C'mon Notso would you seriously expect Paul Merson or Ian Wright to talk up Spurs chances of top four or winning the title? I think it's a valid point.
Who gives a flying f*** what pundits think. SAF included Spurs as title contenders in each of the last three seasons because at this stage, any team capable of beating the others often enough has a chance. Nothing is won or lost in September. What all the teams have to prove is that they can be consistent over a nine month season. No pundit knows how teams will be affected by form, fitness, luck etc. City will need to do better than 3/10 wins away (their present run) and Chelsea will need to improve massively on the last two seasons. All those tipping these two are assuming they will improve and that their new signings will be instant successes - that remains to be seen. Nobody is ripping up trees four games in.
I think one of Spurs very bad habits,and we seem to be the biggest sinners,is giving three points to pathetic lower PL teams while others beat up on them.That's mainly the difference in my opinion. Sometimes I think Spurs have decided they've won the game before the start....and suffered the consequences.I don't somehow think we'll ever change so we won't be holding that trophy anytime soon....... I can just see Danny holding the trophy.....wouldn't it be nice to see Daws doing the same......?
I wouldn't disagree that some of the objections to Qatar are the result of anti-Semitism. However, I feel like adding that I object to Qatar hosting the world cup primarily because it does not have a representative government. While the petrokingdoms like Qatar may not be as purely evil as, say, North Korea, they are in my opinion a sick joke perpetrated on the (mostly Arab) people of the middle east by an unholy collaboration of oil companies, western powers and a handful of very rich local Quislings. They will also fall like the houses of cards they are at some point.
HBIC has a point though. It's fundamentally East v West and people being unhappy the World Cup had ended up on that side of the world in a Islamic country.
Bullshit and massive generalisation. I think the decision to host it there is ridiculous and the only thing i know about the religion of the country is what you just said. If they had made the decision initially to host it in the winter because of the weather and that it was all taken into account beforehand then fair enough, lets go to Qatar. But what has seemingly happened is a bunch of fifa delegates have lined their pockets, voted for it to be in Qatar and then gone "WTF? Its HOT in the DESERT in SUMMER!?!?! What are we gonna do guys?"
I don't think FIFA have really considered it all, its not just the worlds A leagues affected, things like the domestic knock out cups that include teams all the way down to non league having to rejig schedules to suit, its a massive rescheduling nightmare as I see it atm. FIFA seem to think that its the premier competition for players, that should take precedent over everything, when players and pundits alike say the CL.
You're not listening to what we're saying. Nobody is saying they were right to hold it in Qatar and we know about the corruption behind it but would there be so much antipathy towards the 2022 WC if it were being held in say... USA or Canada? It was the same thing in South Africa, massive undertone of racism ahead of the World Cup.
Yes i am listening. What i'm saying is you can totally have antipathy on this matter without it being in any way religious or east vs west. Like i said, i know absolutely **** all about the religions in Qatar and i still think its ****. Lots of stuff nowadays gets simplified down to racist or religious because its easy and sensationalist (or whatever). If i say i dislike the idea of the world cup being in qatar its easy for anyone else to say i'm racist, some sort of religious bigot, whatever, when the truth of the matter is that none of that **** matters or crossed my mind.
When the World Cup was held in the US and Japan/South Korea people accepted that it was an attempt to grow the game in those regions. The local populations would have been around 300m and 175m for each of those events. Qatar? Less than 2m. That's before you've even come to the unsuitable nature of the climate and any political and social problems that are brought up. Joey Barton's rainbow laces would probably be a bad idea there, for example.
That feeling doesn't make it across the Atlantic, if you know what I mean. The stuff I've happened to read about Qatar hosting the world cup hasn't had the kind of underlying racist agenda which annoys me when I can pick it out. The US has multiple personalities regarding Islam anyway. On the one hand, 911 has still got our tits in a twist (my advice: quit being such ****ing cowards; every other empire had towns sacked every weekend and didn't go around screaming like a bunch of ****ing pussies); on the other, we're the one western country I know of where by every standard including income, Muslims are better, more successful citizens than most.
* The annual round of bollocks involving Spurs fans being anti-Semites gets on my proverbial cleavage
After reading more about this and considering Qatar must be building brand new stadiums, first thought was "why not indoor stadiums". I appreciate they aren't ideal but as Qatar are investing money in stadiums mainly for this one sporting event, aren't indoor stadiums a possible option? http://www.insidethegames.com/show-news.php?id=6297 But notice that part in bold, they lost the Olympics for that very reason, the weather.
Australia say they want compensation for their failed 2022 World Cup bid. Why? Australia came bottom of the ballot with a solitary vote before their elimination in the first round of the ballot, so they have no right to kvetch.
The Sapporo Dome held indoor matches in 2002 as well (in that case, the pitch floated in and out of the stadium - and it still cost 1/3 of the new Wembley!)
We ought to keep this thread going all through the season! Haven't got time to check back through all earlier contributions, but here's a few from me. ⢠Andy Townsend, Alan Smith, Alan Shearer - and all other commentators/pundits who add nothing to what I can see for myself. ⢠Jose Mourinho, Paolo Di Canio, Roberto Mancini - and all other megalomaniac managers who think the game's about them. Posers. ⢠Diving, including when practised by one or two who've appeared in Spurs colours. ⢠Suarez. ⢠Real Madrid (I wish Bale had chosen Barcelona!) ⢠The toilets at every football ground I've ever been to. Especially pissing in a metal trough - it's degrading. ⢠Secret smokers at WHL, occupying cubicles during half-time. ⢠So-called fans who spend the match denigrating our own players, instead of urging them to do better. Keep the criticism for discussions on the train/half-time/in the pub/on not606. ⢠And all songs which have hatred for any other team as their theme. At the match, I want to sing about Spurs, not A*****l. ⢠Those responsible for pitching nearly every Spurs song out of my vocal range. Chosen key is often suitable only for castrati. Means I have to join in an octave lower.
Alex McLeish's commentary. No wonder his teams perform so badly, his droning voice damn near put me to sleep during the Anzhi match!
Those turf accountant salesmen on Talk****e, who are given a 10-20 minute slot to peddle their pathetic bets. The program makes out like they are interviewing these gypos instead of being forced to honour a contractual commitment that is part of the stupid sums of advertising revenue they get paid. Also, have you noticed how the bets are heavily loaded in the bookies' favour? So, for example, if Chelsea were to play Sunderland at SB, these shyster bookies will give you 10-9 for a Chelsea win (which is close to a dead cert for them), and only about 3-1 for a Sunderland win (when it should be more like 20-1). Cheating bastards! Oh, and I hate the way they now use the term "markets" in order to lend their sleazy betting empire a ring of respectability, as though punters are doing trades on the floor of some major stock exchange. "There are a number of markets opening up for Spurs v West Ham..." No! They are not "markets," they are sleazy loaded bets. Now **** off! Phew! I needed that.
To be fair to them HIAG, if you're going to call it a stock market, then there's clearly a precedent!
