Beef Bagel

Well, you still couldn’t make it up!

So we signed Bassoon and the window isn’t over (I hope that doesn’t mean any trouble).

We eased past Liverpool to give us a points total higher than that after 8 games last season. We cruised past Hull to go clear (well, almost) at the top, although it’s slightly too early to talk of title hopes. We’ll take one match at a time, as we do loaves in the bakery.

We’re now beyond our points total reached by November 2008 and we’ve got the Premiership’s top scorer. Well done Ramos, I mean Harry!

I’m still hopeful for the next match, but after that it’s going to get a little rarefied. Wait a minute, we did win the first ten or eleven matches in 1960!

It’s nice, but we can probably predict the future. Spurs, Champions; Wolves and Burnley challenging – back to a 60s future – Everton relegated. I doubt this will all come true and think the top 4 (or 5 big spenders) are now destabilising their nearest challengers.

It can’t go on like this – it has to be interesting for the non-neutrals to make it work.

We’ll enjoy it for now.

COYS.

The Platzel.

Yes, we’re still here in the bakery. What happened to June and most of July? Well they came and went.

I was frustrated by the last game at Liverpool (our last chance of Europe for at least one season). Others helped us, but we didn’t put our heart and effort into trying to beat Liverpool again.

So, a season with the worst start ever finished ever so slightly disappointingly.

Then we had to endure most of another close season with the big fish going to the whales and the rest just watching (didn’t mean it to sound Cantonish, cos I’m not looking for him). Then instead of us having our new season squad in place early on, we’re still scrabbling over the last few pieces. We’ve bought a couple of right backs (you never know when another might come in handy), a beanpole who could make a good centre back who can come up for corners (we don’t seem to have many others available at the moment) and just working on those other gems to complete the set! I’d have been happy with Michael Owen.

Dear Daniel, you’re trying hard and a new stadium will be good as soon as this can ever be built, but in this daft football world I’m not convinced you’re the man who can ever take us to the promised land?

I hope you can prove me wrong before I’m in my dotage!

COYS.

The Platzel.

Two bagels at Everton. What? Two bagels – 0-0! Not bad, it would have been a bonus to get the win, but there didn’t seem to be many chances?

We beat one half of Manchester yesterday at least – should have put away more of those chances.

Almost certainly we won’t be lower than 8^th – fantastic really, in case you’ve forgotten that start? Just for those who are still worried, we won’t be relegated unless we go into administration.

Newcastle let us down badly – it would still be good to overtake Fulham, but it’s not easy now. Maybe the Europa League is a bit of a poisoned chalice, but you’ve got to be in it to win it!

You still couldn’t make up this season – a few more home goals would have been to the crowd’s liking but to finish with the fewest conceded at home in the Premiership and probably Spurs history is baffling! Defence seems to be better for once – let’s keep it this way, it’s gone pear-shaped before. Now to add more quality and start the push for better things next season.

Fingers crossed for Saturday. Calm down! Calm down!

COYS.

The Platzel.

Another streaky win, but they all count. You know I like more goals, but amazingly I read that we have the best home defensive record in the Premiership? I like good defences as well. Since our strikers have dried up a bit again, it’s good to see the midfield chipping in –well done, JJ!

Still hanging in there, but a difficult finish.

I’m not feeling so happy when I read transfer talk. I’m not like many of you who comment on here. I don’t think Arsenal are the real enemy – yes, they’re local but where I grew up they weren’t the most local rivals in London. They don’t seem to be a real threat in terms of wanting our players – it’s other teams, up North, that make me see red.

We are not a feeder club for them and we’ve got to stop this. I don’t want to read about a sale being good business, because if it’s not good business on the pitch it’s not good business. As for being a ‘dream move’, I want to see players dreaming of success and then achieving it with Spurs.

We have to avoid administration, but after that the finances don’t make sense – the club may have to go private? Dave Whelan (Wigan Chairman and JJB founder) on Sports Report told it as it is – don’t expect to make money out of football clubs.

We’re going to have to be a bit patient, but something’s going to have to change for a break up of the stranglehold the top four have on things at present. Andy Burnham’s right!

By the way, if the funding is there and planning consent is given, when will the new stadium be ready?

COYS.

The Platzel.

Good news to you pessimists who still think we might be relegated – we won’t be! It’s been a successful season, after the worst start ever and, as before, anything more than survival will be a bonus.

Oh, by the way JohnnyB, where is the Bagel? He’s there, but he doesn’t say much these days.

The win against Newcastle was good – again, a bit close at the end.

Two things went wrong yesterday – well more than two really? First, the bookies had us as favourites for 7^th spot – I think we’ve eased out a bit, but it’s still possible. Then poor Jermaine’s sad news – it had to happen yesterday, didn’t it. Then, I can’t ever remember being in that position at half time, or at any stage in a match, there? Of course, bring your own referee – you usually do. Not the whole story, but there’s often a helping hand for reasons not known. Yesterday, I wasn’t going to discuss this. Just finally, another point – did that ball cross the line or not – yes, I think Pedro Mendes’ shot just crossed the line. Which was ‘The Damned United’ – I know which one I think it was.

Now, we put that behind us. Four matches to go – let’s see what we can do?

COYS.

The Platzel.

Bye, bye Chelsea, Chelsea bye, bye! Another great win, although we might have lost it at the end. So, off we went to Blackburn with hopes raised once again. It was all going well and then we know the rest – I was hot and cross. The damned Rovers!

It could have been different and I know it doesn’t always apply, but that’s when you need a second goal – at least it would have made a point. It could easily have been a win and although we deserved to beat Chelsea, that could easily have been a draw.

It really seems silly to think about Europe, but here we go again. Another win today and up to eighth – for now, at least. Well done, Pav!

What a crazy season! 2 points from the first 8 games, 16 from the next 8, 6 from the next 8 (and heading back towards the bottom) and now 17 from the last 8…and it could have been more! 6 matches to go.

Survival is clear success after that start – anything else will be a bonus. Here’s to a good finish, a sensible summer with an understandable transfer window and a better season next.

No more false starts, please – long-term planning now for the short and long-term. We’ve all had enough rubbish to last a lifetime!

COYS.

The Platzel.

We did! Great bonus of 3 points at Villa and that doesn’t happen very often, even in better seasons. This made up for the draw at Sunderland which could have been better.

It’s a good run. No point in getting carried away, but let’s just carry it on.

Parts of the team are working better and apart from makings things happen – Lennon twice – Jenas was well forward, where players should be more often, and putting his head in where it hurts. Of course, against some teams you’d also get your head kicked in!

Robbie’s doing nicely now but actually that shot wasn’t going in, so well done Darren.

Still some way to go but it wasn’t premature to talk of next season. We have to finish this one as best we can, but have to plan a short-term and a long-term future – something that’s clearly been missing for the last couple of seasons. Sell a number of players and then buy three back the same season or the one after?

We’ve seen enough changes in recent years. There’s only one more necessary in the future, apart from seeing Spurs at the top that is, and I don’t think I need to spell that out, do I? We’re hopefully going to change the ground, we’ve changed a bus load of managers, players, directors of football, even bakers – now what hasn’t changed? A bit of stability would be a nice change.

COYS.

The Platzel.

…roll? Bagel? You may ask where we have been – well, there wasn’t much to write about for most of February!

We didn’t score a goal until late in the month, although we didn’t play much in the first half. The window closed and Robbie came back, which must be a good thing, even if he was ineligible for a lot of the matches that came up? Now, he’s scored his first since his return maybe we can start to show some improvement. We have a better squad than we started the season with, but not very helpful for the later stages of cup competitions if cup-tied.

A draw with Arsenal was better than nothing, but all we are saying is give us a …

We needed goals in Donetsk, but they didn’t come and then we didn’t defend well in the last 10 minutes. The win at Hull was great, but a bit shaky! We perked up for 5 minutes in the second leg against Shaktar, but that was the end of that! It was welcome novelty to be back in Europe for 3 years after quite a gap – almost like the old days – but barring a miracle that’s it, at least for more than another year.

We did the hard work in the Carling Cup Final against…oh, I can’t remember who we played (some provincial team, I think?)…but not the easy part. Penalties are easy to take, except in the head – a bit of hypnosis wouldn’t have gone amiss – Harry, give Derren Brown a call?

We can’t score goals, yet amazingly our defence has held up pretty well this season? We’re on course for some record low totals at home this season, I’m sure…so what happens 4-0 against an in-form Middlesbrough! As Fred Trueman might have said, I don’t know what’s going off out there?

We want survival or just work your socks off to see how far we can get in the league and I guess it will be two seasons in the bottom half following two in 5^th place! Progress will be a top half finish next season and certainly qualification for Europe as a bonus!

We can beat Sunderland, of course, if we’re up for it!

COYS.

The Platzel.

Yes, I still think we are, rather than in the soup? The transfer window or Christmas sales period is nearly over and, as things stand, we have Cudicini (Gomes looked a better bet yesterday?), Defoe (currently crocked), Chimbonda (good attacking play) and Palacios (‘Crystal’, who also looked sharp). Is that it? Not long to wait now. As for Benitez, he can shut up since he doesn’t seem to want Keane?

I think the squad looks better than at the start of the season and we’re in the pack.

So, the last 8 league games have yielded 6 points – not enough! The first 8, 2 points and the next 8, 16! Consistent, we’re not. We’ve won 6, drawn 6 and lost 12. It won’t be easy to climb clear but we really will need to work our socks off to the end. Our strikers have scored a few, our midfield not enough and our defence must tighten up.

I guess we want 16 points from the last 14 games – more would be nice, plus the Carling Cup for Europe next season? Here’s hoping. We’ve got everything crossed – even hot buns!

COYS.

The Platzel.

It’s a bit difficult to keep up with events. It’s a little bit easier trying to follow things on the pitch, but off it, that’s another matter altogether!

Finally, a goal arrived in the league with the equaliser against Portsmouth. Then the numbing experience of the second leg at Burnley which was a bit of a shaker. Of course, if the away goals rule applied at the end of two legs, then that was it – ‘holders’ shock exit in semi-final’? Spurs looked like an average Championship side, which is what we’re not trying to become, next season? I did think of several show ponies in a circus on display, plus some donkeys.

Then, what sort of team were we going to put out at Old Trafford given all the news coverage (this seems endless at the moment)? Well, in the event, not too bad a team but a chance, with Rooney absent and Ronaldo hobbling off, went by. More effort was needed here. So, we can’t win all the competitions we’ve entered this season after all.

At least, we scored some goals against Stoke but still a fragile performance. I’m more hopeful than some. We’re in touch with the pack, we’ve signed (signed back) some reasonable players – a good striker and good goalie and hopefully useful midfielder. How the squad will look at the end of this period, and until the next window when the merry-go-round will start again, I don’t know.

Maybe we can repeat last season’s surprise Wembley win, against the odds, and once again we’ll be looking to next season? It would be nice to keep a manager for a season or three, let alone some players!

Glancing at Graham Roberts’ autobiography didn’t do some other characters in past management at the club any favours!

Back to the future again! COYS.

The Platzel.