Can those who are good at numbers please tell me what is needed for us to qualify for the EL knockout stage? That is of course if anyone cares, because although Harry doesn't are all that much I would still like to see if we can still stay in Europe.
We need to win and for Rubin Kazan to lose, plus there has to be at least a 5 goal swing. It probably has to be six though, as they've scored more goals than we have. In other words, don't bet on it! I'd expect us to start a very attacking side and Kaboul should play too, considering his ridiculous ban.
I hope that Defoe doesn't play in this one, to me I want us to win the EL, but that requires more of a commitment than Harry was/is prepared to do. I don't blame Harry for this, it's his choice and as a manager he's done more than enough for me to respect his choices, (even if his idea for 'two refs' is palpably mistaken I don't want us now chasing 'fools gold' by sending out JD or any of our first XII, bar Kaboul. I'll be honest I don't even want Kaboul out there, but I can understand that one. We should play Pav and GDS, which means IMHO we won't win by 3 or more. There's a good chance the other teams will make our result irrelevant in terms of qualification anyway. It's too late, we've missed the Euro bus this year, if as is likley we finish up in the EL again next season, I wonder if we'll approach the competition with more serious intent?
It might actually be better for Defoe if he were to start this one, Ghoddle. If he were to play the first hour, say, then he might be able to nick a goal or two and keep his match-fitness up without risking injury. I'd say much of the same for Sandro too and I'm hoping that Kranjcar can get a bit of a run out, as well.
GH10 probably agree that the 5 goal differential is too much as we have struggled to score in this comp. However we are still in with a very good position to get in the top 4 and to say we will be in the EL next season is bit premature. Its quite likely that this week will give a strong indication of the intent of the 1st team whether they have the stomach for a battle.
Fair comments PNP, but for me I don't want JD anywhere near this game. It's way too risky, I wouldn't bother with Sandro either, but again if Harry goes for that, no problems. Niko all day long can play, he's nowhere near our first XII ATM. To me Harry hasn't, and probably won't, treat the competition with sufficient respect for us to win it, so let's bin it, is what I say. Naturally, if a scratch team do the biz then great, let's see how Harry approaches the knock out stage.
Hi PL, to say that we will end up in the EL is a bit premature, but I didn't actually say that I deliberately used the word 'likely'. It may be that assessment is on the pessimistic side, but we can debate that one as a separate matter if you like. I've been absolutely flattened by the Stoke result and injustice and just hope the players aren't, as you say we'll know so much more after Sunday. But even a win is unlikely to have me thinking we're anywhere near certainties for the CL, unlike City or Utd (IMO). I think finishing above one of Arsenal or Chelsea is going to be soooooooo difficult.
I think it best Harry plays the kids and you drop out of the tournament gracefully as you'd obviously struggle in a double header against the mighty potters, never mind one of the manchester teams..
Shame you posted this, as I'd made peace with the Stoke fans and wasn't going to mention Sunday's events again, but hey ho, here we go You're wrong SC, as the appalling display of anti-football you gave the other day wouldn't be tolerated by a decent Continental referee. Your European 'pedigree' is laughably miscule compared to ours. We'd start start hot-favourites over the minnows of Stoke, you're nearly 40 years now without a trophy, and not even one European quarter final to compare with our three European trophies, four finals and ten or more quarter finals. It'd be a mismatch between a big club playing proper football and a small club playing rugby. Luckily, the continentals don't like to see football clubs playing rugby, so I would look forward to you being reduced to 9 men and getting a five goal thrashing at the Lane
Thanks for reminding me Ensil Most remiss of me I've had my say about the Stoke game on Sunday, come to a peaceful closure over it with decent Stoke fans, and now this WUM comes along to cause trouble. If he returns to cause more problems, I'll just point out he's going on my ignore list, and I want no more debate with him.
Sandro needs more than short cameos, to be frank - not least because we have a lot of games in short order coming up. Play him for 90 minutes alongside Livermore/Carroll, and let him run the game from midfield. Just hope that doesn;t lead to Round Two of "Sandro to Old Trafford", which our friends at The Sun have decided to go with...
It still stands though that Spurs have most probably failed to qualify for the knock out stage and yet stoke are already there..... Even with the extra referees. and by all means ignore me Ghoddle.... I'm Suprised you didn't try the old 'I don't care what you say' chestnut first.
Why are Stoke fans annoyed with Spurs? You got lucky and got away with footballing murder and now you're annoyed with us about it?!
I'll whisper it quietly but I'm normally a nice guy PnP I'm not annoyed with Spurs, I truly hope you finish higher than Arsenal in the league. I lived in Waltham Abbey and Colindale for about 12 years and went to WHL and the Boleyn often but I'm back in my own home county now. but Ghoddle has said some disturbing things about us in the past few days and I've finally got some time to be an annoying WUM. So nothing personal guys unless you idolise a religous freak who thinks handicapped people were evil in a previous life.
Is that him preparing to save a penalty, Ensil? You and your fellow lizard people have just mocked up the rest to make him look silly. I'm onto you!
Hehe - Yes, another footballing 'freak' However, Hoddle, who I must say was an outstanding footballer, is quoted as saying "You and I have been physically given two hands and two legs and half-decent brains," he was quoted as saying. "Some people have not been born like that for a reason. The karma is working from another lifetime. "I have nothing to hide about that. It is not only people with disabilities. What you sow, you have to reap."
Presumably if you believe in karma and reincarnation that all makes sense. I'm not going to discuss religion on this section of the forum, but I'm sure that you can think of sillier things from more mainstream religions. If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. They shall say to the elders, "This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a profligate and a drunkard." Then all the men of his town shall stone him to death.
The goal tally needed for this one game, equals the amount scored in the entire comp so far! ...dream on!
I get where you are coming from GH and being a long suffering and sometimes pessimistic fan will always bring the negative in people. As you are aware I live on the other side of the world and as such most matches are played in the middle of the night, so if i can't record it i always wake in trepidation that my beloved Spurs have done it again and stuffed up another promising season by losing or drawing games they should have won. This season is not different about the fear, but more often that not these days they have come through and most times doing it in style so all is definitely not lost- just yet. COYS
