Well, it’s been a strange old summer for supporters of all clubs, let alone Tottenham Hotspur fans but it’s finally time for the first match thread of 2020/21.
I trust this finds the good citizens of Vital Spurs and their wider bubbles, in good health and spirits, as this coming season is bound to be a rollercoaster, both on and off the pitch!
2019/20 was interesting, to say the least, with our problems and the changes we saw (nobody mention poor performances), so this year after a semi-busy transfer window of captures, we also have Europa League qualification to look forward to – which simply only complicates things further given the additional games we face for barely a Plovdiv of financial benefit compared to the Champions League itself.
But it’s Everton up first as we go into a new strange season where fans still won’t be in attendance and nobody knows if we’ll actually perform like the Spurs we expect either, but the likelihood is more of the same pragmatic type of football Jose Mourinho is famed for – we just have to hope the results follow.
Everton...
Win
Draw
Lose
It’s a busy start to the season with five games to pack in ahead of us slipping into October, so can we lay down a marker against the Toffees and show that we’ve learnt from last season’s mishaps?
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Spurs Arrange Medical For 33 Capped International Midfielder
HT …. I probably passed you on the streets of London several times. As a teenager I used to love wandering around central London …. all the history, HMV record store, Foyles bookshop, etc. And Saturdays at The Lane!
PY …. You have a good heart, mate.
ND …. You said you don’t get HT’s humour. I do. It’s very similar to mine. The point is that humour is different for everyone. Example: I’ve never liked Benny Hill (too crude), but love Fawlty Towers, The Goon Show, Monty Python, Yes Minister, et al. The saying ‘sarcasm is the lowest form of wit’ was just someone’s opinion and does admit it is a form of wit. I’ve always thought that the lowest form of wit is stupidity. Each to his own, I guess.
The biggest insult one of us on VS could give to another is probably …. Are you sure you’re not an Arsenal supporter?
: – )
Niall…. I have just read again your post to me on Sept 9th, 7 something pm…
Now I see why you were angry with me….. You didn’t get my humour which is fair enough but my posts were not at all directed to you or anyone else… I have explained why just now, directly ahead of that post you wrote on the 9th…
Please read it. It won’t make me funny to you, I’m sure. But it does genuinely explain why you may have misunderstood me….. It should do….. I hope it does.
Yes Geof……
What I wanna know is whatever happened to Galway Gooner…… He definitely was an Arsenal fan…
Bonjour – I see Aurier and Foyth are still being linked constantly away today (although Foyth also now hopefully on a potential loan deal maybe only) – would really like to see him get some game time within the Prem (given his age and international status already – don’t think the Championship would really be appropriate or offer anything of meaning/substance to his current/future career) if he is to leave us on loan to see what he can do and perhaps learn his trade fully away from us thus making any further costly mistakes away from us to then come back a much more complete and polished defender (memory reminds of him giving away 2 penalties in 1 game very quickly against Wolves in 2018 even though we still rode out winners, getting sent off in that debacle at Bournemouth in May 2019 with an over the top challenge which we subsequently lost in the dying minutes to an Ake goal off a corner when down to 9 men, etc)! The club still seem to think possibly that there’s a good defender there somewhere especially with more experience and I tend to agree that we should loan him out first worst case and see how he develops although the lure of a quick buck from a sale this summer already might be too hard to resist.
My point being if both of them go and with Rose and CCV likely gone also that only leaves the following as defender’s in the 1st team squad: Doherty, Dier, Toby, Davy, Tanganga, Davies and arguably Sessegnon and even Cirkin having just stepped up from the youth academy and finally and very desperately perhaps Fernandes! For me that is not enough hence my battering ram approach on here as as regards another CB being needed minimum and ideally a left-footed LCB seeing as with Vert’s leaving we don’t currently have another one!
The way I see it Doherty and Tanganga and possibly Fernandes if desperate are going to be RB’s, Davies and Sessegnon with possibly Cirkin as LB’s, but then we only have 3 CB’s in Toby, Dier and Davy and we surely need atleast 1 more so that we have what I feel is the very minimum number required for any club of 4 – indeed 2 player’s to each position minimum! Hence why I keep on about a LCB – I hadn’t really explained it this properly so far, so having done so I will leave it now shortly after the end of this message having finally got it off my chest as best I can and not wanting to continue to be a bore. I just hope other’s can see where I am coming from because I’m not even talking about quality yet – that indeed remains to be seen once the season starts (but going on last season much, much improvement needed) I’m actually for now just after adequate number’s! Finally I might add that we pretty much lost Vert’s already last summer – our only proper LCB and a quality experienced one at that and it might well be no coincidence that last season was our worst defensively in over half a decade and thus helped cost us dear but of course not wanting to forget or take away fromthe vital losses of Lloris, Sonny and HK10 and even Sissoko, Bergs, Lo Celso, etc at vital stages in the season!
I’m actually looking forward to seeing how Dier performs this season because if he does it well we will have a successor to Toby when he likely starts fading within the next year or 2 just like Vert’s did around 32/33 (Toby currently 31)! Davy offers something different to those 2 especially with his pace so that is a great advantage he has but like I say Dier has quite a bit going for him and appears to be a leader also so if he does well this season like I say I could see him being Toby’s replacement as our main RCB in the not too distant future and he’s only 26 so given my time-frame he’d be coming right into his prime year’s also (vice-captain material worst case given year’s at club and prominence – behind only Lloris and HK10 assuming they continue to stay long term)!
For me it simply makes sense to get in another CB minimum (and as I say a LCB ideally at that) – indeed for me it’s nothing less than an absolute requirement to make up adequate number’s in defence generally and at CB specifically – just like the obvious 2nd elusive STR up front to cover HK10!
I can see where people might be coming from as regards another AMC and perhaps also even a LB also but surely we have to show more respect to the likes of Dele, Lo Celso, N’Dombele and even Lamela not to mention then Davies, Sess and Cirkin – indeed for now I feel we have sufficient numbers for these 2 stated position’s and now have to give a decent amount of time to see if they can finally bed in properly and fully and see how it goes – especially the newer and younger one’s at that! For me Dele and even Davies deserve much more respect though already than they are currently getting to be perfectly honest because both are good players, indeed in Dele’s case top notch!
That’s my take on the squad itself and what needs to happen for the rest of the window especially incoming wise and hopefully actually ASAP and not towards the end of it ideally!
I think from what I read the club are on a similar wave-length which is great by me – so will wait to see who we hopefully bring in and leave it there for now until hopefully we eventually and finally do so!
Concerns now fully expressed over LOL!
As regards Sunday – I actually think the side I gave earlier on here and barring Sissoko for Lo Celso is pretty much as strong as it gets for us and giving as I said IMHO that Everton have a decent/good side now especially with these 3 new current signings – I think it’s going to be a real test and good gauge already of what we are about this season so let’s wait and see but should be a good and most definitely interesting game for sure!
Also think Dele deserves much more respect than currently getting – for me still currently the best English AMC and there are now quite a few (Oxlade-Chamberlain, Maddison, Mount, Barkley, Foden, Grealish, Ward-Prowse, Lingard, etc, etc, etc) in fact 1 of the best AMC’s in the Prem in general!
So not sure why our best midfield 3 for the upcoming season is considered by several at least to be: Hoj, N’Dom and Gio – where exactly does Dele fit in all this?!
Prem experience, international experience, good goal record, good assist record, super skillful, works hard on the pitch (IMHO), relatively quick, strong on the ball, great runner especially off the ball indeed very intelligent, only 24 and top it all off had a good pre-season already this summer!
The only real complaint is his long distance shooting – needs improving for sure apart from this just needs to keep doing what he tends to and so long as he’s fully fit and concentrated (which hasn’t been for 2 good season’s now) – top notch for sure!
But just my opinion of course and just 1 example of me backing up 1 of our players when many on here get accused of constantly criticising our players and saying they are all crap, etc…………..!
Two days until our first game and it is the usual shambles. We go into every season totally unprepared. We have known for so long that back up is needed up front – in my opinion with the fixtures we have, we need two strikers but it appears we are no where near getting one in, seemingly being priced out of almost every deal (really Mr Levy).
The squad is going stale – Levy talks about competing in the Champions League on a regular basis but we still carry too much mediocrity in the squad with the hope that they will eventually come good. Winks, Sissoko, Lamela, Moura, Dier, Davies, Dele are just decent premier league players but no more . Poch said at least two years ago that we needed to think like a big club but in the transfer market we still plead poverty. Levy was happy to spare no expense on his vanity stadium project but does everything else on the cheap. Pochetino’s brilliance masked Levy’s frugality but that was not sustainable and we are now paying the price.
His desperate appointment of Jose will only make things worse. He is a manager who is no longer capable of doing what he once could – his tactics are so outdated and from what I have seen of the documentary, his motivational talents have disappeared. What a mess we are at the moment.
Morning HT, thanks for your reply, eloquently put, now there is a word, haha!, yes I had a High School education, passed 11+, now that was a shock, left with 10 O Levels not bad eh for a future military man and generally a pretty good sportsman, any way we all learn lessons some hard some soft different ways and lastly we are never to old to learn.
Morning ND, hope I only have to miss ya for a short time, you write good argumentative posts, keep strumming those strings and more importantly keep writing whether your low or up for it.
Morning DH, yes me and Mrs PY are as best as can be expected, thanks for asking, hope you and yours are keeping fine, now you miserable old git, lol! keep writing, one of us is right one is wrong, but hey who really cares lol!
Morning 123, yes I am confident, but then being a fanatic I cannot see any other way to be, its the optimist in me.
Morning Geof, hope all is well down under for you and yours, thanks for you reply and as I said prior I am optimistic for this season. COYS
DH …. Thanks for cheering me up. I was starting to worry!
Hi HT
Look m8 we’ll put it behind us. I simply don’t like sarcasm because in my line of work it had to be used every day. For me and perhaps me alone I think sarcasm always has a target who may not be able to defend themselves which means that everyone is laughing at them.
I find sarcasm very easy to use but it usually (as you have seen) offends someone.
It’s just my opinion. Just as Geoff didn’t like my Winksy humour.
I hope I have got my point across without being offensive.
I mean this please keep posting m8.
To the rest of you apologies as this was to be a thread (which I partly asked for) was to be about Spurs and Everton.
Regards N.
https://www.reddit.com/r/coys/comments/ff2wmk/youngest_english_midfielders_to_reach_50_premier/
Already 2.5 years ahead of 1 fat Frankie Lampard who indeed went on to score a total of 177 in 609 games (record for a Prem midfielder and in fact only 4 more players higher in the Prem all time scoring charts overall – indeed 4 STR’s – Aguero, Cole, Rooney and Shearer) – no reason why, if Dele can get back to full fitness and form (which he has severely lacked these last 2 season’s for sure) he cannot progress to take on this record especially if he chooses to stay with us for the rest of his career and we can both (him and us) match each other’s ambition hopefully!
You might even argue that Lampard given Chelski’s spending power and thus success may even have been surrounded by better than Dele has always been at Spur’s making his job that little bit more easier at a minimum but that is a side argument – the most important fact is Dele is already on 50 goals and still only 24!
Want to see what a now fully fit, hopefully back to top form thus eventually and much more experienced Dele can do and I think we’re probably as strong as we’ve ever been in fact if not more since he’s been at the club indeed people like Sonny and HK10 again are now much experienced and better players for sure and we might have lost Eriksen but have gained Lo Celso, Winks, N’Dombele (hoping he comes good finally) and then the likes of Moura and Bergs not to mention Lamela still around even Sissoko now much improved since joining the club, might even add Doherty to the list especially given his attacking prowess and more and better deliveries into the box for Dele to pounce on as he has done so well in the past at – the point being we are now much more improved in the attacking 1/3 and that should help Dele reap much further reward – so here’s to 100 and 150 even and so on and so on – all for us hopefully as well on top!
I just want to add in his first 3 season’s for us and his most prolific he played 106 times in total out of 114 Prem games and that as an in-experienced youngster starting from scratch in the Prem so pretty much ever present effectively thus an average of over 35 games a season. These last 2 season’s only played 25 games each season so 10 less games per season indeed on average.
Consistency of games to help provide good form, etc is crucial and he’s just not had that these last 2 season’s not to mention these last 2 season’s have been the worst of our last 5 year’s Prem performance wise so all in all easy to see why Dele has dropped off in this time – although still done OK even by his very high standards!
Top notch player for me and deserves much more respect from the us the fans I feel IMHO!
What do the ‘missing posters’ think about the game …. BS, Frank, Loz, etc. Come on people, I know you’re out there. : – )
PompeyYid – you are incorrect, I am neither old nor miserable. But you are right when you say who really cares – it’s only football. Really hoping I’m wrong but I’m convinced I am right but time will tell. COYS
DonnyH, well played that man, pulled the shirt strings glad your up for it, am a year older old git tomorrow well the old git is Er in Doors response.
Yep time will tell and we will never fall out, cheers mate. COYS
ahh my spud friends!!
How have you all v been keeping? Been awhile since we last spoke, at least 2 or 3 trophies ago 🙂
New season upon us, we look in great shape you guys looking more then a little flat.
Think we’ll take you this season!!
COYG!
Team news:
Tanganga is injured, (thigh)… Lo Celso to have a late fitness test, (hamstring).
Ah! somebody mentions the Paddy Gooner and like magic he appears, thought I might introduce myself, hows it going?
Yep just keep thinking that’s all you lot have lol! COYS
so it takes 4 years or more to find a decent striker….i’m bemused….kane must be tearing out his hair with games to come thick and fast and levy still not showing much ambition with the squad….and why are we almost always skint.
And dear mr levy wanting to sell mediocre players for top price and expecting to buy better players for peanuts?
IS levy so blind as to not properly invest in the squad while others do and wanting CL footy?…you spend to reap rewards.
not feeling much confidence going into the new season to be honest,expected better.
corona hit everyone hard ,not just spurs .
so onward one striker team and hope i’m proved wrong ….still going for a 3-1 win….coys
I think I may be the oldest on here. Started supporting Spurs in 1954 when I had a Roy Rogers cowboy outfit with spurs. Then my Dad took me to Filbert Street to see Spurs win 3-1 against Leicester. I was hooked and have neen through the glory and pain ( one day Ramos). The great Danny B to the exciting Gazza and now to Harry Kane. I-Paper is forecasting us to make 6th possibly. Bit optimistic I think. Usual top 4 like formula 1 boring. Usual midfield scrappers on relegation for WBA and Fulham. Only Leeds to survive. Same every season. Money buys success. Same old. Will we find that elusive striker to save Harry from exhaustion? Will we replace Eriksen? Will we go back to marauding full backs like Walker and Rose? Will we play to win? Will Jose suddenly realise we are in the entertainment game and fans will not put up with dull, defensive scrapping. Anyway audere est facere,to dare is to do, COYS. Always looking forward to Spurs winning with style.
I see JM has said that a new STR will not necessarily play 2nd fiddle to HK10 and could well get plenty of game time including even partnering HK10 also – “To support us in such a difficult season is also to try to play and why not play with Harry?”, (I did say at the beginning of this thread I thought any new STR would get a decent amount of games minimum including some in the Prem and possibly the lion’s share in the 3 cup’s, etc) so kind of shoots away the argument that any new STR will be constantly sat on the bench (as at least some have constantly suggested on here) – so over to Levy (as I suggested earlier on this thread also) to go all out to get JM’s preferred target by loosening the purse strings and paying the necessary fee and wages in order to get that man – indeed that man we so desperately need in fact – no time to be scrimping here now for sure (of course fair play we’ll have our limits certainly but let’s not to try to drag every ÂŁ out of even our affordable target[s] as the case may be as we usually tend to do based on constant reports that come out lol)!
Furthermore I also see he has pretty much described N’Dombele as an attacking midfielder basically – (quote: Mourinho specifically mentioned Ndombele as a midfielder who is “more creative” and “offensive-minded”) thus as I suggested in an earlier thread and even on here – to flourish he needs to be relieved of defensive shackles and allowed to play his progressive more attacking style based on technique and flair and not be stifled although of course no excuse for not working hard even when off the ball, I think Hoj could well be his perfect foil finally to do such even if played in CM. Furthermore it also helps with my argument above that at the moment we need to respect and give time and opportunity to the 4 main creative midfielders we have at the club already before looking for another one, namely: Dele, Lo Celso, N’Dombele and Lamela (as he can also play centrally) and there’s nothing to stop the excellent passing Winks and possibly even White from being further creative from deep CM aswell as all our attacker’s possessing great creative ability in the likes of: Sonny, Bergs, Moura and naturally our talisman and top performer HK10!
All of course just IMHO!
WW…..I think Frank will give you a run for your money regarding the oldest poster!
HT & ND……Really good to see you guys reconciling your differences, would hate to lose either of you. 🙂