Utd 2 Spurs 1: A Review in Quotes
Sunday, January 25, 2009 at 4:11PM Quotes from around the web on Saturdays FA Cup exit at Old Trafford, including a choice pick for best pre-match blurb.
Pre-match:
If a team no longer strives to win, and admits even before taking to the pitch that it doesn’t want to win, it ceases to be sport. The team in question ought not to be there. The attitude towards the UEFA Cup is similarly odd, in that having strived so hard to get there for years, we’re now encouraged to view it as an unwanted extra burden, one we’d be better off without. If we don’t want to win any of the cups, why bother staying in the Premiership?
We’re certainly not going to win that any time soon, so why bother? It’s just one fixture after another. We don’t want to qualify for Europe, as that creates too many games, so let’s avoid the problem by dropping down a division. In fact, let’s just avoid the entire problem of playing every week and disband the team. Let the players become full-time celebrities, without the hassle of this 90-minute malarkey. (Depressingly, I can think of a couple of players who might be genuinely taken with the idea…) - Mike Lac and the All-Action-No-Plot world
Post-match:
In places we played brightly and threatened. But what frustrated was that lack of oomph to go that extra yard. You get the impression if one of our lot started tearing around like Tevez he'd be greeted with looks of bemusement from his colleagues. It's a case of perception. And if you stop your average Yid in the street and ask, the response is that many of our lot don't look as if they're all that bothered. I do hope the gravity of our league position is clear in the minds of whoever plays against Stoke - Harry Hotspur
A complete roll-over by Spurs. They should have f*cked off back down the motorway at half-time - LaNausee (GU sports)
We were so dreadfully lethargic that I was wondering if Harry told them to play like that - Mulletperm (glory-glory.co.uk)
I thought it was another pathetic performance...........no urgency or desire to really get the result, just going through the motions really even when space opened up at times on the counter we never looked like we wanted to get at them. Even when we went 1-0 up I just knew what was going to happen, just isn’t enough backbone in so many of the players and we got knocked out without so much as a whimper - DC_Finsbury_yid (glory-glory.co.uk)
Also noticed that Redknapp defended his players like a real manager today, in response to the harsh comments from Teddy Sheringham and others. On high time. Criticising lack of effort, lack of fight and character, players out of form etc. is relevant, But my main worry is that even on our better days there are no trace of a football team, a unit with a clear idea about how to play. In that respect we've gone from bad to worse.
Under Martin Jol we had a clear style of play, arguably very dependent on individual players and not based on the foundations of a system, a philosophy and well defined roles in the team. Under Ramos we saw clearly what he was trying to do, over ambitious maybe, not successful definitely, but recognisable nevertheless. Under Redknapp there's not a trace of anything but panic and turmoil, the players play for themselves to avoid being booed by their own fans or hung out to dry by the coach and his mates in the tabloids. For my life I could not tell what Redknapp is trying to do in terms of tactics, direction and leadership.
And that scares the s**t out of me - Terje H (spursornothing.co.uk)
That was the closest thing to the games running up to Leeds relegation I’ve seen since. No passion, no heart and if I was a fan having travelled up for that id be asking for my money back. Spurs are side in deep sh*t, I’ve sat through a carbon copy of this. Players that can’t be bothered getting paid far too much and don’t really give a shit. Disgraceful display - dermot mulligan (GU sports)
We do not play good football, we are rubbish. Completely devoid of anything resembling a midfield, nothing going forwards, no creative spark, passionless rubbish. To make it worse we have a 'winger' in charge who is already covering his own arse with the spectre of relegation looming large. I honestly believe we are the most boring team in the premier league, slow, dull, predictable and were in serious serious trouble - Vienna Spur (glory-glory.co.uk)
The way Spurs rolled over in that game was pathetic. Looked as though they wanted to go out of the fa cup. Man Utd just sat back most of the second half a little bit like they did against Derby in the cup and what did Spurs do? A lot of them players should be ashamed of themselves I would be well pissed off paying out all that money to go and watch that shower of shit. Don’t think Harry was too arsed either otherwise he would have brought Defoe on well before he did or started him - Stacki (rumourwhores.com)
Turns out the traffic cones wore white. Spurs never developed any rhythm, defended well in spells, yes, but offered far too little going forward, rarely causing United to raise an eyebrow, never mind break sweat, and conceding what little possession they did enjoy far too cheaply. Not bothered, though. Progression in the Cup would just have been an unwelcome distraction from the job of survival in the league, and an opportunity to collect damaging injuries - Dave Gallagher (spursornothing.co.uk)
Damage limitation in a cup game. What has happened to Tottenham? - Diego_Maradona (glory-glory.co.uk)
I thought we did well. It is tough to come here - you have to be careful, if you open up you can get beaten by four, five or six goals.We started well, but a bad two-minute spell cost us. In the second half neither keeper had an awful lot to do. But I thought we were always in the game and I could see us nicking a goal and earning a replay - Harry Redknapp (BBC)
I was encouraged by the performance on the whole. I thought Bentley put in a good shift and really caused a good Utd team some problems.. Gunter kept Ronaldo quiet for the most part. Pav scored a very good goal from the Huddlestone cross, (so who ever was saying Thudd dint get near the Utd box, what game where you watching..?)
The equaliser was unlucky and Scholes was 45 yards from the goal when the corner was taken, I’m sorry but if you mark someone on the half way line you lose someone in the box, it’s a Utd trate and its very hard to defend against you have to play the law of averages and say you’re better off with the extra man in the box marking and take the chance Scholes isn’t going to hit a screamer from 30 yards and yesterdays was going wide if not for the deflection... The second was the reason they paid £30m for Berbs we all know his class and that showed. Other than that Utd didn’t really cause us that many problems and Alnwick looked comfortable - LillyWhite Yid (glory-glory.co.uk)
We put up a better performance than usual, and their equaliser was lucky. Knocked our fragile confidence severely. To be honest, that was more than I expected before the kickoff, seeing that we have been gutless and lethargic lately. And that's not to say we wouldn't have lost had Utd not gone in at half time ahead, they would've broken us eventually. Utd were playing with belief. And for the record, Utd sat back and made us chase the game, meaning our fatigued players got more knackered as the game went on and posed less of a threat, we came up against a better team and lost, I don't think we disgraced ourselves, which is a change, but equally we didn't put in 110% but there are factors for that - Laudski (rumourwhores.com)
Wonder if everyone is still in love with the "Redknapp Revolution" - David Soul (GU sports)
The Tottenham we want is the type that would run through a thunderous storm into a herd of stampeding steroid enhanced rhinoceroses just to look upon the shirt. To put the shirt on they would stare up to the heavens, laugh at the lightning bolts and silence the Gods with a dirty look before turning to the rhino’s with a war cry of such ferocity, they’ll curl up like kittens.
What we’ve got instead is a Tottenham that holds an umbrella while it apologetically shrugs towards a ditch until the herd has passed then decides the walk is too long so heads back in the opposite direction – Spooky (this here blog)
Reader Comments (15)
Spurs are looking like the new Leeds. No fish tanks but plenty of jellyfish.
Limp performance but I don't think we should read that much into it. Yes, its the FA Cup and we should be fighting like warriors to get through and that it will say something about our spirit, but no matter how you look at it, we had one or two players under-perform (Modric) and the rest were mishmashed as Redknapp said. I think their minds are on the Prem games now.
Don't agree. They had nothing to lose and bricked it. How can this lot stand up to the real test?
Limp best describes it. No one really gave it a right old go, and when we did it wasn't strong enough. Half of Tevez urgency would have made a world of difference. Didn't help to have so many players off form, but that's the story of our season.
Okay, I saw the same game and do not understand the slating of the spurs performance. I watched the game with finnish commentary, so I understood names and that was it. I wonder how much people are influenced in their opinions by commentators and studio analysts...
Alnwick made some pretty damn good saves, including one which had several man utd players staring in disbelief that it had not gone in. Dawson has really done well, Corluka too. Gunter did pretty well, but is perhaps more of a centre back, as he did not go forward that much really. BAE did pretty well too, showing why not so long ago the press were calling him one of the best left backs in the country. Then when it came to the transfer window he was suddenly a flop.
Hudds pass to Pav was perfect. He was always looking for a killer long pass, but sometimes had to come way too far back to receive the ball. Is this his fault, the fault of others not moving enough up front, or just good defending from the world champions?
Zokora....Hmm, I did not notice him much, ya know, other than giving the ball away.
Modric was crowded out and so had little inluence on the game. Bale had a couple of good moments, couple of bad. Bentley did pretty well for me, and I dont like him much. Pav worked hard, and to get across Vidic like that for the header was great.
The subs...Well, Gio looked hungry but nervous. Could be one for the future as people say, but we need people for now. Not that much of a fighter, but not his fault.
Taarabt was so annoying to watch. He can dribble pretty well, but he always held onto the ball for too long. If he can be taught when to pass, and to figure out defenders actually move to intercept passes, he could be good, great even. But in this game, just annoying.
Defoe...Ran around, not sure he touched the ball more than twice.
So overall, we had injuries to key players ( yes, so did man utd, but look at the respective squads...) and we lost 2-1 away to the champions of the world, who fielded the world player of the year, as well as two world class strikers and Scholes...Who is still pretty awesome.
Some of our players did not close down quite as much as they could have, but they did try. I was screaming at the tv "Close them down!" and most of the time they did, or were trying to read where the pass was going.
Not a disgraceful performance at all.
Ah the internet, how I miss the days where banter was found only at school and the terraces and the pubs.
Far too much is being spoken about our demise. We'll thrash Stoke, sign a couple of players and the same people moaning and crying we'll start raving about the same players who are currently 'shit'.
Not that it forgives the attitude of some of the players.
"Not a disgraceful performance at all"
Completely agree.
Lacked any punch and overwhelming determination (as displayed by Tevez).
We could do with a Tevez, much like West Ham appreciated his efforts.
Not worried though. We'll settle in midtable soon enough. Where we go from there is something I'll worry about during the summer.
FA Cup tradition in tatters.
We are going down.
Some of you scaremongers are pitiful...Like Leeds before they got relegated blah blah, fuck off you gooners or whoever you are..What a load of bollocks..Were not gonna win the fa cup, were going for the Carling again, and to try and ensure we dont get relegated, which we wont..It was an insipid performance, but I think as per Harry's instructions, 'have a go, but dont get injured, and dont worry if we dont win' Fair enough, exactly what I would have said...
What Pete said.
Although all my hopes are pinned on us improving 110% against Stoke as a TEAM.
Pete needs to wipe the delusion away from his eyes. We have shown nothing in the past few weeks that could be classed as just about average. We are fucking shit and if the players can't show heart in a Cup match then what makes anyone think they will in the League.
I have no idea what to feel at the moment.
"Taarabt was so annoying to watch. He can dribble pretty well, but he always held onto the ball for too long. If he can be taught when to pass, and to figure out defenders actually move to intercept passes, he could be good, great even. But in this game, just annoying"
This harks back to the constant question about our development abilities as a club. Just how good are we at dealing with kids who have talent, but are raw?
I'm really not bothered by the game. He sent a wank team out that are probably getting binned in the summer. 1 less thing to worry about - although there is a few...
Taarabt will be a great player either with us or not. But is this season, right now, the time and place in the league to be throwing in the likes of GDS, Taarabt etc? No. Every other team aren't pissing about bringing through youth without either being in a good run of form, top of the table or having a battling team around them. We're in a shite run of form, have no backbone and are league wise, in the shit.
My biggest worry is that come Feb 2nd and into the new season (where ever we are) our team is gonna resemble the Harlem Globetrotters with Defoe as the spearhead.