Things I want to see from Spurs this season (#1)
Friday, August 10, 2012 at 9:33PM #1
Take the Europa League seriously
It's not the Champions League. The group stages are not sexy. It's an afterthought to keep the plucky sides that missed out on the elite competition happy, even though for the most part they're not because they're distracted with trying to qualify for that very same elite competition. It's not been taken seriously for a while, but with Villas-Boas you sense he will want committment. It's important if you believe it's important. It's either this or the Capital One Cup. Take it seriously and it shapes into something tangible. But beyond the standard discussions on squad rotation and head coach ambitions to drive home a winning mentality no matter the game being played, the final is in Amsterdam, in The Amsterdam ArenA.
Amsterdam. The final is in Amsterdam. It's in the 'dam.
AMSTERDAM*.
*Tag with 'potential to be greatest ever away day'.
Do we really need another reason to want to go all the way to the final? It's in Amsterdam. The prospect of silverware is a nice to have, but the prospect of...Hash cakes, mushrooms, red light district, beer, fit birds on bicycles, threesomes (affordable), pornography, red light district, coffee shops, lap dancers, red light district...
Never red? On this occasion, it's an acceptable alternative to blue. Trust me.
I want to go all the way. I demand a happy ending.
COYS
Reader Comments (32)
I am extremely happy with our defense. Walker, Kaboul, Vertonghen, BAE (Dawson, Caulker) ...the two best outside defenders in the EPL. But with the situation up front....I see a lot of ties coming our way....wish I didn't. Get another striker...PLEASE!
There's too many bikes in Amsterdam and they're lovely. Well worth going. Pick em up in one part of town and drop em off somewhere else. Lovely jubbly.
Things I want to see this season....some bloody strikers signed before the 1st game of the season! I'm not sure what we are waiting for. I don't want us to lose early points because our team is short of players when we've had all summer to get things sorted. Why did we let Saha go when we didn't have a replacement? Spurs will fall behind big time unless we make some signings. I also don't want to see us exposed like we were last night with the high defensive line AVB seems to be obsessed with. Play like that against the Toon and we will be sent back to London with our tails between our legs. Surely he's learnt from the Chelsea post....gulp.
Fü¢% That, I want A Œ@nt¼ng Striker!
Wow Spooky what kind of life have you bean having i hope its a guest writer and not Spooky the frighted one. Dope Prossys bikes threesome fuck the football lets all book . History says if you take to much on it can make you tired like two bitches unless you just watch. So Spooky you now this will be our kids will be playing Thursday and the Men will go to Amsterdam if we get there. Coys
need to complete some signings to add depth. Lloris, Damiao, Huntelaar, Benat.
Forget about Damiao, they want 47m.
What's 'er indoors opinion on that spooky?
I want to see a real-life, in the flesh striker that we have bought with money and is ours by binding contract scoring some goals. Or is that too much to ask?
Missus doesn't read the blog.
The 47M might be Brazilian which translates to around £19.5M.
To do better than Redknapp,so that twat doesnt get the chance to appear smug on SSN and slag us off!
In a shocking development, a chairman of a football might tell the press a player will cost 47m and he might not really mean it.
Conversion Results
47,000,000.00 BRL = 14,927,379.30 GBP
Exchange rate: 0.317604
Rate valid as of: 10/8/2012
Well that's one possible scenario out of the window.
Spook, it's all very well saying you'd like to make the final, but anything short of that and we just added anther half a season to we're down our squad with. I disagreed with a lot of things redknapp did, but his treatment of the Europa league was the way to go so not to jettison the league. He waited till we were out to do that. And yes, I do understand the significance. 50th anniversary as well, and atletico are in the competition, but in this day and age league has to take precedence.
How many more games than the champs league is it? Don't think we'll be full strength in the group stages anyways. Also, IT'S GOD DAMN AMSTERDAM!!
Have not seen one reliable report on the "47m" thing. I still think he is out of our price range though. £25m that Chelsea paid for Oscar is crazy (especially as he will be a bench warmer until he bombs out and heads back to brazil)
We could strengthen our defence and should, i agree.
Where we absolutley have to is on the forward side, looks now like damiao will be to expensive
and knowing levy, we will start looking for a cheaper alternative. That right there is a danger, cause we will
never get the team we want as we sre not ready to pay for it. If modric are leaving, wich i am counting on, we should get
Another midfielder aswell. Training matches is just trainigs matches but still loosing 2-0 to valencia who's the
Third team in spain makes me worried, i believe we have a long way to go. AVB were promised a huge sum
To spend on transfers, but apperantly there seen to be a limit on how much on each single transfer.
I agree that 25m for Oscar is crazy money for a bench rotata. I seriously hope that the 47m Damiao thing was in Brazilian currency making it around 15m. I'm very optimistic about what striker we get, because unlike down the years, the difference is that we had 3 or 4 SENIOR strikers that wasn't shipped out yet in an already massive squad. Now we have only 1, so expect 2 from any of the many many strikers we have been linked with. Who knows, it could be Damiao for around 22m and Remy for 15m assuming Ade sign's. Remy could cover both wings and be alternative striker. If we get Sturridge, I assume we would still need cover for Lennon as Sturridge is left footed as opposed to Remy being right footed.
we have got the boas-constrictor at spurs because levy wants a him to be a proper manager. forget expensive budget blowing transfers.expect trimming of surplus players if possible.expect young players to be given more game time.expect to see a greater use of all squad players.expect to see tactical changes.expect to see changing formations.expect to see better use of free kicks.expect to see better use of corners.expect to see a gaffer take responsibility for bad results.expect to see a gaffer admitting getting the team formation wrong.expect to see a gaffer who is tottenham.expect a gaffer to take all competitions seriously.expect this gaffer to be the opposite of redknapp.expect that to be positive...
If we spread our current squad too thinly over every competition, we'll make a right mess of the league.
You can go to Amsterdam during the international breaks.
Amsterdam ? I've still got the scars from the 74 UEFA Cup Final in Rotterdam. And that was before kick-off.
You forgot to mention cheese and tulips btw for those of us too old to enjoy the red lights, birds, dope and porn.
Just the league for me. We should be able to get reasonably far in the Europa playing more of a 2nd sting. What I would like is almost a full 2nd team, where we can play the same system as in the league and swap players in and out.
? - ? Keeper
Walker - Naughton
Kaboul - Caulker
Vertonghen - Bassong
Benni - Fryers? Rose?
VdV - Sigursson
Sandro - Parker
???? - ???? Playmaker
Lennon - ? Dos santos, Defoe
???? - ????
Bale - Townsend
So just need 2 lone strikers (f*** it, ill take loan strikers at this point) and 2 modders replacements. As well as 2 fast keepers, So about £130m worth of player then.
Dear AVB and Mr Levy
The premier league starts 18th August .
Why do people think Oscar will be a bench-warmer at Chelsea? He has looked class in all the games I have seen him play (3..lol) so is it just because he signed for Chelsea that he has suddenly become 2nd rate?
Simon's summary of what Levy expects from AVB sounds about right, but with the emphasis on not spending money, and the result, if that is the case, could well be similar to Wigan after a while because if Levy does not show ambition in the market, if the team does not compete at the top level in the league for at least a CL place then the Modric saga is likely to be repeated by Bale, Sandro, Walker, Vertonghen, Kaboul etc., etc.
It will be great if the youngsters can show 1st team class to allow rotation but if they have to be the main players it's going to be a really tough season. The only one who looks up to the task that we have been allowed to see so far is Tom Carroll and I think he is ready for prime-time, but when Harry Kane scores a hat-trick in a youth eleven vs Southend utd and you see his struggle in the 1st team, the difference in class is there for all to see. That's not to say Harry and others will not progress, but they do not appear ready at the moment.
Levy needs to back his new manager with significant signings now.
A final in Amsterdam, now don't we all deserve that after last season. The last time I was having a coffee there (four years ago) I suddenly felt a little feint, went outside for some air and then fell back inside through the plate glass door. Reminds me a bit of last season really, was truly awesome at first but then came that sinking feeling.
As for the start of the season being next Saturday and us not having a decent striker or a settled team, well, what on earth did we expect.
My wife doesn't read the blog either.
"You can go to Amsterdam during the international breaks"
That made me laugh out loud :)
"Affordable three-ways", hmmm. I like the sound of that Spooky. I'm in!
@ Simon.
You're in Amsterdam, aren't you?
...
Vertonghen - Bassong
Benni - Fryers? Rose?
VdV - Sigursson
Sandro - Parker
???? - ???? Playmaker
Lennon - ? Dos santos, Defoe
...
Bassong is being ditched, along with Bentley, Jenas and Dos Santos. Almost probably.
Surely Spurs should keep Dos Santos? Until they get another striker I mean.
Realised Levy's strategy is completely f***** up. As Modric is on a long term contract and Levy wants to hold him to it unless a "proper" price is paid then it simply cannot be that our inability to get the players we need has anything to do with a Modric sale.
We are looking for a defender and strikers not more midfield. With or without Modric we still need to buy. So what exactly is the point of not going for our targets until the Modric sale is or is not completed. Levy has got this one completely and utterly wrong regardless of whether you want Modric to stay or go. This is very bad leadership.
I'm with you spooky, what an almighty fucking beano that will be! Book me a place on your bus... If it happens.