Tottenham Hotspur received an unexpected break on Tuesday evening with news that our EFL Cup tie with Leyton Orient had been postponed following a Coronavirus outbreak in their ‘bubble’ – so we move swiftly on to Thursday evening’s Qualifying Third Round Europa League clash with Shkendija.
Whatever happens with Orient, is now up in the air with claims they could field a squad who tested negative and the rumblings of the game potentially going ahead next week and then maybe a bit of readjustment for the fourth round tie (making the assumption we would be victorious!).
For now, it’s a couple of extra days off for manager Jose Mourinho’s group but I doubt the extra 48 hours in effect will do anything for us on an injury front with the returning Gareth Bale still ruled out until mid-October, Sergio Reguilon out until the weekend and Japhet Tanganga still sidelined.
Still, there are plenty of positives to come out of the Southampton clash, and even though we don’t now play tonight, allowing for some rotation, the players will definitely want to follow on with another win in Europe.
Shkendija...
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In respect of the rules, or lack of them, in the Orient situation, if there is no rule then that is worrying in itself. In an already compressed season with fixture pile ups no premier league club needs rearranged games making the situation even worse. Maybe more worrying is the health aspect. If only premier league players are being tested routinely you are effectively putting your players at risk every time you take on a lower league side. Rather than let the authorities dither there is a strong argument for pulling out of the competition on health grounds. If nothing else it would force them to get their act together for the FA Cup ties.
Hi HT – very fair argument – their chairman has today said from what I’ve been reading that they could have fielded a team yesterday of some sorts at least but with the whole nature of this CV/Covid19 situation and the aura around it also naturally that he/they thought it better to have it called off (something I can fully respect because to be perfectly honest I would not really have been happy at all or comfortable with our players taking to the field against them yesterday – let’s just call it CV/Covid19 prejudice, etc and I would suspect that our club and players would have felt likewise also indeed) – although clearly it’s not their decision to make of course and naturally only one for the authorities to make/take which in the end is what they did do.
Assuming they could put out a team then as he has clearly stated (naturally having all been properly tested as close to pre-match as possible taking into consideration all the problems around that of course – as I know it takes time to get the results back – not clued up on how long exactly though – but the minimum is hour’s at best from my very limited understanding – indeed I would have to read up on it further if necessary which thankfully for now I have no real reason/need to do so God thanks) then I would have to concede that a re-schedule is fair and we’ll just have to get on with it when it is decided and at least we got some more rest time this week and haven’t had to face thus 2 continuous weeks of 3 games each week – which is definitely already a positive for sure!
So yes agreed – let’s wait and see what comes and then we’ll just have to take it from there pretty much whatever the decision!
No matter how vague Jose has been on Dele, he has however been named for tomorrows squad.
So I have made up my mind on Dele, even if Jose hasn’t.
He will play in this EL match and he will have a bloody good game…… Dele will score at least two goals and set up 1 or 2 for Kane, Son or whoever….
It’s so easy Jose….. No need to be a ****!
Up the Spurs!
Now am going back to the “old days” would Billy Nick or Danny Blanch’ have allowed/let Dele act the way he has, for whatever reason?
Are we at the stage now we believe everything written down, media/rumour’s etc, even though we generally have no bloody idea what is happening or going on.
Are todays youngsters in everything treated with kid gloves, thus them having a “do you know who I am” attitude or is it you cant say that to me or I will stamp my feet.
For me Del has a great future in front of him, the only person who can really help him is himself, so I say pull your finger out of your backside and prove all the nay sayers wrong.
Just a couple of observations and opinions. COYS
I don’t want to put a damper on things but I’m not sure how long football will keep going. There must be huge concerns over the Orient and Moyes exposures to the virus. I can’t help thinking that any PL club that might become infected will virtually result in their season being over. I really hope I’m wrong …. but as you all know from the consistent accuracy of my 3-0 match predictions, that rarely happens! It really is a case of one match at a time.
That’s pretty much what I suggested in my post at 10:07 Geoff.
PY …. No, Yes, Yes, Yes.
HI ND – cannot complain about Doherty at all – £13.5m roughly and probably appropriate wages accordingly, considering he’s a top Prem RB, eexperienced, home-grown and in his prime years, etc – think we got a great deal overall for sure!
Especially when considering that for example Wolves just signed Semedo for around £27m (plus £9m add-ons), Castagne (last yr of contract) was around £21m and Aarons (just relegated) is supposedly at least £27m (with add-ons) also, (to be fair prices seem reasonable for example we paid £25m rising to £30m plus Onomah for Sess last season and that’s based on DL tough negotiations, etc LOL) so I mean don’t get me wrong indeed I think all 3 of these are good deals as well but just put’s our deal for Doherty even more in the spotlight for me quite frankly anyway! I would have taken any of these other 3 normally but given what we’ve paid for Doh and given his CV I think we’ve probably got the best deal IMHO – certainly hoping so anyway!
Semedo and Castagne are coming from top league’s no doubt but completely unproven in the Prem and in Semedo’s case he only has 4 goal contribution’s in over 60 la Liga games for Barca as a bombing fwd’s RB no less which I must admit I found 100% shocking but so it is – having watched him for Portugal though he does look tasty and seems to be able to keep up with Cancelo and ahead of Pereira – so no easy feat whatsoever! Castagne I only really know what I’ve read about him but does sound very good also, but given was in his last year of contract, etc and given previous reports surrounding Celtic, etc – I thought he might be able to be snatched for around £10m – how very wrong I was indeed fair play to Leicester and fair play to Atalanta also! Aarons exceled in the Championship for sure and was decent last season in his first outing in the Prem, etc and highly rated and obviously still extremely young so has top potential for sure, but to get a proven experienced top Prem RB for around half the money these other 3 are going for – what a deal in fact – indeed congrats to DL/JM already on this one alone for sure – I’m very much certain he’ll go on to at least match if not improve on his Wolves Prem career so far!
As for further transfers – liking what I’m hearing that we’re supposedly now in for a STR and CB – let’s see if this is true and if so who they are. Don’t want to go into too much more detail given so many different links especially STR wise (but do like a lot of those being mentioned ATM for sure) – my main concern though is do we have the money for such and indeed where the hell is it all suddenly coming from LOL?! So anyway let’s just wait and see and hope ………..!
TQ …. Just read your post. I’m afraid we might both be right.
TQ, Geoff,
I sincerely hope you’re wrong in your assumption, prediction.
It was bad enough last time, but looking at the way things are going in the country you could be right.
PY
last post re Dele and the majority of snowflake young uns do have this attitude.
Where I worked we got an influx of em and after 2 weeks they were trying to tell me my job.
Of course they wouldn’t take a telling even though I had 30 years service and qualifications.
They did a degree in media studies don’t ya know.
I agree 100%.
PY
These young people over here have had weeks of street parties in an area over here. Now in many ways thanks to their me, me, me, attitude. The rest of us in the country can’t now visit their relatives at home.
That means on Saturday I can’t go up to the outlaws. Here wait a minute
PY there’s nuthin wrong with the youngsters.
Morning guys and gals……….let’s hope the Macedonian broadcast services are more reliable than the Bulgarians! 🙂
You’ve gotta feel for Troy Parrott, only managed 45 minutes after returning from injury, at least the latest ankle issue appears to have been caused by a kick to the joint. I really hope that he isn’t going to be one of those players who is constantly in the treatment room.
ND, you cannot go to the “Outlaws”, well there is always something good to come out of the situation lol!
Must admit my “Outlaws” have changed with me, could be their age! though I do worry about them as you do your I expect.
Now for tonight, lets get a good confident win plus I think Dele is playing, now young man if you are show us why we bought you, you can do it, you know you can. COYS
Rumours linking us with Milan Skriniar seem to be intensifying with reports claiming that Steve Hitchen is in Milan for talks. Our search for a striker appears to be less promising with the suggestion again that most of those we have approached aren’t willing to compete with HK10 for a place in the team.
Milan Skriniar Is only 6′ tall and is another right-footed centre back… And expensive! What’s Levy’s game?What’s Jose’s game?
Maybe JM is thinking of converting him into a centre forward? Only Milan doesn’t yet know it yet…
Should dele play tonight, he will have to step up his attitude and efforts a lot, as it will be his last chance at spurs. As I can’t see Jose being patient with him much longer. COYS and dele.
HT – Škriniar cannot get in the Inter team, apparently because he is not suited to a back three that Conte likes to play. How good can he be if that is the case. From the little bit of research I have done, he is strong in the air and in the tackle but not particularly quick. €50 seems an awful lot of money.
I’d love to know where the money is coming from. We borrowed £175m from the government (not to be used for transfers) and we are losing all that gate money plus vastly reduced overseas TV rights. My only conclusion- Joe Lewis has become the new Abramovich.
DH…re: Joe Lewis being the new Abramovich…….as they say, if you can’t beat them join them! 🙂
Dele got injured about 2 years ago at the World Cup, and, since then he doesn’t seem to have gotten over it. He has not been the same player since. He has lost that “nasty” streak he had and tries too many flicks.
That world Cup lost us a lot impetus not only Dele regressed, but Tripps, Dier and until lately even HK10 was not at his best.
As HK10 has now gotten back to fantastic form let’s hope Dele will follow suit.
And get back to his best. Hope he plays tonight.
looks like eriksen could be on the bench more, struggled last season and this season with the signing of vidal could be more limited. Coys
HT – to be fair he’s actually 6ft2 and although right-footed – has played regularly either side of the 2 CB roles – be it RCB or LCB in his career so far – yes ideally we’d sign a left-footer but he is extremely highly rated backed up by very solid experience already even though still only 25 (both internationally and in a major league like Serie A for 4 season’s now , etc) the only problem but a major 1 though is the transfer fee – around 50-60m Euros so £45-55m (given this current siht exchange rate) – that’s some serious money at anytime especially for us and above all at this moment in time obviously.
Let’s sit and wait and see what happens but no doubt he should prove a quality signing if indeed it goes through – hope so but not fully expecting it at all ATM given the fee size!
As for the 2nd STR/CF – Milik sounds very interesting indeed – especially if he can be got on a season’s loan to try and then buy next summer if worthwhile, etc ………..! This makes even more sense if we can hopefully go through with the above with Skriniar and also Milik could prove as well as his reliability in terms of performance also his fitness given has had several injuries over the last couple of seasons apparently.
Maybe even similar deal for Skriniar to ease the financial burden this summer would be ideal – although seriously doubt it here as it’s a lot of money and apparently Inter need to balance the books and have their eye on Milenkovic from Fiorentina as their ideal replacement and do not want to miss out to their rivals Milan on this one – also with PSG apparently sniffing around – if we really want Skriniar will have to be a permanent deal now pretty much I think – in our favour is that he likes/rates JM, the Prem being what it is and also with all our other signings so far in the last 12 months we really appear to be going places!
Glad to hear Dele going nowhere – he’s the only real goal-scoring midfielder we have at the club and also a great creator on his dat – can’t see the likes of Lo Celso or N’Dombele ever matching him so ridiculous to consider selling him for me! Just needs to get his fitness back up and proper and then work on his form also – hopefully will all fall together again so that he can return to the Dele that he was in the 1st 3 season’s with us.
To be fair last season was not all that bad – he had some 15 goal contributions in what was a tough season (for him personally with injury thus even form, etc and us in general for all the obvious reasons) – so a fair return all things considered and this season just getting started so let’s wait and see and give him a good chance again. Not to mention he can only benefit from playing with the likes of the current quality of Sonny, HK10 regularly as ever the case naturally but then Lo Celso/N’Dom from behind in CM also, etc as well as on top the added quality of Doherty, Reguilon and Bale, etc coming in fresh now!
Finally interested in seeing who we sell and what for – JM clearly and correctly wants the squad trimmed down so looking forward to seeing how this goes also finally towards the end of the window ………….!