Wigan Peer?
No, obviously not. I hope we’re not on the way to Down and Out in Paris and London for those of you who get the literary drift.
Did you know that Wigan have never beaten Spurs – well they have now! Doesn’t matter if it’s first minute or last – if you don’t score, you can’t win (God help team Zokora!).
So, guess what - I sent my daughter, the Breadstick, to watch the match. Poor girl – she enjoyed it until it all went flat in the second half. That’s another supporter you may have just lost?
Anyway, I’ve found some good odds today at the bookmakers – Man Utd 4/5 and Spurs 2000/1 for the Premiership. I think it’s a shoe-in for Spurs. Trouble is, even if they win all their games it’s not a Premiership winning total and I can’t see United being relegated? Of course, they may get points deducted for the Tevez affair – about 50 seems right – so maybe the 2000/1 is more generous than I thought?
I have noted the gloom and doom mongers are back – you’re right it’s serious but we can get out of this one – we’ve got Houdini in charge. However, it is a mess and it just needs sorting. Give Harry support and give him what he wants because I’ve seen enough managers for a lifetime and hope Harry sorts it and stays for at least 10 years.
We need TH back in the middle and AE back on the left. Ditch the rubbish and sell them if you can. Buy some others if they’re worth having.
Back to the future! COYS. We are…
The Platzel.
January 13th, 2009 at 1:27 am
http://beefbagel.com/bagel/2009/01/a-half-of-two-games/#comment-60703
January 13th, 2009 at 7:48 am
Further to the many valid points Glory Glory had raised, the question I’ve been asking myself is… if Spurs do go down, which of our players will have the strength of character to stick with the team and bring us back up? I have to hesitate to think of even one (King? Dawson? Tainio! Oh wait, we got rid of him.) And it is all about that - the strength of character, the loyalty to the badge… because we all know the club can pretty much afford to go down for one season and still pay the salaries.
Agh, so much negative energy.
January 13th, 2009 at 11:31 am
THis is not about negativity. This is reality. I will always support Spurs no matter what division they play in. I will always get behind the boys and shout myself hoarse trying to encourage the boys on to victory. I am not saying that we will go down because I want them to. I base my opinion on what I saw on Sunday. It was awful and and relegation performance if ever I saw one.
For howmany weeks have some players continued to spout shit that we can still finish top 6? For fucks sake, what nonsense. They all need to wake up and realise that they are playing badly and the only way out of this mess is with hard graft. I just think that some of them don’t get it.
January 13th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Hornchurch, just read your response: http://beefbagel.com/bagel/2009/01/a-half-of-two-games/#comment-60725
Firstly, sorry if I came across agressive at you - was just so pissed off having to write what I was. Wasn’t my intention to attack (if that’s how if came across).
I think you may be onto something regarding starting afresh if we go down. I’m sure ENIC & Levy would get the hell out of there (please god). However, I think we will just do enough to stay up. Sadly though, as a consequence, Levy will remain at the helm and we’ll just have season after season of player & manager merry-go-rounds leading to boring nothingness on the pitch with players who barely know the history of the club. I for one will not be paying for the dubious privledge of going to every home game from next season. Premier League or Championship, it matters not anymore. The enjoyment is just not there and unfortunately I don’t have the money to waste. Of course, if I felt I was getting value for money that would be a different story. I may as well finally succumb to Mr Murdoch and use the season ticket money to get Sky+HD. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Ho hum.
January 13th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
GG
You certainly didn’t come across as agressive. I’m with you brother. It is so fuckin disappointing. Year after year of the same hope and then dejection.
For what it’s worth, for me it has never been the same since they did away with the old shelf and being able to stand at games. So many times we would come away from a game having not won but still having had a good laugh and a sing and venting the spleen at the other fans or the old bill. You cant even give it the goold old wanker sign without fear of arrest these days. What has it all come to?
Tottenham till I die. And wouldn’t want it any other way.
January 13th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Hear hear Hornchurch.
Alas, my first game wasn’t until 1985. I was 4 or 5. Used to sit on the crappy wooden seats in the old Paxton upper tier with my old man. By the time I was old enough (and allowed) to go by myself, all standing was gone and the cheap ticketed wooden seats were replaced by more expensive (but cheaply made) plastic seats in royal blue (why didn’t they go Navy Blue???)
I found one of my old ticket stubs from my childhood the other day - Spurs V Oxford United in the Barclays League Division 1 in the mid-eighties. I think it was £2.50 for an adult ticket!
Any economists on here care to work out what that ticket would cost now, assuming an inflationary rise each season?
January 13th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
GG
Thanks for the memories. My old man took me and my 2 brothers to our first game. He made us these little fold away wooden stalls and we would go down the front of the old East Stand lower terrace. I’ve got an old programme and the action shot on the front cover you can just make out these 3 little heads poking above the advertising hoardings (behind the blue perimeter fence / cage) and my old man. As soon as we could fend for ourselves we went up onto the Shelf.
Thanks for the memories. It’s all we have at the moment.
January 13th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
I remember standing on the Park Lane end against Norwich in the late eighties at about 13/14.
A group of us would go to see each other team’s. Standing on the North Bank as a Spurs fan was probably the hardest thing I think i’ve done as a Spurs fan.
At the end of the Norwich game a very shortsighted mate turned round to us all and said “What was that song? You sheep shearers?”
Deaf and Blind. Poor sod.
January 14th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
I must admit the only time ive enjoyed watching Spurs in the last 10 years has to be when we were under Jol, back then we had something to play for, now its just mid/lower table dross.
I think the only thing that keeps me hanging in there is our current cup form.
January 14th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
TFB,TFL… not wishing to be too pessimistic, but we have hardly impressed in the cups either. The Liverpool game was clearly a highlight and we played a decent half against both Newcastle & Burnley so far, but have struggled versus Watford and pretty much all the UEFA opponents so far. Wigan was far from convincing, considering the team that Wigan put out and next up we have Man U (in FA Cup and most likely in the CC Final too), so I wouldn’t get overly excited considering what we have to look forward to.
I definitely agree that under Jol was by far the most exciting time of the last decade, but when you look at what else there has been since 1999 that is not that difficult in itself! At least I could go to all our home games expecting us not to lose and come away disappointed not to have won most of the time, regardless of the opposition.
Not replacing our two best strikers and most industrious midfielder (for the 2nd time in 3 years) has cost us dearly and could still see us pay the ultimate price yet
January 14th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Block 54
Also stood on the scums’ North Bank but that was back in the day when it was all the rage for Spurs to “take the North Bank”. The year me and my brother did it it was the famous game that Graham Roberts put Charlie Nicholas in the stand with a ferocious tackle. At the same time on that day West Ham were supposed to be playing Chelsea at Upton Park but the game was called off because of frozen pitch. Half way through the first half there was a surge in the Clock End with a bit of fighting and scuffling. It transpired that the Chelsea had come along as their game was off and thought it fun to have a go at the Spurs end. Not much happened in the North Bank that year, all the fun and games was in the away end where we should have been. What larks!!!!
January 16th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
So apparently this Palacios bloke is on his way. Steve Bruce has said its all done barr how the money is received. I would like to see Hunt arrive too.
January 16th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
There seems to be a lot of negativity around various websites at the moment. Understandable given our position, but a lot of it seems to be based upon Redknapp’s transfer policy.
I don’t quite get this. Why is everyone so down on the (reportedly close) signing of Palacios? He’s been a star performer for a Wigan side that, since Bruce came in, have probably performed better than everyone outside the regular top 4 and Villa. I’m not saying he’s going to be a great player, or that I really know how good he is. But surely he sounds like the kind of player that we have been crying out for in midfield. Someone who works hard, isn’t a showpony or a “starname” - just someone who will come in and do a job and who can tackle.
I admit, I’ve only half noticed him myself, so I’m basing a lot of what I say on what I’ve read about his game - but I think that most of the criticism is coming from people who haven’t seen him either and who are just annoyed that he isn’t a “big” name. One comment I said on another site said “I don’t care if he’s being linked with Real Madrid and Manchester United”. Hmm. I do. If its true, its got to be a good sign (even if its no guarantee).
Also, Harry’s negativity / comments about squad spirit etc. I think this is just a game he plays to drum up support from the board for his transfer policy and in the summer we will begin to see “his” team emerge. Ok, I think some of the negativity comes from the fact we are a bit shit and he knows it! But I think he reckons we are good enough to stay up and I’m going to be optimistic in saying we will stay up and he will create a better team next year. At which point we can all hopefully go back to moaning about not being in the top 4 again!
Thats not THAT optimistic, its just that all the doom and gloom I’ve read since coming back from holiday makes it look like we’re certs to go down again, and we’re just not.
I don’t want Bellamy either, but there seems to be a load of gloom about our transfer targets - and it seems to me that he wants a defensive midfielder, fullbacks an an extra striker on top of Defoe. 2 out of 3 aint bad.
I’d also like Kaka.
We weren’t the best team in the league when we went on a brilliant run at the beginning of Harry’s reign. I don’t think we are going to go down even though we are now playing a bit shit. I think thats my main point in this rambling little post.
Lastly, its the battle of WHL this weekend. I’m hoping that their hatred for us (ok, HR and JD) will mean we forget about our hatred of them (ok, you know who).
Does anyone know if Sol has even been playing for Pompey recently? Will the JD and HR factor (and the CCTV cameras) mean that for once its not our fans who peddle unacceptable filth and bile? What a shame… I don’t think there’s a homophobic (or perhaps even racist) angle to JD / HR hatred, but perhaps Pompey can surprise me.
Maybe we should all just sing about Tony Adams being a donkey. Good old traditional fun.
January 16th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
well said Oog
i admit to knowing bugger all about Palacios but seeing £14M makes me baulk! - wasn’t Harry meant to be the great wheeler dealer!?
I only conclude that there must be a hell of a lot of deadwood he intends to sell from our squad as, close to £30M for 2 players in January is pretty crazy money - and that’s the real world - not the Citeh one..
January 16th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Yeh well said. I know nothing about Palacios and also baulked at 14m but this is the modern football transfer market. Also the fact that its January means no club will sell unless they get over the odds prices
January 16th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Well said Oog, Palacios is the type of player we need with a bit of grit to get us out of this relegation dog fight.
January 16th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
£30m is crazy money - but maybe not that crazy when you look at our position, and when you look at how much we got for keane and berbatov - and other teams know that.
And £14million for a midfielder who’s by all accounts proved himself in the premiership - thats reasonably standard, I think. Crazy, but thats how it goes.
Meanwhile Mourinho has apparently come out and said he wants Jenas!
January 16th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
oog
I think people are questioning ‘Arry because some of the players that we seem to be after. Bellamy and now Crespo!!!!!! I’m not sure either could help us out of our current predicament. Bellamy is an old wanker and Crespo is just old.
I think ‘Arry is the best manger for us in the position we are in. I hope that he has the chance to build his side next summer ….in the Prem.
January 16th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Well, no-one likes Bellamy. But I think he’s a decent member of a group of 4 attackers. And give him a chance with the right club and we all know how dangerous he can be BOOM BOOM.
I do think there are other areas that need strengthening more, but at the same time it looks like with Palacios he has at least identified the lightweight nature of defensvie midfield as a problem and is looking to solve it. Whether Palacios does that or not, I don’t know, and I don’t want to give Redknapp ‘credit’ for spotting something that is pretty obvious - but its more than anyone at the club did over the summer!
Personally, I’m much more concerned about left back than I am left midfield. I think we have a cracking left midfielder at the club already. Gareth Bale. Unfortunately, I think he’s a liability at left back!
January 16th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Gareth Bale is a brilliant player doing a very good impression of a crap player. I hope we hang on to him long enough to see the real Bale Bale Bale!
January 16th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
He looks good going forward!
January 17th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Wouldnt that have been amazing if Chelsea had lost to Stoke at home , ah well:(
January 18th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
He has Lego hair and it scares me. Do agree he is a better midfielder. 3 points please!!!!!! C O Y S!
January 18th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
its official bent is a wanker! my misses could of scored that. O well were out of the bottom 3 i suppose. spurs played with a more passion thats encouraging.
COYS
January 18th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Barn door with a banjo comes to mind with regards to Bent. But we are out of the bottom 3
Anyone going to the semi final? Mini Yid & I will be there, in the wrong stand though, so wish us luck!
COYS!
January 18th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
YOTN…yeh good luck mate just sit still when we score for christ sake else you’ll be dodging pukka pies wrapped in flat caps!. Im down the pub wednesday cheering the boys on.
COYS!
January 19th, 2009 at 1:01 am
Cosmo, if you see any crowd trouble then chances are Mini Yid & I could’nt contain ourselves any longer. I’m going with a couple of Burnley fans (locally known as Dingles!) so it should be ok… I hope… Come to think of it, if any Dingles, er Burnley fans read this, I’m probably dead already!
At least we played with a bit of oomph today, but for fuck’s sake, forget about the long ball please, just get the ball to Modic, he’s a talented little fellow, so let him weave some magic
COYS!
January 19th, 2009 at 10:09 am
Totally agree, Modric is doing the beesnees for us in our times of trouble, good runs and little dinks with the ball, magic stuff! Hope Pav is ok for wednesday but fear ledley is definately on the knackers heap. It was gut wrenching watching him try and track back with Nugent.
COYS!
January 19th, 2009 at 11:08 am
I’d play Bent and Campbell on Wednesday.
Campbell needs a run out, and I don’t want to risk Defoe getting an injury ahead of the Stoke game. Would rather play Bent in games where we really don’t need to score!
Thats a bit unfair I suppose, Bent obviously CAN score, but he’s too hot and cold to be a good squad player, and he’s too rubbish to be a first choice player all the time.
January 19th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Redknaoppo is a legend: “You will never get a better chance to win a match than that. My missus could have scored that one.
“Bent did not only have part of the goal to aim for, but he had the entire net - and he put it wide. Unbelievable. I was just so frustrated.”
Pretty much sums it up for me!!
I think there are some positives to take from yesterday, but not many. More questions than answers. When will Ledley King announce his retirement? How long will Pavlyuchenko be out? How can a £15m striker spurn an opportunity like that? How can a £16.5m striker spurn an opportunity like that?
Still think we are bang in trouble. Depressing.
Even more depressing that the temperature in Burnley is Max 1 Celcius and I will be freezing my nuts off on Wednesday night, probably watching our reserves just about complete the job. I’m a southern softie, can’t cope with these cold nights!
Good luck YOTN, enjoy the game - I’ll sing a song for ya!
January 20th, 2009 at 11:09 am
Glory Glory, That’s the part we all love to do… Sing, so I’ll have gaffer tape on our just don’t think I can keep quiet!
I’ve been living up here in darkest Lancashire for 11 years now, but you can take the boy out of the south, but you can’t take the south out of the boy, so I’ll be freezing my nuts off too!
Pav’s injury is not anywhere near as serious as everyone had thought, so should be ok for tomorrow, Ledder’s is not too bad, not a tear but a strain, but yes, how long before he draws his pension.
Can’t wait for tomorrow, even if I have to keep a lid on it
COYS!
January 20th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Ralph Coates will be guest of honour at tomorrow night’s game.
That’s a bit more history I can pass on to Mini Yid, but I’ll try not to yarn too much about days of yore!
January 20th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
COME ON DERBY!!!!!!
January 20th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Amen. Come on the Rams! That is not instructions to any Welshmen reading this by the way…
January 20th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Ralph Coates - league cup legend for Spurs and boy, what a hair cut!
Good luck to all going to the game and all YIDS everywhere.
January 21st, 2009 at 11:41 pm
fuck me my hairs turned grey and my pubes after that and im only 27
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:59 am
I still feel sick.
Be interested to hear from the boys that were there.
Harry didn’t pull any punches after the game. We are still seriously underperforming. I’ve got a bad feeling about this season.
January 22nd, 2009 at 1:20 am
Hmm. Amazing how different this carling cup semi feels compared to last years!
I’m almost more embarrassed because we “won”. We so obviously didn’t deserve it after that lame effort that I was looking forward to not even trying to defend us at work tomorrow! Now I’ll have to pretend to find our luck funny when actually I agree with HY - we are in trouble!
Good to hear ‘Arry say that some of the players seem to have the hump about new players coming in and their places being under threat. Part of me thinks he shouldn’t be saying this stuff in public but a bigger part of me just likes having a manager who says what I think a lot of us are thinking - that there is a major attitude problem in this team.
I still think we will keep our head above water - but I can’t really remember why I think that after that display.
Still, Wembley and all that…
Oh and thank god for the weird away goals rule!
January 22nd, 2009 at 2:17 am
“They should be fighting for their lives to stay at a great club like Tottenham”
‘Arry commenting on some of our players that might not be up for the fight that is in front of us.
We need a couple of extra players badly. There seems to be an attitude problem in our club. Fuck their egos and fight for the badge. Bring in a couple more who want to win and prove themselves. Too many in the squad at the moment are just coasting.
I just can’t see us beating Stoke. It will be like tonight where we are up against a team that just wants it more than we do. What has happened to us? FFS!
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:58 am
which players do you think Arry is actually talking about? I want names.
January 22nd, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Huddlestone! Zokora? Assou Ekotto?
January 22nd, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Zokora? Bale? Bent?
With Palacios coming to name just one out of a few these guys are probably shitting it as we speak. They don’t seem to have the pace and aggresion thats needed. I hope i’m wrong about bale as I do have a soft for him! But on last nights performance I have to admit we were pig shite until the last 10 mins or so.
YOTN… You must of been sitting there with the Burnley fans thinking what the fuck then came the last two mins, how did you cope?
A very grey headed Spurs fan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 22nd, 2009 at 3:14 pm
To think we would have gone out if Assou-Ekotto had scored that wonderful back pass =O
January 22nd, 2009 at 3:16 pm
this is just what happens when you are in 4 competitions with a fairly thin squad and a lot of injuries
first of all - WEMBERLEEEE!!! - isn’t that what it’s all about - the glory..
this is the cup - it can go like this.
what i’m saying is - let’s be positive. Harry is a good manager but needs at least 12 months to make this squad his own and clearly there are not enough hard men in their for his liking - so far, i’d say he’s managed to reform his coaching staff which is full of hard nuts.. the team will following - beginning with, well, Palacios (Defoe’s in to get opportunistic goals like in the last two games now).
we came a serious cropper of the old tough northern shit pitch syndrome which it looked like not enough of our players felt confident in dealing with - so it suited Burnley - they were tough, rigid and hard to break down - with an exceptional keeper I thought.
I felt a bit sorry for Alnwick - but he was positionally at fault for the first goal, and then flapped for the free kick, causing the third. However, the second was purely bad marking from Assou-Ek at the far post after an excellent left flank run from Blake..- similar in a way to their goal at the Lane.
But on the positive, we managed for long periods to get our game together and as Harry said, they had few other chances of real note and a lot of their game ended up fluffing and tailing out - the problem was their defence looked inpenetrable - i was surprised we managed to score those two good goals in quick succession! - however Extra Time was ours - we got it together and didn’t particularly look that tired.
I agree that it’s great to feel Harry’s honesty - but I couldn’t stand his comments directly to Fergie saying he’s sending a mish mash team on Saturday - there has to be some cleverness in the messages to your rivals!
So - yeh it’s squeaky bum time - but what a ride !!
keep positive!
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Interesting reading everyone’s opinions on here.
Just a few of my observations (some of which do state the obvious, I warn you):
1) Burnley were brilliant and despite having ‘few chances of note’, still managed to score 3 past us! Says more about us than them I think. And by the way, they hadn’t won in 5 or 6 games either.
2) Whoever said they felt embarrassed…that echoes my sentiments exactly. I know we won, we’re at Wembley again etc, but the manner in which we did it hardly covered us in glory! Covered us in shit more like. Burnley clearly deserved their day out at Wembley more than us.
3) Although ‘Arry is saying what we all feel, I wish he would just shut up and keep it behind closed doors. We’ve gone from a manger who never opened his trap (albeit because he couldn’t speak the language very well), to a manager who can’t keep it shut. In my opinion, BMJ was the perfect ‘face’ of Spurs, espcially in interviews. Like a big teddy bear at times, but knew when to let rip (Vs Wenger at Scumbury, anyone?). ‘Arry is starting to infuriate me with his honesty.
4) Burnley, the town, is a shit hole. The people however, are wonderful and it was very refreshing to be able to talk about the game and football in general with the clarets fans in the hotel bar, without idiotic ‘rivalry’.
5) I agree with playing a weak team on Saturday, but again, why the fuck broadcast that fact on TV?? It is a breach of the FA rules, which I think state that a manager is required to put out his strongest available team. Everyone knows our plight and that all the bigger team use some cup games to test the underlings in the squad, so why does ‘Arry feel he has to tell everyone. Just do your talking on the fucking team sheet!
6) With two weeks or so of the transfer window left, I feel it is now make or break. We HAVE to field players that want to play for the shirt. Problem is, I don’t think we can field a full compliment of committed players, and I sure as hell know that we wont be buying enough to make up for it. Palacios is a big gamble in my opinion, not mention an expensive one. IF he doesn’t produce the goods, what’s plan B? Yep, that’s right, we don’t have one. Therefore, the only fate I see for us is the big R at present. Can you honestly see us winning another away game this season? That puts a lot of pressure on the home form, which currently is not too hot and we still have the visits of Chelsea & Scum. We’ve blown so many opportunities to remain clear of the stragglers that it will catch up with us around Easter I reckon. And Liverpool away on the last day with them potentially going for the title? Not looking good at all for us I’m afraid
Whatever the outcome this season, two things will remain. My love of the club is on and the fact that this is my last as a season ticket holder is the other. The price freezes are a red herring in my opinion - we still pay the third highest prices in the land I believe and for what? Player & Managers merry-go-rounds and revolving doors, false dawns and the odd relegation battle to keep up the interest? Bollocks to it. I’ll pick my games from now on and after the Burnley trip (which was highly enjoyable as a trip, if not the game itself) I think I would prefer to follow us on the road, more for the craic than anything else.
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:34 am
FCUK the pessimism.
We are going to Wembley.
That is what the history books will show and that, right now, is all I care about.
January 23rd, 2009 at 3:26 am
When was the last time you pciked up a history book, Diaz? Isn’t it called the internet now?
January 23rd, 2009 at 11:00 am
Cosmo…
We were arsehole lucky… Fact. I’ve been totally grey for some years now despite my relatively young age (probably as a result of supporting Spurs all my life!)
Burnely came out & took the game to us, we were still waking up from our slumber. They played well with vigour & the enthusiasm that was sorely missing from our guys. Yes Burnley were physical, ok dirty, but look at what they were fighting for, a place at Wembley & they nearly got there. Their goals were good, especially the free kick. We can count ourselves very fortunate of the extra time rule.
I was embarrassed for most of the game, I think that’s the best way of putting it. Freezing my nuts off, soaking wet, while the wind swirled around the ground. I turned to Mini Yid who was looking even more frozen, embarrassed & browned off that me & wispered “This is what real supporters do son, forget about the fair weather plastic “fans” who are only there on good runs of form, not to mention those that never go but claim to be “through & through” (that goes for any team) we support our team by going to watch them live as much as possible no matter what the weather conditions are, no matter what the outcome” The score was 0-0 at that moment. When we were 2-0 down I turned to Mini Yid again “We could be going out tonight son, if we don’t gee ourselves up” Trying to prepare mini Yid for the worst.
When the whistle blew at the end of normal time I could’nt see a way back from the evidence of our disply so far, but Mini Yid & I kept the faith against all logic, against all the evidence so far. The first fifteen minutes did not swell my hopes. I had by now developed what I thought was a low frequency growl in the back of my voice, mumbling with such rage & desperation such basic things like “Come on Tottenham for f@*ks sake” “Just one goal, just one goal” etc… I’m certain that all this low frequency growling made all the difference & I along with ‘Arry engineered the come back. However Mini Yid later told me that he heard every word as did those within our immediate vicinity!
We did it, we got ourselves back in it (albeit extremely bloody late!) & scored… Twice for good measure! This was not the way we wanted to scrape through to Wembley, but we are their (huge sigh of relief)
The mood after the game was pure relief rather than elation. there wasn’t much singing down from the ground through the streets to where my car was parked. The Burnley fans were feeling absolutely gutted & quite rightly so, you had to feel sorry for them.
We have a lot of work to do, we must start picking up wins & get out of the bottom to relative safety. I firmly believe that ‘Arry is the right man to do it.
I think/hope that we can win against Stoke, I don’t really want to think about the FA Cup, we have to be realistic & see the fight ahead of us is the main priority
COYS!
January 24th, 2009 at 1:26 am
Sorry GG, I should have said Opus!
January 24th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Nice report YotN,
I really am very concerned. Yes, the Stoke game, as all our remaining games, is a must win - but grinding out a result seems a little beyond us.
There are many teams in the mire with us, but I just wonder… No points, or even just the 1 point on tuesday, simply isn’t enough at all.
Oh, and rumours are rumours, but how the fuck is Kenwynnnnne Jones worth Darren Bent plus cash?!?!?!
January 26th, 2009 at 11:52 am
So Chimbonda is on his way back to the lane. Not very excited by this purchase.
January 26th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Chimbonda coming back :O one word, WHY?!
January 26th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
The Chimbonda saga just highlights the utter ineptness of the board and the previous regime.
Are we a football club still or have we (d)evolved into a vehicle for generating money for the club & agents off the back of player transfers??
I cannot remember when Spurs have ever been so frustrating both on & off the pitch at the same time
January 26th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
I would welcome back Malbranque or Tainio but Chimbonda had become a real pain in the arse before he left us. I suppose it gives us more options and better cover at the back. Will he be bothered to put in the effort - doubt it.
Cudicini is a decent signing. Why the fuck did the club get itself in the position of having no real cover in goal? GG, you are spot on about the shambles that has gone on at Spurs.
Our new players have to make a real impact and fast otherwise we are going to struggle. I’m already dreading tomorrow night. Shitting it big time.
January 26th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Hmm,
I’m not crazy about signing Chimbonda, and I don’t see right back as a priority (although I think Corluka is a better central defender than full back).
But I don’t think it shows ineptness (although I’m not saying the board is never inept!). The last manager didn’t fancy Chimbonda, the new one obviously does, he’s available at the same knock down price, and I don’t think the board can say to Redknapp “you can’t sign him because it will look a bit weird”.
I’m not a big Chimbonda fan, he gives away possession too easily by trying to be clever near his own area, but he’s a good player overall. I agree that Gunter seems a prospect - when we signed him I’m sure he was meant to be as much of a left back as a right back, maybe the plan is to start playing him there?
Probably not, maybe this is more a case of Harry just fancying a player and wanting Corluka as cover for central defence (and pretty regularly used cover at that)
So - overall - not inspiring, but not a bad buy, just a bit of a weird one. Maybe we should just try and re-sign the team that came 5th. Although I imagine Berbatov is cuptied so wouldn’t be able to play against Man Utd in the league cup final…
January 26th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
What happens to Bent from here? Jones is unlikely to join us apparently. So now we most likely have an unproductive and unhappy Bent with us till summer. Would love to see the guy put his head down and work his arse off but it just wont happen will it.
January 26th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
‘Arry has burnt Bent’s bridges. Sorry about that awful alliteration.
I can see the Kenwynne Jones / Bent swap happening. All that needs to happen is for the Sunderland player to say that he wants to move. Not sure how it would be a good deal for us although I can’t see Bent doing it for us now that he has had his telling off. Be great if he could get stuck in like Wattson suggests but unlikely now.
January 26th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
Cudicini, a great keeper but probably the most unambitious player the premiership has ever seen. Could be solid for us though.
January 26th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
oog, sorry I should clarify…the ineptness I was referring to was not that we are re-signing Chimbonda and it looks weird…it doesn’t even matter which player it is. The point I was attempting to put across is that selling any player then buying them back because you then realise that actually, they are better than what you replaced them with, is totally and utterly INEPT!
The sale of Malbranque is still the one that confuses me the most. Here’s a great idea; sell your best, most hard working midfielder for peanuts and sign a ‘winger’ for a position that is already covered. INEPT!
A mate of mine sent me this today. Makes disturbing reading…
THE COMOLLI YEARS: TOTTENHAM BUYS
JANUARY 2006
Danny Murphy £2m (Charlton)
Hossam Ghaly £2m (Feyenoord)
JUNE 2006
Benoit Assou-Eketto £3.5m (Lens)
JULY2006
Dimitar Berbatov £10.9m (B L’kusen)
Didier Zokora £8.2m (St Etienne)
Tomas Pekhart £1m (Slavia Prague)
AUGUST 2006
Pascal Chimbonda £4.5m (Wigan)
Steed Malbranque £2m (Fulham)
Mido £4.5m (Roma)
JANUARY 2007
Ricardo Rocha £3.3m (Benfica)
Ben Alnwick £1m (Sunderland)
MAY 2007
Gareth Bale £5m (Southampton)
JUNE 2007
DarrenBent £16.5m (Charlton)
Adel Taarabt £4m (Lens)
JULY 2007
Younes Kaboul £7m (Auxerre)
Kevin Prince-Boateng £5m (H Berlin)
Danny Rose £1m (Leeds)
JANUARY 2008
Alan Hutton £9m (Rangers)
Gilberto £2m (H Berlin)
Jonathan Woodgate £8m (Mbro)
APRIL 2008
Luka Modric £16.6m (D Zagreb)
JUNE 2008
Heurelho Gomes £7.8m (PSV)
Giovani £4.7m (Barcelona)
JULY 2008
David Bentley £15m (Blackburn)
John Bostock £700,000 (C Palace)
AUGUST 2008
R Pavlyuchenko £13.8m (S Moscow)
Chris Gunter £2m (Cardiff City)
Vedran Corluka £8.5m (Man City)
Total:£169.5m
January 26th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Holy shit!
A fool and his money…etc etc.
January 26th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
We may yet see Keane return…
http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,2483_4852687,00.html
unlikely, but fuck, any thing’s possible this window, it seems.
Playing devils advocate for a (brief) moment: Is this farcical situation simply Levy backing his management team?
He bought and sold for Comolli et al, and now, he is doing it for Happy ‘Arry. It may involve revolving doors, but he is spending according to the current regime’s requirements - that’s what he should do, back his managers. No?
/ devils advocate.
It’s no good, it still seems farcical.
January 26th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
I agree that it SEEMS comical - but in defence of Levy (does that make ME the devil’s advocate) is it really a case that we realised chimbonda is better than what we have, or is it a case of Hutton being out for the season and we simply can’t wait around for him to get fit again? Corluka is quality cover for two positions and might yet make central defence his own, Gunther is still young and I think we’ve seen with Bale that throwing young defenders into a relegation battle is not ideal.
You can see it as comical - but I think that actually the comical buys are some of the ones listed above. KPB, Bentley (time will tell but…), and of course Bent. Buying a premiership proven right back who can play across the back 4 for 3 million just makes sense. Selling him also made sense.
Meanwhile… wembley tickets on sale Wednesday morning in case anyone hadn’t noticed. Or remembered we’re going to Wembley - it really doesn’t seem quite such an event this year does it!
January 26th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
a few more points in the bag and Wembley will be the party that it should be.
So, anybody know which of the new players are cup tied for the final? Yes, that old chestnut again.
January 27th, 2009 at 11:03 am
Well, the bad new is that Fraizer Campbell cannot play against United. Sorry, did I say bad news?!
Oog - I take your point, it’s a relatively sensible buy, although I still would have preferred to stick with Gunter. I don’t believe the fallacy about kids and relegation battles… Gunter is 19 and a full international. He would be considered a senior player if he was plying his trade at the Goons!
I just think that the central & left side of midfield requires a complete overhaul, so spending money elsewhere on the squad should be lower on the priorities at the moment.
January 27th, 2009 at 11:25 am
I totally agree G-G. Gunter deserves his chance. Transfer windows pass us by and still the same areas of weakness in the squad aren’t addressed.
January 27th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Have to disagree on this one Wattson.
Defoe - Extra Striker
Palacios - DM
Chimbonda - Right back freeing up Charlie when needed for the middle of defence, Can he also play left back?
Cudicini - Experince in goal, could give Gomes a run for the position.
What else did we need?
O’Hara has looked solid at left midfield and Bale has looked more effective recently there than at left back, did anyone really want Downing for 15m+?
A good transfer window for me, 3 points tonight and we begin our climb to mid table obscurity and the pleasure that will bring.
January 27th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
Ha! Ain’t that the truth - oh to be 12th!