Still on for the treble then.
Good morning born again wireless enthusiasts. I trust you all rounded off your evening’s aural entertainment with a warming cup of Ovaltine and a fistful of mogadons.
In fairness to the radio johnnies they captured the mood perfectly .Their minds wandered towards anything that was more interesting than the game. The fact that the hot water boiler at the Brittania was kaput so no tea (how they yearned for milk and two shugs) and the early departure of gentleman sporting an comb over to rival that of George Roper’s.
So only 1500 odd Tottingham fans saw it. You happy few. A few reports have trickled in and they all match the misery we imagined when listening. The reality that a noble few are determined to gloss over is the fact that playing second string players makes for third rate viewing and in this case …abject failure.
It’s just not the Tottingham way. Just like grinding out 1-0’s aren’t either. I predicted 0-0 and did so with a heavy heart. Bloody Stoke ferchrissakes. But no, I am told it is good for us to give the yoofsters out.
Cod liver oil is good for you too and as it is equally grim on the palate the overwhelming majority folk avoid it like the plague.
I have to ponder where we could end up if we extend the logic on all this. ‘It’s only the Europa, it’s only the Carling, it’s just the FA Cup’… Having an old fashioned football is going out of fashion. Players want £200k a week and then are goaded at gunpoint away from their mansions; away from scantiliy clad hypnotizing hookers writhing on water beds with jelly beans nestled in their belly buttons, past fleets of exotic cars in order they ‘run about a bit’ …in a TV studio.
Eventually football matches will be decided . Presented by soulless lady-boys like Georgie Thompson and Ben Shepherd eyes glazed will host a game not dissimilar to Top Trumps. Maybe a quick fire question round.
‘Wayne, who was …Sir Matt Busby?!’
*silence the he grins awkwardly some dribble appears at the corner of his mouth* ‘Could do with a fag… errrr was him what did them adverts for the telephone in the 70’s?’
The camera cuts to Alan Hansen, ‘Noo, THAT’S shocking!’ *canned laughter*
Categories will include Boot Sponsor Value, Japanese Incontinence Towel Advert Revenues and Bodily Organ Upgrade Points reflecting that players have so much cash that they now opt to install better organs to enhance their game. You know, like those old computer driving games where you won cash on each race and could then upgrade your wheels or your suspension.
And so the Carling door shuts and what have we learned? Well, all those who are glad we are no longer in the competition have taken another step closer to a Top Trump Footy utopia.
Pav and Gomes have really been treated badly by Harry and it’s clearly effecting their performances.
Problem is that If Adebayor gets injured we’ll need Pav.
Freidel is 40 – how many years will he give us, 2? then what? Gomes is still IMHO a better keeper than Robbo.
On the bright side it actually looks like we have a youth policy – we seem to have the best group of young players we’ve had in years.
Treated badly? Gomes and Pav (and GDS) are their own worst enemies; none have a divine right to play in the first team. Are you seriously saying Pav should play in the PL ahead of Adebayor, or even Defoe.
As for Gomes, considering how few games he has (thus far) been dropped for, and what he (arguably) cost the us last season, needs to have a serious word with himself. All his performance yesterday evening did is underline HR’s decision to ommit him from PL action this far
Agree about Gomes – he was at fault for the last six games of last season at least.
Pav doesn’t seem to care no more…
Both have had chances – agree ole HR has treated Pav badly (not Gomes) but shouldn’t make a difference – pay packet still the same ?
The jury’s still out on GDS as he has been systematically dissed for over 4 years – I’d like him to be given at least 10-15 games for him to start in before deciding….
Is there an echo in here?
Sorry, say that again…..?
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the cups at White Hart Lane….many times. I’d prefer cups anyday. But none of us here on this blog (or in the stands at WHL) have influnece over what drives the game these days. And sadly what drives the game in Europe is the CL and the TV money it generates. If we want to win cups consistently ( as an aside the only team in top flight footie in England that won more silverwear than THFC for the 30 years since 1961 was Liverpool) we need a) more money to b) fund a biger top quality squad to c) get us back in the elite. Spurs were for 30 odd years one of the ‘Big 5’ (yesteryears equivalent of the Top 4) and it breaks my heart that we ain’t up there anymore. Winning the League cup is great and gives a buzz – but having seen my team amongst the best in England (and Europe on occassion) makes it hard to bear that we have seen better days. Yeah…I want my kids and grandkids to see Spurs win trophies…but I also want them to feel how I did in the 60s/70s/ 80s following a team that was considered by lesser clubs as “their cup final” when we played them. I want them to know what it is like when Spurs have some clout / are THE club to play for when the top players become available. I want my Tottenham back – like it or not to get that we need to be in the Champions League in order to regain our STATUS!
Wise words.
While i do agree with most of what you say, i dont think we need to improve our squad to win a domestic cup.
Why did Harry not replace Pav with Kane? Why did Harry not take off Dos Santos or Livermore and replace with Cristian Cebellos?
Ceballos who has the potential to be Spurs most creative player was on the bench. He looks a different class to Livermore.
There is no way that Livermore looks a top four player. He is more suited to a lower side like Wolves or Swansea.
Ceballos, Carroll and Pritchard are all creative midfielders with potential. Better to get rid of Dos Santos and Pav who do not care about the club.
So let me get this straight, we spend half the time moaning about how we ‘dont rotate our squad’ how we ‘dont see much of the youth players’ and when the oportunity comes round to blood them in a string of competitive matches they get criticism? We as fans really need to take a step back sometimes! 1) The europa league is prime time to play a young team against the likes of Hearts, PAOK and Shamrock, who are no where near the standard we play week in week out, I was very impressed with Carroll, Kane, Dawkins and Livermore in these games and think they deserve to carry on to gain good experience. Its not about it being too early to rest players, its about using the games effectively to give the younger players and those coming back from injuries competitive game time.
We as fans never seem to be happy!
Carry on as you were Mr Redknapp, squad rotation is key.
I agree wholeheartedly, what my moan is the selection of supposedly ‘1st teamers’, such as Pav, Gomes and GDS, who didn’t appear to want to be out there or if they did, should’nt have been. If we’re to play our youth players, keep them as a unit and support the team and the logic behind that selection.But a hotch-potch of those fallen from grace and those who are up and coming, doesnt work. In fact I’d suggest those mentioned by their demeanor alone would be detrimental to the younger players education.
Squad rotation with an underlying strategy is the key .. seems to working for the Manks… Still it is looking good for the NDP (2-3 years) and the training ground is another part of the financial of the team too… so it is good to see us moving forward in a number of directions… All good
oops Financial growth of the team…
I am so looking forward to a time when we have a predominantly young team with no injuries that have a vareity of positions they can play. Mix this with the ability to switch formations match players to nullify opposition and above all have the capacity to be able to field two full strenth teams at any time with youth players capable of filling gaps in the case of injuries(as they do not have to be in the 25 man squad list).