In retrospect, taking two points away at Villa and Everton do not signal the end of our hunt for a top _ spot (did I just jinx us?). Everton grew a pair and gave it to us in the end. Plain and simple. We retreated, and what was to follow was our demise. Every Spurs fan knew it. Harry knew it. The players knew it.

But that’s the problem. The players and Harry both knew it. Why? They expected it. That worries me.

But as I said before, it’s not the end of our campaign. We have a few matches ahead which are definitely the squad’s to lose. If you think that we, the fans, have been gutted by Everton’s comeback, imagine the players. We have to show faith and believe that the boys don’t want that to happen again. We also have to pray that it doesn’t happen anytime soon.

Many fans seem to be excited about Modric coming back into the squad, as we all should be. Should we lay all of the pressures of success on his tiny shoulders? Of course not. Will his return be the boost of confidence needed for us to pursue that _th spot? Possibly, but only if the rest of the players want it to be. We cannot expect our squad to beat up on the likes of Chelsea, Man U or the French if we are to depend on any one player. The squad as a whole have to pull together confidently and work as an impenetrable unit. Especially after comfortably leading a match with 2 goals in hand.

COYS!

Back of the Net have bid £7.6m for Tottenham Hotspur Midfielder Luka Modric. If this bid is successful Thomas Rosicky will be returned to the Transfer List.

Bidding for this player will close at 19:00 GMT on Friday.

To table bids for the player submit a comment to this article informing the league of your bid, your team name and the player you wish to sell. All other managers are entitled to submit a bid for this player.

Bids must be in blocks of 100K, you can bid higher than the next 100k increment. E.g. Player 1 bids 6.3, but Player 2 then counters with a 6.9 bid to ensure he scares off other managers.

on your feet lad

Today’s match report is going to be important; and on the back of some over zealous rating by myself after last week’s game; today’s will be a minute by minute match report. Aston Villa will be welcoming us to Villa Park, and on the back of our 9-1 win will be aiming to take us lot down a peg or two.

Importantly they are a team that we have struggled against away in the past and with the strength in the wide areas of their pitch could offer our tentative fullbacks plenty of food for thought today. Whilst Modric isn’t back yet many fans are slightly perturbed by the suggestion by Redknapp that he’s looking to change the setup for the away day.

Many cries of; ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it!’ and ‘Keano doesn’t do anything anymore’, will be met with the likely appearances of Jenas and Keano respectively. Whilst this seems like madness on the part of the gaffer; the only way competition for places will be if we aim to keep certain important players at the club rather than replacing them every time they feel they’re not achieving much playing time, then we will definite benefit from the continuity of our success.

A win today would definitely put us in a great position to receive Manchester City in a couple of weeks time, who may offer us the most threat, (other than ourselves of course), to achieving the aim of a top four finish this season. Aston Villa would love to be the villains today in relation to our title hopes, but in my eyes if we keep our concentration up and cauterize the threat posed by Villa on the wings and up top, we should be able to enjoy continued success.

Players to look for today; Kranjcar, Defoe and Lennon who certainly impressed last week aswell as Gomes who’s consistancy at the moment is great. Roll on 3 o clock.

A tear-jerker image from the Tottenham website. Happy to see him training again.

liquid awesome

When we went out of our way to make a move for Niko at the end of the summer window; most people saw the purchase as a shrewd move in backing up lynchpin Luka. However despite the absence of Modric, Kranjcar has found very limited time on the pitch despite being a perfect ‘fit’ for the role.

Much can be made of the suggestion that Redknapp values Robbie’s influence on the pitch so much that he overlooked Kranjcar for the time being. On his performance against Wigan, (despite the other distractions that game had to offer) you can’t help but feel that playing Robbie in his position is somewhat shortsighted when you consider that Niko can simply do it better; and with another avenue to explore in attack the confidence that is installed in the players at the moment is certainly something we should be looking to maintain.

However, this weekend could very well see the return of Modric himself which could mean one of two things; firstly that Kranjcar returns to the bench for the time being; (which I believe personally is pretty unlikely), or we’ll have to rejig the system to incorporate both talented Croatians. Whether this would mean a fluid role for both, switching from wingplay to attacking midfield, (I’m hoping in the absence of Jenas) could really be something that would excite the Spurs faithful. If this is the case; then Huddlestone also finds himself in a bit of a quandary as it’s fair to say that when looking at the team sheet, he’ll find himself hard pressed to usurp Palacios, Lennon, or Crouch/Keane for a place.

If only we were allowed 12 players! For me though, Krancjar seriously has to get more game time, as his quality is something which I always tend to find myself comparing to Berbatov, which is a joy that we’ve repressed since his acrimonious departure to Manchester.

In other assorted newsy bits. It’s all gone a bit quiet on the western front in relation to Joe Jordan’s possible move to take over as the Scotland manager. Whilst some of you might say; ‘who?’, this fiery scot is one of the member of backroom staff which for me is invaluable in our recent turn of fortunes as he seems like a seriously ‘to the point’ kind of guy. Fingers crossed he won’t be heading anywhere, but the lack of any official statement to suggest that he would shy away from a move might be an indictment of his possible plan.

The transfer wagon has also started rolling again and whilst at this stage any links without specific insider knowledge backing them up are indicative of lazy hacks with a penchant for annoying us yids, I’ll be taking a closer look at some proposed targets in the near future to give you the low down.

Here’s some light viewing to keep you occupied.

aight

All the results went our way yesterday; so one can assume using Jenas’ law that the odds are the we’ll be running into a little trouble today against Lancashire’s finest custodians of the game. (On the assumption that Blackburn have turned into something resembling a pile of detritus.)

There’s no trick to this one really; a solid performance all across the field should result in a victory that will consolidate our position in the top four; atleast for the time being. Everyone will begin to wonder who this Harry Redknapp is, where he keeps his wand and why he’s been hiding around shoddy third rate clubs up until this point.

Whilst it can be argued that we were one of those underachievers before he came over; the sheer fact that we’re a sustainable club with a few pennies in the coffers seemed to suggest that this was a match made in heaven for Redknapp, and hopefully England’s world cup fortunes prevailing, we’ll be able to keep hold of him for a good amount of time.

In relation to today’s match; Lennon could play a part, as well as Bassong. Though after Ireland’s mid week runout one would hope that sense would prevail and that Keane would maybe make the bench today allowing Kranjcar to display some of his talents from the off. Jenas and Huddlestone could possibly make some kind of contribution to the midfield too; though I imagine a tried and tested four-four-two would limit all of them starting, and as such this would be built around the style of play that we’ll be bringing to the lane today.

Wigan won’t roll over; and players like Scharner and Roddellega will be thorns in our sides today; as they often seem to have something that many of our players lack at times; which is that killer instinct and will to succeed underlying the basic tenants of their game.

A decisive victory would warm up the engine before Modric’s mooted return next week. Let’s give the pundits something to think about.

Time to get back into posting action.

I can’t seem to shake the feeling that we had kicked off the international break looking a bit unsettled. We’ve come a long way since our first few games of the season. Confidence and resilience, along with all other words ending with “ences” were evident. Down 1-0, no problem. We were confident enough to come back and score 2 in the matter of minutes. But where has all that resilience gone?

Top 4 blows

Obviously, not including Liverpool in this equation, simply because we handled them really well. A dominant display which was a major confidence boost for the boys. You couldn’t help but feel that the squad felt somewhat invincible leading up to our fixtures against Chelsea and Man U. We kicked off the season – first 5 matches (league & cup) to be exact – with no losses and no draws for the first time in approximately 40 years.

Then we went to Arsenal. The hardest loss to swallow simply because we didn’t show up to play. We showed up to get beat.

Modric

I miss him! I can’t say it enough! His creative input is a key component to our success. Even when subbed off (once or twice – can’t remember), he still was a handful for our opponents to deal with. Not having his creative input has definitely slowed down our attack and if we were following the methodology of “attacking is the best defense”, then we’re in trouble. Our attacking hasn’t been much of a threat in recent times.

Thankfully, Kranjcar was a steal at the price we paid and he has done well filling in for little Modders.

Player Selection

I will never know why Harry selects players the way that he does… sometimes. Nor am I a professional  analyst to justify or butcher why he would play Jenas on the left wing. But I just don’t get it.

The 3 Match Ban

Defoe cost us big. We managed to lose at home to Stoke, then went to the Emirates and were humiliated (post first 40 minutes of the match). 3 matches… 2 losses. Thanks JD!

Keane

Read my thoughts in Captain Keane… where are you?

So there you have it folks. A few reasons for our slight dip in form. Glue it together ‘Arry. And I don’t mean Super Glue it… I mean use some of that real sticky, intense industrial stuff!

Tomorrow will see Premier League Clubs gather to – hopefully once and for all (but I very much doubt it) – clear up this whole two-tier idea for England’s top division.

The meeting is to be held on account of Gartside’s proposal of a two-tier Premier League, with the possibility of Celtic and Rangers adjoining the new structure should it go ahead.

Miles Davis once said about change: “If anybody wants to keep creating they have to be about change.”

Not sure if thats the slogan Phil Gartside, Bolton’s chairman, is running with – more like, “I wanna stop being smashed 5-1 away to Aston Villa, let alone Chelsea. I just want my team to be on a winning streak for once!”

Do we need change? Apart from Celtic and Rangers, who else would benefit?

There is the argument that the top league in England isn’t as competitive as we think.

It’s the same top four each year, it’s either Man United or Chelsea won end up winning it.

But I shall throw a spanner in that argument and say what about Manchester City and their billions, their 4-2 win over Arsenal, their narrow defeat to United at Old Trafford?

What about ‘Arry’s Spurs? 4th in the table, and with the Croatian wizard Luka Modric to return of injury, who’s to say they won’t finish there come May?

And say we break into a two-tier division. No more occasions when Ferguson’s men get taken down a few pegs by Burnley, or Liverpool losing to Fulham, or Wigan revealing Chelsea are human after all.

The meeting will take place between 1100-1400 and will also discuss the Premier League’s current sponsorship deal with Barclays.

Back of the Net have bid £7.1m for Tottenham Hotspur Midfielder Luka Modric. If this bid is successful Florent Malouda will be returned to the Transfer List.

Bidding for this player will close at 20:00 GMT on Friday.

To table bids for the player submit a comment to this article informing the league of your bid, your team name and the player you wish to sell. All other managers are entitled to submit a bid for this player.

Bids must be in blocks of 100K, you can bid higher than the next 100k increment. E.g. Player 1 bids 6.3, but Player 2 then counters with a 6.9 bid to ensure he scares off other managers.

what? we are!

We’ve all had a bit of time to mull over the not so shocking defeat at the Emirates. It wasn’t so shocking really was it? For a start; on the back of quotes attributed to Robbie Keane; our squad couldn’t stand up to that of Arsenal’s. At full strength perhaps we have players who are of a similar calibre, (Defoe/Van Persie, Modric/Arshavin and Woodgate/Gallas), but with a squad that seems to change uncontrollably due to the forced hand of Redknapp. Doesn’t really help when with the players that you do have, you make the error of selecting Huddlestone in a match where anchoring the midfield isn’t really going to do a lot of good. Kranjcar may have been able to bring Jenas into the game more; as well as keep the ball and run at Song and Diaby.

The fact that Robbie came out with such things when the squad was in such a weakened state either displayed a level of confidence that would belie a fall of embarrassing proportions especially when backed up by Harry just before the match. This shows a level of tact that (of course in hindsight) has given plenty of ammunition for gooner taunts for the foreseeable future. On a par with West Ham claiming to be at our level when their deficiencies are all too apparent. Whilst we’re on our way to becoming a force in the league; announcing our claim to divinity this early is a unilateral blooper of unprecedented proportions and something that will continue to taint our image in the general public for the foreseeable future.

What’s worse is that a predescribed ‘twinge’ that we all saw Bassong (one of the more consistent performers in the squad) at the end of the game leave the pitch with, is unfortunately a hamstring tear which will leave him out of the side for at least 4-5 weeks. The heartbreak continues.

What needs to be done though; is a short sharp kick in the arse of the majority of our squad; specifically the midfield duo who seem to isolate our wingers and forwards by moving very little during the game unless they feel that everyone else is ahead of them. It’s going to take a little bit of courage and creativity for us to look really dangerous going forward, as Keane and Crouch are never going to pose a threat with 6 players in front of them to get past. Sunderland are a team which could potentially take advantage of our linear approach to football; though thankfully they’re missing a couple of players which could potentially cause us alot of problems. Darren will have a point to prove though; and we all know how good he finishes when given the oppurtunity. Buckle up everyone.

Little more time for the caption competition; on the pre NLD post. Winner will be announced after the Sunderland game.

Well, it’s the morning after Halloween and I will assume that many of you, like myself, are nursing wicked hangovers. Therefore I’ll try to keep it simple – bright lights and big words are the enemies right now.

Football:

If this sight makes you drool, you might be a Scouser.

Fulham 3-1 Liverpool – Well, it seems that the scousers are back in the soup (see lobscouse), having been roundly trounced at Craven Cottage by ultra-defensive enemies of everyone, Fulham. Diomansy ‘Yes that is his name’ Kamara gave the home side an early lead on 24′, which Fernando Torres would cancel out (by virtue of a terrific volley) just before the half. The second half would begin inauspiciously, but in the final 20 minutes it all began to unravel for the visiting Reds. Substitute Erik Nevland restored the Cottagers’ lead on 73′, and Liverpool’s efforts to first back to level terms took a couple of swift successive blows when Jamie Carragher and Phillip Degen were sent off within two minutes of eachother. If that wasn’t enough, the killing blow would come on 87′, when Clint Dempsey netted again to put Fulham two up and send Scousers everywhere into fits of despair. Is it time to begin a Rafa Benitez unemployment countdown?

Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur – Well, the Spurs have made a positive enough start to this season under Harry Redknapp, but they weren’t good enough to beat an in-form Arsenal side at the Emirates Stadium in the North London derby this weekend. Robin van Persie bagged a brace, one on either side of the half (42′, 60′), while captain Cesc Fàbregas added his own goal just after the Dutchman’s first on 43′. Tottenham simply had no answer for the Gunner’s swift, fluid football – especially since they were missing the important trio of Aaron Lennon, Luka Modric and Jermain Defoe. Not a result that will much please ‘Arry, but at least Arsene Wenger had a banner evening; besides putting Arsenal right at the heels of United in the table, it was also the Frenchman’s 1000th point as a Premiership manager.

Chelsea 4-0 Bolton – Déjà vu, much? Yesterday’s victory was the second time in one week that the high-flying Blues have absolutely dismantled Bolton by a score of 4-0. Carlo Ancelotti’s side haven’t been scored upon since they dropped points against Aston Villa several weeks hence, but their opponents’ nets have been absolutely overflowing. Chelsea have established something of a rhythm of starting late, and stayed true to that form: Frank Lampard opened the scoring two minutes into first-half added time, and even then only on a spot kick after Jlloyd Samuel hauled down Didier Drogba in the penalty area. However, Chelsea would come to life in the second half, and the Wanderers were helpless to watch as Deco, then their own man Zat Knight and the finally Didier Drogba all found the back of the home side’s net. What utter destruction – next weekend’s fixture against Manchester United should be one to watch.

Manchester Utd 2-0 Blackburn – The Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov were on target for United as Ferguson’s men blew past the Rovers this weekend. It’s nice to see the oft-invisible Bulgarian show up for a match every once in a while, and he made his presence known early in the second half with a strike that put the Red Devils ahead on 55′. That lead would be enough to see them through to the dying moments of the game, when Wayne Rooney would add his name to the scoresheet and simply put the game out of the Rovers’ grasp.

Futbol:

Barcelona 1-1 Osasuna – If the last couple of weeks have shown us anything, it’s that Barcelona and Real Madrid, the Giants of Spanish football, are anything but invincible. Barcelona faltered yesterday in their quest for La Liga dominance, drawing away at Osasuna. The match was a fairly sparse affair with Seydou Keita only opening the scoring in the 72nd minute after some extended and very Barca-esque build-up. However, the night was not to be Barcelona’s, as deep into injury time Javier Camunas raced up the left flank and launched a low, hard cross across the mouth of the net. Gerard Piqué, rushing back to defend his goal, inadvertently collided with the end of the cross, deflecting the ball past a scrambling Victor Valdés and into the back of his own net. A hugely disappointing result for Barcelona, who seemed well on their way to 3 points until the unfortunate, and costly, error. Piqué’s couldn’t do much about it, and shouldn’t really be held responsible – but lord knows he will.

Higuain would make the difference for Madrid at the Bernabéu.

Real Madrid 2-0 Getafe – It is remarkable that despite every match being (at least) 90 minutes, and every match (starting, at least) with 22 players on the pitch, often it only takes one player and a very short spanse of time to completely change the course of a match. Such was the case in Real Madrid’s victory over Getafe at the Bernabéu, in which Gonzalo Higuaín scored twice in the span of 3 minutes to give his side a commanding lead over their visitors. Los Blancos were forced to play for the majority of the match with only 10 men after defender Raúl Albiol brought down Getafe striker Soldado on the edge of the penalty area. However, Higuaín’s efforts ensured that the 10-man Galacticos would nevertheless come away with 3 points – with Barcelona’s misfortune, Manuel Pellegrini’s men now trail by only 1 point.

Calcio:

Mazzarri's comeback kids celebrate their namesake.

Napoli 3-2 Juventus – Forget Partenopei. Forget Vesuviani. Forget Azzurri. Walter Mazzarri’s Napoli are the comeback kids. Behind Juventus 2-0 in Torino, with 30 minutes left in the game, most teams would simply lose hope – give up, close up shop and try not to concede any more goals. Not Napoli – or at least, not this reincarnated Napoli. A pair of goals from David Trezeguet and Sebastian Giovinco had seen Juventus get ahead of their visitors in the first hour of the encounter. Defensive errors had proven costly for the Southerners, as it was Matteo Contini’s mistake that provided Juventus with their second goal. However, the substitution of Jesús Alberto Dátolo for Hugo Campagnaro would revitalize Mazzarri’s side, and in the span of 6 minutes, the deadly combination of Marek Hamsik and Dátolo were able to draw their side level with La Vecchia Signora with 25 minutes left to play. This sudden leveling of scores seemed to have Ciro Ferrara’s men reeling, and they were very much on their back heels as they wondered what had happened to their comfortable lead – the tactician’s solution was to bring on Amauri, who did so well in i Bianconeri’s dismantling of Sampdoria in midweek. Unbelievably, it would be Napoli who would break the deadlock with just 9 minutes left in the match – it would be Hamsik who would grab his second of the evening, crashing a poorly cleared ball into the roof of the net and all but securing victory for his side. Juventus would come back to life in stoppage time, and seemed on the verge of undermining Napoli’s glorious comeback, but ultimately the only thing they would come away with would be a red card for their Caveman Brazilian striker Amauri, who went crashing headlong into Napoli keeper Morgan De Sanctis in hopes of equalizing, only to boot the netminder in the face and be sent off. A result which should have Napoli fans absolutely rapturous and should shut up Juventini quite nicely for the time being. Che bella partita!

Nice to have you back!

AS Roma 2-1 Bologna – He’s back, and we’re back. For now. It seems that Mirko Vučinić has finally found his lost form – the Montenegrin put in a man of the match performance this afternoon to ensure that Roma snapped their losing streak and grabbed all 3 points against lowly Bologna. It seemed like a familiar story – Roma had the lion’s share of the early chances and dominated the game from the outset, but it was Bologna who took the first lead in the match when Marco Di Vaio got behind the Giallorosso defense and set up Adailton for an easy tap-in on 32′. We’ve got no Francesco Totti, no Daniele De Rossi (suspended) and, it seems, no hope. Here’s where the story changes though; Roma didn’t roll over and die, but rather equalized not 3 minutes later when Mirko Vučinić found himself, the ball and a golden opportunity, and (this time) duly buried it. It was the first time in recent memory that Vuči has been what he should always be (except in the presence of Er Pupone): the best player on the pitch. Boy, did it make a difference. Jérémy Menez also had a good match, though he was anonymous at times; it would be his shot that would rebound out of the arms of Emiliano Viviano and straight into the path of Simone Perrotta, who buried the sitter. That’s right, Perrotta, King of doing the exact opposite of that, buried a sitter. I’ll give you a moment to let that sink in. Anyways, we won the match, and should take heart from it – Vuči had a good one, Menez had a good one, Mexes had a good one, heck even Motta had a good one. Let’s just hope the next few can be good ones too.

AC Milan 2-0 Parma – Another man who found this form this weekend was Milan’s Ronaldinho, who ran Parma ragged and provided Marco Borriello with both of the goals that would separate their squad from what has been an impressive Parma side this season. The first game in only the 12th minute, as ‘Dinho executed a masterful zigzagging run before slotting the ball through to Borriello, who coolly finished. That lead would last most of the match, but the pair weren’t finished yet, and deep into second-half injury time, Ronaldinho would send an arcing cross through the penalty area; Borriello, having acres of space, met the end of the pass with a perfectly timed bicycle kick, completing his brace and a solid afternoon for i Rossoneri. AC Milan now moves up to 4th place and it seems that Leonardo, whose job looked so imperiled just a few short weeks ago, has finally gotten into the swing of things. Good for Milanisti, I suppose.

Inter 2-0 Livorno – Inter was able to do this weekend what Roma couldn’t on Wednesday – beat a team that is seemingly destined for relegation, and do it comfortably at that. Diego Milito and Maicon found the back of the net for i Nerazzurri, the former scoring his second goal in 2 games since returning from injury. Gotta make up for lost time, right? With this victory, Jose’s men sit 7 points clear atop the Serie A table – same old, same old.

Fußball:

Bayern München 0-0 VfB Stuttgart – Mario Gomez’s return to his old Bundesliga stomping ground was a quiet affair, a goalless draw marked by very even play, despite the home side firing on all cylinders early at the Mercedes-Benz Arena. Neither side created any clear-cut chances, and so neither side was able to best the other.

Fuck. (AP Photo/Akira Suemori)

The typical Spurs performance of the last two seasons has been to play well against the big clubs and steal points, and struggle against the smaller ones, the ones Spurs should beat.

This season, things have been different. While Spurs have beaten Liverpool, they’ve lost to both Chelsea and Manchester United. All the while, they’ve taken points from every other game. Things seemed different this season. There was a feeling that they could content for the Top 4 just by beating the crap teams.

Unfortunately, Saturday was a return to form for Tottenham. Spurs lacked any semblance of creativity and eventually, it bit them in the ass.

Spurs seemed destined to score in the match. They controlled possession and had several attempts at goal, but could convert nothing. The squad was lacking a playmaker, namely Luka Modric. They played fairly well without him so far, but this was one match where it was painfully obvious he was needed.

Niko Kranjcar was unlucky when his first half shot got by the Stoke keeper and ricocheted of the post, but he disappeared in the second half, until extra time when he was taken down in the box and no penalty was called. It was a clear penalty, the Stoke defender didn’t touch the ball. But those fouls aren’t always called.

No one seemed able to create a shot for themselves, despite controlling possession. Time after time passes were made with no real urgency or purpose. The midfield passed the ball around looking for openings, but seemed content not to create one. Roman Pavyluchenko tried his hand at a few shots when he came on for Robbie Keane in the second half, hoping for the best, but not much came of it. Along with Modric, Jermain Defoe was missed today.

With JD’s suspension, Peter Crouch started the match up top with Keano. As skilled as Crouchy is, the temptation to put some air under the ball and aim for his head is too great when he’s on the pitch. And time after time possession was wasted by lofting it into the box and hoping for the best.

Woodgate made his first start of the season but left about 17 minutes in with some sort of injury. I’m not sure if it was a an aggravation of his groin injury or something different. Aaron Lennon also left the game in the second half and Spurs played with 10 men the rest of the way. No information has come out about either injury.

Saturday started off promising enough. With a win Spurs would sit at the top of the table for at least 24 hours. Instead fans suffered through an afternoon tease. Spurs controlled the game and never appeared to be tested, only to give up the winning goal late. Very disappointing game. We have reached a pivotal point in the season.

Recommended reading:

• Matchday: Spurs 2 – 1 Portsmouth
• Setanta Sports Picks Their Premiership Top 4
• Asia Trophy Final Matchday – Spurs v. Hull City
• Asia Trophy Matchday – Spurs v. West Ham United
• Wembley Cup Matchday – Spurs v. Celtic

'oww'

Good news/ bad news day today. Best to start off with the bad news I guess just to get it out of the way. Have a whiskey to settle your nerves.

Modric; who many were led to believe that could be running around our left-hand side once again is unfortunately feeling a bit of a twinge on his broken fibula. Whilst this is a major setback in regards to taking the gooners on in a week and a bit’s time; I certainly would rather have the wing wizard fit in the long term rather than turn into a Rosicky simply because we’re too reliant on the little guy. This of course might not be the case, and could perhaps be Harry trying to negate the pressure on his return for next week’s game. Only time will tell. The way Krancjar’s playing at the moment anyway; it’s safe to say that we won’t be deathly afraid of sending an attack up the left flank. Best wishes Luka, and get well soon buddy.

To take the edge off that; (feel free to have another snifter of your favourite single malt); the legend that is Johnathan Woodgate has played ninety minutes in the lilywhite and thusly could make a return to bolster an already top-notch back line. Another natural leader on the field as well offers not only a reinforcement for defensive set pieces; but also a role model for Charlie to sort his central game out with.

Also note that the new Football Manager comes out the day before the North London derby; I’ve played the demo for the new one and I can say that it is definitely worth the investment; especially if you’re a bit of an armchair manager like myself. Amazon do a copy here for 26 knicker with free delivery. Can’t really complain at that.

As much as I don’t want to say it, I feel like this may have been the week where the contenders separated themselves from the pretenders, or where the wheat finally separated itself from the chaff, if you will. It pains me, mostly because I’m an Arsenal fan but also because I’m desperate to see someone (ANYONE) other than ManU hoist that trophy, with as many changes in that top four oligarchy as possible – other than Arsenal’s place in it, of course.

Tottenham 1-3 Manchester United
1-0 Defoe, 1′
1-1 Giggs, 25′
1-2 Anderson, 41′
1-3 Rooney, 78′

So Tottenham playing well was a good thing for me, because, despite their heated rivalry with Arsenal, it was another team putting pressure on the biggies and they had the chance today to knock off the reigning champs. They failed, and big time. They opened the game in brilliant fashion with a laser of a bicycle kick from Jermain Defoe inside of the first 50 seconds putting the North London side up 1-0. But then United did what they always do – slow and steady to the finish line. In the 25th minute, Ryan Giggs curled in a free kick to knot the scoreline, and Anderson blasted one past Cudicini just before halftime to give ManU the lead for good. Paul Scholes had a typical Paul Scholes day, sliding into two dangerous tackles and earning himself a red card in the 59th minute. Being reduced to ten men didn’t hamper United much, though, as Rooney tiptoed right down the lane to slot home Manchester’s third and final goal of the game.

And just like that, Tottenham’s supposed coming-out party was put on ice, if not abandoned altogether, and their 100% record went out the window as well in favor of a clear statement of intent from the defending league champions. Spurs just seemed short of answers today, scoring early but then never really finding anything else to punish ManU with. Perhaps the loss of Modric had a role to play in this, but whatever the case, it doesn’t bode well for the longevity of their stay at the top of the table.

Manchester City 4-1 Arsenal
1-0 Almunia (og), 20′
1-1 Van Persie, 62′
2-1 Bellamy, 74′
3-1 Adebayor, 80′
4-1 Wright-Phillips, 84′
4-2 Rosicky, 88′

I don’t even want to talk about this one. Maybe I’m officially a soccer nut if a loss like this can screw up my whole day, because that’s what it did. I watched the rest of the matches I recorded today after this, but only grudgingly and with the bitter hope that the other big teams would fail too. I’m not going to bother describing each goal, because it will just depress me further. The first was tragically comical in everything from the ball’s lofted trajectory off Micah Richards’ bulbous head to Almunia’s hapless expression as the ball ricocheted off his own melon and into the Arsenal goal. 1-0 City despite Arsenal looking the better side in the opening minutes. Things were pretty even for a while after that, until Arsenal started piling on the pressure in the second half, eventually resulting in a goal by Robin Van Persie to tie things up. For a good ten minutes after that, it seemed inevitable that we would get another and take the lead, but there was some kind of lapse in the aftermath of Adebayor’s very intentional kick to Van Persie’s face and Alex Song’s foul of revenge on his former teammate. City parlayed the resulting confusion into a lightning quick counterattack and a strike from Craig Bellamy to restore their lead. And then Adebayor scored (that’s all the description I’m going to give) before jetting to the other end of the field to celebrate in front of the Arsenal fans. Cunt. It might have been the fastest I’ve ever seen him run. If he had hustled like that last season, Arsenal might have competed better down the stretch. But no matter. He got his ticket (check?) out of London and over to the trendy new Manchester side, where it must be said he is playing quite well. He reminds me of my separated parents, only NOW doing all the things he should have been doing all along to salvage his former relationship. Do I sound bitter?

There was one silver lining in this match, and it was the return of Tomas Rosicky, including a sweet goal in his first game back. It came on some gorgeous link-up play between he and Fabregas, who lofted the ball to the little Mozart, who in turn needed just one touch to send it on its way. The whole Arsenal side looked better after he was introduced, so everyone just pray he can miraculously avoid anymore injuries for a while and we may have a winning combination on our hands.

Liverpool 4-0 Burnley
1-0 Benayoun, 27′
2-0 Kuyt, 41′
3-0 Benayoun, 61′
4-0 Benayoun, 82′

Stoke City 1-2 Chelsea
1-0 Faye, 32′
1-1 Drogba, 45′
1-2 Malouda, 90′

Two very different victories here, but with very familiar overtones. Liverpool absolutely ran rampant over Burnley, with Yossi Benayoun netting a hat trick and effectively setting up Dirk Kuyt for the fourth by blazing the shot that Brian Jensen parried into Kuyt’s path. Chelsea, on the other hand, needed another late-game winner to beat a bottom half side, but they, like Manchester United, proved that it doesn’t matter how you earn those points, as long as you get ‘em. They secured all three today and kept their perfect start going, now having won five games in five tries. Only they and Manchester City can claim a 100% record going forward, with Chelsea having played one more game at this point.

Which brings me to a question I have for my own theory: if the true title contenders are separating themselves from the pack this week, what does this say about Man City? Because I don’t really consider them contenders for anything other than a Europa League, or at least I didn’t before the season started. I’m hoping I’ve just come up with a faulty explanation for the weekend’s turn of events, but I’m beginning to worry. They can’t be the real deal, can they?

£80million

Right so; two players left two teams from the EPL for hotter climes this season; which have neutered two sides. Xabi Alonso was the first and now Liverpool find themselves at a loss to explain what it is exactly Lucas brings to the side. With two forgettable wingers, (although I do rate Riera at times) Stevie G finds himself clipping his fangs; meandering around the centre circle for 80mins. Many Liverpool are sweating on the promise that unknown quantity Aquilani will sure things up in regards to playmaking but that remains to be seen, and with italians for the most part struggling to make their mark on the EPL the smart money is on him being absolutely pony. But we’ve already beat Liverpool.

Cristiano Ronaldo was the second top quality player that the EPL were sad to see the back of;  a man who’s smugness completely dwarfs that of Ibrahimovic; who himself didn’t have the sheer arrogance to suggest that he was worth the extortionate amount of money these players seem to go for these days. Interestingly enough this fee is secured by Real’s assumption that despite probably not qualifying for the World Cup; Ronaldo’s shirt sales will still be amongst the top earners on the globe. Firing blanks won’t get punters to part with their cash either. Whilst his true value is questionable; what Ronaldo gave Manchester United in the past couple of seasons was a goal machine; seeing as their system was built solely to accommodate Cristiano’s prowess he was able to score from all around the park; and when unable to do so would be odds on to provide an assist for his capable team mates to slot home.

Without Ronaldo; and with some signings that in comparison were never going to set the world alight Baconface has battened down the hatches and consolidated; by creating a balanced squad which now has to play unequivocally as a team rather than a buffer for a single talent.

Yes they still have Rooney; but for me the key to tomorrow’s game will be making sure that United have to play through the middle rather than down the flanks. My eyes will be on the full backs as if we can pressure United to have to play a short ball game then we can minimize the threat of Rooney through the centrebacks. What i’m really trying to say here is if we set up Wilson against Fletcher; we’re going to be moving forward all day long. My hopes are that United decide to play football; rather than Cluedo with the refs; because after a while it really starts to detract from the game.

Expect Lennon to give Evra another run around; and for Defoe to enjoy a few more opportunities at goal which he’ll be ready for after being taken out of the game against Croatia. Honestly speaking; it we give them a game; it would take a hell of a lot of luck/ bribery or individual skill for us not to expect anything from the game; even without the little Croatian wizard on the left. The English Premier League is changing; lets have a statement of intent.

spot the odd one out

Answer at the end of the post.

So Aaron picked up the man of the match award tonight for his explosive work down the right hand side against Croatia. Pretty refreshing to see Teddy opt to choose a player who is deserving of the mantle; after his strange choice in the friendly against Slovenia. For the most part; Len looked great down the wing today; causing Pranjic all sorts of problems on the left-hand side; aswell as drawing Simunic out of position. This along with Heskey’s hold up play allowed England to open up the Croatian defensive line-up like a tin of Whiskas at feeding time.

It’s a bit of a shame that he wasn’t as able to dictate terms in the second half; as he found the Croatian side closing him down in numbers to avert a rout. This may be down to the absence of the Sharpshooter (sic) Heskey in the second half; as in his absence Croatia found themselves able to play a much more expansive game, without being pushed into the box.

Regrettably this meant that Defoe found himself unable to force himself on the game; as despite floating around the final third of the pitch; he received very little time on the ball; and even less time with it in a dangerous position. Bit of a shame really; but this will only drive him to keep up his scoring average with us; which is never a bad thing.

On the whole; a strong victory for England; which has exorcised a few demons. Namely the headless spectre of a ginger man whom had been seen haunting the sidelines umbrella in hand. Needless to say Derek Acora is pissed off.

And the answer is Fat Frank is the only one who’s heard the jingle of an ice cream truck pull up outside the training ground. His favourite is cookie dough.

In a blog earlier this week I bigged up Tottenham’s chances of netting Niko Kranjcar and Martin Petrov while nervously hoping that we’d avoid an ‘Arry brain-fart and sign David James.  Two from three ain’t bad.

£2.5m? Really?

Kranjcar was signed for a curiously small £2.5m while David James remained at Portsmouth as he was apparently not the subject of an “official” approach which is football talk for “‘Arry gave us a shout but we told ‘im to sling ‘is ‘ook”.

The talk of a move for Martin Petrov gathered pace all week but – depending on what you read – he either failed a medical, could not agree (70k per week) terms or the transfer was kyboshed by Chairman Daniel Levy.  The common view is that Petrov would have been a waste of money given the signing of Kranjcar but I’d argue that Tottenham are long-overdue a natural left-sided player for the left hand side of the pitch.  Having said that, if it was a straight choice between Kranjcar and Petrov, then the former represents the best value.

Perhaps most disappointing was the failure to get rid of David Bentley and, to a lesser extent, Jermaine Jenas.  In Bentley’s case I see no reason for him to still be at the club.

A year ago I wrote: “I have never got the David Bentley thing and was quite horrified when we spent a ludicrous amount of money on a player who can’t deliver a corner kick past the first defender.  He seems more obsessed with his tan and haircut than anything else and unlike Michael Carrick, we won’t be making a profit on this guy.“

In Jermaine Jenas’ case we probably need him to make up the numbers but my list of disparaging comments over the years probably shows that I’ve remained consistent about the guy: (“Jermaine Jenas is not the right man for that job (and some might say any job)”, “Playing Jermaine Jenas there ranks, at best, as outright optimsm from Ramos/Poyet”, “…with Jermaine Jenas having yet another mediocre season”, “At Tottenham he seems particularly ordinary in just about every respect. He has no presence, can’t tackle, loses the ball too frequently and when he isn’t scoring there is not much else to his game”).  You get the point.

It’ll be a disappointment if Jenas comes back in to the team to play with Wilson Palacios when fit.  I’m not overly-convinced that Tom Huddlestone is dynamic enough for the top level but I’d still prefer him in the side to the serially disappointing JJ.

Overall it was a pity not to see a central playmaker come in alongside Kranjcar – unless he himself becomes that player when Luka Modric returns to fitness.

I guess the short answer is – no.

It certainly didn’t match last year’s Premier League transfer deadline madness that saw Manchester City as the brand new Richest Club In The World Ever try and buy everyone under the sun, eventually swooping to sign Robinho, right under the noses of previous Richest Club In The World Ever, Chelsea.

Really, most of the big transfers had already took place, and it will be Real Madrid’s raid on Ronaldo, Kaka, Alonso et al that will be remembered, with perhaps Michael Owen’s surprise move to Manchester United, and Manchester City’s continued spending too, depending on how this season pans out.

So, anything of interest? I think Niko Kranjcar to Spurs could be a real steal, and is very timely after Luka Modric’s nasty injury. I think Richard Dunne to Aston Villa could be good business too. I can see him really coming on under Martin O’Neill’s management. Apart from that, we’ll have to wait and see. With the so-called ‘big guns’ avoiding any last-minute buys and a 5pm rather than midnight finish (so less time for Sky Sports News to ramp up the hype that THIS TRANSFER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE EVER) maybe today was doomed to be an anti-climax.

1. El entrenador del Arsenal acusó al Manchester United de jugar al antifútbol, después de que el partido entre estas escuadras lo ganaran los red devils con un penal inexistente y un autogol.
2. El hondureño José Güity fue dado de baja por el entrenador del Club Sport Herediano Salvador Ragusa. El catracho llegó a un acuerdo con la directiva florense, ya que el DT argentino no lo tomará en cuenta en sus planes para lo que queda del campeonato costarricense.
3. Ribery seguirá en el Bayern München porque el día de ayer se cerró el mercado de fichajes en Europa.
4. Walter Centeno abandonó los entrenamientos de la selección costarricense de fútbol por una molestia. Hoy se confirmará si podrá jugar ante México y El Salvador.
5. El arquero Keylor Navas fue llamado a la selección nacional para los juegos contra México y El Salvador. El guardameta tuvo una fractura en el tabique nasal en el partido entre Honduras y Costa Rica en San Pedro Sula.
6. La Federación Croata de Fútbol (Hrvatski Nogometni Savez) acusa a los ingleses por la fractura que sufrió el conductor croata Luka Modric en el partido entre Tottenham y Birmingham. El próximo mércoles 9 de Septiembre Croacia enfrentará precisamente a Inglaterra, en el camino hacia la Copa del Mundo. Es la segunda vez en 2 años que un jugador croata es lesionado de forma artera en Inglaterra. La vez anterior le ocurrió a Eduardo da Silva durante un juego del Arsenal. Por esa lesión Eduardo no disputó la Eurocopa; a la que por cierto Inglaterra no asistió ya que fue eliminada en Wimbledon por Croacia durante la eliminatoria.
7. Zlatan Ibrahimovic marcó su primer gol con el Barcelona, en la victoria azulgrana por 3-0 ante el Gijón.
8. El delantero Álvaro Saborío cerró su amargo pase por el Sion de Suiza y a partir de ahora será jugador del Bristol City de la segunda división inglesa.
9. El lateral izquierdo del Herediano, Dennis Marshall ha sido traspasado al Aalborg de la primera división danesa.
10. Durante el juego entre el Anderlecht y el Standard Liege, el jugador belga del Standard Axel Witsel, cometió una falta criminal contra el polaco Marcin Wasilewski que lo dejó con una doble fractura abierta de tibia y peroné. El jugador del Standard ha sido suspendido hasta el 23 de Noviembre del presente año. Mientras que Wasilewski será baja mínimo por un año.

La falta de Witsel sobre Wasilewski:

What you missed while getting your undergrad in “Guitar Hero”…

• Fabio Capello didn’t select David James in his latest England squad.
• Tony Mowbray blamed Eduardo for Aiden McGeady’s sending off against Hibs on Sunday. McGeady’s offense? Diving.
• Things get worse for Liverpool on the news that Andrea Dossena’s apparently sticking around after all.
• Luka Modric will be out for six weeks with a broken leg suffered in Tottenham’s 2-1 win over Birmingham City on Saturday.

As usual bad news for Spurs is good news for the tabloid press and Spurs signing news goes into overload following Luka Modric’s injury in yesterday’s game.  The frustrating thing is that many of us fans get sucked into these rumours and then disappointed when they proved to be nothing more than fabrication.

If Harry does a deal between now and the deadline I believe it was already going to be done. The midfield one that was forecasted last week was the Jenas and cash for Muntari and if anything is likely to happen I’d back this one(We may also ship Pav if the Russian’s pay up). The notion that we have £13 million tucked away for a just in case purchase to cover Modric is pure fantasy.

What us fans have to accept is that only 11 players can run out onto a pitch at any one time and the remainder men are unhappy to be keeping the bench warm. Consequently Harry will be thinking of dropping Robbie deeper and putting Peter Crouch in up front with the thought of utilising anyone else to plug the midfield from our existing squad. Likewise Ledley pulling up is disappointing but Corluka can shift over until Daws or Woody are fit if Ledley will not be able to return after the international break.

A squad is just that; with players waiting to get a chance. It is disappointing that we face two of our greatest challenges in the next two Premier League games but that is football and we have to get on with these situations and do what we can. We also have to consider that we may lose more players to injury in these international matches – as might our opponents.

The most important thing is to remain positive and look forward to Luka Modric’s return not get out the cheque book and alienate him for the sake of 6 weeks. Before the end of his Spurs contract we will have to face predators wishing to buy him and fight them off so the last thing we need is to put doubt in his mind by doing something that we had not even got in mind at 3 o’clock on Saturday. 

Harry has done a terrific job in turning an also ran squad on his arrival into one with passion, belief and most importantly a winning mentality. He will not want to upset the cart at this moment. We might lose our next two games but at the season’s start that was always on the cards. Our start has lifted expectations but let’s not get carried away. Our record against United is shabby to say the least though in recent years we have given them a much better game and woeful at the Bridge. Having said that these records have to change at some point so why not now? Players are fighting for places and will want to perform. Let’s see how they go!

Her nekadar son haftalarda Aaron Lennon‘un maçın son bölümlerinde attığı gollerle puanları 3′er 3′er toplasalar da 4 maç sonunda %100′le ilerleyen Tottenham‘ın herşeyi Modric‘ti. Geçen sene Premier Lig‘deki debut yılıydı ve bu senenin sinyallerini veriyordu. Fizik olarak ezilmesine rağmen parlayan tekniği ve fm deyimiyle work rate’i ile herkesi kendisine hayran bırakıyordu. Bu sene fiziğini de kullanmayı öğrenip lige alışmıştı ki son Birmingham maçında Lee Bowyer tarafından fibula kemiği kırıldı.

Harry Redknapp x-ray sonuçları açıklanana kadar baldır sakatlığı olduğunu ummasına rağmen çıkan fibula kırığı, genç oyuncunun en az 6 hafta forma giymesine mani olacak. Moraller bozuk White Hart Lane’de, üstelik %100′e rağmen. Zaten çok da geniş olmayan kadroda belki de alternatifi olmayan tek oyuncunun 2 aylık yokluğu Redknapp‘ın başına iş açabilir. Boşuna dememişler Tottenham lanetli camia diye.

Mixed emotions over yesterday’s match. Ecstatic we’ve secured 12 points from 4 games, yet not content with the way we played. Nervously waiting for any news over Modric’s injury, yet ready to see who will step up and try to fill the void (i.e. Bentley, Gio). Was proud of Hudd’s display, yet left wondering why Palacios wasn’t as effective. Distraught over Ledley’s injury, but relieved that Woodie might be back in action sooner than expected.

Why do Spurs love to torture us fans?

Honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Guess I’m a masochist of sorts.

Birmingham deserve respect after last night. They really knew how to crawl under our skin. We kept pounding and pounding away, but by the end of the first half, we walked away with nothing. You could clearly see that our pace had slowed, our passes were sloppy and communication was nil. From a technical viewpoint, Birmingham nailed the first half. The 5 man midfield was effective. Side note: wasn’t it great fun watching Modric cut his way through and still manage to set up plays. I miss him already.

Crouch came on in the second half and injected some life into the squad. A sense of “hope”. Even scored a header to give us the lead (1-0). But credit to the visitors, within 3 minutes they came back with a goal of their own (1-1). “Hope” shot down with a 12 gauge. The high wore off a bit too quick for me.

Pav came on – finally – for Defoe (did JD intentionally avoid shaking hands with him?). Birmingham were on the Russian like… well, like Russians on a vodka bottle. 4 minutes of extra time were announced at the 90th. Ok boys, it’s now or never. Both teams started to pick up the pace; Birmingham giving us a few scares. But in the end, the glory would be all ours. ‘Aaza Blood saved the day once again with a heroic strike on goal in the dying seconds! I was in a state of shock.

All in all, a great victory for the boys. It’s depressing to think we may potentially lose King and Modric for a few months, but hey, that’s football. Especially at the highest level. We can’t sit back and depend on any single player. If we want to compete for Champion’s League football eventually, the team performing as a whole is what will make a difference. Harry Redknapp will need options to choose from so the reserves will play a huge role in our success. Yesterday was a prime example. I bet a lot of supporters were pessimistic when Modric walked out limping, but a few subs here and there and we were still determined to claim victory! That says a lot about our character this season.

I don’t know about you, but this bi-polar relationship I have with Tottenham is getting worse by the second; or wait, is it better by the second? I’m tired.

Video highlights HERE.

a good player to be linked to. maybe.

We’re doing well. We’re fourth in the league with a few weeks before the winter transfer window and Christmas. But it’s hard not to feel that there’s a anxiousness about all of it, and that with our current lack of creativity and consequential goals mean that as fans we always feel that we’re surfing the crest of a wave comprised of excrement. Crisis is our traditional focus of thought; as to be honest we love the melodrama if only a little bit.

This weeks game comes after another international break that unfortunately shows that the english contingent of our squad aren’t quite ready to take the squad by storm quite yet, indicative of their lack of current form. Robbie Keane and Roman Pavlyuchenko also won’t be going anywhere this summer, (well atleast in terms of the World Cup) as both strikers found their respective teams taken out of the world playoffs. Whether this will mean that Pavlyuchenko will reevaluate his position here is another question; though you can assume that he might not be fond of staying despite his primary reason for leaving being swiped from him.

Modric won’t return at the weekend also I’m afraid as he is making steady progress with his rehabilitation, though has not returned to full training quite yet. Another chance for Krancjar to try for a starting berth perhaps, though Keano’s undroppability seems to hinder his progress in the squad. We need creativity and I’m sure that Harry has become aware of this. We’re still in a good position, with our beloved transfer window approaching fast.

Names we have been linked with have ranged from; a loan to permanent move for Hatem Ben Arfa, a petulant but extraordinarily talented winger to a imminent free swoop for Lomana LuaLua as a replacement for Pavlyuchenko. I think it’s safe to say that Harry knows where our priorities lie, and a strong central midfield presence both creatively and as a back up for a beleaguered Wilson should be the priority. (God damn you Manchester City and Gareth Barry). With Sandro arguably making his move and Harry’s faith in three quarters of our current forward line and out and out left winger such as Ben Arfa would feature highly on the ‘do want’ list. Though it is inevitable that Arsenal and Manchester City will register their interest in the player as our current competition as suitors comes in the form of Portsmouth, who arguably despite being down near the coast have little to offer at this point in time.

Importantly whilst we’re being cautious we should know where this attitude is relevant. Transfer speculation is certainly the place for it, as it is definite that the most attractive names to be mentioned often are only said to sell papers,. This being the only time where we are given a worthy mention, often to highlight the failure for us to obtain our more ambitious targets, anyone would have thought they just want the same four teams at the top of the table for the forseeable future. Just remember, there’s a time to be pragmatic, and there’s a time to enjoy the ride. With Harry as our helmsman we can all agree that we’re progressing, and with Levy pulling the strings behind the scenes, we’re at the start of a healthy transition, whereas other clubs find themselves in decline.

Onwards and upwards.