Winning Has Never Felt So Boring

The clocks went forward an hour this weekend but that was not the only hour that I lost this weekend. After thrity minutes passed at White Hart Lane, Tottenham v Portsmouth ended as a contest. Three points were required and they were achieved with relative ease. Clean sheets are nothing to be sniffed at either but our game against Pompey had to be the most underwhelming 2-0 victory ever recorded. This is not to say our win against rock bottom Portsmouth was unimpressive.

The manner of our win is a good indicator of a new, more professional approach our team has taken on this season. The second half consisted of Portsmouth giving up and us being satisfied enough with our position. Although not conducive to entertainment it got results. I was urging the team to be more positive and to destroy our opponents but within hindsight less is more was probably the appropriate way to play out the game as opposed to kicking a team when they are down.

Taking the game to Pompey with reckless abandon in the second half may have seen us score a couple more however the casual nature of our victory will better serve the players stamina with a hectic schedule in the offing. Reserving energy seemed to be the order of the second half from Redknapp and we snuffed the threat from Portsmouth without really breaking into a sweat. The game itself had very little to offer however there was some good to observe.

Kyle Walker made his first appearance in a lilywhite shirt stepping in for the injured Corluka and couldn’t have asked for a better game to debut. I was very impressed with the youngster especially his hand in the second goal. A burst of pace and displaying sound awareness to pull the back for Modric offers something Charlie is incapable of. I’m not sure if Corluka knows what the byline looks like but the young whippersnapper gives us a different option. Walker also showed desire to get forward at every opportunity but was often missed by Bentley who was inevitably to busy doing stepovers to release the young full back. Defensively he didn’t have a lot to do but handled the threat of Piquionne and Kanu maturely when called upon.

Crouch finally broke his goal duck with a well placed header from a delightful Bale cross. His run without a goal remarkably spans back to January for our much maligned plank. He was again full of effort and endeavour holding the ball up well but also showed good touches throughout the game. A lovely piece of skill at the corner flag had one chuckling in particular. The Crouch-Gud partnership has shown promise in the last couple of games which has cushioned the blow of having JD out.

You would expect to be coming up against a more competitive Portsmouth in our upcoming FA Cup clash at Wembley. On the day they offered very little threat and have the look of a doomed team. Such is their luck their team are currently dropping like flies too. Three players leaving the field injured has further weakened them and it’s tough not to feel pity for them. As Crouch said though there is no time for sentimentality in football and I'm currently looking forward to pasting Portsmouth at Wembley come 11th April.

The Rehearsal

Still basking in the warm afterglow of our brilliant quarter final against Fulham we now have a rehearsal of our semi-final tie with a home game against a doomed Pompey. I have nothing but sympathy for Pompey’s fans (with the exception of the berk with the bell) and their current demise highlights the massive incompetence of the ruling bodies of our fine game.

Hopefully this game will give the media a chance to get the ‘Harry vs Portsmouth’ bullshit out of their systems so the semi-final can be looked forward to as a spectacle in itself as opposed to the tempestuous relationship between man and club. It’s incredibly patronising that the media will think that Portsmouth will be viewing their trip to Wembley as a chance to get back at Redknapp rather then it being the highlight of their worst of seasons.

Our league form should be described as spiffing considering our injury situation rumbles on. Four straight wins has been cracking, every team around us dropping points makes it even sweeter. Much was made out of ‘games in hand’ by City and Villa fans however they are only any use if you actually win the points. Villa’s two draws and City’s loss to Everton means we are all on equal games and we still rule the roost. We need to look to stretch the advantage and make it five in a row against the bottom club.

Complacency will always be my biggest concern with Spurs. Somehow it always seems to get the better of us when the going creaks into getting good. The corresponding fixture at Fratton Park saw us scrape a win with ten men in a gritty game and the help of Dindane’s hat-trick of comedy efforts. Shame they can’t afford to play him anymore, his finishing skills could have come in handy.

Pompey seemingly down and out won’t roll over and pander to our cause. Avram Grant will have his men fired up for this game and we need to expect our rivals to be turning it up to eleven. Desire and heart will get you so far but there is a stark difference in quality. Weakened further by the elbows of the Chav’s and O’Hara being ineligible to play means the threadbare Pompey squad has about as much clout as candy-floss. We on the other hand, for all our injuries, seem to only have one position of stark concern.

We began the season with an abundance of right-backs and now we have no recognised players to slot in there. Our two resident full-backs have joined the injury army, Corluka suffering with an ankle sprain and Walker a broken arm. Our other two right backs got sent ‘oop north. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but we do have some adequate, unconventional options ready to step in. Kaboul can step in to face his former club and BAE done a job there against Bolton so it’s not all doom and gloom.

We need to approach this game with the same rigour and intent as we will expect at Wembley. We need to be picking up maximum points against the teams below us, there are no excuses for not getting all three points. Harry and his team have me believing again. Usually this is an ominous sign of impending doom but I’m feeling myself getting carried away regardless. Here’s hoping the players share the belief the fans are feeling right now.

We still hold on to fourth so lets allow the teams to keep chasing us as they have proved a lack of bottle recently. We are the form team out of the contenders at the moment so I think the only prediction to make is a comfortable home win. 3-0 for me, Crouch to break his goal duck with a hat trick.

Nice

You Wont Like Him When He's Twitchy

Prior to our quarter final replay with Fulham, a recent interview with Luka Modric revealed that Redknapp can be quite scary when going into the dressing room at half time losing. Ironically we got to see what effects Harry’s anger has on our men.

A game against Fulham is never easy and in a tepid and lacklustre first half we saw our heroes going a goal down to a brilliantly taken goal by our old friend Bobby Zamora. Yes that man who passed the ball into the back of the net so blasé was our old headless chicken that we flogged to West Ham.

As a team we looked slow, stoic and although we were creating half chances Fulham contained us effectively. Redknapp, so good and talking the talk now had to walk the walk. He bit the bullet and bravely made some rather radical changes. Making a double sub after forty-five minutes is a risk regardless that the team looked more balanced on paper than the initial line up. The ineffective Kranjcar replaced with Hudd and the headless Benny swapped for Bentley.

Redknapp's gallantry was immediately rewarded. Bale, given the license to charge from deep by switching to left back, quickly won a free kick off former defender Stephen Kelly. Bentley stepped up for his first kick of the game. The first half was littered with poor set piece delivery’s failing to beat the first man. Old David decided to fudge all that and proceeded to ping a delightful ball which nestled perfectly in the far post without anyone getting a touch to it. Completely intentional free kick goals are Bentley’s specialty against Fulham where he scored a perfectly deflected one against our opponents earlier in the season.

Drawn level Spurs proceeded to ravage our opponents and dominate them in every department. With energy levels this high after half time I wonder if DavSpurs is worrying about our players 'taking on board energy' during the break. Driving with purpose we looked more balanced, settled and infinitely more dangerous. Even with Charlie going off with a knock Harry simply replaced our right back with a striker and Sgt. Wilson slipped effortlessly into the vacant position.

Modric looked far more dangerous cutting into space from the left. We retained the ball much better with Hudd conducting the play, this game proving how important he is to our play. Gudjohnson showed eagerness and versatility when switched to the middle and Bentley looked a man possessed. Whatever Harry said at half time certainly got our midfield going.

DB05 has never been a particular favourite of mine and often get irritated by his attempts to be a proper flash git, however when the little flicks and dummys he so often attempt actually work it's difficult not to smile for the lad. Konchesky got done a kipper by Bentley numerous times throughout the half and David managed to squeeze a high far post cross aimed for Pav. What followed was something I wouldn't have predicted.

I would be remiss of me to excluded that I mentioned on a previous post that Pav doesn't have a left foot. Well Pav bitch slapped me with a Van Basten-esque volley with his left beating Schwarzer at his near post. Sure the connection wasn't as sweet as the Dutchman’s but Super Pav showed exquisite technique to put us in front. His expression showed even he was surprised by his effort with exuberant celebration.

All we needed was a killer third. After some prodding and poking at the carcass that Fulham had been reduced to we got it. Modric cutting in from the left slipped in a great through ball for our Iceman Gudjohnson to run onto. The ball took a deflection but Eidur diligently carried on his chase and nipped in to beat not only Schwarzer to the first ball but also got the second touch to beat the back tracking defender. His perseverance throughout the game is testament to the effort put in to get himself to match fitness. He ended up making the ninety minutes look a piece of cake.

Fulham woke up for the last twenty minutes and put us under some pressure but in truth they never looked like getting back into it. Our defence stood firm impressively to prevent any jitters and we had the tie won.

Harry has had and probably still has some doubters. The usual grumbles surround him not being proactive enough with his substitutions and inexplicably being called tactically inept. He’s answered them emphatically by showing he‘s got the stones to change something that’s not working and getting a response out of his team. During Harry’s short time with the club he has made nothing but progress and Wembley beckons for Tottenham. We may have taken the scenic route with three replays but we have an extraordinarily tasty tie against Pompey to come. I can't stop singing Ossie's Dream and my knee's certainly will be trembly.

Eidur - The New Pav

Tottenham contrived to do everything in their power to drop points against Stoke. It looked to be a typical Tottenham performance of one minute looking comfortable before throwing it away a second later. We didn't hit the self-destruct button as we normally would, but the powers that be were certainly tracing a finger around it.

I suppose you would say this is the difference under Harry that we have developed a bit more of a hardened mentality. So often have we seen Spurs wilt under the pressure before giving up in a wonderfully anti-climatic stupor.

The squad, currently decimated with injuries, have now won four on the bounce and are putting the pressure on the chasing pack. With Villa and Liverpool dropping more points this weekend we are strengthening our claim for fourth. We need to continue opening the gap before April where we will expect points to be dropped against the top three.

We ran out at the Britannia with the only unexpected change of Kaboul replacing Wilson. Upon seeing the team sheet I let out a panicked whimper, however when I gathered myself I thought Harry was spot on. Kaboul provided good support with his aerial strength and even managed to put in a couple of decent crosses. He even gave a rather wonderful Hudd impression of blasting a couple thirty yarders out of the stadium, bless him as he wheeled away proud that he could kick a ball so hard.

From the off Stoke put to immediate effect the 'hack anyone whose fast and with a little bit of skill' tactic. The rough treatment Lennon got at WHL was fresh in the memory of Joe Jordan and after Bale was on the end of a heinous challenge by Fuller, Harry's second hand man rather eloquently informed the ref that he would be well served to give our players a little protection. Mike Dean must have paid attention as he seemed to get on top of Stokes rough tactics after that incident.

Save for a few hacks, erratic keeping from Gomes and Pav going off injured, the first half held nothing of note. The second, however, didn't take long to get started. From our kick off it took under forty seconds for us to be ahead. Nice interplay between Gudjohnson and Crouch saw the Iceman charge into the box, literally move mountains in barging the beast that is Abdoulaye Faye and produce a quality finish with his left peg. Gudjohnson’s first goal for Spurs and our seventeenth goalscorer of the season.

Eidur provided something that none of our other strikers can do. The ability to drop deep, receive the ball in the hole and create for others has been sorely missed since Keane lost all of his footballing ability. Modric was causing all sorts of problems by having him as an outlet and had his most impressive game in the middle.

Four minutes later our little Croatian mugged Whitehead for the second time to cost him his second yellow put Stoke down to ten men. Within five minutes the game should have been over for Stoke. We controlled possession and all we needed was that second to close the game off. A couple of neat passages of play brought a couple of decent chances however we were unable to convert.

So leading against ten men and having all the ball seems good, yeah? Not for Benny Assou-Ekotto. Seemingly he decided to go all a bit squiffy by first starting on his own man by having a bit of handbags with Charlie. Fuller done well for breaking it up and not exacerbating the issue but why Benny lashed out at his in team mate is worrying. He then decided to attempt to mount Dave Kitson (must have a thing for gingers) and give away a pointless penalty. Our former left winger Etherington slotted the pen and it looked to be typical Tottenham throwing it away. We were shocked and stumbling. Stoke, bombarding us with high balls and putting all the pressure on us. Fuller even managing to shin one over from six yards.

Once Spurs composed themselves and got back in control of possession we eventually started to impose ourselves again and the extra man showed. Benny played his way back into my good books with a burst of pace down the left produced a good cutback and Eidur let the ball run for Krancjar to beautifully twat it in just inside the box. Relief burst from Tottenham and by jove, Niko must be the sexiest player in a Spurs shirt since Ginola. His great technique produced a wonderful hit first time leaving Sorensen with no chance.

The rest of the match was far from easy viewing with Stoke managing to carve/hoof a few decent openings and a suicidal back pass header from Bassong were unpleasant to say the least but we managed to hold on. We managed to scramble and head everything Stoke threw at us with the likes of Crouch and Kaboul doing a sterling job in helping out at the back. Got to give credit to Stoke for their commitment and the reaction and celebrations from our boys at the end showed just how big a win this really is.

Previous Spurs teams would have lost this game but we seem to be growing in confidence. Grinding out results when key players are out and not particularly playing well is the sign of a good team and it seems to be a skill that we are acquiring.

Happy days.

Patience Is A Virtue

Who knew?

Who the bloody hell knew that Tim Sherwood actually has his uses?

Upon Harry’s arrival to N17, eyebrows were raised at the number of coaches (mates) he decided to hire. His best pals Joe Jordan and Kevin Bond were first to join the backroom staff as expected. But more were to follow

Harry updated his Facebook status to ‘Could do with a few hands at the new digs. Anyone need a sort out’ Soon enough Tim Sherwood and Sir Les returned to the club in a senior capacity.

I, more then most was sceptical as to their uses. Sure Les could help the lads with their heading but did we as a club need the expertise in the art of hacking that Sherwood brings?

Fast forward to the present a strange thing has happened. Players at Tottenham have progressed, stepped up a notch and fulfilling their potential. Our current form is impressive but the gradual improvement of the squad as a whole is testament to the sterling management job Harry and his boys have done. In nearly every position we have players who have flourished under their tenure.

Charlie Corluka will let you know how bad Heurelho Gomes was. Tony Parks came in dusted the hapless chappy down and turned him into one of the most consistent numbers 1’s in the league. Parks deserves a key to the city for resurrecting our loveable Brazilian

Bale has found platitudes coming left right and centre over the last couple of days. I’m spending most nights hiding in the bushes with a pair of binoculars watching him sleep. You will find full declaration of my man love for the Welshman here

Assou-Ekotto is another left back who found an impressive level of consistency recognised with the clubs ‘Most Improved Player’ Award last season. We are now in the envious position where we have two very strong left backs available and competing for a starting berth

Dawson has re-claimed the ‘Awesome’ tag we knew the big dopey lad had in him. He seems to have shaken off his reliance on Ledley and is not only standing on his own two feet but is leading from the back in an impressive manner

It seems an age ago Azza blud was being touted with a move to Newcastle when we signed Bentley. He was like watching Walcott, capable of scintillating performances but spent too much ‘running very fast’. He now utilises his pace effectively and has added the ability to cut inside and play the early ball. The eyebrows remain but the headless chicken is long gone.

Thuddlestone has just earned a new contract and has impressed with a slot in the starting line up. The extra responsibility is evidence of good man-management and is now looking to add to his solitary England cap.

O’Hara is now looking like a fully fledged Premiership player. Much of this can be contributed to his loan to Pompey this year. This has seen him come into his own and he will hopefully provide much needed competition next year.

Defoe to me looks a much improved player from his initial stint. Rather then sulking when he got budged off the ball the influence of Sir Les is apparent. He looks stronger, fitter and more dogged. Granted he still can’t grasp the concept of offside but we can’t expect miracles.

We expect a lot from players at Spurs but we have been spoiled this season with the impressive form of the above players. All of them have at some point in their Tottenham career been written off as not being good enough. Tim Sherwood is sorting them out

What a hero…

Sixteen Tons

Harry Redknapp obviously doesn‘t care about my feelings. In his pre-match interview Harry seemed itching to tell the world that he reckons nineteen points will be enough for Tottenham to reach the big time. Such bold statements leave me wrought with panic and in the run up to yesterdays game was enjoyed breathing into a brown paper bag.

I try to avoid such predictions and take each game as it comes. I may be privy on here as to predict a one off result but to set a long term target takes far more obsessive analysis of fixtures. Now all I can think about when going into any league game is how is the result going to impact on us and every other league fixture, ours or any of our rivals. My plan to be blissfully ignorant of any future games and focussing on the task at hand is now fraught with panic as now '16 points' flashes and flickers like a neon sign. Although each point will be savoured and the number slimmed down, any points dropped is now going to be met with panic attacks as to where we are going to make up lost ground.

Yesterdays game though saw us eat into Harry's challenge with a competent if not swashbuckling 3-1 win over Blackburn Rovers. I didn't write a preview of the game for other commitments but also because of a deep hatred I hold for Sam Allardyce. I’ll have to stop myself writing about him or else this will turn into a hate speech over his poxy, self important ego and fat, stupid face. Safe to say I wanted our pretty boys to smash Fat Sam's negative route one tarts.

With injuries still dogging the squad it was pretty much as you were from the team at Fulham with the exception of Defoe stepping in for a benched Crouch. We played the game in pretty much the same way too. The same issues seemed to dog us as slow build up and lack of penetration made us relatively toothless in the early part of the game. At least when playing at home we did look more urgent and busier in our play, however the fact Dawson to Bale was our most effective attacking tactic speaks much for how the game was played.

In the end our opening goal on the stroke of half time came from the unlikeliest of sources. Set piece goals have never been the strongest suit of any Tottenham team (mainly because most of our corners fail to beat the first man) but to score one again a team who rely on them was a welcome change. Niko bending one in near post, Charlie's intelligent run onto it and his deft flick to a predatory Defoe. It was like watching Blackburn which probably why that goal was particularly delicious.

Bale on the left was our strongest attacking outlet (again...not sure how many times I can say that) but his cause was helped by facing an very slow, very old man. I'm not sure how many times our wing heeled Welshman jogged past Salgado at half pace with the old man struggling to keep up but it bordered on hilarity.

Willy P was at his industrious best and I think looks better for using more controlled aggression with massive impetus being place on him never being allowed to receive a yellow ever again. Seeing as Howard Webb (more on him later) enjoys dicking us over I was sure he would receive one for any offence committed however he defended his patch masterfully.

Moddles was a little brighter than Fulham and his delightful flick to Defoe on the outside of his boot for our second was an utter joy. Pav's strike was weak and straight at the keeper but Jason Brown obviously wanted to show why he is a back up keeper proved it by letting the ball roll under his body meekly.

Pav on the whole had a poor game and showed us how limited a player he is on his left foot. Squandering chances like he was Bent, shinning them wide and over without even being able to get a clean connection. Such poor striking shouldn't be accepted for a forward at this level however he managed to score two and should have had a hatrick is how his luck is going for him at the moment. His second to put the game to bed at 2-1 was courtesy of a wonderful drilled cross on the ground from a half volley from our beautiful Bale. I’ll leave out his first effort from that passage of play…

Some controversy around Blackburn's goal (predictably from a set piece...) with Gomes apparently blocked off and Samba apparently climbing over Dawson. No complaints at CSWY about it and usually get frustrated when I see goals like that disallowed. Gomes messed up and Dawson got beat deal with it and move on. Why Spurs cannot shut out games at 2-0 is beyond me but then that wouldn't be Spurs would it.

Howard Webb usually causes trepidation within these walls and usually end up fearing the worst. However when he failed to give a penalty for a blatant foul by (an off colour) Corluka I thought the day may be ours. However Mr. Webb obviously doesn't like monkeys for when Bale was hacked inside and outside the box he didn't bat an eyelid. Also he blew up for a foul for Kalinic's perfectly reasonable goal late in the game. A bad game for the bald tit but as we got the three points less grumbles then usual.

Three points, sixteen to go. Each point is going to feel like a ton however their has been some good news. With Stoke and Sunderland nicking points off Villa and City respectively its been a good weekend. With their games in hand now having slightly less significance we can maybe start to be a little more optimistic.

Next weekend....Stoke.....away.......maybe not.

Rumours, Rumours & More Rumours

You can tell when it's a slow news day on the Spurs front when the transfer rumours begin in earnest. One of the biggest downfalls of supporting Spurs has to be the constant, boring speculation around our squad’s futures. It especially grates when you consider we are unable to even do business for a number of months.

Still there's nothing much else to post about other than a potential, tempestuous semi-final with Pompey (courtesy of Mr Ginola, merci beaucoup, Monsieur) but I will come to that if we don't shoot ourselves in the foot in the replay.

To make things slightly more interesting I intend to combine the recycled balls the media types think we are interested in with the brilliant album, Rumours by Fleetwood Mac (see where I'm going here...)

If you’re not a fan of the ‘Mac’ then firstly shame on you however, fret not, I'm sure the message shan't be lost on you. Quite conveniently the track list lends itself to this creative wizardry.

Track 1 - Second Hand News (Jenas to Inter)
I know there's nothing to say
Someone has taken my place
When times go bad
When times go rough
Won't you lay me down in tall grass
And let me do my stuff

The answer Jenas is a resounding, unequivocal no. Mr Marmite 'JJ' has once again been linked away to Jose Mourinho’s Serie A Champions, Inter Milan. If the rumour doesn't sound ridiculous enough with the words ‘champion’ and ‘Jermaine Jenas’ put in the same sentence then the fact this rumour began circulating when Mourinho mentioned fleetingly that JJ was in his Fantasy Football Team...two years ago, most certainly doesn’t help it along.

I have always felt that Jenas is a fine athlete and consummate professional however if you are allergic to passing the ball forward then you are going to have trouble whether it be in the Premier League or the lumbering pace in Italy. The £8 million being quoted would be snapped up by Levy but I can't see this one happening for a number of different reasons, the main one being that Jenas just simply isn't good enough regardless of the slow pace and extra space seen in Serie A. I imagine (dream) Jenas will move on in the summer but to Inter? No


Track 2 - Dreams (Keane to Celtic - permanently)
Now here you go again
You say you want your freedom
Well who am I to keep you down
It's only right that you should
Play the way you feel it
But listen carefully to the sound
Of your loneliness

Again a rumour has appeared from someone saying very little. Celtic boss Tony Mowbray was asked if he would like to keep the Irish captain for longer than the end of the season to which he replied, 'Getting him to extend his stay isn’t something that has crossed my mind. But we’ll wait and see. That’s not to say no.’ Considering Keane is head and shoulders above anyone else in Scotland is also reason enough not to say no.

I don't know about you but it doesn't sound like a statement of intent that Celtic are going to go balls out and put big money to keep our beleaguered skipper. Again much ado about nothing due to the fact Celtic simply will never be able to afford Levy's demands for him. Again I would put good money on this never happening because they themselves are skint.


Track 3 - Never Coming Back (O'Hara to Sunderland)
She broke down and let me in
Made me see where I've been
Been down one time
Been down two times
I'm never going back again
You don't know what it means to win

Jamie O has been rueing his luck as he could see himself missing another shot at playing at Wembley. After missing the Carling Cup Final after not being selected, he could miss that potential semi-final tie against us due to being unable to play against his parent club. His disappointment has gone as far as to say he would be hoping for the first time a Spurs loss. Rather than declare treachery against Jamie I admire his desire to play in a massive game at Wembley, which is the ambition for many footballers, regardless of whether it's your boyhood club or not.

It's O'Hara's desire to play first team football that has seen a number of rumours attempt to predict where he will be next season. I fully expect him to be a Spurs player next year if we obtain European football. He has proven himself to be an extremely competent Premier League footballer and his talent, attitude and versatility will come in very handy with the extra games we may have to play. Our current midfield crisis shows his worth to the team along with his consistently good performances for Portsmouth.


I know it’s pointless writing about these rumours because there will continue to be numerous players linked to/away from us even though we are competing for the FA Cup and Champions League qualification. I just want the media to stop with the bullshit and focus on what is looking to be a very exciting end to the season.

Had Draw Written All Over It

My pre-match ritual was slightly different yesterday. Due to the on-set of what can only be described as a life threatening case of man flu my warm up for our quarter final tie was less beer and banter more tea and a nap.

So positioning myself on the sofa, blanket in hand, my outlook was bleak. The only thing sicker than myself happened to be the Spurs squad. A lot as been made of our injury crisis but despite all that we managed to put out a very decent looking line up.

Benny was introduced at left back with our in-form man Bale shunted further up the pitch. Moddle skipped into centre mid to combine silk with Honduran iron. Fulham had a couple of their own injury issues most notably the talismanic Danny Murphy absent.

I had previously avoided the idea of breaking up partnerships that are working so was disappointed to see the promising Bale - Modric duo split. My thoughts on midfield selection can be found on a previous post as my head can't comprehend trying to remember what I think...

The match started with a lot of possession from Spurs. Delicate passing designed to flirt with Fulham with the hope of dragging them out of their set positions. We batted our eyelashes and flashed some thigh to entice Fulham, but found our rivals unmoved from their two banks of four. Such an approach to football is normally derided by our fans as being negative but the organisation and disciplined skill of our opponents is something to be admired. There should be no surprises as to why their home record is so good.

Bale looked our most promising attacking outlet (again) however by having him further up the pitch saw him often being double marked by Duff and Baird. He still caused them problems to his credit with purposeful bursts of pace but often found himself isolated. Would have liked to have seen more from Niko on the opposite flank however he remained largely anonymous.

In the middle Palacios was indomitable, snapping into challenges, considered distribution and basically a brick wall. The only way Fulham managed to find their way past him was over him and even then he tracked back and chased them down like a rabid dog. Modric again looked lost in the middle where he doesn't have the creative freedom to roam as he does when drifting in from the left.

Particularly impressed with Bassong who stuck to Zamora like a clingy ex-girlfriend. A mature considered performance from the young defender who, as opposed to attempting to rough Bobby up was willing to allow him to take possession before dealing with him. Fulham's main source of attack would have been through set pieces usually earned by Bobby. Bassong conceded very few which showed great promise from the Frenchman. He seems a lot better when given the task of handling one big striker than having to track runs from numerous different attacking outlets.

'Super Pav' showed us his form of last season. First touch of a rapist is probably the best description of an untidy, headless performance. Pav has shown he's better than this in recent games and whilst I avoided going over the top with expectations of him I still believe he will be better than that for us.

Our main problem with the game yesterday was a lack of penetration in midfield and attack. We were comfortable dealing with possession and carrying the ball for long periods of time but we missed the clever through balls of a giant man named Tom and the jinking runs of a man named Jermain. We often curse these two players but their importance was highlighted yesterday. We neither had the threat from a clumsy strike force nor from a lackadaisical midfield.

In the end the game was probably the most suitable for my disposition. A high octane, proper cup game would have killed me. We should paste them back at WHL where our home form is good and their away form is awful.

Also well done to the 4,000 Spurs fans at Craven Cottage. In full voice and good spirits they done us proud and raised a wry smile from me for your endeavour. Good show lads.

The Year Kind Of Ends In 1

Tomorrow's away tie is going to be tricky. Fulham away is always tricky however we are (in typical Tottenham fashion) in a mother of an injury situation at our most crucial point in the season.

I love the FA cup and really want us going balls out to win it. Considering our prestigious history in the competition 19 years since we last won it really isn't good enough. Also a quiet show from the big boys leaves us with a massive opportunity to win it again. The year does end in one... kind of, which means it’s fate and we are going to win tomorrow.

Fulham, under the affable Roy Hodgson, hold the grand title of my 'least hated team'. This isn't because half of their players are ex-Spurs but from a general fondness for a well run club. They also have made the best managerial appointment seen in the Premiership for quite some time. A lot is made out of Spurs' progress under Redknapp however Hodgson’s influence over an ailing Fulham team has been immeasurable. Also he has done it without the benefit of £50 million to splurge.

Hodgson runs his club in a way that demands the most out of the players at his disposal. This quality is something Spurs have lacked for years. There has been massive improvement in former Spurs players such as Zamora and Konchesky which is of great credit to Hodgson. He has also revitalised the stagnating careers of the likes of Duff and Murphy who have flourished under his tenure.

So to quote the obvious we are going to be in a battle tomorrow. We currently have seven wounded soldiers (King, Dawson, Huddlestone, Jenas, Bentley, Lennon, Defoe) and two unavailable comrades (Kaboul and Walker) due to them being cup-tied. Such is the extent we are calling in the kids back from their foster clubs to make up the numbers.

I can't see how Harry is going to play this so am entering it with an open mind and leaving it in the hands of the man paid to do it. Whatever he does decide to do my opinion will depend on the result. Win and he's a genius and the team I would have selected would have been exactly the same as his. Lose and he's a dick. I'm getting the hang of this blogging lark you think?

It will be interesting to see also the line up for Fulham considering their monumental clash with Juventus. Will it effect how Roy sets his team up and also how they will play? One hopes they may rest a few individuals and also have one eye on a far more glamorous away tie in Italy. Can't see it happening though and I reckon they will be at full strength.

Still reckon were a match despite all our injuries but can only see a draw from this. Zamora's bound to score and go mental at both sets of fans in his own unique brand of goal celebration and Crouchinho to equalise with a typically uncoordinated effort working in polar opposites to his England form. 1-1 for me and a replay at WHL.

Last word to ITV. Although their coverage is shit and Townsend's a knob, playing every quarter final on terrestrial TV is a valiant effort and sorted my weekend out for me, much to 'er indoors'' dismay. Credit where it's due however one request would be to quiet down when the games playing so as not to ruin it for everyone, OK Mr Pleat?

Gareth Bale Appreciation Society

2010 to date has been a bit of a stutter with regards to Tottenham's form and performances. Dropped points and constant accusations of long ball tactics saw our charge for Champions League football reduced to embers from the trail blaze we set in our early form

Whilst our form has stuttered and spluttered one man has risen above and comfortably been our player of the calendar year to date. Sit down Pav...

Gareth Bale has been nothing short of sensational. Since the turn of the year many were panicking at the prospect of Benny leaving us for a month for the African Cup of Nations and leaving our left hand side in the hands of a Welshman... that can't defend... and can't win.

Cries of 'great going forward but can't defend', 'defensively weak' and inexplicably linked with a move to Nottingham Forest let’s just say the omens were not looking great for the young man. Many chose to pick his poor half at Everton as the basis of their argument. Failing to see that a young player, who hasn't had a consistent run of games, may be prone to be making mistakes when being dropped into the volatile atmosphere of Goodison Park in an exposed position.

Bale is a true example of how fickle a section Spurs fans truly are. He has had severe criticisms aimed at him whilst a player of more exotic nature, Giovani Dos Santos (he played for Barca, he must be good innit) doesn't receive anything near the same level.

Opportunities were always going to be hard to come by for Bale considering the consistency of Benny makes him very difficult to drop. So Gareth knew what he had to do, roll up his sleeves, fix his hair and put on some brightly colours boots and get down to it.

I'm not sure how far he runs per game but the lad's got energy to spare akin to a small child who has had too many E numbers. He buzzes up and down the left flank with direct purpose and attacking intent. His bursts from deep see him as a valuable asset when hitting teams on the counter and catching static full backs off guard.

With or without the ball at his feet he displays strength and balance at pace which makes him so difficult to stop, especially as he's 6" plus. How often have we seen him muscling in between two defends with the ball at his feet.

His dribbling skills display a deft touch and he has the ability to not only take players on the outside but to create openings for himself with a bit of skill. His Robinho approach to stepovers against Phil Neville probably still exhibits his inexperience however he is damn exciting to watch.

One aspect of his game that has been a joy is his crossing ability. He can hit balls with accuracy deep or near post, can spot a pass in the box and strike the ball with power into dangerous areas whilst running at pace. Considering the lack of width and penetration our midfield shows without Lennon, Bale has provided the antidote to slow, lumbering build up play.

It's easy to get carried away at how good he is offensively, but he has easily become our most exciting player to watch in the absence of our resident rude boy Azza. Going forward has always been his strength but has always been susceptible to being caught out defensively whether it be through poor positional sense or selling himself short he has always had this in his game.

No serious complaints can be levelled at him currently. Considering his young age small mistakes have been kept to a minimum. He probably has too often backed off his attacker when they are running at him allowing them into the penalty area. Maybe he finds himself tucking in too much when the ball is on the opposite side of the pitch catching him out when the ball is switched quickly. However the demons of that game at Everton seem to be put behind him as he strides on.

He has not only proven himself an able deputy but must have overtaken Benny as first choice such has his stature grown in this small space of time. Credit must be given to Harry and his coaches for preparing him well and showing continued faith in him. Whatever your thoughts on Harry, the improvement in players like Azza, Gomes, Dawson and Bale has come from him gifting them faith even if their opportunities may have only come up though injury or lack of options.

I still worry about his fragility such has his injury problems in the past but if he stays injury free he will not only steal Benny’s starting spot but also claim his 'Most Improved Player' award at the end of the year too.

Then he will probably fuck off to United.....