Sevilla revisited

Ok let’s just have a quick round up of the latest events with Spurs. Everyone is still smarting from the unjust penalty decision and subsequent thrashing of the crowd at Sevilla and on Thursday we will see our game of the season take place at White Hart Lane as we seek to advance to the semi finals and face most likely Osasuna. On Saturday with more than half our first choice players rested or injured we put in a brave performance against Chelsea but eventually fell to a bit of a freak goal from Carvalho that Rocha and Robinson should both have done better with.

Forward to this week and as the tension builds for Martin Jol’s men the fans are feeling it too. The outcome of the first leg was catastrophic. The game hinged on the appalling penalty decision which gifted Sevilla a way back into a match they were losing in both score and performance and despite calls for the referee to be suspended the events became overshadowed by what followed, with police randomly laying into the traveling support.



I am yet to read one account that suggests tension and trouble existed between the rival sets of fans, which makes the Spanish ‘police’ even more culpable. The fear and anger exuding from the Spurs support led to there being a break from the singing and cheering which would doubtless have had a knock-on effect for the players, who were already reeling from the dubious equaliser

Focusing on the upcoming return leg the news for Spurs is mixed. Team news suggests that Ledley King and Danny Murphy return to the squad but in a huge blow Bruce is out for the rest of the season leaving us no recognised left back for the match. The news about King is to be taken with a pinch of salt. He is our talisman and leader and certainly one of the finest players in our squad but he has been absent from the side for four months now and it is hard to imagine he is match fit. Hopefully we will see Chimbonda (or Shimbomba if you are David Pleat) return to his best position at right back where he can get forward and threaten the Seville defence. The left side could fall into the lap of Stalteri who will have to have a top game with opposing full back Alves regarded as the best attacking full back in the world.



Up front I expect to see the return of Keane and Berbatov who have linked up superbly in Europe and whose lack of speed is no issue with the slower pace of play. Lennon will be looking for a return to form having been quiet lately regardless of which position he is played. I feel that there is a case for him on both sides, on the left he can pin Alves back with his pace, reducing the threat going forward and on the right we can see him at his best, maximising his ability to dribble and cross with his right foot. Zokora and Jenas are a given in the centre of midfield and it is no coincidence that Spurs return to form began when Jenas returned from injury. The left side is more of a quandary. Tainio operated there in Spain and I would be tempted to go with him again in order to stifle Sevilla on that side and look for Spurs to attack via other avenues. It remains to be seen whether Steed can operate with enough discipline for this match but with Spurs a goal behind there is still a significant case for his inclusion.

After the events of the first leg I can see there being a rip-roaring atmosphere at White Hart Lane, the fans felt cheated and angry both on and off the pitch and I think the club as a whole will be determined to come back from the troubles of Seville and progress, keeping our season alive. I have faith in Jol and the boys but it is quite honestly the biggest match so far this season and a true test of character.


IN JOL WE TRUST!!

The season so far....

With the International break upon us I have decided that now would be a good time to reflect on the progress of our players so far this season. The team has done well, make no bones about it reaching domestic semi and quarter finals and the quarter finals of the UEFA cup (possibly further) while still battling for 6th position in the league but not every player at the club could say they have had a good season. Here is my analysis of how their performance has been to this point:

Paul Robinson – has not been convincing this season and I no longer believe he is definitely a good enough keeper for a top 4 side, rarely does anything exceptional but he is good enough for us for now. Will definitely be at the Lane next year however I can see a young keeper being brought in to eventually replace him (perhaps Alnwick already has).

Pascal Chimbonda – there were those who didn’t feel he was worth the seemingly inflated fee we paid for Pascal at the start of the season but he has definitely proven his doubters wrong with very consistent and very dynamic performances at right back and even centre back. Good defensively, good getting forwards, dangerous set pieces and crosses better than Lennon. A quality purchase.

Young-Pyo Lee – was left out at the start of the season after a proposed move to Champions League side Roma fell through (they must have seen something we weren’t) but since Lennon has played on the left and afforded him some cover Lee has excelled looking every inch a Premiership left back. He is not as good as Chimbonda and he doesn’t have a left foot but he loves to get forward and with a real left-sider in front of him could prove a notable asset. Rumours still circulate that he will be off to Italy in the summer

Michael Dawson – has the heart of a lion at centre back however I feel he is perhaps not the smartest and distribution amounts to punting 40 yard diagonals. He is a brilliant asset when playing alongside King and I think he will grow and grow in years to come, he still has a bit to learn in order to boss the defence though. Will be a Spurs player for a few years yet.

Ledley King – Our most reliable player and an indispensable asset, we have missed him this season. Despite patches of very good form we have consistently shipped goals and King’s calm but solid influence could have made the difference. Will be like signing a new international quality centre back if and when he is playing regularly again.




Aaron Lennon – Coming on leaps and bounds, he burst on the scene last year and has continued his development to become one of our biggest attacking threats and a leading winger in the Premiership. Sometimes the plaudits afforded him are generous, he is far from the finished article lacking strength, consistency in his crossing and the ability to threateningly strike at goal but still makes things happen and his education will continue next season.

Jermaine Jenas – Has spent spells on the sidelines through injury this year and when he has we have missed his athleticism in the middle of the park. Can be frustrating by slowing down attacks and perhaps does not hold top 4 quality but at the moment he is doing a good enough job and it would take a quality player to keep him out of the side consistently.

Didier Zokora – was looking like something of a fall guy for our poor form around January as the midfield ceased to function when in fact it was his partner there that was causing the problems. Zokora has pace, tenacity and discipline and has proven a very worthy addition for us. Next season I hope to see more of his driving runs and more end product from them but cannot complain about his ability as an anchorman.

Steed Malbranque – It took such a long time for the stud to make his debut that people had already started to write him off. I insisted all along that this was a mistake and patience proved to be a virtue with Malbranque offering us some scintillating performances at times. He can lack discipline on the left side of midfield which has often exposed the left back and led to us leaking goals on that side but his true position is behind the strikers and we may see more of him there next year.

Dimitar Berbatov – my buy of the year, for any club in the Premiership. Berbatov has oozed class this season, his goalscoring return has been very good and his all round game even better. We have not had a striker of this calibre since Jurgen Klinsmann and it will be difficult for us to keep him beyond next season unless we can push on for Champions League football.

Robbie Keane – at one stage he looked to be on his way out of the club but once match fit he showed his quality and has contributed some very important goals. Unsure of his qualities as captain but he must be retained.

Subs –

Jermain Defoe – Has had a decent season and his scoring tally has improved but ultimately he is a bit greedy and doesn’t always seem to give 100%. In fact sometimes I think he barely breaks a sweat. His predatory instincts remain intact but he is not really progressing as I would have expected. Should be retained, for now.

Hossam Ahmed Mido – Harshly treated by the Spurs fans, has hardly been match fit all season due to injury and long spells on the bench. He will almost certainly make way at the end of the season and a replacement will be brought in, but has undoubted quality as shown in the first half of last season, needs to play week in week out to remain fit though.

Hossam Ghaly – A sturdy midfielder that likes to get stuck in, Ghaly is very much in the Premiership mould and has been useful in some fixtures this year. I am not convinced he is of the highest quality though and he does not ever take control of a match. Could be a useful squad member next year but will probably not be around White Hart Lane for many more seasons.

Tom Huddlestone – Was likened to Beckenbauer by Martin Jol earlier in the season but was found out when Spurs came up against higher placed teams with more challenging midfield line-ups. His mobility is a real problem and for a huge guy he just doesn’t get stuck in enough. Saying that he has talent and his progress over the next few years will be interesting to watch.

Ricardo Rocha – Experienced Portuguese international has quickly looked comfortable despite early slip against the Arse. Will probably be a good squad member for a few years but cannot see him becoming first choice too soon as the club will always favour younger players.




Benoit Assou-Ekotto – started off looking the business at left back but lost his way somewhat. I think he has potential but needs more help from left midfield if we are to see the best of him when he plays. Could stay, could move on. I wouldn’t be too upset either way.

Anthony Gardner – Fills me with little confidence. He is not as bad as people make out and would prove a good signing for another Premiership club struggling for a centre back (get your cheque book out Newcastle) but I firmly expect to see the back of him this year.

Teemu Tainio – Sold if uninspiring midfielder. The fact his re-introduction into the side signaled a turn-around is more an indictment on the lack of fight our midfield was showing with Lennon, Malbranque and Huddlestone in the side together. Still a useful player when up against a strong midfield but somehow doesn’t seem worthy of the first team on a regular basis.

England Folly

Let us stray off the subject slightly and talk about England. Enough is currently being written about the performance on Saturday where a sum total of 2 points from a possible 9 was finished off with a bore draw against Israel.

The result was not the thing that really grated for English fans, the performance mattered as much if not more. With a good performance comes hope, with a good result comes points. We got neither.

Ultimately the buck has to stop with the manager of the team. He constantly waxes lyrical about the quality of the squad, about his confidence in the players, about how we aren’t in any trouble. If that is the case then it is down to him to utilise the assets in the England squad and get satisfactory results.

The game itself was something of a phenomenon. With 70% of the ball England were unable to break down an inferior side in order to create even one clear scoring opportunity. The chance of the game for the English team fell to Frank Lampard, who duly squandered it.

Drastic action needs to be taken if the qualification campaign is to turn around and Phillips Neville’s comments that England are traditionally crap at the start of qualifying campaigns did little to lift the mood. You’re always crap? Then aspire to be f**ing better!

For a team that included Lennon, Gerrard, Lampard, Johnson and Rooney to not score goals is quite incredible until you look at the fact that the two players of those five that looked most lively were Lennon and Johnson, playing for their place in the side. Equally which England player has looked the best in recent times? Hargreaves. Why? He is playing for his place in the side.

I heard a pundit this weekend saying they felt the under 21s side would have beaten Israel’s full team if given the chance. I have no doubt they could have for our first XI has been so massively underachieving that it would be hard for quality players to perform to a level much lower.

I think the time for McClaren to earn his money is upon us, he has had his grace period and he was never going to get much of one seeing as he was part of the previous failed regime, so now he should be pushed to get immediate results before we find it impossible to qualify for the Euros. Big names need to be dropped and a few noses must be put out of joint. The games we have to play are not hard ones, in fact the players involved beat better sides week in week out in the domestic game so it must come down to organisation and attitude, both of which McClaren is ultimately responsible for.

Defeat is not an option

Before the first game with Chelsea I for one held little hope of Spurs progressing. We were playing away at the Champions, they were desperately seeking silverware to keep their manager in a job and in fairness we had a very poor record against them in recent times.

I wasn't able to watch the match myself as I was in Italy with my other half (a Chelsea season ticket holder no less!) and so had to rely on the heart-breaking news being fed to me via text message.

My outlook for the tie has changed completely since then. The so near yet so far outcome in the first match has made me believe, given everyone a taste of the glory and ultimately made defeat in tonight's game unthinkable. Matches against Chelsea are second only to Arsenal in terms of intensity and atmosphere and the game at White Hart Lane will be a blinder in those respects, there will be a huge amount of talent on the pitch for both sides and no little desire either. I think the fans could make the difference in this one.



Tottenham's season is shaping up to be a good one. We reached the semi-final of the League cup only to go out to a team we should have beaten and finished in the first leg. A poor run followed but the management have turned things around and shown us some brilliant attacking football while reaching the quarter finals of the two larger cups and being only 2 points shy of Bolton in fifth! If someboy had told me we would be facing that after the capitualtion against Newcastle I might have laughed. I said at the start of the season qualifying for European football again is a priority and we look set to do so. Even if the unthinkable should happen and we lose to the favourites in both cup competitions then we will have done well and will have witnessed key cup matches with Arsenal, Chelsea and Sevilla and White Hart Lane......massive progress on last year.

My team for tonight:

Robinson

Chimbonda----Rocha----Dawson----Lee

Malbranque----Jenas----Zokora----Lennon

Keane----Berbatov

Mourinho Wades In On Spurs

Jose Mourinho has given his verdict on tonight's Braga test - that Spurs are not a great side and by being organised Braga will get the result against us.

While it seems the red tops have probably latched onto this story and cleverly used the quotes from Mourinho in the way they do it will surely stiffen Tottenham's resolve ahead of both the UEFA cup match in Braga and Sunday's trip to the Bridge in the FA cup.

Mounrinho is best friends with the current Braga boss Eladio Parames and has even suggested he might try and find his way into White Hart Lane for the return leg in a weeks time!!

Spurs face their toughest European match so far against the conquerors of fallen Italian giants Parma without skipper Ledley King, striker Mido and midfielder Jermaine Jenas due to injury. Portuguese defender Ricardo Rocha is cup tied for UEFA competitions after playing for Benfica this season.

Spurs have been very much at their best in Europe this season and the recent glut of high scoring wins away from home will have buoyed their confidence. Personally I would back them to get a result and the away goal against a side whose manager has only been in place for 3 matches and is already their third of the season!

COYS!!

Spurs Still Pursuing Transfer Policy

Despite the signings of the likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Didier Zokora and Ricardo Rocha Spurs are still pursuing their policy of recruiting the best young talent they can locate across the globe.

After the debut of the exciting prospect Adel Taraabt on Sunday the latest youngster to be linked is Henri Saviet, a pacy 16 year old who plays wide on the right with a fee in the region of £2m being mooted for a player who is not yet old enough to sign professional terms!!

I think it is essential that Spurs continue with this aggressive recruiting policy in the young age groups in order to provide us with strength in depth long term and ultimately reduce our overall transfer outlay as quality players will come through the development sides as well as from the transfer market.

Beckham injury good news for Lennon

The news that David Beckham faces 4 weeks out with knee injury may bring a secret smile to the lips of our in-form wideman Aaron Lennon. The continuous Beckham PR campaign looked set to win him a recall to the squad for England's next fixtures but after his latest setback this will not be possible and may lead to the youthful Lennon getting a start for the three lions.



Lennon appears to have been somewhat harshly treated by England. He was injured for early matches in Steve McClaren's tenure and the public by and large have forgotten the impact he had in an England shirt during his cameo appearences in the summer. After ripping West Ham a new arsehole yesterday Lennon might still have found the media giant that is the former England captain might have kept him out on reputation more than form but hopefully now we will get the chance to see what Lennon is capable of on the international stage, bringing with him a rare commodity in the England side, searing pace.

Shawn Wright-Phillips has deputised several times in his absence but has been largely unconvincing

Lasagne Is A Dish Best Served Cold

OK hands up, who stopped watching the match when we went 2-0 down? Certainly the guy next to me left and wouldn't have seen one of the most exhilarating comebacks in recent memory for Spurs.

Cast your minds back to May 7th 2006 when we had a viral outbreak which may or may not (I am being VERY diplomatic here) caused us to under-perform against West Ham at Upton Park. Cue West Ham supporters and even players like Spurs reject Paul Konchesky gloating over a victory that decided the league positions of two other clubs. The boot is now very very firmly on the other foot.

At the start of the season I begrudgingly felt that West Ham would be a serious threat to us in the race for a top six finish, their squad was strong and youthful, had a Premiership season under it's belt and was at the last minute strengthened by the signings of two world beaters, Tevez and Mascherano. How wrong that proved to be. By all accounts those very signings upset the boys club, their places no longer guaranteed and team spirit suffered heavily. Add to that a captain who hears another team is sniffing around and promptly gives up playing for the team that made him and things get worse. A change in management, a shedload spent in January and all the way along I believed West Ham would make it out.



I have no doubts that yesterday sealed their fate, not only will us beating them home and away be something to cherish during their relegation but the manner of the defeat yesterday will have truly crushed their spirit. We were never ahead in the game, albeit we conceded at times when we were the better side, yet I always believed we would get something out of it, such is the transformation in our recent form and confidence.

The goals from Tainio and Berbatov were sublime, Defoe had more belief in himself than I did to step up in the face of the boo boys and take the penalty and as for Stalteri getting forward to start and finish off a move, I never thought I would see the day. The West Ham of last season finally turned up for a match, but it was a case of too little too late.

So while the Irons tumble into the Championship yet again, we are left to contemplate our league season and the potential for getting into UEFA again. We stand one point from 6th position, guaranteed Europe, and 5 points below 5th place although with Bolton in freefall at the moment it may just be that they are catchable.

Thanks to Martin Jol these small glories are coming more regularly as a Spurs fan, he has instilled a resilience in the side which was missing mid-season and he has to take great for that.

I, meanwhile, will be off to the Marriott in West India Quay to help myself to some of that sweet-tasting buffet.

Jol soundbite refreshing

Whereas during the build up to the Gooner matches earlier in the year MJ seemed to want to defuse the rivalry somewhat, even praising Ars*nal's young side ahead of tomorrow's game with WHam he has turned up the heat a little.


Jol thinking about West Ham going down.

"They gave us nothing, so we are no different - we won't give them a lot."

The memories of last season's failure at Upton Park will be fresh in his memory and revenge is on the cards this year. Jol had to suffer not only the defeat and disappointment, the virus debacle and an unsympathetic public but the Hammers players couldn't help but get in a few cheap digs at us in interviews following the game. Well this time my friends the shoe is on the other foot and the opporunity is there to send West Ham hurtling back down to the Championship where they belong.

Spurs apply for Intertoto

Spurs have confirmed their application for Intertoto this year. Thank God for that!! With UEFA qualification in doubt I think it is important we try and exploit every opportunity that comes our way, we need to be in Europe to keep our best players! The competition has changed this year, you only have to play one match before making it into the UEFA preliminary rounds.

My weekend accumulator

I have put my money this weekend on a treble of Chelsea, Bolton and Arsenal getting odds around 4/1. Please note that while they might not be my favourite sides, if they must win I feel they should at least make me some money by doing so!!

WHam love to sing

Cast your minds back to October 22 2006. I was making my way from the better half's flat in the Docklands to Liverpool St, via West Ham. Now this wasn't a route I had taken often although now it is one I take every match day, at that stage I had never been that way when a London derby was on. When I got on the train nothing seemed different, I was on the over ground from Liverpool St and it got very full, I made the mistake of getting on the first carriage I got to. Once the train departed some of the more boisterous supporters broke in to song. Such beautiful ditties as "We Hate Tottenham", "Hitler was my hero" and "I've got a foreskin haven't you, F*cking Jew" rang out while shaven headed morons banged the windows and the ceilings of the carriage.

By the first stop a dozen police entered our carriage and a bit of a face off entailed, although the anti-Semitic tones largely dissipated (despite the occasional hissing to remind of the Holocaust). Once at Bruce Grove we were kicked off the train early and frog marched by at least 50 policemen straight to the ground, just in time for kick off. Once there I realised something I hadn't realised before. THIS is why we hate West Ham. Not the club. Not the players. Not the location. The fans.



Sunday's match at Boleyn is huge for many reasons. West Ham need a result now to stand any chance of escaping, seeing as the previous day Wigan will have faced off with Man City and Watford have Charlton so either Wigan will go 12 clear of the Hammers or Charlton will equal their points total with a draw being the best result for WHam. Personally I would like to see them relegated, they have proved a good feeder club in the past, the likes of Dean Ashton appeal to me and we good get a good player or two out of it, but considering their antics on the last day of last season it would be just desserts if we gave them a hiding and sent them tumbling. You would have thought they had won the cup final. They didn't manage that one either ;-)

So the boys stand 9th, however just 4 points are between us and 6th position, the cherished UEFA cup place. Portsmouth have Chelsea this weekend, Reading travel to Arsenal, it seems a perfect opportunity to narrow the gap. At the start of the season I said a UEFA place would be progress while others said 4th however my reasoning for saying so still stands. We achieved European football for the first time in ages last season, consolidation of that and consistent qualification for Europe is the next goal.

Bolton take something from Spurs game

At least it wasn't a total waste of the journey

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/wanderers/wanderersnews/display.var.1229399.0.my_top_10_football_grounds_what_do_you_think.php

King set for March return

Further to the seemingly unavoidable rumours on the future of Ledley King he has stated he will be back to playing this month. This will surely come as a great relief to all Spurs fans as this season we have averaged 1.66 points per game with the captain in the side, and only 1 point per game without him.

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2022883,00.html

Keane Banned

Keano's dubious red card against Bolton has been upheld and he will be banned for one game (next weekend's visit to the Boleyn).

I was in a good position to see the incident and in all honesty it would have been very difficult to move out of the way in time to avoid the ball contacting his hand as a result of the point blank header. Fortunately for us the ban is not really significant.

Will we keep big guns?

After Berby's superb peforance on Sunday in linking up with Keano then subsequently on his own he has drawn some impressive plaudits. MJ said it may be the best peformance he has ever seen by a striker up front on his own. Steve Perryman said he is a Bill Nicholson player. Ronny Rosenthal even compared him to Marco Van Basten, high praise indeed for the elegant Bulgarian.

The upshot of this is that we have a hot property on our hands, the papers and websites that circulate the transfer gossip are awash with stories that we will be fighting off large bids for Berby in the summer. I realise that this is probably inevitable, United need a striker and should have gone for him when they had the chance, and lets be fair, he could get in the team anywhere in England. My favourtie rumour is that the filthy Gooners will be in for him. I don't care if they offer £50m for him, the chances of the club selling our best player to the enemy is laughable, they know the backlash from the fans would be unbearable.





Encouragingly Berbatov himself seems very settled and has made positive noises saying, "My first game was an experience I'll never forget. It was not good and we lost, but it was a long time ago and things are different now, I've learnt a lot. Against Bolton this time, not only me, but everyone, showed that we are a great club with a great future and, if we carry on like that, we can achieve a lot" even going on to suggest we had the squad to become a top 4 team.

With Berbatov, Lennon and King all signed on here until 2010 or beyond I would imagine it would take a ridiculous bid to displace one of them, especially given the effect Michael Carrick's move had on our midfield in the summer

Ledley rumours everywhere

There has been a recurring rumour this season that Ledley King's injury problems are so serious he will be force to retire shortly. He had surgery on a knee problem in the summer which seemed to be unsuccessful as he was subsequently unable to train or play for 3 days after a match due to the swelling he was experiencing in the same knee. The club has also blamed hip and foot injuries for absences this term although in each case rumours circulated that these were not the true causes of his spells on the sidelines.

While I do not want to in any way discredit or disrespect the sources of the recent rumours I would advise some caution before truly believing them. I remember Paul Scholes' career being dogged by similar rumours of a degenerative condition that would lead to his early retirement and this condition never materialised, my hopes and prayers are that the King's will not either.

Wenger taking risk by playing with kids

Well it should have been us but eventually Arsene Wenger's kids came unstuck against Chelsea in the Carling Cup final. I had been saying for a long time that eventually Wenger would get himself in trouble if he kept playing with the kids at Arsenal.

Arsenal's 'reserve side' (using no less than 10 players who have represented their first team in bigger competitions this year) struggled to cope with the more physical approach from Chelsea and while they played some good football ultimately the experience won through. I feel that Spurs let themselves down against this Arsenal side (although we had to cope with Rosicky and Gilberto as well) as we could have been a lot more combative and physical rather than allowing them to play their way back into the tie as we did.



In typical Arsenal fashion once the final appeared lost the toys went out of the pram and Arsenal's famous 'gracious losers' faces were on. Cue a large scuffle, purely handbags of course with chief culprits Fabregas and Eboue (a strange combination of hideous diver and aggressor) failing to be disciplined approriately, and three red cards hadn't out to players who had committed only minor crimes. For me it is Fabregas who most loves to provoke; from throwing the pizza at Fergie to pushnig Davids after he was sent off to goading Mark Hughes to sparknig a huge brawl by wrestling Lampard for no apparent reason. He may be able to play but he is in the Thierry Henry bracket as a sportsman, ie an arsehole.

The resounding cheer that went up at the Lane when Chelsea scored their second brought a smile to my face and was the icing on the cake in a great footballing day.

ANYONE BUT ARSENAL!!

Bolton stunned but few surprises here

So Spurs went out today and suprised a lot of people by trouncing high flying Bolton 4-1 at White Hart Lane, an hour of which playing with 10 men. Some may find this a surprising result, certainly it was the best performance I have witnessed so far this season, great movement and energy from midfield coupled with tenacity in both defense and attack, brilliant performances up front from Keane (unjustly sent off in my humble opinion, although the ball did flick his hand after thumping into his chest) and of course Berbatov, the truest exponent of the Spurs brand of football currently in the squad.

So far this season I have had to listen to a lot of our fans being down in the dumps, this is the first year I have been able to go week in week out and in fairness perhaps it is always this way, but it is something that should change.

We as a set of supporters rightly have a reputation for being fickle, for demanding the best and being quick to voice their disapproval when it is not forthcoming, trust me I have been one of them! What irks me somewhat though is when individual players are targeted, when the fans get on the players' backs and when new signings get precisely no time to impress.

Last year it was Rasiak, a striker whose Spurs career totalled four starts....why? Basically because in hitting the post twice against Liverpool he hadn't done enough to convince the supporters at his new home that he was up to scratch, he was jeered in future matches and never really got a chance to shine. Now I am not saying I would like him to still be at the club, but he has scored 20 goals for Southampton and perhaps he isn't as bad as we made him out to be.

Currently the guys I would say have been getting the most stick recently are Lee and Benoit at left back, Rocha at centre back, Zokora in midfield and Keano up front.

I would like to address each case in point, I will start front to back with the Rabbi. Now we all now Keano was our best player last year and that he hasn't been in the side so much this year. Personally I feel he is someone whose fitness suffers when he is not playing, if he is not on the pitch regularly his sharpness suffers, but as we all can see now, when he gets a run he is top notch. All those who said he should be sold please take note.

In the middle Zokora has taken a lot of flak, however since Hudd has been removed from the midfield unit suddenly he has transformed into this tackling, passing, powerful dribbling machine? Don't think so. He was never a problem, our midfield wasn't functioning because there wasn't enough bite and enough athleticism and because we didn't have a great shape, nor did we hold our positions. Zokora's quality has never been in doubt to me and since it came to my attention how many people wanted him out of the club at the end of the season (despite this being his first season in English football and him being a proven international holding player) his form has been spotless, no-one in the midfield has been better. Still want Hudd to take his place?

At the back it is all too easy to explain. Rocha, again a proven Champions League and international centre back, has only played a couple of games yet people are telling me he looks a dud??? He doesn't now all of a sudden does he? Perhaps a bit more patience for the foreign players. Lee and Benoit have had the worst time at all, if you believe the people near me then neither of them are good enough, we still need a left back blah blah. Perhaps attention should merely be turned to the fact we have not got a true left midfielder, and since Tainio has taken up the position and played tight disciplined games our left back spot holds no worries at all. Funny how these things change hey?

In truth none of these changes in fortunes have surprised me, I have been happy with the players all along, I believe in the scouting system and the transfer philosophy of the club and I am willing to give everyone brought in to help the cause time enough to settle in and make a difference, I hope the rest of the Yid army can do the same!

IN JOL WE TRUST!

The Bolton Return

As the run in gathers pace we today see the return of our opening match of the season against Bolton Wanderers. After the dismal start to the season we suffered at the Reebok we found some form running up to Christmas. Our season has almost gone full circle since, suffering some demoralising defeats although our two away wins in two games have given rise to the view we have turned the corner and are due for a strong run in.

A win for our boys today could get us within striking distance of the top seven, which has been good enough for a UEFA place in each of the last few years now, add to this our two cup runs still going and the season doesn't seem too bad so far.

COYS!!

Return of away form coincides with departure of the Hudd

Now I know this may not be popular with fellow Yids but considering the amount of Zokora bashing that went on during our poor run this year I feel like someone has to look at the flip side and point out some truths about our change in fortune.

During our bad run Spurs were accused consistently of lacking fight, grit, passion, energy, workrate. The arrest in this slide occurred at the same time as including Teemu Tainio and Robbie Keane in the starting line up, I don't feel this is any coincidence. We all know Robbie Keane's form hasn't reached the heights of his stellar season last year, largely due to injury and the goalscoring form of Defoe Keane has found himself on the sidelines, however it is also abundantly clear that he has the much superior all round game, working hard and dropping deep to help out the midfield, something we seem to be in need of when playing away. Defoe sometimes disappears during matches when the service is not there for him and it may just be the case that he is more suited to playing at home.

Our other change, possibly the more important one, comes to the midfield unit that has not been functioning of late. Dispensing with the passing game of Huddlestone, Jol instead went with the line-up of Malbranque, Zokora, Tainio and Lennon at Fulham and then Tainio, Zokora, Jenas and Lennon at Everton. While we know Huddlestone has a lot of abilty on the ball and is good at picking a player out he has a somewhat languid gait on the pitch, his work rate isn't high enough and for someone of his physical size and power he simply doesn't get stuck in enough. Spurs have been suffering from a lack of movement in midfield leading to a consistent strategy of reverting to long balls when options are not presenting themselves and in Jol's selection for the Everton trip we fielded probably our most athletic combination in the middle giving us a tenacity and determination that was lacking while retaining no little ability on the ball. Width? Still lacking, but with current playing staff Spurs will not be able to achieve the true width we desire.

For those who feel that Zokora is not justifying his transfer fee and should be shipped out come the summer I would say this: according to Opta the guy has the highest successful pass ratio in the side, the highest tackling percentage outside the back four and plays a disciplined although somewhat unspectacular role in the side. We have five other players to attack and open teams up and utilising Zokora's powerful bursts from midfield more frequently could add another facet to his game. If there is anyone who feels that Huddlestone is ready to control a game, influence the midfield and should be in the team let me know, I would love to hear why.

Spurs goals online

http://www.egyptianplayers.com/multimedia/

Under Spurs you will see all the matches listed where you can view the goals.

Copy and paste the link and look for the files beginning with 'spurs'. Often gets the goals on there same day!

Lennon not good enough for England?

Ok now my back is up, it appears that in their wisdom the Fleet Street rags have decided Aaron Lennon is not performing and has failed to take his chance for England. Considering this 'chance' has so far consisted of 7 substitute appearances, the last of which came in September last year, six months ago!

"Aaron Lennon has failed to grab his chance and it is felt he lacks heart, despite having the pace McClaren requires." says the Sun.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2002390000-2007080594,00.html

"If the Spurs flier, Aaron Lennon, was performing with greater hunger and consistency, Steve McClaren would never have made his startling comment yesterday that David Beckham had given him a selection "problem'' on the wing." comments the Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2007/02/22/sfnbec22.xml

Well it seems to me that the Beckham PR engine has kicked in again and this time Lennon is the fall guy, but that suits me. I am more than happy for Lennon to quietly go about his business at Spurs and carry on making the progress he is for us, however I feel that maybe the hacks should consider actually letting the bloke play before telling him he isn't doing well enough.

Petition to see tube station installed at White Hart Lane

Please could everyone sign the below petition on the Government website to request that the underground is extended to White Hart Lane. Not only would this be convenient but it is absolutely essential for the future of the club so that we can expand the stadium and dramatically increase match day revenues.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/TottenhamHotspur/

Rumours Rumours

OK Let's address some of the rumours that have been doing the rounds lately.

Firstly and most significant; White Hart Lane is to be rebuilt into a gazillion seater stadium and meanwhile Spurs will play at Wembley. Seems perfect doesn't it? (Apart from the fact I would have to travel right across London to get there) unfortunately it is unrealistic. We already have permission to extend our stadium and the reason we cannot go further with it is because the transport links are not sufficient to carry the increased numbers. Mr Levy has said many times that he is examining the options that are left open to the club and I believe the it is most likely that Spurs would have to move unless the Government shift their standpoint and decide to extend the tube to WHL. On the subject I will post a link to the petition on the government in the slight hope that it will prompt them to splash out the projected £70m cost required to have a tube stop on the doorstep.

Jenas to leave? Wouldn't be a major surprise to me, he has flattered to deceive at times and once we have a genuine left winger in the fold Malbranque will be a shoo in for the advanced central midfield berth. We have an abundance of central midfielders and while JJ is possibly one of the more talented he is in danger of never reaching his early potential and I could see a good offer dislodging him.

Spurs ready for takeover; typical non-story drummed up by the press. Basically we are in a decent position, making profit and playing pretty well hence we would be a good club to take over. No shit sherlock! I can't see it happening in the near future, the share prices shot up therefore the City must believe it but from what I can see there is nothing in the way of news in that area.