I am sure that someone on this board closer to the club management and with greater minds than ours will be able explain why there was no investment in a 2nd or replacement LB during that period..... As for Benny still being the 'weak link' in the team, suggest you watch Walkers performances this year and reassess. But BAE has always been a Marmite man for supporters since Day 1 and I doubt whether evidence to the contrary will ever change that.
Some interesting comparisons here http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...attles-to-watch-in-europa-league-clash/page/5 I know next to nothing about the Greek team so fascinating stuff for me, though the report seems wrong about Spurs more than once I do love the way Americans talk and write about football, I'm not being condescending here BTW, I genuinely love their take on the game and the fresh use of language they bring to it here they are on Dempsey for example 'a physical player who commands respect at the top of the key and can get players very, very agitated with his choppy play and his talk while the ball is out of play.' Such a change from the tired cliches and platitudes from so many of our pundits Incidentally AVB on the OS today is stressing the need for a win on thursday (it's certainly a 'mustn't lose' for me), and I trust he's not mouthing platitudes and we're going to see a very strong team out there. I think if we just swap Lloris for Friedel and Daws for Gallas we'll have as good as/better than the team that played at OT, and that's what I'd like to see, injuries/knackerdom permitting of course. I don't want to see the likes of Carroll, Mason or Falque starting out there, no disrespect to them, but that's how we fell down last season in the Europa with Harry's downplaying of the tournament.
i know you say you don't want to see the likes of Carroll etc playing,with all the comps we are in,they will have to play matches.We suffered 'cos Harry did'nt rotate the squad,and rotating the squad mean's these lad's will get games,i prefer them playing in europe,than the P/L at the moment.
Fair enough TF, we differ markedly. I want us to win this competition and players like Carroll, etc aren't at that level. I absolutely don't want them playing in Europe, this is the priority tournament for me, I'd rather win this than get 4th in the league. it's all about different priorities I guess. AVB says he wants to win this trophy, if I see the likes of Carroll, Mason and Falque on the team sheet I simply won't believe his claim. Naturally if they play and win, I'll be wrong, I just think we'll fail with those second string players This game I expect to be more difficult than Villa at home, we need our strongest possible team out IMHO.
don't get me wrong,i'd love us to win it,but to keep the player's we have now 4th place should be a piority if we can do it,probaby like Harry the father we go in the tournament,maybe the stronger the team
I doubt that any of the players we have now, signed because we were in the CL, and by definition we kept them this summer with EL football, or they wouldn't be here. Harry's philosophy was totally flawed and exposed because we didn't get out of the group stage, and if we go down that route again, I expect the same miserable result. Harry had a fine crop of players and won nowt, not good enough enough for me. I don't want Harry's Europa League attitude anywhere near this club, others like it, fine, as I say it's about priorities. I want AVB to be true to his word and go out to win this trophy, I'll be be seriously disenchanted if he backtracks on his promise. PS - the great news is that Ade is back in training, maybe he will give us the last 20 mins or so in Athens, which would be a tremendous boost.
this article names the side that I'd like to see start http://www.givemefootball.com/europa-league/tottenham-hotspur-predicted-line-up-v-panathanaiko? in other news it seems Ade is targeting sunday's game rather than tomorrow, which seems fair enough to me better he stays at home and gets on with his fitness work, so he can be on the bench for Villa
HI SD, you'd have thought they were in Greece by now, certainly en route These days though there's been a complete clampdown on official team news, we haven't had any for the past 4 games at least IIRC, and I expect this to be another news blackout event seems there's been a change of tack, and we don't want to give the oppo clues as to our personnel that's fair enough, if frustrating at times for people like me. I was repeating what i read on a News Now article with regard to Ade not playing tomorrow, but as I say official news don't seem to be happening. I would say someone will give us the travelling party, and will be checking other sites for the news if the OS won't provide it.
The rules are you have to be in the country where you are playing at least 24 hours before the scheduled kick off time. The squad flew out this morning.
Just been on Twitter and it was confirmed the squad arrived in Athens about half an hour ago. No news of who was in the party though.
Shall we have a new thread for each game? Might keep things a bit tidier and this thread is a bit ambiguous as to whether it's about us in the EL or others.
Bouncing the squad across Europe every other week is far, far likelier to cost us fourth than it is to win the Europa. I'd trade winning the Europa for getting fourth in an instant. But I think the chances of any team winning are so small I'd rather we start a reserve side Thursday. 48 teams are alive right now. The winner will not only have to be very good, but extremely lucky. If they all have an equal chance of winning, Spurs chances are 1/50. Say Spurs are twice as likely to win as the average team, 1/25. And so on. It's not likely in any way. This squad is deep enough to handle the league and FA Cups, but not the Europa on top of that. Having said that, I like AVB's attempt to win everything. I just don't think it's the best strategy as far as the Europa is concerned, with this squad.
Tbh RWB, the far flung sides should fall away as the tourny progresses leaving the usual suspects in the usual countries closer to home, no different to the CL...there again, some might say that cost us 4th that year, so you maybe right!
Fair comments RWB, I would say realistically we're about 20/1 to win the tournament, but probably about 5/1 to make the semi-finals. If we even got that far, it would be our first semi-final in europe since 84, and i think that's something to be aim for in itself Also we're more likely to win this ATM than the Prem, so that's an argument to go for this one, even if it damages our lge form slightly The draw against Lazio didn't damage our lge form, this will take more out of us of course, it's a tough call for sure on how to approach it ATM I back AVB's stance that we're in it to win it, and therefore we should play really strong teams, and so I don't want to see any reserve players starting tomorrow If however the refs **** us up again, then I'll probably change my mind and say go with the youngsters/reserves for the rest of the competition
I'm of two minds about this, as I think I've indicated. I really love the idea of going for everything. It's positive and as a fan I like it. But I can't help thinking the Europa is a bridge too far this year, with the Lazio robbery tipping me. Who needs that kind of racist fan-thug players-and-cr**ked ref combination? We were lucky we only had one player hurt.
Yep RWB, I agree that the Lazio game has changed my mind somewhat already I was completely gung ho for the tournament till that disgraceful display - as I say if we suffer that sort of **** again tomorrow I'll go along with the **** the tournament and play the youngsters brigade Incidentally here's the squad according to another site IF true - it looks like we'll be playing a full first team tomorrow Lloris, Cudicini, Smith, Vertonghen, Gallas, Dawson, Caulker, Walker, Dempsey, Huddlestone, Lennon, Bale, Dembele, Sigurdsson, Falque, Townsend, Sandro, Mason, Defoe
