Tough game against Birmingham, we've been getting points latley but not playing to well, if we want to win this game our preformances have to improve of that against Sunderland and Portsmouth, Birmingham will be fighting for there lives and have just come off a bad defeat against Man City and will be desperate to put on a show. Though i think we will win this game, will be tight but i'll for 2-0 Spurs your thoughts?
...would you really say we have not been playing well? I don't, we have let in some goals, but they have on the most part been against the run of play imo...and for large parts of those games Tottenham dictated the play. Can't really comment on the last match as I only watched the second half, where I felt it was pretty even, if a bit scrappy. Compared to Tottenham before Jol, there is no comparison. It will be a tough game but I expect us to take 3 pts.
Well we haven't been great defencivly in our last few games, we've had Robbo to thank on lots of occasions. Our defence has to improve for this match, it's been a while since we last kept a clean sheet.
did you see the man city match? brum are pure crap. if we slack off early like we did against sunderland, we'll only beat them by two. but i can feel two goals coming from the midfield this week. and, of course, davids got back on form against boro after a couple of off weeks - so it's another yellow for the pitbull.
Birmingham have been poor this season and had a shocking result last week. Plus we've also got a good home record against them over the past few years. But.... our performances have not been good and usually after a bad defeat a team like Birmingham will try to get some pride back in the next game. Bruce will be 110% focussed on us as he's in danger of the sack, let alone relegation. I expect them to play counterattacking and with lots of physical play. I think we'll win 2-1. Late goal takes it after a nervous game.
5-1 to spurs. If burm play anywehre near the way they did against City then they are doomed. Mido with 2, keane with 1, Davids with one and Stalteri. I sense a the Christmas joy spreading into the lane COMBINED with the start of Kwanza and Chanukah. The 26th will be festive at the lane.
I think what Colm mean's by us 'not playing well' is that we are not fluid. What I can say is that we are not playing to a 100% of our capacity at the moment. That will come with time. For us to start playing fluid attacking football (like the 1st half against Arsenal), we do need a couple of dynamic players. Who they are? No one knows?
I don't think we really need anyone, though a decent left winger would be nice. The team's still young and gelling slowly but surely. You don't suddenly play great slick football cos you've gone out and bought some great players, the team takes time to get up to speed. At least we've learnt how to win games and certainly how not to lose games and not to give up. Now the spirit is there we will hopefully see some better football being played. At the moment Jol is picking his team to win, not to entertain. That's why Jenas is on the right, cos he's much better defensively than either Routledge or Lennon. And Stalteri's better than Kelly defensively but offers nothing little forward. I don't see this changing in the near future either. If we're winning 2-0 after 60 minutes, Jol's not gonna put on more offensive players just to entertain the crowd, he needs to make sure of the points.
Good Point Mort09, but what I mean't is that we are playing to our strength's at the moment. It's obvious we need a left winger so as to give the side balance. Jenas was on the right because Wayne & Aaron were injured. If those two had been fit, Routledge or Lenon would have played on the right.
...on a whole the defence has done well, they do tend to fall into lapses of concentration, but as a unit they are better than previous years. I would like to see Kelly have a couple of matches on the right though. As you can all tell I'm pretty happy right now and with us being so high in the league, with the best points tally for many a year I find it tough to be critical on Spurs at the moment. I agree we're not the finished article but we're tough to beat, can play some excellent quick football, and have Englands #1. How things have changed in the last year.
I would like Kelly in aswell, Stalteri gets turned so easily, he was at fault for the first goal when Quedrue turned him and he gives the ball away far to often. We have been playing with a settled team, it will likely be the same back 4 with Jenas, Carrick, Davids & Tainio in the midfield with Keane and Mido upfront.
Yeah i hope Tainio is back, he's class. I think we should play Routledge though if he's fit though i don't think Jol will play him instead of Jenas. Playing Jenas inside and dropping Carrick doesn't seem to be an option so it looks like Wayne's gonna be on the bench for a bit. He was really angry when he got subbed against pompey, it'll be interesting to see if Jol can keep everyone happy for a while. Am i right in assuming Routledge was injured for the Pompey game as he wasn't even on the bench? If so, is he still injured?
Home game, i see us winning. Birmingham are 3-0 down to Man U's kids team now and before a goal vs Sunderland hadn't scored in a month.
Good news from the club site: Defoe's injury isn't as bad as first thought, and Routledge and Lennon should both be back. However, Tainio is doubtful and Reid is out (hope he doesn't eat too many pies while he recovers ).
Thankfully Lennon and Routledge are back, i would expect Lennon to start. Their is no chance of Carrick, Davids or Jenas on the bench so its out of Routledge, Lennon and Tainio for the other spot in midfield.
I'm sure i posted on this earlier, but i can't see it! Birmingham are rubbish at the moment. Man U's kids/reserves kept them at 0-0 until Rooney and Ferdinand came on, finished 3-1 in the end. Until a goal against Sunderland a month ago, Brum hadn't scored in a month. They're proper rubbish i tell thee, and we have to beat them. I almost lost one of my magic Spurs wristbands earlier, the white one. But i found it in the end, so all is well. The blue one and white one will go on, morning of the game, as always. And we'll win. * Well that was weird, i post this and all of a sudden a 2nd page comes up. Before it stopped before my first post. Something's going on.... not sure what though.
Birmingham have quite a bit of physical strength about them, but we can cope with that these days. Hopefully Keane keeps his scoring boots on, don't want to see them being kept in the game because we keep missing chances.
Sooner or later, we are going to really thump a side. I feel that that side may be from BrumLand. Is it at the Lane?
Flying to London on Friday, will be at the Boxing Day match. Never been to either. After traveling all that way, I hope Spurs thump 'em.
So we are playing at the Lane on Monday. This could be the game that makes the oppositions manager either get the sack or cry or both. 5-0.