That’s also a good point. As an outsider, I’m surprised players can play twice a week. While NFL players occasionally get catastrophic damage due to high impact collisions to joints, there’s nothing like the typical amount of running and changing direction and sheer unexpected movement the PL has--and the NFL never asks players to play more than once a week. The worst it ever gets is once a year players play on four days rest--followed by an extra three days off. My gut feeling is that they’:re asked to play twice a week because there’s money in it, and despite the fact it would be better for the level of play and players’ careers if they never played more than once a week.
I think I read awhile ago that the ideal recovery and preperation for next game was 5 days. The difference between 5, 6 or 7 is small and even 4's not too bad but 3 and below means things have to be rushed. Ideally everything would be spaced out so we play every 5 days allowing teams in Europe to play with no particular disadvantage but unfortunately the weekends aren't set up to benefit football recovery times so here we are.
What really irritates me is that it clashes with England vs Ireland, which is a vital game in our six nations campaign.
Excited, nervous, 4pm can't come soon enough. See you all on the otherside of the game, hopefully we'll be celebrating and drunk. COYS!
Enjoy your day YV ...I am watching at home with my kids. I had just enough points to get a ticket but my girls didn't so I didn't go for one as I wanted us to watch it together...cos of that I am in their good books (yay good dad)...We have made a spurs shrine in the front room...and have got loads of snacks foods...gonna enjoy the day no matter what! Coys
On the off chance that The Narrative is something other than journalists writing match reports before the game has even kicked off, let me just point out today is St David's Day - so if any journo wants to Google the likes of Cliff Jones, Gareth Bale, Simon Davies or Ben Davies (or even Chris Gunter) that'd be nice...
I see us having a good penalty shout that is turned down, with the pundits saying "I can see why the ref didn't give that". It might be exactly the same shout that Chelski get if the situations are reversed and the ref does give it, and the pundits say "I can see why the ref gave that". As mentioned earlier, I want a game where the refs (subjective) decisions do not decide the game.
Lloris (c), Walker, Dier, Vertonghen, Rose; Bentaleb, Mason; Chadli, Eriksen, Townsend; Kane Subs: Vorm, Davies, Fazio, Dembele, Stambouli, Lamela, Soldado No complaints from me - that is the exact starting XI I wanted
I would've switched in Dembele for Townsend, but other than that the side looks good on paper. Let's just hope there's a new FA directive saying all finals must be played on paper rather than grass, starting today...
Not sure we'd come off better than Chelsea on paper. I'm happy to chance my arm on grass. Perfect team, pretty much and I'm sure it's no coincidence that our best three performances this calendar year have been against the biggest three teams we've played (Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool). Something about our youth and energy responds well to big games, maybe. We only have to play as well as well as we did in any of them (where performances ranged from very good to bloody brilliant) and we're gonna give Chelsea a real game. I'm weirdly confident for some reason. And I absolutely love beating Chelsea. Come on you Spurs!
England getting mullered in Dublin. Lucky to be only 6 points down. I hope Spurs do better or it's going to make a miserable weekend!...
So unbelievably nervous for this match. More than anything I want us to make a game of it and the boys to do us proud. Although saying that I'd take any type of win! I echo Vim's comments, I hope that a bad decision doesn't ruin the game. I am sort of expecting us to be doing well and ten suddenly they get a dodgy penalty and we go down to 10 men. That seems the given for us in the big matches over the last few years.
I'd take a dodgy decision if it meant we won. Against Chelsea that would be lovely, thanks. I hope it really pisses them off too.
Best one will be talked about here: http://www.reddit.com/r/soccerstreams/comments/2xkc2q/match_thread_chelsea_vs_tottenham_hotspur/
