Greedy rich clubs call for Champions League revamp

Manchester United has joined the calls of AC Milan that it was ridiculous that they were drawn together in the Champions League.. Even Wenger stuck his nose in and agreed with his arch rivals.

Apparently Manure and Milan believe that it is their god given right to progress into the very final stages of the Champions League and having to play someone who is half decent has totally hindered that aim. They want UEFA to adjust the competition so when you reach the last 16 the best team in the competition gets to play the worst, the second best plays the second worst and so on. This type of system would thus allow the Champions League, and thus all the money, to be totally dominated by Manure, Madrid and so on subsequently making the Premiership even more one sided than it already is. In fact I'm not surprised that Wenger has jumped on the band wagon as it would be the only way for the filth to make any decent progess in Europe!

Anyway, shurly UEFA should tell them to stick it. European football and its respective national leagues are dominated by an elite few. DO they really think that making these teams even stronger is going to help the dwindiling attendences in the Premiership and the Champions League?

Back on track.

Football is a funny old game. Loosing games where you deserve to win and winning ones you don't. Yesterday was the latter case. Goals from Jermaine Defoe and Robbie Keane ensured we closed back in on Charlton who lost to WBA.

The game staretd at a reasonable pace with both sides having chances. Spurs took their's first. Calamity James made his usual errors which allowed Reid to put the ball across. Defoe failed to connect and Davies lashed the ball back in with a shot that was going miles wide. Defoe reacted quickest and was able to head the ball in ala Gary Docherty Semi Final style. 1-0 Spurs.

Manchester City reacted well and Spurs were unable to build on the lead. Just before half time King failed to stop the ball coming across again allowing Reyna to volley home. If King had gone out to the line with more conviction I believe he would have won that challenge but what happened with Shearer probably played on his mind. I also think it's time the captain armband was handed to someone else. A captain needs to take the game by the scruff of the neck, step in between players and the ref when trouble starts and it's something King is not doing. When Atouba was trying to get himself sent off it was Robinson who stepped in to save him while King, our Captain, stood there with his hands on his hips. Now, who becomes captain is another matter and deserves a seperate post but this does need thinking about. Terry, Viera and Roy Keane are examples of succssful captains and ours should follow in the same mould. Don't get me wrong, I rate King very highly indeed but these matters need serious consideration.

In the second half Manchester City looked the better team but it was Robbie Keane who won it. As Atouba was busy elbowing the opposition Spurs sped up field with the ball and Davies shot was deflected. It was enough to allow the ball to spin up just out of James' reach and Keano bundled the ball home. A note to Robbie Keane haters, he has now scored 9 Premiership goals, just three short of Defoe with 12, 7 more than Mido who worked like a trojan horse for thirty minutes and then disappeared. To say Keane is fourth choice striker is ridiculous based on the facts.

Results later on continued to go our way with SCBC doing us a favour by beating 'Boro 3-1 moving us up a place on goal difference. Maybe it is still all to play for.

COYS!

Spurs Vs. Citeh

New boss, first game against Spurs. If Stewart Pearce ends up loosing this one then he will never be management material! Ok, take that comment with a pinch of salt, but whenever teams are down or the new manager needs a boost along comes Spurs are we seem to duly ablige.

Having lost the last three games we must get back onto winning ways. Europe via the league probably slipped from our grasp after the 2-0 defeat on Wednesday but we are apparently seconf behind Chelsea in the fair play league so we could still sneak in. With nine games to go Cahrlton, Bolton and 'Boro can still slip up and if the Goons meet United in the FA Cup final then 7th is good enough for Europe so we must keep fighting.

Our inability to score from what seems like hundreds of opportunities is obviously worrying esepcially as it has been all three strikers who have played recently who have missed the chances not just one. Before that it was Keane on a good scoring run so maybe he should maintain his place. Kanoute missed a sitter on Wednesday but played well against Newcastle. Defoe has looked off form for a while so may stay on the bench. If Mido is fit he should walk straight back in with another one of the three remaining to take their place next to him. Who it is is down to personal choice as none have impressed recently.

The midfield will hopefully see Simon Davies back on the right so Reid can go back on the left side. Carrick, who has never been brilliant since his move from Canning Town, was bottling challenges and being generally rubbish on Wednesday and in my opinion should be dropped in favour of Sean Davis. Michael Brown should keep his place for his work rate and his 110% commitment, something Carrick can learn from.

Pamarot was pretty unimpressive against Charlton so expect Kelly back in the right back position. King and Naybet will hopefully make the central pairing. The left back position is either Atouba or Edman. The sight of Wright-Phillips running at Atouba scares the shit out of me so I'd pick Edman. Robbo in goal.

COYS!

Carrick - Yes or No?

Recently I just don't get it with Michael Carrick. Time after time he will pick up the ball and play a great pass out wide and set up an attack but more and more recently he is reminding me of Vinney Samways, not Glenn Hoddle as some have likened him to.

More Carrick passes seem to go backwards than forwards. Maybe this is not always his fault as the movement from the rest of the midfield can be pretty static but against Charlton he was very poor indeed. Even the Spurs crowd cheered when he was substituted.

As usual Charlton played five in the middle. As we stick to 4-4-2 for most of the time we need the midfield to work hard and break down any Charlton possession but Michael Brown had to do it all himself. Brown may not be the most gifted of footballers but he will put his foot in where needed and will work his socks off. He did ten times the amount of work Carrick did today. I'm fed up with seeing Carrick bottle out of challenges like he did today. He hides from challenging for the high balls as well and fails to put opposition players under pressure. It's not good enough. Spurs need someone to really take control of the middle of the park. They need someone to step up and say "I'm in charge here" to the other Spurs players and the opposition. Maybe one day Carrick will do that but while he continues to ponce around believing he is better than he is then that day looks far off in the future.

On Saturday Jol should start with Brown and Davis in the middle based on Carrick's recent performances. I wonder if he will?

Unjust defeat

Spurs fell at Newcastle today, after taking 61% of overall possession and having 7 shots on target compared to the magpies two, to a Kluivert goal after only 5 minutes. It was difficult to watch at times as Spurs laid siege to Given's goal but could not find the breakthrough the performance deserved.

Spurs started slowly and Dyer made a mockery of Atouba's defending against pace on two or three occasions. The goal we conceded was soft, a King mistake allowing the ball to be put across for Kluivert to slot past Robinson. I thought that Pamarot could have come across earlier to put the pressure on but he didn't as he wasn't sure what was behind him. The following 84 minutes saw Spurs run the game, so much so that Newcastle's second effort of the game on target came in the dying minutes when we were caught on the break.

Spurs really went for the throat in the second half and Given pulled off a fantastic double save first from Keane and then Defoe. Kanoute impressed once again and was strong on the ball when he needed to be and worked well with Defoe. However our little gem looked out of sorts today with his first touch. Twice he miscontrolled which is most unlike him and it allowed Newcastle to clear the ball away. Gardner finally came on as a last throw of the dice and it actually worked. He won a header and was able to knock it down for Keane to score. However Styles, sensing that Spurs may equalise, decided to blow his whistle for a "foul". Where the foul came from was anyones guess but the home ref decided there was one. He also missed a handball by Bowyer for a blatant penalty. He may have been unsighted on this occasion but the linesman should have had a clear view. However, Styles would probably have ignored him like he did earlier on. Idiot.

Enough about incompetent referees. On another day we would have won 3-1 but we just didn't get the little bit of luck we needed. Every rushed clearance or knock down just didn't quite go to a Spurs player and was always cleared. The season is not over yet. If we continue to play like yesterday we have a good a chance as anyone to make sixth spot and if Manchester and the filth make the final then the UEFA spot could go to 7th spot. We must beat Charlton on Wednesday.

One more note, great support once again from the traveling faithful, twice as many going to Newcastle today than Arsenal could manage to Bolton! Well done lads.

COYS!

Discuss this idiots performance here. 

Jol Commits

Martin Jol has finally committed himself to Spurs. This has come as a great relief after the latest tabloid stories and rumours on the message boards. After reading Topspurs it looked like that Jol could well be on his way with his wife apparently telling an estate agent that they pulling out of a house purchase because they "were leaving the country". The Sun then picked up on the story and it didn't sound too rosey. Now though Jol has come out and revealed that he is looking to sign a new contract with Tottenham Hotspur.


Jol said: "There are only a couple of minor things to talk about concerning the contract. I have made my position clear. If you want a clear answer, I will give it. I am not interested in the job at all.
"Tottenham is a challenge for me. They are a good club and they are looking after me. The fans are terrific. I am happy here and committed to the club. What more can I say?"

Hopefully this will shut up the shit stirring gutter press for all and allow Jol to continue to take Spurs back to the promised land where we belong. This commitment will hopefully settle any unrest caused in the dressing room and allow the lads to get the right result away at Newcastle tomorrow.

With a committed management and clear progress, even if we loose tomorrow, Frank Arnesen should be able to convince more players to join the revolution in the summer.

COYS!

Jol commits

Martin Jol has finally committed himself to Spurs. This has come as a great relief after the latest tabloid stories and rumours on the message boards. After reading Topspurs it looked like that Jol could well be on his way with his wife apparently telling an estate agent that they pulling out of a house purchase because they "were leaving the country". The Sun then picked up on the story and it didn't sound too rosey. Now though Jol has come out and revealed that he is looking to sign a new contract with Tottenham Hotspur.


Jol said: "There are only a couple of minor things to talk about concerning the contract. I have made my position clear. If you want a clear answer, I will give it. I am not interested in the job at all.
"Tottenham is a challenge for me. They are a good club and they are looking after me. The fans are terrific. I am happy here and committed to the club. What more can I say?"

Hopefully this will shut up the shit stirring gutter press for all and allow Jol to continue to take Spurs back to the promised land where we belong. This commitment will hopefully settle any unrest caused in the dressing room and allow the lads to get the right result away at Newcastle tomorrow.

With a committed management and clear progress, even if we loose tomorrow, Frank Arnesen should be able to convince more players to join the revolution in the summer.

COYS!

Newcastle Vs. Tottenham Hotspur.

Sunday see Spurs travel north to the land of the geordies for the biggest game of the season so far. This one game could affect the entire season. A muck up in the Worthington cup under Hoddle was the beginning of the end for him and a dodgy result could have a similar affect to moral. However, there is a big difference. Jol is in charge this time around which not only gives us a good chance of getting the result but means defeat will not wipe out our season.

Sean Davis could well return as he is near enough fully fit. I would love to see him run out alongside Carrick, who will have to be at his best, if we are to get the result we all want. However only Jol can make the decision and I wouldn't be too disappointed if Brown makes up the midfield pairing as his 110% effort will help to break up any Newcastle attacks. The back four will consist of Kelly, King, Naybet and Atouba. As long as Atouba does not do any silly business his attacking presence going forward against grumpy git Carr could open up many possibilities for Spurs. However he could also continue to cross into the goalkeepers hands from near enough the half way line. Only time will tell as to which Atouba will turn up.

Out wide will be Ziegler and Davies as Reid is cup tied. These two wide players will be vital because of the way they are both willing to track back. Newcastle like to play with width and it will be important that we track back to close down these attacking options. Hopefully Robert will have one of his off days. Either brilliant or useless, we need the latter.

Defoe will start up front with A.N. Other. Mido is a doubt so I expect Kanoute to be the second choice. However Keane could get the nod to cause problems with the Newcastle back line.

This game is a far tougher one than the game we played earlier in the season. Newcastle are far more solid and are on a great run of late. We rode our luck a little back then and may have to do so again. However I have faith in Spurs and our new squad. There is every chance we can get a great result and we have to believe we will. COME ON YOU SPURS!

Blown it! Again!

As usual Spurs had a great opportunity to move up the table and put pressure on Liverpool but like the Spurs of old we blew it.

I haven't seen the goal but it sounds like Gardner was useless once again. It also sounds like we missed plenty of chances to win the game. It depresses me when the screw ups of yesterayear seem to creep back just when we thought we had turned the corner. Newcastle next and we could be managerless.

Southampton Vs. Tottenham Hotspur

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Spurs VS. Southampton.

Spurs 5-1 Southampton.

Tottenham face a bottom three struggler on Saturday which Spurs need to beat to keep the pressure on the teams above. Ledley King returns to the squad while Naybet remains a doubt. After Wednesday's excellent performance I feel that Pamarot should take his chance next to Ledley. He marshaled any attack Forest could muster and scored a good goal from a great run. Pedro Mendes is ruled out after breaking his toe. Edman should go back into the left back slot as Atouba has tweaked a hamstring. Reid will be recalled to line up with Carrick and Brown. Davies will stay on the right. Up front I believe that Keane may well keep his place with Defoe remaining on the bench. Mido will probably partner him.

Going to Southampton will not be easy. Spurs have never scored at the St Mary's stadium let alone win. SCBC were dreadful when we stuffed them 5-1 at the lane but 'Arry has plugged many of the leaks while Peter Crouch has scored 8 goals in the last ten. Jamie will also be looking to put in a good performance against the club that let him go but with the right attitude Spurs should have the ability to take all three points.

COYS!

We're not afraid of anyone!

Jol produced that superb quote at the end of the 3-0 drubbing of Nottingham Forest. Goals from Pamarot, Keane and Mido ensured that it is us, not Forest, who will make the long journey north Sunday week.

The first half wasn't the most exciting but Spurs were always in control. Keane had a great chance to put Spurs in front and then missed another and Robinson had to make a save at the other end. We had lots of possession and Mendes and Brown combined reasonably well.

The team came out and upped the pace during the second half. Some good build up play led to a well taken corner by Ziegler. Pamarot made a great run across the front of the goal and was able to beat the 'keeper to the ball. It was a well worked set piece and the best corner Ziegler has taken in a while. The celebrations by Jol showed to me that he wants to be here and I cross my fingers that he is come next season. The second goal came from another corner. Ziegler whipped in another fine ball. Brown managed to nod on for Keane to tap in to kill the tie. Keane now has 14 goals this season from 34 appearances with quite a few of them coming on from the bench. It is annoying when I log onto Glory Glory to see the Keane bashers on their again slagging him off. He's our second top scorer this season and played an important role this evening and fully deserves his place at Tottenham Hotspur. The game was all over when Mido, a late substitute for Kanoute, nodded in the third. Brown shot from outside the area but the ball bounced off the bar. Mido had ran in and was able to head home much to the delight of the excellent traveling support. I believe we took almost 5,000 fans tonight. When we compare that with the goons, who only managed to take 2,000 or so yesterday, it shows what great traveling support we have. I also noticed that the chants of "We're the Paxton....." were much louder than the Park Lane ones as well! Well done the Paxton boys!

Overall, a tricky tie and a job well done. Back to league action on Saturday against A'rry Redknapp's old bangers from the car lot.

Game on!

After a pitch inspection earlier today Mark Clattenberg, Manchester United's paid up ref who disallowed Mendes winner, said the game was playable unless we experience freak weather in the next two hours.

The club has issued a statement saying that Naybet and Ledley are both doubtful so the back four will need changing if this is true. Kelly will continue on the right with hopefully Edman left. Atouba could go into the centre back postion with Gardner so god help us if Forest attack with any sense of purpose. Otherwise I expect a similar line up for the win against Fulham. Mido can play and will need to make sure he bosses the Forest centre backs around with Defoe or maybe Keane if he gets the nod feeding off knock downs. The conditions won't be favourable so we not be able to play a flowing passing game, especially with the state of Nottingham Forest's pitch.

As the gipo's found last night this is going to be a tough, tough game and if we turn up with the wrong attitude we will get dumped out. Newcastle await the winners. COYS!

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Nottingham Forest, the first time.