Tottenham Hotspur Season 2008/9

[BALLHOG]

Anyway huge game this weekend. Tough one for United as it's at WHL but we can get the job done. Tevez to score in the 97th minute and this time it will be the winner.

If that happens RM and there was only 94 minutes of added time shown, I think I'll do myself in.

Utd are without Rooney and Evra due to suspension. There is also slight injury doubts over Berbasulk and Ronaldo.

Berba better play and face the music. Perhaps wear earplugs, cos there's a LOT of abuse coming his way according to a Spurs forum.

On another note, did anyone see that 16 Spurs fans are wanted for the chanting against Sol Cambell at the Portsmouth game? Their pics have been released. 2 have already been arrested. IMO, what a load of s***t. How did they manage to track 16 individuals from a crowd of 2,000? They're going to need 36,000 pairs of handcuffs for the weekend with the whole of WHL singing that Berbatovs mum is a Gypsie who washes windows at traffic lights and that his dad is a rapist (which is true actually - he was convicted). IMo, that's a fair step up from call Scumball a homo.

As a Man U fan if Berbatov doesn't play against his old club he is as weak as piss. As for Ronaldo I'm pretty certain he will play.

[RoosterMarty]

I didn't realise Evra was suspended this week, I thought that was for the 21st but I will need to check up on that as he's a gun in my Dream Team.

Rooney is a bit loss but Tevez is more than capable.

[MST]

Doesn't Ronaldo have a suspension to serve as well? (from his red card in the derby).

Come on you Spurs, send the scum off to Japan with a nine point deficit!!

[devilsadvocate]

As a Man U fan if Berbatov doesn't play against his old club he is as weak as piss. As for Ronaldo I'm pretty certain he will play.

From the beeb:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7763495.stm

Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov is struggling to be fit for the return to his old club Spurs as he battles to overcome an Achilles injury.

Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra are suspended, but Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to return after a hip injury.

Michael Carrick and Rio Ferdinand are also doubtful starters.

"I don't know if Carrick is going to be fit, I don't know if Berbatov is going to be fit," said Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

"Rio Ferdinand picked up a back spasm again, so that is a concern for us too. With the squad we've got I hope we can cope but I'd rather not have [the problems]."

IMO, the most vital cog in Utd's side is Carrick. He bosses the midfield as good as anyone in world football. I still hate the fact that we sold him to Utd.

I dream of a side that looks like:

-------------Gomes----------- (So this isn't a dream, but if the midfield and defence did their bloody job...)
Corluka--Woodgate--King--Bale
Lennon--Carrick--Davids--Modric
------Berbatov--Keane--------

We were so close, but so far at the same time.

[johntheclaret]

Following on from the Campbell abuse story.

Thanks to Skysports News

Spurs pledge to help police

Tottenham vow to support investigation into Campbell abuse

Tottenham have vowed to support the police investigation into the abuse directed at Sol Campbell.

Campbell was subjected to racist and homophobic chanting by some travelling fans during Portsmouth's game against Spurs at Fratton Park in September.

A number of Tottenham fans have targeted Campbell since he left White Hart Lane in 2001 and Hampshire Police have now released CCTV pictures of 16 suspects.

The London club has promised to ban for life any supporter found guilty of racist or homophobic behaviour.

And Tottenham's safety officer Sue Telling has insisted that they will do their utmost to help the police in their inquiry.

[johntheclaret]

I know this isn't really a Spurs item, but I thought I would post it in here to give the Tottie fans a smile

Thanks to the Daily Mail

Berbatov feeling the heat: Is it cruel that United fans call him Dimitar Veron?

Manchester United fans only have one song for Dimitar Berbatov so far. Sung to the tune of Jesus Christ Superstar, it goes: 'Dimitar. Berbatov. Took one look at City and said **** off.'

As amusing as it may or may not be, the ditty hardly represents a ringing endorsement of a player who arrived at Old Trafford following an outlay of £30.75million and 12 months of hardball with Tottenham.

Just a lazy Bulgarian or simply a supreme talent? Berbatov has split the United fans
After more than three months at United, Berbatov would have hoped to inspire something more endearing than mere recognition that he ignored the late advances of derby rivals Manchester City to join the club.

Furthermore, a quick poll of a handful of United supporters this week provoked revealing responses as their club's record signing prepares to return to White Hart Lane tomorrow.

Asked about the lack of tangible affection towards their Bulgaria striker, none were entirely positive.

'He is seen as lazy by some of us and we won't have that,' one season ticket holder, a 50-year-old company director, told Sportsmail. 'To be honest, the only song we would sing about him would be one suggesting he should disappear back to Tottenham.'

Class act ?: He may have a somewhat casual style, but Berbatov's skill with a football should still be cherished.
Others felt it was too early to judge the Bulgarian. 'We're just waiting for him to click,' stressed a 49-year-old media figure. But the jury would appear to be out regarding Berbatov. The statistics illustrate why.

In 12 starts in the Barclays Premier League, the 27-year-old has scored just twice - in straightforward home victories over West Bromwich (4-0) and Stoke (5-0).

Lap it up DA

[devilsadvocate]

Lap it up DA

I did mate.

That lazy, sulking, money grabbing, glory hunting, worthless, useless sack of cow proverbial is not welcome at Spurs and never will be. I don't care how many goals he scored for us. He can bugger off back to Germany or help his mum wash windows on the north circular for all I care.

It was soooooooooo sweet to take a point from those red nosed monkeys.

[Bully]

Lap it up DA

I did mate.

That lazy, sulking, money grabbing, glory hunting, worthless, useless sack of cow proverbial is not welcome at Spurs and never will be. I don't care how many goals he scored for us. He can bugger off back to Germany or help his mum wash windows on the north circular for all I care.

It was soooooooooo sweet to take a point from those red nosed monkeys.

was it huddlestone with the nice strike that he put it into his own players chest/groin area? that was headed for the back of the onion bag!

[eyeofthetiger]

Lap it up DA

I did mate.

That lazy, sulking, money grabbing, glory hunting, worthless, useless sack of cow proverbial is not welcome at Spurs and never will be. I don't care how many goals he scored for us. He can bugger off back to Germany or help his mum wash windows on the north circular for all I care.

It was soooooooooo sweet to take a point from those red nosed monkeys.

was it huddlestone with the nice strike that he put it into his own players chest/groin area? that was headed for the back of the onion bag!

That was Huddlestone and it was on target. He has hit some great goals from that range in the last year. Spurs unbeaten record in the league against the top 4 this year shows we can play and if we find some consistency should move back up the top half of the ladder.

Re the gypsy , I think he is in the same boat as the shirt throwing Gahley , goneski forever. But man he has left a fair highlights package in the lillywhite shirt.

[devilsadvocate]

It was the Hudd and what an absolute peach of a strike it was too. Pavlyuchenko pulled out the best save so far this season . He now has two little pancakes where his nuts used to be. MAN that would have hurt!

Looking at the replay too, that was going in. VDS had dove to cover it, but the ball was still rising when it hit Pav, so I'm pretty sure it would have found the back of the net.

Also see David Bentley's little flick up and dink over VDS who managed to parry it away. That proved the Ar5ena1 effort was no fluke - I just wish he'd try it more often as it won us a corner on this occasion too.

Modric's ping on goal in the 2nd half was a great effort too and required a quality save from VDS.

Great game by everyone in a Spurs shirt. Best IMO were Gomes, Dawson, Zokora and BAE.

COYS!

[devilsadvocate]

Her are some pics of the White Hart Lane redevelopment project released at Spurs AGM today:

I don't care what they end up calling it by selling naming rights, it's White Hart Lane, always will be - NOTHING can change that!

At night:

Looking up the high road with the Bell and Hare on the right hand side:


Overall, I'm impressed with the new stadium. It's a rectangular shape with rounded edges, rather than an oval shape. It has steep terraces allowing fans to be closer to the play than at any other ground. The roof is designed to reverberate the atmosphere from the crowd back down and onto the pitch.

At this stage, the plan is for 55-60k capacity, which some fans aren't thrilled about, but it's been done that way to allow the terraces to be as close to the pitch as possible without compromising lines of sight. And who cares anyway, 36,000 Spurs fans are always bloody loud, 55,000 will create serious noise pollution.

It's rumored completion date is circa 2012.

COYS!

[Bully]

not bad, nice pictures, but how can they afford to keep it running when they are in the championship?

[johntheclaret]

. where is the funding coming from DA. Surely they won't get investment money or bank loans in this financial climate.

If it is to be on WHL, then I assume they haven't already got some development land and can selloff the Lane for real estate ?

[johntheclaret]

Arrys off to the January sales ?

thanks to the Daily Mail

Redknapp ready to bring Michael Owen and Joe Cole to Spurs

Harry Redknapp has targeted Michael Owen and Joe Cole as prospective new signings for Spurs as he hopes to take advantage of some uncertainty with the player's current contracts.
Although Cole will be looked at as a big summer coup - as Chelsea have currently put his contract talks on hold - Redknapp will be hoping to tempt Owen with a £4 million bid in the January window.

However, Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear will want to retain Owen until the summer when he can leave on free transfer, although a move may be all the more likely as Owen will be asked to take a pay-cut at talks on Tuesday.

[devilsadvocate]

:shock: . where is the funding coming from DA. Surely they won't get investment money or bank loans in this financial climate.

If it is to be on WHL, then I assume they haven't already got some development land and can selloff the Lane for real estate ?

Not 100% sure where the funding is coming from. Shareholders weren't asked to chip in, so I'm guessing ENIC will be footing the bill and will be assisted with grants from the Haringay caouncil when it comes to the redevelopment of housing, shops and transport.

The best thing about Daniel Levy is he is a master businessman (which is not always good - Berbatov affair!), but he will ensure that this development is handled immaculately from a finance point of view. I highly doubt he'd gear up with debt and put us in a similar situation to Ar5ena1. In balance sheet terms, we're the healthiest club in England and one of the more affluent in Europe. We dont have huge debts to some oligarch or worse - Barclays!

The plan for the development is as follows:

http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/futureplans/scheme.html

So it's not quite on the same pitch, but it's the same site. Spurs have been busy buying all adjacent property to the north in recent years and have been carefully considering how to redevelop with best use of space on the existing site. This is the best option. A move away from Nothern London would be unthinkable. We are not a bunch of wondering immigrants like the mob down the road .

It will be sad to see the real Lane go, but onwards and upwards! We need a state of the art facility to help attract a higher quality of player.

[BALLHOG]

Joe Cole is a joke,as for Owen I think his best football is behind him. But good luck to Tottenham would be good to see them up the business end.

[Pidge]

Joe Cole is a joke,as for Owen I think his best football is behind him. But good luck to Tottenham would be good to see them up the business end.

Why is Joe Cole a joke?

[BALLHOG]

Joe Cole is a joke,as for Owen I think his best football is behind him. But good luck to Tottenham would be good to see them up the business end.

Why is Joe Cole a joke?

I don't rate him think he is very overated. But people are entitled to their opinion. I also hate Chelsea. They are some very impresive pictures of the future plans DA.

[Pidge]

Joe Cole is a joke,as for Owen I think his best football is behind him. But good luck to Tottenham would be good to see them up the business end.

Why is Joe Cole a joke?

I don't rate him think he is very overated. But people are entitled to their opinion.

Very true. We are both entitled to our own opinions. I think he is alrght. Not the best footballer. Had a good spell of games last season. Havent heard much about him this season.

[BALLHOG]

DA having never been to England what is the atmosphere like at the lane? Would love to get over to Old Trafford one day and support the mighty reds, from watching on tv the atmosphere sounds awesome. Makes AFL supporters look pathetic. Are tickets easy to get or are most matches sold out well in advance? My old man is from England he said things can get pretty rough but that was some 40 years ago would have thought things have mellowed a bit since back in his day.