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End of the Binary Code

For a while back there, I seriously thought Tottenham were caught up in some weird Catholic conspiracy involving any number below 2.  After the floods of goals, everything went 1-1 and 1-0.

The Riot Act

With a string of passes and one finish that beat Marcus Hahnemann, Spurs had beaten Reading for a rare away win.  More surprising was Tottenham getting a win at all with the long string of draws that they have been achieving.  Perhaps there will be more stringing the fans along during a summer of speculation.

Drawing A Line Under The Season

Another 1-1 draw saw Spurs allow Bolton a vital point in their bid for Premier League survival and in the process take our unbeaten (and unwinning) run to four matches.  Hardly title winning form, but then that hasn't been on the agenda for a long time.

Not that the football was that bad, as the sun on our faces helped make the lack of three points easier to bear, as it signals a summer of haggling and money spent, of which some has been shelled out already.

What’s The Point ?

You could almost have predicted the outcome of Tottenham’s game at the JJB Stadium before the match took place.  In fact, rotten at predicting as I am, that is exactly what I did on the MEHSTG website.  It is a bit like a film you have seen before where you know that there will be a happy ending for someone.  And further to that, it might be worth a punt on the last three Spurs games finishing 1-1.

Stumbling Over The Finish Line

How often do we hear the phrase “It’s a marathon, not a sprint” ?  Too often, but on London Marathon day it might have more than a ring of familiarity with the tail end of Tottenham Hotspur’s season.

Communication Breakdown

Isn’t it funny when a player speaks exclusively to the club website ? I mean, we all know that ghost writers pen their auto-biographies, but do they do their entries on the website too ? That looked to be the case when Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane had a stand up row in the middle of Ewood Park in what sparked up what looked like a game dying a slow and lingering death.

Thieving Magpies

Well, British Summer Time is here and don’t the Spurs players just know it ??  All that was missing today were a few deckchairs and some sun-tan lotion as the players basked in the spring sunshine and the glory of their League Cup win.

But hold on ... that was five weeks ago and is now approaching ancient history.

Sudden Impact

You might think that it was a suitable idea for a Hollywood script.  Football star makes big money move to big club.  Finds himself out of favour.  Comes on in game tied at nil-all.  Scores goal to break deadlock and then sets up a second goal a minute later.

But for Darren Bent it is real life and comments he has been accredited as making over the Easter weekend indicate that he might not be satisfied with the role he is being given to play.

Grant us three wishes

Once Chelsea regarded a trip to Three Point Lane as a merry jaunt to North London and much was as normal for them with 80 minutes gone and having taken a 4-3 lead after Tottenham had fought back to 3-3 from 1-3 down.

But what happened in the last five minutes may yet come back to haunt them and signal a change in fortune for Spurs.

Waving the Flag

It’s not event he fact that it was Mark Clattenburg that was officiating in this game that I was filled with ire at the end of it.  Not even that he was accompanied by two flag bearing (I won’t say waving, as they failed to do so when required) men in black, somewhat inadequately described as “assistants”.  It was the performance of the team that really got to me.

Missing the Spot

So, Spurs follow in the long line of English sides before them to fail at the 12 yard mark.

Is there shame in that ?  Well, not really, as it is all a bit of a lottery.  One scuffed shot, one piece of good fortune by the goalkeeper in deciding which way to jump.  Then you are out before you know it.

But there is much to look forward for next season’s attempt to go further.

Duvet Day

With a sleepy looking West Ham defence, Tottenham took full advantage and looked a prime example of what "Big" Ron Atkinson would call the "Wide Awake Club" as they raced into a quick lead and then just when the tired Irons were hoping to hear the sound of the whistle to end their bad dream, the Spurs fringe men hit late goals to catch the visiting defence napping once more.

End of the Road

It was a simple case of after the Lord Mayor’s Parade for Tottenham as an under-strength side took the field to play a determined Birmingham City side who wanted the points more than Spurs.  How the rest of the relegation threatened teams will view the performance by the Tottenham team remains to be seen.

No Luck, Just Magic Juande

The BBC website ran a story this week about how many superstitions Spurs Head Coach Juande Ramos has.  Perhaps he relies on the Napoleon dictum of “Don’t bring me good generals, bring me lucky ones.”

But there is more to Juande Ramos than good fortune.

Down The Dip

A visit to Derby County is not one of the trips that always fills Spurs with glee, as they are the sort of team that invariably rob points off us when we feel (in that oh, so superior way that other fans think Spurs fans are thought to live their lives) we ought to pick up without turning up.

Rattled

In some matches over the last nine years, a point against Manchester United may have been deemed a good result, but with a trademark equaliser in the 94th minute, the visitors robbed Spurs of a well-deserved victory that almost saw the Premier League champions so rattled that the toys were flying out of the pram.

Stuck For Goals

Now it’s not like Tottenham to keep a clean sheet, but then neither is it like them not to score either.  But then with new singing Jonathan Woodgate having a storming game in the middle of the defence on his debut, perhaps tightening up at the back with some big spending during the transfer window has been Ramos’ priority and is this the first fruits of his outlay ?

Up Dawson's Creek

With another match at Old Trafford with no more luck than a ball three yards over the goal-line not being given as a goal, Spurs assisted United to their win with some errors and while not quite the architects of their own demise, they were certainly site managers.

Second Best

For too long, Spurs have had to cede to the North London interlopers in who has had the upper hand in this part of the world.  It wasn’t always this way, as in the 1970s things were fairly even, but the 80s saw Spurs take some of the bragging rights.  Since then, it has mainly been the red side who have been in the ascendancy.  One win in the League Cup semi-final does not change that around overnight, but the manner in which the victory came and the sheer size of it has made a ripple across the game that indicates that the side are making strides under Juande Ramos.

Beginning To End

From the first minute to the last, this game had goals, it was just all the frustration in between that brought a Spurs crowd to the edge of a heart attack, let alone their seats.  A goal in the second minute and then one from the end of time don't really explain what went on in between as Spurs beat Sunderland.

Perhaps That's Why They Call It ...

With 24 points in the bag so far this season, there are still 16 needing to be collected before we can reach the first target of every season.  Premiership safety.

Facing Chelsea twice in the space of about six weeks means that there are six less points to fight for, as Gypsy Ken Bates' curse of the electric fence lingers on.

Football On Ice

Is it an ironic coincidence that my bottle of bubbly for the October Fan of the Month award should arrive the morning after the night before, when Spurs lost a late equaliser to Arsenal in the League Cyup semi-final first leg ?

Does this indicate the need to put it on ice once more, as we have done before when facing the South London Wanderers ?

SQUARING THE CIRCLE

With a point looking on the cards from a tough visit to Villa Park, the conceding of a corner spelled more danger than Spurs fans would have liked to imagine, but the action replay of so many goals we have let in this way this season condemned us to another defeat.

A TEN(S) TIME

With the true meaning of Christmas being to fill your boots with as much food and booze as you can and then to fill your bags with as many bargains in the sales that you can, it was quite a relief to get away from all this excess by attending Spurs v Reading at White Hart Lane.

Rules Are There To Be Broken

For once, the law of the ex failed to surface and it was probably just as well, with so many former Tottenham players in the Fulham line-up.  With Murphy, Simon Davies and Paul Konchesky all starting, it had a goal from one (or all) of them written all over the afternoon's proceedings, but it failed to happen and it was Spurs who eased to three points without much threat from the visitors.

Boots and other feet

What a difference a week makes.  Last week it was Robbie Keane seeing red, as Spurs lost out to Birmingham in the last minute and this week an opponent is sent off, with Tottenham taking the three points.  Oh, if only Rob Green had been sitting in the stand for over half of the West Ham match !!

Dowd By Law

While Tottenham Hotspur proceed to give charitable donations to the needy of the Premiership Parish, it appears that not everything that comes wrapped up in red at this time of year is to be welcomed.  As Christmas approaches ever rapidly, perhaps THFC should add a “helping hand” to their present list, as most other sides seem to be getting one this season.

The Life of Riley

Of all the refs in all the world, why is it we are the only club who seem unable to demand that Mike Riley does not take charge of our matches ?

Hit and Miss

When you're down at the bottom, Lady Luck seems to take a vacation to the upper echelons of the table and from the way things have been going for Spurs lately, it looks like that might be a long holiday.

Take Laughing Stock

No-one can think they have seen everything in football ... especially when the Spurs board push back the barriers of all that is decent, truthful and honest with a show of disdain for what a honourable man had achieved before sacking him ... then asking him to manage the Tottenham team, just for old time's sake.

Nutty (and) Slack

For all of people's insistence that Tottenham are irresistable going forward, it is a spotlight on the defence which is showing up the cracks in the side which is bleeding points at the moment.

Stranger Things Have Happened

The last week have seen some amazing scenes.  The 125th Birthday celebration that saw us rise from the dead to earn a 4-4 draw with Villa amid manic scenes and then the unbridled joy of the Anorthosis supporters as they scored against Spurs ... although that is not such an unusual thing these days.

Who needs Mourinho?

... when we've got Martin Jol ... well, for the time being anyway.

The constant speculation about all and every manager in the universe is getting wearing for Spurs fans and I guess fans of other clubs (although some will feel it is great entertainment).

So Far, but yet so close

With another in the long line of defeats to top four clubs, Spurs showed there is still a way to go to reach the hallowed turf of that status.  But exactly how far is there to go ?

CRAVEN FOR A BETTER TIME

With a few days to ponder over the happenings of the final third of Saturday's game, unlike a fine wine, it still gets no better with time.

Decisions, Decisions

It's not the refereeing performance that disappoints me about the weekend's game at Old Trafford, more the decision the previous week to fly the board to Sevilla to meet with Juande Ramos.

Ewe Should Be Worried

I don't know whether Derby COunty were being particularly sheepish on Saturday at White Hart Lane, but they ended up being shorn of three points by an impressive opening fifteen minutes when Spurs rammed home their advantage. (Enough of the sheep puns already !!)

Sticky Toffees

Sorry, the link to the third Everton goal should be "see here"

Sticky Toffees

While the much vaunted Tottenham front line fail to fire on all cylinders, the back line go from Keystone Kops to pure criminal defending as the team suffer their second loss of the season.  But not all is lost, even though six points are.

The side are not proving the forwards with enough supply to capitalise on, thus leaving the midfield lots of work to track back and the defence a lot of attacks to fend off.  The lack of width means Spurs end up playing narrower than the margin between success and failure.  It was about the width of a post in the second half, when Berbatov’s header crashed off the post.  If it had gone in, it might have made for an interesting last 40 minutes.

Not to deny that Everton, who stick to their task, deserved to win, but Tottenham’s contribution to their cause was considerable.  Two minutes in and a free header when Lescott escaped the marking of Gardner to nod home gave us a lot of chasing to do.  While Everton had a good opening spell and Spurs struggled to keep up, they did get back into the game when Gardner made amends with his header.

Unfortunately, when Rocha managed to deny Anichebe a scoring chance, it fell to Osman, who was alone in the area to smash home.  You can’t help but think that Dawson would have been there to block his effort had he been playing.  By this time, Kaboul joined two other central defenders and three left backs on the injured list.  Rocha did OK, but when Halsey gave a free kick quite harshly (see here), then Stubbs’ free kick was well covered until it hit Zokora and left Robinson flat-footed.

The second half saw both sides have scoring opportunities.  Robbo denied Andy Johnson on three occasions, while Howard made a fine save from Defoe’s far post shot and dominated anything in the air in his box.

But despite the boos and the calls of Jol Out on the phone in shows, things are still in the balance.  As Jol stated, it is not the start he would have chosen, but then the two sides we have played have had a bit of luck and taken the chances that came their way, while we have not enjoyed either of those benefits.  It is something we need to change quickly, as Derby will be well organised and full of closing down on Saturday, just the sort of opponents Spurs do not do well against.

I can’t get as worked up by things at the Lane as others seem to.  Whether that doesn’t make me as “passionate” as them for not booing or more pragmatic as I have seen most of this before, I am not sure.  I prefer to take the longer view.  Give it a few games and then see where we are, as many seem to have forgotten that although we have spent a lot of money strengthening the side, so has everyone else.

Wyart Lane

Rooney in metatarsal trouble

Wayne Rooney suffered a fractured metatarsal injury (he thought that was what wiped out the dinosaurs) in Manchester United's opening fixture against Reading.  Perhaps he will spend some more time with P Diddy and his other hip-hopping mates now he can't stand on one foot for long !!

Toon Barmy

I saw a comment from a Newcastle fan on another website saying Jol will be sacked at the end of the season if we don’t get CL football, as he has spent £100 million in the last three years.  What a laugh. 
Newcastle have wasted money left right and centre in their side and haven’t had a sniff of anyone else’s success let alone their own and with new owners Allardyce might have one season’s grace, but come next season, he will be expected to deliver. 

Jol has the backing of the board and the majority of the fans ... all except those who like to take the bizarre view that because he has got us to fifth place two seasons running, he should now be securing the Quadruple in the Tottenham trophy cabinet (where’s the key again ?).
Luckily, I believe that Daniel Levy takes the long view.  We are building for the future, as well as the here and now.

Look at the young talent being assembled.  Alright, you never know what development players might make or injuries they may suffer, but this summer alone, THFC have bought Darren Bent, Younes Kaboul, Gareth Bale, Yuri Berchiche, Kevin-Prince Boateng (or TPWFPFHB = The Player Who Formerly Played For Hertha Berlin), Adel Taarabt and Danny Rose.  All ones for the future, but if they are good enough, what about using them now ?  Taarabt is very skilful, but needs to learn about where and when to do his tricks and that he has defensive duties too.
Bent, Kaboul and Bale are all first team players already, Boateng not far off that, but Berchiche and Rose are the interesting ones.  Both with years ahead of them and with Rose already being given a first team squad number, he looks to be ahead of the Spaniard, who took Player of the Tournament award in an international club competition that our U18 side won. 
Put these names together with Huddlestone, Lennon, Dawson, Alnwick, Dervite, Mills, Barnard, O’Hara, Defoe, Pekhart, Dawkins and if you go further into the Academy, Alex Olsen, Terry Dixon, Andros Townsend and David Hutton.

Tell you what.  After yesterday things might have been bad, but in a couple of years the Spurs side will be brilliant.  You might win nothing with kids, but when they grow up, who knows !!

Wyart Lane

Crossed by a Black Cat

I have not been as upset by a performance for a long time.  It was poor in comparison to standards Spurs exhibited pre-2005, let alone of the previous two.

With the midfield lacking creativity, it might mean more money spent to get someone in who can produce the “fantasy”, as the French say, of a Ginola, Hoddle or Waddle.  Not sure who the best option might be, but we have been looking at Kim Kallstrom of Lyon for about six years now, so perhaps it is tome to give him his chance.

Jenas fell over too easily and didn't get up.
Keane gave the ball away at almost every opportunity.
Berbatov looked disinterested and we might have to rethink who is going to play up front away from home if he has games like this, where he is dominated by two relatively inexperienced Premier League players.  I think he will leave at the end of the season if we don’t get Champions League football, but we need him to shoot the goals for us to get there.

Too many players didn’t perform to the best of their abilities and it looked like they felt Sunderland were there for the taking … which they were.  It is just we couldn’t take them.

To me, it’s a lot about tempo.  We were too slow and conceded too much possession when we were not under pressure. 
The build up let the home players get back behind the ball and then we gave the ball away.  Not having a decent shot on goal until the 88th minute is fine if it goes in and is the only goal of the game, but when it doesn’t and they get one six minutes later, it looks bad.  It looks like another season where we might need to be three goals ahead before we can even think about getting a point.

Perhaps that is a bit unfair as we were without three left backs, a winger and two centre-halves and had two players limping in defence by the end, but the whole idea of splashing the cash was to build a strong enough squad to stand the ravages of injury and suspension.  I thought that was for January-April, not for the first game of the season !!