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Paul's Footie Page
31/05/01 Ins and Outs.
05/05/01 Tottenham 0 Aston Villa 0 Devoid of excitement. Devoid of incident. Devoid of
interest. Devoid of a decent review. 22/04/01 Liverpool 3 Tottenham 1 17/04/01 Tottenham 0 Chelsea's Foreign Legion 3 Can't say I'm surprised. Didn't help our cause when we had a dodgy sending off (Korsten). Three good goals though. Just what we didn't need was to get another player (Perry) injured. Not that I can say that we will miss him much. Good that the youngsters got a chance - they made up most of the team. At least we can use the rest of the season to experiment, and give said youngsters some more first team experience. 14/04/01 Sunderland 2 Tottenham 3 2-nil down after 12 mins and came back to win 3-2. Not quite sure how we did it. Managed to get yet another player injured (King) but Gardner seemed to slot in well. Two goals from Doherty must now make him one of our leading scorers this season. Not sure what his best position is (striker or defender) but previously when up front, he has struggled. A week ago I thought we'd probably end the season on 45 points. We now have 45 points and not completely out of the Euro race, although it is obviously a long shot considering we have to play Liverpool (a) Villa (h) Leicester (a) & Man Utd (h) and all of that after Chelsea at home on Tuesday. A bit of a tough run-in methinks.
Sounded a bit like the Arsenal game in reverse. Bradford goal under constant pressure and only the heroics of Walsh kept us at bay. Iversen knocked unconscious (again) and will be a fight to get him back for the weekend. Davies continued his impressive settling in and could well replace Anderton on a more regular basis. At least we should now be safe from relegation (although only 7 points off a UEFA cup place!). 08/04/01 Firstly I have to say that over the 90 minutes, we were outplayed and beaten by a better side and Sullivan was outstanding. With that out of the way I have a few points to make. 1. Small moan : Officials - hello? what sort of game did you have? Constant fouling on Ferdinand and no earlier yellow card for Viera. 2. Medium moan : Hoddle's tactics. We have the players to play 5-3-2. We do not have the players to play 5-2-3 or 3-4-3 or whatever it was supposed to be. Especially playing with 3 strikers. It ended up as 5-2-2-1. I wonder why we got hammered down the flanks!?! 3. Big moan : Sol Campbell - lost us the game. Our main plan was to score and then defend like hell, and we were getting away with it until he unnecessarily took out Parlour, got booked, got injured, they scored while he was off the pitch and he never came back on. Can now use rest of season to prepare for next. 02/04/01 Hoddle back at the Lane You heard it exclusively here as early as December last year (see Ipswich review). Today Hoddle was finally installed as the new Manager of Tottenham - the prodigal son has returned. Don't get me wrong, I was pleased when Graham took over and had no issues with the Arsenal connections, but he just hasn't done the job he should have. OK you might say, but Hoddle is unproven. Well he did wonders with Swindon, was not at Chelsea for long enough to develop the foundations he laid, was doing a great job with England until his gaffe, and let's face it, anyone who can take Soton to 8th in the league deserves a chance. However, we must be patient. He is not going to turn it around this year and I vow not to give him too much stick next year if things are slow to turn around. But at the minute it seems like a perfect match and I'm quite excited at the prospect of a new era at the Lane. Let's start by winning the cup this year. 31/03/01 Arsenal 2 Tottenham 0 Haven't yet seen the highlights and don't really care. Sounds like we were outplayed and considering the team we had out - not a surprise. Managed to hold on until conceding two late goals. Team in limbo with Hoddle still not officially installed. Don't think we really wanted to win this as wouldn't have done us any favours for next week. So roll on the cup and hopefully with missing players back, next Sunday will be a different story.
Tottenham 3 Coventry 0 Three good goals, sounded like an excellent team performance and three much needed points. Nice to see Iversen back, and back scoring. If we get results like this every week, Pleat can stay in charge for as long as he likes. Next 2 games are Arsenal followed by um, Arsenal. Just as long as we win the second one, that will do for me. A repeat of the Charlton and then Charlton games will do. 11/03/01 West Ham 2 Tottenham 3 As previously mentioned I was on hols so have only seen the highlights of 2 of the goals. Great free-kick by Pearcey and a cracker from Rebrov. Get the impression that it was a good game and we played very well. Semi final might be a bit tricky but I don't see any reason why we can't do it (other than not having a Manager obviously!). Anyway, there are no easy games at this stage in the cup (unless of course you are Liverpool and get a bye into the final). I arrived back from hols just (literally) as the George Graham story was breaking on SKY. Not sorry he has gone, to be honest. Think a good cup run has disguised terrible league form. Just a bit surprised by the timing. Don't think we'll ever get to the bottom of it, some strange stuff coming out now. Big question now is when will Hoddle start? 3/3/01 Derby 2, Derby Own Goals 1, Tottenham 0 I am gutted about this and haven't even bothered to watch the highlights. We are pathetic. If we show this sort of form next week, we have no chance of beating West Ham in the cup and our miserable season will finish then and there. We have so many tough games to come before the end of the season that it's a good job we have some points already, otherwise we would be fighting relegation. Something needs to change and soon. The current players need to buck their ideas up, we need new signings and if Graham can't SORT IT OUT QUICKLY, we need a new Manager. How we can go to Derby and lose so comprehensively is beyond me. 28/2/01 England 3 Spain 0 Yes you read it right ENGLAND 3 SPAIN 0. We scored
three goals and kept a clean sheet. Very good, very solid performance.
Didn't look in trouble at any time. Spain certainly had the better of
the first 20mins, but we were well able to cope with it. After that we
took control, scored three good goals and never looked threatened. The
team looked comfortable with he formation for a change and actually
seemed up for it, although Nicky Butt seemed out of his depth. 25/02/01 Birmingham 1 Liverpool 1 AET I'm going to be outrageous here and say that contrary to the evidence, I feel that Liverpool deserved this (and that's not just because Mr. Francis has huge hang-ups about Tottenham). Let me explain. Picture the scene, it's mid-way through the first half, Liverpool are on top, have had the best chances and are looking fairly comfortable. Gerrard is through on goal and is fouled from behind by the last defender. OK, freekick to Liverpool and a Red Card for the defender? Surely? No! An unbelievable decision that Gerrard was offside (and he was a mile ONSIDE!) so hence no foul and no card etc. For me that decision changed the game. Birmingham woke up and realised that the had to buck up and Liverpool were stunned. They did however manage a great Robbie Fowler goal to put them ahead at the break. Birmingham played much better in the second half and school boy defending gave them a penalty in injury time. During the extra time period, Liverpool were obviously shattered from mid-week and Birmingham ran riot. The Reds however hung on to take the game in to penalties (and I don't think I've ever seen better quality penalties from two sides in a shootout) and win in sudden death! 24/02/01 Tottenham 1 Dirty Diving Leeds 2 Nice of David O'Leary to keep playing Bowyer so that his fitness is at its peak for the Strangeways XI game. Maybe he can join the swimming team too after such a well rehearsed dive in the penalty area. Don't understand why we didn't get much credit from this game. Saw the highlights on the telly and we had plenty of chances - Ferdy was on fire and should have scored more! We took the lead and who knows what would have happened if the ref hadn't decided that he would like Leeds to equalise. And what was the winning goal like? Let's all just stand around and watch it trickle in at the far post. Still, they're a young side and no, Mr. O'Leary, they CAN'T win the league! Anyway at least Arsenal got HAMMERED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tottenham 4 Stockport 0 Two cracking goals from Simon Davies, a nice header from King and an own goal (that Ferdy would have scored anyway) and that about sums up the game. More chances, Stockport had a few, but then again pretty much what you would expect from this sort of cup game. All in all a very good result. West Ham away in the Quarter finals (its on the telly and I'm on holiday - ARRGGHHHH!). Will be a tough, tough game, but who knows? 10/2/01 We sooooooooooooo didn't deserve this - but hey, who cares? First away win of the season and boy was it hard work. They had a goal disallowed - for what I have no idea. And Rebrov scored a very nice goal about two mins from the end of the game. They were the highlights and there were plenty of lowlights (I'm sure that's not a word). At least it wasn't another nil nil, but close! 7/2/01 Two nil down after 50 mins and I must admit I didn't hold out much hope. But a storming second half recovery saw us through to the next round. By all accounts we did play quite well even before we got on the score sheet. Funny how after struggling to score, an own goal gets us of the mark and the floodgates opened. Poor freekick from Anderton snuck in by the post followed by great strikes by Leonhardson and then Rebrov (mind you he missed enough!). Have had a good feeling about the cup this year from the start - I just hope I don't end up regretting saying that. Bring on Stockport! 3/2/01 Hello there, Geoff here!!!!! - "What can I say? Liverpool put
in another master performance and, by all accounts, out fought the
Hammers as well as out-foxed them. It is looking as though Anfield is
becoming the fortress it once was. Answers on a postcard to the usual address." Now, if only Spurs could play like the mighty Liverpool, Paul wouldn't have to write up boring scoreless draws. 31/1/01 OK. How bored am I getting of reviewing nil - nil draws? That's 3 on the trot. (mind you that's also 4 clean sheets in a row). Nice move for Andy Booth on loan - and why not? Worth a try. At least he found the net, even if it was ruled out for offside. The Hammers had one disallowed too and Rebrov really should have done better on 2 occasions. So next to come it's Charlton followed by Charlton. If we only win one of the two, let's hope it's the latter. 20/1/01 We hit the bar. They didn't. Erm. that's about it really. 13/1/01 OK and you thought Geoff's review was short. As far as I can tell this game consisted of Kevin Campbell having two chances he should have scored and Spurs fielding a patched up injury ridden side. A point away from home and a clean sheet is about as good as it gets. Other than that, fairly dire. Good job Sven didn't go to Goodison on Saturday (not that he was likely to really). 6/1/01 Any win is a good win in this sort of a tie. We played well but are still nervous away from home. Created some great chances but couldn't quite get the finishing touch - and when we did we were thwarted by the 'keeper. Another Doherty goal in injury time saved the need for a replay. Orient will feel that they did enough to get a game at the Lane, but really in the end we deserved it and a good result. Praying for a nice tie at home in the next round. Tottenham 4 Newcastle 2 OK. Where to start? Solano runs through to put Newcastle 1 nil up and I'm thinking 'here we go again'. Ten minutes later we are 3-1 up and have missed a penalty. Here's how it went. First a great header from Doherty (he's playing much better as a defender) to level it up. Then Anderton fouled? in the area, steps up and blasts home. Solano then handles on the line and is sent off. Anderton misses the spot kick. Next is by far the best moment of the evening - a sublime goal from Rebrov with the outside of his right foot. Second half got even stranger. Sullivan adjudged to have fouled Dyer in the box (never a foul - and Spurs are appealing the decision), Sully is sent off and Newcastle score from the spot. Five mins later Dyer thinks he is fouled again and when he doesn't get the decision, mouths off at the linesman. You don't have to be great at lip-reading to work it out and he too goes for an early bath. Finally Ferdy steps up with a header close to the end to make the points safe. Not sure there is much else I can add to that lot. A welcome 3 points. 30/12/00 Ipswich 3 Tottenham 0 27/12/00 Southampton 2 Tottenham 0 Shocking. We were so poor for most of this game and the second half nearly sent me to sleep. Ironically, right up until they scored we looked by far the better team and really should have taken one of the chances. But after conceding we just didn't look up for it as heads dropped. Really do think the first goal was handball as it gave Beattie an advantage, but don't get me wrong, all in all, we got just what we deserved. What I cannot understand is why after playing a successful formation and beating Liverpool, Leicester, and nearly Bradford, Arsenal and Middlesbrough, do we change tactics to cope with the might of Southampton? No-one looked comfortable with it and the front two were atrocious. Armstrong seems to have rediscovered his touch from early last season. Need to improve soon, as I too might start wondering about the future of Mr. Graham. Quick note about Alan Sugar - think the time was right for him to move on but we must make sure we don't forget what he has done in terms on stabilising a club in crisis (financially). But for him, we might be in an even worse state. Tottenham 1 Middlesbrough 1 18/12/00 Tottenham 1 Arsenal 1
This game left me exhausted. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the
second half. I thought we played really well and although we were under
pressure for much of the second half, I thought we coped well. Sullivan
was magnificent and if Steven Carr played for Man Utd. he would be praised
daily - he is superb and it's time he was recognised a bit more for it.
Anyway, our goal - an interesting 'was it wasn't it' offside - but Rebrov
was not offside and I think that allowing the goal was really in keeping
with the spirit of the rule. Was Ferdy fouled in the build up to their
goal? I think it would have been a harsh decision to give. Either side
could (and should) have scored more and all in all a draw was a fair
result. Just getting a bit fed up with the amount of fouls given against
Ferdinand (see review of 9/12/00 Bradford 3 Tottenham 3 Still can't believe we let a 3-1 lead slip. Ledley King with the fastest ever Premiership goal, just a shame it wasn't very good. Other than that, same old story really - decent finishing but sloppy defending. Need to see Benni's goal again as it looked suspiciously offside to me. Oh well it's a good job our next game is only against our main rivals who have suddenly hit form again and just scored 5 goals otherwise it might be a tricky fixture. At least it's on the telly and we seem to be bucking the trend this year and performing well on the box. Anyway, nice to see Ipswich doing well. Mind you it does help when the team you're playing leave their only 'on form' striker on the bench who comes on as a sub and misses a sitter (and I do mean a sitter). Roll on the Gunners. 7/12/00 Liverpool 2 Olympiakos 0 Decent game, they played well, were a bit lucky but sharper up front at the end of the day (Smicer excepted obviously). I am reminded of a quote from after the mauling Liverpool received at White Hart Lane. "yes it was a penalty, but sometimes you don't get those decisions away from home". Hmmmmm. Sander Westerveld - you are the weakest link, Goodbye! 2/12/00 Man Utd 2 Tottenham 0 Well, can't say I'm upset. As a Spurs fan you don't expect to get anything from Old Trafford at the moment. By all accounts we acquitted ourselves well and could have nicked a point up until their second goal. I guess my only disappointment was that both goals were a bit soft. Carr easily turned by Scholes (but excellent finish) and very sloppy mistake that gifted Solskjaer the second. It'll be interesting to see how we perform at Bradford next weekend. 26/11/00 Tottenham 3 (yes 3!) Leicester 0 WOW. What I am more impressed with?
Another 3 points? That we beat Leicester? That we kept a clean
sheet? Or that Les scored three goals? Hard to tell. Back in the days when
£6m was a lot of money, Les was expensive. Maybe he is now at last going
to pay us back. His first hat-trick for Spurs - says it all really. Three
decent goals and a good performance. Taggart Olympiakos 2 Liverpool 2
Who cares? The question is how could the BBC possibly take off Buffy to screen
this? I demand a full Public Enquiry and am left quite disgusted by the whole
thing! 20/11/00 Tottenham Hotspur 2 Liverpool 1 17/11/00 Ok, I'm tempted to say I take it all back and I
eat my words, - BUT NO! Geoff as you might have guessed has had a little bit
more spare time than me lately and has done reviews of Liverpool every week (How
boring must that be?) Anyway it's quality not quantity is all I can say. To
recap..... Rebrov - I stand by my earlier comments. Sullivan - likewise.
Thatcher - I hope he improves soon. I will not dwell on the past except to say
that we need some new players and in particular 2 new central defenders. Big
game on Sunday, 20/8/00 I'll leave Geoff to do the Liverpool stuff as I haven't heard of most of their Summer signings and certainly can't pronounce half of them. For our part, Spurs have actually signed some quality players this Summer. Sergi Rebrov should provide a more constant threat up front this year and if the other strikers can stay fit we may be able to pick at least one on-form striker every game. Iversen seems to get better by the season and Armstrong appears to be back on form after a rather intermittent year. If Ferdinand lasts more than 3 games it will be a bonus. Ben Thatcher's arrival from Wimbledon should shore up the left side of defence, but for me the best catch (no pun intended) was Neil Sullivan on a free. How Ian Walker went from the form he showed as a possible England keeper, to the debacle of last season is beyond me. If Sully can command the defence as Walker never did, we might stop leaking goals. Ginola to Villa. Good Luck to him. I think £3m is good business. He is fantastic to watch, but not what we need right now. He lit up a dull season for us, but is not a good team contributor. I'd sooner have Zenden and £8m sounds like a bargain. We have other creative players who may be able to produce more this year without worrying about mopping up after David. All that's left is for us to buy another central defender (why no deal for Southgate or Ehiogu as part of the Ginola transfer?). Watch out for us this year. I think we may surprise you. And if I have to eat my words in a few weeks time, it will be nothing new, I've had years of experience.
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