What had started out as quite a promising campaign has definitely turned into a topsy turvy year for Tottenham Hotspur, and this week has been no different as we backed up a poor performance against Arsenal in the North London Derby defeat with a quite incredible performance that saw Dinamo Zagreb fight back from a two goal deficit to unceremoniously dump us out of this season’s Europa League competition.
Opinions amongst Spurs fans have always been torn when it comes to manager Jose Mourinho and this last week has done nothing to temper those thoughts, and it probably feels even more frustrating as ahead of Arsenal it looked like we were again playing ourselves into some good, attacking form and leaving the more defensive and pragmatic approach behind us.
We will be missing Erik Lamela after his sending off, and Son Heung-Min continues to be out. In other potentially good news, there’s mixed talk about Jack Grealish returning so he might miss out for them, but in any event, we know we have the firepower to take all three points, it just again comes down to how we play and, well, how we play.
The question that no one can bet on ahead of a match this season.
I get what you mean Niall, his decision making is a bit wayward when he gets to the opposition box! :- )
Oh dear….another Stones blooper! 🙁
For England game tonite “See Spurs Handbook” how to lose from an easy winning position.
It is just like watching Spurs under JM.
What 1 chance and a pen on target so far.
A complete fek up in defence let’s the Poles in.
Just like watching Spurs.
Even the kit is similar.
It it Jose Southgate in charge. 🙂
Could be his mate Gareth Mourinho. 🙂
I note with some interest that Liverpool are actually going to do what I suggested we do.
They are trimming down their squad and getting rid of “fringe” players Shaquiri, Origi, even the OX is up for consideration but I believe its around 6 squad players and loanees going up for sale to “Trim the squad”. Good idea.
That’s probably in the hope of, and to fund, the signing of M’Bappe if you believe the gossip Niall.
Arsene Wenger saying that Kane can win all the trophies he wants if he stays at Spurs? Wow.
He must really not like the way he was treated at Emirates. Lol.
But he’s right, of course. The right two or three signings each year for two years and Spurs could be as strong as anyone. Lean and mean. A really good player at every position and a decent backup for each one, Kane, Son.
Kane might as well stay. He can be a god if he stays and leads us to some trophies including PL and CL. He can be anther Bale if he goes to RM.
Forget the tin pot trophies like the one named after a Thai energy drink. Nothing there to get too excited about.
Stay here, pass Greavsie, and win at least one PL and one CL. Gain immortality at N17.
Listen to Arsene Wenger for the sake of becoming a god, for God’s sake.
It is amazing that people talk about the League Cup final as … a tin pot cup !! I disagree. It is still a wembley final which gives players a chance to win silverware and a medal. Also Europa league entry I think, and as it is usually early in the season a win gives players confidence boost for the PL run in and for either European competitions the wining club is in. Which is why pep / city have won it 4 times recently even in their PL title season…and I don’t need to remind anyone on here it’s the only trophy spurs have won since 2008. COYS
By the way… I was pleased to see Lucas Moura’s attitude to his time at spurs… Saying in an interview earlier this season, he is pleased / happy he scored a hatrick in CL semi final, and played in a CL Final. Although disappointed we did not win the final he was still of a positive attitude, and his efforts for the team since the interview… have been commendable. This is the way football players used to be, before big money ruined the game..
It’s true what they say block….money is the root of all evil, players agents were payed £272m by English clubs in the last recorded 12 month period, how many struggling grass roots clubs would that support? The game has sold it’s soul to money grabbers.
On another money theme….Denise Coates (husband Peter chairman of Stoke FC )as boss of Bet365 earned a reported £465m last year. I wonder if she thinks of all the families struggling to live because of gambling addiction before she goes to sleep each night. This just reinforces the fact that gambling is a mugs game.
As they say …. there are a lot of things far more important than money. The dilemma for most people is that they simply can’t afford them. Ironic really, isn’t it?
Hi Geof……it’s nice to have enough to be comfortable and see a bit of the world around us but there must come a point where it has no real meaning when you have so much of it? I certainly wouldn’t know!
Hi TQ …. That’s why I hope Kane will stay …. because he has more than enough money already and he can be a Spurs legend to go with it. If he tops Greaves on the goal-scoring table it could well be something that will never be beaten. Maybe?!
What I laugh it is, that it’s usually people with loads of money who make these statements.
Indeed money doesn’t make you happy, but at least you can be miserable in comfort.
It’s like these people who say about working past retirement, they’re not exactly hodding brick for a living or digging trenches on a wet road, or standing in A&E taking abuse on a Saturday nite on a twelve hour shift. Rant over.
I’m fortunate I got away early I’m comfortable, by my standards, thank goodness, but not rich.
Agreed re Moura, he is putting in a decent shift over the last few games, and is starting to look for the pass rather than trying to beat 11 men all the time.
Noticed something re-Kane last night.
And I’ve seen it for us at times too.
He comes into mid field or out wide at times when there’s no need, and I know he is the “every man” player but at times he actually needs to be in that central area, as I feel he doesn’t have that burst of speed to get him in the danger zone when he is perhaps around the centre circle and play goes wide.
Hey but who am I.
You’re not wrong Niall, the match commentator made the point a couple of times, there were a number of attacks out wide where we had no-one in the box to cross to as Harry had dropped deeper. I can understand his desire to do this at times as we (both England and Spurs) don’t get the ball into him quickly enough and end up faffing around outside the box and eventually pass the ball backwards when getting pressed.
TQ. The Carabao cup is obviously the least prestigious of all trophies that a club such as Spurs can win.
But, I remember when we reached this final with Poch in his first season. And having an ongoing debate with a former VS poster about its value to the club. He insisted that because we had a relatively easy path to reach the final, that it really wouldn’t be anything to write home about if we did win it. I pointed out to him that the final itself was against Chelsea and would not be easy to win, even if it was considered easy to get there. And that beating them would be something to really celebrate for us Spurs supporters. He thought I was talking rubbish!
We lost of course, and then Chelsea went on to win the PL that season too. Fast forward to this year and it’s the probable PL champions again that we have to beat to win it. And this surely must give the competition some kudos to the club, if we can beat them.
I remember winning it the last time (being the last trophy we have won). And I watched it in a South London pub that had about 70% Chelsea fans in it. I was with a mate that supported them. And I can tell you the joy of beating them that day for us minority of Spurs supporters was fantastic. The Blues fans were completed gutted and fled the pub very quickly, angry and upset , right at the final whistle. Including my angry mate. Me and my fellow Yids celebrated and sang our songs into the night… All for the Tin-Pot Trophy! The players were quite chuffed too!
And I have to mention too, that we had thrashed Arsenal over 2 games, 6-2, in the semi-final! (And Man City before them). Sweet!
It’s funny, because many supporters that claim we are not up to very much, if we don’t win trophies, will then belittle the EFL cup. Whereas someone like myself that doesn’t feel at all depressed about Spurs not winning stuff too frequently, will absolutely be over the moon if we do beat City.
Having said that, what will not please me as much, is if we beat them, but having parked the bus for most of the 90 mins, and conceded 60-70% of possession in doing so. But others won’t mind, just as long as we do win it…
Even so, that won’t stop my celebrations when I see the players celebrate and passing the shiny tin-pot around to each other, happy and content…..
It may not be the same as winning the PL but it is finishing top of ALL the English League clubs that took place in it.
Surely that has to be better than not winning it?! 🙂
Sorry Block! That post was in response to your post, not TQ.
Hi TQ! 🙂
Hi HT…….it’s ok, you are of an age like me where things can get confusing at times! lol
Speak for yourself, Galway Gooner. Not me! My memories as good as……… Oh, I forget!
I know….I was in denial at first as well! 🙂
Let there be no doubt–when Spurs play at Wembly vs. Man Citeh I’ll be rooting for THFC to win and will feel terribly disappointed if we don’t. But winning the Thai Energy Drink Cup won’t have anywhere near the thrill that winning a cup without such a crass name would be. And it won’t make up for the loss to Poo in the CL final–a match that was spoiled by the unfair first minute penalty. I was immensely proud of our play that day, and the Thai Energy Drink Cup won’t come close to making up for the disappointment of that unfair loss. That crap penalty cheapened the match. for the next 89 minutes.
Just the name of the Carabao Cup these days diminishes the thrill. COYS, whip Man Citeh in 24 days. I’ll indeed by a happier man when we do that, and we can do that. But to win a cup with that name makes it feel diminished. How would I explain that cup as being a major accomplishment to my grandchildren when it has such a cheap sounding commerically crass name?
I won’t feel a complete thrill of victory until we win something with a far more substantial sound.
That being said, I feel a complete thrill everytime I see a match in which THFC plays in our style–flowing and intelligent football that doesn’t bore anyone to death, fairly played with integrity and pride. I would never feel satisfaction if we win by boring the opposition and the supporters to death, nor if we win by cheating in the way Argentina won with the “hand of god” and nor if we win a cup cheapened by crass commercialism.
God help us if DL sells the naming rights to our stadium to something terribly embarrassing. Can you imagine playing at WHL in a stadium called the Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Stadium. I’d cringe at every match played. Sometimes winning just isn’t worth it. Sometimes losing is much more dignified. Winning isn’t always worth it. How we live is what matters. Winning can be crap.
A call out to the Norwegian clubs pressuring Norway to boycott the World Cup in Qatar in stadiums built on the bodies of oppressed imported workers.
Can you imagine if the winner of the Premier League comes to be called the winner of the Carabao League? Would it feel the same? Yes, it would be preferable to winning the Mohammed bin Salman League, but it wouldn’t feel as good as just winning the Premier League.
I would be even happier if winning the Premier League were simply called winning the First Division, because first should mean first, but now the winner of the English Football League Championship is the winner of what should be known as the Second Division. We’d have to get relegated to win the English Football League Championship. lol.
The names of what it is for which we compete have lost all connection to meaning. Money, money, money is the root of meaninglessness.