Is it really? Spurs are one of very few big football clubs left in the ownership of someone born in this country and . Its owners have committed to an enormous investment in one of London's most deprived areas. They haven't just knocked out a standard 'off the shelf' design to 'bring in the bucks'. An attempt has been made to build the best of designs, at the highest spec, to attract more than just football to the stadium. This stadium isn't being financed by laundering ill-gotten gains from dodgy foreign shores or at the taxpayers' expense, but has been financed by borrowing from established commercial lenders, on the back of consistently making a profit and then developing land to the betterment of the area - new supermarket, health centre, educational establishments, chartitable foundations etc. The club itself has committed to producing, not just English talent, but talent from the local area in a way that other similarly sized clubs just aren't matching. The Academy's methodology of not overpaying young talent and rewarding with regular contractual improvement led to about a quarter of the national squad coming from one club, despite others offering dodgy payments to parents to steal away our young prospects. By backing this local talent and trying to create something progressive out of planning and hard work, rather than enormous ill-gotten and exploitative wealth, the club have dragged themselves above others with huge advantages. The response of certain parts of the media is to go hunting for Spurs in a manner that they don't with Chelsea, even after their owner is shown to be so dodgy that even this Tory administration and Switzerland won't touch him and he completely bottles his investment into a new stadium. West Ham are burning public money at a rate of £110k per game, however, Spurs hit a couple of months delay and are pilloried for it to a far greater extent. Yes, I think that there's an agenda. Exactly what drives it? I'm not certain about.
The right decision. Gazza has been great, but not really been thoroughly tested. Hugo is our Captain and No1 keeper. If fit he plays for me.
Not sure on it to be honest. He’s made some good saves, especially the worldy at the weekend, plus the penalty heroics. None of the goals he’s conceded have left me thinking “he could’ve done better”. I’m always of the opinion good form should be rewarded and it seems Gazza’s won’t be. Plus, I think it’s a big risk bringing a player back from injury in a game like this, if Hugo’s even the slightest bit rusty, it could be a long night.
Yes. "Yes, I think that there's an agenda. Exactly what drives it? I'm not certain about." Oh you know what drives it. And it isn't hatred of Joe Lewis The football media is infested with hacks who cannot disguise their bias towards/against certain clubs. Compound it with former players of the Sky 4 and the outcome is inevitable. It is NOT THE FAULT of the PLAYERS OR SUPPORTERS that : 1. The owners expect their club to operate as a "business of its own account" 2. The club is now punching well above its own financial power 3. 2 is compounded by the comparative on/off pitch incompetence (transfer/wage costs, managers, players, stadia) of the media PL darlings who now have Spurs as a very real rival 4. A world-class new stadium can be financed without the club needing to be a Sugga Daddy FC If you want a phrase to epitomise all the above for outsiders, I give you : Physician, heal thyself !!!
Well, for the first time in aeons, we currently have real competition for the GK slot in the starting XI. More of the same please for the other 10 players.
You would also hear the media making a big thing out of other teams going up against Barca with such an injury list. Getting the excuses in early! Can you imagine what the narrative would be at the moment if Liverpool had equally influential players injured? All they'll say about us is that it serves us right for not buying more players.
I agree with most of this. Although if we should be rewarding form as you say, then Dier should be dropped for Sissoko. Dier has been crap and Sissoko has done better when he’s played. Never ever thought I’d be calling for Sissoko to start, but him and Wanyama would provide so much athleticism and strength, and sissoko is no slouch either. Dier’s passing has been woeful recently. Imagine a dodgy back pass to a rusty Lloris in goal?! (who can’t kick it well at the best of times)
Anything from this game will be a massive achievement, but I think the result between Inter and PSV is even more important. A draw or a PSV win, and the table won’t look quite so bad, even if we are beaten.
Actually, I don't agree with you. I think that certain elements of the press do have an issue with Tottenham and the club's ownership beyond those that you believe. The issue(s) might be limited to the fact that neither Joe Lewis or Daniel Levy will have anything to do with the media, but the fact that Roman Abramovic and the Glazer family don't have a press profile, suggests that's not it. It could be that THFC don't have a very successful record on PR outside of their ownership? I think this is a big constituent part of our problems. Despite our owners' desire for privacy, the club could be more 'on the front foot' in relation to the media. We're the equivalent of the Royal Family prior to Diana....."Say nothing, lest you be criticised for it." When Chelsea appointed Conte, he was encouraged by the club to take the hacks to the pub. Mauricio Pochettino tries to limit his dealings with the press, almost as though he was one of the owners. I also think that there's an element of Lewis and Levy' face not fitting and having zero relationships with political and media types. In life, it's so often not what you know, it's who you know. Chelsea couldn't borrow sixpence ha'penny but Joe Lewis can borrow £400m because he's in legitimate finance, Roman's as dodgy as ****. However, Roman's mate owns The Standard and I'll wager that he makes the right donations to ensure that Gideon and his mates are 'on side'. I'll bet he's greased plenty of wheels to ensure nobody was looking too closely at where his money came from before the US decided to crack down on the Oligarchs. I'm also betting that Spurs and their owners aren't cosying up to the Tories, because Boris stiffed us good and proper over Stratford and they cared not a jot when he did it. So, no, we don't agree. That's not a problem for me. I'm expressing my view and am quite content for you to express yours.
If the premise of your claim is that ENIC do not in public : 1. make all the THFC financial grand plans known to the masses 2. opine sufficiently often about topical matters political/social etc other than what directly affects THFC 3. appear to have pinned their banner to particular political parties and the hacks are infuriated by this because it gives them no material for increasing audiences / real sh*t-stirring, then fair enough. But even if true, I can live with that. It shows me ENIC are winning, big time.
I think with the injuries the team pretty much picks itself with the only real decision which 2 out of Dier, Wanyama, Sissoko and Winks play in the '2' For me its Lloris, Trippier Rose, Toby, Sanchez, Wanyama, Sissoko, Lamela, Moura, Son and Kane Subs Gazza, Dier, Davies, Winks, Walker-Peters, Llorente, Amos. Looking forward to the match so much, I love champions league nights even at Wembley and will be shouting myself hoarse in the cause and we can beat them, they are favourites for sure but this is a one off match and anything can happen Come on You Spurs
Exactly right. Every game is winnable. I remember Celtic beating a very much better Barcelona team a few years ago. It shouldn't have happened based on the players on the pitch and their abilities. However, the atmosphere that night changed the dynamic and we can be the 12th man to make sure that we get the result. We can influence the result. It's going to be a cracker. COYS!
What concerns me is once we put our best eleven out there, is there's no one on the bench who can come on and change the game if needed. Could be in for a long night
