Spurs 1 - 1 Liverpool (aet, 3 - 4 on penalties) Spurs managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and a place in the semi-finals of the Carling Cup thanks to a needless Fredi Kanoute handball gifting the Reds an equaliser from the spot 5 minutes from the end of extra time. Sinama-Pongolle netted the spotkick to make it 1-1. Jermain Defoe had given Spurs the lead 10 minutes earlier, having been introduced as a sub halfway through the second half of normal time. Prior to his arrival neither side had really looked like scoring, although Kanoute hit the bar early on and Keane wasted a couple of good chances. In the shootout, Kanoute compounded his error by having his penalty saved. Robbo pulled off a fine save to keep Spurs in it but Brown's miss was the deciding factor. Liverpool's kids didn't appear to be of the same calibre as the young sides fielded by Arsenal and Man United in this competition with no one really standing out for them. Spurs had started brightly but were made to pay for not scoring in the period they dominated and Liverpool improved after they settled. Kanoute received much criticism for his handball, which was inexplicable, but prior to that he'd turned in a man of the match performance with his workrate and holding the ball up and looked like he was getting back to the all-round form he showed prior to the African Nations Cup last season. MOTM: Robinson. A couple of vital saves during the match and another in the shootout but to no avail.

13.1.05 22:51 Permalink / 1 Comment / comment

Spurs 2 - 0 Boro Spurs finally registered their first league win under Martin Jol as goals from Jermain Defoe and Fredi Kanoute were enough to see off a Boro team forced to play the entire second half with only 10 men follwing the dismissal of Frank Queudrue for a 2 footed tackle on Pamarot. Rohan Ricketts started a game for the 1st time this season following his loan spell at Coventry with Michael Brown making way. Atouba slotted in at left back for the injured Edman, allowing Ziegler to start on the left of midfield. The first half was relatively poor with Defoe coming closest when he pounced on a rebound off the wall from his free kick. But with Schwarzer struggling to get across to it, the ball went narrowly wide. Carrick's long range effort a minute later was straight down the throat of Schwarzer who held it comfortably. 5 minutes later came the usual defensive uncertainty with Naybet and then King failing to clear their lines. Fortuantely Atouba got across to block Boateng's shot. 10 minutes before the break Spurs showed signs of the attacking prowess Jol has promised to try and build into the team. Keane and Ziegeler worked the ball down the left and Ziegler played Defoe in but his left foot shot went over. Boateng was booked for protesting over Queudrue's red card and Robbie Keane then got in the way of Defoe's goal bound shot with Schwarzer out of his goal. 3 minutes after the break, Pamarot played a sweet ball through to Mendes who squared it for Defoe to clip home at the near post, taking him into double figures for the season but also earning himself a booking for taking his shirt off. He'll now miss the Cup game against Liverpool on Wednesday as it was his 5th caution of the season. Shortly afterwards it looked like Spurs had sprung Boro's offside trap but as Keane successfully lobbed Schwarzer, the assistant referee had raised his flag. Atouba headed straight at Schwarzer and Ziegler shot at him from 30 yards. Defoe then fired over after some more good passing. Kanoute came on for Keane halfway through the second half and his efforts in pressurising the opposition were rewarded when Schwarzer hurried his kick and it rebounded off Kanoute and into the goal With 10 minutes left, Robinson was finally called into action, tipping Downing's free kick around the post. Spurs had 3 further chances to extend their lead but Reiziger came to Schwarzer's rescue after he misjudged Ziegler's corner. Carrick then shot wide after Schwarzer cleared the ball straight to him, again under pressure from Kanoute. The last chance saw Ziegler's cross from the left just evade Kanoute's outstretched leg. Another good showing from Ziegler on the left. Atouba never fails to amaze as he looks like a world beater one minute and then like he's never seen a football before the next. Pedro Mendes and Carrick were able to exert more influence on the game and still protect the back four. Ricketts didn't really get into the game but didn't do much wrong with the ball when he was in possession. Once Pamarot starts to come forward a bit more I think that will help whoever is playing right midfield as that's been the problem position all season.  The defence looked more comfortable today, handling Viduka and Hasselbaink well. Naybet was still a bit ponderous on the ball and either got caught in possession or gave the ball away when rushed a bit too often. Up front, Defoe was his usual lively self and finished superbly for his goal. Kanoute will hopefully learn that effort leads to reward and up his work rate in future games to match that of his cameo appearance today. Keane still looks a bit out of sorts but his disallowed goal and some of his movememt showed why Jol & co should perservere with him. The result mattered more than the performance today but both were pleasing. We may have had a bit of luck with the sending off and for the 2nd goal but it was long overdue. Whether or not we'd have won against a full strength Boro side is hard to say but the 3 points should be a big boost going into Wednesday's cup tie and then away to Blackburn who have been slowly improving under Mark Hughes. MOTM: Defoe. Super goal and his all round play was top notch today. Silly booking but at least it's only a cup tie he's missing. I'd rather him raring to go at Ewood next week. Atouba deserves an honourable mention for his 'entertaining' approach to football Pos Club P W D L F A Pts 13 Tottenham 15 4 4 7 14 17 16

28.11.04 23:40 Permalink / 3 Comments / comment

Spurs 4 - 5 Arsenal Spurs managed to put 4 past the Gooners at White Hart Lane but a series of defensive errors meant that they didn't even take a point from the game. With Erik Edman returning to the side after concussion, the side that Martin Jol put out was just about as strong as it could be as both sides sought to return to winning ways in the Premiership. Spurs started brightly and were the only team to create any chances in the opening half hour. 10 minutes before half time Carrick delivered an in-swinging free kick which the Arsenal players all missed and it fell to Naybet, who controlled it on his chest before volleying home left footed. What a time to score your first goal for the club, although he picked up a harsh booking for his goal celebration. A minute later Vieira almost deflected Ziegler's free kick over Lehmann but the Arsenal keeper just managed to tip it over for a corner. Just as it looked like Spurs would deservedly go in ahead at the break, Henry controlled and long ball and managed to steer it past Robinson. The Spurs players looked shell shocked when they come out after the break and were unable to re-establish their dominance on the game. Arsenal could have taken the lead just minutes into the 2nd half as Ljungberg's cross found it's way to Reyes but he shot tamely straight at Robinson. They did manage to take the lead when King got in the way of Robinson as he went to clear the ball. Spurs then failed to clear their lines and the ball eventually got put through to Ljungberg who looked offside but he went round Pamarot and went down as they tangled in the box. Referee Bennett predictably pointed to the spot and Lauren scored, sending Robbo the wrong way. 5 minutes later and another defensive error led to another Arsenal goal. Naybet played King into trouble. Vieira won the ball and had a clear route to goal before dinking the ball over Robbo. Almost immediately Spurs replied. Defoe picked up the ball and surged past 5 Gooners before curling a shot into the top corner. A fantastic goal witnessed by Sven and possibly the best player ever to wear the number 18 shirt at White Hart Lane, Jürgen Klinsmann - there to see if Lehmann is any better than Ollie Kahn. On this display, er, certainly not.  Halfway through the 2nd half, Arsenal restored their 2 goal cushion after Spurs gave away possession. Ljungberg received the ball and slotted home. Spurs "never say die" attitude under Jol was evident again as 5 minutes later Carrick's free kick was headed home by King. The scoring wasn't finished yet as again the margin widened to 2 goals in Arsenal's favour as Henry squeezed the ball through to Pires who used some nifty footwork before rolling the ball home from a tight angle. The final goal came after Henry played a sloppy pass in his own half. The impressive Ziegler raced onto it and played a delightful ball over the top for substitute Kanoute to direct past Lehmann. Spurs pressed for an equaliser but it wasn't to be as Davies fired wide as the clock ran down. All in all I think we can take a lot of positives from the game. 4 well worked goals against a team as good as that lot. Unfortunately they will pounce on every defensive lapse and there were far too many of them. Under Santini I doubt we would have stood a chance as the defensive lapses would probably have still been there but with no attacking threat. From Jol's comments after all 3 games so far, he seems to be very astute and has picked up on the problem areas and I'm sure that in future we will see Naybet and co. bang the ball away more often instead of faffing around near their own box. However an improvement in results is vital. Under Jol we've probably played the best football all season but with very little end result. Villa away won't be easy but if we can recreate our first half performance - for a full 90 minutes for a change - then there's no reason we can't get something out of it. MOTM:- Ziegler. The Swiss youngster's movement caused plenty of problems for the Arsenal's right side. His link up play with Edman was good and will hopefully continue to develop. The ball he played for Kanoute's goal was about as perfect as you could ask for and he made a fool out of Lauren early in the 1st half, playing the ball through his legs and sprinting around him with ease. Pos Club P W D L F A Pts 14 Tottenham 13 3 4 6 12 16 13

14.11.04 14:24 Permalink / 3 Comments / comment

Spurs go for Jol Martin Jol has been confirmed as the new head coach of Spurs. Jol has been waiting in the wings since Jaques Santini's resignation was announced on Friday. The decision is not really a surprise as it is rumoured Frank Arnesen wanted Jol to get the job in the summer but Daniel Levy wanted to get a big name in having kept the Spurs fans waiting so long. Jol seems to be more offensive minded than Santini whose initial success at the Lane was based on solid but unspectacular defensive performances. Jol seems to appreciate the traditions of the club and hopefully he'll prove over the next 2 and a half years of his contract that he is the right man to bring us success. Another good thing about Jol was his willingness to change it around on Saturday when things weren't going well. The introduction of Ziegler and Carrick helped the shape of the team and 2 players who were not performing to the expected standards were hauled off. Good luck Martin. A win against the Scum would help you settle in no end!

8.11.04 20:55 Permalink / 1 Comment / comment

Spurs 2 - 3 Charlton In the first game since the surprise departure of Jaques Santini, Spurs managed to do what the failed to achieve in the 11 League games under his control - score twice. Unfortunately poor defending had already gifted Charlton a 3 goal start so the comeback merely served to preserve a bit of pride rather than gain any points. Martin Jol opted to bring Redknapp and Kanoute into the starting line up at the expense of Brown and the injured Davis. Keane was forced into playing on the left side of midfield, a position he is not suited to and his natural tendency to drift inside allowed Charlton plenty of room on their right and also meant we were lacking any natural width as Simon Davies is not a natural right winger either. Keane was more effective when he came inside but no player seemed inclined to fill in for him and Bunje was not willing to provide any kind of offensive threat. Charlton were 2-0 up at the break thanks to a brace from Shaun Bartlett. For his first he got in front of his man and swept home Thomas' cross. The second, 5 minutes before the break saw him head home a deep cross from ex-Spur Luke Young. Those were Charlton's only 2 chances in the entire 1st half but they made them count. In contrast, Spurs created a few good openings but each time either the final ball was poor or the shot was wayward. Jol's response was to whip off Davies at halftime and send on Reto Ziegler to play on the left. The other midfielders were all shuffled across to accommodate this and we started to look like we had a better shape. At this point, too many Spurs players stood off Jerome Thomas and allowed him to get in a shot which deflected off King and past the unlucky Robinson who had no chance with any of the goals. Spurs suddenly came to life with Kiely saving from Keane and Kanoute's 25 yard drive beating Kiely but slamming back off the post. The introduction of Carrick for Redknapp was pivotal. Almost instantly we had a midfielder able to get forward and link up play with the forwards. His 1st run saw him go past 2 Charlton players and feed Defoe who shot just over when a return ball to Carrick could have presented a better chance. Halfway through the 2nd half and Spurs' renewed effort paid dividends. Kiely failed to claim a cross and Ziegler fired in a goalbound shot which Bartlett palmed away. Bartlett saw red and Keane's penalty was too good for Kiely. No clear cut chances came our way for the next 10 minutes or so but the pressure was starting to tell on Charlton. Eventually their skipper Holland underhit a pass which Keane snapped up and then played a lovely weighted ball to Defoe who swivelled and fired past Kiely. Charlton sub Euell had a chance to settle it for the visitors when he sprung the offside trap. Robbo raced out to meet him but he lifted the ball over him only to see it drift wide. From then until the final whistle it was constant attacking from Spurs but they were unable to snatch that vital 3rd goal. All in all a disappointing result but we can take heart from the last half hour and particularly the impact Carrick had once on as a sub. Surely he must start against the Gooners next week. We did look better going forward although shakier at the back - Edman can't recover from his concussion soon enough. If we can play for a full 90 minutes and further improve the standard of supply to the front men then we will get back to winning ways soon. MOTM:- Carrick. Provided the catalyst for the comeback with good passing and movement. Showed that he is the quality player we hoped we were getting. Pos Club P W D L F A Pts 12 Tottenham 12 3 4 5 8 11 13

7.11.04 15:29 Permalink / 4 Comments / comment

Santini resigns as Spurs head coach Statement from the official site: "The Club tonight announced that its Head Coach, Jacques Santini, will leave White Hart Lane. Santini, who joined the Club at the start of the season, requested the move after deciding to return to France for personal reasons. Martin Jol, First Assistant Coach, will take charge of the team for tomorrow’s game against Charlton Athletic and a further announcement will be made on Monday 8 November, 2004." This has come as a complete bolt from the blue. Jaques had been getting criticisms from some corners recently regarding his lack of comment following Bill Nick's death, recent results and the general lack of attacking play from his team But surely none of these things would have driven him to quit? I'm not going to speculate on the cause(s) of his resignation as I'm sure the tabloids will be doing just that over the next few days. Hopefully the players won't let it affect them too much and will go out and win tomorrow to get our season back on track. Au revoir Jaques.

5.11.04 20:10 Permalink / 5 Comments / comment

Bill Nicholson - Passing of a Spurs legend Bill Nicholson 1919 - 2004 It was announced yesterday the Bill Nicholson, President of Tottenham Hostpur Football Club had passed away aged 85. Bill Nick was the most successful manager the club has ever had and altogether gave almost 70 years service to the club, starting on the groundstaff at the age of 16. He made over 400 appearances for the club, winning the Second and First Division titles in successives season as part of the 'Push and Run' side at the start of the Fifties. He became manager in 1958 and in the 60-61 season guided Spurs to the first League and Cup double of the 20th century. The FA Cup was retained the following year giving Spurs the chance to become the first British club to win a European trophy, which they duly did by winning the Cup Winners' Cup. The FA Cup was secured again in 1967 and then at the start of the Seventies a UEFA Cup triumph was sandwiched between two League Cups. Bill left the club as manager in 1974 but returned as a consultant and scout in 1976 before being appointed club President in 1991. Throughout his managerial career Nicholson stuck to his beliefs with the emphasis on style and players encouraged to show their skills. Bill gave us those Glory, Glory Days and for that as a Spurs fan I will be forever grateful. RIP Bill Nick

24.10.04 15:46 Permalink / 3 Comments / comment

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