JJ & the all new Spurs
The laugh that went around the pub as the replay showed Safety First, Michael Dawson, pushing the ball from danger with his hand told the story of yesterday’s game. There wasn’t a whole lot of expectation of a win at Old Trafford given it’s unhappiness as our hunting ground since 1989. There wasn’t a whole lot of expectation the minute our number was drawn next to theirs in the FA state lottery. The fixture was more of an eyebrow raiser, something to keep tabs on, because after the mid-week pounding of the arse there was always the chance we could take on the Premiership champions and for much of the game we did. But whatever challenge we mounted was certainly at an end the minute Dawson left the pitch in disgust with the editors of MOTD something to cover up and any lip-reader worth their salt with a smirk on their face.
We’ve been unlucky on countless occasions against Man U, whom we normally give a good game, and although the result would suggest the same story, I wouldn’t be one to agree. What we weren’t, was a side out of ideas, smothered up front and overrun at the back. Goals were always possible with 11 men on the field but what was most pleasing was the way we played – the style. As my friend Charlie (a Yiddo through and through) put it, “We’re a work in progress†and you can just about see the outline of the masterpiece the Senor Ramos has come here to paint.
Keano and Dimitar the Great are as good as ever but it’s the like of Little Aaron and particularly JJ who are the stars of Tottenham future. While the former’s service has improved - putting the finishing touches to an already dangerous forward – it’s the latter who looks to be undergoing the transformation into the player that Bobby Robson and everyone else thought he could be the minute he made the switch from Forrest to the Premier League. He missed a couple of good chances yesterday but he’s getting more and more chances in a niche specially chosen by Juande himself. JJ’s breaking with alarming speed and it’s no longer a case of ‘give it to Lennon’ when Spurs are on the counter.
The songless midfielder is coming up to his 25th birthday it’s starting to look like a real coming of age. His first dig at the United goal was nearly a carbon copy of how it all began on Tuesday night and believe me, it’s no coincidence to see him pick the ball up and nearly score from exactly the same position. He’s been given a new way to play, a new lease of life since the Man from Del Nido arrived. Ramos may finally be unlocking the potential within this player favoured by every coach for whom he’s played. Jenas is always sighted as the best athlete at the club “hands down†according to a number of the players and if Ramos can add the accuracy and steel to his game, then we’ve got a serious weapon on our hands and the more weapons we have, the more other teams may be forced to surrender.
While we’re talking personnel, it may have escaped your notice that transfer window closes in four days. In all the excitement I kind of lost count myself. The on/off on/off move for Juve’s Tiago looks like it’s settled on ‘off’ but the Hutton Enquiry has got yet another chance with The Times today saying that we’re having another dig at the Rangers full-back. Juande must clearly want this guy – a lot. God knows how many offers we’ve had accepted, so I don’t know what it is their planning on offering Hutton in order to convince him to make the move that he really doesn’t seem to want; his own dressing room, a parking space next to Daniel Levy or his weekly wage in the kind of money that shopkeepers just don’t accept south of Hadrian’s Wall?
Now much has been made of the white Cafu on this blog and elsewhere. He’s expensive - aren’t they all – but cash to one side, is he the kind of player that will take us forward or just another mediocre buy?
Well, as Keving said, he’s only been making headlines for the last 10 months and is far from the defensive rock we could do with but he’s still young at 23 and, with six foot and one inch in height and nearly 11.5st, there’s no reason he can’t be coached into the finished article. The guy was voted No.8 in World Soccer Magazine’s Young Player of the Year, so it’s not just Scotland and Rangers fans with their tartan tinted glasses but I still can’t make up my mind as to whether or not we’re actually going to land him. He seems to have his heart set on Man U. Perhaps it’ll be another ‘dizzying offer’ to get the man that the board so crave. We do tend to get what we want when the club puts its mind to it.
The scarier spend is on Jonathon Woodgate. We all know he’s good but his injuries and his age? The dude’s 28. He’s only going to depreciate, even if we can keep him on the pitch. What’s the plan here – rotate between him and Ledley, two half centre-halves making a whole? Or does Juande have his dietician and fitness coach working round the clock to create an oatmeal paste that not only keeps him nutrient happy doubles as an internal cement to bind his bones together?
This isn’t a good deal at…shit, we’ve just bought him! It’s not on the official site but the papers are announcing it at £8m with his wages staying under our magic 50k mark by virtue of a yearly bonus. Well, there you go. Done. I was going to say that the deal feels rather like chucking all your chips on red but it’s too late now, the bet has been placed and wheel is spinning. Every part of my head says ‘no’ but I’ve a feeling deep in my crumbs about this one. His injuries have been his body rejecting all the other clubs it’s been forced to play for. The Lillywhite shirt is all that’s needed to cure him. Good luck to us all.
There should be another gentleman joining our back line at the Lane later today, only this time on the left. Gilberto da Silva de Melo - Gilberto to his mates and Gilly-plops to his mum – comes with sacks of experience at the age of 31 but can work the magic down the left-hand side – at least we hope so. Unfortunately, footage of the chap is rare and one tends to get rather bogged down in the wrong Gilberto if one goes looking.
What I can tell you is that he’s 6’ tall and weighs over 12.5 stone. Here’s his head…
 
…looking less than happy on the bottom right there with what Emersonis trying to on in front of 50,000 members of the public.
He’s coming in comparatively cheap at around £1.5m, which is a good thing given he’s 103 years old and The Bagel holds high hopes for him given the persuasion job that Ramos must have pulled to get past Comolli and his youth policy. Let us also not forget that Gilberto is one of the Samba Boys and has represented his country on 22 occasions. It’s always worth having a Brazilian on your team, if only to attract more.
By the time I wake up, this cat will probably have made it official as well. God knows who else we’ll have scored by the end of the day? I’m still holding out for a Barca player.
It’s 04.26. I now have to creep into bed without waking up a very grumpy LB. The lady loves her sleep. Wish me luck – quietly though.
“Can you hear The Bagel creep in? No, no. Can you hear The Bagel creep in? No, no. Can you hear The Bagel creep in? I can’t hear a fucking thing. No, no. Ssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
The Bagel.
January 28th, 2008 at 11:03 am
Sorry to change subject here Sir Bagel, but going back to previous subject matter the Carling Cup Final ticket allocation has been announced and we have 31,000 tickets - so all season ticket holders should be guaranteed a ticket.
http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/carlingcupfinalticketinformation%20.html
January 28th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Woodgate and King could be the best defensive pairing in the premiership. Shame that the chances of them both being fit at the same time is virtually nil.
January 28th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Do Tottenham want a crocked central defender? Do Arsenal want a crocked central defender?
If Tottenham get him, yes we do. If Arsenal get him, we didn’t want him anyway.
Thats my position, and I’m sticking to it.
January 28th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
I thought going for Woodgate at the start of the season would be a good move, but then I thought he was going to be a freebie, 7.5M is a bucket load of wonga for a potentially nightmare player, no matter how good.
I’m following oog’s sentiments regarding the transfer, but ultimately what would happen if he came here?
Who shifts over to make room for him ? Toure / Gallas ? Senderos was very close to be named captain this season, he’s not gonna want to sit behind a newcomer.
4 days to go - after Rosicky went crock again, Arsene mentioned he might hit the cheque book, if the birds are singing, the larks a’larking etc etc and it was gonna be a beautiful day, I’d love to see Ricardo Quaresma wearing the red of the greatest team in London.
January 28th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
It looks like we’ll have to show your lot how it’s done at Old Trafford.
January 28th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
The Hutton Affair- Up north the word on the street is that Spurs have never improved their offer to r*ngers, but have improved their offer to the player himself……the player does not want to leave, will leave for Man Who, but r*ngers are NOW PAYING HIM to leave.
Anything from £1m to £1.5m or a % of the fee is being muted.
R*ngers are desperate for that sort of cash..knowing, maybe, that his form is just a flash in the pan -prev Ibrox incumbent, Mr Le Guen called him an unprofessional troublemaker- and fear his form will return to the boo boys fav which he was 18 months ago.
If he does sign him and the prince will be able to compare tattoos…
Hail Hail
Ps you don’t want to give us £6m or £7m for Gary Caldwell…please, pretty please, oh, go on……
January 28th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
As a Glaswegian Spurs supporter (my dad is to blame) I am enlightened enough to know that we should all congratulate keving on supporting the right team in Glasgow (since Clydebank went out of business, anyway*) - so I would be upset about helping Rangers out of their debt in any way.
That said, I think Hutton has been playing well enough and for long enough now to say that he is not just a flash in the pan. I don’t know exactly how good he is, but I suppose I think of Hutton in the same way as I thought of Ray Parlour - all of a sudden, and overnight, he suddenly became quite good (for an immensely dislikeable team)… It just happens sometimes.
And if Paul le Guen didn’t like you when he was at Rangers, it probably confirms that he’s quite good!
*Glasgow-ish…
January 28th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Well we have certainly missed the chance to sign Dennis Wise as our ‘technical director’… Gutted.
Can anyone tell me where Darren Bent has gone? Is he injured?
January 28th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Darren Bent is trying for his degree at McDonalds.
January 28th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Ray Parlour!!!!!!!!!????????
Oog, how could you? I was just about to eat my tea.
January 28th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
Sorry Hornchurch Yid.
On a positive note, we have now signed Woodgate on a contract to 2011. Personally I have always advocated this particular signing (subject to my checking up on the racist attack thing…)
January 28th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Think youre right about JJ - having a chat yesterday pre match, and mentioned that he had had a few “had a good game” comments recently, actually along with Lee who doesnt always get the praise he deserves considering he plays the majority of games for us out of postion
January 28th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Well said Radioactive Puppy - I thought the Man Mountain (TM) had a good game in defence on Sunday as well.
*Insert joke about Bent playing well out of position at the moment here*
January 28th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Whoah!
The deal for Woodgate, who has played 17 times for Boro this season, is expected to better his current £65,000-a-week wage.
source: http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2248160,00.html
Isn’t that more than everyone else??
January 28th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
I’ve read somewhere that his salary is 50k a week but that there is an end of season bonus as part of the package. So, I reckon that 65k a week is probably correct.
If he can stay injury free then we have a very good player. It’s a big IF though!
January 28th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Woodgate is good when fit, King Ledley is good when fit, if we time their injuries just right we can have a good centre-back and Dawson, who likes some experience next to him. Simple as that…
Also, for half a Darren Bent, this doesn’t look such a bad signing - I’m still convinced Comolli’s a gooner at heart. As for Hutton, if the Juandeful one can manage to turn a decent player into an exceptional player (as he did with Jenas) then we could have a very good bck line, provided we get Gilberto.
Also, Gilberto is only so cheap cos they’d lose him come summer on a free in they don’t ship him out now.
January 28th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
1) Woodgate is a good buy; he’s a quality defender.
2) You played well against ManU. Much better than what I’ve seen of the past several months (excluding the freakish result against the mighty Arsenal ;o) ). I don’t see many Spurs games but it was the first time in a while that every midfielder looked dangerous on the ball. It was good to see.
Solid at the back, dynamic going forward: 15 games from now the press will be touting you as the team to break into the top 4 next season…sounds really similar to last year….but this time I see it happening (at the expense of the team who were going to win the league this year; yes: Liverpool).
January 29th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Here’s an interesting stat:
If you don’t count this season Woodgate has played an average of 13 games a season for the last 6 seasons, include this season and it’s only 15.
That’s less than half the games played of your current injury incumberant - Ledley Balsa King, closer to 28.
Ooops - this would seem a mistake.
January 29th, 2008 at 10:56 am
He has played less than 200 top flight games in his career and he is already 28?
Let’s hope he’s a late developer?
Really unsure about the hair though? Looks OK on a South American footballing genius but a boy from Middlesbrough?????????
January 29th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
The other way of looking at it is:
you decide the player is of sufficient quality
you give him a rigorous, state of the art medical
If he’s declared fit, he’s fit.
If he’s subsequently found to be unfit - I imagine you sue the company that conducts your medicals, or their insurance company.
If he subsequently gets a new injury - thats just bad luck.
(not sure I believe it myself though!)
I’m all for the hair. He doesn’t look like your average footballer, and he’s easy to spot when you’re at the match.
January 29th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Maybe that’s why he moved south? All he could get up north was a short back and sides. (sorry YOTN). At least now he can choose any number of posh salons to get his split ends done.
January 29th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
I wonder if he will still sport that Alice Band he prefered at Real Madrid ?
January 29th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Hornchurch Yids
No need to apologise, I know what you mean, but Middlesbrough is almost in Scotland so yes I agree with the lack of folical creativity. Personally, Mni Yid & I found a decently talented “Hair design technician” about 2 years after moving up here & have stuck with them
Woody does look a proper tramp though but it is a breath of fresh air compaired to everyone else I suppose
January 29th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
How about we kick in with a few rounds of ‘Sort your hair out, sort your hair out, sort your hair out Jonothon’ to get the message over.
January 29th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Hope not Ki Ki Berbatov already sports the alice band and I am of the belief that one in a team is more than enough.
People are worried about Woody’s injury troubles but Ramos and the others must know what the current situation is with his fitness more than any of us will ever do so I fully trust and support them in this decision. Good buy!!
January 29th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
YOTN
does your “technician’s” shop have a suitably excellent name?
Something like “Hair by Kevin”?
My favourite name that I’ve seen for a “barbers” is “Hair Cut, Sir?” If you say it with a posh upper class accent it really does the job.
An alice band would be nasty if Woodgate sported one but by far the worsed hair in recent years has to be David Seaman. Mid life crisis or what?
January 29th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Hornchurch Yids
My “technician’s” premises have a sign that simply says “J Samuels” I’ve asked who is J Samuels but none of the staff know either!
The “Hair Cut, Sir?” instantly put me in mind of the Fast Show pair of Gentlemen’s Outfitters…… Hair cut, sir? Just a quick trim, sir? Ooh, just a quick one, sir? Ooh I bet you would, sir Ooh, Ooh!
Sorry, just my warped mind
I don’t like the alice bands either, Wilson. How did all the players of the seventies era manage to play with such long shaggy hair flowing freely & no bands to control the mop? I’m sounding like my dear old Dad (a Yiddo through & through) God rest him
January 29th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Ralph Coates didn’t need and alice band and he had the one of the best comb overs in footy. He probably could have done with one though, or just a hair slide. Shame that the majority of his hair was on the side of his head. Great player though.
“Hair by Ralph”????
January 29th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Seaman’s pony tail was truly shocking, no defending that.
But I must say Cristiano Ronaldo’s has to be the worst hair in the premiership, if only because it’s obvious he prefers hairdressers to barbers.
January 29th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
He should get himself a decent hair design technician like the rest of us.
I dunno, these Continentals????
January 29th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Whatever abut woodys hair, what the hell is going on with Defoe’s haire….with the srip round his head????
Or gallas……
January 29th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Maybe he’s going for the rings around Saturn look?
January 29th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Jenas’ barnet is getting increasingly suspect. But it seems to be improving his game so let it grow I say!
January 29th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
This for me is the worst ever
http://www.10thhussar.co.uk/wb.jpg
January 29th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Bloody hell that was a shock. Warn me next time Adie!
January 29th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
So what you’re all suggesting is that the worse the hair, the better the football… interesting… Jenas IS definitely improving…Good theory!
Except I’ve got shit hair and I’m crap at football -
*sighs* life is so unfair.
January 29th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
whoops - shite hair and a shite keyboard
January 29th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Whats this about woody having a drink or two or three too many. Just a rumour i heard but it could account for the hair.
January 29th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Hang on were talking hair here and no one has mentioned Alan Smith yet, I mean for truly sh1te hair, he has to take the biscuit.
January 30th, 2008 at 12:01 am
This is a good sign of where you are in the league - you haven’t fared well on your travels north, but do have a good record against Everton.
But they are playing well, Moyes is doing a great job up there and they play some decent football. Whatever you may think of your team, you have to improve in stages and the teams you are (or were last season) competing against are the teams you need to beat.
Yakuba is away, Cahill is suspended, so you have to say the pressure is on Johnson to step up, however, playing as a main striker would suit him, and he likes to attack defences.
The good news for you is that that laugh-a-minute calamity of a defender dawson is suspended, giving you a chance to shore up at the back, unless Cerny wants to practice his Robinson impressions a little more.
Arteta is having a great season, and though a plodder, even Neville is playing well. It’ll be interesting to see if Jenas and Huddlestone have any joy there, while Lennon has gone off the boil a bit in recent times, Malbranque is picking up pace a little.
I dont see you grabbing 3 points, but they dont draw many, and your away record is appalling, it looks like a home banker, forcing to you gulp down another mouthful from the well of reality.
3 points for us, roll your eyes up just a little and you’ll see us sitting pretty at the top of the table. Adabayor now just needs 4 more to enter the league of 20 goals a season strikers, it’s been a long time since you had one of them hasn’t it? And just so we have a comparison - you paid £16.5M for bent, we paid £3M for Adabayor. It just shows what you can get if you shop around.
January 30th, 2008 at 12:30 am
Defoes hair is a lucky symbol, its the Wembly arch!!
January 30th, 2008 at 5:48 am
KiKi, cut the crap.
Interesting you should chose to take an average from Woodgate’s last six seasons when in the 7th and 8th ago he played 49 and 34 games respectively.
If you take those into account, his average is 28 which is around three-quarters of a Premiership campaign but let’s bear in mind that includes his disaster season at Real, where he played just 3 times.
But the thing is, why should a calculation of mean appearances over the last few years give any kind of indication of his future fitness? A far better measure would be his modal or median average which come out as 37 and 31 and would help iron out freak values and outliers.
If anyone’s lost, don’t bother trying to decipher what I’ve written because more simply put: “there’s lies, damn lies and statistics”.
Now, on far more important matters, the real reason behind the Little Yiddo’s barnet:
http://www.thetartpaper.com/sport.php?id=129
The Bagel.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:31 am
“lennon has gone off the boil a bit recently”
Err - no he hasn’t!
January 30th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Bagel,
Using your statistics is hardly a dig at spuds now is it ?
January 30th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
It certainly isn’t.
There’s probably a stat out there that’d make even Ronaldo look like a waste of space.
The Bagel.
January 31st, 2008 at 10:12 am
Sure is - clearly he cant curl a free kick in after last nights performance against pompy.