Vital Spurs Debate Section

Match Thread – Will Spurs Go To War Against The Marines

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It’s a tasty Cup week for Tottenham Hotspur fans and having seen us book our place at Wembley against Brentford in the EFL Cup, on Sunday we are looking to progress through to the fourth round of the FA Cup with a trip to Marine FC’s Rossett Park.

With an incredibly packed fixture list in the first half of the campaign, manager Jose Mourinho has regularly rotated his first team group and I can only imagine we’ll see even more changes for this one, with a number of fringe players and youth used to get some minutes into their legs, whilst resting others.

This is a game we should be looking to win pretty comfortably, even if it’s likely to be a physical affair and we’ll have to dig in at points. Whatever team is put out, any other result simply won’t be acceptable.

We will be missing Gareth Bale and Giovani Lo Celso, but Matt Doherty’s suspension should be up for this one. Given the whack Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg took, I’d imagine he’ll be given this one off as well.

Just got to get the job done.

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  • BelgianSpur says:

    123spurs – If the amount of cases amongst footballers was abnormally high compared to the rest of the population, the “footballers are not behaving” narrative might hold more weight.

    But it seems cases are going up across the UK population as a whole, and footballers are people too. It should then be no surprise to see cases increase amongst footballers too.

    Even if they are behaving, the sheer nature of being a professional footballer still involves close contact with coaches, physios, club staff etc. And all it takes is for one of those people not to behave (or even someone in those people’s family – either way, something footballers would have no control over) for Covid to spread through a football club like wildfire.

    It’s obviously very convenient to jump to the conclusion that rich, aloof footballers are to blame, but some of the players who have been infected are model professionals and got it through someone at the club who isn’t even a player.

    I just think it’s the perception of the modern day footballer which is dictating opinions in this case. Innocent until proven guilty, remember?

  • BelgianSpur says:

    TQ2Spurs – Yes, I think it’s a perfectly understandable opinion, however unfortunate it would be for us football fans. But at a certain point, some things are bigger than football.

    I really don’t want to venture into politics or lay the blame with anyone – I will leave that to the appreciation of the UK population. But regardless of who made the decisions or why they were made, it does seem to me that the UK slightly under estimated the potential for damage of this illness, at various points in time. It was eventually scrapped, but the sheer notion of foregoing safety protocols for 5 days during the Christmas period certainly raised eyebrows here in Belgium, for example.

    We’ve been in just about full lockdown since November here in Belgium, we were allowed 1 guest for Christmas and non for NYE, and this despite the numbers being far lower, proportionally.

    I am watching from afar and I still think the response has been insufficient and/or too slow, especially given the fact that you have to deal with a far more contagious strain of Covid. And I regret this situation, as I feel it will probably eventually lead to the suspension of football (probably rightly so, but still inconvenient for me as a football fan).

  • PompeyYid says:

    BS, if I had read your second post before replying to your first, my response covers both. COYS

  • TQ2Spurs says:

    BS…..sadly there are too many people who think it won’t make much difference if they bend the rules a little, I only have to look at my own little cul-de-sac that I live in where 5 out of the 10 households have broken the rules during the lockdown periods, my immediate neighbour being the worst, with anything up to FIVE people from different households visiting some days and barely a single day going by where there wasn’t an average of around 2 visitors.

    Your defence of footballers is admirable but in my opinion a little misplaced. Yes of course the majority are no doubt very professional and stick to the rules but they are being let down by a good number in their ranks who have been openly flouting the rules, sometimes more than once! Being high profile members of society they should be setting a better example, being in the priviledged positions they hold they rarely pay the normally expected price that other employees would face for their misconduct.

    My final word on the matter regarding footballers getting a priority position in the queue for vaccination….we should remember that these people were happy to sit back and see the already stretched taxpayer pick up the cost of supporting their fellow club employees through the furlough scheme while they sat there comfortably receiving their PL average £3.5m annual salary. Seems to me it was a case of “I’m alright Jack but keep your hands off of my stack”.

  • Hot Tottingham says:

    The only point I was really making was that I didn’t see the harm in Dyche saying what he said and simply making his suggestion. Which he personally thinks has some logic to it.

    Footballers themselves as individual, walking, talking human beings has nothing at all to do with what he has said.

    Many peoples response to this is (understandably) an emotional one, but Sean Dyche is just trying to look at it in what he thinks is from a practical point of view. Why should he be condemned for this, is what I’m thinking?

    The UK government hasn’t changed anything and the most elderly and vulnerable are still the top priority for getting the jabs. And, this is in effect right now. No one is being given permission to jump the queue. So it seems to me to be pointless in taking such a high moral stand against something that isn’t actually happening.

    And then to judge players as though they were a different breed is unfair. They really are just like the rest of us in all this. And Dyche, no matter what he says hasn’t spoken for them all as some homogenous lump. He has simply made a suggestion, that is all. He is also just the same as any one of us. And he can have an opinion.

    He is not the PM or any kind of government minister or official. And it seems most likely to me that his suggestion will quite simply not be entertained at all by the actual PM and those at the top. So I wouldn’t bother to be too concerned about it. As I really can’t see it happening… Imagine the backlash!

  • TQ2Spurs says:

    HT…….he must have known it was going to be controversial so he must accept the response to it.

  • Hot Tottingham says:

    Hi TQ.

    He has accepted the response. He had already preempted such responses in what he initially said..

    And I think that he has been completely misunderstood by a lot of the knee jerk reactions that I have heard and seen.

    Harry Kane will not be jabbed before me. I know this. I am ahead of him in at least 2 categories. So for me Dyche can say what he likes. It has no personal impact on me or anyone else at the top end of the priority list…

  • TQ2Spurs says:

    Hi HT

    I hope to be in a similar position although to be fair I have never taken up the option of a flu jab as I have always thought there were people who would benefit more from my dose. I think in this case though I will be taking my allocated space in the queue!

  • Hot Tottingham says:

    Both physically and mentally looking after ourselves is a major way in which to look after and out for others too.

    TQ, The logic you give for not taking your option on the flu jab is of course down to your choice and is from a good place in your thinking. But if you see, that in having the jab, it doesn’t only protect you from the virus it protects all that you come into contact with as well. Then it is a selfless act, not the opposite. And there are plenty flu jabs to go around, anyway.

  • 123spurs says:

    All contact sports needs to be banned until its under control. Business going out of business, no contact business closed yet close contact sports goes ahead,

  • Niall D says:

    I think there is a difference in trying to “jump the queue” for the jab.
    And the accusations levelled at” behaviours” leading to infections.
    Professional footballers are no different to other parts of society, we have all seen it, the Dic%kheads who flout the rules, don’t wear the mask etc.. They’re in every town village and street.
    And if we’re honest how many of us have walked down that crowded supermarket aisle too close to the next person as they are taking too long to pick up a loaf of bread or what ever.
    SO it’s just footballers.
    However this Covid has affected all walks of society all manner of jobs, from Prime Ministers, through Doctors, Nurses, carers, Supermarket workers and indeed footballers.
    Should they be hugging and hand shaking after goals and matches “No” but they cannot actually see who is carrying the disease, so at least implement this no touch rule after scoring no shaking hands after games and actually fine those who do or card them, just like taking off your shirt.

  • PompeyYid says:

    HT, a couple of very good posts there.

    Regards SD, I understood the simplicity of what he said, and said to myself and Mrs PY, oop! “cat amongst pigeons here”.

    Regards the “Flu-jab”, your last para…spot on, I have been having one since my HA in 2005, I think I do not need it as I am perfectly healthy, I think lol!, but I do have it simply because Mrs PY is top of the tree vulnerable with her RSD/CRPS that she suffers with. COYS

  • Allan says:

    I have just read Moyes comments ref picking on footballers over covid !!

    The poor loves have to go through a strict system of checks before entering training facilities !!

    I am speechless and at present am amazed by his comments . How much were the players fined by their clubs for the breeches ? Many of the general public have been fined by the police so why not the footballers who could handsomely pay for NHS requirements to make patients safe ?

    Could their illegal actions have created cases for the NHS .

    I could say much more but am quite upset by Moyes . What an idiot !!

    • BelgianSpur says:

      Don’t get be wrong. Footballers should be fined/penalised just as much as the regular person, and I could even understand much higher fines given their huge wages. Here in Belgium, a breach of Covid protocols is a 750€ fine. Expensive for the average person but an afterthought for a professional footballer. Make it 75000 and they might notice.

      But I don’t think footballers should be demonised beyond that. Plenty of sweeping to do in front of our own doors, in our own villages etc.

  • Hot Tottingham says:

    Well that makes me and BS idiots too. Perhaps we are?

    Allan, as I read it, Moyes is saying pretty much the same as you have said. And the same as myself and BS. In that why should footballers be treated any differently in all this than anyone else? But we are all coming from different, but equally fair perspectives, imo.

    Except that he has a much better perspective than you or I in this. As he is speaking as a man within the sport itself. And let’s not forget that he has had the virus himself. So if he can understand the mistakes that some young footballers have made, then maybe we should give them the benefit of our doubts too. And not be too eager to cast aspersions upon them, even for their non-considerate behaviours.

    And if a player has stood up, apologised and seen his own wrongdoing, then fair enough to them for doing so. But If they have denied their actions were mistaken and wrong, then by all means we can perhaps feel justified in admonishing them.

    But he is correct. Let’s not all lump all footballers together, which is what he is also saying. As well as stating that we are all, each and everyone of us, liable to make mistakes.

    I’m not sure that I can honestly say that I would have been as sensible or socially aware of my responsibilities when in my teens and 20’s, as I am now in my 60’s.

    And so, even though I am in a high risk to covid group, by both my age and by my line of work, I cannot put myself up as a Covid-19 policeman. Unless I am to be a big hypocrite and forget that I was once young and pretty ignorant too.

    As for my view of others that imo should definitely know better, then I will get on my high horse. But some folks (many folks), really will and do make mistakes, whilst thinking they are doing no harm…

    Anyway, the FA have now tightened up their protocols again and have introduced even more restrictions on clubs and players actions. As well as highlighting the existing ones that need to be followed.

    Let’s just hope it can work out for the good of all of us. And that we won’t be needing anymore to be having these kind of debates, sooner, rather than much later…….

  • Geofspurs says:

    This thread seems to have drifted a long way from a cup game.

  • Hot Tottingham says:

    Sorry, I’m to do with that in a big way, Geof…. But when I set the game up with my post on Marine and how I love and look forward to this kind o FA cup clash… No one showed any interest in talking about it…..

    It seems that although we all want to see Spurs win a trophy, not many of us have even mentioned that we are now actually in a cup final, let alone this match… ;-(

    It is what it is!

  • 123spurs says:

    Football is not essential job, and why other jobs are closed such as gyms.

  • Allan says:

    Hi Geof

    Quite correct.

    However feelings are obviously running quite high esp. with this 2nd lock down and the sacrifices everyone has had to make and to see footballers disregarding the rules and not setting standards as role models needs to be addressed .

    Back to the match 7-0 to Spurs .

  • Niall D says:

    Hi Geoff
    Agreed re your last post, I said in the first thread that I couldn’t quite get myself interested for this one.
    I think it is because I know very little about Marine, we should hammer them, so either way I don’t relish it.
    We beat em by about 8 and prove nothing except embarrass an up and coming team
    We put a weakened side out and scrape through again nothing proven, except some players are sidelined until the next Euro nite.
    We put out a weakened team and they (somehow) get a result.
    I know the romance thing but I just don’t see any positive for us in it.
    Sorry guys.

  • TQ2Spurs says:

    We should be resting most if not all of our regular starting eleven for this game, a side made up of squad players with a sprinkling of youth should be more than sufficient to get the job done. Famous last words :- )

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