Going to ring them in a little while.

Tried ringing yesterday but went through to the voicemail and I don't want to leave a message in case it sounds like I'm pissed off with them for not ringing and I don't want to jeopardise a job for something stupid like that.

Feel like I've been in purgatory or limbo for the last few days. The fact that they rang last week has probably made it worse as if I hadn't heard then I'd be expecting not to have got the job.

No news is good news as they say (whoever they are!!)

Rang the company this morning and left a message with someone for the recruitment bloke to ring me. He rang and said the reason I hadn't heard from them is that they were still awaiting authorisation for the new positions but because people were off on their hols and their deputies couldn't make the decision for them, it would probably be sometime next week before they could give a final answer. Felt better having heard that but worried I might have pissed them off by chasing up a response.

Anyway, later at work, my mobile rang. Put my customer on hold to answer my mobile - would have got a major bollocking if any managers had seen me doing this but I knew it was the company from the number calling and wasn't going to miss that call.

He said the positions had been approved so they could formally offer me a job. He went through some details and I accepted verbally. Should get the offer in writing next week. Will be sending it back recorded delivery and then my paranoia can cease.

Finally got back to my customer who'd been on hold for a few minutes and blamed the system for playing up. Think I got away with it!!

Due to start on October 6th so I've got a couple of months still where I am but there's light at the end of the tunnel at last. Told my team leader because he asked if I'd heard anything but not formally given my notice in yet.

Now got to work out where to live. Would kinda like to share with some of the other graduates to start with but the girlfriend is already planning on moving down to live with me. Think I'll be renting initially then looking to buy somewhere. Only thing that may throw a spanner in the works apart from the stupidly high house prices is that I could be moved anywhere in the country for my 2nd and 3rd year placements.

Then she had some waterworks about having to leave all her friends and family behind. Of course, I know thousands of people in Hampshire so I'll be OK. No, wait, I don't. She has just done a 49 hour week for her 1st week as a fully qualified pharmacist so I'll let her off the moods for now, caring soul that I am!!

Had to work this morning then go and collect my first 3 months supply of lenses from Specsavers. From now on they'll be sent through the post which is convenient.

Popped into McDonald's for lunch, Tried a Greek Mac. So much better than a normal Big Mac cos it leaves out the 'special' sauce and the crappy bun. The yoghurt sauce and pitta bread are much better, like a blend between a burger and a kebab.

Have spent the afternoon watching England take a beating from South Africa in the 2nd Test. It's going to take some miraculous batting or plenty of bad weather to save them this time.

Off out this evening to meet up with some old Uni mates in London. Will be staggering home in the early hours. Bought a Travelcard earlier for work so that'll cover me for the rest of the day.

Off to see Spurs play PSV Eindhoven tomorrow. First game at White Hart Lane for almost 3 months!! Waiting to hear if we've got tickets for the first away game against Birmingham. The allocation has sold out but we've got plenty of loyalty points so we should have got tickets, assuming they received our applications.

Back from the football. We lost 2-0. I'll be putting a report in the Spurs Stuff section later.

Had a quality time last night. Met quite a few new people who post on UkRag.net. It was nice to put some faces to names. Saw several old mates as well. Ended up going back to a house in Uxbridge after the pub had closed. Crashed there cos we'd got the last tube out of the city.

Took me an eternity to get home this morning. There was engineering work on just about every line I had to take.

Once I got home I had to quickly change then get a couple of buses up to White Hart Lane. Met my mate Hus in Rudolphs for a quick beer then went to my seat. My workmate Aaron eventually turned up about 5 minutes late which is par for the course with him.

Had to get the bus home as well cos the trains to Cheshunt are up the spout. I've spent about 6 hours travelling today and had far too little sleep last night. Time for a relaxing evening I think.

Was planning on stepping up my fitness regime this week, starting with a trip to the gym tomorrow before work but I'll need as much sleep as possible to recover from the weekend so the gym will have to wait until Tuesday.

The season at White Hart Lane started the way the last one finished, with the team being booed off after a defeat.

A comfortable win for the Dutch champions highlighted a few things many fans were aware of but there were some positive aspects.

Spurs lined up with a 4-4-2 formation: Keller, Carr, Taricco, Gardner, Perry, Redknapp, Anderton, Davies, Acimovic, Postiga, Keane.

Poor marking at a corner allowed PSV to take an early lead as Ji Sung Park directed a free header home off the post after just 8 minutes.

There was some impressive link up play between the midfield and the forwards but little in the way of end product. Perry's header which hit the bar with the keeper stranded was the biggest threat to the PSV goal all afternoon.

PSV, on the other hand, were carving out chances as a result of their fluent attacking with Kezman failing to convert at least 3 chances.

Davies, playing on the right of midfield, appeared to have picked up a knock and was replaced by Rohan Ricketts before the interval. The half time introduction of Bunjevcevic for Anderton did little to steel the midfield and in fact stifled the flow of several attacks as Bunje produced countless sideways and backwards passes but very few threatening balls, managing to slow the play down and allow PSV to regroup.

Ricketts on the other hand was putting in the most impressive performance I've seen from him with several surging runs and a good range of passing.

Acimovic, who had put in a display that went from the sublime to the shoddy with some outrageous pieces of skill coupled with some awful passing, was replaced shortly after the hour by Poyet, who provided more of a direct attacking option with some trademark late runs into the box

Another youngster, Dean Marney, was given 15 minutes on the right side of midfield and he linked well with Carr and made some good runs which other players didn't utilise fully.

PSV wrapped up the game just before the end as the impressive Robben broke into the box and fired home at the second attempt.

Generally the commitment of all the players can't be faulted and no-one put in a disastrous performance but neither was anyone outstanding for Spurs. The same issues as last year clearly need to be resolved. Hoddle has bought 2 young, pacy strikers and could well make it 3 with Kanoute on his way from West Ham which should ensure we don't have to suffer the way we did in January with only 1 fit forward.

The midfield stills lacks a commanding player, someone who will win the ball and shield the defence, which, despite good performances from all of the back four today, is still being overworked and eventually it will crack under pressure.

If the forwards continue to develop a partnership and the supply is improved then we shouldn't have too many problems scoring goals. But unless something is done about shoring up the midfield we will ship too many goals to achieve anything this season.

There's still 2 weeks until the season starts and almost a month until the transfer deadline closes. Hopefully Glenn has seen this problem and is working on a solution.

Next week sees us playing Sporting Lisbon who will provide another good test for the team.

Man of the Match: Rohan Ricketts

True to my word, I made it to the gym this morning. First time since before Sweden but been stupidly busy since then so I'm kind of excused. Will be going again later this week, honest.

Got my mobile phone bill today. Been seriously stung for some calls while I was in Sweden but will be claiming some money off my brother seeing as half the calls were him ringing his Swedish bird.

You wait ages for one then 3 come along at once. Frederic Kanoute has signed from West Ham in a deal which takes Matt Etherington to Upton Park.

The deal's been quoted as £3.5m with Etherington being rated as £1m of that. Again it seems we've got a good deal as a while back Liverpool were supposed to be offering vast sums to secure the services of Kanoute. Only question mark over him is his tendency to get injured - the 'twisted sock' syndrome as my next door neighbour described it - but if he can stay fit it's another experienced Premiership striker for Hoddle to pick.

I think the move was inevitable for Etherington as he struggled to convince many fans that he was worthy of a place in the team, yet spent his time moaning about his lack of first team action. His final balls left a lot to be desired, especially when he had done all the hard work and got himself into a good crossing position. His row with some fans during the Blackburn game last season didn't exactly help his cause either.

Mbulelo Mabizela played the full 90 minutes for a Spurs XI against Luton Town last night. From Hoddle's comments yesterday: "But he won't be my last signing. We've lost too many defenders to injuries and we are stretched for midfielders too. It is worrying with the season just a couple of weeks away but we've just got to get on with it and I'm still looking around," I think we can assume that he will certainly be looking to secure a deal for the South African defender with injury doubts over Richards and King at present and Gardner's previous injury problems.

Those comments also hopefully means that he feels the midfield needs strengthening rather than just bringing in players to cover for injuries.