2008-2009 Tottenham Hotspur Thread

Ok we deserve plenty of ridicule for last year's start, bring it on.

I am very happy with our new coach and our cup win. I don't for a second think we are going to be part of the big 4 barring another 100 million poinds spent but this year we will improve and win a few games we normally wouldn't

Luca Modric is awesome. I was highly skeptical, now not so much after watching him in the Euro.

Adding Giovani (did I hear right - he can kick the ball with the left foot?) makes me quite happy.

Keene/Berbatov (Or Bent)

Giovani, Mordric, Jenas, Lennon

Bale, Dawson, King, Woodgate

Whoever

Not a bad lineup.

 

I don't think top 4 is all that far fetched, though I don't think we're there yet. The purchasing isn't done, obviously. We'll need to upgrade at keeper, add more on defense, and see how the Berba and Bentley situations unfold. If we'd been even average defensively last year, we'd've been contenders for a top 5 or 6 finish.

 

They addressed Modric's size and playing in the PL. He responded by saying the league he plays in right now is pretty physical. Also as I said in another post, when Croatia played against England, he completely owned Gerrard and Lampard.

We still need a center back, a defensive midfielder. I was wrong abou being okay with letting Carrick go as no one has replaced him. We need someone like Carrick again.

If Berbatov goes, we will need another forward. Also talk of Bent leaving. Keano is not going anywhere though.

Where is Dos Santos going to play? Will he even start?
He can play on the left wing which might be a good spot for him.

Definitely need a goalie now. Top draw one, that gives the defense confidence.

We will see how this season goes. The new season schedule is out by the way, if anyone is interested. You can find it online.

 

Ollie's concerns are why I don't think we are even close to a top 4 club - I just don't really believe with the current rules and distribution of money that a team can crack the top 4 an stay there - sure occasionally you can have a stellar year.

I'm hoping for a much better showing in the UEFA Cup.

 

Yes, but not with any staying power.

I actually think the best way to compare 'top' clubs would be to compare their second teams. That's when you really see the difference in cash.

 

I wonder exactly what it is going to take to break into the top 4???

 

about 150 million pounds.

Wake me when we have a 30 million pound striker like torres.

But in any case it's your second team that matters - we have a first team that can take th odd win from Chelsea or Man U but we are not near a 50/50 shot vs them on a consistent basis.

Our second team, however, is monumentally less good than a top 4 secon team.

Im glad we got Gomes, we are going to get better this year I think but we should really concentrate fully on UEFA.

 

This still is not confirmed by the club, so not a done deal just yet.


Tottenham end search for a goalkeeper with deal for Gomes
Andy Hunter

The Guardian, Friday June 27, 2008

Tottenham Hotspur last night agreed a deal with PSV Eindhoven to buy the Brazil goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes. The London club will now discuss personal terms with the 27-year-old, and the deal is also subject to him passing a medical and acquiring a work permit.

Gomes, a fans' favourite at PSV who saved a Jermain Defoe penalty to knock Spurs out of last season's Uefa Cup, had requested a transfer shortly after the club claimed their 21st league title, and fourth in a row, last season. Gomes, who made his name at Cruzeiro, was an ever-present in PSV's title-winning campaign, conceding only 24 goals in 34 league games. Known as the Octopus, he won the league every year since moving to the Netherlands in 2004 and kept clean sheets in 60% of his league matches, the best record in the history of the Eredivisie. He has won 17 caps for Brazil.

The transfer had been complicated by the involvement of three agents, each of whom claimed to be entitled to a share of the fee under the terms of Gomes's transfer from Cruzeiro. Last night's announcement indicates that PSV have resolved that particular problem, and would also seem to signal the end of Paul Robinson's time at Tottenham. Aston Villa have been linked with the England international.

 

Gomez signing on the Tottenham official website so it's definitely a done deal.

Robinson will be on his way now....

 

Let's hope the Keane to Liverpool rumors are BS.

 

So where do we go if we lose Keane and Berba?

 

And that is why we love Spurs.

I doubt Liverpool will want Robbie. He's 27 so they wouldn't ay much, an we wouldn't sell him for little.

 

sorry to barge in, but could we have Robbie?

 

No, f**k off.

 

Yes f**k Off!

To be fair he could go worse places and if he had to go to a top 4 team I'd want it to be to the dirty scousers rather than the the other scumsucking dirtbags

But still - f**k off

 

So what's the forward situation going to look like? Honestly, if the latest rumor on Berba is true - that the asking price from MUFC is 30 mil + Nani, I'd take that deal. I'd hate to lose both him and Keane, though.

 

30 + Nani is a no brainer. No chance of that happening I think.

Darren Bent + Keane + 30 million is fine with me - spen that 30 on someone else.

Nani is incredible

Any link to that (and not from tribal football or all 3 pts pls )

 

I can't wait to sew what happens now.

If berbakeane out and 57m GBP in then bentley/capel/Diego Milita Roman Pavlychenko in ?

I will be miffed if Robbie is gone but he is 28. Berbs, while sublime when playing good is a crybaby. I just object to guys with that attitude so if he goes and we get someone good in return i can live with it.

Not happy but can live with it.

cant wait to see what happens

 

If Liverpool want to give us close to 20 mil for Keane, then I will take it. I don't actually think he is worth that much money. How is he going to play in the Scouse car thieves system? Don't they usually go with 1 striker up front? So is he going to be playing exactly where?

 

It looks like JR is finally getting around to addressing defensive needs by going after Fernando Meira and and David Albelda.

 

No way they offer 20 for robbie, but if so .. yours
The Link

 

£19 mil upfront and another £1.3 mil with add on's. Not a bad bit of business!


Now Keane has gone, who are we going to get to replace him?

 

Hopefully Villa. Can't believe they were so desperate as to pay that much. This will end up being a great trade in the end.

If you had asked me what we could get for him at the end of last year I would have though 12 million.

 

We played a friendly against Championship side Norwich (for you Yanks that need assistance, they are pronounced - Nor-ridge).

Sounded like we spluttered a little in the first half, trying to find our feet. Dos Santos was quality throughout the game from the sound of it.
However in the 2nd half we came into our own and dominated.

Here is a match report:

Norwich v Spurs - 28.07.08

FRIENDLY MATCH
(At Carrow Road)
MONDAY 28TH JULY, 2008
NORWICH CITY 1 (1) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 5 (2)
Norwich scorer:-
Cureton, 16

Spurs scorers:-
Stefanovic, (o.g.), 10
Bent, 44, 57, 71, 75

Referee: - (was from Ipswich!)

Attendance:- 25,243

Teams:-
Norwich (4-4-1-1):- Marshall; Otsemobor, Omozusi, Stefanovic (sub Shackell, 59), Bertrand (sub Russell, 37); Croft, Clingan, Fotheringham (Capt.), Pattison; Hoolahan (sub Chadwick, 79); Cureton (sub Martin, 67)

Subs not used: - Nelson; Renton, Eagle, Smith

No bookings

Spurs (4-3-2-1):- Gomes; Gunter, Dawson (sub Huddlestone, 26), King (Capt.) (sub Ekotto, 46), Gilberto (sub Bale, 59); Jenas, Zokora, O’Hara; Modric (sub Lennon, 46), Dos Santos (sub Taarabt, 80); Bent

Subs not used: - Jansson

No bookings

NB: - Berbatov was announced by Spurs (((mobile))) as a substitute, but was not dressed to play, and took no part in the game. He was in the dug-out.

Spurs fans on their way to Norwich this evening heard the confirmation that Robbie Keane had gone to Liverpool (for a very healthy fee and compensation to the Spurs Foundation charity by Liverpool) and will have been bemused by the presence of Dimitar Berbatov but by his lack of official participation, even as an official substitute. Those fans, quick to slip into their anti-Ar5ena1 repertoire, were ultimately heartened by an emphatic scoring performance by 4-goal Darren Bent, who will have loved his performance even more because of his former Ipswich connection.

Harriet Harman look-alike Delia Smith had actor/comic Stephen Fry in the home kit beside her, perhaps to try and encourage his financial support for a club that struggled to stay in the Championship, and which was convincingly out-classed by Juande Ramos’s side which included a mixture of obviously fit players and those who tonight played their first football for Spurs this season. Ledley King, who to the best of my knowledge has yet to train at full level, played the first half, made an uncharacteristic error for the Norwich goal, and struggled for pace once or twice too. Debutant Luka Modric made his Spurs debut, playing behind Bent alongside the exciting Giovani Dos Santos, who has quickly won the hearts of Spurs fans. If anything, Modric and Dos Santos sometimes played too deeply behind Bent, who did not get the delivery he enjoyed in the second half, when Spurs (in their sky blue away strip) totally dominated proceedings.

Dos Santos is two footed, quick-witted, stylish and fast, and made a great impression. He and Modric switched from left to right ahead of the three man midfield of Jenas, Zokora and Jamie O’Hara. Zokora was soon required at the back, after Michael Dawson suffered three stitches when caught by Hoolahan’s trailing arm. Modric was playing in the same vein as he had in Euro 2008, concentrating first on possession, and always looking for a short incisive pass or two. With O’Hara on the inside of the middle with Zokora, Gilberto was given the responsibility to drive forward beyond the three, and on the other side Chris Gunter was allowed to be adventurous too.

Although Norwich had one or two chances in that first half, with their goal gifted by that mistake, they appear to face a struggle this season, whilst Spurs had better prepare for much sterner pre-season tests.

I felt that the benefits of Spurs’ pre-season regime could be seen in the condition and effort of all, with the exception of Ledley King, and Modric (late to return of course). Gareth Bale, who appeared for the last half-hour looked fit enough, and whilst making some chasing runs, he seemed to discipline himself to prevent over-exertion at this stage. A second half attempt at a volleyed scissor kick would have been spectacular, had he made the connection!

Modric made an early impression with a nice threaded ball into the 6 yard box, where Jenas had made the run but was blocked by the defenders. The Spurs lead came in the tenth minute, when Dos Santos had the beating of Chelsea loanee Ryan Bertrand, pulled back then sent a left foot cross low into the box, where the veteran Stefanovic got the unfortunate deflection to concede an own goal. Norwich were making some early inroads, as the Spurs full-backs committed to attack, and Croft’s deep cross from the right was too far out for Gomes, who then parried Hoolahan’s shot before Spurs cleared. Gomes looked confident and clearly can command his area, claiming a cross or two that his predecessor might not have collected.

The Norwich equaliser came after Ledley stumbled just outside the area, allowing Cureton to make the most of the chance, which he did with style, curling a right footed shot around Gomes on the keeper’s narrow side. For a moment or two, Spurs looked a little uncomfortable, as Otsemobor over-lapped Croft, received the pass, and put in a worrying cross. Jenas made a great “un-friendly”-like tackle upon Bertrand, who was advancing into the Spurs area. The referee awarded no foul, but Bertrand had to be replaced before the half was out. Michael Dawson suffered his injury after 25 minutes. Huddlestone came on and took over in the middle, with Zokora dropping back.

After a crunching challenge upon Modric, Dos Santos took the free kick, and former Celtic keeper Marshall made a great save from Ledley King’s header. Marshall then held a decent effort by Jamie O’Hara from outside the box. Spurs took the lead into the break after a powerful run by Jenas, which hit a dead-end. O’Hara was there to pick up the baton, feeding the ball to Bent on the right of the area, who drilled home a good low shot.

Modric was replaced by Lennon, and Benoit Assou-Ekotto made his first appearance for nearly a year, replacing Ledley at half-time. Ekotto, sporting longer Afro hair and a Boateng-type highlight down the left side of his head, took up the left back slot, with Gilberto moving forward. Huddlestone now fell back to play beside Zokora. Lennon and Gunter combined well on the right, before Gunter passed to Dos Santos, whose shot from the right side of the box was saved for a corner. Dos Santos was soon on target again, meeting a sharp low Lennon cross, with a low left foot shot that Marshall saved.

Darren Bent increased the Spurs lead in highly impressive style with a great diving header as he met Ekotto’s excellent cross. A minute later, Lennon’s cross was only parried by Marshall, but the keeper then managed to save Dos Santos’s close range attempt.

Bent got his hat-trick and made it 4-1 in the 71st minute, when another Dos Santos shot was parried, and Bent did well to get the ball from under his feet before firing home. Four minutes later, it was four for Bent, after a good move by Spurs down the right side, a cross from Gunter, and a firm low shot by Bent from 12 yards.

Gomes did have to make one late save from an attempt by Russell, before Jenas teed up a shot for Jamie O’Hara, whose 25 yard attempt was comfortably saved by the impressive Marshall, who could be in for a busy season.

Spurs visit Leyton Orient on Wednesday, when I fancy Bent will need (and deserve) a rest. Whether Berbatov is still a Spurs player then, who knows, but maybe Tomas Pekhart will get a game against the League One side. Whether Spurs have made a signing or two by then (see this page -rsodyssey.com/0809/xtn.html>The Link ) remains to be seen. The Feyenoord tournament could be really interesting at the end of the week.



The Link

 

I've been sick to my stomach for two days. Keano is the reason I became a Spurs fan 6 years ago. I have no idea how to enjoy this season now. I've got no beef with the Reds - they've been my second favorite team for some time - but I'm absolutely gutted even thinking of Keano in someone else's kit.

Right now, the last thing I care about is the football season starting up. I had no desire to read up on the Norwich match. Well, the all-Ireland Championships are coming up. Maybe I'll just concentrate on gaelic football for the time being...

 

A club is not about 1 player. People always move on as there is very little loyalty nowadays.

Tottenham have had greats wear the shirt and as much as I liked Keane, there were plenty before him and there will be plenty others in the future who will represent the club and be thought of in a similar way.

Sad to see him go. Wish he had not said the comments back in May about wanting to spend the rest of his career at Tottenham, but ultimately if he wants to go, then good luck to him.

One person does not make the club.