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Why ??

Three years ago we sacked Glenn Hoddle.  We waited nine months for the dream team to arrive and that lasted a few games.  MJ has now been in control just over 24 months. Last season despite the fact that we were in fourth spot for four months MJ managed to **** it up !

1-0 up at the Library he took off Lennon and the Scum drew.  Psychologically, if we had won that game, there was no way the Scum would have come back.  West Ham wouldn't have mattered ! Not us.  Not Spurs.

Then full of expectancy we start the season with a game at Bolton.  Completely out-muscled.  It has continued.  Three goals scored away from home in a third of the season.  Although we beat Chelski brilliantly and nobody was happier than me, we have dropped back sharply in two weeks.  Unable to beat Blackburn, Reading, Watford, etc. means we are in the bottom half of the table and when we lose Ledley King, Aaron Lennon and Jermaine Defoe how mad will I have been then ??

Martin

Speaking of, I felt that the boys played really well today and should've taken all three points, but for some poor finishing from Mido, admittedly someone that I've been championing for awhile.  The Egyptian played well and gave the Rovers defence problems, but just couldn't take his chances.  I don't think it helped having Defoe alongside him, as the England man was again ineffective.  It was good that he converted  the penalty, not just for Spurs but for his confidence.  Maybe it will represent a turnaround in fortune for Defoe and the goals will start coming.

However, the likelihood is that Keane and Berbatov will reclaim their spots in attack come Thursday.  It's the right thing to do, as Berbatov has saved his best performances for Spurs in the UEFA Cup.  I fully agree that the man is class, but his game is suited to Europe, not the cut and thrust of the Premiership.  That's all I was saying.  You need to show urgency in league games and that's something Mido gave us today, even though it almost cost us a penalty and red card, via inadvertent handball.  He showed desire, commitment, that he wanted to represent us. 

If he'd taken his chances, it would've been hard for Jol to drop him this Thursday.  On the other hand, MJ could try the two big men in tandem, albeit unlikely. 

The midfield is interesting right now, with no Jenas or Lennon, and Ghaly available
for one more game before suspension.  Now, I'm not knocking him here, but Zokora was
hit and miss today.  His passing was at once exquisite and sloppy, his tackles excellent but few and far between. Most worryingly, he was shrugged off the ball too easily and perhaps could've supported the attack more than he did, especially with Huddlestone covering the back four.  A good example of this was late in the game when Defoe made a good run in behind the Rovers backline and sent in a good cross, only for it to be missed by the two Spurs players in the box.  What it could've done with was for Zokora to have made the run into the box, like Lampard does for Chelski.  It must be said though that Zokora and Huddlestone bossed the midfield today.  They're showing the signs of a good partnership, but need more games together to really gel. 

Either side of them, it was desperate stuff, seeing O'Brien's boy Ghaly trying to cut it on the right flank was painful.  As was the case last week, his only meaningful contribution was winning the penalty.  He did do one other significant thing by getting sent off, meaning we don't have to put up with him for a couple of league games.  In that same incident, the hapless ref dismissed MJ from the touchline in a move that was clearly done to send the crowd home happy.  There are too many refs like that now.

On the left, we had Davids who actually played OK and was more disciplined than
usual with his passing and tracking back.  It wasn't a bad half for the Dutchman and
I was surprised that he came off, but it worked out in the end. Malbranque was full
of running, but didn't really see much of the ball, not enough to make an impact.  At least the Frenchman looks fit and hungry now and could be set for a run in the side.  At the back, Assou-Ekotto was very sound and composed, clearing his lines well
and defending confidently.  Once again though, a black mark against him is his lack
of attacking and a conviction when he does attack.  One such moment was when BA-E got on the end of a sweet Spurs move, at an angle, only to miscue his volley.  It was a
great chance and the least he could've done was hit the bloody side-netting !

King and Dawson were rock steady again and the Blackburn goal was great, neither man could be blamed for it.  I think that the goal came against the run of play, because
Rovers hadn't really got out of their own half, never mind create a chance, when
Tugay scored.  Spurs finished the half strongly and could've gone into the break 2-1
up.

It's another day, another lesson for this rather young Spurs side and more
points dropped.  Here's hoping for another great European night for Spurs and that I
don't become a cloak-and-dagger Charlton Athletic fan like Mr O'Brien.

S J Wightman

Now I don't want to get into any stupid arguments (I can have enough of them with gooners) but if Martin Jol is not the answer who the hell is ?

I for one don't want to see him go, but I want to see some fight from the players.

We haven't played that bad, but not that good either.  I don't mind the losing if I can see some effort.  We knew it would be difficult to surpass last season's effort, but if the team cant do it let's at least get behind them. 

I have seen the glory and I know I will again.
Come on you Spurs.

Richard Cook

This is not strictly reaction to the game Mr Witmen it would seem more that we a re getting into a quarrel - sorry Ed.

Apparently I support Charlton, mmm, interesting choice, I don't have a particular problem with Charlton actually - it's great when we come back from 2-0 down to win!

Then there's you're ahem - 'column', to be honest I didn't even bother to read it - it probably doesn't relate to the real spurs team or contain any valid points anyway!

Now to some more positive stuff...

Blackburn on Sunday was a bit of a mish mash really, we passed the ball well and made them run around a lot but without ever really having the cutting edge to really get through them apart from the goal which was a well crafted move (I thought SJ) and was definitely a penalty (you could see on the replay that Tugay's trailing leg had taken out Ghaly (who apparently shouldn't be on the pitch - SJ - so we would have lost 1-0 or more if it wasn't for his clever control!) the sending off I wasn't quite so sure of but wasn't going to turn it down. Ghaly's ending off was an absolute disgrace (did you have a word in the refs ear SJ?) - on Sky Andy Gray started ranting in his usual anti-spurs like way until the replay came up and he started saying ' here it comes - watch the elbow [replay shows nothing] and... Silence Andy Gray lost for words - BECAUSE HE DIDN¹T ELBOW THE MAN !

Blackburn whinge whinge and try to unsettle Spurs, MJ should have nutted the ref !  Game rolls out 1-1 a point away from home which is a good starting point to build on and I'm happy. It would seem I have more patience than you SJ and don't expect Spurs to win 10 -nil every time. Just as a parting shot SJ how long have you been going to the Lane ? Wouldn't have started going in the last couple of years by any chance ?

Love you.

Alan O'Brien

PS
I read the 'column'

Yes Davids did OK apart from being totally outpaced and outclassed by Robbie Savage et al!

BEA - picking holes in him again I see, well apparently every full back Spurs by needs to be able to shot like Wayne Rooney on the volley ! There's a reason why WR cost £20M ! and BEA didn't.

And where was you're boy Mido when the chances came ? Now I like Mido he had a great season last year but hasn't quite managed to get up a head of steam as yet so for that reason I wouldn't play him away from home - we're creating very few chances as it is  and we can't afford to carry someone who isn't 'in-form'.

Ghaly is no more a wide player than Jenas is but should he complain Gallas style then at being played out of position or should he do his best, cut inside and create a great shooting chance leading to a penalty award ?
Mmmmmm.