Club Announcement 10/29/07

Courtesy of Official Site-

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Gus Poyet to our coaching staff.
The 39-year-old will join the Club as one of two first-team coaches alongside Marcos Alvarez, working under Head Coach Juande Ramos. Poyet enjoyed three seasons as a player at White Hart Lane, after winning major honours with former clubs Chelsea and Real Zaragoza. Following the conclusion of his playing career the former Uruguay international became Assistant Manager at Swindon Town and, more recently, Leeds United.

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/clubannouncement291007.html

Match Report 10/28/07

Courtesy of Official Site-

Robbie Keane made it 23 goals in his last 30 games but the spoils went to
Blackburn Rovers at White Hart Lane on Sunday afternoon.
Keane's second half
penalty put us in pole position to secure a first Premier League win since
August, but a deflected strike from Benni McCarthy and a late one from
Christopher Samba dashed such hopes.Before we were ready to usher in a new era
at the Club there was the matter of a contest to deal with against in-form
Blackburn under the leadership of Clive Allen and Alex Inglethorpe. The Lane was
packed to the rafters - the Spurs areas, at least - as very-soon-to-be Head
Coach Juande Ramos stepped out into the Directors' Box to soak up the atmosphere
in his new environment. He will get to work on Monday morning, there were three
points to be fought for before that time. Clive did not make too many
alterations, Michael Dawson returned in place of the injured Anthony Gardner,
while Robbie Keane was back in the fold instead of Jermain Defoe. First up
though, Dawson did the honours when it came to receiving our cheque for winning
last season's Fair Play League, while the team warmed up for the game sporting
Kick it Out T-shirts bearing the message 'One Game, One Community' in support of
the week of action. There was a lively enough beginning to the encounter without
too much being carved out in the way of chances. Dimitar Berbatov took a little
too long when presented with a shooting chance from the edge of the area, with
David Bentley a bit wide with his angled effort at the Park Lane end. Just
before the 20 minute mark a Tom Huddlestone free-kick presented itself to Dawson
around eight yards out, the defender not letting it bounce, but not making a
decent enough connection to trouble Brad Friedel. Berbatov the Steed MNalbranque
then combined to set a darting Aaron Lennon through on goal and it took an
advancing Friedel to deny him a first of the season. Friedel was exercised again
when the flight of a deep ball from Lee Young-Pyo caught the visiting defenders
out and a Keane header forced the goalkeeper into tipping over the bar. Rovers
were in retreat for a good spell leading up to the half-hour mark, Berbatov shot
into the side netting, Robbie Savage went off injured and no further clear cut
openings were carved out before the break. The picture changed almost straight
after the interval when Keane sent Lennon scurrying into the area where he was
chopped down by Stephen Warnock. Referee Mr Styles pointed to the spot and Keane
struck his kick high past Friedel on 47 minutes. Friedel did brilliantly in
stopping the advantage being doubled when he shovelled away a Lee blast at his
near post after the full-back had been slotted through by Berbatov. The plot
took a twist just before the hour when Bentley picked out Benni McCarthy just
outside the area and the South African turned and dispatched a shot that flew up
off the lunging Dawson and looped into the top corner and in off the inside of
the crossbar. Cruel. Berbatov should have regained the lead with a header in
front of goal from Keane's cross, but did not generate enough power or direction
and Friedel was able to save. Lennon was thrilling yet frustrating with his
final ball as the team wrestled the initiative back from Blackburn after the
leveller. Keane was just beaten to the punch by Friedel when played in by
Huddlestone before change was made with Darren Bent replacing Malbranque. The
next incident was a horrible challenge by Morten Gamst Pederson on Dawson as the
defender was attempting to apply a thumping clearance.There were a few nerves
around the ground as both teams were cautiously seeking the win as we entered
the final moments, strikers were coming on, but neither side was going to gamble
on too big a number ahead of the ball.The bolt from the blue came in stoppage
time when the ball was not cleared efficiently and Samba struck a curling effort
from the edge of the area beyond Radek Cerny to silence the Lane.

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/matchreport281007.html

'Rover and Out'

Courtesy of Official Site-

Clive Allen felt the nature of Blackburn's equaliser followed by more late agony
summed up how things are going for us at the moment.
Robbie Keane handed us
the lead three minutes into the second half only for Rovers to level on the hour
when Benni McCarthy's shot deflected off Michael Dawson, looped over Radek Cerny
and in off the post.
With Brad Friedel making saves at key times, it was left
to Christopher Samba to provide another late dagger to all Spurs' hearts with a
curling finish after Morten Gamst Pedersen won a header from Brett Emerton's
free-kick and Roque Santa Cruz rolled it back for Samba to strike.
It
was the fourth time we've been hit late after Sunderland, Fulham and
Liverpool.
"The effort and performance we put in deserved more than
we got," reflected caretaker boss Clive, who overlooked this game and saw
Friedel deny Aaron Lennon, Dimitar Berbatov and Young-Pyo Lee.
"The
unfortunate thing is that when we took the lead, we lost our way a
bit.
"Blackburn made their changes and their equaliser was very
fortunate, but it sums up how things are going for us at the moment. The shot
was going straight at Radek, got deflected and went in off the post.
"We then
conceded a late goal and that's been a problem for us."
For Clive, defeat
overshadowed much of the personal pride at taking charge of the first team. "It
was a fantastic experience for me, a dream come true, but we didn't get the
result and that's what mattered. I love winning and I'm a terrible loser."

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/roverandout281007.html

Juande Ramos appointed as Head Coach

Courtesy of Official Site-

The Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Juande Ramos as Head Coach.
The contract period runs until the end of the 2010/11 season.
The 53-year-old
joins us from Spanish side Sevilla, where he has been the club's most successful
manager, lifting back-to-back UEFA Cups, a European Super Cup, a Copa del Rey
and a Spanish Super Cup, as well as guiding the Club into the Champions League
for the first time in its history. Sporting Director Damien Comolli said:
“Juande’s arrival is great news for Tottenham Hotspur. He brings with him a
wealth of experience, a proven track record and a winning pedigree. Now is the
time for us to regroup and look to deliver the results and performances that
everyone associated with the Club wants to see. “By making the appointment at
this stage of the season, with our current, talented group of players, we have
given ourselves the opportunity to compete well in all four competitions.
"Juande is a highly respected coach and his agreement to join us is excellent
news. I know he is eager to get started.” Commenting on his appointment, Juande
Ramos said: "I greatly appreciate the opportunity to work as Head Coach at
Tottenham Hotspur, a club with a great tradition and history. Ever since I
started my coaching career I have wanted to work in England. It is my sincere
hope that I can repay the faith the Spurs Board has shown in me. "I am looking
forward to meeting the players; it is a squad any coach would be excited to work
with . I genuinely believe that there is the potential to achieve great things
together. "I was hugely impressed with the Spurs fans both home and away when
Sevilla played Spurs last season and it will be a privilege to be the coach of
this club with the huge support it enjoys both at White Hart Lane and throughout
the world."Marcos Alvarez also joins the Club's coaching staff. Alvarez worked
with Ramos's coaching team at Sevilla. The 36-year-old's association with the
Andalusia club began in the 2005/06 season, having previously held coaching
roles at Elche and Malaga. We have requested permission from Leeds United to
speak to Gus Poyet in order to invite him to join the Club to work with Ramos
alongside Alvarez. Juande Ramos and Marcos Alvarez will take the team for
Wednesday night's fixture against Blackpool in the Carling Cup 4th Round. They
will be guests of the Chairman and the Board for Sunday's League game against
Blackburn Rovers.

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

Open Letter by Daniel Levy

Courtesy of Official Site-

An open letter to supporters from Chairman Daniel Levy.
Dear
Supporter,
Today we welcome members of our new coaching team to the Lane - Juande
Ramos and Marcos Alvarez and, in doing so, we bring to an end an unsettled two
months for our Club. Much has been written and speculated about the Club in the
past few weeks. Quite clearly there are always two sides to every story but, in
the interests of the Club, we have endured much criticism without responding or
retaliating. We have instead issued statements, when appropriate, containing
accurate and relevant information. For you, the supporters, there are two
particular issues on which I would now like to comment:

Firstly regarding
reports about Thursday evening - the first time Martin and I met to discuss his
position was after the match, there were no discussions prior and there were
none of the reported disagreements. We would not have, in any case, asked Martin
to take charge of the match under those circumstances. Media speculation which
preceded the game, inaccurately reporting Martin as having resigned, was in no
way a deliberate measure by this Club, in no way served our purposes and we have
resented any suggestion that this was the case. Leaks (which are wholly
unacceptable) and speculation accompanied the game and it is a sad and
regrettable aspect that individuals get caught in their midst. Several events
clearly did not happen as we all would have wished and I am the first to admit
that things could have been handled differently and better.

Secondly, I should like to once again outline how the acquisition and disposal of players works at the club. We have a Football Management Group which meets on a regular basis – this is constituted by myself, Damien Comolli (Sporting Director), John Alexander (Club Secretary) and the Head Coach, now Juande Ramos. This group meets to discuss, identify and acquire players in targeted positions and to
consider possible disposals. No player is brought into the Club or sold who is
not approved by the coaching staff – it would be counter-productive to buy
players that won’t be played. It is a system that Juande has worked with for
years, which allows him to specify his needs and to concentrate on coaching the
team whilst Damien and his scouting network seek options. This process clearly
relies on accurate briefing and good decision making. It has a collective
responsibility.

In conclusion, you, our supporters, should know that your Board
has always had, and will always have, the long term interests of your Club as
its sole focus. In the past six years we have accommodated many changes, some of
our own instigation and some that were thrust upon us by circumstance. I
consider it the mark of the strength of an organisation as to how it deals with
change, realigns and moves forward. We have made the changes, popular or
unpopular as they may be, that we felt were necessary and right. New
possibilities now face us, please lend us your support as we move forward
together.

Yours,
Daniel

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

Nephew told Jol about Sacking

Courtesy of ESPN/whoever they got the story from-

Martin Jol found out he had been sacked as Tottenham manager when his
nephew Rob told him seconds after the 2-1 defeat to Getafe on Thursday night.
Reports that the Dutchman had been dismissed were in the
public domain during the UEFA Cup game and the news filtered through to
supporters, who chanted in support of Jol.
But crucially Jol did not know
until after the game, and admitted he was 'embarrassed' that supporters knew his
fate before he did.
He told The People: 'The first I knew was when I saw my
nephew in the tunnel immediately after the game and he pulled me to one side and
told me what everyone else seemed to know already.
'So it is rubbish to say
that I heard it before the game.'
Juande Ramos was last night appointed as
Jol's successor, with first-team coach Chris Hughton also being dismissed
alongside Jol.
The Dutch coach added: 'I went into the dressing room to tell
the players and say farewell to them - and they all stood up and applauded me.
'It was a strange night because it was my final game in charge but it was
also a special night. I had a great connection with the Tottenham fans and that
will always be there.
'The fans were unbelievable the way they were chanting
my name throughout the game, and I am a little embarrassed because they knew
before me that I was gone.'
Despite that embarrassment, Jol denies he
angrily confronted Spurs chairman Daniel Levy as some reports suggested.
'I
don't have a problem with Daniel or the club because they treated me very well
throughout my time there.
'Spurs are a great club and I am 100% certain that
they will get better and better. They will strengthen the team and when Ledley
King is back from injury soon they will be very strong.
'I am going to have
a few weeks off but I would love to stay in English football. I have a house
here, my daughter is settled in school and we love it in England.'

Linked here: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=476624&cc=5901

Ramos resigns at Sevilla

Courtesy of ESPN/someone else probably-

Juande Ramos appears to be on the verge of becoming Tottenham's manager
after admitting it was 'impossible not to leave' his post at Sevilla and move to
London.
The Spaniard tendered his resignation with the Andalucian club
last night, clearing the way for him to succeed Martin Jol as Spurs boss after
the Dutchman was dismissed on Thursday night.
His parting statement on his
personal website www.juanderamos.com did not mention Spurs by name but all the
signs point to him being unveiled at White Hart Lane sooner rather than later.
He said: 'My heart will remain in Nervion (the area of Seville where the
club's ground is located) but for my family and my profession it is impossible
not to leave for London,' he said.
'To the red and white family of the
Sanchez Pizjuan (Sevilla's stadium) I only say to you that I could go very far
away but, Sevillista friend, I assure you, that nobody will ever be closer to
you.'
Ramos also looks to certain to be working alongside former Spurs
midfielder Gus Poyet, whose future as Dennis Wise's assistant at Leeds was
thrown into doubt last night.
The pair's initial task will be lifting the
spectre of relegation that has haunted the club all season.
Sevilla
confirmed Ramos' departure last night on their official website.
It read:
'Juande Ramos appeared on the third floor of the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan (stadium)
to present a document in which he asked for his contract to be rescinded under
clause 1006/85 at 22.35pm (local time).
'Ramos was accompanied by his
physical trainer Marcos Alvarez, who presented the same document to the general
director of the club, Jose Maria Cruz, in the presence of Ramon Rodriguez
Monchi, the club's sporting director.
'The now ex-Sevilla coach declined the
possibility of giving a press conference at the club's training facilities and
has chosen his website as a means of saying goodbye to Sevilla FC.'
Poyet's
appointment appears less clear cut after Leeds issued a cryptic statement
announcing he would not be in the dugout for this afternoon's Coca-Cola League
One clash against Millwall.
It read: 'In the best interests of the team he
will not be in attendance at Elland Road for the fixture against Millwall to
allow the players to fully focus on the game without any distractions.'
Spurs will attempt to appoint the duo swiftly as they look to salvage
something from their season.
Jol's assistant Chris Hughton was also
dismissed in the shake-up, while goalkeeper coach Hans Segers was asked to step
down with immediate effect yesterday.
Jol was expected to take a few days
holiday before considering his options.
Spurs are less laid back about their
own situation and Clive Allen's appointment as caretaker for the Blackburn game
tomorrow is seen as extremely short term, unlike when David Pleat took over for
most of the 2003-04 season.

Linked here: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=476257&cc=5901

'All About Us'

Courtesy of Official Site-

Clive Allen insists the focus is all about getting back to winning ways against
Blackburn at the Lane on Sunday.
Development coach Clive has stepped into a
caretaker manager’s role following the departure of Martin Jol and Chris
Hughton. He will be assisted by our Under-18 coach Alex Inglethorpe. Rovers will
provide a tough examination but Clive’s thoughts are solely on how we perform.
“The only way things can improve is the team getting results, that’s how it
works in football,” said Clive at Spurs Lodge this afternoon. “I spoke to the
players briefly after the game (against Getafe) and said exactly that. They know
the situation, they are disappointed with their form in the last couple of weeks
in-particular and they are capable of a lot more. “They want to show that, they
are determined to do that and I’ll be pushing them to try and turn around the
results.” Rovers stand sixth in the Barclays Premier League with just one defeat
in nine games. They are unbeaten in four away matches. “They are very
consistent,” added Clive. “Mark Hughes has instilled discipline in their
approach and the way they go about matches. “They have real quality, dangerous
players that we will look at but it’s about us, about the character we show and
the performance we need. “It’s a difficult game in the circumstances but we need
to get back to producing what we’re capable of. “Blackburn will know all about
the situation we find ourselves in but it’s about what the lads do when they
cross the white line on Sunday and I’ve no fears in that respect. I know what
they are capable of and I’m looking for us to produce a performance.” As for
Clive’s own position, he added: “It’s a very difficult situation but I’m keen
and passionate to do the best job I can in difficult circumstances with Martin
and Chris leaving.”

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/allaboutus261007.html

Rumours

Word is that Juande Ramos from Sevilla will become the new Head Coach/Manager for Spurs and the Gus Poyet from Leeds United will be his Number 2.

Nothing final yet but seems extremely likely. People are reporting the announcement may be as early as Monday, 10/29/07. I will post when more info becomes available.

Match Report 10/25/2007

Courtesy of Official Site-

A late onslaught not unlike the recent 125 match against Villa couldn't
prevent the second European home defeat in our history against Getafe on
Thursday night.
More than comfortable in possession, the Spanish side cut us
open in the 70th minute - Braulio flicking home Cortes' cross - to inflict a 2-1
loss in this first match in the group stages of the UEFA Cup.
Michael
Dawson's header struck the crossbar as we threw all-bar the kitchen sink at the
Spaniards but on this occasion, it wasn't to be.
Getafe mustered a couple of
attacking sorties early that resulted in Radek Cerny getting a feel of the ball
and another flashing just wide, our first move of real note came on 16 minutes
when Tom Huddlestone threaded through to Defoe and the striker attempted to
round Ustari, but the visiting keeper did well to keep a strong arm and denied a
likely goal. Just two minutes later the lead was secured when a deep cross from
Pascal Chimbonda was nodded back into the danger area by Dimitar Berbatov and
this time Defoe was able to pounce and nod home. Sadly the lead only lasted a
further two minutes as a flighted free-kick from Granero deceived everyone and
flew into the back of the net. The referee could have thought De La Red got
something on the ball, but replays were pretty inconclusive. Berbatov then had a
goal chalked off for offside when he was clearly a yard on before, six minutes
ahead of the interval, a Cortes cross led to a smart volley from Albin flying
just wide of Cerny's left upright. There followed a blow when the restored
Anthony Gardner was taken off on a stretcher with what looked like a nasty ankle
injury. Michael Dawson was drafted in as a replacement for the unlucky Anthony.
A great chance was almost fashioned via an excellent combination between
Huddlestone and Defoe in first half stoppage time, but on this occasion the
Defoe radar was a little askew. The lead was nearly re-taken in the 53rd minute
when Berbatov teed up Steed Malbranque for a piledriver that was foiled by
Ustari before the Bulgarian headed wide with the goal gaping. Defoe then flashed
over a shot as marginal authority in the second half was being assumed.
Signorino attempted a similar effort to Defoe at the other end with a similar
outcome. The two teams continued to cancel each other out as the half progressed
until the 69th minute when a low cross from Cortes was clever guided into the
net by the in-step of Braulio. Promising build-up play was being let down by an
innaccurate final ball from both teams until that point, so it was time for the
entry of Robbie Keane in place of Malbranque for the final 20 minutes. He was
followed by the introduction of Teemu Tainio for Didier Zokora. Huddlestone did
well to drag the ball out of the sky and drill in a shot as we entered the last
15 minutes with another defeat looking on the cards. Defoe then hunted down a
Huddlestone flick and got the ball around Ustari before being diverted by the
defender. The pressure was being piled on - as described earlier, just like the
Villa game - but this time half-chances just wouldn't fall the right way. Shots
were blocked, headers went wide, defenders seemed to get into the way of
everything and when Dawson's header struck the woodwork, you just felt it wasn't
our night.
Anderlecht beat Hapoel Tel Aviv in the other group match tonight
and we travel to Israel next time out on November 8.

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/matchreport251007.html

Club Announcement: Goalkeeping Coach

Courtesy of Official Site-

The Club can confirm that it has asked Hans Segers, Goalkeeping Coach, to step down with immediate effect.
Hans joined the coaching staff in 1998, in which he made two First Team appearances, before making the substitutes bench in the 2001/02 season due to squad injuries. "Hans has been a committed and enthusiastic member of the coaching staff and we should like to thank him for his contribution and hard work," said Sporting Director Damien Comolli. Perry Suckling our Academy Goalkeeping Coach will take over First Team goalkeeping training and an announcement regarding a new appointment will be made in due course.

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/clubannouncement261007.html

Club Statement on Martin Jol and Chris Hughton

Courtesy of Official Site-

We can confirm that the Board has this evening asked Martin Jol, Club
Manager and Chris Hughton, First Team Coach to stand down from their positions
with immediate effect.
We have not taken these decisions lightly or without
recognition of the contribution both Martin and Chris have made to the Club.
Chairman Daniel Levy said: “For me, Martin and Chris’ departure is regrettable.
Our greatest wish was to see results turn in our favour and for there to be no
need for change. We feel honoured that Martin has been manager at our Club,
having seen us qualify twice for Europe. Chris has been with us since 1977, bar
a three year period, both as player and coach and he has been an excellent
ambassador for the Club. They have been professional, popular and respected
members of the coaching staff and there will always be a warm welcome for them
both at the Lane.”

Martin Jol added: “I can understand the position of the Club
in light of the results. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here. Tottenham
Hotspur is a special Club and I want to thank the terrific staff and players.
For me the fans were always amazing with their support so I would also like to
say thank you – I shall never forget them.”

We shall report in due course on new
appointments to the coaching staff. In the interim, the First Team will be
coached by our current Development Coach, Clive Allen and Alex Inglethorpe, our
Youth Team manager.

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/clubstatement251007.html

Martin Jol Resigns (BBC)

Courtesy of the BBC-

Tottenham Hotspur manager Martin Jol has parted company with the club after
their poor start to the season.
Jol tendered his resignation before taking
charge for the game against Getafe - a 2-1 defeat in the Uefa Cup.
Spurs,
who are third from bottom in the Premier League, have won just one league game
after spending heavily during the summer transfer window.
Sevilla coach
Juande Ramos has reportedly agreed to become Spurs' new manager at the start of
next season.
It was claimed Spurs met Ramos in August with a "dizzying"
offer to replace the 51-year-old Jol at White Hart Lane.
But with Sevilla in
the Champions League Ramos opted to see out his contract with the Spanish club
which expires next summer.
Ramos is regarded as one of the most promising
coaches in European football after guiding Sevilla to back-to-back Uefa Cup
titles.
Sevilla beat Spurs on the way to their success in last season's Uefa
Cup, while Ramos also led his side to third in La Liga and victory in the Copa
del Rey - Spain's top domestic cup competition.
The Times newspaper has also
reported Gus Poyet, the former Tottenham and Chelsea midfield player, has been
approached to become the assistant manager.
During the defeat to Getafe in a a Group G game Spurs fans gave vocal
support to the Dutchman singing "Stand up for Martin Jol" during the match.
Jol took charge of Spurs in November 2004, taking over from Frenchman
Jacques Santini and under the Dutchman the club twice qualified for the Uefa
Cup.
Having recruited the likes of Darren Bent, who cost £16.5m, Gareth Bale
and French defender Younes Kaboul during the summer, Tottenham had high hopes of
challenging for a Champions League place.
But Spurs have suffered a
disastrous start, recording just one victory - the 4-0 win over Derby in August
- and since the reported meeting with Ramos, Jol has faced constant questioning
over his future.
As a plc, Spurs will not make a statement on Jol's position
until Friday due to stock exchange problems.

Linked here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/t/tottenham_hotspur/7063013.stm

Martin Jol Resigns

Martin Jol has resigned according to announcers during the UEFA Cup Match Today at White Hart Lane. He apparently tendered his resignation before the Match began vs. Getafe (a Spanish League Club). Spurs lost the UEFA Cup match 1-2. More information will be coming.

I Love Martin Jol and He Loves Me!

Team News 10/24/07

Courtesy of Official Site-

Martin Jol can report positive news on Gareth Bale and Ledley King.
In-form
Gareth was clearly in pain as he limped off after just 20 minutes at Newcastle
on Monday but the youngster might only be out for up to 10 days.
"We've
scanned the injury several times and nothing is broken," said Martin at Spurs
Lodge on Wednesday afternoon. "There is significant bruising, it is still
painful and we'll know more once the bruising has gone down.
"I feel he will
be fine though and will only be out for a week to 10 days."
Ledley,
meanwhile, looks set to return to full training next week. "He's had no reaction
to football drills and hopefully he'll be with us next week. From there, it
could take another three to four weeks."
Radek Cerny will continue in goal
with Paul Robinson out with his calf injury. "Paul is out for Thursday, a big
doubt for Blackburn on Sunday but could be back for Blackpool in the Carling Cup
next week," added Martin.
"Young-Pyo Lee is also a doubt with a shoulder
problem but he could still be involved."
Ricardo Rocha (ankle)
and Benoit Assou-Ekotto (knee) remain out.
Ben Alnwick has been recalled
from his loan spell at Luton Town.

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/teamnews241007.html

Alnwick recalled from Loan

Source: Teamtalk

Tottenham Hotspur have recalled goalkeeper Ben Alnwick from his loan spell
at League One side Luton Town.Manager Martin Jol has decided to cut short
Alnwick's spell at Kenilworth Road because of the calf injury suffered by
England stopper Paul Robinson which has left Radek Cerny as his only fit
goalkeeper.The 20-year-old had been set to stay with the Hatters until December,
but he has now returned to White Hart Lane and could be on the bench for
Thursday's UEFA Cup tie with Getafe.He made four appearances for the Hatters,
keeping one clean sheet.

Positive Reinforcement?

Courtesy of "Stoof" and "onemorespursfan" at SpursCommunity-

"This Season: 3 points

Sunderland 0-1
Man Utd 0-1
Fulham 3-3
Bolton 1-1
Liverpool 2-2
Newcastle 1-3

Last Season: 1 point

Sheffield United (in Sunderland's place) 1-2
Man Utd 0-1
Fulham 1-1
Bolton 0-3 (WORSE)
Liverpool 0-4 (WORSE)
Newcastle 1-3" ~Stoof


"1)We only lost one game that brought to an end a run of 6 or 7 games
undefeated.
2)Stoof keeps saying that we have more points away from home than
in the corresponding fixtures last season
3)We are still in all of the
competitions that we entered
4)We are only 12 points behind 4th place having
already played 3 of the big 4 - the other being Chelsea who are not having the
best of times lately
5)We have played only 4 games at home this season with
only one surprising result - Everton
6)We are actually playing very well until
we concede, lending to the confidence being low argument " ~onemorespursfan

Linked here: http://www.spurscommunity.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=21757

Radek Cerny Comments

Courtesy of Official Site-

Radek Cerny emphasised that there is still plenty to play for this term, despite
the team suffering a setback on Monday evening with defeat at Newcastle
United.
The Czech shot stopper, who was making his first league appearance in
our colours for over two years in place of the injured Paul Robinson, admits
points are paramount at present having picked up just one league win this term.
However, with only ten league games gone Radek is confident that it is only a
matter of time before results turn in our favour, starting against Getafe in our
opening UEFA Cup group match on Thursday. “It is difficult because we have won
just one league game against Derby County," he said. "We need points
because our supporters and everyone associated with the Club expect more.
“Before the season started many people were saying we should be in the top four
but instead we are near the bottom. “It is a tough time for the supporters as
well but we hope we can win our next game against Getafe on Thursday and then
pick up points in our next league game to move up the table. “We have a young
team but it is a strong side with good players. We can still push for the
European places, we proved what we can do against Liverpool and if we can
reproduce that display it could get us going.”

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

Bale Latest

Courtesy of Official Site-

Martin Jol said we won't know the full extent of Gareth Bale's injury until
we get back the results of scans scheduled for Tuesday.
The youngster started
brightly in a left midfield role at Newcastle on Monday but his evening came to
a sad end after only 20 minutes when Geremi came down on his right foot in a
tackle. He tried to continue but couldn’t go on and was replaced by Teemu
Tainio. Martin reported at St James Park on Monday night: “Gareth's foot is
swelling up. We have to scan him tomorrow and hopefully he won’t be out for
long.”

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/balelatest221007.html

Jol's take on Newcastle Match

Courtesy of Official Site-

Martin Jol admitted that conceding bad goals hurt us again as we suffered a 3-1
defeat at Newcastle United on Monday night.
We’d restricted the in-form home
team to two chances – Abdoulaye Faye’s header hit the post from Emre’s corner,
Radek Cerny saved well from Michael Owen – as the clock ticked towards half-time
but were then caught out by a long ball from Jose Enrique and Obafemi Martins,
our nemesis from last season, capitalised to hand Magpies the lead. Worse was to
follow when an identical corner to the one that led to Faye’s header striking
the post in the first half this time led to a bullet header into the top corner
from Claudia Cacapa, Emre again providing the ammunition to the near post, to
make it 2-0 in the 51st minute.The lads fought back and we looked in the game
when Darren Bent’s header came off the post and Robbie Keane pounced for his
seventh goal in seven games to make it 2-1 after 57 minutes. Dimitar Berbatov
was thrown into the mix and Bent fired a half-chance wide but any hopes of
another spectacular recovery were abruptly ended when James Milner found the
bottom corner with a dipping volley after 73 minutes. Martin reflected: "I
thought we looked fairly comfortable in the first 40 minutes but it was the same
old story - you can’t expect to win games if you concede goals like
that.
"We had a couple of chances but then made a mistake and they scored.
"We tried to come back and the spirit was good, we played well but the thing is
even when we play well, we seem to concede goals like that. "The first goal was
a long ball to a small striker and the second goal was the same, a corner kick
and a near post header.
"We tried to come back into the game but conceded
goals at the wrong moments. "We had a good spell up until today, okay, perhaps
not good enough but we were six games unbeaten, we’ve drawn games and perhaps we
should have won some of them, especially at Liverpool. "I feel if we get one
result the confidence will be there."

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

Team News 10/19/07

Courtesy of Official Site-

Martin Jol is hopeful Anthony Gardner will overcome injury in time for Monday's
trip to Newcastle.Teemu Tainio (thigh) is touch and go for St James Park,
Kevin-Prince Boateng is out of the reckoning with an ankle injury while Ledley
King, Benoit Assou-Ekotto (both knee) and Ricardo Rocha (ankle) remain out.On a
more positive note, young defender Dorian Dervite is back in training after a
cruciate knee ligament injury sustained in January. Martin reported on Thursday:
"Anthony Gardner missed training today with a groin problem but I think he'll be
okay on Monday."Paul Stalteri is the same, he sprained an ankle and has been out
for the last couple of weeks but could return next Thursday. "Kevin-Prince
Boateng has an ankle injury and will be back next week."Ricardo Rocha is
recovering well but it will take another seven to eight weeks, Ledley King is
progressing well and Benoit-Assou Ekotto is undergoing rehab again after his
knee was drained."Dorian Dervite has started training again with the group this
week so hopefully he'll be fine soon."

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

New deals 10/19/07

Courtesy of SC articles-

According to "Talking Soccer," Daniel Levy is hopeful Jermaine Defoe will sign a new deal soon.

The official site is announcing a new deal signed by 18 year-old striker Tomas Pekhart.

That is it for now.

Injury update 10/19/07

Courtesy of multiple sites etc....

Darren Bent is over his illness in time for the trip to newcastle.

Paul Robinson is out for the Newcastle match with a calf strain picked up while on England duty.

Ledley King is targeting a return to Full training in 2 weeks.

No links, check out http://www.physioroom.com/news/english_premier_league/epl_injury_table.php
for up to date injury news throughout the Premiership.

"Spurs announce profits and loss of vice-chair"

Courtesy of ESPN-

Tottenham have confirmed vice-chairman Paul Kemsley has left the club.

Spurs today announced their financial results to the Stock
Exchange and in the statement, chairman Daniel Levy revealed Kemsley has
resigned from his position as non-executive chairman to focus on his business
interests in the United States.
'It is with regret that I announce the
resignation of Paul Kemsley as non-executive vice chairman of Tottenham Hotspur
Football & Athletic Co Ltd with effect from this year's forthcoming general
meeting.
'Paul has recently expanded his property business interests in the
United States and feels that inevitably his time spent overseas will impact upon
his ability to fulfil his role with the club. Paul has worked with me for the
past six years at the club and I thank him for his advice and counsel during
this period.'
Spurs this morning announced record turnover and profit for
the last financial year.
Last year's UEFA Cup campaign, when Martin Jol's
side reached the quarter-final stage, and successive fifth-placed Premier League
finishes, led to the club posting a turnover of £103.1million for the year
ending June 30 2007, up £29million on the 2006 figures.
Operating profit
before football trading and depreciation increased from £4.6million to
£32million while operating profit before training totalled £29.7million from
£2.4million for the previous year.
The club's profit before tax increased
massively to £27.7million from £600,000 with retained profit for the year
£18.9million.
Levy insists the club will continue to prioritise investment
in team personnel plus stadium and training facilities.
'All parts of the
business have continued to perform well to produce record revenues and profits,'
he said in his chairman's statement.
'Cash generation has been strong. Our
priorities for the club are focused on continued development of the first team
where we have built an exceptionally talented squad, progressing our
state-of-the-art training centre and the development of an improved, larger
stadium.'

Linked here: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=473109&cc=5901

My Penny: The profits are great for the club and I think losing Paul Kemsley could be a blessing in disguise. He shouldn't have gotten caught visiting Ramos earlier this year and hopefully he was forced out by Levy for his behavior. See you Paul!

Fixture Changes

Courtesy of Official Site-

Following the draw for UEFA Cup Group Stage, the dates of a number of our
Premier League fixtures have been subject to change.
On Thursday October 25
we will be at home to Spanish club Getafe (kick-off 8pm). This has resulted in
our home game against Blackburn Rovers being switched to Sunday October 28
(previously Sat Oct 27) with a 3pm kick off. On Thursday November 8 we will be
away to Hapoel Tel Aviv. We have no kick off information at this stage. This
means that our home game against Wigan Athletic now moves to Sunday November 11
with a 3pm kick off (previously Sat Nov 10). On Thursday November 29 we will be
at home to Danish club Aalborg (8pm). Our home game against Birmingham City
subsequently moves to Sunday December 2 (previously Sat Dec 1) with a 3pm kick
off. On Thursday December 6 we will be away to Anderlecht from Belgium, kicking
off at 7.45pm. Our home game against Manchester City now moves to Sunday
December 9 (previously Sat Dec 8), kick-off 3pm.

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/fixturechanges101007.html

ITK Clive Allen to leave if Jol goes

Courtesy of "Rob" from Spurs Community-

Please take this with the usual attitude to "ITK" but some information has
come my way that I thought it was worth passing on. I am 100% convinced that
this has really been said, whether anything comes from it we will have to wait
and see.Clive Allen has been discussing his future at the club and it seems that
both QPR and Crystal Palace are both interested in appointing him. He's made it
clear that he will "definitely leave" if Jol heads off to Ajax as expected.There
were quite a few people who expected Allen to take the caretaker role at WHL if
Jol does leave so it's currently unclear where this leaves us in the short term
if Jol does walk.

Linked here: http://www.spurscommunity.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=21292

UEFA Cup GS Update

Courtesy of Official Site-

We will open our UEFA Cup Group Stage campaign with a home fixture against
Getafe on Thursday October 25.

This will be followed by a trip to Tel Aviv to take on Hapoel on Thursday November 8 before Match day three brings the visit of Aalborg to the Lane on Thursday November 29.

Our participation in the Group Stage concludes when we travel to Belgium for the encounter with Anderlecht on either Wednesday December 5 or Thursday December 6.

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

Jol on the UEFA Cup Group Draw

Courtesy of Official Site-

Martin Jol declared himself satisfied after the draw for the UEFA Cup Group
Stage saw us pooled with Anderlecht, Getafe, Hapoel Tel Aviv and
Aalborg. Travel plans will be being made for trips to Israel and Belgium,
while we will play host to the visitors from Spain and Denmark. "I am pretty
satisfied," commented Martin shortly after the draw was made. "You can only
assess it on paper on at the moment and my feeling is that it could have been a
lot tougher for us. "Anderlecht away will be a hard one, but it is in the final
game for us and hopefully we will have done the business by then. They have got
fanatical supporters, just like we've got, so that should be a special night
with the history between the two clubs in this competition. "It is good that we
start at home against Getafe before we face a trip to Tel Aviv. People tend to
under-estimate the football in Israel, but they have got players there from all
over the world so that could well be a tricky game and there is always a great
atmosphere. "Aalborg will not be easy, they came through a tie against Sampdoria
and I am pleased we have got them at home," continued Martin, who added that
inserting four European games into our pre-Christmas fixture list creates a
special dimension to the season. "Everybody enjoyed themselves last season, we
wanted the European nights back and we had some great games at home and away at the likes of Besiktas and Leverkusen. We are looking forward to more of the
same."

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/jolonthedraw091007.html

UEFA Cup Group Stage Draw

Courtesy of the Official Site-

We have been drawn against Anderlecht, Getafe, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Aalborg
BK in Group G of the UEFA Cup. Here are a few facts on our next UEFA Cup opposition.

Anderlecht - Capacity- 28,000.- Kit- All white with purple collars.-
Came down to the UEFA Cup after losing to Fenerbahce in Champions League third
qualifying round - Tony Parks’ heroics in a penalty shootout saw us lift the
1983-84 UEFA Cup 4-3 on penalties after the aggregate score had finished 2-2.-
Currently sixth in Belgian league.- Won the second leg at Rapid Vienna to
qualify for this stage. - Jelle van Damme previously played for Southampton.

Getafe - First participation in the UEFA Cup - Managed by Michael Laudrup - Kit:
Blue shirts, black shorts - Capacity: 16,400 - Have only two draws from league
campaign so far this seasonto leave them one off the bottom in La Liga at
present. Away goal rule saw them advance from encounter with Twente in
first round of UEFA Cup - Striker Kepa Blanco was on loan at West Ham last
season, while Cosmin Contra has previously played at West Brom for a short
spell.

Hapoel Tel Aviv - Yet to win in the league after five games this season -
tenth out of 12 teams - Capacity: 16,500 - Kit: All red - Solitary goal in
second leg was enough for them to get past AIK Solna and into this round, after
coming through second qualifying round against Siroki Brijeg. - Finished fourth
in domestic league last season.

Aalborg - Stand fourth in Danish
league right now. - Advanced to this year’s group stage after beating
Sampdoria on away goals. - Kit: red and white stripes and red shorts -
Capacity: 16,000 - Andreas Johanson previously played for Wigan - Won the
Intertoto Cup this year to qulaify for the UEFA Cup before defeating HJK in the
second qualifying round to make the UEFA Cup first round proper.

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

UEFA group stage Draw Tomorrow

Courtesy of Official Site-

A reminder to fans that the draw for the group stages of the UEFA Cup takes
place tomorrow (October 9, 11am UK) - we will be in pot two of
five.
Teams will be drawn out of their respective pots into eight groups of
five with each team playing twice at home, twice away, four games in
total.
The teams are allocated into pots in accordance with their respective
'coefficient' (ranking based on performance in European
competition).
Pot One will comprise the top eight sides, with Villarreal
CF boasting the highest coefficient; Pot Two will consist of the following
eight teams in the rankings, and so on for Pots Three, Four and Five - we
were in pot five last season. Clubs from the same national association cannot be
pitted together.
2007/08 UEFA Cup group stage participants Pot Club (country)
Coefficient

1 Villarreal CF (ESP) 78.374 1 FC Bayern München (GER) 73.640 1 AZ
Alkmaar (NED) 63.995 1 Panathinaikos FC (GRE) 55.415 1 FC Basel 1893 (SUI)
54.869 1 FC Girondins de Bordeaux (FRA) 49.706 1 Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER)
45.640 1 RSC Anderlecht (BEL) 41.594

2 Tottenham Hotspur FC (ENG) 40.618 2 FC Lokomotiv Moskva (RUS) 38.920 2 FC Zenit St. Petersburg (RUS) 38.920 2 AC Sparta Praha (CZE) 37.851 2 AEK Athens FC (GRE) 36.415 2 Hamburger SV (GER) 34.640 2 Bolton Wanderers FC (ENG) 32.618 2 FK Austria Wien (AUT) 30.104

3 FC Spartak Moskva (RUS) 27.920 3 SC Braga (POR) 27.107 3 Galatasaray SK (TUR) 26.791 3 Getafe CF (ESP) 25.374 3 Club Atlético de Madrid (ESP) 25.374 3 Everton FC (ENG) 24.618 3 ACF Fiorentina (ITA) 21.808 3 Stade Rennais FC (FRA) 20.706

4 Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC (ISR) 19.338 4 FK Crvena Zvezda (SRB) 19.256 4 FC København (DEN) 19.129 4 Toulouse FC (FRA) 17.706 4 NK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) 17.533 4 Panionios GSS (GRE) 16.415 4 1. FC Nürnberg (GER) 14.640 4 FK Mladá Boleslav (CZE) 13.851

5 Aris Thessaloniki FC (GRE) 13.415 5 Aberdeen FC (SCO) 11.064 5 FC Zürich (SUI) 9.869 5 Larissa FC (GRE) 8.415 5 Aalborg BK (DEN) 7.129 5 SK Brann (NOR) 6.509 5 IF Elfsborg (SWE) 4.478 5 Helsingborgs IF (SWE) 3.478

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/uefacupdraw081007.html

Jol on Anfield Match

Courtesy of Official Site-

Martin Jol felt we deserved to win at Liverpool after being denied by
Fernando Torres' header in injury time on Sunday.
Robbie Keane's double
strike - indentical goals from Paul Robinson clearances and Dimitar Berbatov
flicks - either side of the break cancelled out Andriy Voronin's early goal and
looked set to take us to our first league win at Anfield since 1993.
But the
curse of the late goal on our travels struck again as Steve Finnan's cross was
met by a towering header by Torres at the far post to level it. The board had
already gone up for three minutes added time.
It's the third time this season
we've been denied points on the road by late, late goals - at
Sunderland (0-1), Fulham (3-3) and now Anfield.
"Everyone has said we
deserved to win, and that is how we feel," reflected Martin.
"In the second
half we were on top and caused a lot of problems. That was good. They had
suffered a bad defeat against Marseille in midweek and we knew they would want
to do better and we expected a difficult match. "We then conceded a goal
like that at the beginning, which didn't help. After that and the shot from
Gerrard that hit the post (a free-kick after 28 minutes) I felt we did well to
come back into the game.
"In the second half we were better, winning the
ball in midfield, breaking quick and we scored a good goal with Robbie Keane
again and we thought it could be a great win.
"We've got a great spirit,
everyone can see that. We've travelled a lot and then had to go to Liverpool but
hopefully we'll take a lot of confidence out of this match."
Meanwhile,
Martin revealed that Darren Bent was sent home from Liverpool after picking up a
virus.

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/anfieldagony071007.html

Keane with a Brace

Courtesy of Official Site-

Robbie Keane believes the team will soon be back on the winning trail given the
evidence of the display up at Liverpool on Sunday.
The clock was ticking
towards a memorable victory, courtesy of two strikes from Robbie, before a
Fernando Torres header in stoppage time meant a one-point haul rather the the
deserved full three. While a point would usually be considered a good return
from a trip to Anfield, this point was coupled with disappointment. "Obviously
we should have won the game and I think overall we were the better team,"
reasoned Robbie, who was playing in his 400th club game. "We played some great
football at times and it was our best performance away from home for a while.
"There are not many times that teams come to Anfield, get a draw and come away
disappointed. That was the case for us, but you can see the improvement from us
in the last four or five games. "Okay, we haven't won a lot of games, but we
haven't been beaten either. You can see it is coming for us, we're just gutted
to have conceded in the last minute. "You never think it is over until it is,
especially at Anfield, but the way the game was going I thought we were going to
win. It wasn't the case, but we can build on this and take a lot of confidence
from it."

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

TEAMtalk Editor on Jol Witchhunt by the Media

Courtesy of TEAMtalk-

TEAMtalk Editor Simon Wilkes hits out at the ongoing witch hunt aimed at Martin Jol and questions the wisdom of some headlines aimed at Spurs.No one can deny
that Martin Jol is under pressure at White Hart Lane.Each game that goes by
could reportedly be his 'last in charge' if they lose - but only if you buy into
the frenzied media hunt for his scalp.Admittedly the Tottenham board triggered
the whole saga by hitting the panic button after seeing their team lose their
two opening Premier League games despite massive investment in the squad over
the summer.Following the multi-million pound arrivals of Gareth Bale (£10m),
Younes Kaboul (£8m) and Darren Bent (£16.5m), Spurs were tipped as serious
contenders to gatecrash England's 'Big Four', especially as they'd finished in
fifth for the last two seasons under Jol to qualify for the UEFA Cup.But defeats
by Sunderland and Everton sparked talk of Jol being replaced by Sevilla coach
Juande Ramos, who claimed he received a 'dizzying offer' to take over from the
portly Dutchman.The tabloids went into overdrive and were hunting like a pack of
wolves, so much so that Spurs' third league game, a comprehensive 4-0 gubbing of
Derby, was virtually swept under the carpet and overlooked.They smelt blood and
a trip to Old Trafford ended in a harsh 1-0 defeat - no disgrace, but enough to
keep fanning the flames.Chairman Daniel Levy has admitted there was an 'element
of truth' in the rumours that the board were pondering Jol's future - but the
Spurs boss has kept his head held high through all the mud-slinging, and appears
to also have a lot of respect in the dressing room.Monday night's staggering
comeback against Aston Villa, where Spurs recovered from 4-1 down with roughly
20 minutes left on the clock to draw 4-4, does not suggest that Jol has 'lost'
the players - and Levy was celebrating big time in the stands.Read any Spurs
message boards and you'll see that the majority of fans are also firmly behind
the manager, so why is he still so under the cosh? Spurs are notoriously poor
starters so their 18th place in the table should not be a massive concern after
just eight of 38 league games.And were they knocked out of Europe on Thursday
night? Oh no, that was Blackburn wasn't it.In fact didn't Spurs beat Anorthosis
Famagusta 7-2 on aggregate, bagging a cruise-control 1-1 draw in the away leg
after hitting them for six at The Lane?I'm no Carol Vorderman but I've got my
abacus here and have worked out Spurs won by a five-goal margin. The tabloid
reaction to Tottenham's draw in Cyprus was as follows: "Progression to the group
stage of the Uefa Cup was not without its heart flutters." (The Times);
"Tottenham narrowly escaped a UEFA Cup embarrassment." (Daily Star/Express);
"Tottenham's blushes were spared." (Daily Mail); "Only a 78th-minute leveller
from substitute Robbie Keane spared Spurs' blushes." (The Sun); "This was hardly
the confidence-building exercise he (Jol) would have counted on." (The
Guardian).In contrast Everton "charged through to the group stages" according to
various tabloids, despite scraping through by the skin of their teeth thanks to
Victor Anichebe's 88th-minute winner to seal a 4-3 aggregate victory over
Ukrainians Metalist Kharkiv - hardly a European powerhouse.Newspapers have a lot
of power in this country, perfectedly summed by the Kaiser Chiefs' lyrics 'we
are the angry mob, we read the papers every day, we like who we like, we hate
who we hate, but we're oh so easily swayed'.But with great power comes great
responsibility, something they are failing to implement in Jol's case.

Linked here: http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1784_2781088,00.html

Great article and love this quote by the Kaiser Chiefs' lyrics 'we are the angry mob, we read the papers every day, we like who we like, we hate who we hate, but we're oh so easily swayed'

Spurs through to Group Stage of UEFA Cup: Jol's take

Courtesy of Official Site-

Martin Jol was disappointed not to win Thursday night's UEFA Cup first
round, second leg against Anorthosis Famagusta.
In a bit of a dead rubber of
a tie with us 6-1 up from the first leg at the Lane, chances came and went and
the home side cashed in when Pereira finished well from the edge of the
box.
The lead didn't last that long though as two subtitutes combined -
Gareth Bale's dart down the left, his cross dummied by Darren Bent for Robbie
Keane to drill into the top corner.
That's how it stayed and we progressed
into the group stages with a 7-2 aggregate.
Martin reflected: "You always
want to win games and it wasn't easy to be 6-1 up from the first leg and come
here, one day's preparations and it was a strange feeling, like a pre-season
game in that it was so warm.
"We played several different players and I felt
we could take that gamble.
"We lacked a bit of rhythm in the second half and
the only thing disappointing thing was I couldn't take off the likes of
Huddlestone and Zokora because we wanted to get something out of the
game.
"Gareth Bale is very good going forward and Robbie Keane is a great
finisher and we needed them both.
"I wanted to win and that's why I put Adel
Taarabt on, he can change things. We had the chances and if you don't take them,
you have to settle for a draw. At the end of the day we've won 7-2 on
aggregate and we're into the group stages."
Martin could afford a smile as he
talked about Famagusta's goal - Frousos blatantly handled in the box before
Pereira's fine finish.
"We wanted to keep a clean sheet but if you saw their
goal, I'd still consider this game a clean sheet!" he laughed. "They had
two goalkeepers on the pitch!"

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

Match Report 10/4/07 UEFA cup in Greece

Courtesy of Official Site-

Live Score: 0 - 0
TEAM NEWS: Kevin-Prince Boateng makes his full debut
as Martin Jol makes seven changes to the side that drew 4-4 against Aston Villa
on Monday.
The changes are - Paul Stalteri, Anthony Gardner, Young-Pyo Lee, Steed
Malbranque, Boateng, Jermain Defoe and Darren Bent in for Pascal Chimbonda,
Younes Kaboul, Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon, Teemu Tainio, Robbie Keane and Dimitar
Berbatov.
You can name seven subs in the UEFA Cup, so Bale, Kaboul and Keane are on
the bench alongside youngsters Simon Dawkins and Leigh Mills.

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/matchtracker/

Enfield Hotspur?

Courtesy of The Guardian

Tottenham Hotspur are edging closer to a move from their traditional home
at White Hart Lane, with the club understood to have identified potential sites
for a stadium including one in Enfield, which would take Spurs outside their
home borough of Haringey. The club are considering their stadium options and the
chairman, Daniel Levy, intends to update shareholders on his intentions when the
annual results are posted, expected some time in the next four weeks.

The director Paul Kemsley has been leading the search for alternative
sites for a 60,000-seat stadium, but a move outside Haringey would be
controversial because it would take the club as far as 10 miles from their
traditional home. Expansion of White Hart Lane has not been finally ruled out
but the lack of an obvious temporary home ground - the Olympic Stadium and
Wembley have been ruled out in the short term - as well as a perceived lack of
support from Haringey council remain obstacles. Spurs have been pressing for
assistance from the council and Transport for London to improve transport links
to the ground, which is among the most difficult to get to in professional
football, but have been unsuccessful so far. Directors met at White Hart Lane to
discuss the issue yesterday, but the deliberation over the Enfield site has
echoes of Arsenal's threat to move to Camden, a ploy that helped persuade
Islington council to help the club stay in the borough when they left
Highbury.

No link.

Nice Fan article on SC

Courtesy of "xzander" from SpursCommunity-

I've only occasionally popped on the message boards in the past few days on
this site. The level of vitriol against - well, everything - has driven me
slowly mad. Reading a huge number of similar posts about various topics is
wearing me down, in particular the ones ending in "end of". So, ahead of the
Liverpool and Famagusta matches I'm going to put my few thoughts in.

Villa

There seems to be a number of posters of the opinion that somehow a 4-4
draw with a three goal comeback inside twenty minutes is unusual for Tottenham
and that by performing as we did we made a laughing stock of ourselves - as if
forgetting how to play and ending up 4-1 down was new.

As far as I'm concerned to produce such a performance on your 125th
anniversary neatly sums up what it is to be a Spurs fan.

In no particular order: this is the club who managed to win the FA Cup
while effectively insolvent, -who were the first team to win the Cup while a non-league team,
-later managed to cause mayhem by being deducted points, being banned from
the Cup, then reverse it all while buying the World Cup's star players,
-who managed to not beat one side while being in the same division as them
for 16 years,
-who were the first football club to get listed on the stock exchange,
-who won the first double of last century, -who managed to get within 90 minutes of Champions' League qualification before breaking down with a mystery stomach infection and being pipped by their greatest rivals,
-who manage to get the ball two feet over the sodding line and still not have the goal counted, -sign players with weight and mental health problems who introduce themselves by scoring in the North London derby with only one boot,
-who managed to turn up at Kaiserslautern 1-0 up from the first leg, drop
our best player and still leave it till the 92nd minute to lose.
-and I'm not even having to think very hard. You could review this stuff
for as long as you're able to keep awake for.

This Villa game was not unusual, fellas. We hit no peak of incompetence or
recklessness. This is part and parcel of supporting Tottenham. It is a
rollercoaster. It is chaos. It is losing a 3-goal lead to ten men. It is winning
games we've no right to and losing games we really shouldn't. This is not new.

And just because we've spent a bit of cash isn't going to stop this
wonderful, irritating, frustrating organisation we've tied our allegiance to
forever from remaining one of the most potent reasons why people bother watching
football at all - Spurs are innately unpredictable - which is why, despite it
all, I'm on my way to Anfield this weekend, confidently expecting 90+ minutes of
total mayhem. If certainty is what you're after you may be better following
Roger Federer or something. Not Spurs.

Jol

I feel genuinely sorry for the big guy. There's bundles of people here
constantly posting "Jol out" stuff. As my previous posts show, I'm in agreement
that Jol's tenure was showing patterns which couldn't be ignored - namely, the
glass ceiling effect of being unable to take the team past the semi-final or
quarter-final - or fifth place - and to actually win the big, defining match
which would announce his and Tottenham's arrival at football's top table.
Although Jol used to talk a lot about instilling a 'top mentality' in his
players, he doesn't seem to have actually done so - and I'd cite that fact as a
major factor as to why his team hasn't taken that big step. With that in mind I
could understand the board's thinking in talking to another coach.

However, the board really have been cack-handed about the whole thing. Have
they never heard of videoconferencing? Is it necessary to meet the coach of
another team in a public area these days? Isn't that just a bit too risky?
Whatever, it was predictable behaviour from a board geared mainly to maximising
the profit from their future sale of the club and releasing ludicrous numbers of
new kits rather than understanding how their behaviour affects what occurs on
the field of play.

Whatever, as soon as the news broke, Jol was a dead man walking. You know
what, the Jol Out-ers are getting their way. You won, guys. He's going. As soon
as the board have a new man ready to step in. He's off. So do me a favour, cool
it with the "Jol's a fool" comments. Levy's on your side. Just be thankful we
don't have Pleat to step in and tell "Chimbomba" where to play.

The best thing would be for Jol to go now. Why? Because the players know
he's going. I bet, if Defoe (or whoever) wants to question Jol's authority he
feels more able to do so now. How much authority can Jol's word have in the
dressing room now? Fuck all. I place the blame for that at the board's feet. By
seeking publicly to replace him, they undermined the whole thing, and without
replacing him, letting him carry on as the lamest duck in football, the season
is being totally undermined. And whatever positive noises the players make about
it, they can't operate properly with such uncertainty behind the scenes.

Paul Robinson

I'm going to choose my words here carefully. I like Robinson. He's
talented. He was very good in the Leeds Champions' League side. But then he had
proper leaders in front of him in defence. And when he got to Spurs, he had King
and Dawson in front of him all the time. And he was pretty good.

Where he's fallen down is that, with a constant changing of personnel in
defence and no-one taking responsibility there he isn't able to predict what's
going to happen in front of him or feel he has situations under control. And,
unfortunately, he doesn't seem to be a Schmeichel and dominate his area - he's
much more passive. And against Villa, a few dodgy moments against Croatia and
Germany became a full-on collapse in the fundamentals of goalkeeping.

And, whereas in previous years - when we had Michael Carrick - it was rare
to have strikers running at our unprotected back line. With Jenas, Zokora and
Huddlestone in there (it's generally a combination of two of these) attackers
are allowed a run at our central defence. If someone like Fabregas gets a yard
and a sight of goal, he'll shoot, and you know what? He's good enough to score.
Because he does it every day of his life on the training ground. I'm not saying
Robinson isn't culpable for long range goals at all - I was directly behind the
Campos daisycutter from last year's Bolton game - but I am saying that no
'keeper wouldn't be undermined by the lack of cover and leadership in front of
him.

What's the solution? Some people are going to have to grow up very quickly.
Kaboul could be an excellent leader in the future, but needs guidance - he's
like a mad bull at the moment. Ideally someone would wave a magic wand and
Ledley King would be fit again but he isn't. Spurs could badly do with a central
midfielder of real calibre - someone to be the boss' 'conscience' on the field -
but they don't grow on trees, unless we fast track that Parrett kid to the first
team.

And in the meantime, we've got away games against Liverpool and Newcastle
on the horizon and a goalkeeper whose confidence is shot to shit. I don't know
whether Cerny is the answer. Part of me thinks that it would be only reasonable
to throw Cerny in - but then his career hasn't exactly been glittering. From a
decade at Slavia Prague - where he managed more than 20 games 4 times - to a bit
part player at Spurs, at the age of 33 it's not the background of a saviour -
but then Robinson's so out of form that it may be worth just packing him off to
Cromer or somewhere and telling him to sort his head out while the stand-in
plays a few games.

What I would like to see is an end to the sort of one-line post where
people claim that Robinson somehow is the root cause of our form this season,
single handedly wrecking everything with constant mistakes. He's in the most
error-visible position and his mistakes are magnified 1,000 times - if Chimbonda
misses a crossfield pass and the ball runs out of play we groan and forget about
it. If Robbo does it it's a goal, and we berate him.

The problems Spurs have run from front to back of the team and a lot of the
answer lies in what's going on in the players' heads both as a unit and
individually, which Levy and co. have rudely intruded on as well, compounding
the problems. Witch-hunting the 'keeper and berating the manager when he plays,
as some are doing might make you feel good - but it makes no sense.

I'd love to think scoring three goals and dragging a lost game back from
nowhere would invigorate the players and give them a badly needed dose of
confidence which could push them on from here, but only time will tell. That,
and whether Jol's successor comes in the next international break or the
situation will be allowed to drift until next season. At least I know I'll be
there at Anfield to watch the next chapter, and will proudly sing my heart out.

Linked here: http://www.spurscommunity.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=21037

Jol backs Robinson

Courtesy of Sky sports

Tottenham boss Martin Jol has jumped to the defence of under-fire goalkeeper
Paul Robinson.Robinson was to blame to two of Aston Villa's goals in the
dramatic 4-4 draw at White Hart Lane on Monday night.The England international's
latest blunders have raised questions over his place in the side, but Jol
insists he is fully behind the former Leeds custodian."Robinson said in the
dressing room 'It's my mistake' and held his hands up for the first goal," Jol
told the Daily Express."But he is pretty confident and apart from the awful
situation against Croatia, he has not conceded any goals in qualifying for
England. He will be fine."Meanwhile, Spurs defender Younes Kaboul insists all
the players are behind Martin Jol.Kaboul's dramatic late equaliser against Villa
helped ease the pressure on Jol and the summer signing from Auxerre says the
players are keen to turn things round"I know how important that goal was for the
future of the manager," Kaboul told The Sun."Martin is a very good coach. But he
is not on the pitch, the players are - so it's up to us to do the business.""Our
comeback proves how much we are still behind him. We all support him. It was an
incredible match for us."Villa came here to win but we knew we had to get
something out of the game as we're going through a tough time."It was not the
score Tottenham wanted but, given the way the match went, the result is
good."Maybe this result could turn our season around. I hope so."

Linked here: http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_2775353,00.html

Rocha out?

Source: Daily Mail

Ricardo Rocha has left Spurs reeling by admitting he needs ankle surgery
which will sideline him for a month.The Portuguese defender was on the bench for
Monday's remarkable 4-4 draw with Aston Villa at White Hart Lane but has been
playing and training through the pain barrier.Rocha, who joined Spurs from
Benfica in January for a £3.8m fee, said: "I've got a problem with my right
ankle, which has been aggravated by the kicks I've taken over the past six
months."The pain is non-stop. It limits my movement a lot, and I've spoken with
Tottenham's management about it. I will have an operation, and expect to be out
for four to six weeks. But Spurs were surprised when I told them I'd been in
pain, as I had been training normally."Spurs are already without Ledley King and
Rocha's absence means Anthony Gardner is the only natural central defender to
turn to if Michael Dawson or Younes Kaboul are unavailable.

No link here.

"Highs and Lows"

Courtesy of Official Site-

Robbie Keane believes Monday night's dramatic encounter with Aston Villa
perfectly illustrated the the ups and downs football can provide.
An early
lead turned into a 4-1 deficit and the 125 anniversary celebrations looked like
going very flat, but a Pascal Chimbonda goal on 68 minutes offered a lifeline,
Robbie's penalty just over ten minutes later gave us hope before Younes Kaboul
sent the stadium into raptures with his stoppage time leveller. It really was a
point snatched from the jaws of defeat. "It was unbelievable, the ups and downs
in football have been on show here - one minute you are down and buried and the
next you are on a massive high," reacted Robbie after the game. "To come back
from 4-1 down showed a lot of character and full credit to the lads. We are
delighted to get a point after being so far behind and it feels like a victory
to us. "We have to look at the goals we are conceding and cut the mistakes out.
I don't mean individual mistakes, as a team we can't keep letting goals in and
we need to defend as a unit. To let in four goals at home is not something we
have done in a long time and we need to concentrate on that. "We are happy to to
get a point though considering we looked dead and buried at one stage."

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

125th Anniversary Match material

Courtesy of Official Site-

Following Monday night’s epic 4-4 draw with Aston Villa in our 125th
Anniversary Match, the Club has been inundated with requests from fans for
additional match programmes (with all profits going to the Bill Nicholson
Memorial Fund) and copies of last night’s celebrations and full match on
DVD.
The Club sold out of match programmes on the night, but is now taking
orders for one final re-print. The Aston Villa match DVD will also be available
shortly and fans can pre-order their souvenir DVD now. You can CLICK HERE
to order your 125 Anniversary programme at £10 (with all profits going to the
Bill Nicholson Memorial Fund). You can CLICK HERE
to order a copy of the 125 Anniversary match DVD featuring the entire match and
all the pre-match celebrations for just £9.99 You can CLICK HERE
to purchase the special 125th Anniversary Match T-shirt for £10, again, all
profits from the sale of this t-shirt will be donated to the Bill Nicholson
Memorial Fund. At this historic match the team were adorned in the Special
Edition 125 Anniversary Kit. You can CLICK
HERE to order your Special Edition 125 Anniversary Shirt. During the
pre-match programme at the 125th Anniversary Match, excerpts were shown of our
‘Spurs at 125’ DVD. This remarkable DVD commemorates 125 years of Tottenham
Hotspur Football Club. It recounts our history, celebrates the great
players, the glorious matches and the spectacular goals. It also contains rare
behind the scenes footage from the present day. Jurgen Klinsmann, Glenn Hoddle,
Dave Mackay, David Ginola, Daniel Levy and Sir Alan Sugar feature among the long
list of exclusive interviews that help paint this comprehensive and stylish
picture of Spurs. CLICK HERE
to purchase your copy for £19.99 At half time Glenn Hoddle made a draw for the
winning ticket of the 125 Anniversary Raffle. Mr Tony Scott from Stevenage was
the holder of the winning ticket to win a Tottenham Hotspur Opus.
Thank you
to everyone who purchased a raffle ticket that helped raise more money for the
Bill Nicholson Memorial Fund.

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/125souvenirs.html

Jenas backs Jol

Courtesy of SkySports-

Jenas: Jol support
Jermaine Jenas has voiced his support for beleaguered
Tottenham manager Martin Jol.
Despite a stirring fight-back from 4-1 down
against Aston Villa on Monday, speculation about Jol's future has still not gone
away.
Jenas insists the Dutchman is the man to turn around Tottenham's
fortunes after successfully guiding the club to fifth place for the last two
seasons.
"The manager has got us to where we are today," the midfielder told
Sky Sports News.
"We have had two top-five finishes and we went quite far in
the cups last year.
"We want to build on that. We know we are underachieving
in the league at the minute but everyone's fully supporting him.
"We were in
a similar situation last year and once the games started coming thick and fast
with Europe and the cup competitions we started to keep those clean sheets and
get a few wins."
Pressure
Jenas has dismissed the argument that the
pressure on Jol is affecting the players.
He explained: "I don't think it's
a matter of pressure. We're trained to deal with these situations and a lot of
us have been in these situations before.
"You just have to go back to your
experience and I'm sure we'll come through it."
Tottenham have had few
problems in attack but have conceded 16 goals so far in the Premier League.
Jenas does not believe the blame lies solely with the defence and has urged
all of his team-mates to raise their game.
"It's not the defence, it's the
team," he said.
"As good as you can be going forward and scoring goals, you
have to be just as good at keeping clean sheets.
"That's a team thing and it
starts from the centre-forwards, through the midfield and the whole of the
defence."

Linked here: http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_2774181,00.html

"Daws on all Fours"

Courtesy of the Official Site-

Michael Dawson admitted he didn't know whether to laugh or cry after the
incredible 4-4 draw against Aston Villa in our 125 anniversary game on Monday
night.
Dimitar Berbatov opened the scoring and things looked to be going to
plan on this fantastic occasion until Villa took over - scoring four goals
without reply to lead 4-1 with a little over 20 minutes left.
But the lads
found something. Pascal Chimbonda bagged the all-important second goal after
Jermain Defoe struck the post for 4-2, Robbie Keane slotted home a penalty after
Darren Bent was bundled over in the box and Younes Kaboul completed the comeback
with a goal and celebrations that will be remembered for a long time to
come.
"It was so disappointing to give away four goals and at 4-1 we looked
dead and buried but it was all about the spirit of the lads - we never give
up," reflected Michael.
"At half-time we said it was about us and that
we had to believe in ourselves.
"At 4-1 we said we couldn't concede anymore,
hoped they might drop off and that's what happened. We took the game to them and
when Pascal got the goal to make it 4-2 we all believed we could get something
out of the game.
"We got a point after being 4-1 down and although we
weren't happy to have been in that position it showed the passion and the
commitment of the team to get back into it. We also wanted to do it for the fans
on such a special occasion for the club."
So what about those celebrations?
Where was Michael? "It was crazy! I ran over to Tom, I saw Younes' shirt on the
floor, picked it up and told him to get it back on quickly! I think I was last
back in position. We all thoroughly enjoyed the moment."

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/dawsonallfours021007.html

Keane's take on "the Comeback."

By Simon Burnton, The Guardian

As White Hart Lane echoed to home fans' jeers at half-time it seemed that
last night might end with Martin Jol finally being hounded out of Tottenham. As
he said later: "I don't even want to think about it if we would have lost." But
after Younes Kaboul's injury-time equaliser against Aston Villa completed an
astonishing comeback for the home side, who were 4-1 down with 21 minutes to
play, most of Jol's team raced towards the bench to celebrate with their
manager, who appears to retain the enthusiastic support of the players."You
should have seen him when we scored the goal," Keane said. "He had the support
from everyone. He's shown what a good manager he is over the past couple of
years. To come back from 4-1 down is unbelievable. You talk about dead and
buried but we showed lots of character. That's what we have in this team."Jol
was unhappy to be the centre of attention, insisting last night was "not about
me". "I don't think I've ever been involved in a game like this," he said. "I
don't know what to feel. It was awful but on the other hand it was a big
celebration at the end. We came back from the death and that was a big positive.
We could have won it at the end."Before the game Tottenham paraded a group of
club legends as they marked their 125th anniversary, but if the home side were
celebrating it was Villa who provided the fizz, initially at least. "At
half-time we said we have to play for the shirt and give everything," said Jol.
"They did that."But the 51-year-old was unwilling to be drawn into a discussion
about his future. "It was a night about football," he said. "I don't want to
think about negative things. It's not about results or the league, it's about
the celebration. We spoiled that, and it was awful to concede the goals like we
did. But my family are all in the Marines and a commander never leaves his
troops. If he does that he's lost. I kept my head cool."

No link today.

"Jol's Pride"

Courtesy of the Official Site-

Martin Jol reflected on our incredible comeback against Villa on a 125
night to remember at the Lane and declared: "We'll never throw the towel
in."
After a fantastic parade of legends to the sight of 36,000-plus fans
waving commemorative flags, it looked like the evening was going to fall flat as
Villa surged into a 3-1 lead at the break and then 4-1 ahead just before the
hour.
But the lads collectively found something as Pascal Chimbonda made it
4-2 after 69 minutes, Robbie Keane slotted home a penalty after 82 and then
Younes Kaboul lashed into the top corner in injury time to send players,
management and fans delirious.
"It was all about giving the supporters a
celebration and we spoiled that by conceding similar goals to what weve conceded
before and that felt awful," reflected Martin at the Lane.
"In the second
half we said we had to play for the shirt and do everything possible, to give
everything and I think the players did that. Having said that, at 4-1 it felt
horrible, to say the least.
"I tried to keep my head cool and hope for better
and the players have to do it - all I could do was make
substitutions.
"The feeling was one of relief when the fourth goal went
in.
"You could see the flags flying again and I'm happy for the supporters
because there was still a celebration - I don't think they will ever forget
this match."

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/jolspride011007.html

My thoughts: I was going crazy coming home from work in my car listening to the game on Sirius radio. This game made me believe that something special is still in the cards for this season. Come On You Spurs!!!

Hughton's Notes on 125th Anniversary Match v. Aston Villa

Courtesy of Official Site-

Chris Hughton gives us the rundown on Aston Villa ahead of tonight's 125
anniversary game at the Lane.
VILLA represents a tough fixture for our 125
anniversary match. I watched them beat Chelsea and although Chelsea put them
under a lot of pressure, as you would expect, Villa defended well when they
needed to. What Villa have at the moment is an abundance of pace in the forward
areas with Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young both impressing. They’ve brought
in young English players in Young, Nigel Reo-Coker, Curtis Davies and Zat Knight
and already had Agbonlahor and Luke Moore at the club. Wilfred Bouma, who has
been in and out of the side, is back in and playing regularly and that’s the
same with Martin Laursen, who was out for a while but is playing well. Olof
Mellberg has been there a while and can play centre-back or right-back. The
exciting players are Young, Agbonlahor and Gareth Barry, who played particularly
well for England last time out. John Carew was injured against Everton so that
might bring Marlon Harewood into the frame. Whatever system they play I’m sure
they’ll come to White Hart Lane determined to get a result but we are always
confident in our home form. It’s a special day for the club and let’s hope we
make it all the more special with a win.

Linked here: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/hughtonsnotes011007.html

"Hard Work Key for Berba"

Courtesy of Official Site-

Dimitar Berbatov believes continued hard graft on the training ground will
lead to an increase in his goals tally after being slow off the mark in the
scoring charts.
The Bulgarian, who netted 23 goals in his debut season in
English football, has scored just one goal so far this term and revealed that,
in goalscoring terms, he is not happy with his form. "Not at the moment," said
the striker. "It is frustrating when you cannot score but as long as the other
boys do, that is the important thing," he continued, adding that the fact that
defenders know him better now could be a factor, but not one that can't quickly
be overcome. "Maybe that is it, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't still score
and I am working hard to improve myself. Last season was really good for me and
nobody knew how I played, whereas now everybody knows how I play and it is more
difficult for me. "I'll just keep working harder, keep pushing and pushing to
get back among the goals. We stay after training to do extra shooting and the
gaffer is working with us. "If the team is winning though, it is good for me as
well. You play your game through in your head and think over what you must do
better "When you lose games it is always depressing, but you must keep your head
up and continue to work hard until your next game comes along. Monday will be a
difficult game, a special game, and we will be right for it."

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

Loan News

Courtesy of Official Site-

Lee Barnard scored his second goal in Crewe colours on Saturday, but his
team failed to press home their advantage and fell to a 3-2 defeat away at
Oldham Athletic.
It was not the best of days for our loanees with the
exception of two, with Jamie O'Hara in the Millwall side that lost 2-1 at home
to Swindon, while Ben Alnwick debut for Luton ended in a 2-0 defeat at
Huddersfield. Success was enjoyed by Phil Ifil in his first game for
Southampton, the Saints recording a 2-1 victory at Sheffield United and Charlie
Daniels, who was a 76th minute substitute and helped Leyton Orient turn a 2-1
deficit into a 3-2 victory over Bristol Rovers. Meanwhile, our Carling Cup round
four opponents Blackpool registered a 1-1 draw away at Watford in the
Championship.

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

Rumor: King out 3 months

Courtesy of Sunday Mirror-

Ledley King has been ruled out for another three months as he recovers from
a knee problem.It's a bitter blow for under-pressure Spurs boss Martin Jol as he
tries to get the club's season back on track.King has not played since England's
3-0 Euro 2008 victory in Estonia in May.It was hoped he would be back in the
next fortnight, but now it will be Christmas before he can return.Boss Jol
admits that defender King's injury has left Spurs short at the back and with the
transfer window closed he can't strengthen his squad until January.

Linked here: http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/sport/football/2007/09/30/news-flashes-king-hit-by-new-setback-98487-19871127/