"Spurs Say No to Poor Reporting Standard"

Courtesy of BoF on Spurs Community-

The back page of this Tuesday's London Evening Standard leads with the
story that Tottenham Hotspur has barred ES reporters from attending games and
press conferences at the training ground. In doing so, the club has performed a
huge service to any true fan of the club.The paper claims that it will continue
to bring news of Spurs to the fans, but if their past efforts are anything to go
by, they won't be worth reading. Top of this particular class is the piece the
paper ran in January, claiming that Spurs were about to buy two Dutch players
from AZ Alkmaar, Tim de Cler and Kew Valiens in an exchange deal for Edgar
Davids. Authoritatively written by Mark Alford, it went into some detail of the
deal.Except sadly it was all nonsense. Mr Alford had simply been surfing the
Tottenham message boards and alighted upon a set-up perpetrated by a member of
glory-glory.net, danners49. He was fed up with newspapers stealing their stories
from message boards and claiming them as their own. So he set up a simple scam;
invent a story, post a bogus link and see who bites. Mr Alford was that man. The
post claimed that this deal was on the cards, and featured a hilariously bad
translation from Dutch into English allegedly taken from Dutch site voetbal.nl.
The link did not work because it did not exist.So what did the London
Lite/Evening Standard (for they are one and the same) do? Did they follow the
link? No. Did they call the Tottenham Press Office to verify the story? No. They
simply reproduced the piece without quoting the source and claimed the credit.
The morning edition of the London Lite carried the story, and it was reproduced
later in the day in the Standard. By the time the evening paper hit the news
stands, all the message boards were laughing. danners49 owned up to the scam and
we all enjoyed seeing this lazy and unprofessional journo exposed. From that
time on, the Standard hasn't really had much credibility with a lot of Spurs'
fans.The Metro web site carries some indignant claims by David Mellor
comparing Tottenham's 'censorship' to that of the Russian newspaper Pravda. The
comparison is apt, but perhaps more suited to the ES, which as we see has been
proven to make up stories without checking the facts. Could it be that it is for
that reason and not the criticism that it has been banned?Because if Tottenham
were to ban papers that criticised them, after the past 10 days the press
conferences would consist of Martin Jol and a tea urn. The Observer last Sunday
carried a lengthy article highly critical of the club and its officers. Such
diverse sources as Henry Winter, Stan Collymore and Mark Lawrenson have echoed
the same sentiments. But has the club banned The Telegraph, the Mirror and the
BBC? No. Why not? Perhaps because they accept the right of free expression, but
draw the line at invention and fiction?It is almost unbelievable that the
Standard's has managed to get themselves banned in this way. Whatever the club
has covered itself in of late, it sure don't smell like glory. But when handed a
loaded shotgun and presented with a barrel of fish, the Standard took aim and
promptly blew a hole in its own foot. So no longer will their reporters be able
to attend press conferences at our club. But Deputy Sports Editor Steve Cording
says the Standard "will continue to bring you, our readers, all the latest news
from Spurs, despite the ban". And why not? They've already shown that they won't
let the facts get in the way of a good story.

Linked here: http://www.spurscommunity.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=19327

Match Report at Man United

Courtesy of the Official Site-

26/08/2007 17:42:59
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A key moment went against us again at Old Trafford as Nani's wonder strike won maximum points for Manchester United.
With 65 minutes on the clock, Dimitar Berbatov went through on goal, Van der Sar saved his initial effort but the ball landed at the striker's feet and his second attempt appeared to be blocked by Wes Brown's left arm, although replays proved inconclusive.
Ironically enough, it was at the same end of the ground that Pedro Mendes was denied a winning goal back in the 2004-05 season.
Moments earlier, Rio Ferdinand cleared off the line from Berbatov but it all counted for nothing when Nani pulled the trigger with 69 minutes on the clock and the ball arrowed into the top corner, clipping Carlos Tevez on the way.
Martin Jol was able to draft Berbatov back into attack alongside Robbie Keane in the absence of Darren Bent, who is struggling with a thigh problem. There was also a Premier League debut for Gareth Bale on the left flank, with Steed Malbranque switching to his more natural right sided territory. Malbranque made an early impact last week against Derby and there was almost a quicker one this time as the Frenchman, via Berbatov, teed up Keane for a shot on goal, with the skipper curling a measured effort high beyond the reach of Edwin van der Sar that clipped the top of the crossbar. Neither team really established a foothold in the game after the early possibility, with the contest becoming very chess-like in a vast arena with very little in the way of noise or atmosphere. A Nani cross that Ryan Giggs couldn't really latch on to provided a minor scare, but the chance at the other end from a Jermaine Jenas corner caused more than a spot of home concern due to Pascal Chimbonda making a decent connection and Anthony Gardner narrowly failing to slide in and convert at the far post. On 15 minutes there was another opening from a Tom Huddlestone free-kick. Another Chimbonda header caused confusion that Keane was quick to pick up on and he laid the ball off for Ricardo Rocha in front of goal around 15 yards out, but the central defender blazed over. United were rocking a little and Berbatov probably should have scored when he found himself through in the area following a spot of ball watching from Rio Ferdinand, but then United came to life and Paul Robinson had to be at his best to deny Ferdinand with a superb reaction save. Paul Scholes was next in making an attempt to alter the scoreboard after being picked out by Carlos Tevez, with the former England man's clipped shot fizzing just over the bar. Nani later twisted and turned in the area before drilling a shot wide of Robinson's left-hand upright. The tempo at the beginning of the second half was fairly sedate and the encounter remained cagey, with neither goalkeeper probably fearing the prospect of getting dirty. Huddlestone shot over in what was the first goal attempt of the half around five minutes in before Bale was crudely hacked down by Wes Brown in full flight on the counter attack. Rocha should have scored when he planted his head on a precision free-kick from Bale on 55 minutes. He nodded wide, but the passage of play prompted United into change and Chris Eagles quickly replaced Michael Carrick afterwards. The team in white and blue were definitely holding sway and you could almost feel the unease emanating from the home support. It was nearly for very good reason on 63 minutes. Ferdinand gave the ball away to Bale and the young Welshman strode forward and prodded into the path of Berbatov, who appeared to be felled by Nemanja Vidic. Nothing doing according to referee Mr Webb, but the fallen Berbatov was also alert enough to stick out a leg and help the ball on towards goal, but Ferdinand scrambled clear off the line. Berbatov was then on the charge again and was denied a clear penalty when Wes Brown used an arm to block his follow up after Van der Sar saved his initial effort. No was again the answer from the officials and frustrations mounted. It almost seemed inevitable when Nani took aim and, from a deflection off Tevez, shot his team into the lead. An inevitable injustice perhaps. Martin opted for double change with the introduction of both Jermain Defoe and Adel Taarabt for Lee Young-Pyo and Keane as the team set about attempting to right a couple of wrongs.Berbatov came close to completing one with a quite brilliant attempt to find the top corner after spinning on the edge of the area but, again, it was a case of so near yet so far.

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/matchreport260807.html

Daniel Levy Speaks

Courtesy of the Official Site-

Chairman Daniel Levy reflects on a few days that has seen the Club make
headlines off the pitch rather than on it...No doubt you would agree, it is has
been a tough period of time for everyone associated with the Club. Daniel Levy:
It has not been the best few days but you have got to put it into the context of
six years of progress and as far as I am concerned the whole matter is behind us
now. Martin and I have all the confidence that we can move this club forward
again. There has been much speculation and conflicting reports, along with a lot
of uncertainty. I am sure fans would welcome clarity on many issues. DL: I can
understand that. Firstly, no-one has been offered a job either now or in the
preceding nearly three years that Martin has been manager. Martin has my 100 per
cent support and I’d like the fans to understand that they need to take the last
few days in the context of what we think has been significant progress over the
last six years. Given that you have said that, people could think if the next
two or three results do not go our way, then a change might be made. DL:
Firstly, no change would be made on the basis of two or three results and I have
every confidence that no change will be required and Martin will continue to
bring us success. How did discussions with Martin go at the meeting earlier in
the week? DL: We had a very open meeting and I think it was long overdue on a
number of issues that we needed to bring out into the open. Following that
meeting I think we are stronger and we’re both going in the same direction. We
both want success and Martin has assured me that I’ve got his 100 per cent
commitment and I’ve given it to him. There is a suggestion that Martin must now
steer the team into fourth place – is this accurate? DL: No, what Martin has
said and what I have said is that we need to aim to be in the top four. I very
much hope that we will be there and he believes he has got the squad, but
obviously there can be no guarantees. Many may feel that we have an under
pressure and unsettled manager for the rest of the season – is this the case?
DL: I don’t think this is the case and I have just had a conversation with our
captain Ledley about everything. As a result of what has happened in the last
few days, both the players, Martin, the coaching staff and the board, all feel
we will be stronger for it. So we are back on track? DL: Absolutely. The
transfer window will slam shut shortly. There might be a worry amongst fans that
we won’t be able to attract the players we want to, given the events of the past
few days. DL: Let me put everyone’s mind at rest. Firstly, I don’t think this
would have any bearing whatsoever should we wish to bring anyone else in. At the
present time though, following my conversations with Martin, we both feel we
have a squad that is capable of mounting a challenge for the top four. On the
other hand, should a great opportunity arise, we would definitely consider it.

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/chairmanspeaks230807.html

Ramos fibbed a bit

Courtesy of SkySportsNews-

Ramos told a news conference in Spain: "I want to clarify that I haven't met
with Tottenham's representatives, but with a mediator that would then speak to
the club.
"It's something obviously that I cannot control.
"I am being
accused of having a meeting at Alfonso XIII (hotel) and I was not there."
"I haven't spoken to the club because there was no possibility of me accepting it."

Linked here: http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_2678170,00.html

My opinion on the Circus across the pond

Courtesy of myself-

I think this is unjustified crap. The board should not jump the gun
after 2 effing games. THFC needs stability and Martin Jol is the manager
to give it. I would understand if this was happening next summer and THFC
did not qualify for Champions League or win any cups this season. Too bad
it isn't, it is still August and this Circus started after two bad
results. The first result was unlucky in losing on virtually the last kick
of the game. The second result was really bad b/c the squad was manhandled
by Everton.
I am okay with the club privately talking to Martin Jol and telling him to
increase the effort and results. I am not okay with them interviewing a
replacement and "offering" his job away. Ramos is a good manager/coach but
Martin Jol has led the club to two straight 5th place finishs, European
competition, and great cup runs last year (two QF and one Semifinal).
These factors "should" have earned Jol some leniency with the board to not
over-react to a bad start with an injury plagued team.

COME ON YOU SPURS!!!

Another Official Statement on the Martin Jol Circus

Courtesy of the Official Site-

The Club wishes to thank all those fans who wrote to the Board, the Manager and
the Club with their views and support.To further clarify the situation - the
Club wishes to make it clear and unequivocal that no individual was or has been
offered the position of manager/coach at this Club whilst that position has been
held by Martin Jol. It is wholly inaccurate and inappropriate to suggest
otherwise.

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/thanksandfurtherclarification.html

Official Statement on Martin Jol's job

Courtesy of the Official Site-

The Club is aware that there has been much speculation over the past few days in
respect of our Manager, Martin Jol. As you know, the Club does not respond to
speculation, but we do feel in this instance it is important to clarify the
current position. Manager Martin Jol and Assistant Manager, Chris Hughton met
with the Chairman, Sporting Director Damien Comolli and members of the Board
today – discussions were held re-confirming our aims for the season, the
development of the full potential of the squad and taking the Club forward.“We
have had two good, progressive seasons with fifth place finishes. I am an
ambitious Chairman, we are an ambitious Club and we want Champions League
football at White Hart Lane,” commented Chairman, Daniel Levy. “We, the Board,
owe it to the Club and the supporters to constantly assess our position and
performance and to ensure that we have the ability to operate and compete at
that level. We have made a massive investment in the squad and as a result we
have the best squad of players this Club has had for over 20 years and they are
equally hungry for success and silverware. For that we need our management and
coaching standards to be of the highest quality such that players can fulfil
their potential and we can compete with the best. We have discussed all of these
expectations with Martin and he has confirmed to me today that he feels he is
equipped with a squad and a determination to take on that challenge.” Martin
added: “We had a full and frank conversation and I fully understand the
ambitions of the Club – they are the same as those of the supporters. He has put
a lot of hard work into this Club and with the squad of players we have
assembled, it is realistic that we should look to challenge for a top four
position and I have assured him and the Board that that is what I shall aim for.
“The last two seasons we have finished fifth and this season we start with an
even better team. So we should be optimistic. Yes, it is pressure to deliver,
but that is what we managers should expect. Hopefully all the media will relax
now – all I shall be concentrating on is each and every game.”

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/clubupdate.html

YP Lee returns and Spurs Win with a Clean Sheet

Courtesy of Official Site-

Young-Pyo Lee says his long-awaited return from injury on Saturday was made
even better by a 4-0 win over Derby.
The South Korean full-back had been
itching to get back in action after a knee injury which has kept him out since
early April.
And although he admits he still has a little way to go before he
is 100 per cent fit again, Lee still managed to come through 90 minutes without
any ill effects. He said: “After not playing a match in four months, and then
coming back to a winning team, I’m definitely happy, as is everybody. Also, my
injury feels better, so I’m delighted.
“The nature of the game helped because
we got two goals in the first five minutes! After that, we took control, played
the ball well, and had many chances. It’s fantastic for us.
“I still need to
work on my condition, but once I’m 100 per cent, I think I’ll be even better
than before.”

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/happyreturns200807.html

Darren Bent doubtful for Wembley on Wednesday

Courtesy of the Official Site-

Darren Bent has been forced to withdraw from the England squad for the friendly international against Germany on Wednesday.The striker misses out on the Wembley date due to a thigh injury. "Darren has pulled out the England match because he has got a problem with his thigh," reported Martin Jol this afternoon. "Hopefully he will be able to be involved in our game on Sunday but, as it is now, he could be a doubt."

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/darrenmissesout.html

Derby match Report

Courtesy of Official Site-

Three goals in 14 first half minutes and a first White Hart Lane goal for
Darren Bent ensured maximum points profit against Derby County.Our
first points of the season were recorded in considerable style, Steed Malbranque
opening the previously sticky gates to early season success with a two-goal
salvo that effectively counted Derby out of the contest early on. Unlike on
Tuesday night, this one got off to the perfect start when, with just one minute
showing on the clock, Tom Huddlestone knocked a free-kick left to Steed
Malbranque and the industrious Frenchman clipped a shot that beat the dive of
Stephen Bywater to the goalkeeper's right and rattled the back of the net.
Things only got better on six minutes when Pascal Chimbonda picked out the run
of Darren Bent down the right channel and the England man squared and who was
waiting but that man Malbranque and his finish was all the sweeter this time
around - curling his effort inside the left-hand upright with Bywater well
beaten. It was time for a treble eight minutes later and Jermaine Jenas helped
himself. Picking up the ball at around half way, the athletic midfielder just
ran and ran through the centre, skipped a few challenges along the way and then
calmly slipped the ball beyond Bywater and it went in off the inside of the
right hand post. Huddlestone, enjoying his first start of the campaign, was
looking a majestic figure in the centre of midfield against his old club, with
Wayne Routledge, Ricardo Rocha and Lee Young-Pyo also starting for the first
time this term. For Routledge it was his first Spurs start since December 2005
at West Brom. Jenas was providing the legs in midfield and he made another
surging run just before the half hour mark and for a few moments looked set to
go all the way again, before electing to swap passes with Robbie Keane and
switch to supply mode. Bent then powered down the left and centred for Keane,
who made a bit of a hash of his attempt, but the ball ended up in front of
Routledge and was promptly put into the net. The celebration was cut short by
the flag of the assistant. Jenas was later a matter of inches wide with a
teasing curler from just outside the area. Derby's big man in attack Steve
Howard forced Paul Robinson into his first meaningful action with a header, just
before Malbranque was threatening a hat-trick at the other end with a skilful
surge into the area. Huddlestone's vision was sublime minutes before half-time
when the outside of his boot dispatched a defence-dissecting ball into the path
of Keane in the area and the Irishman clipped across goal to where Bent was
waiting. Our No.23 went to beat his marker Jay McEveley and was clearly caught,
but referee Mr Foy decided against the award of a penalty. Keane then forced a
brave block out of Bywater and then stretched the former West Ham man in first
half stoppage time. It was three at the break, but six would have been a more
accurate reflection on the events of the first 45 minutes. The second half was
probably always going to struggle to live up to the heights of the first, but
almost complete domination was again established. Keane forced Bywater into a
smart save before the introduction of Adel Taarabt to bring his very own brand
of skills to proceedings. Routledge made way, but not before sub Gar Teale
ensured Robinson's fingertips were well warmed with a powerful drive from out on
the right. Taarabt was the entertainment for the final 20 minutes, twisting,
turning, shooting and generally delighting his audience. Jermain Defoe was next
on stage, replacing captain Keane. On 80 minutes came No.4 from a Huddlestone
free-kick and a Chimbonda header, Bywater did brilliantly to divert the ball
onto the bar, but the predatory Defoe and Bent were waiting to nod the ball into
the net - and Bent won to score his first ever goal at his new home.

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/matchreport180807.html

Hopeful end to the Rumours about Martin Jol and his future...

Courtesy of BoF from SpursCommunity-

As some of you know, I am in fairly regular contact with the club. Emails
have been exchanged this weekend regarding the frenzied speculation about Martin
Jol and I have been asked to post the following

Quote:
Andrew, as I know you are always in the chatroom, can I
provide
you with the current position please.Re Ramos, Klinsmann etc - We
are not
negotiating with any managers about the replacement of Martin Jol at
this time.
We are an ambitious club and it is a realistic ambition that we
should look to
CL qualification, so anything that looks like we may not make
it is bound to
lead to speculation and we fully expect that. No manager's
future is decided on
one or two games and it is insulting to suggest that
this board would do that.Re
Martin and Damien - they have a good working
relationship - the football
management board works - no player comes into
this club that Martin doesnt agree
to - it would be ludicrous to suggest
that money would be spent on players
Martin did not favour and whom he would
not then play, Damien has brought talent
to the club with Martin's approval
- and we would not have players like Berbatov
and Bale without him to
mention but two (there are obviously many more).Re left
position - always
difficult as evidenced by the fact that the majority of prem
teams
(Liverpool a notable exception) play a right footer on the left. We have
Lennon, Malbranque (who played a blinder on the left yesterday) Bale and
Keane.
So we have many options and yet we will still look as depth is a key
factor of
the squad.Please let me know if any rumours running amok that I
have not
answered here - will be happy to! best regards,
EndQuote

I will be posting it elsewhere, but wanted to put it on SC first. This
comes from someone who is on the Spurs' board.Please do not be petty and argue
over this as if it were some titbit of transfer ITK information. It isn't. You
can take it to the bank. The club is not about to sack Martin Jol. Please calm
down.

Three Lions

From the Official Site-

17/08/2007 15:09:03
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Darren Bent is in the England squad for the first time as a Spurs
player for next week's friendly against Germany at Wembley Stadium.
Capped
twice at senior level, Darren joins fellow striker Jermain Defoe in the 28-man
squad for the encounter on Wednesday, August 22, kick-off 8pm.
The third of
our Three Lions is goalkeeper Paul Robinson.
England squad:
Robinson(Tottenham), James (Portsmouth), Carson (Liverpool, on loan at Aston
Villa), Richards (Manchester City), Brown (Manchester United), Ferdinand
(Manchester United), Terry (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Campbell
(Portsmouth), Taylor (Newcastle), Neville (Everton), Shorey (Reading), Beckham,
Gerrard (Liverpool), Lampard (Chelsea), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Wright-Phillips
(Chelsea), Carrick (Manchester United), Barry (Aston Villa), Downing
(Middlesbrough), Dyer (West Ham), Hargreaves (Manchester United), Smith
(Newcastle), Owen (Newcastle), Crouch (Liverpool), Bent (Tottenham), Johnson
(Everton), Defoe (Tottenham).

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/threelions170807.html

STALTERI SUPPORTS LOCAL NURSERY PROJECT

From the Official Site-

On Thursday, Paul Stalteri paid a visit to Tottenham Green Under Fives Centre - a community nursery just a stone's throw from White Hart Lane Stadium.
The Club’s Canadian defender Paul Stalteri rolled back the years with a playground kick-about and a painting lesson to the delight of the young children and their parents.
The Tottenham Green Under Fives Centre has played a key role in its local community for 23 years now, having been originally formed by a small group of Haringey parents.
The centre prides itself on offering an alternative from state-run nursery schools, providing children with a warm and friendly environment, where staff can focus on specific children and their personal needs as preparation for full-time education.
Numbers for next year are looking lower that expected however and yesterday’s visit was intended to raise awareness of the community project around Tottenham, informing more parents of the good work that is done there.
Stalteri said: “We're happy to come and support this project, in fact the squad is always keen to try and help any project like this that works in the community. Our main job is on the pitch at the weekend but it’s when you get a chance to come and meet people who work and live in Tottenham that you realise what an impact the Club can have. I wish everyone at the Tottenham Green Under Fives Centre the very best of luck for next year.”



Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/stalterisupportslocalnurseryproject170807.html

Rumours

Mido to Middlesbrough for 6.8 million pounds.

Spurs bidding for Matt Taylor, boyhood Spurs fan, from Pompey.

Spurs bidding for Rafael van der Vaart from Hamburg SV.

Spurs considering a bid from ManCity for JJ?

The board considering sacking Martin Jol to replace with Sevilla's Juande Ramos?
Seriously, I love Martin Jol and this rumour is the most disturbing being talked about in the press. They must be on a wind up. See the link for my personal opinion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEfQY6d1tAE

Team News

From the Official Site-

17/08/2007 11:50:54
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Gareth Bale and Young-Pyo Lee have returned to training but Martin
Jol still has a host of injuries to deal with as he prepares for Derby
County at
the Lane on Saturday (August 18, 3pm).
Benoit Assou-Ekotto
(knee), Dimitar
Berbatov (groin), Michael Dawson (ankle), Younes Kaboul
(hamstring), Ledley
King, Aaron Lennon (both knee) and Teemu Tainio (viral
chest infection) are all
sidelined for the visit of the Rams.
However,
there are more positive signs
from Assou-Ekotto, Dawson and
Lennon.
Martin Jol reported on Thursday:
"Benoit Assou-Ekotto will start
his conditioning work on Monday and although
Michael Dawson is still out,
he'll start running again this
weekend.
"Aaron Lennon is in the
final stages of his rehabilitation and
should be back by the end of
August.
"Dimitar Berbatov has had this groin
problem before, that could
take a couple of weeks and we'll have a scan to find
out the full extent of
Younes Kaboul's injury but it's a pulled hamstring and
he'll be out
for three to four weeks."
Asked if he'd ever encountered
such
problems at the start of a season, Martin added: "We've known about Ledley,
Aaron and Gareth Bale from day one so the real problems are Younes,
Teemu,
Michael and Younes, because they've all happened in the last
week."

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/teamnews170807.html

Jol on the Everton Match

From the Official Site-

Back at Spurs Lodge, Martin Jol reflects on last night's loss at home to
Everton in the Barclays Premier League. WHEN YOU play a team like Everton, not conceding a goal is key. If you see the first goal, a free-kick with a great delivery from Arteta, you have to be tough and Lescott scored. That was a blow
but Anthony Gardner, who was up against Lescott on set-pieces, took revenge when
he scored the equaliser. That was good. For the second goal they hit us on the
break, we had the ball, couldn’t keep hold of it and we had seven players in the
penalty area but they still scored. I thought the third goal was a foul on
Didier Zokora when they pulled him out of the wall to make way for the shot,
then it took a big deflection. Suddenly you look at the scoreboard and it’s
unbelievable. That was the situation though, sometimes things don’t go for you
and you have to fight back. At Sunderland, they scored in the final 10 seconds
and I don’t think we deserved that, we deserved a point and it didn’t happen.
Now we have to bounce back against Derby. Hopefully a couple of players will
soon return. Gareth Bale is looking better and our medical team have told me
that Young-Pyo Lee is up to 85 per cent fitness and that will soon be 100 per
cent. But we also have a couple more blows. Younes Kaboul will be out for the
next three or four weeks with the hamstring injury he suffered against Everton,
that’s a real kick in the teeth and Dimitar Berbatov has a groin problem. It’s
an old problem and he will now visit a specialist in Germany. He will be out for
a couple of weeks. Now it’s all about mentality and team spirit. We had a strong
spirit at half-time against Everton but we couldn’t break them down in the
second half. We had a header that hit the post early on and it just didn’t go
our way. We sometimes lacked a bit of quality with our final pass but when
everything is going against you, everything is going against you and that’s what
has happened in the last four days. Derby will fight for everything, they want
to do well, to make an impression and get points on the board. I think if things
are going as they should go, even with players out, we should get the three
points. We have to pick ourselves up, put things right and with the spirit we’ve
got I think we will do that.

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/thejolverdict150807.html

Hughton's Notes

From Official Site-

Chris Hughton runs the rule over Everton before tonight's Barclays Premier
League encounter at the Lane.
EVERTON have real stability and that's one of
the great strengths of the club. They are a good, tough outfit, hard working
with good quality in the team with the likes of Phil Neville, Mikael Arteta and
Andy Johnson.
If I look at their performances last season, it was very much
back to where they were a couple a years ago when they finished fourth and
qualified for the Champions League. I think they are quite confident again.
I
don't expect many changes from the side that beat Wigan on Saturday with the
only player that might come in Phil Jagielka, who they signed from Sheffield
United, a versatile player who can play centre-back, full-back or in central
midfield.
Having said that, we expect them to stay the same so it will be
Tony Hibbert at right-back, Joleon Lescott, Joseph Yobo and Alan
Stubbs.
Lescott did ever so well at left-back for them last season and
they've kept him there, but with the signing of Leighton Baines, who isn't fit,
it will allow them to play Lescott in his more natural position of
centre-half. Yobo has done well for them and Stubbs just keeps going, a solid
player and a good footballer.
Tim Cahill is a big loss for them in midfield.
If I look at the options they've got in the wide areas it's Leon Osman and
Arteta, they can vary which way they go and centrally, Lee Carsley and Neville.
I know Lee Carsley well through Ireland and he's another reliable player and of
course Neville can play in a few positions.
Up front it's Victor Anichebe,
big and strong and a good partner for Johnson. James Vaughan is a young lad who
has done well but is injured while of course James Beattie has now moved
on.
We're back at home and one thing we've always been able to do is bounce
back from any disappointments. This group of players will be very determined,
especially with how we played at Sunderland on Saturday. Everyone has felt that
disappointment and no-one more than the players. They realise if we want to
finish where we want to finish we have to pick up the results we have to pick
up. We're back at home, a big crowd behind us, we've two games at the Lane and
we have to look for maximum points.

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/hughtonsnotes140807.html

Team News

From Official Site-

Martin Jol reports a few injury doubts, but expects the team to be largely
unchanged when we take on Everton at the Lane tonight.Jermaine Jenas, Teemu
Tainio, Pascal Chimbonda and Didier Zokora were unable to participate in full
training sessions yesterday as a result of picking up problems in Saturday's 1-0
defeat up at Sunderland. "We've got a couple of knocks and a few players who
couldn't train on Monday," revealed Martin. "Jermaine has a back problem, while
Teemu doesn't feel 100 per cent. Pascal only did the warm-up and Didier didn't
train. "So there are a few little worries, but the boys want to play and put
things right." Michael Dawson remains a doubt, while not in contention are
Ledley King, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Lee Young-Pyo, Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon
(all knee).

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/teamnews141407.html

Spurs vs Everton at WHL

Tuesday, August 14 Tottenham Hotspur v Everton, 3pm ET, Setanta Sports


Hopefully the result will be better than the Sunderland debacle.

Mido's Future Part II

Apparently Mido will be joining Middlesbrough sometime this week. Rumour of course. Sunderland have apparently bid 7.5 million pounds for the striker but Mido will only go to 'Brough. Therefore the bid from 'Brough should be between 6 million and 7.5 million pounds. Not a bad return for only paying 4.5 million pounds for him last season. Oh well, nothing official about it yet so prepare for nothing.

Watched the Game in Washington DC

Walked from the Grand Hyatt on H street SE a few blocks to Fado's Irish Pub. Located at the corner of 7th and H streets SE in Chinatown. The entrance is right next to te Chinatown gate. Had a couple good Irish coffees and enjoyed the company while watching the Spurs open the season.
Unfortunately the result wasn't good but Kaboul looked good and positives should be in the future. Hopefully some of the young guns (Taarabt and the Ghetto Prince) will get a run out with the team. Don't have anything else to include other than a link to Fado's Irish pub's website. I enjoyed my time there regardless of the result.

http://www.fadoirishpub.com/

Sunderland game after-action report

Courtesy of the Official Site-

There was no hiding Martin Jol's disappointment after our opening day defeat at
Sunderland.
Michael Chopra pounced to score the only goal of the game in
injury time at the Stadium of Light.
Chances were few and far between - Paul
Robinson made the only two saves of note before Chopra won it for the home
side.
Apart from an impressive debut from Younes Kaboul in central defence,
Martin had little to smile about.
"We didn't play well and didn't create as
many chaces as I would have liked," reflected a downcast Martin at the Stadium
of Light. "Even a 0-0 draw would have been disappointing.
"When you don't
play well a 0-0 draw is still a 0-0 draw and we have to learn how to protect
that. We didn't and I could come up with excuses, but I won't.
"We had
players out but we were still strong enough. It was the first match and we were
determined to do well but it didn't happen."
Martin revealed that Michael
Dawson sprained his ankle in training on Friday, forcing him out of the squad
and a late reshuffle with Anthony Gardner coming in to partner
Kaboul.
"I thought Anthony did a good job as did Kaboul, who had a very good
debut for us, but that's not enough," added Martin.
"We needed more urgency
because if you score in the first half you create pressure, but we didn't do
that and made it difficult for ourselves. If we don't score, it's always a
possibility that the other team will score and that's what happened."

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/jolnoexcuses110807.html

Mido's Future

SSN reporting across the pond that Mido has agreed personal terms with Middlesbrough and passed the first part of a medical. Second part of the medical should come on Monday.

I guess Sunderland, Fulham, and Birmingham City were the wrong answers. I wonder how often I will pose a question and all of my answers turn out to be crap.


Next rumour will involve Hossam Ghaly and Danny Murphy more than likely. Unless I am wrong again...

Sunderland Preview

From the Official Site:

Our regular pre-match assessments of our opponents with Chris Hughton starts with Sunderland as we prepare for the big kick-off on Saturday.
IF I LOOK at Sunderland's pre-season games, Roy Keane has chopped and changed the side, as every team has done.
So you tend to look at the last friendly and for Sunderland, that was against Juventus last Saturday and he went with a 4-4-2 system. At the back it was Greg Halford, Nyron Nosworthy, Paul McShane and Ross Wallace.
Halford is a full-back we know from Colchester who had a short spell at Reading while Nosworthy, who I saw a few times during his time at Gillingham where he played right-back or centre-half, has been used centrally. McShane has made a big impact in the short space of time he's been there, a very dynamic player and someone who has forced himself into the Republic of Ireland squad and team. Wallace at left-back is a player who has an ability to go forward and has played higher up the park on occasions.
In midfield you look at Carlos Edwards, Dean Whitehead, Dickson Etuhu, Liam Miller and Kieran Richardson.
Edwards, who came in from Luton, has had a period out injured in pre-season but from what we've heard, he will be fit to play. We know Whitehead well after he scored a fabulous goal at White Hart Lane a couple of seasons ago and Etuhu is a physical player signed from Preston who can also drive forward.
Everyone knows Richardson, a player they've acquired from Manchester United. He can play wide on the left or central and in him, Sunderland have a player with real quality on the ball.
They have options up front with Anthony Stokes, who did well at Falkirk last season, Daryl Murphy and Michael Chopra, who they signed from Newcastle. That's not even mentioning Stern John and Dwight Yorke, who has played more in midfield of late.
There will be a big crowd, great excitement and I would expect Sunderland to come flying out of the traps.

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/hughtonsnotes100807.html

Defendi sold to Italian team

Rodrigo Defendi has joined newly-promoted Italian Serie B side US Avellino on a permanent transfer.
The young defender, 21, joined us from Cruzeiro in July, 2004 and has spent time on loan at Italian clubs Udinese and AS Roma in the last couple of seasons.
We wish Rodrigo all the best.


Courtesy of Official site, see link below
http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/defendideparts090807.html

FSC and Setanta Sports schedule for August

Courtesy of BostonSpurs Group:

Saturday, August 11 Sunderland v Tottenham Hotspur, 7:45am ET, Setanta Sports
West Ham United v Manchester City, 10am ET, Fox Soccer Channel Bolton Wanderers v Newcastle United, 10am ET, Setanta Sports Aston Villa v Liverpool, 12:15pm ET,
Fox Soccer Channel Derby v Portsmouth [Tape Delay], 2:30pm ET, Fox Soccer
Channel
Sunday, August 12 Chelsea v Birmingham City, 8:30am ET, Setanta
Sports Manchester United v Reading, 11am ET, Fox Soccer Channel

Tuesday, August 14 Tottenham Hotspur v Everton, 3pm ET, Setanta Sports Wednesday, August 15 Portsmouth v Manchester United, 3pm ET, Setanta Sports
Saturday,

August 18 Portsmouth v Bolton Wanderers, 7:45am ET, Setanta Sports Tottenham Hotspur v Derby County, 10am ET, Fox Soccer Channel Blackburn Rovers v Ars*n*l,
10am ET, Setanta Sports Newcastle United v Aston Villa, 12:15pm ET, Fox Soccer
Channel Wigan Athletic v Sunderland [Tape Delay], 2:30pm ET, Fox Soccer Channel Sunday, August 19 Manchester City v Manchester United, 8:30am ET, Setanta
Sports Liverpool v Chelsea, 11am ET, Fox Soccer Channel

Saturday, August 25
Sunderland v Liverpool, 7:45am ET, Setanta Sports Ars*n*l v Manchester City,
10am ET, Fox Soccer Channel Chelsea v Portsmouth, 10am ET, Setanta Sports
Everton v Blackburn Rovers, 12:15pm ET, Fox Soccer Channel
Sunday, August 26
Derby County v Birmingham City [Tape Delay], 1am ET, Fox Soccer Channel
Middlesbrough v Newcastle United, 8:30am ET, Setanta Sports Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur, 11am ET, Fox Soccer Channel

Saturday, September 1 Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur, 10am ET,Fox Soccer Channel Manchester United v Sunderland, 12:15pm ET, Fox Soccer Channel Blackburn Rovers v Manchester City [Tape Delay],
6pm ET, Fox Soccer Channel

Transfer Talk

After the latest transfer talks with Birmingham City have failed....hold on! Apparently Steve Bruce and the Blues are still interested according to English tabloids. Where will Mido go?

Sunderland or Fulham or Birmingham City?

I personally think he will do well at all of the options. Spurs just don't have room on the roster anymore for the Egyptian striker. Still no news on his Egyptian friend Hossam Ghaly. The Birmingham City transfer was canceled after a training pitch fight with manager Steve Bruce. Add that to his tantrum at White Hart Lane and this player may have some issues regardless of how talented he is.

Most recent signings:

Gareth Bale
Darren Bent
Kevin-Prince Boateng
Younes Kaboul
Danny Rose

Background for THFC

A quick History lesson courtesy of Wikipedia:

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is an English professional football club
which plays in the Premier League. The club
is also commonly referred to simply as Tottenham or Spurs, while their own fans
also refer to them as the Lilywhites, because of their
traditional white shirts. Its home ground is White Hart Lane, Tottenham, in
the London Borough of
Haringey.
Tottenham were the first club in the 20th century to achieve
the League
and FA Cup Double, winning both competitions in the 1960-61
season. In 1963, Spurs became the first British club to win a European
trophy - the European Cup
Winners' Cup.
The club's motto is Audere est Facere (lit:
"to dare is to do"), and its emblem is a cockerel standing upon a
football. The club has a long-standing rivalry with near neighbours Arsenal and matches between
the two teams are known as the North London
derby.

You can read more by following the Wikipedia link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tottenham_Hotspur

125 years THFC Badge

125 years badge on this years Home kit courtesy of someone on SpursCommunity.

SpursCommunity is a great place to get up-to-date information on Spurs and is linked. I am a regular visitor to the site and even post on occasion. I would encourage others to visit the site and see what it has to offer.

2007 Kits

Here are the new Kits for the 2007 EPL season. As you can tell I am trying to catch up on some things before the Sunderland match.

Penny Lane

Penny Lane is an English Pub in downtown Richmond run by a Liverpool supporter and his family. A unique place that always has an EPL match on. I am placing a link for any out-of-town visitors that want a relaxing pint and some "football" on the tele. This is probably the best place/pub/bar in Richmond to watch an international soccer match. I am a yank and will only refer to soccer as "football" when addressing internationals. Cheers!

Also, Mojo's and Mulligans in the Fan district of Richmond show Fox Soccer Channel on a regular enough basis. Mojo's is linked.

2007 Season Opener

Sunderland AFC -v- Tottenham Hotspur FC

Setanta Sports

Sirius Radio Channel 125

7:45 am EST

August 11th, 2007