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Match Report: Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Chelsea

December 23rd, 2011 Posted in Articles, Match Reports, Premier League
Dec, 23 2011
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This isn’t going to be overly analytical of the game, THFC1882 is about to go on it’s Christmas holidays! Before that though we take a brief look at Tottenham Hotspur versus Chelsea from The Lane.

On the balance of play both sides will have been satisfied with a point. Spurs again struggled with a formation lacking in shape. With no like for like Lennon replacement all roads led to the left wing. At first this worked and Spurs dominated the first half. Bale, returning from injury, was the provider of an early goal for Emmanuel Adebayor. At that stage with White Hart Lane buzzing Spurs should have run riot. However they failed to turn possession into chances. Howard Webb then predictably stepped into the role of provider for Chelsea. He awarded a soft free kick near half way and then failed to call Ashley Cole for handball before his cross for the equalizer. Apparently there is some doubt as to whether it was a handball but being right in line with play in the East Upper it looked clear to me. Even so King and Ekotto should have played to the whistle and may have prevented the goal. Webb also should have dismissed Bosingwa for a cynical and vicious foul on Bale but again failed in his duties.

Chelsea started the second half on fire but like Spurs in the first rarely threatened to actually score. Spurs meanwhile had to replace van der Vaart with Pavlyuchenko and this caused even more imbalance. That wasn’t helped by a typically dire Pav performance. Spurs gave the ball away too much in the second half and gave Chelsea too much room on the ball. Bale also faded in the second half, missing a great chance, blazing a first time shot over when he had time to control the ball.  The Lilywhites did however have the best opportunity to clinch it in the closing minutes as Pav – his one useful moment – fed Adebayor, his shot beating Cech but pantomime villain John Terry slid in to stop it on the line.

Spurs go into Christmas in third and the highest placed London club, a fine achievement. It’s obvious that a winger must be purchased to provide depth and competition. I’ve been calling for this since the summer and it belies belief that no one at the club saw this need. Junior Hoillett should be top of our January shopping list.

All told though it’s been a great start to the 2011-12 season and Spurs fans can tuck into their turkeys as the pride of London.

THFC1882 is now taking a well earned Christmas and New Year break. We’ll be returning to action for the FA Cup tie with Cheltenham! Obviously we’ll be hoping for maximum points from Norwich, Swansea and West Brom in the meantime!!

I’d like to wish all of you a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year!!

COYS

Stuart Watts ( @THFC1882dotcom on Twitter )

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Match Preview: Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea

December 20th, 2011 Posted in Articles, Match Previews, Premier League
Dec, 20 2011
7 Comments »

Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea, Thursday 22nd December 2011, 8pm Kick off, Sky Sports 1 & HD1

Spurs are used to playing on a Thursday night this season. Of course the previous fixtures have been in the Europa League, now the Premier League are getting in on the action too. This game is huge for both clubs. It’s 3rd versus 4th and a Spurs win would open a gap of five points with a game in hand on their London rivals. It would also leave the Lilywhites only two points behind second placed Manchester United, with that game in hand on them too. Heady times at The Lane. For years Chelsea called it ’3 point Lane’ though that hoodoo has now been broken and Spurs go into this as slight favourites with the bookies. So why am I so nervous?

Chelsea have, by their recent standards, had an up and down season and for much of it young manager Andres Villas-Boas appears to have been on the verge of the boot. Their defence, something they have built previous title wins around have looked all at sea on many occassions and they have attracted criticism from all quarters. Meanwhile up front Villas-Boas has, like Ancelotti before him, struggled to get Drogba and Torres to play together. In recent games this has seen the £50m Spaniard sidelined with Drogba leading the line while Sturridge and Mata offer assistance. Assistance being the key word for Mata. With seven assists this season, he’s second in the Premier League in that statistic. The former Valencia man was always likely to end up in London this season, first Arsenal then Spurs appeared to be leading the race for him before he finally ended up at Stamford Bridge. Similar in style to his compatriot David Silva, Mata drifts across the front finding space between the lines of defence and midfield, probing for an opening. He’s also not shy to have a crack himself and is probably the biggest threat to Spurs on Thursday night. Of course Mata has yet to come up against Super Scotty Parker and if anyone can stop him running riot between the lines, it’s Parker. Sturridge and Drogba are also both on form and will need to be watched carefully. It must be hoped that Ledley King is again available as he is one of the few defenders in the League who can keep a rampaging Drogba at bay. Chelsea’s midfield is likely to comprise Lampard, Romeu and Meireles. Increasingly marginalised this season, Lampard seems to thrive when written off and has often proved a handful against Spurs, he as much as anyone will be ‘up for it’ on Thursday. Meireles has flitted in and out of form all season but can be a powerful presence on his day. Meanwhile Romeu has started to show the class that you’d expect of a La Masia graduate and is forging a role as a key player for Chelsea this season. At the back, Chelsea’s real weakness this season, Villas-Boas may have a decision or two to make. David ‘Playstation boy’ Luiz may be fit to return which would allow Ivanovic to resume duties at right back and dropping Bosingwa. John Terry picked up a knock on Saturday but is likely to do all he can to make this game, while Ashley Cole will complete the back four. In goal, one time ‘best keeper in the World’ Petr Cech has looked increasingly unsteady this year and it must be hoped that he continues his downward spiral on Thursday.

For Harry Redknapp there is already the certainty that Aaron Lennon will be missing, with no other out and out right winger in the squad Redknapp will have to try and find the right balance to beat Chelsea. After missing Sunday’s win over Sunderland, Gareth Bale may make a return on the left, if he does then whichever right back Chelsea go with will be in for a torrid night, as neither can live with the Welshman’s pace. There is a fear that Redknapp will play Bale from the right, allowing Modric to continue roaming from the left flank, this rarely suits Bale and players are always happier in their favoured positions. Another decision for Redknapp regards Sunday’s goal hero, Roman Pavlyuchenko. Assuming Bale is fit, starting Pavlyuchenko would mean dropping one of Sandro, van der Vaart or Adebayor. Sandro is a powerhouse who will be vital in helping Parker combat Chelsea’s equally powerful midfield. Van der Vaart was arguably Spurs best player in the second half against Sunderland and with a solid midfield of Parker and Sandro screening, he can roam free of the right wing, much as Mata will for Chelsea, and create havoc between the lines. His passing was sublime against Sunderland and will need to reach the same levels to unlock Chelsea’s defence. Adebayor meanwhile has given Spurs a new dimension up front this season and even when not scoring has worked his socks off to unsettle defences. His presence against Terry is essential. So with all due respect – and thanks for his goal on Sunday - to Pav, he should be again consigned to the bench for this one. There will also be decisions to be made at the back. Younes Kaboul is available after suspension but after Gallas’ performance against Sunderland may not be able to walk back into the team. Much will depend on whether Ledley King’s knee can take a second game in four days. The rest of the team, Kyle Walker, Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Brad Friedel picks itself.

Prediction

After predicting a 5-0 walkover of Sunderland, it’s clear that my prediction-o-meter is off base at the moment. This game fills me with huge nerves and may well hinge on the inclusion – or not – of King and Bale. With those two in the line-up Spurs have a far greater chance of success, obviously. I’m going to hope they are in and go for a 2-1 Spurs win and that would be the perfect Christmas present for all Spurs fans!

COYS

Stuart Watts ( @THFC1882dotcom on Twitter )

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Match Report: Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Sunderland

December 19th, 2011 Posted in Articles, Match Reports, Premier League
Dec, 19 2011
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It wasn’t pretty. On a cold December Sunday afternoon, Tottenham Hotspur saw off a resilient Sunderland to record a 1-0 victory and get back to winning ways in the Premier League.

Winning ugly is the sign of champions. Not getting carried away here, I’m not suggesting Spurs are going to win the title, there’s a chance of it, but Manchester City are a scarily good outfit and their neighbours are impossible to write off. That said, there’s no reason that with these kind of wins that Spurs can’t be up there and should certainly be looking at the top four come the end of the season. For years, United and more recently Chelsea have had this ability to win when not playing well, to grind out three points despite not firing on all cylinders. Yesterday wasn’t the first time that Spurs have pulled it off this season and Harry Redknapp is to be credited for instilling a steely resolve into the squad.

The first half was certainly ugly, shorn of the electric Bale and the Modric/Parker axis broken up with Luka nominally on the left wing the side looked unbalanced and there was little in the way of fluidity. Aaron Lennon’s pace was used a couple of times before he picked up a hamstring injury that is likely to sideline him for some time. With the two lightning wingers out of the side, it highlights the one area of weakness in our squad, Townsend, Falque and Rose are clearly not considered good enough to take their places at the top level. Junior Hoillett or Xherdan Shaqiri or both even, should be at the top of ‘Arry’s Christmas list for a January move. Despite the lack of cohesion and width in the first half, Spurs always seemed in control, only for Sunderland to have the two best chances of the half. First Larsson put a low cross into the box that just eluded Richardson then Larsson had a good free kick palmed away by Friedel. Spurs best chance fell to Sandro, a beautiful reverse pass from van der Vaart – something he was to repeat a number of times in the second half – put the Brazilian through but he scuffed his shot wide.

Into the second half and Spurs livened up, van der Vaart and Modric had obviously been given licence to roam freely, Sandro and Parker providing cover for them and also allowing the full backs to maraud, providing width. Still though it appeared that Sunderland may just stand up to the attack. Too many balls bounced off of Adebayor and especially Pavlyuchenko to frustrate the home crowd. Just as it seemed that this would be one of those days, the magic happened. Super Scotty Parker did what he does, winning the ball in midfield and feeding Modric. Luka’s incisive pass found van der Vaart and the Dutch master played a beautifully weighted reverse ball in for Pavlyuchenko who didn’t need to break stride as he rifled it low into the corner past Keiren Westwood. It was as true a strike as you’ll see and Pav knew it was in the minute it left his boot. Super Pav does it again. Spurs searched – in vain – for a second and still weren’t at their flowing best, although there were some extremely slick passing moves, van der Vaart was at the heart of them all. Being freed of the right wing he’d been pegged to after Lennon’s departure clearly cheered Rafa up and the ability to roam meant he was a threat that Sunderland struggled to pick up. He set up the hard working Adebayor for an excellent chance – another reverse ball – that Westwood did well to save, only palming it into Modric’s path for a sure fire second. But Luka somehow contrived to sky it into the Paxton from 1o yards with an open goal.

‘Old’ Spurs would have suffered for this, but not this team. Parker and Sandro patrolled the midfield dutifully, tackling and intercepting at will. Behind them, William Gallas had his best game of the season, giving a masterclass in defending against first Conor Wickham then the hapless Bendtner. Alongside him calm as ever, Ledley King did what he always does, turns up, puts in an excellent performance and goes home. Neither Walker or Assou-Ekotto had their best games but both did enough to help contain Sunderland in front of the unflappable Brad Friedel. No disrespect to Gomes but the team just seems so much more assured with Mr USA between the sticks, shame that he’s already over 40 and that Spurs may need to replace him next season. Sunderland showed heart to attack for the last ten minutes but in all honesty it never felt like they had much chance of seriously threatening to score, Bendtner will do that to a front line.

It wasn’t sexy, glory-glory football, but it was three very important points that see’s Spurs in third as they approach a massive game with Chelsea on Thursday. That’ll do for now.

COYS

Stuart Watts ( @THFC1882dotcom )

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Match Preview: Tottenham Hotspur v Sunderland

December 16th, 2011 Posted in Articles, Match Previews, Premier League
Dec, 16 2011
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Tottenham Hotspur v Sunderland, White Hart Lane, Sunday 18th December, 3pm Kick off

So on Thursday night Spurs European adventure for this season came to an end, despite a 4-0 win at Shamrock. The perceived wisdom is that this is a blessing in disguise and can leave Harry Redknapp and his team to concentrate on getting Spurs back into the Champions League. Still, the Europa League could have been very winnable and would look nice in our trophy cabinet. Never mind it’s not to be and now attention turns to the first of two tough home fixtures before Christmas.

Sunderland are the visitors on Sunday and with new manager Martin O’Neill at the helm are fresh from a last gasp win against Blackburn. A new manager often revitalises a struggling team and O’Neill certainly seems to have lifted Sunderland already. Although the value of a win against Blackburn should surely be questioned. Spurs meanwhile will be looking to put last weeks defeat to Stoke behind them and will attempt to set off on another winning run to carry on the push for Champions League qualification and the possibility of a title challenge.

Sunderland will hope that Nicklas Bendtner is available and the crueller Spurs fans will too. The self proclaimed ‘best striker in the world’ can on his day dent any defence, but has thus far through his career more often threatened row Z than opposition keepers. Besides his fitness concerns Bendtner, along with club captain Lee Cattermole was arrested for criminal damage, it will be interesting to see how fiery Irishman O’Neill deals with the pair. If Bendtner’s not fit or able to start then the young Conor Wickham is likely to retain his place as the lone frontman. It’s a lot of responsibility for the teenager but he’s certainly not lacking in the physicality department and has shown flashes of the quality that made him a target for ourselves and other big clubs. Sunderland’s two biggest threats are likely to be Stephan Sessegnon and Seb Larsson. Sessegnon arrived last season from PSG and is a lively and tricky player who is prone to bouts of indifference. Hopefully he’ll not be up for a cold Sunday afternoon at The Lane. Larsson is in this blogs opinion a massively underrated player who has been unlucky to not move to bigger clubs than Birmingham and Sunderland. His delivery from open play is excellent whilst his dead balls can be lethal. Benoit Assou-Ekotto will need to maintain his concentration throughout in order to keep the Swede in check.  On the other flank Kieran Richardson is a player who’s always promised a lot yet rarely delivered on his potential, if he has a blinder he could trouble Kyle Walker but Kay-Dub must rate his chances of winning that duel. Sunderland’s midfield, if without Cattermole, is likely to be David Vaughan and Jack Colback, they are workmanlike and will put in a good ‘shift’ but in all honesty Super Scott Parker and Luka Modric should by rights win that battle. At the back Sunderland will likely have O’Shea at right back and Bardsley at left back, which is odd because they are left and right footed respectively. Maybe ‘inverted’ full backs are the new cool thing to have in football and O’Neill sees himself as a trendsetter? Between them will probably be Wes Brown and Titus Bramble. Adebayor will like his chances against that pairing and keeper Keiren Westwood could be in for a busy day.

Spurs biggest worry for the line-up is at centre back. This year Younes Kaboul has been phenomenal but after Chris Foy’s Stoke nightmare is now suspended for this match. Ledley King also remains a doubt but Redknapp has not ruled out a return for his skipper. If King doesn’t make it then Gallas and Bassong are likely to form a defensive partnership that could have Spurs fans worried. Both have had limited opportunities this season and have yet to look anywhere near their best, here’s hoping it’s a case of needs must and they come through. Brad Friedel will continue his run of consecutive Premier League games and there is no reason to suspect that Walker and Assou-Ekotto won’t return to their rightful full back positions. With no other fitness worries the midfield four doesn’t need to be messed with, Lennon, Parker, Modric and Bale are all on form and are all more than capable of tearing Sunderland apart at will. Ahead of them, Emmanuel Adebayor will continue to offer a figurehead who is capable of troubling the best defences in the world, the only question will be, who with? Fresh from his goal against Shamrock there will be the usual clamour for Defoe and a good old fashioned 4-4-2. Defoe of course can be a lethal finisher but clearly Rafa van der Vaart offers more to the team and it seems nonsensical to not start the World Class Dutchman. Whichever Redknapp goes with, it will be a tough ride for Sunderlands defence. Options from the bench should be enhanced by the return of Niko Kranjcar and maybe Pavlyuchenko. Andros Townsend will hope his thrilling performance at Shamrock will get him a place on that bench too.

Prediction

It may be a cliche but there really are ‘no easy games in the Premier League’ and this certainly won’t be one of them. O’Neill will ensure that Sunderland fight all the way and will hope they can contain Spurs. The home side meanwhile will believe that last week’s result was a blip and that this game should see a return to ‘business as usual’. I think Sunderland will frustrate but can see 2 or 3 being scored in quick succession if Spurs get one and I’ve also got a feeling that a team are due a proper ‘kicking’ at The Lane this season. I’m going for 5-0 Spurs to set us up for Chelsea’s arrival on Thursday.

COYS

Stuart Watts ( @THFC1882dotcom on Twitter )

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Match Report: Shamrock Rovers 0-4 Tottenham Hotspur

December 15th, 2011 Posted in Articles, Europa League, Match Reports
Dec, 15 2011
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Tottenham Hotspur went to the Tallaght stadium needing a Lyon type turnaround to make it through to the knock-out rounds. From his team selection, including only choosing four subs, it appeared that Harry Redknapp wasn’t really counting on the results going Spurs way.

As the game got started it was clear that Shamrock would try hard and run around a lot. It also appeared that the Spurs players seemed to believe that they were just plain better than Rovers and would win without trying too hard. Fact is they are better than the Rovers boys but no one ever won a football match just by turning up. Except Scotland in Estonia in the 90′s, even that was eventually declared null and void and they drew the replay!! Spurs rarely looked in danger, unless they created it for themselves, but also rarely looked too threatening either. Giovanni made one jinking run into the box and pulled the ball back for Defoe who’s shot was blocked. Sandro also made a couple of dashing runs but again there was no end product.

Spurs really came alive when Redknapp made some tactical switches. He moved Giovanni out to the right, with Pienaar going central and Townsend moving to his natural left wing. Pienaar it was who got the breakthrough, having a hopeful effort from the edge of the box deflected past the keeper and into the corner of the net. There was a conspicuous lack of celebration though and it had to be questioned whether the players seemed bothered. A few minutes later and Andros Townsend who had already had a couple of tricky bursts down the left combined with Defoe before curling the ball over the keeper into the top corner. It was a beautiful effort, on his wrong foot, and Townsend rightly looked delighted. Spurs looked a lot livelier after that and it was Townsend again who provided the key. Flying down the left flank and whipping the ball across for Defoe who had got across his marker, the England striker swivelled on the ball and had his shot deflected past Shamrock’s keeper for a third that with PAOK leading Rubin left Spurs hopes considerably higher than ever heading into the second half.

The second half though soon showed the harsh reality of football. Five minutes into the half news filtered through that Rubin had equalised with their 10 men at PAOK, so whatever Spurs did would be irrelevant if it stayed like that. Rovers looked a little more determined in the early parts of the half and at times stretched Spurs. Harry Redknapp’s men meanwhile huffed and puffed but rarely looked like causing any more bother to the scoreboard. Sandro hit the post as a pass meant for Defoe went astray, hitting the keeper and going for a corner. Jake Livermore was lucky not to see red, seeming to haul his man down when clean through but got away with it. Spurs continued to have efforts but there were lots of determined Shamrock blockers at every turn it appeared. Bafflingly with fifteen minutes left and Spurs still needing goals and a PAOK winner, Defoe was taken off and replaced by young Harry Kane. The youngsters potential shouldn’t be underplayed but surely Spurs should still have been going hell for leather for the five goals in the hope of a PAOK assist? Falque came on for Assou-Ekotto with minutes left and within seconds had three shots, one hitting the post. As time wore on it was Shamrock in fact who looked more likely to score, Cudicini pulling off a sharp save and a couple of other efforts going wayward. Then with it seeming dead in the water, Harry Kane showed why he’d come on, turning in Townsend’s nod back for his first Spurs goal. Townsend proving to be the pick of Spurs performers tonight. Still Greek assistance was needed. It wasn’t forthcoming, nor was Spurs fifth.

Spurs Europa League campaign is over for this year, I’m sure Harry Redknapp will be delighted to get this tournament over and done with. It really is a shame that he and many Spurs fans treat the competition with such disdain. The game is about glory, it says so at The Lane, and glory comes from winning trophies. This trophy was very winnable for Spurs and winning is a habit that we should be getting into. The whole Thursday/Sunday argument holds no water either, how is it any different from Wedneday/Saturday or Saturday/Tuesday in the Champions League? Thats right, it’s not.

Anyway, it’s now back to Premier League business on Sunday, with the first of two massive home games, revitalised Sunderland visiting before London rivals Chelsea rock up on Thursday. I guess it’s okay to play Premier League games on a Thursday right?

COYS

Stuart Watts ( @THFC1882dotcom on Twitter )

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Match Preview: Shamrock Rovers v Tottenham Hotspur

December 14th, 2011 Posted in Articles, Europa League, Match Previews
Dec, 14 2011
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THFC1882 present a guest preview by Rob:

Shamrock Rovers v Tottenham Hotspur, Thursday 15th December 6pm KO ITV4

So here we are, at the last match in the laborious group stage of the Europa League. A competition that is supposed to be the second best European competition to win but in my opinion is just plain second rate as shown by the fact that not that many teams are interested in playing in it. It’s certainly no Cup Winners Cup!

It’s had positives for Spurs as we have been able to play our youngsters and squad players and also given first teamers the opportunity to get some much needed match time when coming back from injury. Right from the start it has been blatantly obvious that it hasn’t been a priority for Tottenham and for Harry more of a hindrance rather than an opportunity for success. Yes, we could have probably gone deep into the tournament if we put the majority of our first team out but to what cost? All Spurs fans know the target this year and because of the nature of football these days we need the financial rewards and stature of getting back into the Champions League.

On to the game itself and without there being some unlikely events from our game and the other game going on in the group this will be our last in Europe this season (just to clarify we need a 6-0 victory whist needing PAOK to beat Rubin Kazan to progress). What better way to finish though with a game in the capital of the Republic of Ireland, Dublin? Brilliant for the fans that make the trip and I am sure a good time will be had by all whilst enjoying the delights of the city. The game is still being played at Shamrock’s home ground, the Tallaght Stadium, rather then moved to a bigger one and they haven’t actually played a game since their last Europa League game over 2 weeks ago as they have finished their domestic league campaign. They are the Airtricity League Champions for 2011 but apart from that and that they are an honest bunch of players that have done themselves proud during the competition I really don’t know much else about them. They did have Spurs on the run a bit in the reverse game at White Hart Lane and took the lead until they finally succumbed to a 3-1 defeat. Oh, they have Rohan Ricketts in their ranks as well!

After our rather dubious defeat on Sunday at Stoke (cheers Chris Foy!), I expect Harry to pick a squad packed to the rafters with youngsters and reserves. Fredricks, Carroll, Kane, Townsend (if the training ground bust up has died down), Rose (if fit), Corluka, Livermore, Falque, Bassong, Pienaar will all be involved and probably even Pavlyuchenko and Gio as well. Centre back is the only main issue so either Kaboul or, probably, Gallas will play and there will be some other youngsters that not many will have heard of but I am sure @windyCOYS will have. A lot of the youngsters will be playing their last game for us in the first team this season as I expect many will be shipped out on loan to Championship or League One clubs to gain further experience when the transfer window opens in January. They would have gained some fantastic experience during the European campaign and quite a few have proved they have the talent to progress further at the club in the future. It will be interesting to see how they develop over the coming years.

Prediction

I expect our Europa League campaign to end with a win in Dublin, probably by 2 or 3 goals but not many will remember the game or even care what happens in it. Rovers will give it a good go as they always do, especially as this is their glamour tie and I am sure the fans will be in good voice. Roll on Sunday and the start of another 11 game unbeaten run!

COYS

Rob (Follow Rob on Twitter @essexlad13 )

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Match Report: Stoke 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur

December 11th, 2011 Posted in Articles, Match Reports, Premier League
Dec, 11 2011
10 Comments »

THFC1882 presents Glen Bocking with a report of Tottenham Hotspurs visit to Stoke.

So…. The ‘run’ is over, that game away fans always refer to as being a tough game has ended in defeat, quite how Spurs lost though is another matter altogether.

For pretty much all of the 1st half and a decent chunk of the 2nd half it’s fair to say Spurs were the better team, aside from 2 set piece goals, Spurs spent the 1st half pretty much camped in Stoke’s half.

Aside from the odd foray into Spurs half Stoke were on the back foot, once the 2nd goal went in from a throw-in (not Delap) Stoke sat back and invited us on to them.

The 2nd half kicked off and the expected bombardment never happened!
Spurs, perhaps buoyed by our recent run, seemed to sit back and almost expect things to just open up in front of us but it never materialised, the team just sort of plodded along for the 1st 10 minutes or so, then something seemed to kick in and the team realised that if they didn’t get a move on then they might actually lose, and a get a move on they did, for 10 minutes or so we laid siege to the Stoke goal.

In the end all we could muster was a 62nd minute penalty which was tucked away expertly by Adebayor (surprisingly Rafa didn’t take it), after that we went for the jugular but a (deserved) 2nd yellow and subsequent red card for Kaboul all but ended things and the team disappointingly seemed to accept that the game was gone and so it drifted to full time without so much as a murmur (aside from a nice ovation when Palacios came on).

It’s easy to say the same old things us Spurs fans day when we lose, Rafa dropped too deep (he did), Bale and Lennon spent too long on the ‘wrong’ side (they did) but take away a couple of set pieces and we did OK, but alas it wasn’t enough and the run is over so let’s start a whole new one again next weekend against Sunderland shall we!

On a side note I have to say how disappointed with some of my fellow fans I was at the reaction Crouch got when he walked down the tunnel at the end, I was never his biggest fan but he surely didn’t deserve to be abused like he was at the end! Lest we forget that nights such as those against Inter Milan home and away were enjoyed in large thanks to his winning goal at Manchester City, I’d like to think us Spurs fans are better than that.

COYS

Glen Bocking (follow Glen on Twitter @gb2point0 )

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Match Preview: Stoke v Tottenham Hotspur

December 9th, 2011 Posted in Articles, Match Previews, Premier League
Dec, 09 2011
1 Comment »

THFC1882 welcomes another guest writer on board. This time it’s Glen Bocking. Glen is an Essex boy but now lives in Stoke so is handily placed to attend this game. Glen’s first Spurs memories are the ’91 FA Cup semi and final! Great start to his Spurs watching! Glen’s favourite player of all time is Erik Thorsvedt, closely followed by Darren Anderton. His favourite current player is Michael Dawson. Anyway over to Glen for the preview of Tottenham Hotspurs visit to Stoke:

So, we take our fantastic run (wwwwdwwwwww in case you hadn’t heard) to ‘The Brit’, home of Stoke City, one of those grounds that always gets referred to as a ‘tough place to go’ and where visiting fans are generally happy to say ‘I’ll take a point’ etc etc etc.

But, given our recent run, should us Spurs fans just adhere to aforementioned standard visiting fan sound bite? Sure they are a tough team to play at their gaff but can their slow and cumbersome CM partnership and equally slow and cumbersome back line cope with the pace that we can put in front of them? Is Matty Etherington going to give their left back enough help with Lennon and Walker charging at them, likewise with Pennant and Wilkinson against Bale and ‘disco’ Benny?

I’m really not so sure to be perfectly honest, sure enough their wingers are decent and shouldn’t just be left to their down devices but other than that what do they really have to scare a team on the sort of run that we’re currently on (aside from the obvious threat that is Rory Delap’s high school javelin like throwing ability), their central midfield pairing of Delap and Whelan is not a patch on Parker and Modric. Stoke absolutely will not have come up against a team playing the kind of football we are at the moment and will have to go some in order to stop us, their highly regarded crowd will certainly be up for it and I’m sure the ‘apprentice’ Tony Pulis would love to put the mockers on our recent run and get one over on his old ‘master’ ‘Arry.

Danger Men

Sorry Stoke fans but this is a lot easier to pick for your team than Spurs, Crouch against his former club (where it all ended a bit acrimoniously if the papers are to be believe) is always one to watch out for, don’t give Whelan space to hit a shot from distance as he is half decent, aside from that it’s really a case of not giving them easy throw-ins where Delap can free his arms and don’t allow Pennant or Etherington to get a running start at our fullbacks

Now to Spurs danger man, erm…. Where do I start, it could be anyone couldn’t it? Modric is just pure class as we know, Lennon is showing the sort of form we all know he can (keep it up son), Bale has added a new dimension to his game, having a trick to get past defenders whilst also drifting inside on occasions thus making it hard for him to pick up, and what about the revelation that is Kyle Walker… while positioning is not yet one of his better assets, he has the pace (and then some) to recover when he caught out by a ball over the top. Also, with Bale now starting to drift infield more than we’re used to, Benny has used this to rampage forward every now and again, delivering a half decent cross or a ball to Lennon or Walker out on the right, he’s also no slouch getting back.

 Tactics/Team News

Neither team is going to spring a massive surprise in terms of tactics, we all know pretty much who is going to play (fitness allowing) and we all know how Stoke will set up and how we’ll play. Stoke will work hard as usual and their crowd will cheer all throw-ins as if they’ve just got a penalty (how many goals have they got as a direct result of a Delap thrown in lately anyway?) whereas we’ll look to carry on the fast pace stuff we’ve trotted out game after game after game.

For me the biggest decision for either manager will be ‘Arry’s choice about who to play up front, surely he won’t dare to leave Rafa out for a second game in a row will he? Rafa has come out in the press this week and says he fully understands the reasons for him being on the bench, which is all very good but you get the impression that now he’s had a week to rest his dodgy hamstring and an extra week of training with the team that he fully expects to be starting on Sunday, will the gaffer risk annoying Rafa by leaving him on the bench again? I think he should but I fully expect him to be lining up alongside the in-form Adebayor. Of course the only other bit of team news is a collective Spurs fans prayer that Ledley (he’s better than John Terry) is fit and recovers from the ‘minor knock’ he took in training.

Key to the game

I think the key to the game lays on the flanks, if we can push their wingers back more often than they can do so to ours then I think we’ll swarm all over them, aside from the route one stuff Stoke are ‘famous’ for, all of their creativity comes from Pennant and Etherington, stop them and I think we stop Stoke City.

Prediction

This is the part I dislike very much, I’m not one for predictions as it generally ends up with you looking like a fool or being blamed for a defeat in a game you should have won, that being said I’m going for a conservative 2-1 to Spurs and for the run to keep going for another week. This and the fact that living in Stoke as I do will mean for a much nicer day at work on Monday than if they win, although if Stoke lose then certain fans of theirs I know will invariably blame it on the ref as it’s always his fault if they lose….

 COYS

Glen Bocking (follow Glen on Twitter @gb2point0 )

Don’t forget, the Spurs Writers Club has launched and our first book – The Glory-Glory Game – will be published in early 2012, you can get your name in the book by preordering now!! Here’s the link don’t forget to enter code (SW1) in brackets next to your name on the order form. More info can be found here or on the website!

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Spurs Writers Club launches!!

December 8th, 2011 Posted in Articles, Books and DVDs
Dec, 08 2011
1 Comment »

THFC1882′s Stuart Watts with news of an exciting new book, chronicling memories of Tottenham Hotspur over the last 60 years!

It is with great pleasure that I would like to announce that I am one of the founding members of the Spurs Writers Club!!

Prolific Spurs author Norman Giller has recruited a team of 45 writers and our first book – The Glory-Glory Game – will be published early in 2012!! The Glory-Glory Game will recount each writers earliest Spurs memories. With writers aged 18-70+ there are bound to be memories that you can relate to! This book  is perfect for Spurs fans of all ages to reminisce on the good times over the last 60 years!

This massive tome of Spurs history and memories will retail at £18.95 (+£2.95 p&p) but is available to pre-order now at only £15 (+£2.95 p&p). Anyone pre-ordering before February 28th 2012 can get their name in the book and will become an associate member of the Spurs Writers Club! Associate membership will also give you the benefit of discounts on future titles along with the ability to contribute to some of these books!

So, I hear you ask, ‘how do I get one?’ Simply head over to the website here and click ‘buy now’. When placing your order it is important that after your name you put the following code in brackets (SW1).

Any questions, you can ask here, on my Twitter account ( @THFC1882dotcom ) or on the blogs Facebook page

Pick up this exciting book now!!

COYS

Stuart Watts

 

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Match Report: Tottenham Hotspur 3 Bolton Wanderers 0

December 4th, 2011 Posted in Articles, Match Reports
Dec, 04 2011
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THFC1882 presents Siva’s guest report on yesterdays action:

Tottenham: Friedel; Walker, Kaboul, Gallas, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon (van der Vaart 72), Parker (Livermore 85), Modric, Bale; Defoe, Adebayor

Goals: Bale 7, Lennon 50, Defoe 61

Well that was easy. 3 points on the board, again. I could get used to this winning every week business.

As I said in the preview getting a win was always the minimum expected before Bolton arrived.  There was a nice calm around WHL before the game, hearing people speculating if other teams might drop points this weekend to help us consolidate 2nd/3rd. was nice.  Everyone came to the game ready for a comfortable home win, and that’s exactly what they got.

Even the news that Ledley wasn’t playing couldn’t jolt people, ‘we can beat Bolton without Ledders’ was the general opinion.  With Defoe starting in place of VdV we were set up for goals.  However, before the game began, there was a very touching minutes applause for  the recently passed Gary Speed. So much has been said on this over the last week by wiser people than me, so I’ll leave it at that.

As we started the match we were nice and bright, a few signs of intent brought us our first corner. There was some fear that VdV’s absence might hurt us from set pieces, especially corners. Its not clear if Modric’s attempt at a corner was scuffed or sneaky but either way, Bale ran ahead of his man and managed to get a toe poke on the ball at the near post and in she went! 1-0 after 6 minutes! Bale had ‘RIP Gary Speed’ stitched into his boots, he took one off and showed it to the Bolton crowd which was a nice touch to their former player and Bale’s former International manager.

Long admired Tottenham target Gary Cahill had a chance to show Harry Redknapp and the Spurs faithful what he was about, sadly he didn’t get much time after the goal to show us what he could do in terms of defending.  Adebayor and Parker chased the ball down from our right midfield all the way to the other side, and as Cahill mis-controlled the ball, Parker picked his pocket and was away. Cahill logically committed the professional foul that would save his team. Parker was on the half way line there were at least a couple of covering defenders and an obvious yellow was required. However Stewart Attwell could find himself reffing in the Conference North next week as he produced a red card as harsh as you’ll see. I sit at the front of the East Upper so had a great view, everyone around me was bemused and/or laughing. Luck is on our side it seems.

As the first half progressed, Jääskeläinen, the Bolton keeper proceeded to have one of those halves that show why they are worth their paycheck. A string of close range instinctive saves kept the score down to 1. With a marauding Bale in the mood to cause havoc it was an odd 30 minutes, no goals but the intent was there.

The half died towards the end as Bolton slowed the ball down trying to get in to their dressing room still in the match, the crowd got a bit restless when we started to do the same but cheers and applause all round when the whistle was blown.

The second half was a decent showing from Tottenham and was as relaxed as I’ve seen us play this season. Lennon scored a great goal, finishing off a sweeping break from Walker on the right who fed Defoe in the centre, the ball finally made its way to Lennon who checked and dummied a couple of times, found some space and drilled into the corner to make it 2-0, game over.

Just 10 minutes later it was 3.  A near post flick on from Bale after another short Modric corner, found Defoe lurking under the bar. He showed good body strength and athleticism to turn his body to the ball, a classic instinctive poachers finish.

The game died when VdV came on and as stated in the preview should never play in right midfield.  He was almost operating as a central sweeper just to get the ball.  When he is in that free role he is as good as they come, but it felt like Harry put him on to keep him happy. 3-0 up against a tired, demoralised Bolton side, why not let him rest for a week and save the hamstring? Give one or two of the bench players a go? Eventually the game petered out, like the first half we spent ages just passing the ball between our back line happy to save energy.

Ultimately we all went home happy with the 3 points in the bag.  The shocking red card decision clearly helped us, but I saw enough of both sides to say confidently that 11 vs. 11 would not have ended in a dissimilar way. Bolton almost played to not get thrashed in the second half, which may not have been the same with 22 on the pitch.

Man of the Match:  Gareth Bale was excellent first half and actually made an impression on the right when switched in the second.

Chant of the Match: “KABOUL KABOUL, KABOUL is on fire!”

Moan of the Match: Ade had an average game. First half he lacked a bit of luck with his runs. But he definitely seems to lower his work rate when we go a couple up, but then again all he’s tasted is 10 wins and a draw since he joined us…!

Stat of the Match: We have officially won 6 games in a row in the Premier League for the first time!

How far can we go this season is anyone’s guess on this form and now we are all but out of the Europa League we can fully concentrate on finishing in our highest ever Premier League position.   Premiership beware Tottenham Hotspur are coming to get you!

COYS

Siva

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