Football: WORLD CUP 06 and close season/transfer discussion.

[fog]

Yet another example of press bias. I remember Liverpool won some match in Europe and it was all over the news, open top bus rides, the lot. We win a game in Europe and nothing.

To be fair, this match was hardly filled with prestige, was it?

And what exactly was so special about Liverpools win and lifting the European Cu......ah I get it now.

Then again this could be as good as it gets for us this season.....no, must stay positive.....must stay positive....ah it's no good, this is Newcastle we are talking about after all.

[Dio]

Watching it was like watching the Sporting Lisbon match last year, ten minutes of elation followed by eighty minutes of shite play by Newcastle.

Fortunately Dubinica weren't of the class to pull back more than one goal, but we were generally poor. Boumsong, Harper and Milner all played very well; Butt and Babayaro had shockers.

Huge gaps in the centre of midfield due to playing both Butt and Faye, which were partially sorted out once Chopra was swapped for Brittain and Milner pushed up in a sort of 4-4-1-1, after which we looked a lot better balanced.

Seems like normal service resumed, which I do not find encouraging. The optimist in me is desparate to believe it's just a slow start.

[fog]

Well there were probably only 3 or 4 players on the pitch who stand a chance of starting when everyone's fit so things should improve.....we must get a new or two striker though.

[PaulEMoz]

Seems like normal service resumed, which I do not find encouraging. The optimist in me is desparate to believe it's just a slow start.

We almost always have a slow start. This competition should help in that regard. Plus, as fog said, there weren't too many regulars playing, and those that were are certainly far from match fit. Definitely too early for panic stations yet, although the way our first month of fixtures has panned out, that could make things look worse than they really are anyway.

[romanista]

Spurs have won themselves alot of netrual fans last season and there is more to come.

Tottenham till i die.

So true, i always had sympathy for tottenham (ajax-fans always feel related to the spurs, but after Jol came, something changed for me, and now thet are the team for me (previously I was mostly routing for a squad that could challenge ManYoo)

[Zen-Chan]

Well well well, Sevilla are considering reporting Arsenal for making an illegal approach to Baptista.

You'd think Arsenal would know those particular rules inside out by now

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 692281.stm

[TFO]

I think the problem is is that tapping up has been so rife in the past, that no club can ever say that they have not done it - Ferguson used to be well known for it and never had his wrists slapped.

It is only with the Cole saga being blazed across the tabloids that this murky business came to the fore. Otherwise I'm sure that it would have carried on pretty much as before.

I can't believe Wenger would be so stupid as to tap Baptista up after the Cole thing. This to me sounds like the Sevilla president making a lot of noise so that his player (who has already stated he wants to leave, then stated he doesn't want to leave, and then restated his intention to get out) gets him as much money as possible from any sale.

On the subject of Ashley Cole - looks like he has signed a 1 year extension to his contract (making it now 2 years left".
Hmmm. He'll be off next summer then.

[Louis G]

@ Louis G: that was a great post, mate. Just really, really honest and ... just great

Thanks mate

So please dont feel sorry for spurs mate, we are on the up.

Well said Louis. I'm more positive about the upcoming season than I have been for years. We've got a genuine shout for Europe in the league (IMO) and there seems to be some stability at Spurs with Jol at the helm.

Looking forward to seeing our new wingers Aaron Lennon and Wayne Routledge play and hopefully the team can build on the consistency of performance from the back end of last season. If we can keep the spine of the team fit (Robinson, King, Carrick, Defoe) then we should be good.

2-2 draw with Boca Juniors this morning, playing Sundowns on Monday (11am Eurosport)

Yeah i agree totally, Lennon and Routledge are exciting but there end product needs to be worked on by the Spurs coaching staff.

Yes we played well against Boca a deserved draw and a awesome goal by Defoe, Mido has lost a lot of weight, im hoping he gets a good run in the team this year. Andy Reid seems to have but a bit more on and again i hope they work on his crossing always to deep.

Beat sundowns 3-1 going to watch it now.

If you really are a gooner i cant belive you saying you would like us to be a bit more succesful. Shocking really.

I think the feeling (and without wishing to sound arrogant here) is that Spurs have not been in the same league as Arsenal for a few years now.
It is difficult to have a genuine rivalry with a team you beat every 3 games out of 4 - with a draw on the 4th game.
A lot of Gooners these days seem to hate the Mancs ahead of Spurs. Even the (previously) rabid anti-Spurs fanzine "Up the Arse" seems to concentrate on ManUre and Chelsea.
And by successful I mean finishing 5th with no trophies, and get knocked out of the UEFA cup in the first round to some team from Lapland etc etc...

P.s. thoughts on Patrick leaving? i for one think he had a poor season last year due to previous capaign and the contract merry go round, i feel he would have been better this season and it is a massive loss, but 13 mill for q 29 yo is good business. 3rd place this year though

Still not sure about Paddy. If Wenger can hang on to everyone else, then maybe this is a good thing in the longer run.
Wenger doesn't make many mistakes, and I'm sure selling Vieira will not be one of them. I hope.
Third place? Quite possibly.

Yes you may feel like that and i can admit that you have surpassed us on the pitch. But to say no genuine rivally is madness. We are on each doorsteps you in N5 and us in N17. We have a long built up hatred for each other. Everyone knows it as the great north london derby. Anyone who wins the league can be your rival, so lets say Liverpool win it next season, you saying Chelsea,Man U and Liverpool are your rivals. I would just get silly. We grew up together, we always want to outdo each other.

Yes you win most games now adays, but our team is improving with Jol and yours is getting weaker. You are in transition. Last season Spurs 4 - 5 Arsenal. Did you watch it? if so you know we deserved to win that game. Silly defensive mistakes gifted you the goals. It really hurt that day as i truely believe we played you off the park.
The when you beat us 1 - 0 you your boys got away with some really bad challenges and Lehaman pushing Keane in the face was crazy and he got away with it.

Spurs have won themselves alot of netrual fans last season and there is more to come.

Tottenham till i die.

So true, i always had sympathy for tottenham (ajax-fans always feel related to the spurs, but after Jol came, something changed for me, and now thet are the team for me (previously I was mostly routing for a squad that could challenge ManYoo)

Martin Jol = Legend


Louis

[KevG]

You're spot Louis wrt Spurs having won over some neutrals. Well, I'm not exactly neutral but you what I mean. What's going on down the Lane has really got me interested over the last 12 months or so. I think a lot of this is down to the cracking prospects you've got there and also Martin Jol. He's just The Boss Great mix of affability and hard-as-nail no nonesense as illustrated by his attitude to the whole Arnesen affair.

So, yeah. I expect quite a lot from Spurs this year.

*boing**boing**boing* Excited

All this talk of rivavlry could come into sharp focus any day now what with a potential bidding war between yourselves and the Gooners for Baptista. He looks quite handy

[cyric100]

Are we gonna do a YakYak fantasy premier league thingy this year?

[Geenius]

Are we gonna do a YakYak fantasy premier league thingy this year?

http://www.yakyak.org/viewtopic.php?t=39842

[cyric100]

Are we gonna do a YakYak fantasy premier league thingy this year?

http://www.yakyak.org/viewtopic.php?t=39842

Ah, for some reason I'd thought it'd be in the footy thread. Thanks.

[TFO]

Last season Spurs 4 - 5 Arsenal. Did you watch it? if so you know we deserved to win that game.

I was there. Guess you must have watched a different game to me then... Arsenal could have scored 10.

The when you beat us 1 - 0 you your boys got away with some really bad challenges and Lehaman pushing Keane in the face was crazy and he got away with it.

After Keane had barged him over from a corner and stamped on his foot resulting in an Arsenal free kick IIRC...

We could, I imagine, keep this going for some while.
However, I believe you are right - Arsenal to finish 3rd this year.
I think Spurs to finish 6th with a draw at the lane, and Arsenal to squeeze it by the odd goal at the Library.

[Louis G]

We shall agree to disagree then mate, yes we could go on for hours and bore the forum

Yes agree with prediction, if we got 6th i would be over the moon, as long as there is a year on year improvement all spurs fans will be happy.

Louis

[Louis G]

You're spot Louis wrt Spurs having won over some neutrals. Well, I'm not exactly neutral but you what I mean. What's going on down the Lane has really got me interested over the last 12 months or so. I think a lot of this is down to the cracking prospects you've got there and also Martin Jol. He's just The Boss Great mix of affability and hard-as-nail no nonesense as illustrated by his attitude to the whole Arnesen affair.

So, yeah. I expect quite a lot from Spurs this year.

*boing**boing**boing* Excited

All this talk of rivavlry could come into sharp focus any day now what with a potential bidding war between yourselves and the Gooners for Baptista. He looks quite handy

I believe we have become most peoples 2nd team as such, like newcastle when booby robson was in charge.

Is it true though, i think it might be paper talk with regards to Baptista, Still if it comes down to money out of the 2 teams he will go to Spurs as the gooners are skint......well apart from the first installment they got from selling Vieira they havent got much after that witht the new stadium running up a huge bill.

Louis

Louis