Our official twitter says that Vertoghen's back in first team training, while Alderweireld's doing outdoor work. My take on that is that one's either there or thereabouts, while the other's not far from a return, barring another setback. Time will tell though, as these things seem to take ages for us, for some reason.
I think Aurier will almost certainly play - he is suspended for the champions league and Poch won't play Trippier in 3 matches in a week. Fast start needed 3 pts is the bare minimum requirement but an early goal should set us up for another high score and the goal difference could yet be important.
As I said, I want a fully fit Toby + Wanyama for the PL games against Chelsky/Citeh, any CL games after Juventus, and any likely FA Cup draw if Swansea are beaten. Other than that, in the squad fitness + management I trust.
3 points is a must this weekend with the chavs likely to drop points against Citeh. We need a good points cushion before the chavs/Citeh games.
True, forgot about his suspension in the CL. Though part of me says to play KWP. Aurier just hasn't impressed, still rash in challenge and the three foul throws over the weekend were just embarrassing. Needs a kick up the arse. The talent's there but he's not applying himself correctly. Seems too interested in instagramming videos of the players playing uno or constantly talking about his mates at PSG than actually trying to improve and adapt to the Prem.
In the hope he finally has a meltdown over it. In that respect. not being a fluent English speaker helps, because those slight pauses at times helps him to bite his tongue and ponder his reply. If the hacks were fluent Spanish speakers then IMHO they might get the desired response from him.
He doesn't like them and he doesn't do anything to hide it. They think that they're important and he treats them as nothing. I'm not sure that it's smart to do it so obviously but it's too late now.
Dembele is building up his sharpness ... think that's why he played on Wednesday. Up until the Arsenal match 3 weeks ago people were wondering if he'd get back to his best!
Not so. He is courteous and non-antagonistic towards them. Because he is not Jose, they are having to work ever harder and be ever more stupid to get something remotely interesting to put in print.
Not discourteous or antagonistic. I never said he was those things. When I used to have to meet with people and groups that were after the blood of me, my team and my employers, I always made sure that I was courteous to the point of it being painful. The more someone swore at me, the more I made it a point to call them "Sir". MP does something along those lines. He just refuses to engage with them and always with a smile, even when the eyes indicate a wish to stick the hack's private parts in a blender. He just brushes them off. I think because he has no respect for them. He spoke perfectly passable English at Southampton but did his press conferences in English because he's got no time for it. They want stories. They want him to talk about other teams players [positively] and managers [negatively], like Mourinho. He won't do it. They want him to go off the deep end like Klopp. He doesn't. He won't slate referees and he won't criticise his board like Conte. Pep's always mouthing off about something and they love it. Last week they wanted him to lay into Kyle Walker or Wenger or Arsenal. Nothing. Pretty much everything he says in an interview is exactly what he said the last game, week, month, season...there's no story. "Very proud of the players. Very happy for the club and the fans. Harry Kane is world class, no? We need to be more aggressive. Thank you." He gives them nothing and they hate it. The 'tin lid' was the book. In years, he's said nothing to the hacks in this country. When he finally has something to say, he goes to a Spanish hack and they put it in a book. That indicates that there's a lot more behind that smile and the usual answers...just not for them.
He’s courteous and always affable, although it does border on sarcastic at times. That’s where Brian is spot on. If that was in Spanish, he might get a harder time. He also doesn’t say anything even remotely controversial. His comments on VAR were as critical as I’ve ever heard him - but 99% of the media and the football world are in agreement.
Here's the predicted lineup from FootballDotLondon: Lloris; Aurier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Dembele; Eriksen, Alli, Son; Kane ...so they're admitting the "Moura to start first Premier League game" article they posted yesterday was bollocks then?
All the spurs fans replying to a spursofficial tweet earlier were demanding Moura. After his displays recently, I don’t see how he can be left out. Seems many people think the same.
Moura is exactly what we have been missing someone whos first thought is to go forward and attack their defence and his work rate looked impressive as well long may that continue. COYS. PS anyone got a link for today's game please
