Good morning.
The FA Cup. The Budweiser FA Cup. The Third Round Proper off said competition. Triffic. But will it be? Forget the dismal prospect of one of Arry’s cut and shunt sides being fielded. I’m talking atmosphere.
The West Brom game atmosphere was frequently morgue-like. Despite all the good on the pitch it appears to be an uphill task to generate much off of it.
My joy of watching Spurs at The Lane over the years has ebbed away. Talking to a pal of mine who made the trip to Swansea made me quite jealous of what they have down there. The signing and ‘continental’ chanting from all around The Liberty was simply brilliant.
Newcastle United may have bored us all to with an inch of lives telling us what passionate fans they are; but again the atmosphere at Sid James’ Park against Manchester United was extraordinary.
I can’t ever remember experiencing an atmosphere as naff at an away game as some of the home ones I’ve been to. Readers may have grasped I adopt a zero tolerance on those that seek to gain some dellusional oneupmanship for being regulars at games: so the fact that these clowns brag about hogging a seat whilst being mute pretty much says it all.
If you are attending this afternoon, be a love, buck the trend …and make some bloody noise.
I was rehearsing with ODM and used the line there that fans like me appear to have found their place. Tartan rug on lap, behind glass in a museum. Cups are officially yesterday’s bananas and it’s all about the League.
Well, the way I see it Jimmy Greaves treated himself to a pair of new knees for his 70th birthday. Yett players these days are no longer playing on fields you wouldn’t send a horse out on. They aren’t kicking medicine balls about. Most aren’t smoking a pack a day and having a nip of gold watch at half time.
So when it comes to playing twice a week, don’t coming knocking at my door with some feeble cobblers about being tired. You bore me. What are they on? Thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy grand a week? Get on with it.
If Arry want’s to keep on eye on the Everton game on Wednesday night then he needs open up against Cheltenham with a genuinely strong side and scale it back if we click through the gears and get a goal or two. Opening up with his better players on the bench, ‘in event of an emergency’ is a half witted approach.
BIOYCTC!
First – Yippee!
Furst
Sorry, I dont agree with you. Our priority should be the Everton game, giving us the opportunity to field a team full of squad players today.
If players are good enough for our squad, then they are surely good enough to progress to the next round in a home game against a lower league side.
My team today would be…
Gomes
Corluka
Dawson (Capt)
Bassong
Rose
Lennon
Livermore
Kranjcar
Pienaar
Dos Santos
Pavlyuchenko
Bench
Cudicini
Kaboul
Walker
Carroll
Fredericks
Falque
Defoe
This team should be good enough to win comfortably, and will give those who are looking to move on the chance to put themselves in the shop window.
Lennon to play 60 mins – Falque 30 mins; Dawson to play 90 mins;
4-0 to the mighty Spurs!
agree – its not as if we’re playing a top prem team – we have players who need game time and players who need rest.
Walker is a youngster in his first full prem season and shouldnt be overrused. We are massively dependent on Ade as we dont have a direct replacement so he shouldnt be risked, Parker has had a knock and has never lasted a full season so why risk him? etc etc
To be honest I have a far greater sense of anticipation about Weds and whether we can maintain our league form.
It’s like you’ve read my mind with that squad!
You cant compare Newcastle – Man utd, to Tottenham – West Brom.
Its hard to get up for them sort of games. Especially when they come and put 9 men behind the ball. Its true that the atmosphere has gone down in football, but I still think weve got the best support of the bigger clubs.
Totally agree, plus the added frustration of watching the opposition immediately set up to defend 0-0.
Agree with this too. Other ‘big’ clubs have actually failed to sell out games recently, including the Manchester Deby tomorrow.
West Brom was a cold and windy night and I must admit I was happier to watch the game on a stream.
There has always been a better atmosphere/support for away games, thats nothing new.
West Brom was a cold and windy night and I must admit I was happier to watch the game on a stream.
Tommy Huddlestone, is that you, mate? :-D
hundredstone if you please, now where’s that ketchup?
Play a second string side from biginning to end. Why on earth risk losing any more players through injury when, even though unlikely, it’s possible, with 2 or 3 additions, we could actually win the league?
So we throw this tournament as well then?
It’s Cheltenham, not Chelsea.
Exactly, B-side needed for this one. It’ll also be a chance to see what squad players are worth hanging on to.
HFH; if we cant do Cheltenham with our second string we dont deserve to progress