Forget the Mayans, forget the snow surely Spurs going a league season unbeaten against Manchester United is more a sign of the apocalypse than anything.

I mean Spurs don’t win at Old Trafford and they certainly don’t grab well earned equalisers in added on Fergie time against United. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Spurs stuffed away and hanging on in desperation at home until the very last second of a vastly inflated added time period when a goal is finally conceded.

Last season, under the media darling, they dominated United in this fixture only to end up on the wrong end of a scoreline stuffing.

Thing is while dominating the game Spurs were all that great. Devoid of that piece of guile to get past the visiting back nine – four centerbacks to go with the four fullbacks – lacking real width with Bale coming inside, nothing from Naughton and Lennon also not staying out as much as he could. Defoe was well the Defoe of late.

And of course there was the gaping hole left by Sandro after his season ending injury last week. A hole that can’t be adequately filled by Scott Parker, no matter how much the media or the blind tell you he’s the perfect replacement. It’s no coincidence that during the first half he touched the ball more than any other player in white and during that half Spurs hardly went anywhere.

It’s funny hearing/reading some criticism of Parker during the game. Funny because the very same people were probably praising him all of last season for what was pretty much exactly the same performance. Parker’s ponderous pirouettes, when an injection of speed was required, slagged off. Don’t remember such comments previously. Did Tweet that I wondered how the UK media would spin this poor performance into a man of the match winning one. Couldn’t be done. But look, I open the paper and there he is with 8/10 joint top amongst Spurs players.

No mention of his two embarrassing falls to the floor, that first one was really pathetic and would have seen Bale or Suarez crucified or – while Walker was being blamed for United’s goal when he was left to mark three players on his tod – Parker just minced over to Cleverley, doing absolutely nothing to stop the player getting his cross over for van Persie to score.

Bale was pretty absent yet again. His coming inside really doesn’t work with Naughton at left-back, especially when the opposition double up as they did here. They know Naughton isn’t going to move forward that much, know he’s completely one footed, and so can ignore the defender and concentrate on Bale. The winger was unlucky with a shot being saved after a deflection.

Lennon came inside more than he should be he just offered more than his more vaunted opposite number. His scampering looked like Spurs best option – bar one Dembele slalom into the ManUre box where he laid it on a plate for Dempsey to provide a weak finish that was saved.

Again no coincidence Lennon was involved in the goal. The move also showed the merit of a left footed left-back who can get forward as BAE swung the cross in unhindered as the defence focused on Bale, De Gea flapped it onto Lennon who squared it for Dempsey to grab the justified point. Dempsey responsible for all four points with a winner and equalising goal, still some slagging him off I imagine.

Fergie had his usual post-didn’t-win-rant. Yes it was probably a penalty – Caulker on Ronney – but you can see why the officials didn’t give it, especially the ref from his angle, Caulker’s leg moved in for the challenge just as as Rooney moved the ball to the right, at real speed from a number of angles it looked like Caulker got the ball cleanly. He didn’t but who the hell is going to lose sleep over ManUre being on the wrong side of such an incident. They say these things even themselves well we’ve got a long way to go before that ledger is balanced with regards to ManUre.

Everything wasn’t perfect for Spurs, far from it really – still need a world class lead the line striker, if we had a clinical, regular finisher like van Persie then Spurs would be cruising this league plus a crafty midfielder – but went behind and fought back for the point, showed far more resilience than in past seasons in such a situation, put in 25 shots, five times as many as the league leaders who came to White Hart Lane and parked the bus for most of the game – when did that last happen?

Tottenham Hotspur 1- 1 Manchester United

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Three wins in a week, 9 points, eight goals for just two against. Surely ‘Arry would have done better than this. It can’t carry on, we shouldn’t allow it to carry on.

A reasonable week for the boss. Not quite so for the haters. It was topped off by decent away display at BMJ’s Fulham. Only decent because with the three goals and three points came two injuries.

Dawson limping off early with an ankle concern, Bale doing his hamstring later on. Dawson could be back by the weekend, Bale is said to be one or two weeks. But I’ve heard that before, one or two weeks ends up being one or two months, with important Spurs players. See Lennon’s absences over the last couple of festive periods. Then if they rush him back could it have a knock on effect? This time of year, games coming thick and fast, you can either really strengthen your position in the league or it can kill you. Need the best players available.

Bale is also facing up to being close to a suspension due to yet another incorrectly yellow card handed out by an inept official, accusing him of diving. Foy, having a clear view of the incident that everyone say and can see was a clear foul. Two bookings in a week suggest the reputation we all warned about has come. But what was the on field punishment Charlie Adam received for the two cowardly challenges on bale’s ankle?

Anyway the game. A subdued cagey first half with Spurs in somewhat of control, but nothing coming up front, Defoe barely touching the ball, bar having one of those really stupid desperate attempts on goal that he so likes.

One person trying to light up the half was an ex-player, though not Dempsey or the excellent Dembele but Berbatov. Still a class player when he wants to be. I didn’t get over excited as many did about his goal scoring numbers during the last couple of seasons at ManUre. It was mostly made up of putting five past the likes of Blackburn. But if he hadn’t shit all over us securing the move to that club would gladly have seen him back where he should have stayed.

Second half was lit up ten minutes in when Sandro received the ball in acres of space, was closed down at all, so decided to have a pop. Going from the stripes of the grass about 35 yards out, Schwarzer maybe should have done better but it was another beastly moment from the beast, dipping and swinging. And it must have made a refreshing change for the player to be able to celebrate a screamer without his manager balling him out.

Seemed to spark Spurs into life. A Bale charge and shot led to his injury shortly after. Not long after his substitution Defoe actually did something. A nice run by Sigurdsson, who replaced Bale, who laid it on a plate for Defoe 10 yards out. Now in total control a great through ball by Dempsey produced Defoe’s second involvement and the end of the game as a contest.

The silver lining to the cloud of Bale’s injury being that two of the goals came when he wasn’t on the park – the first didn’t involve him at all really – and came from attacking play on the left hand side. If he is gone for just the couple of weeks is that the position to get the best out of Dempsey during the period?

Good clean sheet and three points against a reasonable Fulham, who have plenty of attacking talent, though maybe missing their defensive rock. Nine pints from three games, as Chelsea and the Goons are beaten at the weekend. A great week for the manager so of course the media have shifted their agenda from running him out of town to running Bale out to Madrid or Barca.

Fulham 0 - 3 Tottenham Hotspur

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You could visible see all the hatred the Spurs’ players feel for Andre Villas-Boas during the 90 minutes, plus insulting time added on, at Old Trafford on Saturday evening.

It almost felt like 23 years worth of hate.

I do wonder if Mick McCarthy was meant to be on Match of the Day on Saturday night, or was he a late phone call by the production staff. Their intended “pundit” unfortunately couldn’t make it at the last minute. Had to commiserate with one of his pals from The Sun.

So those early morning headlines of “player unrest” and how AVB hadn’t learned from his previous job. Funny that on the same day there was a number of actual interviews with actual players who all seemed to be quite happy. Ah but Lloris is frustrated. Is he? Well I’m asking you. No you were telling me he is.

Just under 2 minutes in and the Spurs’ player were shoving those words back down the throat of ‘Arry’s chums. Jan Vertonghen left to wonder through the ManUre defence. Not for the first time on the afternoon Ferdinand will be found wanting, before his shot is deflected in for the lead. The only problem about Vertonghen is where to play him when everyone is available, left-back means he might get into the game more, with Kaboul in alongside Caulker in the centre it could be the best option.

It was only minutes in but Spurs were bossing the whole game. Thankfully Fergie thought it was one of those games he could get out of Giggs. Thanks you dozy old soak.

Wasn’t just the midfield that looked old and creaky the back four were there for the running at. Lennon had a go but his shot was blocked before on the half hour Sandro put in yet another great tackle, onto Dembele who fed Bale just inside the ManUre half and he was off. Defoe did a great job of dragging Evans wide as Bale just breezed past Ferdinand to finish with his right.

Poor old Rio. All those that talked about an England comeback post Terry were all of a sudden revising that opinion and finally seeing there is footballing reasons he isn’t in the thoughts of Hodgson, who was on hand to see.

Two nil was a deserved lead for this dominance. Spurs were in ManUre’s face. Dembele was running the show.

Of course this being Spurs against ManUre and especially at Old Trafford it may have been deserved but it wasn’t going to be enough. Though a glimmer of light shone through. Nani in the box, Vertonghen grabs his shirt and the Portuguese falls to the ground. Shock horror! Nothing given. Yes it was a penalty with the grab but why would a grab of your shirt make your legs lift up at the knees? Over-egged it, even the old soak admitted it. But still a shocker.

The first half finished with Spurs dropping deeper and deeper. It was kind of obvious what was required from both managers. My only criticism of AVB is that he didn’t get his right while Fergie did.

At the break I Tweeted that all it needed from Spurs was to stick someone on Scholes. Instead of one player scuttling about and pressing who ever had the ball amongst the hosts furthest back players, just do a man on man job with the only player that was making ManUre tick. AVB tried to do it later in the second half but it wasn’t really done properly.

Fergie on the other hand withdrew the inept Giggs for Rooney. Now while Rooney changed things and brought an impetus it was still Scholes they kept looking at to get things going. Many have gone on about the pass percentage of such a large number of attempts but he was an easy outlet as were the passes with no real pressure.

Dropping deeper and deeper, the Spurs way when leading it was no surprise that a goal came and came relatively quickly after the break. What was a surprise was what followed in the next couple of minutes. As most Spurs fans started to digest that here we go again feeling a hump up the park – plenty of those just this one paid off – to Defoe and the little fella did some of the best work I think I’ve seen from him. Though he was only up against Ferdinand, who he mugged to come inside and played an excellent ball into the path of the charging Bale his shot was blocked by the ‘keeper as Dempsey was all on his Todd in the middle of the area to tap in his first goal for the club.

Two goal lead restored. For all of a minute and a half and some slack defending saw Kagawa onside and slotting in their second. Back to being one up.

One up with what turned out to be just over 40 minutes left. Spurs can’t hold onto that. Not against ManUre, not at home never mind away.

But in one of the ugliest one sided displays by those in white – with thankfully the blue shorts back – they did. It was a pretty hopeless display of hoof ball just gifting those in red the ball with ease and most days it wouldn’t come off but on this day it did.

Of course there was the usual screams of penalties from the home lot. Sandro’s was ball to hand when he hand’t a clue where the ball was but then that’s never stopped a ref at Old Trafford before has it.

At the final whistle that loathing shared between manager and his players was on full show as they jumped about and hugged each other in celebration. It was pure hate.

Fergie then pops up post match with his usual routine that, slightly slurred, we woz robbed. Four minutes of added time was an insult. Hahaha. No penalties and the ref not handing out plenty of Fergie time. Oh dear, how could this be? Oh and there wasn’t six substitutions that would count Alex, you made one at half-time, it isn’t added. You had forty minutes to score against a Spurs side away from home, camped in their own penalty area, aimlessly giving the ball away. Couple of more minutes wasn’t going to change things, van Peries and teh rest would have just missed more open goals and great chances.

Manchester United 2 - 3 Tottenham Hotspur

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Poor old ‘Arry, what will his chums come up with now. Now that Old Trafford monkey is off the club’s back after 23 years. Yes he got a couple of away wins where they’d been hard to come by but didn’t do this one. Unlike AVB.

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When the likes of ManUre play poorly and still grind out a win, as they did on Sunday, the pundits are all over it as a sign of their strength. When their manager makes a change that has a dramatic effect on the situation it’s the same.

Of course when it’s Spurs and Andre Villas-Boas they just some old crap about a ‘keeper controversy and hand all the plaudits to their mate managing the other team.

Well I can’t criticise AVB for playing Bale at left-back in the absence of both Assou-Ekotto and Naughton as I’d advocated it when BAE first became unavailable…

With BAE out would have been very tempted to stick Bale back at fullback. Keep him on the left. #THFC #COYS

— Toxic Web (@Toxic_Web) September 16, 2012

Just felt he hasn’t really worked in this roaming role, as he didn’t under the last manager. Giving him a strict defined role on the left, with someone cutting inside in front of him, Dempsey in this case, would give him an area to run in and build up that pace to frighten those in his way. Which after all was only Wright-Phillips and Dyer, after the 3rd minute substitution. After all it’s what brought him to real prominence during a certain Champions League appearance in Milan, where he put three past the ‘keeper now in the QPR goal.

It didn’t work. Do wonder if Bale made sure it didn’t. Ronaldo don’t play left-back.

Though it wasn’t just Bale that wasn’t working the hole mob weren’t. It was another lacklustre start to the game, much like the Norwich encounter. No life in the team whatsoever. Now it did happen under ‘Arry, especially against this type of opposition and when they do start like this you know it’s going to be one of those games.

Normally when the team plays like this you can’t really blame the manager, he hasn’t that much control once they’ve crossed the white line but it seems in this case it was his doing as he stated after that In the beginning we thought that giving QPR the initiative was the best solution. Luckily he figured out… but it proved to be wrong.

Certainly was, Spurs play best when they come out all guns blazing, for one thing it gets the crowd into it and no mater what the score is with a purposeful display of intent it cuts down on the chances of the boos ringing out at the break.

I hadn’t figured in either manager’s approach. Normally figured it would be a flat back 9 for the visitors, but no, they came to play and out play he hosts they did, if not for Friedel making a couple of saves it would have been worse than going in at the break one down.

Though with some better officiating that might not have been the case. Sigurdsson upended in the box for what should have probably been a penalty – about only thing he did in the game – and I don’t know how QPR’s Granero stayed on the pitch. One cynical trip on Lennon as he was on a charge down the sideline should have been his first yellow. There was plenty more incidents after that should have seen his second before one finally came ten minutes after the interval.

Goal was defensively sloppy as they had been throughout the half. One thing AVB needs to get sorted is defensive headers, far too often the Spurs back four headed the ball back into the middle just out and around the penalty area, where there was always an opposition player ready to pick it up. Simply heading wide would have cut out much of the danger faced.

So as said before AVB saw his tactics weren’t working, the visiting ‘keeper had nothing to do all half, didn’t need the boos You make your own criticism, and we changed from the first half for the second. Questions being how would he change it and who would come off? Plenty of candidates.

On came Caulker which meant Vertonghen to left-back, Bale up and who between Dempsey and Sigurdsson, both having a poor first half. Well it was the latter as the formation shifted to a 4-4-1-1. From then there was more purpose, more drive and an end product. Though a lucky one.

I’ve had a go at Rio Ferdinand before and Vincent Kompany didn’t half ponce one against Madrid but both were beaten by Faurlin who was otherwise excellent in running the game. Caulker heads back from a corner and it’s soft floater that Faurlin flinches the act of which knocks the ball into his own net. Honestly if you’re going to ponce it like that you deserve the consequences.

If you can’t be good, be lucky.

Nothing lucky about the winner, a minute later. Dembele does some great work to win the ball, ever present Sandro on to Vertonghen and he’s on a charge – and no Mark Hughes your player wasn’t fouled, was just a coming together – perfect lay off by the Belgian to Bale flying on his outside, cracking shot and the ‘keeper must have been having flashbacks, though this time he gets a bit of the ball, deflects onto the bar and Defoe is poaching, surprisingly onside, to scuff in the goal.

This is the Spurs we want to see.

Vertonghen was looking like the left-back we need. Great pace, great ability with the ball and most importantly maybe great defensive work. As with half an hour to go there was still time for QPR to get something back and it looked to be coming not long after when Caulker again headed out into the middle and danger, Hoillet was free in the box, he took just enough time to let the ball come onto his right foot, long enough for Vertonghen to nip in and nick it with a superb tackle, which kept up his success rate…

Jan Vertonghen has won 100% of his tackles in all 4 Premier League games this season.

— Spurs Stat Man (@SpursStatMan) September 23, 2012

Unfortunately he’s also one of the centre-backs we need. If only we could have him all across the back line.

So played poorly, even with the second half it was a poor performance, and picked up the victory. Manager saw where he’d gone wrong and corrected it. Added to that we still haven’t seen the best of Sigurdsson, Dempsey or even Bale really. Those three start to click and the first win of the season may do that and those negatives look like a positive future.

Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 1 Queens Park Rangers

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It was all he sweeter as it happened to Mark Hughes, who unlike our AVB needed a coat in the pissing rain. Hard man. My arse.

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The good old days of pre-Premier League football.

Hadn’t noticed The Big Match was being repeated again on ITV4, on Saturday mornings – that latter bit might be the clue why not – so only tuned in after someone Tweeted about it.

This week it was the F.A. Cup from the ’82/’83 season. Seeing Aston Villa, with a very young Mark Walters – he looked about 12 – knock out Graham Taylor’s Watford, plenty of long balls up to Loofa. Then Spurs lost in the Cup for the first time in an age. In a harum scarum game they were put out by Everton at Goodison, then the scum drew with Middlesbrough.

Now the game has changed since the good old days. Plain white ball, ploughed field for a pitch, instead of the digital advertising board flashing up different ads the aforementioned Metaxa, which was pretty much ubiquitous at every ground, was on boards alongside that for local builders – suppose this is still the case down the leagues – when was the last time you saw Metaxa advertised? Was it ever advertised elsewhere other than football grounds?

Then Watford had their shirt sponsor taped over or the game couldn’t be broadcast as Brian Moore told us later, just before they cut to an advert break before coming back to show a game with advert boards all round the pitch.

But the biggest difference, apart from teh back passes to the ‘keeper obviously, was when the referee gave an indirect free-kick for obstruction. Never mind Greek brandy ads, when was the last time you ever saw a ref give an indirect free-kick and one for obstruction?

Players shielding the ball out of play, it’s yards from them and the ref lets it go. Remember a clip from a Goon scum game, would say a mid ’90s game, where Lee Dixon does exactly that the ref blows for a foul and when Dixon asks What the fuck was that for the commentator, John Motson, answered Well it’s for a foul, actually.

The other main difference was at set pieces, free-kicks and corners, where the ball headed into the box. The box didn’t resemble a rugby game, it didn’t resemble Come Dancing – Can I have this dance? Do you come here often? – no shirt pulling, there or elsewhere on the park, no hugging – it’s OK ref I’m just standing here with my arms round him but I’m not touching him… well not until you stop watching us – no barging and no flopping down by ‘keepers when slightly touched.

They keep saying about certain fouls in the box these days that if you give it you’ll have to give 20 a game. Well you might for the first game but after that it would stop pretty sharply. The penalty given for Sunderland, against Newcastle, at the weekend I mean how many times do you see that go unpunished? And if a ref does give a pen for it, he’ll only give one when it happens again and again it’s like he’s used up his quota for the game.

Game would be far better if that area of the game was cleaned up.

Another thing I noticed after this weekend’s modern day games was the match report of a certain Henry Winter. Now I’ve wondered for a while if he actually watches the games he reports on. His eulogising about Steven Gerrard in an England shirt has never matched up to what actually occurred on the pitch. No mention of selfish Hollywood balls, inept Hollywood balls, not being able to pass without battering the ball and general all round sucking except for the odd game against the likes of Andorra.

But my impression was reinforced by the man’s own words in his report on the Spurs versus ManUre game…

… Defoe used Ferdinand as a screen to deceive De Gea before threading the ball to the Spaniard’s right-hand side.
It was still a surprise to see a defender of Ferdinand’s calibre turning his back. - Henry Winter

So that means you couldn’t have watched any England game Ferdinand has featured in then? How many times have I mentioned in a blog post about an England match Ferdinand doing this very thing? Poncing out of making a block. No they weren’t all cut & paste jobs it was him that repeated himself. Doing it game in game out for ages now, yet Henry seems to have never seen it before. Colour me not surprised.

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A ref in charge of his first ManUre game since being on the end of a verbal assault in the media by Alex Ferguson which saw the manager on the end of an five match F.A. ban, what are the chances he’d want back into Fergie’s good books.

I Tweeted the day before he’d dick Spurs to appease Fergie. Low and behold.

Needing a boost after two poor outings things started badly as Bale recovered from a physical injury only to be ruled out through illness and with van der Vaart still not fully fit it meant ‘Arry going 4-4-2 with that tactical genius move of Modric on the left. Thankfully Lennon was back in the starting line-up so at least some width.

The 4-4-2 didn’t work to begin with as Rooney and Welbeck both found space between the central pairing of Livermore and Sandro and the back two, Kaboul & King, crating a couple of chances for ManUre. But after that initial few dodgy minutes it started to click and for the rest of the half Spurs bossed the game as the pair showed that Parker was definitely not missed. Livermore wasn’t quite up to his Everton game standard but maybe this was a better opposition in Carrick and Scholes that he completely overshadowed.

But with the possession and the bossing there was just no real cutting edge and Modric was being wasted in his non-central role.

So just pas the half hour and Atkinson makes the boss happy. Lennon cuts in from the left, he was the main attacking danger in white all afternoon, and Saha’s shot is blocked on the line by Adebayor. The balls in the back of the net but of course the whistle has gone. Now unlike last time when Parker blocked Saha’s shot on the line against Stevenage Adebayor wasn’t offside but when the ball hit him it hit his arm after bouncing off his chest. Handball.

You know if a player scored the winner in the game with the very last kick of the ball and took his shirt off in celebration the ref would stand there shrug his shoulders and while showing a yellow card will say letter of the law, I have to do it. Yet the letter of the law says handballs are given if the act is deliberate. This wasn’t. And you also know if the player doing it was in red and defending that goal a penalty wouldn’t have been given.

How many goals has Adebayor had incorrectly chalked off this season through inept, or otherwise, officiating? How many points has that cost Spurs. It certainly isn’t going to even itself out.

So after being so dominant having a good gal disallowed it was no surprise that ManUre went ahead just before the break. As Walker got it all wrong marking Rooney at a corner leaving him free to nod in the opener.

Second half pretty much carried on as the first had gone. And there was the usual situation of a opposition player being booked early and not being targeted to get him sent off. This time Jones who was looking shaky and really should have been tested more. In fact they were all looking shaky in red. Rattled was the word I used at the time and they were. This half was for the season, reverse it here or you just feel things are gonna peter out.

But as with the first 45, no cutting edge. A series of set pieces wasted with floated deliveries, bar one Assou-Ekotto free-kick that was close. De Gea making a good save from Livermore’s deflected shot but nothing looked like really penetrating.

So again no surprise that just on the hour they knocked off again as ManUre took a throw, Modric caught napping marking Nani whose cross eventually found Young for him to hit a sweet finish. It was pretty much game over from there, still had the ball but with even less conviction behind it. Though they had a number up the field when the ball found it’s way to Young, less than 10 minutes later, for him to have a pretty much free shot on goal. It was another cracker for the England winger. That was it.

Defoe came on and got a consolation which led to his fanboys screaming that he should have been on sooner. But he wouldn’t have made any difference, scoring a late consolation is meaningless and no indication of what might have been. And we all know from his previous outings those goals come at a cost. Offsides and bugger all help to the team. Saha at least does some work, though Adebayor’s first touch is stinking the place up again, a world away from the Newcastle game.

As is the manager. That game he was full of life jumping about these last couple of the games he’s just sat there looking bored, twitching away, as he did after the Champions League exit last year when he started having a go at the fans. His mind elsewhere? Thinking about how he can play Scholes on the left for England?

Whatever it is it doesn’t look good. Need to give Stevenage a thrashing in the Cup replay midweek just to give the place a lift after two bad defeats. Two defeats that have seen what could have been a 16 point gap whittles down to just 4.

Tottenham Hotspur 1 – 3 Manchester United

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January, the post Chrimbo and the Cup is back. Home to Cheltenham, second team and recovering first teamers. Oh the romance. Well it was back to the good days of the Cup with one respect. Radio broadcast only.

We all love the Cup but what does it really mean now? It’s great to win trophies, silverware in the cabinet, but in the end where does a day out with your captain lifting a cup get you these days compared to winning nothing but getting a top four place? All your foreign players know the F.A. Cup, they all watched the finals as kids but does winning the cup attract the quality ones to the club? Does winning it keep Modric at the club? If you’re not playing in Europe’s top competition midweek the following season no.

So third round Saturday, 3 o’clock even, the romanc… oh Pienaar starting. Like that is it.

Well from what I could gather from the radio commentary via BBC Radio Shitkicker some football actually took place. This was difficult to figure out as they were more interested in telling us how big Sebastien Bassong is and how close they were to the pitch and the team benches, generally acting like little kids on a trip out. For this it took three of them, one summariser – or was there two which would make four in total – and two main commentators doing that BBC thing of each taking one half of each half. It’s complete waste of license payers money – something to think about when next the BBC and those that use it as their dole office whinge about funding cuts. I mean add all the doubled up commentators to the salaries of the MotD lot, big ears, slaphead and tipsy. Without that lot maybe the Beeb could actually afford broadcasting rights to the Cup.

After all in this day and age who watches MotD live? With Sky+, Tivo and PVRs who doesn’t record it and skip through the expert analysis of Alan Shearer which basically amounts to repeating what Lineker has just said in the question while completely butchering the English language.

Suppose it could be worse it could be the talking armpit Adrian Chiles repeating a phrase… repeating a phrase… in every bloody sentence. It was taken to extreme just before the second half of the Citeh vs. ManUre tie when he repeated more than one phrase more than once.

So anyway apparently Spurs pretty much cruised it, Kranjcar was given more time and space than he’ll ever get in a proper game and so could boss things with little or no effort. Does it make him any more of a bench warmer? Probably not. Pienaar didn’t do anything to make any other club say we need him, more just Spurs fans saying why did we buy him.

Dawson returned from an age out and survived. Which is more than Ledley did even though he didn’t feature in the game in any way whatsoever he still came away from the weekend with a hamstring injury.

Dos Santos really figured out what you are supposed to do in these shop window games. So was robbed of a first Spurs goal by a petty selfish act by Defoe. Surprised he wasn’t offside. Dos Santos did more good stuff in the build up to the second, Pavlyuchenko scoring from Defoe’s cross and then he finally broke the duck with a deflected attempt. Could it finally seal a move that all parties seem desperate for? Leaving us to wonder why we never got anything from a player that shines so much on the international stage. Well apart from the obvious, nights out, booze and ‘Arry doesn’t seem to like ‘im.

Anyway the Robins had their day out, apparently enjoyed themselves as the radio blokes did and it’s off to Watford for the next round…

Tottenham Hotspur 3 – 0 Cheltenham Town

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Is allegedly being racially abused by John Terry the best thing Anton Ferdinand has every done during his rather undistinguished career on a football pitch?

Could this finally rid the England team of not only Terry but Ferdinand’s brother Rio as well?

Now everyone is innocent until proven guilty but as Jonathan Liew of the Telegraph just tweeted…

John Terry is, of course, innocent until proven guilty. Unfortunately, he’s also John Terry until proven guilty.

— Jonathan Liew (@jonathanliew) October 26, 2011

…and with the history of the England captain you can see why pretty much everyone outside of Chelsea / Terry fans are ready to believe that he said to Ferdinand fucking black cunt… fucking knobhead. And that it wasn’t prefaced by I didn’t call you a… as Terry claims or indeed it was blind he said not black as many jumped to defend him when the video first went viral. They also pointed to the fact Ashley Cole is in picture when the what ever it was, was said but then Cole’s ex-wife didn’t she have a moment like this before they were wed?

Terry has been guilty of many scummy actions in the past – added to that there is his family, now you shouldn’t be paying for the sins of the father, mother, mother-in-law, brother, but it doesn’t look like the apple fell very far from the tree and it was rotten when it landed – all have been overlooked as he was first given the England armband and then regained it. Will they gloss over this as well?

Now Anton didn’t come straight out and make any claims public, he still hasn’t, which you would think proves a point in Terry’s favour but then no one really explained an incident nearly 5 years ago, when Terry was sent off against Spurs. An incident clouded in mystery as Terry looked to have said something that sent the normally placid Ledley King a bit mental, along with Zokora and Chimbonda. Three black players it seemed took great exception at something, as Terry took his marching orders with a pacificity that you just never see from the player when a throw has been given against his side. Terry commentated that I have known Anton for a long time, sounds a bit I’m not racist, some of my best friends are black doesn’t it?

You can just see Don Fabio sitting in his luxury pad head in hands crying that this is going to destroy our chances at next years Euros. I was going to team JT and Rio and we win.

Far from it, even if found not guilty or maybe the Scottish not proven would be the better verdict it’s a great excuse to rid us of another of the Golden Generation that’s served us so well over the years.

Many have pointed that this could have a knock on effect with regards Ferdinand senior, Rio. Like Wayne Bridge would he want to be in the same dressing room as Terry after this? Well here’s a two birds with one stone situation. Rio is another that can be jettisoned quite easily. No matter what those that unfollow you when you slag him off think Rio doesn’t deserve to be thought of for England duty. He hardly turns out for his club and when he does he is a liability, as so expertly shown at the weekend as Citeh ran riot.

Said it before, and I’ll say it again, back in ’02 Rio was at his peak, an outstanding defender, best in the world. The only ones that couldn’t see it were FIFA as he somehow was overlooked for the World Cup team of the tournament for Judas Cuntball. But playing that well got him his dream move to ManUre and since then, well cruising on easy street. With an undoubted talent and playing for Utd he was picked game after game no matter what. So these last 9 years have seen him poncing out of blocking more and more shots and costing England more and more goals.

For all his faults bottling it on the pitch the way Ferdinand does when jumping out of the way of shots is something you can’t level at Terry. But that one slight on the pitch positive get’s nowhere to being a reason to overlook everything else…even if he is found not guilty.

So could Anton Ferdinand be England’s saviour?

Not holding my breath…

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England to be ahead at half-time, full time draw and Wayne Rooney to be sent off. Think the bookies took many bets on that, maybe round the Liverpool area?

So Fabio’s mob stumble into the 2012 Euros on the back of a completely unconvincing draw away against the might of Montenegro in which Wayne Rooney again covered himself in glory in an England shirt. It just fills you with great confidence for Poland and the Ukraine next year.

I heard last night and read this morning about how for 44 minutes of that first half England were outstanding, with Rooney in particular running the game as the destroyed the hosts. When what we actually saw was a completely disjointed half against a side that seemed either in awe or completely disinterested as they were saving themselves for their last qualification game.

In that 44 minutes England produced two decent bits of football and scored two goals on the back of it. Three players providing their only contributions of any real decent note in them. Rooney at the start of both moves, Walcott’s cross for the opener and Bent for the tap in second. Walnutt may have had a piss weak attempt straight at the ‘keeper but bar Rooney’s later kick at the legs of Dzudovic the three of them were inept.

Welbeck coming on late in the second half showed more in the 14 minutes he was on the pitch than Bent did in little over an hour. Oh wow he’s scored in four away games. Four seconds where he’s finished off the work of others in four games and done bugger all but hide behind various opposition players. Bent shouldn’t be ahead of Wellbeck or Sturridge.

It was another tactical masterstroke by our great leader. Along with player Jones at fullback, yes Jones should have been in the side but not crowbarred in out of position – yes I know he’s played a few games there for ManUre but on his England début how about playing him in his position. Problem being Terry and the fact he’s only in there because Fabio gave him the armband, which is a problem with English football, captain always guaranteed of his place because even when it’s obvious he’s not worthy of it.

That added to the strange make-up of the midfield come the second half substitutions which saw Lampard coming on for Bent and of the middle three now on the park with Barry, the left footer, on the right and Lampard, the right footer, on the left. That worked well. Then Downing came on. Yeah I don’t know why either but we live in a world where Downing has 30 England caps.

I can only guess at the newly installed Montenegro manager’s half time talk. He would have been happy at that last gasp goal before the break but probably was asking his side how they could be losing that that shower of…

So when they came out after the break you could see the belief that England were there for the taking and that it wouldn’t take much for them to do it. And it didn’t.

Ashley Cole repeatedly found out as not quite the greatest left-back ever in the game. Jones lucky not to give away a penalty. Cahill and Terry dithering and slack at the back and Parker being Parker in the middle. As the bloke next to me asked has he tackled anyone yet, second half this was. No, he hadn’t he was doing what they’ve all raved about him doing in his four outings for Spurs so far. Nothing to get excited about, in any way shape or form. Said bloke also wanted to know how many forward passes there was form Parker. We started counting out at that point. We didn’t need our other hand. Poor man’s Ray “the crab” Wilkins.

So yes all Parker did was run to get the ball off Terry or Cahill and then when he had plenty of space, run around in a circle, pass it sideways, back or on very few occasions forward, that was normally to an England player with a man on. Tackling, no it was the usual running alongside someone in possession, intermittently waving his arm out to try and grab the player and then give up. There was one attempt to win the ball but it was much like Wigan’s goal in the recent game against Spurs. It barely made an stab at the ball and then danced away, yards from the action, so while the Montenegro player has a shot at goal from about the middle of the D of England’s box, Parker has danced out to mark no one at left back.

He looked knackered late on in the second hOalf, as he did at the weekend against the scum. I think back to the German side flying past our midfield at the last World Cup, I don’t see a midfield of Parker and Barry changing that situation.

So to Rooney. As we say at that last World Cup it doesn’t work to pick him when there’s off field stuff going on. I mean if someone was to get themselves sent off for certain off field reasons, well the ref was going to do nothing else but show a straight red for such a kick out.

Only thing more ridiculous than Rooney’s action is the reaction of Joe Hart who stated that it was I saw it all. It was pretty pathetic. It was supposedly a kick but it was pathetic. It was the most pathetic sending-off I’ve seen in my life.. Shut up you buffoon.

So it’s another heart break at another tournament to look forward to. Well only if you’re stupid enough to expect great things from this bunch.

Montenegro 2 – 2 England

click to play

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Some interesting quotes from the double winning Italian, currently on a gap year, with regards his desire to manage in England when he gets back into things.

I have a strong will to remain in England as for a coach this is the ideal country.

But I would only consider coaching top clubs, including Tottenham and Liverpool.

…In several months time an English coach will be appointed to replace Capello, which will free up a place in a club. Carlo Ancelotti

Well, I can’t see the Scouse getting rid of Dalglish any time soon and he did mention the current troubles at the Woolwich scum but he wouldn’t want to be at a side fighting relegation. No it’s that last part of the quote that’s very telling.

The F.A. will go after an Englishman for the job after another failed foreign experiment – because the last time they went local after a foreign boss worked so well didn’t it – but Carlo didn’t mention the likes of QPR, Sunderland, West Brom and Newcastle in that list of top clubs he’d only consider.

There isn’t exactly an abundance of English coaches that are screamingly obvious for the top job – Steve Bruce anyone?

So it’s ‘Arry ain’t it? Carlo figures it. ‘Arry’s figured it, we all have, he’s done his best to talk himself into it with his media chums. Of course the media want him, just think of all the quotes. Apparently the fans are crying out for him. Now remember the last time the media led a campaign for the people’s favourite? Stand up Mr Keggy Keegle. How did that work for you?

The only problem is… well… ‘Arry and his baggage and no I don’t mean those sagging bags under his eyes. A certain court case that’s just hanging there above his head. Whatever way the case goes, for or against, it’s something that the F.A. have traditionally shied away from, any hint of something not 100% kosher.

Now while I wouldn’t shed a tear if ‘Arry did depart from The Lane to be replaced by a proven winner, who doesn’t start telling everybody everything as soon as a microphone is stuck in front of him but chooses to meet questions with a raised eyebrow instead – yes I’ve not been backward in my desire for Ancelotti to come into Spurs. I don’t know if I could take Redknapp in the England job.

I can see it know, basically the Golden Generation back out with their zimmers. You know his first team sheet would have Beckham, Lampard, Gerrard and Parker in the midfield.

Dear god it’s frightening. Mainly because it could so easily become reality.

Another frightening thing about is he wouldn’t be any worse than the current clown in the England job. You know the one that watches Daniel Sturridge really look the part and doesn’t pick him. Ah yes Andy Carroll, struggled and is a first pick. Has Defoe in the squad when he’s not playing and of form but drops him when he’s playing ans scoring.

At least Fabio has got one thing right and that’s the omission of Ferdinand. He can’t get a game for ManUre so shouldn’t be in the squad.

Though I’d bet ‘Arry would have him in there.

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