Aston Villa away. 1-0 will do me just fine.
Friday, November 27, 2009 at 2:47PM I've been off-line for a couple of days, returning to find the usual assortment of tabloid delights and a Made in Tottenham gem that will have your head shaking despondently.
Villa. Away. It's a biggie. Not just because we smashed Wigan 9-1 last week but also because a win would put us cushion-clear of MON's men and considering their impressive home record, would no doubt go a long way towards cementing our ambitions to remain Top 4 into the new year. Which isn't proving too tricky a task at the moment, even with the odd blip we manage to make room for. All eyes on Harry. With one single request from myself (and possibly all other Lilywhites):
Keep the same line-up.
That's right. Robbie, keep the bench warm son, you did a great job there last time out. No point messing with confidence and consistency. Right? We'll see. It wouldn't shock me if Harry did change it, because it's Villa and because it's away. Redknappology works in mysterious ways. But I'm going to wager he keeps it as it was (even if he's suggesting otherwise). Fuck it. I have no idea what he does, but no doubt if he changes it and we win, he's a genius, if he doesn't then cue tactical heartache and waving fists via message boards and blogs.
Rumours suggest (thanks to Archie over at SO) that BAE will play his last game for a while as he shoots off to France for treatment on a nagging stomach/groin issue. Which means we may be on the verge of the return of Gareth Bale to first team action, on a more semi-permanent basis (rather than the odd cameo). I rate Bale and unfortunately for the lad a mixture of the usual mis-management and shit form of his team mates + injuries was the catalyst for some pretty devastating confidence evaporation that was so bad at one point, he was linked with a move to Birmingham every other week (it's still happening). With us doing okay at the moment, I think a fully fit Bale can do a job for us if asked to slot into the left back position (if BAE is - as cited - going to be sidelined for a few games). If he's going to be a long term solution to the LB position then we need him to play Prem games consistently to find out if he does have true potential, rather than not. So this might work out to be a necessary experiment. We paid a lot of money for Gareth, there's something there. Let's not Blondel him into oblivion. Of course, same say he's better used as a LW. But we'll leave that for another time.
As for the game, pressure is on. Players talking about competing for the Top 4 once again on the back of that game against Wigan (you know the one), so best to avoid egg on face and swagger it all across the pitch once more with intent and end product. Although I don't actually care too much about performance. Yes, would love to see us play the sexy football and trounce Villa, but I'll happily see us battle, spill guts and blood and win with a deflected goal off a Villa defenders backside. 1-0. Three points. That will do me. Anything more and the club might start releasing a DVD every weekend.
Rumours also (keep those fingers and toes crossed for this one) that a certain little Croatian is fully fit and ready for a return although from the bench rather than a starting position. That's from the ITK's. Harry is a little more misty with return dates suggesting that he'll back soon rather than 8 weeks from now (as reported recently). It will be like having a brand spanking new £14M signing coming into the side, one that already knows how to dictate tempo and one that will galvanise all around him.
This is massive for us. Hold on for a sec...removing my heart from my chest and placing it on my sleeve. We could change gear and move up a level - which on current Prem form would suggest monopoly-destroying jigs for the WHL faithful (I'll regret this over the weekend, no doubt when we all start talking post-match about how the Europa League isn't too bad a second option). Move northwards, Tottenham, to avoid the temple of doom.
Elsewhere, we've signed (according to The Sun) another defender from Glasgow Rangers. Yeah, of course we have. Richards also re-linked. Has he been any good since he was...good?
And the club have done it again, this time with a 'I was there' framed collectable. Baby Jesus is not just weeping, he's having one. Toys and myrrh out of pram, the lot. I understand that people involved in the clubs merchandising department are thinking first with their money-heads and second as Spurs fans because it's their job to come up with as many ways to take the fans money as possible. And I also think that if people are going to easily part with their money for such products they deserve to have their wallet lightened as often as possible because no doubt their world would fall apart if they didn't spend all their cash at the Spurs Shop. And if they're in there, they're nowhere near me. But for the love of God, there is no class or dare I say understatement about selling silliness on the back of what was a heavy win in our favour against...Wigan.
Yes, if you're aged 3-9 years then it's fine because kids don't know any better and it's a nice thing for them to associate the begining of their love affair with Spurs (which will no doubt see their youth ravaged in no time at all). Yes, freak result, and possibly the only recent occasion where a DVD of the game is 'okay' to make but this item is just a little bit sickly for my tastes.
If Paul Barber is reading this, I'm just stating opinion. It's not derogatory to the club (just in case I get a an email telling me it's in my terms and conditions to behave myself and promote nothing but goodness). Oh and Paul - good luck chief with your move across to the MLS. Big move. Big money. Don't go introducing unwanted colour streaks in their kits though, not for a couple of years at least. You know, get some good in before the bad.
FA Cup draw on Sunday. Expect us to get a Sky Sports Elite Top 4 side away.
COYS
More later...
Reader Comments (19)
Hey Spooky.
Downing is apparently playing. Writing is on the wall already.
RIP Glory
Hoping the BAE 'story' is not true and if it is, he's simply off for treatment and misses a game or two. Credit to Harry for the player he's turned BAE into. Part of the furniture now.
Downing playing, poor sod, he has Lennon to worry about...
Looking forward to this big time, but you may well regret "...our ambitions to remain Top 4 into the new year. Which isn't proving too tricky a task at the moment, even with the odd blip we manage to make room for" as February to May is a long way, as we found last season. Yes you have a front line which is the envy of most, but you can't play them all at once and I think you'll find your ambitions this season dashed by your defence. I really think we will pip you 1-0 or possibly 1-1, but I think maybe this isn't the game you needed after the Wigan stroll last Sunday - this is Villa's biggest game this season since we played Liverpool in August.
Watching the game this weekend with a villa fan........please don't let me down boys!!!
COYS!
0-1. no chance. spur's defence is a bit shaky. i really hope you keep the same team. no backbone will suit the villa just fine. 2-1 villa i reckon.
With ledley and modders still out surely the team should stay the same - seba, jj and psb could come in but I'd keep the first eleven the same after the last game. Interesting on bae, could be bale's chance if true. Btw please please can we have a good f.a. cup run this year and a FAVOURABLE draw :-)
I reckon a very dull 1-1, since we can't keep a clean sheet but Defoe seems to be enjoying himself. This benefits Liverpool and Citeh most of all unfortunately (let's hope Everton smash Pool and demoralize them for the rest of the season, though I doubt it) - but I'd certainly take a point from Villa Park, and a win would be amazing.
I don't particularly care who starts alongside Defoe, I think both Keane and Crouch have different advantages and disadvantages and I prefer not to change winning teams, but Villa away is a far different prospect than Wigan at home and I suspect we'll be doing a lot more defending and counterattacking. Hudd might be left out too, as much as Harry has favored him this season (perhaps since he's threatened to leave, but he also seems to have improved) - however I thought the JJ and Palacios pairing did well at VP last season, and Hudd still doesn't convince me against good, disciplined sides. That said the most important thing is the 4-4-2 and playing Defoe and Lennon (I would add Kranjcar too). The Spurs of yesteryear would probably drop points the game after a sensational performance - let's hope Harry has gotten that out of our system, or we'll never get anywhere. Keep the game high-tempo and work our asses off, and we should get something. COYS!!
So what do you reckon - realistically 100 mugs part company with their hard earned for a little souvenir? Spurs won't be putting up the cash - that's down to the company who's producing it. £500 profit for that pile of tat and all the sh**e publicity they've had, both here and elsewhere. Money well spent methinks...
Must be Friday - I need a pint!
everyone knows spurs r not as good as they and their fans think and that wigan match was just too much overachieving by spurs and most of the goals were due to wigan's schoolboy defending and it was the worst perfomance by kirkland ever ,wigan lost due their own peril rather than spurs being better.spurs fans should not get too cocky bcoz its one thing to b cocky if u r a manu or arsenal fan but a spurs fan will look like a clown if he will try to do that as their club achievements and status dont back them up. on other hand i think villa r true contenders for top 4 finish and may b city ,slowly true quality would take its place and we will b in top 4 at end of the season while spurs medicore team would b around if their manager dont got sacked 7-9 th place which is their usual level and about the upcoming game i am confident we would win as spurs choke against teams or rather clubs which r bigger than them.
Er, you got that wrong. We have been taught so many harsh lessons, nobody quite believes in any crowing new dawn bestowed upon us. Stop believing all the shit you read in the red tops and think for yourself. Villa are a decent side, hard working, plenty of talent, but much like us - lacking that little bit of extra guile to truly challenge.
Villa, true contenders? Leave it out. Now who's being delusional?
As Bale wasn't even on the bench against Wigan and Bassong came on to replace BAE I'd expect the same substitution if BAE has to come off or can't start. Villa are a decent side but I'm more concerned that we play 442 with the same effort and skill for the 90 minutes. If we do that we should still beat them.
villa vanilla, how are aston villa a bigger club than spurs? overrated club, players and manager end of! Would like to see bale given a run in the team and hope he gets the chance as he has played well in CC this season, maybe swap dawson for bassong coz although agbonlahor is overrated he has got a bit of pace.
Looking forward to this as well. Villa put 11 behind the ball and counter down the wings and we always have trouble dealing with width; so it has made for difficult games.
But Villa fans: enough with this we're a bigger club than you pretension. Tell you what; convince the media of it and I'll pretend you are a bigger club. Be the lightening rod. Until then, as Spooky has mentioned, the media will simply pump us up so that they can kick us even harder when we fall, (especially since Newcastle are not around).
Redknappology has done my head in!
Won't be easy, need to be on our toes at the back and lively up front. Sit back and we're asking for trouble. Be adventurous would be my motto for the day.
Yep, eyes down for another must win, season defining,12 pointer, arn't they all?
Unless we lose of course and then its just a bad day at the office, sometimes known as a blip.'
Spurs to win 2-1 trust me.
I more or less got it right last week, only six goals out on our score but I got their score spot on.
Team (and you can bet your 'Opus on this) Gomes/ Corluka/ Woodgate/ Bassong / BAE
Lennon/ Jenas/ Palacios / Kranjcar Keane/ Defoe
and Gio on the bench.
Same team as last week please. JJ and Keane to come off the bench to prove a point if we need a bit of a kick up the arse performance-wise. The first eleven from last week did just enough to convince me that they're an effective unit...! And for Gods' sake attack them. None of this containment nonsense, give them something to worry about, stick them on the back foot as we'll always concede goals.
As for Bale, he's going to need to get a few games under his belt as BAE is off to the African Cup of Nations in Feb anyway. As is Bassong (I think). Not sure about this chap we've been linked to from Rangers. Seems he may have a bit of an attitude problem:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/nov/27/walter-smith-madjid-bougherra-rangers
In which case he can Bougherra off.... sorry. Wont he also be off to ACoN as well?
So, Villa fans, anything to add to the discussion?