Tottenham Hotspur FC 2013/14

[fallenangle]

That first goal of theirs was a disaster I don't think you can blame on the pitch. The defence just switched off, again (Newcastle x2). But a draw was a good result and as it looks like we're going to be fighting with Soton for the 6th spot not too disappointed staying ahead of them.

Smiled when Martin Keown on MotD, after the Swansea game today (Sat.), mused as to why Spurs got rid of Gylfi Sigurdsson who he now rates as one of the best midfielders in the Premiership. We've been wondering that here ever since he went too.

[EJG1980]

I put a small bit of blame on the pitch for the first goal, as Ryan Mason slipping over started the situation and that was pure bad luck. But yes, it was a completely preventable disaster after that!

Always liked Gylfi and enjoyed watching him play for us, really glad he's doing well at Swansea. He often stated his dislike of usually being shunted out wide when he was here and said he wanted to play in the middle behind the striker, which means he'd have been in direct competition with Eriksen for a starting spot. I wonder how much difference it would have made if he'd stayed with us this season? It's a shame you can't get definitive answers to "what if" scenarios.

Well done to Harry Kane last night, won the young player of the year and was runner up to Hazard for the main award. It's all pretty meaningless but nice none the less for a Spurs player to be recognised for doing well. That's three Spurs winners of the YPOTY award in the past four years. Let's hope that in the upcoming seasons Kane's career progression is more Bale than Walker

[EJG1980]

Gah, that was a shame, didn't get the result our performance merited today. We were the better team in the first half, City I thought were more in control in the second, but we created enough chances throughout the 90 minutes to have got at least one goal. A combination of not being at our sharpest in front on goal and Joe Hart having an excellent game.

Still, it was good to see us put in a decent performance. If we keep that up in the remaining matches we should, with a bit of luck, pick up enough points to finish in the top six.

[fallenangle]

Getting anything from this match would have been a bonus. After some of Spurs' recent performances against MC the fact we didn't let in four goals and, as you suggest, actually could have had a draw mean we must be improving.

[EJG1980]

Yup, our record in the big games this season has definitely improved compared to last season. Results vs the top four in 2013/14:

0 wins, 1 draw, 7 losses, 2 goals for, 27 goals against.

And this season (assuming the top four doesn't change):

2 wins, 2 draws, 4 losses, 9 goals for, 14 goals against.

Still a few matches where we lost comfortably but nothing like last season's multiple humiliating capitulations. And those wins against Chelsea and Arsenal showed that when things click we are capable of taking on and beating the top sides.

Next season, with the young players being more experienced, Poch bringing in a couple more players suited to his style, and the whole squad and manager being more used to each other, I'm very hopeful that we'll be more consistent and able to play at our best more often.

On a sad note, awful news about Jimmy Greaves suffering a stroke. Hope he manages to pull through but it sounds quite bad.

[fallenangle]

Sad news indeed. Lets hope he pulls through and is not left permanently disabled.

I was a bit young to remember him that well as a Spurs player and for me, and I suspect many others, it will always be as a football pundit, particularly Saint and Geavsey, he will be remembered most.

Saturday Edit

Well this is going well. 2-0 to Stoke and now one man down.

Stoke have proved annoyingly difficult for to Spurs to deal with a number of times in recent seasons but they're the sort of team we should be beating if we're serious about being good enough for a top four finish.

At this rate we'll be lucky to be in the top six and even the possibility of no Europa League entry either. Luckily Southampton are losing 2-0 as well and Swansea have Arsenal on Monday so we'll probably hang on to sixth whatever the Spurs' result today.

[EJG1980]

It does seem like Spurs and Southampton are having a competition to see who can end the season the worst! Crazy that Swansea are now not that far behind us; two or three weeks ago they were about ten points back and not even on the radar.

The only positive I can think of from yesterday was that at least we didn't totally collapse and get humiliated when we went down to ten men. That and Southampton doing their best to make sure they finish below us.

We really must beat Hull next week (which could be nasty for them as if that happens and results go against them they could be down) and then Everton on the final day to try and end the season on a little bit of an upswing.

[fallenangle]

Hull are another side Spurs have a habit of tripping up over and they're going to be really up for it to stave off their own very real relegation worries. I don't see that being an easy game. Everton could go either way.

They were saying on MotD that Spurs need some top quality centre backs ............er yes, its been a never properly addressed perennial problem for as long as I can remember. We simply have never had any depth of talent there. One of our first choices gets injured and whatever the manager they're forced to compromise. With both first choices out they end up barrel scraping even using players like Huddlestone in the past or, now Dembele as a stop gap.

As it is I Vertongen makes mistakes and is lacking speed, just like Dawson was, and Fazio is even worse. I think three central defenders are actually needed and we should dump Paulino, Fazio and Soldado amongst others to pay for them and at least one new forward too.

[EJG1980]

Defence is definitely the area where we need the biggest surgery in the summer. Despite having one of the best keepers around in goal, we've got the 16th best defence in the league, joint with Burnley! Only Leicester, Newcastle and QPR have let in more goals than us.

And yes, someone up front to provide competition for Kane / someone reliable who can come in to give him a rest.

[EJG1980]

A rare event in recent years, our new kit has been released early. I'm expecting us to wear it against Hull, I remember a couple of times back in the mid to late 2000's where we would wear the next season's kit for the final home game of the season.



I quite like it, definitely much prefer it to this year's kit, even if I would prefer us just to have a plain white shirt, blue shorts and blue socks every year with no embellishments. I know they're not going to do that though as then they wouldn't have kids badgering their parents every year to buy the new design

[fallenangle]

Looks OK, a bit retro in some respects.

I always think about Spurs having a top/shorts/socks white/navy/white theme but for a long time the navy has been more black than blue, although the designers would probably call it sea coal blue or something pretentious like that.

Watched Football Mavericks after the Europa League Dnipro versus Napoli semi-final on ITV4 last night. Great to see some of Glenn Hoddle's superb Spurs' goals again.

[EJG1980]

I'll often put on YouTube compilations of Spurs goals to give me something to watch while I'm doing my daily workout on the exercise bike, and there's a particular Glenn Hoddle goal that I always watch. I think it's a lot of people's favourite as if you type "Glenn Hoddle" into YouTube the first auto suggestion it comes up with is "Glenn Hoddle volley v Man Utd"



Love his chip against Watford right at the end of his Spurs career too. It's a shame I'm too young and didn't become a fan in time to see Hoddle's time at Spurs, I was only 7 years old when he left for Monaco and I didn't get into football until a few years after that.

[BaronSqwelch]

Villas defence has converted me to a Spurs fan for the rest of the afternoon

[fallenangle]

You're making me feel old. Yes, that is a one of the best Hoddle goals and I do remember seeing the one against Watford too, I think the next day, on ITV's The Big Match.

My earliest solid Spurs memories go way to Martin Peters but the Spurs player who probably influenced me most was Martin Chivers. His signature long throw was attempted by almost every schoolboy even those who weren't into football that much.

Meant to say earlier this week Arsenal didn't do us any favours on Monday by losing to Swansea (now 56pts). But they do have MC to deal with tomorrow so if we can beat Hull today, like we should, with any luck our better goal difference will ensure any argument over 6th place will only involve Southampton. They're currently drawing with the in form Aston Villa and then also have to meet MC in their final game. Whilst we have the, on paper, the less difficult task of taking on Everton.

********!!!!!!!!! Just checked and Southampton are slaughtering AV 3-0 after only 25 minutes play.

4-0 now and only half an hour gone, it could be double figures at 90 minutes at this rate! Tim Sherwood must really hate Spurs .

Edit:-

Yay, Spurs didn't mess up against Hull. Not heard a report yet but a win is a win and that's all that matters.

[EJG1980]

Yay, Spurs didn't mess up against Hull. Not heard a report yet but a win is a win and that's all that matters.

Not a vintage performance but not too bad. Our best spell was, unsurprisingly, the ten minutes where we scored the two goals A nice through ball by Lamela to Chadli for the first, and then a really beautiful chipped through ball by Mason to Rose for the second.

Edit: having now seen it on Goals on Sunday, I didn't realise at the time how good that Lamela through ball was. Not as eye catching as the Mason ball but just as good in its own way.

Hull had a big chance in the first half at 0-0, I think Jelavic hit the corner of post and bar, and there was a massive scramble in the second half where I thought they'd get it back to 2-1 but Lloris and defenders kept throwing their bodies in the way and we managed to keep it out. Nice to get a clean sheet for a change!

Enjoyable end of season shenanigans after the match. Harry Kane won the members player of the year award (shock winner, I know ) and the players did the usual parade around the pitch, forming a guard of honour for the retiring Brad Fiedel as they left the pitch.

So hopefully we can get a win next week to confirm 6th, and thanks to Palace just now there's still a chance of 5th. Hopefully Liverpool play as badly at Stoke as we did! As long as we win though, that'll do me, anything else will be a nice bonus.