularly if, as expected, Harry throws the kids out there. But barring any major hiccups, there isn't anything in PAOK to really trouble us.
So who will we see in Lilywhite? Harry has suggested that not many of the players who featured against Wolves will even travel to Greece, what with the small matter of the Scousers on the horizon. Van der Vaart isn't even registered to play in the Europa League and I very much doubt that the likes of Bale, Modric and Adebayor will be risked.
So kids it is? This may resemble a school football team going on tour for the first time. 24 hour coach journey, Gio drinking vodka and coke at the back disguised as regular coke, Harry Kane doodling on a sleeping Joe Jordan, Andros Townsend winning the 'pull a moose' competition at a Thessaloniki club after the game, and sitting at the front will be a handful of grumpy looking seniors, Pav and Bassong trying to sleep.
I'd like to see Gomes start. He may have lost his place and seems to be on his way out, but I still have a soft spot for the Brazilian loon. A strong performance will at least keep Big Brad on his toes.
At the back expect starts for Corluka and Bassong. If Danny Rose is still injured then maybe we will see Townsend continue at full back, a role he played with mixed results against Hearts. With Dawson out for 2 months, Gallas on the missing persons list and Ledley doubtless back in bubble wrap, Kaboul will probably partner Bassong.
The rest of the team frankly I have no idea. Tom Carroll, Ryan Fredericks, Harry Kane and Soulyemane Coulibaly were all conspicuous by their absence from a Spurs XI draw with West Ham yesterday, so we could see at least one or two start, with the others possibly on the bench. Livermore will return to the starting lineup in midfield and Pav will probably start up front. I would certainly like to see Gio start and at least see Yago Falque at some point. In the very least, PAOK will be as confused as to the Spurs starting XI as we are.
Let's be honest, speculating as to whether the likes of Carroll and Coulibaly will feature is a lot more fun than expecting starts for people like Jenas and Hutton isn't it?
The order of the day will be to avoid injuries and give the kids a chance to impress. With winnable home games against PAOK and Rubin and what should be a home and away banker against Shamrock, defeat will not be the end of the world. But it wouldn't help fragile morale ahead of Liverpool would it?
Thursday nights. Channel 5 (Or ESPN, whatever). Embrace it. European glory nights. Let's enjoy it.
Oh well, I believe that no true Spurs fan can tire of Lilywhite nights in Europe. Be it in Milan or Thessaloniki, there's something about European nights. It may not have the glitz and the glam of the Champions League, but Spurs belong in Europe and I for one am looking forward to it.
So what to expect? A spot of digging online tells me that PAOK finished 4th in the regular season of the Greek Superleague, behind the 3 Greek teams that people have heard of, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and AEK Athens. PAOK beat Ukranian side Karpaty Lviv 3-1 on aggregate in the last qualifying round and are seeded 3rd in our group. I can't say I've heard of anyone in the PAOK squad, but striker Dimitris Salpingidis has almost 50 caps for Greece and seems to be their main man. A word of warning, don't spell Salpingidis wrong in google, as I've also discovered that Salpingitis is 'an infection of the uterus lining, fallopian tubes, or ovaries'. Lovely.
Nevertheless, the little I've seen of Greek football reminds me of Turkish football, the fans will be loud, the atmosphere will be intimidating, particularly if, as expected, Harry throws the kids out there. But barring any major hiccups, there isn't anything in PAOK to really trouble us.
So who will we see in Lilywhite? Harry has suggested that not many of the players who featured against Wolves will even travel to Greece, what with the small matter of the Scousers on the horizon. Van der Vaart isn't even registered to play in the Europa League and I very much doubt that the likes of Bale, Modric and Adebayor will be risked.
So kids it is? This may resemble a school football team going on tour for the first time. 24 hour coach journey, Gio drinking vodka and coke at the back disguised as regular coke, Harry Kane doodling on a sleeping Joe Jordan, Andros Townsend winning the 'pull a moose' competition at a Thessaloniki club after the game, and sitting at the front will be a handful of grumpy looking seniors, Pav and Bassong trying to sleep.
I'd like to see Gomes start. He may have lost his place and seems to be on his way out, but I still have a soft spot for the Brazilian loon. A strong performance will at least keep Big Brad on his toes.
At the back expect starts for Corluka and Bassong. If Danny Rose is still injured then maybe we will see Townsend continue at full back, a role he played with mixed results against Hearts. With Dawson out for 2 months, Gallas on the missing persons list and Ledley doubtless back in bubble wrap, Kaboul will probably partner Bassong.
The rest of the team frankly I have no idea. Tom Carroll, Ryan Fredericks, Harry Kane and Soulyemane Coulibaly were all conspicuous by their absence from a Spurs XI draw with West Ham yesterday, so we could see at least one or two start, with the others possibly on the bench. Livermore will return to the starting lineup in midfield and Pav will probably start up front. I would certainly like to see Gio start and at least see Yago Falque at some point. In the very least, PAOK will be as confused as to the Spurs starting XI as we are.
Let's be honest, speculating as to whether the likes of Carroll and Coulibaly will feature is a lot more fun than expecting starts for people like Jenas and Hutton isn't it?
The order of the day will be to avoid injuries and give the kids a chance to impress. With winnable home games against PAOK and Rubin and what should be a home and away banker against Shamrock, defeat will not be the end of the world. But it wouldn't help fragile morale ahead of Liverpool would it?
Thursday nights. Channel 5 (Or ESPN, whatever). Embrace it. European glory nights. Let's enjoy it.
Monday, 12 September 2011
Wolves v Spurs: A Run Down
Well, we're off and running. Having overslept and missed the start of the Premier League season thanks to Tottenham High Street going up in flames, we stumbled bleary-eyed, still in our pyjamas, in front of the Manchester freight train. The seemingly endless tedium of the international break over, we picked ourselves up, marched into the Black Country and returned with our first 3 points of the season. The journey starts here.
Our starting XI was encouraging. The absence of VDV allowed a return to a good old fashioned 4-4-2, with a debut for 'Manny' alongside Defoe, with Parker alongside Modric in the midfield. The return of Ledley King was a welcome sight, as we are quite simply a much much better team when he is playing. Ledley isn't human, he can't be. Like the Terminator, he could spend the week getting shot, blown up, put through industrial crushers etc and still emerge, brush himself down, have a light jog on the Friday and put in a world-class 90 minutes on the weekend. I have no doubt that if we get 30 games out of Ledley this season, we will qualify for the Champions League. They can give people new hearts, livers, limbs; why can't they replace his bloody cartilage?
I'm not going to give a blow by blow, I'm sure everyone's seen at least the highlights and read countless reviews of the game. It wasn't a pretty win but it was the only way a win was going to happen. Molineux has been a difficult place for Spurs to go in recent years and Wolves were flying high after a good start. Everyone knew that if Wolves scored first, they would probably go on and win the game, considering our mental fragility at the moment. The flood of negativity on twitter over our first half performance was irritating. What were people hoping for? We aren't Barcelona, I hate to say it but we're now a long way off City, we aren't going to go to Wolves, have 60-70% possession and dispatch them by 3 or 4 goals. We needed to keep things tight, remain patient and the individual quality of players like Modric, Bale and Adebayor would create chances. This is exactly what happened. We are a better team than Wolves and as long as we kept them at bay, our superior quality would eventually shine through.
The point of new signings is to improve the squad and that is exactly what Friedel, Parker and Adebayor have done. Friedel pulled out another excellent save to deny Karl Henry in the first half and it's nice not to have your heart in your mouth every time a cross or corner drifts into the vicinity of the goalkeeper. Parker is a nice mix of industry and invention, patrolling and breaking up play but also getting forward to set up the opening goal. A certain step up from Sgt Wilson's bull in a china shop approach and inability to pass the ball 6 yards. Parker should be a valuable member of the team, at least until the return of Sandro. Despite clearly not being fit, Adebayor already looks a class above our strikers of last season. Strong and quick, his ability to move into the channels and drop deep to link play was encouraging. Can you imagine Crouch beating the offside trap, rounding the goalkeeper and calmly slotting it home? Can you imagine Defoe beating the offside trap?
This is going to be a season where we have to take things one game at a time. Beat Liverpool next week, and we can start to believe that we can really push for the top 4 again. Lose to Liverpool, and we sink back into the mire of depression and recrimination. Back to back home wins against Liverpool and Arsenal? Yes bloody please.
Come on you Spurs.
Our starting XI was encouraging. The absence of VDV allowed a return to a good old fashioned 4-4-2, with a debut for 'Manny' alongside Defoe, with Parker alongside Modric in the midfield. The return of Ledley King was a welcome sight, as we are quite simply a much much better team when he is playing. Ledley isn't human, he can't be. Like the Terminator, he could spend the week getting shot, blown up, put through industrial crushers etc and still emerge, brush himself down, have a light jog on the Friday and put in a world-class 90 minutes on the weekend. I have no doubt that if we get 30 games out of Ledley this season, we will qualify for the Champions League. They can give people new hearts, livers, limbs; why can't they replace his bloody cartilage?
I'm not going to give a blow by blow, I'm sure everyone's seen at least the highlights and read countless reviews of the game. It wasn't a pretty win but it was the only way a win was going to happen. Molineux has been a difficult place for Spurs to go in recent years and Wolves were flying high after a good start. Everyone knew that if Wolves scored first, they would probably go on and win the game, considering our mental fragility at the moment. The flood of negativity on twitter over our first half performance was irritating. What were people hoping for? We aren't Barcelona, I hate to say it but we're now a long way off City, we aren't going to go to Wolves, have 60-70% possession and dispatch them by 3 or 4 goals. We needed to keep things tight, remain patient and the individual quality of players like Modric, Bale and Adebayor would create chances. This is exactly what happened. We are a better team than Wolves and as long as we kept them at bay, our superior quality would eventually shine through.
The point of new signings is to improve the squad and that is exactly what Friedel, Parker and Adebayor have done. Friedel pulled out another excellent save to deny Karl Henry in the first half and it's nice not to have your heart in your mouth every time a cross or corner drifts into the vicinity of the goalkeeper. Parker is a nice mix of industry and invention, patrolling and breaking up play but also getting forward to set up the opening goal. A certain step up from Sgt Wilson's bull in a china shop approach and inability to pass the ball 6 yards. Parker should be a valuable member of the team, at least until the return of Sandro. Despite clearly not being fit, Adebayor already looks a class above our strikers of last season. Strong and quick, his ability to move into the channels and drop deep to link play was encouraging. Can you imagine Crouch beating the offside trap, rounding the goalkeeper and calmly slotting it home? Can you imagine Defoe beating the offside trap?
This is going to be a season where we have to take things one game at a time. Beat Liverpool next week, and we can start to believe that we can really push for the top 4 again. Lose to Liverpool, and we sink back into the mire of depression and recrimination. Back to back home wins against Liverpool and Arsenal? Yes bloody please.
Come on you Spurs.
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
Levy vs Redknapp: Long Term vs Short Term
As we know, all summer long, Levy maintained his stance that Modric would not be sold at any price. Redknapp initially sided with his chairman but towards the end of the window began to imply that he believed Modric should be sold, citing his unhappiness and the 3 or 4 'top top' players he could bring in with the money the transfer would raise. Rumours began to circulate that Levy was becoming increasingly frustrated with Redknapp's constant sound-bites to the press, often shrugging and claiming ignorance of what was happening above his head, usually through the window of his car as he drove in and out of Spurs Lodge. Redknapp seemed frustrated with what appeared to be tight-fistedness on the part of the chairman, claiming that Spurs had to sell before they could buy and couldn't compete with the money spent by teams like City and Liverpool on transfer fees and wages.
The difference between Levy and Redknapp is more than just stubbornness and a difference of opinion over our wantaway Croat. It is a classic clash of short vs long term thinking.
Daniel Levy is in it for the long haul. His continued obsession with flogging the dead horse that is the Olympic Stadium and the maybe-not-quite-dead horse that is the NLDP shows that his primary goal is sustainable financial power and security that will allow Spurs to compete at the top for years to come. This is why he won't sanction the breaking of the strict wage structure at the club in an effort to crack the top 4 again at the risk of our financial future, a la Leeds United. Sanctioning a move of £5.5 million and a wage of probably no less than £45,000 for a 30-year old in Scott Parker was a break from the norm, most likely seen as an unfortunate necessity following our midfield's mauling at the hands of United and City. Levy has been burnt before, blowing £15 million and 3 years worth of £50,000 a week on David Bentley for no return. He won't allow this sort of spending again unless he's absolutely sure of the player and the judgement of the manager. It's pretty clear to me that Levy doesn't trust Harry's judgement. Selling Modric, even for £40 million on deadline day, would simply demonstrate to our rivals that with enough persistence, our best players will always be available. Furthermore, it demonstrates to our best players that signing a new deal, even for 5 or 6 years, means nothing at all, because with enough kicking and screaming you can leave anyway a few months later. Having an unhappy player on the books and having our pre-season preparations disrupted may be damaging in the short-term, but Levy has acted in what he believes are our best interests long term.
Redknapp on the other hand is displaying classic short term thinking. He knows (or maybe hopes) that with Fabio Capello resigning next summer, he won't be at Spurs beyond the end of the season. Keeping Modric as a signal for the future that Spurs are not a selling club doesn't benefit Harry at all because he won't be around long enough for it to be relevant to him. All he gets out of the deal is a disgruntled player on his hands. Let's have a look at some of Harry's transfer targets this season, whether successful or not. Friedel, Parker, Bellamy, Cole. All players designed for the here and now, all 30+ with no resale value whatsoever. Harry doesn't care that they'll be past it in a few years time (if they aren't already) because he'll be long gone by then. Self-preservation has always been Harry's number 1 goal. He'll have a crack at the top 4 this season, but won't lose any sleep if he doesn't get it. His column in the Sun, constant chats to Sky Sports and on Talksport and fantasy football adverts with Jeff Stelling keep the press and public onside so that if he fails, he'll shrug, blame the financial clout of City and Liverpool and sod off with the public's positive opinion of him still intact.
In my opinion, Levy is a man with a plan and with Spurs' best interests at heart. Redknapp is a man who his preparing to cover his own arse and is eyeing up the exit.
In Levy we trust.
The difference between Levy and Redknapp is more than just stubbornness and a difference of opinion over our wantaway Croat. It is a classic clash of short vs long term thinking.
Daniel Levy is in it for the long haul. His continued obsession with flogging the dead horse that is the Olympic Stadium and the maybe-not-quite-dead horse that is the NLDP shows that his primary goal is sustainable financial power and security that will allow Spurs to compete at the top for years to come. This is why he won't sanction the breaking of the strict wage structure at the club in an effort to crack the top 4 again at the risk of our financial future, a la Leeds United. Sanctioning a move of £5.5 million and a wage of probably no less than £45,000 for a 30-year old in Scott Parker was a break from the norm, most likely seen as an unfortunate necessity following our midfield's mauling at the hands of United and City. Levy has been burnt before, blowing £15 million and 3 years worth of £50,000 a week on David Bentley for no return. He won't allow this sort of spending again unless he's absolutely sure of the player and the judgement of the manager. It's pretty clear to me that Levy doesn't trust Harry's judgement. Selling Modric, even for £40 million on deadline day, would simply demonstrate to our rivals that with enough persistence, our best players will always be available. Furthermore, it demonstrates to our best players that signing a new deal, even for 5 or 6 years, means nothing at all, because with enough kicking and screaming you can leave anyway a few months later. Having an unhappy player on the books and having our pre-season preparations disrupted may be damaging in the short-term, but Levy has acted in what he believes are our best interests long term.
Redknapp on the other hand is displaying classic short term thinking. He knows (or maybe hopes) that with Fabio Capello resigning next summer, he won't be at Spurs beyond the end of the season. Keeping Modric as a signal for the future that Spurs are not a selling club doesn't benefit Harry at all because he won't be around long enough for it to be relevant to him. All he gets out of the deal is a disgruntled player on his hands. Let's have a look at some of Harry's transfer targets this season, whether successful or not. Friedel, Parker, Bellamy, Cole. All players designed for the here and now, all 30+ with no resale value whatsoever. Harry doesn't care that they'll be past it in a few years time (if they aren't already) because he'll be long gone by then. Self-preservation has always been Harry's number 1 goal. He'll have a crack at the top 4 this season, but won't lose any sleep if he doesn't get it. His column in the Sun, constant chats to Sky Sports and on Talksport and fantasy football adverts with Jeff Stelling keep the press and public onside so that if he fails, he'll shrug, blame the financial clout of City and Liverpool and sod off with the public's positive opinion of him still intact.
In my opinion, Levy is a man with a plan and with Spurs' best interests at heart. Redknapp is a man who his preparing to cover his own arse and is eyeing up the exit.
In Levy we trust.
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