HotSpurs Porn

Bassong Brings Joy To The Lane

2009-08-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

New signing Sebastien Bassong's second-half header handed Tottenham an opening dat 2-1 victory against Liverpool this afternoon at White Hart Lane.

Spurd boss Harry Redknapp handed Bassong a debut in central defence alongside Ledley King. The only surprise came upfront, where the diminutive Defoe and Keane were paired together.

In a scrappy opening, there was little of note and the first shot on target did not come until well into the second quarter of the match.

With Spurs on top throughout the opening period, Robbie Keane wasted three good chances to convert the advantage into a lead.

However, a minute before the break Tom Huddlestone fired a free kick into the Liverpool defensive and Cameroonian left-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto lashed the rebound into the top corner from 25 yards. A real lift to Spurs going into the break.

And it was the home side that started off stronger in the second period also - and Wilson Palacios nearly doubled the lead with a rasping drive, only to be denied by an acrobatic tip over from the excellent Pepe Reina.

Spurs paid for the previous profligacy a minute later when Gomes needlessly brought down Glen Johnson in the corner of the box, after the full-back broke through the Tottenham defence. Gerrard made no mistake from the spot.

The lead lasted for just 200 seconds, as Bassong rose well to meet Modric's cross with an excellent header to cap a tremendous performance from the debutant.

Liverpool pressed for an equaliser in the last fifteen minutes and were denied a decent penalty shout when the ball seemed to strike Assou-Ekotto on the arm. Frustration got the better of both Sammy Lee, the Liverpool assistant manager, and Fernando Torres in the closing minutes. Lee was sent to the stands after the 'penalty' incident and Torres lashed out at Tom Huddlestone to earn himself a yellow card - his only contribution of note to the match.

Spurs held on for a deserved victory.

MOM: Wilson Palacios

Ratings: Gomes 5; Corluka 6, Bassong 8, King 7, Assou-Ekotto 7; Lennon 7, Palacios 8, Huddlestone 6, Modric 8; Keane 5, Defoe 6

Spurs Kick Off New Season

2009-08-16T01:06:00.000-07:00

Tottenham face Liverpool this afternoon in their first Premier League match of the 2009-10 season in buoyish mood.

It has been a quiet pre-season for Harry Redknapp and his players - and there is a sense that this will lead to a more consistent season because there is a more settled team than last time around.

Despite injuries to centre backs Johnathan Woodgate and Michael Dawson and the slight knock that Jermaine Jenas picked up last week in training, Tottenham will nearly be at full strength this afternoon when they entertain Rafa Benitez's title hopefuls.

It is possible that Benitez will be without both Torres and Gerrard. If so, he will expect big perfomances from the likes of Riera, Benayoun and Kuyt if Liverpool are to come away from the match with a result.

Redknapp needs Palacios and Huddlestone to control possession and Modric, Defoe and Lennon to combine to create chances.

The big battle, however, is likely to be in the middle of the park where Wilson Palacios will pit his wits against the Argentine Javier Mascherano. Both are fine players on their day, although Mascherano is the more established Premier League player.

Expect a nervous and scrappy opening, but also plenty of chances!

Spurs probable line up:

Cudicini; Corluka, Bassong, King, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Huddlestone, Palacios, Modric; Pavlyuchenko, Defoe
SUBS: Gomes, Chimbonda, Naughton, O'Hara, Bale, Keane, Crouch

Liverpool probable line-up:

Reina; Johnson, Skrtel, Carragher, Insua; Benayoun, Mascherano, Lucas, Riera; Kuyt, Torres
SUBS: Itandje, Dossena, Degen, Plessis, Babel, Gerrard, Voronin

New Season Brings Fresh Optimism

2009-08-15T00:26:00.000-07:00

7 hours before the new Premier League season kicks off - and there's excitement aplenty.

Transfer window activity has led to heightened speculation and numerous questions arising: is Chelsea, with coach Ancelotti at the helm, the favourite, will Valencia and Owen be able to replace Ronaldo at Man U, can any of the promoted clubs stay up, is Arsenal a shadow of its former self, will it all go tits up at Eastlands?

Tottenham fans will also be keen to have a few of their own questions answered: how is David Bentley still at the football club, will Gareth Bale or the Ghetto Prince ever step foot on a football pitch again, can John Bostock break into the first team, will Robbie Keane throw his toys out of his pram, just how good can Luka Modric become?

Sunday brings a title contender, Liverpool, to White Hart Lane for our season opener. Rafa Benitez is likely to be without influential talisman Steven Gerrard, while the home side may have their three first choice centre backs missing.

It should be scrappy, and then eventually entertaining. I am predicting 2-2 - and Spurs to finish fifth
, with Defoe bagging 20 and an England starting role.

Defoe Brace Earns England Draw, Draws Capello Attention

2009-08-12T14:11:00.001-07:00

Second-half substitue Jermain Defoe scored a sharp double tonight in Amsterdam to earn England a deserved draw against World Football powerhouse Holland.

Sloppy passes by Rio Ferdinand and Gareth Barry allowed Dirk Kuyt and then Rafael Van der Vaart to put the home side two-up at the break.

But England coach Fabio Capello brought on Defoe, Carlton Cole and then James Milner for Rooney, Heskey and the disappointing Young in the third quarter of the match - and was hamdsomely repaid by the trio.

Defoe looked very sharp, even before he latched onto a looping Lampard through ball, controlled well and finished beautifully in off the post with his left foot in the 49th minute.

James Milner then took the advantage of sloppy defending from John Heitinga on the Dutch right to play in Defoe for an easy finish from five yards.

England, fluent if occasionally sloppy in the opening period, started to boss the game and pushed for a winner, but the Dutch continued to look dangerous on the break.

Capello will have much cause for optimism, but will also be very keen to stamp out the sloppy mistakes that cost England an impressive victory in this friendly.

England 2 (0) 2 (2) Holland

Scorers: Kuyt 11', Van der Vaart 38'; Defoe 49, 77'

Ratings:
Green 8; Johnson 4, Ferdinand 5, Terry 6, Cole 5 (Bridge 5); Beckham 7 (Wright-Phillips 6), Barry 4, Lampard 5, Young 4 (Milner 8); Heskey 6 (Carlton Cole 8), Rooney 6 (Defoe 9)

Pavlyuchenko outshines Crouch in Spus Victory

2009-08-09T10:10:00.000-07:00

Tottenham Hotspur beat Olympiacos 3-0 at White Hart Lane this afternoon in their final pre-season match before the new Premier League season begins.

For the 26,000+ fans that bought tickets, it was a rare chance to see some marginal squad players put in a decent shift.

Spurs lined up with Gomes in goal, Naughton and Assou-Ekotto at full-back and King and new signing Bassong in central defence, in the absence of Michael Dawson and Johnathan Woogate.

Youngster Danny Rose started on the left wing, forgotten man Bentley on the right, with young Englishmen Tom Huddlestone and Jamie O'Hara in central midfield.

Another new signing, Peter Crouch, joined Robbie Keane in attack.

Ina fairly bright start, wingers Bentley and Rose were heavily invloved, with both setting up chances for Crocuh and Keane respectively in the first quarter of an hour.

In between, Olympiacos midfielder Dudu flashed a good shot marginally wide from 25 yards.

Crouch then linked neatly with Huddlestone, only to shoot narrowly off target.

In the next fifteen minutes, everything became more disjointed until Diogo fired wide from 12 yards just before half-time, having been played in by full-back Domi.

There was much change in the second half as Cudicini, Chimbonda, Corluka, Modric, Lennon, Pavlyuchenko and Defoe repalced Gomes, Naughton, King , O'Hara, Rose, Crouch and Keane.

Defoe and Lennon forced decent saves out of visiting 'keeper Pardo as Tottenham began to dominate the match.

After 57 minutes, Mitroglou met a good Zairi cross and forced a smart save from Cudicini, but Spurs would take the lead deservedly a few minutes later.

Modric played in Lennon down the left, who cut back to Pavlyuchenko. The Russian finished with aplomb into the top of the net from 14 yards.

Another outcast came on with 20 minutes remaining for the impressive Bentley as Spurs fans finally caught a glimpse of the 'Ghetto Prince' Boateng, who almost immediately added to the score as he had a shot well saved, before Olof Mellberg denied Chimbonda a goal with a desperate block on the goal line.

30 seconds later, Pavlyuchenko added an assist to his goal as het set up Corluka in front of goal, following a Bassong flick header from Mordic's well weighted corner.

Defoe then finished off the Greek side with a great third as he sprinted clear of two defenders and drilled the ball into the bottom corner from just inside the box. Defoe and Pavlyuchenko almost added further goals in injury time.

A convincing win for Tottenham that showed two things: having four good strikers is essential in modern football; Tottenham have a lot of underused players with something to offer.

Result: Tottenham 3 (0) 0(0) Olympiakos
Scorers: Pavlyuchenko 66', Corluka 69', Defoe 78'

Ratings: Gomes 6 (Cudicini 6), Naughton 6 (Chimbonda 7), King 6 (Corluka 6), Bassong 7, Assou-Ekotto 6, Bentley 7 (Boateng 6), Huddlestone 7 (Bostock 5), O'Hara 6 (Modric 7 (Livermore 5)), Rose 7 (Lennon 7), Crouch 6 (PAVLYUCHENKO 8), Keane 5 (Defoe 7)

Redknapp Downbeat About Chances

2009-08-07T11:49:00.000-07:00

In an interview yesterday, Harry Redknapp claimed that it has become almost impossible to bridge the gap between the top four teams and the rest of the Premier League.

He cited the top clubs' spending power and exposure to top-tier European football as reasons for this gulf in class.

Despite stating that he has been happy with Tottenham's transfer activity, he said that any 'imporvement' from last season would be 'acceptable'. This will disappoint Tottenham fans, who feel that their squad and recent spending should translate into top European football.

Is Redknapp being too negative or has he been injected with a dose of reality?

I think that Tottenham should be aiming higher. With heavy investment having been made and a new stadium on the way, Spurs should be looking for Champions League football in the immediate future.

Bassong Boost Spurs' Backline

2009-08-07T10:57:00.000-07:00

Sebastien Bassong signed for Tottenham Hotspur this morning for a fee of £7 million.

The former Metz and Newcastle United Cameroonian centre-back has signed a four-year deal worth £25,000 per week and will add depth to the centre back position, where Spurs currently have their three first choice players injured.

Bassong impressed last season, despite his club's relegation from the Premier League. He cited his desire to enhance his international career and play for a 'world famous' club as reasons behind the move.

While Redknapp is hopeful that King may be able to start against Liverpool next Sundat, it seems likely that Bassong will partner Corluka in the centre, with the in-form Hutton at right-back.

Elsewhere, AC Milan has secured the signing of Tottenham target Klaas-Jan Huntelaar for £15 million. Tottenham are likely now to keep faith with their four current strikers.

Bent Twitters His Way To 50k

2009-08-06T12:59:00.000-07:00

Darren Bent signed for Sunderland Athletic this afternoon, following a highly-mediatised and frictional move from Spurs.

The 25-year-old forward has signed a five-year deal worth £50,000 a week and will cost Sunderland an initial £10 million - a fee which may rise ultimately to £16.5 million.

After a fortnight of intense speculation, protracted talks between the two club chairmen, lots of bartering and a verbal tirade against Spurs chief Daniel Levy from Bent himself on the social networking website Twitter, the dust has settled.

Both clubs can move forward positively into the new season. Sunderland in the knowledge that they ahve signed a proven Premier League goalscorer, Spurs knowing that they have recuperated the majority of the £15 million they spent on Bent two years ago.

Spurs signed Peter Crouch last month in a cut-price £10 million deal, and will feel that they have a good combination of strikers who are capable of firing the club into a European spot. Sunderland will team up Bent with Kenwyne Jones in a strong partnership.

Spurs will finish their summer's transfer dealings tomorrow morning with the £7 million signing of Newcastle's French defender Sebatsian Bassong.

2009-08-05T12:29:00.000-07:00

China Tour Ends With Defeat

2009-08-04T10:43:00.000-07:00

Spurs rounded off their tour of China with a disappointing defeat on Sunday to South China by two goals to nil.

Redknapp decided to hand a few promising youngsters starts, with Jon Obika up front and John Bostock, Jake Livermore and Danny Rose all starting in midfield.

Bostock and Russian international striker Roan Pavlyuchenko both had good chances in a closely fought first-half that the Premier League side jsut edged.

Despite Defoe coming on for Obika and Keane coming into an attacking midfield role at the break, it was the hosts that took the lead after 51 miuntes, when Chan scored a great goal, haviong brought the ball down neatly from a throw-in.

Keane hit the woodwork shortly afterwards, but South China extended their lead with 20 minutes remaining from the spot as Jake Livermore brought down Chao Peng Fei. It was a soft decision but, nevertheless, home skipper Li made no mistake and the game was up.

A shock 2-0 defeat, but the performance was better than the woeful scoreline suggested. The humidity and two previous firendlies clearly got the better of some Spurs players, whilst the youngsters failed to really impress manager Harry Redknapp.

Spurs entertain Olympiakos on Sunday at White Hart Lane in their last pre-season friendly, hoping for a better performance and a win.

Spurs win Barclays Asia Cup

2009-07-31T11:50:00.000-07:00

Tottenham Hotspur defeated Hull City 3-0 in the Workers' Stadium in Beijing, China this afternoon to win the Barclays Asia Cup.

On a humid afternoon. Spurs lined up with a strong side and piled on the early pressure - so much so that it took Robbie Keane only 15 minutes to put his side ahead. He latched on to Luka Modric's superb cross-field ball and slotted past onrushing 'keeper Tony Warner.

Despite continued pressure, Spurs went into the break with a one-goal advantage only.

Hull then had their best chances of the game within two minutes but Heurelho Gomes was alert and ready to the challenge on both occassions.

In the 69th minute, Jermain Defoe was upended in the area as he attempted to make the most of Tom Huddlestone's good ball. Robbie Keane secured his brace from the spot.

And Defoe got his just reward for a good performance in the last few minutes, after Alan Hutton combined with fellow substitute Kyle Naughton down the right flank, who in turn left Aaron Lennon with an easy finish to wrap up a comfortable win and a good tournament for Redknapp's men.

Hull were poor, it has to be said - but Spurs' paasing was sick, their movement clever.

Next up is another friendly against Sout China on Sunday and a final home match against Olympiakos at White Hart Lane.

It is almost certain that two or three will leave the club in between now and the first Premier League fixture, with the Four Bs Bale, Bent, Bentley and Boateng all struggling to fit into the squad.

Huntelaar and Bassong may join, but it seems unlikely that Vieira will join the squad, with Redknapp in the dark after an initial enquiry at the beginning of the month.

Spurs too strong for Hammers in Beijing

2009-07-29T11:35:00.001-07:00

Tottenham Hotspur continued their pre-season programme with a narrow victory over West Ham in front of a healthy crowd in Beijing.

Despite dominating possession and creating all of the best chances, it was only in the 76th minute that Jermain Defoe secured the three points, with a tame shot that crept under Robert Green's hand and rolled into the net.

The winning 1-0 scoreline did not, however, reflect Spurs' total dominance over their fellow Londoners, who barely created a decent chance all game.

Redknapp decided to keep the line-up similar to that which lost out to Celtic. He decided, however, to start with three players who play predominantly at right-back. Hutton started in his favoured position, Kyle Naughton made his first-team debut in front of Hutton on the right flank, and Corluka lined up with Tom Huddlestone in central defence again.

Keane and Jenas were rested as O'Hara had a chance to impress alingside Palcios in midfield and Pavlyuchenko partnered Defoe in the absence of Peter Crouch.

The Russian international had the opening half's best chance when he was played through by Modric - but curled his shot past Green and back off the far post.

Naughton looked very competent starting in place of Lennon and fired over early on, before flashing two ball across the goal and agonisingly out of reach of Defoe and then Keane.

Defoe wrapped up the victory nevertheless when he was played through on goal by a simple pass from Robbie Keane.

Spurs now face Hull City on Friday, after the Yorkshire side defeated Beijing Gu'oan on penalties following a 1-1 draw.

It appears that this may provide a chance for Redknapp to run his eye over defensive stalwart Michael Turner, who has been mentioned as possible cover for King, Woodgate and Dawson in central defence. It is thought that Spurs could offer Chimbinda plus £3 million for the yound Englishman.

Warm welcome in China

2009-07-28T14:35:00.000-07:00

Spurs arrived in China this morning to a warm reception from local fans and temperatures that soared to 31 degrees.

After a long flight, Robbie Keane answered a few questions and Harry Redknapp spoke of his pleasure at returning to a tournament that he won as Portsmouth manager last year.

Tottenham will face West Ham tomorrow (1100 GMT), with fans hoping to see a vast improvement on the lacklustre performances which saw the team finish third in the Wembley Cup.

Peter Crouch was not granted a visa in time to join up with the squad and Darren Bent is having talks about a proposed move to Sunderland. Other absentees include Michael Dawson, Ledley King, Johnathan Woodgate and Giovani Dos Santos.

After tomorrow's game, the squad will have Thursday to relax and take in the sights before a match against Hull City or Beijing Guo'an on Friday, and against South China on Sunday.

The squad then travels home to face Olympiakos at White Hart Lane in their final pre-season friendly.

I will bring you the score and a report tomorrow...fingers crossed!

Make Way for Mexican Marauder?

2009-07-28T11:39:00.000-07:00

While Tottenham were (not very) busy being tormented - and blunted - by Celtic's youth team and reserves, a forgotten man was busy making a name for himself on the international scene in the Gold Cup.

Juande Ramos signed Giovani Dos Santos from Barcelona for what looked to be a great bargain at £5 million, especially after the young wing wizard had hit a La Liga hat-trick in his last appearance for 'els culers'.

After initially suffering an injury that kept him sidelined for a couple of months, Dos Santos found it hard to work his way into new manager Harry Redknapp's plans, despite a couple of encouraging, albeit fleeting - performances in the UEFA Cup.

Dos Santos was desperate to get some footballing action that he took up a loan offer from 'The Tractor Boys' Ipswich Town (a far cry from the adulation he received from 96,000 Catalans), where he impressed with a few classy goals and MOM performances.

This week, he was crowned Player of the Tournamnet in the Gold Cup, after leading his national team, Mexico, to the title with three assists and two goals.

With Tottenham struggling offensively against weakened Barcelona and Celtic in the Wembley Cup and with few alternatives arising on the left flank, it is surely high time that Harry let Gio express himself in a Spurs shirt and stake his claim for a first-team spot.

This may mean selling Jermaine Jenas to Aston Villa or Inter Milan and lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, which may look like this when everyine is fit:

Cudicini

Corluka
King
Woodgate
Assou-Ekotto

Palacios
Huddlestone

Lennon
Modric
Dos Santos

Crouch

So...is there room for Dos Santos in the Spurs team or did Redknapp signing Defoe in the New Year signal the end for the luckless Mexican starlet?

Spurs agree Crouch deal

2009-07-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

He's a sly git, that Redknapp fella!

Hours after denying that any deal had materialised for England striker Peter Crouch, Tottenham has announced tonight on their website that the player has agreed personal terms and passed a medical at the club.

He could even join the other players in the Far East for their second pre-season tournament!

It seems that a compromise over the fee for the beanpolesque, robot dancing, acrobatic striker has been made.

The 28-year-old will link up with fellow England team mate Jermain Defoe at the front and surely means that Darren Bent's departure is imminent, with the ex-Charlton man seeming distracted and off the pace during his team's shock defeat to Celtic on Sunday.

http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/crouchdealagreed270709.html

Gio in Golden Form

2009-07-27T11:08:00.000-07:00

Giovani Dos Santos, Tottenham's forgotten man, was today crowned Player of the Gold Cup, the Southern American version of the European Championships.

After he won a penalty and scored a goal in a five-goal demolition of the USA in the final, he crowed:

'I am personally very happy, I felt I was getting better and improving throughout the tournament'.

He also scored in the qurater-final and cooly slotted home his sode's second penalty in their shootout semi-final victory.

He will now return to Tottenham, looking to win a place in the first team, with Bent leaving, Lennon out of form and doubts hanging over Roman Pavlyuchenko's future.

Harry Redknapp has been very reluctant to play the young Mexican - and even sent him on loan to Ipswich Town at the end of the last season. But his irresistible form will be hard to ignore, and as a versatile attacking talent who can slot in on the left flank, up front on 'in the hole', he will fancy seeing more Premier League action this year.

Bent off to North-East, not Far East

2009-07-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

It has been reported today that Tottenham and England forward Darren Bent got off the team's plane just before they headed out for a pre-season tournament in China to finalize a transfer to Sunderland.

Bent's future has been the subject of much speculation this summer, with several clubs keen to add some firepower to their ranks before the new season commences. However, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy's value of the players is greater than what many club chairmen have been prepare to pay for the 25-year-old.

Nevertheless, a compromise fee seems to have accelerated his departure from White Hart Lane, following renewed negotiations between the Mackems and Tottenham.

He will be likely be replaced by Peter Crouch, who remains in the verge of a £10 million transfer to White Hart Lane, with Spurs paying wages of £40,000 per week on a four-year deal.

Watch this space...

Sinking Spurs leave Celtic in cruise control at Wembley

2009-07-26T09:08:00.000-07:00

A second eleven Celtic side currently lead Tottenham 2-0 at Wembley, after a dominant first-half performance against a flailing Spurs team. An eighth minute header from Chris Killen and a good solo goal by Giorgios Samaras just before half-time means Spurs face an uphill struggle to win the Wembley Cup, particularly as Barcelona earlier crushed a weak Al-Ahly team 4-1 and Celtic knocked five past the Egyptians in their opener.

Harry Redknapp decided to start a strong - and largely unchanged - team for today's match but Spurs were not at the race for much of the opening period. They had plenty of possession but it was Celtic's clinical finishing that was most evident.

Spurs started the second half brightly, with substitutes Livermore and Modric, and O'Hara all having chanced to reduce the arrears. However, they still remain two goals behind their guests and face a humiliating defeat in front of many of their supporters, a real setback in an otherwise positive pre-season programme.

Crouch to replace Bent upfront?

2009-07-26T02:06:00.000-07:00

Last night, Pompey boss Paul Hart confirmed that he has had to accept an offer believed to be £10 million from Spurs for lanky frontman Peter Crouch.

With Portsmouth struggling financially, despite having recently been taken over by Arab businessman Sulaiman Al Fahim.

After it was clear that Crouch wanted to work with Harry Redknapp for a third time and re-join the club that he was at at the start of his career, a resigned Hart said that he was 'disappointed to see (Crouch) leave'.

It seems that Crouch will replace Darren Bent, whose move to Sunderland seems imminent after new boss Steve Bruce returned to Spurs with an improved £15 million offer.

While this deal seems to make sense financially - Spurs will recoup the fee that they paid to sign the underachieving Bent - it means yet more chop and change in the Spurs squad.

Elsewhere, Redknapp is looking to add to his burgeoning group of talented young players with a £6 million move for Leeds United midfielder and League One PFA young player of the year Fabian Delph.

As I mentioned previously, Spurs will balance the books by selling Scot Alan Hutton, who is interesting Everton boss David Moyes at £7 million. It will be more difficult, however, to shift David Bentley, with potential suitors balking at the £12million price tag that comes with his signature.

Whatever transpires, Redknapp will look to have finalised his squad by the end of the China Cup, which starts for Spurs on Wednesday against West Ham.

Tottenham Look To Vieira For Guidance

2009-07-25T17:14:00.000-07:00

It has been reported in the media this evening that boss Harry Redknapp is still hoepful that he can persuade both Inter Milan's Patrick Vieira and Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar to sign on the dotted line within the next week.

It has been a quite month at the Lane, with much press speculation but nothing to come of it. Last week, Spurs paid approximately £7 million for the signatures of young Sheffield United full-backs Kyle Naughton and Kyle Walker.

But it has been much publicized that money is not in abundance at the Lane and Redknapp must not spend any more than what he accrues from player sales.

With only Zokora (£8 million), Chris Gunter (£2 million) and Gilberto and Rocha (free transfers) to have left the club, it seems that Redknapp will look to sell David Bentley, Gareth Bale and Alan Hutton to fund moves for Vieira and Huntelaar.

Following the injuries to his best three centre backs, he is also looking at signing Brede Hangeland or Sebastian Bassong as cover in that position.

In previous years, there has much to-ing and fro-ing at Tottenham. Last year, Modric, Bentley, Gomes, Pavlyuchenko and Dos Santos all made money-spinning moves to North London during pre-season with strike duo Keane and Berbatov moving on to bigger and better things. The result: an unbalanced, squad, incoherent team and two points from the first eight games. Ramos out.

2007-2008 saw Spurs pick up just seven points from their opening ten matches after a heavy recruitment drive in pre-season. Jol out.

Therefore, you could say here that less is more and I for one will not be disappointed if we start the season without further additions to the squad.

Redknapp needs to have faith in Dos Santos, Jenas, Huddlestone, Bent and Pavlyuchenko in particular. They all have a reputation, they all cost a lot of money. The ball is firmly in their court, especially as all of these will be pushing for a place in their countries' World Cup squads for next year's tournament in South Africa.

Spurs 1-1 Barca

2009-07-25T16:53:00.000-07:00

On Friday night, Spurs held European champions and treble titleists Barcelona to a 1-1 draw in front of 57,000 excited fans at Wembley.

On Sunday, Spurs will face Tony Mowbray's Celtic, who hammered Egyptian side Al-Ahly in the inaugural friendly tournament's opening match eralier on Friday.

Spurs were missing Ledley King, Johnathan Woodgate and Michael Dawson in defence and Darren Bent and Roman Pavlyuchenko in attack all to injury - and also Giovani Dos Santos, who is competing in the CONCACAF Gold Cup for Mexico.

Redknapp put his faith in Huddlestone and Corluka at centre back, while Hutton made a rare start at right back. A 4-5-1 formation meant Lennon (right), Modric (in the hole) and O'Hara (left) supporting the diminutive Defoe in attack.

Barcelona brought Henry and Messi on tour but neither featured, as boss Pep Guardiola decided to let his academy players take centre stage. The only recognisable starters were Toure Yaya, Boja Krkic and Eidur Gudjohnsen.

Barcelona started off the match playing with more fluency than Spurs as they bossed possession. But there was little to worry about for Spurs' defence for the opening thirty minutes.

That was until Toure skipped two tackles to inadvertently set up Bojan in front goal in the 31st minute. A secind goal should have followed shortly thereafter, only for the linesman to wrongly flag Pedro Rodriguez offside.

Despite Luka Modric hitting the bar and Benoit Assou-Ekotto forcing a save from Jorquera within seconds of each other, Spurs were being harried off the ball by a hard-working and efficient Barca outfit.

Therefore, with Barca fielding an entirely different eleven after the break, Redknapp decided to bring on Robbie Keane and move Tom Huddlestone into midfield at the expense of Hutton, with Corluka shifting to right back. This seemed to give Spurs more momentum as Modric and Huddlestone's influence gradually grew.

Modric broke up play and set a good tempo for Tottenham's forays into the opposition half, and Huddlestone displayed his full range of sublime passing skill to the pleasure of the hime fans.

However, Spurs looked to be heading to a rare pre-season defeat until 19 year-old substitute Jake Livermore beat the offside trap from a corner to flick Assou-Ekotto's prcise cross past the onrushing Pinto with seven minutes remaining to earn Spurs a point.

Redknapp will have been encouraged by the scoreline and by the performances of Modric and also substitutes Livermore and debutant Kyle Naughton - but will know that Spurs need to make major improvements before the curtain raiser against Liverpool at White Hart Lane a few weeks from now.

Twetny20 round-up

2009-06-21T03:05:00.000-07:00

So...two weeks after the World Cup Twenty20 tournament started, there ave been a few surprises:

1. England humbled by the Dutch in the curtain raiser.
2. The Aussies leaving the tournaments without winning a match.
3. Pakistan reaching the final by overcoming tournament favs Sout Africa - despite being outclassed by a largely mediocre home team.
4. Bowlers generally having the upper hand over batsmen
5. Fast bowlers having more influence on games than spinners.

There have been many highlights - Chris Gayle's destructive batting, Umer Gul's five fer, spin masterclasses from Afridi and Mendis and many others.

Who will take the trophy home today?

Pakistan, having overcome South Africa and with an in-form bowling attack will go into the final as favourites but New Zealand demolished the West Indies and have gradually come into their element.

This should be keenly contested and there will be many interested mini-battle developing over the course of the three hour match - Younus v Vettori, McCullum v Gul, Styris v Afridi.

Back the Pakistanis to sneak this one in the last over...and you could earn yourself a nice wad of cash.

Silly season starts here

2009-06-04T12:46:00.000-07:00

Villa fans are sheiking their heads in disgust! Barry has left a traditional club with doting fans, hard-working, honest teammates and a manager with a track record of success at every level for the big bucks at the Middle Eastern playboys' new toy club.

Whilst a Stephen Ireland-Gareth Barry midfield may work very nicely and propel City into Europe next season, there is the same chance that it will backfire and that Barry will go out of favour and move on. How long before the owners have found another younger, more talented, sexier midfield maestro to run the show?

Apparently, Kaka is off to Chelsea. Or is it Madrid? Will Pato be a duck out of water at Stamford Bridge if he signs up to Lotti's revolution for a cool £150k a week? Has the Drog sworn an oath to move the other way? Are Chelsea and Milan just going to do a mass players swap? Like a wife swap but without the bitching? Then again...

Spurs will be linked with any Harry, Dick and Tom - or rather Jose, Cristiano and Fernando. The newly promoted trio will desperately scour the globe in Operation Pointless, only to end up with Robbie Savage, Lee Carsley and Neil Lennon and a lanky Panaman striker named Enrique (Maria by night).

Will Shearer stay at Newcastle? Will Ashley? Does anyone care?

Frankly, I'm looking forward to focussing my attention back on England's qualification for Euro 2010 and to a new generation of Lions finally stamping their mark on the international scene. Bring Crouch back, get Wayne fired up and watch the boys fly! Enjoy!

Harry Houdini

2008-11-03T13:07:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Harry Redknapp on his terrific (definitely a Harry word) start to his managerial reign at White Hart Lane.

He has tried to simplify the way the team plays and communicate with the players and staff more directly than his predecessor - and it is a formula which has so far paid handsome dividends. 7 points from Tottenham's last 3 fixtures is a big step forward for the club.

Yes, Spurs have rode their luck on the pitch - on another day, they might have lost to both Liverpool and Arsenal - but the players are showing more intent and belief when they step onto the pitch and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, they have re-discovered the vital art of goalscoring.

Look out for greater contributions from Huddlestone, Lenon, Jenas and Bentley in particular.

Unfortunately, some of the players' comments over the past 10 days have left a slightly sour taste in my mouth, thus detracting from what might have been the greatest footballing week of my life (sad I know!).

Pavlyuchenko is not renown in his country for his wisdom but must surely realise that slagging Ramos of days after dedicating his first PL goal (under Redknapp's charge) to his old boss just doesn't make any sense and it is rich of players such as Bentley and Bent, who have under-performed this season to question Ramos' methodology.

Just my thoughts for what they are worth...feel free to comment.

Regards,
Chris

Ramos Setting His Sights Too High

2008-09-28T11:40:00.000-07:00

I am an ardent Spurs fan and, as such, the team's start to the current season comes as another bitter disappointment.

Today's performance was not actually as bad as the scoreline may sound - a 2-0 loss to a Porstmouth side that had concede 10 in their last 2 games.

Spurs had a lot of possession of the ball as in their other matches. They also squandered this possession frequently...as in their other matches.

Lots of Ramos' problems are largely transfer-related and it is painfully clear that Tottenham are in need of a proven Premier League goalscorer to start alongside Darren Bent. There is no leader on the pitch, no ball-winner and and no decent cover at left-back or in the central of defence.

This all adds up to a very big headache for the Spaniard. He needs some fast relief and it does not seem forthcoming.

While playing fast-flowing, compact 4-3-3 football is an exciting concept, it requires understanding and a lot of trust between all of the players.

The front players need to be able to attack and take risks in the knowledge that they are covered in case of loss of possession. Tottenham's offensive players do not have that assurance at the moment.

Luxury players such as Giovani and Lennon are only effective if they are supported and covered by quality, intelligent holding players. Modric is one such player but will take time to adapt.

If Tottenham had adressed the imbalance in their squad, sold and replaced their former strikers and bedded in their new acquisitions 3 months ago, they may be sittign pretty near the top of the league.

It all smacks of thoughtless and careless planning and it may well get the club into very deep trouble.

Reading's goal that wasn't but was...

2008-09-25T15:08:00.000-07:00

Football can be a strange game.

Those that were watching the Reading-Watford game at the weekend would wholeheartedly agree.

The bizarre incident that resulted in a goal being awarded for a cross that, at some point during its flight, bent fairly close to goal, surprised spectators, players and managers alike.

What else will this season throw up?

The first issue that we should discuss (and celebrate) is the players' on-pitch behaviour. The new U.E.F.A. directive, where any complaints a team have about a decision are voiced solely by the captain, seems to have helped in this regard.

It is also refreshing to see referees punish immature and unsportsmanlike behaviour such as time-wasting, talking back, kicking the ball away and diving more vigorously than ever.

I just hope that this rigorous approach is not applied to the physical side of the game, which is quickly disappearing.

While I applauded the measure to punish tackles from behing with yellow cards, I am sad to see yellow cards being handed out like Lehman Brother shares for offences all and sundry.

Something To Be Proud Of.

2008-09-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

Although our footballers, cricketers and rugby players have often flattered to deceive over the last year or so, this summer's events in Beijing provided British sports fans with a timely tonic.

Our Olympians' and Paralympians' magnificent successes are all the more important ahead of the 2012 London Olympics.

Not even the most optimistic sports fan could have expected our athletes to have come away with as many medals as they did from Beijing.

Having concentrated over the last few years on cycling, rowing and swimming, let's hope that our athletics organizations, schools and sports clubs can continue to maximise the often huge potential of our young athletes.

Who knows? Maybe the new Johnathon Edwards, Linford Christie or Dame Kelly Holmes is waiting to burst onto the scene...

Ryder Cup blues

2008-09-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

EUROPE 11.5 U.S.A 16.5

Congratulations to 'Team U.S.A', who played some outstanding golf for three days against an inexperienced but talented European team.

In the aftermath of the defeat, captain Nick Faldo has been proportioned with some of the blame for the defeat by many critics. They accused him of picking senseless pairings and a confused singles order on the last day.

To what extent was Faldo at fault? Surely, it is ultimately the players themselves that hit the shots and make or miss the putts.

True - Faldo's emotional fragility did nothing to boost European confidence and was a sign of weakness on the eve of the tournament.

At the same time, weren't America just too good for Europe on this occasion?

In any case, this was another great advertisement for the game and a great example of camaraderie. Bring on 2010 and Celtic Manor...

England finally deliver

2008-09-10T15:55:00.000-07:00

...what we know they are capable of! Rooney was back to his menacing best, Walcott lived up to his pre-World Cup hype and every one of the players fought for each other.

Congratulations are due not only to the players (starting XI and substitutes alike) but also to Mr. Capello and his coaching staff for being bold in their selection. Croatia's proud home record was there to be broken. Had England sat deep and defended, the Croats qualities would have prevailed but England showed that they are capable of a lot more than most give them credit for.

From here, The Lions should (and I say 'should') go from strength to strength. Remember that this was an XI WITHOUT Gerrard. Other players stepped up and made an impression - and what a time to put yourself in the limelight Mr Walcott. Bravo to all!

I GIVE UP!

2008-06-28T14:59:00.000-07:00

Every prediction I have made at this tournament has been way off the mark so I am thinking of suggesting an 8-4 scoreline to Spain in the final of Euro 2008 with Jens Lehmann scoring a hat-trick of own goals and 4 players being sent off for synchronised diving efforts.

There, it won't happen (as usual) but it's nice to think that it COULD.

BLOODY GERMANS

2008-06-25T23:52:00.000-07:00

Every time. Every single time!

Those jammy buggers make it to the final. Despite starting the competition strongly, Low's side has scraped through to the final over the last few days and certainly didn't deserve to beat Terim's ever-improving Turskish side, who showed more passion AND quality for long periods of the semi-final.

Ultimately, Turkey couldn't turn their early pressure into a lead and when they DID go ahead, it was for just 4 minutes. Not enough against a country that has so much savvy I'm afraid. Better luck next time around Turkey.

Tonight, the best match of the tournament takes place and I fancy Russia going through 3-2 after extra time.

STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM

2008-06-24T05:11:00.000-07:00

JOY UNCONFINED!

Summer has arrived. Or so say more than 20% of Brits asked by a recent radio survey. The reason? Wimbledon is upon us again. That means Pimms, strawberries and cream, funny hats, tennis. Oh yeah...and rain - lots of the stuff! A symbolic fixture in the British and world sporting calendar see millions of viewers tuning into events as they unfold in a small corner of London.

It promises to be a ball. The host 'nation' has a strong representative for once (let's face the fcat that Henman would never win it!), and the mercurial Nadal and all-conquering Federer are vying for the much-coveted trophy along with dozens of other hopeful aspirers.

Murray to serve first...game on!

Sporting reasons to celebrate this summer

2008-06-22T16:15:00.000-07:00

1. The promise of a new and improved England football team under Fabio Cappello.
2. Andy Murray filling us with hope and pride - hopefully. Murray Mound doesn't have the same appeal as Henman Hill but this boy is sure to go further than his predecessor.
3. An exciting climax to Euro 2008 now that boremongers Italy are no more.
4. More beer-fuelled, fancy-dress, fit for a family frenzied fun during a long summer of England cricket.
5. The Barmy Army - say no more!
6. The Beijing Olympics.
7. A new Formula One season that will come out of the shadows cast over the sport by the Williams fraud that marred the end of last season and Max Mosely's recent ill-advised antics.
8. The twists and turns of an enthralling Super League match-up between St. Helens and Leeds Rhinos.
9. The usual stories of Ade Akinbiyi returning to the Premiership in a monster £20 million blockbuster move and the reality of Spurs spending ridiculous money on more over-hyped trash.
10. More sport of all shapes and sizes available at the click of a button. Watch it with a beer to hand and enjoy my fellow sports lovers.

Inflation

2008-06-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

It is one of the givens of life really - along with change, life and death. But there are price rises due to inflation and then there are football prices. The two shoud certainly not be confused! Yes, David Villa has 4 goals to his name so far and will currently walk away with the golden boot but should that fact justify his price, according to media sources, growing from €16 million to €25 million, especially after a disappointing season at Valencia (by his standards). Perhaps he was previously underpriced but it does make you wonder where managers can find real bargains any more...I recommend the 2 for £2 Covent Garden soups - delicious, nutritious and will give you immense satisfaction for at least 15 minutes. ;-)

Hiddink and his kievs and stroganoffs

2008-06-22T02:34:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Russia's Dutch coach for his quite marvellous belly. It really is a spelndid achievement and the rotund one's wobbling around the touchline was cause for many a chuckle I'm sure. It should also be pointed out that his success reminds us, despite the emergence of the younger (and slimmer) with their dynamic approaches, that an old head is always important in many a situation. Now that's food for thought...

Congratulations to Hiddink and Russia

2008-06-22T02:31:00.000-07:00

Russia won through last night to the seim-finals of Euro 2008 with a technically outstanding performance against the much-fancied Dutch. Despite the blow of conceding a late equaliser, Hiddink's men in white have a lot of resolve and belief to add to their ability. In truth, they were better than the Dutch the whole night and thoroughly deserve to progress. Hiddink's teams have always been difficult to beat and the Russians must now be in with a great shout of winning the tournament.

BLOG WATCH

2008-06-21T02:59:00.000-07:00

Blog readers will be enthused to know that I'm working hard on adding blog content. Stay with me as this page grows and becomes more multi-dimensional. Thanks for your support.

Lack of controversy has not detracted from Euro offering

2008-06-21T02:53:00.000-07:00

This tournament has been full of twists and turns and, above all, surprising results - France drawing with Romania, Croatia beating Germany, Turkey overcoming the Czach Republic. Another surprise has been that the football has not in any way been overshadowed by refereeing decisions. Credit goes to the official who, despite at times being slightly whistle-happy, have been assertive and correct in their decision-making. Long may it continue!

Game of the tournament beckons

2008-06-21T02:37:00.000-07:00

Tonight, we see The Netherlands take on Russia in what looks to be a cracking prospect. The Dutch have been in inspired form so far and have brushed aside some strong teams whilst the Russians excelled in their crunch match against Sweden. If Andriy Arshavin Srgiy Pavlyuchenko can repeat their performances from that match, Van Basten and his charges will have a game on their hands.

Tomorrow night is a Super Sunday Showdown between Italy and Spain. Spain have been the more impressive of the two, with Torres and Villa forming a formidable strike duo but Italy have a canny knack of not playing particularly well but winning. The safer bet would be to put money on Italy winning through in extra time or on penalties given their history of success and Spain's reputation for bottling it at the crucial moment.

My predictions:

The Netherlands 3-1 Russia

Italy 1-2 Spain (aet)

Turkey join Germany in semis

2008-06-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to plucky Turkey (geddit?) who somehow overcame Croatia to join Germany in the semi finals of Euro 2008. Follow the link below to read a full match report:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/31236-Euro-2008-Turkey-Holds-Their-Nerves-to-Reach-Semi-Finals-200608

Welcome sports fans

2008-06-20T08:44:00.001-07:00

Welcome sports fans of all shapes and sizes to my first blog. Have something to say? Say it here. On this blog you will find satire, reviews, previews, sports commentary. Sporting sundry bliss you could say. Please feel free to add whatever you wish to this page - the more interactive and creative the better. I look forward to sharing many an opinion and debate with you all. Until next time play hard and play fair.