The first two games and the game v Fulham should also be a reminder that there is some vulnerability when the opposition has a lot of the ball. Many teams will get little possession against Spurs and will not be able to capitalise on what they do have (Villa, for example), but others will create chances. How good is the defence under pressure? The full back areas have looked shaky defensively at times- Newcastle created a lot down the Spurs' right, for example- and City and Utd both showed how to break Spurs down if you control midfield. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wummage at best, lets not go down the first two games route, you know full well the state of the club at the time, riots, no Mod. Your comments are nonsense Luke. Defending?...didn't watch the Fulham game then. "City and Utd both showed how to break Spurs down if you control midfield." They did nothing of the sort to the team we have now...and won't!...and you know it.
The Hawthorns if all goes normally will represent a tough match for us. At the very best I would say a two goal win to Spurs because over the years they have caused us problems. But this is a different Spurs. This is the Spurs of a long time ago playing with confidence. The last time I think we were third at the end was 1971. I wouldn't be surprised though by a one goal win but it's Spurs to win it and then to go on from there to win after win over the next few matches. Luke,whilst your comment was involved I find I have to say that if any team had 3 key players out it would struggle and even the lower teams would become a test. I cannot totally see the logic of your post.
Arsenal lost Nasri, Fabregas and Clichy, and look how they collapsed. Okay, so they've managed to regain some poise, but that's only because RvP has found a gold vein of form, and as soon as that dries up or he gets injured, they are in serious trouble.
If you can't sit back and enjoy the spurs team's football,there's something wrong with you and you just need to spout rubbish about them! By the way,if City hadn't gone barmy and bought all those players,Macaroni would have been shown the door.As it is,he just has to pin up 11 players on the board and......collect his pay.Lucky lad!!!!!!!!!!
Great response guys, and as the comments have come in it has emphasised just how strong our squad is. I think Luke is having trouble finding a weakness (and remember he has to) and searching hi and lo for a counter argument. We had no holding midfielder. Then we welcomed Palacious he had bite but poor passing ability. Now we have Parker and Sandro that change in itself has moved us to a different level. We Had Gomes Now we have Friedel We 'had' Pav. Now we have Adebayor We had Bentley Now we have VDV We had Hutton Now we have Walker, as well as Corluka in the wings Huge improvements all round.
Yes Spurf, but if you take everyone out of our side, then we're not as good. Cudicini; Corluka, Dawson, Gallas, Bassong; Huddlestone, Sandro; Pienaar, Kranjcar, Dos Santos; Defoe. What are most side's equivalent to that?
HI TMT, our last '3rd finish' was 1990. we also finished 3rd in 85 & 87. Unfortunately there weren't the riches on offer in those days for 3rd place, indeed I think both the 80s 3rd places didn't even get us Europe as English clubs were banned by then.
Let's hope that Coulibaly transfers his form in the NextGen into the first team sooner rather than later, eh?
The obvious back-up for Adebayor is of course new, new striker. Not sure why everyone's forgotten him.
The great thing about this squad and how Harry has set it up is that Levy now knows the formula. All these years we've struggled by without a solid DM, relying too much on our flair and strike-force. It now all makes sense why our strikers were so dreadful last season. It was because we lacked a decent anchor in midfield to prevent the other teams from walking through us and undoing all the good work carried out by our creative players. I think, in time, this team could become as good as the so-called "invicibles" of Arsenal, a few seasons back
Luke, what we have seen since the resurgence of Spurs over the past four or five seasons, and with City's billions over the last two seasons is a massive shake-up in the EPL. No side dominates now. We have probably been the main reason why 'Pool can no longer get back into the top four, and City has probably been the major reason for the collapse of both Chelski and Arsenal, although it is a combination of the two teams that has tightened everything at the top. City has the billions to affect things in a mere two seasons, we've had to rely on the traditional methods of good coaching and the selling (to players) of an established brand name in order to achieve our aims, and that has taken longer. But the effect is there for all to see. There is a sea-change in the EPL happening right now. The old-guard can no longer rely on their so-called "experience" to see them through. That was all bollocks, anyway, in my opinion. What the old-guard had was a winning mentality. Well, now they are starting to lose, and it is casting doubt in their collective mentality, and the underdogs, such as Spurs and the Toon, no longer see ourselves as the underdogs. We now see ourselves as winners, and we can smell the panic in the old-guard, and it is spurring us on even harder. You've had your day in the sun, Luke. Be thankful for that. But that day is coming to an end.
Even though City have billions we can still see disruption from players like Tevez and cry baby Balotelli Hoddle and disruptive players can affect the performance of the team however much they cost.For me Chelsea are an example of spending lots but confidence of players low. It could happen to City too. Thanks for the stats GHoddle. I had a depressive illness around that time and lost contact with everything including the mighty Spurs. It's gone and I won't bore you all with it.
What do past performances of teams have to do with anything, Lidls? The current Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd sides are not the same as those of the past, nor are anyone else's. It's irrelevant. Arsenal have lost key players and not brought in equal quality to that which they've lost. Man Utd lost Scholes and replaced him with, well, nobody. Giggs is ancient, van der Sar and Neville have also departed. That's a lot of experience to lose. Chelsea's squad looks almost disinterested and their formerly unflappable defence looks porous. Their new style of play may pay dividends in the long run, but they look vulnerable now. We don't have a Champions League campaign to drain our first team. Those around us do. I'm making no claims for anything bar a top 4 place, but frankly you sound worried. I think that you know that City have overtaken you and you're trying to make yourself feel better by taking potshots over your shoulder.
Sad to hear that TMT, we had some fantastic players and results in the 80s, but never quite what was necessary to win the lge. Though today's emphasis on attacking football, with skilled players getting protection and good pitches would have suited our players and may have gained us a title. Under the 80s conditions Hoddle was unbelievable, give him the protection and pitches of today, he'd be unplayable.
That's it, right there. Who would have thought the day would come when United's fans started giving us the same grief that Arsenal and Chelsea gave us for so many years! We were nothing to them before; now, we might just push them into third. Oh! How the mighty fall.
And I don't see what United have got minus Rooney Nani and Vidic. Your replacements for those are no better than ours and render you lot just as average.
I don't know why he's harping on about our defence. I'd rather have ours, than theirs, the way they're playing at the moment.
That's probably the most worrying thing about City. Take away their better players and it doesn't make that much of a difference. Might be interesting to see what their reserve keeper is like, though. Costel Pantilimon is a 6'8", 24-year-old Romanian, apparently. He's on loan from FC Politehnica Timişoara.
