Good morning.
I was looking forward to last night. Judging by the size of the crowd at The Lane I was not alone in my enthusiasm. Judging but the largely silent home support and mass exodus before the final whistle I wasn’t alone in being bored senseless by the first stage production of SNES’ Sensible Soccer On Ice.
It was contemptuous of all concerned that we were served up a reserves game. I’ve only watched one before and this was pretty much identical. Chase ball at lickerty split and barely a brain cell on the premises.
I’m not anti these kids, but having them inflicted on me for a UEFA game isn’t on.
I’m partial to a fish finger sandwich. But if I go to a restaurant and am presented with one when I’ve ordered the lobster I don’t think I’m being unreasonable asking the waiter if it’s a windup.
I challenge anyone who thinks I’m being harsh to explain how the atmosphere amongst Spurs in attendance was so rank and what was with all the empty seats? Did everyone suddenly remember they left the gas on?
Hearts made seven changes themselves and can take a hit while we’re at it. They also played a second rate mob compared to the game fielded at Tynecastle. By rights, Hearts fans should be mailed a refund inc. travel etc.Their only saving grace was the fact they we also ran out our Clearasil Kids.
You want player ratings? Everyone gets a solid 1 for managing to put their shirts on the right way round. I’d rather eat photocopier toner than watch another game like that. Unmitigated toss.
A fair few quotes from Harry have shown he’s going to be using this competition to blood some youngsters (and by god they need blooding!)
Thought you’d be across this, being a Spurs blogger and all. We were 5-0 up.
Ha. Nice try. I was aware of the quotes and was also of the score at 7 o’clock last night.
Still feel jarred we were served up crabsticks with a ketchup dip.
Harry our lads are not fit has shown by Utd running allover us do you want shity to do the same. Hudds has only one leg the others breaking up ankle knee. Pav looks like he has Vodka trouble Kaboul and Dawson remind me of the song only fools rush in. Harry done the right thing resting our unfit players because Toure is back in training and Stocky Aguero Goofy Nasri Dzeck of cards chewing Joe are coming to get us.
Once upon a time the UEFA[Europa ]was a big competition and a prized trophy but that was when Champions only went in to the Champions[european cup].Now we have money rules,lets bend the rules to make a select group of clubs very rich and bollox to football so get used to Harry and others not treating this competition seriously as Man Utd and Arsenal have done with the FA cup for years.It is interesting that the newly promoted clubs to the premiership are all out of the carling cup,call me a cynical old git but it would appear that staying in the premiership is more beneficial to a cup run and who can blame them when the big boys do the same.What happened to that football law that you had to play your strongest side?.
Sorry Harry, don’t agree. When else can you give a few youngsters a run out safe in the knowledge that game was won. What is the sense in putting out a near full squad out so close the game on sunday? We always moan that no kids are coming through, yet when they are tried we complain we’d rather see the big names play for our entertainment.
Really, what value or entertainment would there have been in us winning 3 or 4 nil last night? It would have meant nothing.
I would listen with interest to you having this discussion with those who paid as much as £43 to sit through it.
There is a time and a place for the kids. It denigrates the competition and does my nut in to field children … not to mention at Adult prices.
Harry I totally agree about the prices, way too high and to be honest it put me off when I checked (I knew we would have a weakened team). But we should aim our groans at the business end of Tottenham for that.
For me, the match gave us all a chance to see what all the rave reviews were about for the likes of Kane etc… As others have mentioned, Carroll looked rather a nice prospect. When else are we going to see these kids, in the Premiership, not on your nelly as the stakes are too high.
It was only one game, blimey if I was the Fredricks, the 18 year old making my debut on the right I would be as nervous as hell. They came through it ok (not great I admit), kept a clean sheet and that experience is worth more than gold.
We all moan that we never use kids, ticket prices aside, we did just that, and in my opinion was worth it.
Thats all I have to say really, feel free to castrate me if you do not agree!
I have to agree here, although I didn’t fancy the 500 mile round trip when I heard that the team would be mainly youngsters so I stayed at home and watched it on DFS 4…
As for the Academy lads who played;
Carroll was the pick of the bunch for me despite his slight build, he looked intelligent both on and off the ball. Started slowly with mainly negative passing but then got a command of the game and didn’t lose the ball once. Pass of the game for the penalty and played the full 90 minutes with confidence.
Livermore will probably end up at Hull, his first touch is awful and he’s lazy on the ball, reminds me of J*****. Townsend was everywhere in the first 15 minutes and then nowhere for the next 75…
Fredricks did OK but Kane for me looked out of his depth….
A good test for them all which they will no doubt have benifited from, my guess now is they will all be loaned out apart from (knowing Arry) the 2 that simply will never be good enough, Kane and Livermore..
Sorry Harry i spoke to levey he said you can come on Sunday for 20 quid and pay the rest in installments
It was a very dull affair but if opportunities like this aren’t taken the young kids will never gain the real experience they need. Wenger has put the kids in the Careless cup for years and it makes sense if not great entertainment.
More interestingly from today’s Guardian
Redknapp anticipates making at least two further additions to the squad before the transfer deadline next Wednesday and says attracting Lassana Diarra from Real Madrid remains “a real possibility” even though the midfielder was quoted in the Spanish press on Thursday as saying discussions between the parties had broken down. “They’ve not broken down,” said Redknapp. “I signed him for Portsmouth, he’s a real talent and I’ve got a good relationship. It’s still a real possibility.”
On a positive note, there are some really talented youngsters coming through. Carroll, Townsend and Fredericks looks to have tons of potential. The game itself was not important for us since we already thrashed them in the first leg. When you take into account that we are facing Siteh on Sunday, it was a good job that we rested most of our core players.