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Morning one and all.
The good ship Tottingham sailed into the the quarter finals of the Champions League last night. It wasn’t how many of us thought it would be. AC where bound to come out fighting and they certainly adopted a different strategy to the one that saw them get beat at the San Siro. But the real difference was how Spurs stood their ground.
The unsophisticated viewer might say that a ‘bus’ was parked. But without being to biased I felt that what was implemented by Arry and the boys was a tad classier. Parking the bus is everyone and the tea lady blocking play, your centre forward as a centre back. Hello Wolves fans.
Spurs actually held a line and held a shape that wasn’t breached too often despite the Italians chucking their fancy top of the range kitchen sink at us. It was a credit to Spurs that they had the wit and the wisdom to adapt and survive.
It wasn’t a thing of beauty, but then it’s difficult to imagine that 3MP in the nip is either – but Abbey Clancey’s let him get off with her so much experts say that she will sire a baby giraffe by him later this year.
Gomes 6.87 Apparently he’s a big Shaking Stevens fan.
Charlie 5,43 Not at his best but still worth 2.5 Begbies.
Gallas 8.23 ‘Too old’ – Arsene Wenger. ‘Super duper’ – Harry Hotspur.
Les Dawson 6.38 Held the line well enough.
A&E 5.99 Under pressure he cracked.
Azza Blud 6.92 We played down the middle a lot. He was okay.
Sandro 9 MOTM A revelation. Lots more, please.
Modders 6.93 He was swamped. Not an excuse, a fact.
Peanut 5 Arry, play Krankie, old son. Please.
VDV 6.45 I’m terrified he’s in an ‘injury cycle’. I hope I’m wrong.
3MP 7 The referee was a wonker. He couldn’t buy a fair call.
Bale, Pav & Jen*s all too little time to warrant a score…
I see bilco got the elbow for the more eloquent wenger message :daumen:
Agree with Toddspur.
We have to keep Hudd and Sandro (and Modders and Baler). Just about 90% of the present squad. Would like to say VdV, too, but I wonder a wee bit (first name Thomas, i.e. a skeptic) whether there is more than the obvious lack of fitness involved, whether one reason VdV never quite hit the high spot at Real M was this sort of inconsistency – after all he was all over the place when he joined us, banging in goals, hurling himself into tackles, calling for the ball, using it well, running into position, etc., etc. – that he is all ‘go’ at first, but then the adrenaline dissipates as the season develops. Naaw! I’m wrong. Must be.
If and when we play in all four competitions next year we will desperately need both Hudd and Sandro. Both Pienaar and Krankie. A centre back in the Sandro mould, i.e. fast, indefatigable, solid in the tackle, etc. Caulker? A really solid, front line goalie – I wish it were Robinson, but some one like him, only 10 years younger. What about that Loach chappie?
Then there’s the striker business. If there is such a buzz about Wickham, Carroll (yeah, he’s already spoken for, but he’s young) what’s wrong with Kane? Rose? Even Townshend?
Better stop. I’m getting too far ahead of the dog.
What a hell of a day yesterday! The excitement mixed with worry before, the tension during, the explosion of joy when it was over!! What a humungous achievement!
The dog wants to know why any one would want to ship out of this young, exciting, playing for one another squad. They’d be crazy. When one compares our resources with what the Scouse, the Chavs, and Manure (let alone Citeh) have to offer in the next five years, the talent is in our court.
Which makes the new stadium a top, an immediate priority. Money does not whisper or talk any more. It shouts, and we need to be in there shouting, too.
Kane scored again on Tuesday for the Orient. Think
him and Caulker are the most likely to make the breakthrough into the 1st team, with Walker of course. Agree with your assessment on where we are overall…. a young talented squad clearly moving forward, why would any of them prefer any other side in England at the moment. I can see a case for Barca or even Real Madrid being attractive for some of our top players but I think they are all young enough to keep being part of something very special which is building at WHL. We have just beaten both top teams in Italy and Serie A no longer has the kudos it had.
Also agree entirely with you that the new stadium is a top top priority. To keep the momentum going we must find a way to get the capacity up to 55/60000 to continue to compete. Really hope that it can be done via the NDP at WHL or at the very worst somewhere close to it, though goodness knows where.
With 2 or 3 additions to this squad, at least 1 of those being a top forward the future is indeed Lillywhite.
Sandro – who cost eight mill – will save us eight mill on Parker. Unless we let Palacios and Jenas go. When Sandro fully beds in he will be our Viera. Alongside Hudd next season – at least for our away games against crap teams like Wigan, B’pool and Wolves.
Peanut is the obvious choice when Bale is not match fit. Kranks best coming on later is the sensible way to use him when we have three fighting for left midfield.
Modders and VDV fighting for “the hole”?
I’m afraid we will lose Kranks come summer. Shame.
Gomes needs some competition for his place.
Walker may be the solution at RB. We need a mobile one.
Money to come in from player sales should fund a bloody good striker.
Feck yer Honda Civic.
Oi’ve a horse outside!
Giddy up now baby!
to what you are referring is nearly as funny as Mrs Browns Boys……
couple of thoughts after the game last night and the comments above.
Firstly, VdV is crocked, we need to not play him right now.
Secondly, Why is Krankie a ‘luxury’? that term pisses me off. Look at Barca. Go on, LOOK! EVERY man in that team plays with intensity, chasing down the opposition whether they are the world’s best winger or another squad member filling in the gaps in their midfield.
If a player is technically adept that should never excuse them from putting in an immense shift on the pitch.
Finally, Sandro. WOW. thought his last two games were looking good but last night he broke up an incredible amount of play. He was our best player by far, cropping up all over the pitch. I’d have given him 9.99 Harry, I think you’re being harsh.
p.s. Gomes really is a clown, taxi please.
Lots of good stuff in there (as usual).
Gomes needs a regular defence in front of him. No Goalie in the world does well with a revolving door back four.
Krankie isn’t a luxury, to my mind he’s a Yid.
Vdv needs a proper rest.
Sorry I don’t agree with your assessment of Gomes…
I’m not denying that having a regular back four is helpful. But maybe by the same token not many clubs can actually do that any more, and good ol’ ol’ ol’ Van Der Sar seems to put in the same performance whether its Rio & Vidic or Evans & Smalling…
The problem for me is the histrionics, the (regularly) stupid decision-making, and the way that Spurs fans applaud his shot-stopping which for £40k or so a week, I’m kinda expecting as a minimum. His presence is the opposite of commanding, and I’d have balls floated into the box all day against us. Thank god that’s bread and butter for our Championship-standard captain.
Krankie needs to work a bit harder, is all. We ALL yids here brother…
Irony of the Day
“I deny completely any charge. A bit more humility would do Uefa some good.” – Arsene Wenger
No sign of any hypocrisy there from Wenger.