Top 4 Bias

"Hope for a Liverpool goal for the sake of a good finish"

Yes, over at Setanta Sports the usual pro-Top 4 biased commentary kicked into over-drive. As per usual. Obviously they agreed with the Liverpool fans that the Bale tackle should have led to a penalty and thus moaned about "The overall poor reffing (sic) of the entire game" adding that "Rafa has every right to be disappointed" (That's Rafa, first name terms there - our man was always referred to as Redknapp).

On came the usual soundbites defending the defeat. Rafas shadow side/second string/youngsters apparently 'outplaying us' on occasions against an 'experienced Tottenham side'.

Sky's commentary from their SKY Live Score Centre bore more of the same:

"Boateng runs into the track of Babel but somehow earns himself a free-kick"

"I hardly dare say it, but it looks like Spurs are there now - the quarter finals await"

Hardly dare say what? The result was never in doubt and was fully deserved. I'm sure if Liverpool had won we would have heard about Rafa's brilliant selection of randoms out-smarted Tottenham's first eleven. As for Boateng, he was fouled. Or is it not permitted to be a victim?

I can forgive the Daily Mail for telling everyone that we were lucky against City and even going back to the Arsenal game (they cant kill a team off) and the Liverpool result (they don't know how to score) and can doubly forgive them for having four photographs from the 4-4 derby, three of which were Arsenal players celebrating their goals. I can forgive them because the Daily Mail is a rancid mess of a cuntness.

Setanta and Sky should try to break their mould once in a while. Match of the Day too. But then the whole point is that the 'elite' deserve the coverage they get because they are the best in the land. But the bias which is blatantly apparent within the coverage is now beginning to bore me.

It's ok for Liverpool to lose games, it really is.

It's how we roll

Spurs 4 Liverpool 2

Spurs were lucky to score four goals, all from defensive errors, and Liverpool should have won, but were cheated out of the game by the ref and Gareth Bale pretending to tackle when in fact he committed a cynical foul. But enough about what Liverpool fans thought of the game.

In all fairness, gloating should be kept to a minimum based on the fact that this wasn’t a full strength Reds side. We've already beaten that version.

So, yes, they made 10 changes and played their reserves. And yes, we made 7 changes (no King, Woodgate, Jenas, Bent, Modric, Bentley etc) and used other first team players. Is it our fault we appear to have better depth for these type of occasions? Even the Prince had time to come on and show-off a little. This wasn't our strongest side, but having Hoddlestone centre midfield, spraying balls all over the pitch (ooh) and the team pushing forward with intent, purpose and < insert other buzz words to help illustrate how decent we were on the night > helped make this even more comfortable.

Let's not forget a few years back (Fredi's handball) losing on pens to a team of Liverpool reserves. No mistake this time out. They weren’t up for it. We were and nobody is going to frown at 3 goals in 6 minutes of frantic play, and ending up eventual 4-2 winners. Their goals weren’t even proper goals. Early Christmas presents thanks largely to the flapping and mistiming of our calamity keeper, Gomes (they could argue the same about ours). Though credit to his bravery later on that saw him leave the field on a stretcher, but apparently (according to ‘arry) was well enough to grab a post-match Chinese with some of the other players. Sadly, he’s available for Fulham away.

Campbell looked electric, teaming up with Pav. Both shared the goals on a night that even witnessed several Ole, Ole, Ole moments as we passed the ball around. Got to love the over-excitability of the home crowd. Quarter-finals next. Chelsea knocked out by Burnley, so we’ll get Man Utd away no doubt. While The Kids© will get another home tie.

This win made it the best start to a Spurs reign by a newly appointed manager. You have to go back 110 years to a certain Frank Brettell (what, you’ve never heard of him?) to find a better record. All this after our worst start to a season ever.

Never a boring second supporting this lot.

Challenge Spurs™ - Another day, another win

Challenge Spurs™ Series

Game 04 v (A) Manchester City
2-1 win, 3 points
Total points: 12
Position: 16th
'Out of the bottom three'

It was meant to be tricky. Bolton, Arsenal, Liverpool and City. Four daunting games for a sorry Spurs team with no confidence, direction or sense of balance. Yet Harry Redknapp's honeymoon period seems to be going longer than a groom on a triple dose of Viagra. Four games, 10 points. Just two points dropped.

Modric given the freedom to express himself, tucked behind the front man but roaming all over the shop. Bent re-discovering his goal-scoring form. He suddenly looks a bit good. Humble pie all round?

So Spurs, a proper team now, keeping possession and playing with confidence. Coming back from one down to win - away. Its dizzying stuff. Manchester City, consistently inconsistent. Hughes blaming the ref and the wet ground, otherwise they would have won comfortably. Keep on believing Sparky, just keep on believing.

Sure, today we were a little casual at times, and with City down to 9 men (thanks to red cards and that wonderful referee) we should have been a little more comfortable going into the final ten minutes. Assou-Ekotto also saw red for us, but arguably not having him on the pitch was an advantage. Maybe we can make it a double and ask Zokora to lunge in with two feet next time. Or perhaps, and I know this is revolutionary in thought, we could look at not starting either of them.

So, great start to the game, tidy football and Modric coming close. Only then to go 1-0 down. Ekotto forgetting his positional responsibilities and Robinho netting after Gomes could only parry the ball. Bit messy.

Fernandes then gets sent off for a second bookable offence, and not long after Bent runs onto the ball after Dunne drunkly allowed the ball to whizz past him. Bent made no mistake, 1-1. The second was created by the returning Jenas, chesting the ball and laying it off for Bent (all from an inital Huddlestone pass). Bent brace. Glory! Dunn then sent off for taking Bent down (who was clean through) then Ekotto picked up a red card for a clumsy foul on Zabaleta.

For animated picture footage, just watch MoTD2 for the obligatory 2 minute Spurs footage and analyisis.

I'm not going to put on my '6th spot isn't that far away' hat on just yet. Any club sitting between 20th and 5th spot can get into Europe or be relegated. Exciting stuff. Lose next week, and we could be bottom again. Win, and it wil be our best run of league form since quite a while. So onwards to the next four games of the Dirty Dozen run of fixtures:

(A) Fulham - Hoping for 3
(H) Blackburn - Hoping for 3
(H) Everton - Possible draw, thus 1
(A) West Ham United - Hoping for 3

Followed by Man Utd (then Newcastle, Fulham again, then WBA). There's room for a lickle defeat somewhere in amongst those games. Just the one mind. It's looking like a festive happy-go lucky Christmas for the Spurs.

Oh, and no Gareth Bale today either. No Bale = Prem win.

that was the week that almost is

Not much blogging this week due to a family bereavement. Will be back daily next week. Steady on the open bus parade.

As for Spurs, been another eventful week (although we still got the weekend bit to go and mess it up for us).

4-0 at home in Europe. Yes, the opposition was arguably a bit pony - but the swagger was back. Some very decent tidy football, great in possession and movement and Darren Bent all smiles with a sweet hat trick thanks to the involvement of the slow-brooding beast that is Tommy Huddlestone (who also got on the score sheet with a tasty volley). Modric did well against his old team mates and apart from Hutton (who looks out of sorts) everyone seemed to enjoy the evening. Even Gomes, who decided this would be the night to keep a clean sheet.

Bostock made his debut and no doubt we'll be seeing more of him through out the season. Looks assured and has quite a shot on him. Let's try and not fuck up his career, right?

In other news, ENIC (that's Levy to you and me) bought another 2.8 million worth of shares in THFC lifting their stake in the club to 71%. Apparently works out to around 85.5% ownership of the fully diluted share capital. I suppose news that we only paid Ramos £1.7M (£2.5M including Poyet and co's severance pay) has allowed a bit of a pre-Xmas spending spree for Daniel. Don't go spending it all! Apparently there's a little Russian who play for Zenit who wants to come to Spurs.

Another twist in this summers epic saga. Arshavin apparently is a bit angry. He is gutted the transfer to Spurs never happened and has to endure digs from team mates (and Dick Advocatt, believe it or not) after every Spurs match. Although arguably what they possibly could have been saying when Ramos was manager is anyone's guess.

"Hey Andrie, you Champions League mug. You are here instead of being bottom of the Premiership! Ha ha in your face"

Riiiiiight. Regardless, he has told the media that after his deal fell through, everyone took an interest and look out for our results. However, you want to be a little anal retentive about it, he doesn't actually say he wants to come here now. Just that his team mates are taking the piss out of the fact that he never joined us (these Russians have got piss taking all wrong).

Let's remember a month ago, he was too good to join us. And now, he wish he had. Footballer, hey?

Moving from on the pitch to off it. Joe Jordan has left Pompey, so expect him at WHL soonish. Along with Sir Les of Ferdinand who will join the coaching the staff to help out the strikers. Don't mind Les at all. Proper Spurs fan who loves the club, so having him out on the training field is a good move. Still don't know or understand why Sherwood is there. As for Jordan, I don't mind him. If he does sign on, then that's ok with me.

Challenge Spurs™ - Last gasp robbery

Challenge Spurs™ Series

Game 03 v (H) Liverpool
2-1 win, 3 points
Total points: 9
Position: 18th
2 points from safety

For a good 60 minutes I was miserable. Cold, wet and frustrated. I doubt nobody will argue the fact that Liverpool are pretty great in possession. Whereas all we could manage was Gomes passing the ball to BAE and BAE passing it back to him. It was just turning out to be one of those games. We were not particularly bad, we just never got going and Liverpool did their very best to make sure we never came anywhere close to it. They dominated the match and could have had a bundle of goals.

It started well for them 3 minutes in with Kuyt smashing the ball in from a Robbie Keane lay-off after some lame defending on our part and they continued in the same vein, almost scoring 4 or 5 times.

I'm sure I wasn't the only one in the ground getting a bit of an itchy feeling that the longer the game went on the better the chance we had of getting something out of it - just because of that ominous feeling that the Reds were a little wasteful.

Harry took off the only two left-footers in the side (BAE and O'Hara) and brought on Hutton and Pavlyuchenko. Although taking off BAE wasn't something I'd argue about considering how dire he was.

As we entered the last half an hour, Spurs began to push a little more forward. More so than the opening 60 minutes. And Liverpool, having removed Keane, began to falter a little. Superb, slick passing - but little in the way of testing Gomes. And when Gomes was tested, he did well (as opposed to his usual theatrics like his pass to nobody that found Keane who played it to Gerrard who hit the top of the bar).

We then got our bit of luck in the form of Jamie Carragher. 3rd goal for Spurs this. Twenty minutes left, and everyone was pretty chuffed. With Stoke beating Arsenal (ha!) and Wigan picking up all points at Pompey, taking all three points suddenly became a possibility, more so out of desperation not to be too far adrift from the safety of 17th place. If Liverpool weren't gonna score a second, then why not us?

And Pav should have made it 2 but somehow managed to blaze it over. But not to worry. Cue the 91st minute and a strike by Bentley that was saved by Reina but not held, allowing Bent to cut the ball back to Pav, who this time slotted it in.

Cue pandemonium in the stands. DVD already in the Spurs shop.

Lucky? Yeah, sure. Reina, was almost as average as Gomes was in parts today. Its usually Liverpool doing this to other teams. I'm more than fucking happy to see us be bossed about for the majority of the game but still win.....and against one of the Cartels. Make that 5 points out of a possible 9 against Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. That's a pretty tasty stat. For a change.

And as for the Challenge Spurs™ 'Dirty Dozen'. Spurs are making a mockery of my original predictions. 7 points from 9 games - 2 points dropped out of 3 games. Off the bottom, 2 points from safety.

We are obviously still not on the top of our game, but anyone expecting so or criticising our 'luck' is forgetting the misery of the games prior to Harry's arrival. The players have pulled themselves out of a hole. Still more work to be done, but suddenly all talk of going down is secondary to our revival and White Hart Lane has finally rediscovered a bit of personality again.

The fans were in great voice (after we made it 1-1, we woke up). Thankfully the applause for Keane was louder than the boos. The celebrations for Pav's goal were a combination of relief and a bit of 'FUCKING COME ON' which has been a long time coming.

Special mentions to Corluka (at left-back in the second half), Modric who suddenly isn't easy to knock off the ball and has an uncanny ability to receive it and play it off in the tightest of spaces....and as for Pav - he may not be Berbatov, but at least he smiles and celebrates properly. Something Berba didn't quite manager for us against a Top 4 club in the Prem.

And also, well done 'arry. Good half time team talk. Great substitutions. We struggled for a while to pass the ball with decent possession and push forward with it.

Our players persevered. And how refreshing to see Spurs going for it in the final 10 rather than sitting back like Christ knows how many times in the past.

Top (unbeaten since March in the Prem and unbeaten all season) versus bottom (rejuvenated and riding their luck). Three points. Perfect day.

Roll on Citeh.

P.S. Bale doesn't play: We win. EXORCISE HIM.

The Ding-Dong Derby

Challenge Spurs™ Series

Game 02 v (A) Arsenal
4-4 draw, 1 point
Total points: 6
Position: Still 20th
3 points from safety

With the Presidential elections almost upon the USA, Obama spent millions on a 30 minute television advert to make sure America understand why voting for him is the best choice. Tottenham also spent a few million this past week or so. Sacking their manager and replacing him. But we needed a little more than 30 minutes to get our message across. 90 (+4) minutes to be exact. And in that time we reminded everyone why the Premiership wouldn't be half as much fun if we were not in it. Because regardless of our over-exuberant fans and soap-opera antics, we always manage to be involved in top drawer 'match of the season' entertainment, and as much you (other) fans might hate us....deep down, you love to hate us.

The game at the Emirates was yet another classic that will be long remembered (you can already order it on DVD.........boycott the Spurs shop.....). Wenger can harp on about 'can't be scientifically proven', with regards to the Redknapp factor helping Spurs come-back from the dead, but arguably this would not have happened under Ramos. The players believe a little more in their abilities. They are playing for their manager and more importantly, playing for the fans. Its clichéd, but footballers are rather obvious creatures of habit.

I went spastic when Bentley scored. Outrageously stupendous effort from almost 40 yards out that had me screaming like a girl and punching the air like a demented boxer. It was a wonderful way for the game to explode into action. And also tinged with a sprinkle of irony, having had to listen to the likes of Walcott and Fabregas do all the pre-match mouthing off (Walcott telling everyone he would torment Spurs/Harry and Fabregas suggesting we would struggle against the Arsenal Ladies).

Look at me ma!

Obviously, it didn't last. A few days training on how to defend set-pieces appears to have been wasted on Heurelho 'Paul Robinson' Gomes. In comes the corner, out comes Gomes, in goes the goal. At least Jenas wasn't flattened by the keepers flapping limp fists. A gift for Silverste. 1-1 turned to 2-1 almost immediately into the second half.

Another free kick given away, another set piece, another goal and a double header for Arsenal with their captain fantastic heading it past Gomes. Looks like the training sessions will need to be a little more intense to resolve this reoccurring problem at the back. Our very decent first half was now looking like turning into a nightmare second.

At 3-1 it was game over. Or not. Bent was on-hand to stroke the ball home when Alumina failed to hold onto it when a shot bounced off him and into the path of the prolific Darren. 3-2, game on. Or not. Before we could think about a possible equaliser, Hutton imploded, passing the ball to nobody other than an Arsenal shirt rather than one of our own (they're the ones who wear white Alan!). Arsenal broke, passed and buried the ball in the back of the net. 4-2, game over, done and dusted.

Regardless of Arsenals possession (65%) during the course of the second half, it was gutting that two of their goals were gift-wrapped so deliciously. Hard pill to swallow. Their sitters, I have no problem with. If you miss, you miss. Doesn't matter if you have 50 shots on goal, if you fail to score them and lose 1-0 that's no criticism to the opposing team. And Arsenal have a habit of over-playing and failing to capitalise.

And thus, that's the Trouble with Arsenal. For all the glam-play and technically brilliant football they lack a killer touch when it matters most, which results in an overall choke. And like us, they also lack a true DM. And like us, they also lack a true captain - although I'm more confident that we have better candidates (King when he plays, Woodgate etc) than what Arsenal have on offer.

Wenger just couldn't wait any longer

Gallas, bless him, is an absolute melter of the highest order. Much prefers to cry and talk to himself than take this inexperienced Arsenal side who lack maturity, and guide them to controlling and bossing the final 10 minutes and cement three all important title challenging points and a nice win over their 'rivals'.

Coughy, cough cough.

Wenger does like his excuses about the age of his team, but if he knows they are inexperienced and wont buy players to help his squad out (therefore preferring them to grow into maturity together), then he shouldn't spend time using it as a reason for their failures. It no longer cuts the mustard. For every lose or draw, if it's because of these failings, then deal with it.

Everyone can see Arsenal have a weakness in their captain.

And Spurs, may not be able to prove scientifically if it was down to the Harry Redknapp factor that we did what we did next, but you can say with much confidence that we did it because the players are alive again. Smiling, spirited and believing. Not by much, but enough to restore some pride on a night of high drama.

We pushed forward, this time with a little luck of our own, Jenas taking the ball that was left behind by the Arsenal defender (Clichy) who fell over it. He run with it, he run a little more, looked up and beautifully curled the ball for 4-3. 89 minutes on the clock. Surely not?

Many Spurs fans had already left, probably thinking about avoiding the gloating and smugness of the home supporters who tend to came alive at the final whistle of games. And many Arsenal fans had also left for home, cocksure they had all 3 points and the next morning bragging rights, wanting to get those emails in nice and early.

Nobody, not one single person expected anything than 0 points for Spurs, and a win for Arsenal. Four minutes into injury time? Don't be stupid. It can't surely happen now. Is it in the Sky Sports contract?

Enter the Modric. The little, magical, Croatian (great first half, not so hot second - but suddenly showing his value playing behind the lone striker) picked the ball up and smacked the most sweetest of shots that cracked the post, came out and onto the lickle feet of Lennon who slid the ball home. The Spurs fans left in the away section lost their minds and voices whilst Arsenal fans held their heads in their hands, utterly utterly despondent.

Such is football. Its the most beautiful and the most cruel of things. I went spastic again. We all did, right? Harry did. Wenger disappeared into that abyss that resembles a man with serious constipation issue.

Then came the final whistle. And from the depths of defeat and despair - we had a point. 4 in 2 games. The Glory days are back (sic).

For anyone asking why the fans and players celebrated like this was a victory, well, technically it was. Avoiding defeat in such a manner is victory, because for the opposing fans it feels like a loss. And Arsenal did lose 2 points and possibly an avalanche of self-belief in the process (cue Gallas having a word with himself). In their eyes, they self-destructed by failing to hold onto a 2 goal advantage. Their fans angry and unbelieving.

And as for us, FUCKING YES, GET IN! Although I can do without the likes of 'glory hunter' Jaime Redknapp celebrating like he's one of us.

"My teeth are just as great as my hair"

Spurs players having a crack at goal? Yes, I know, it's an amazing sight to behold. All we did in in the game was finish our chances (to paraphrase a classic comment made on the BBC's live report of the evenings Prem games). Gareth Bale (subbed) still hasn't tasted defeat. Pav still looks like he is worth little more than half his transfer fee, but I'll still give him time to settle. Bentley has to remember this was one game - all our players have to keep this in mind - because results won't fall into our laps without more improvement. In other words, don't let it go to your heads lads.

Did anyone expect a point there? I didn't. Not really, deep down, if I'm honest. They are in the top 4. We are bottom and on form the worst in the Prem. But obviously we aint as bad as our form suggests, thanks to that old tradition of replacing your manager which sees the same set of players suddenly regain self-respect and respect for the badge on their shirts.

Arsenal are the better footballing side, but at the very end of the day, ifs and buts (which so many times are used as excuses by Spurs fans) have to be ignored. Arsenal didn't finish us off. We didn't stop plucking away. I'll take that. And I'll take more of it. If we can't beat the Top 4, let's at least make sure we share the points.

In conclusion, great fucking game that was and although 'celebrating' a draw is not anything to tattoo on your back (or release on DVD.....you stupid fucking marketing merchandise jobsworth), its still something I don't have a problem smiling about. Mainly because the feeling I had at 4-2 down - regardless of the fact that we never expected to go there and win - was still a horrible dark feeling. To take the joy away from the Arsenal fans and leave them in absolute misery and pocket that happiness is a bloody good day at the office.

Challenge Spurs™ - Victory!

Challenge Spurs™ Series

Game 01 v (H) Bolton Wanderers
2-0 win, 3 points
Total points: 5
Position: Still 20th
4 points from safety

You have to wonder if a Ramos team would have been victorious today. But then would he have selected the team Harry put out? King, second game on the trot. No Zokora. Huddlestone started. Along with Bentley. Lennon on the bench. It wasn't always pretty. Sometimes (thanks to Gomes and his inability to punch or catch a ball) it was calamitous. But overall, we put some neat and tidy passes together and deserved to win. Bolton were, like many teams we've been up against this season, decisively average. So it's nice to finally find some confidence and belief.

Modric deserves a special mention. Was a bit outstanding for a change. Team looked more balanced and for the first time this season actually reacting to the home support in a positive way. Once or twice a move would end with a tame shot or the wrong decision, but let's not all expect the moon on a stick. We've been woeful all season, so to win / keep a clean sheet / and smile at the final whistle should be something to be content with for now.

Was this a Clive Allen side or a Harry Redknapp side? Bit of both probably. Harry wouldn't want to miss out on good PR, would he now? Although in his post-match interview he cites Allen as the man who picked the team.

Also Gareth Bale, absent due to his suspension, proving that when he does play - we never win. In fact, one way to get the monkey off his back is to bring him on as a sub in the last minute when we are winning by at least 2 clear goals. If we end up losing 3-2 then I suggest we sell him. Or perform an exorcism.

Anyways, 3 points was imperative today, with Arsenal and Liverpool up next we just had to win 'a game'.

'A million percent'

Udinese 2 Spurs 0

Great interview here from Woodgate. Great because it sums up what's going on perfectly, pretty much how I or any other Spurs fan would describe the on the pitch performances at the moment. Sunday, genuinely is, a game of extraordinary importance. The fact the players are reacting badly to every bit of unfortunate luck or mistake on the pitch doesn't bode well for this game and the games that follow it. 'Losing mentality' Woodgate called it. Sums it up IMO. We are masters of it.

Once again we played a team this evening who were not that great. And yet we had one shot on goal, saw Gomes kill off the confidence we managed to build up in the opening 20 minutes with a howler - giving away the penalty - and then another inept© (copyright Tottenham Hotspur) second half performance topped with a O'Hara red card and a second Italian goal.

There was not a lot on show to suggest we will compete with Bolton. Yes, in parts, we actually played ok. But there was nothing sexy or slick and we looked a hundred years away from scoring. This is what makes it even more infuriating. We are not utterly useless like Derby County were in the Prem last year. But we are just shit enough to always lose, no matter the opposition. Udinese are second in Serie A, and until Gomes dropped a clanger we competed pretty well. Once again, no leader means when are heads go down, they stay down. Woodgate, for all his post-match talk should be doing some of it on the pitch.

What I hope has happened (at the very least) after the game is that Woody has gone mental in the dressing room, swearing/accusing and generally causing a reaction from other players. I'm talking about an old fashion verbal ding-dong, fingers pointing and frustrations aired publicly. The players have to unite and sometimes the only way is for some home truths to be told. Heads slumped, getting showered and dressed and sticking on their iPods is a no-fucking-go.

Ramos and Poyet have to also get in on the act, but somehow I can't see it. Can you?

The flip side to all this (which is still negative in this case) is that Woodgate isn't helping matters by slagging us off to the media. If he is frustrated then maybe the blame game within the dressing room is having the opposite effect because people are whispering their discontent rather than shouting it.

We also have Bentley telling everyone how 'shit' things are at the minute in magazine and radio interviews. It's grim no matter what what you read or hear.

Woodgate mentions Leeds (in the interview linked above) and how they had a better team than we do at the minute and still went down. Nobody is untouchable. On this current form, nobody will want to touch us come the January transfer window. So the players we have will be the players who will need to drag us out of this.

Relegation fight? A million percent, says our Woody rather obviously.

We are a calamity. And once again we move to our next game in the vein hope that something happens. A wink or a wave from the football Gods might just change our luck. Even a drop of piss from the God of War, falling from the heavens and onto our brow will be more than enough.

Sunday is going to be hellish. I have a feeling the God's will be napping.

Forget the spirit of Harry Hotspur. We need the magic of Harry Houdini....

Stoke 2 Spurs 1

You ok for more statistics? Of course you are.

Spurs (back in the 1913 season) played 13 games and lost 10, drawing 3 before finally winning a game against Newcastle on November 23rd. We managed a 17th place finish that season with the manager Peter McWilliam keeping his job until 1926 and through the Great War - winning one FA Cup and finishing 2nd in 1922. Our current run of 6 losses and two draws is the second worst start in our history. Post WW1 in 1928, 1935 and 1977 we were relegated, all times with better starts.

Arguably, you could take a positive out of all this. The fact that we have to go all the way back to the year the Titanic sank tells us that performance wise, we haven't done too shabby for the best part of a century of seasons. But this year, we have truly excelled. Everything that is wrong with the club and team has finally broken through the superficial mask that was hiding the wretched truth.

The DoF system. Levy's greed. Over-rated players and expectations. Arrogance from the chairman to assume we were close to breaking the Top 4. Comolli and his obsession for signing the wrong players. No leadership. Apart from the blip of wins in pre-season, our form has been beyond dismal. It's been Derbyesque since the Carling Cup final. But let's avoid going over old ground, because all the fuck-ups and mistakes have been highlighted a million times already.

Lost in translation

How do we get out of this mess? Considering we are in a position where we have to start thinking about reaching 40 points to possibly give us a chance of surviving (how surreal is that hey?) the fact is, retaining Ramos might see us slip even further behind (based on how little things change from game to game). Once the gap is 10 points or so, then if you think the players are struggling now, watch them give less than 1% when the light at the end of the tunnel is faint. They're all be too busy thinking about what team to jump ship too. Modric, Bale, Hutton, Woodgate etc....bye bye.

So the only thing left to do is to either have Ramos walk or sacked and hope someone is crazy enough to take the helm. That one clichéd footballing knee-jerk is needed now more than ever, as dirty as it makes me feel saying it. The board will probably wait. Not for the UEFA Cup game, but next Sunday's home match against Bolton. If Levy has already decided to wait, then this game will either be the one that saves Ramos job for another week or the one that condemns him.

The positive out of this never-ending negativity is that if Ramos goes, so will Comolli. Levy is accountable for the mess but is untouchable until we get to the point of no return. He'll sell up and fuck off. But at what price (in both sense of the word)?

I wonder what the mood will be like on the team coach as it drives them back to London? Can you imagine Ramos and Poyet and the players all having it out, laying their footballing souls bare? Or do you reckon they're all be chilling, listening to their ipods and chatting on their mobiles? No leadership. Not a single whiff of it. Obvious to me, you and everyone else but not so obvious to the millionaires with their feet up on their way back to their plush cribs.

'Bottom with just 2 points? I'll get you out of there in a jiffy'

Spurs fans are already talking about discounted season tickets (yeah right) and who would stay and go 'when' we go down. Some drama queens are even beginning to wonder if we will make it out of there at the first attempt. Dizzy heights, how I miss 12th place.

I might join in with the dramatics if we don't get three points against Bolton and then I can truly look forward to QPR and Palace (replacing Arsenal and Chelsea).....that's if they don't both come up, giving us a wave and a wink as we pass them by, downwards into the hellish Championship.

I'll end on the whole 'luck' thing. We don't have much of it. Apart from the Bent goal which should have been ruled offside. And the penalty that hit the woodwork a few times (although it was not of any true consequence). But when you lose Corluka to an injury that sees him taken to hospital and replaced by Dawson who then gets sent off..........you have to shrug and face facts that luck doesn't come anywhere near something that has contracted (the equivalent of footballing) leprosy. Everything is falling apart. And trying to cello-tape it together just wont work.

Juande Spurs will be good again.....maybe

Spurs 0 Hull 1

I usually write letters to the chairman, but today’s 0-1 home defeat by the mighty-newly-promoted-hardly-cost-a-penny Hull City has made me break out in song. I think it’s a bit more dramatic than crying or crawling into a corner and swaying back and forth very slowly.

Some emotional vocals and some tap-dancing on my season ticket really does help with raising a smile when no-one around you (anywhere you sit or stand at WHL) can muster one. And who would blame them at the minute? But music helps mend the heart.

Half-price bagels?

I’ll stop short of serenading Daniel Levy. Last time that happened I was arrested. Apparently singing ‘SACK THE BOARD’ at 4am in the morning outside his house is not permitted by law. This country is far too politically correct IMO. We won’t be able to breathe soon.

Another home defeat, in a game where we saw plenty of effort but no all important ball hitting the back of the net in Tottenham's favour. Desperate times at the Lane. Seven played, no win, two points. 20th. If they weren't last week, or the week before that, Bottomham are in deep trouble.

You know things are bad when you look up to Sunderland with a little green-eyed jealous. Watching Steed fighting for the ball, competing - along with his team mates. Mostly all ex-Spurs. Whilst we put up with a powerpuff midfield, who talk the talk but never seem capable of walking the walk. Although to be fair, effort was decent today. But it's the type of effort you associate with a newly promoted team who are doing their utmost to survive in the Prem - and not a team that has spent millions upon millions. But when you sit back and look at the bigger picture, £15M for a winger who sits on the bench would have been better spent on a defensive midfielder. Which is why Hull look more Prem and we stink of the Championship (no disrespect to the Championship, but if they were a fragrance they would be Brut, whilst the Prem would be Chanel. We stink of Brut. Gallons of it).

But hey, Levy and Comolli are the ones who make the decisions, so who am I to question their wage packet? Their big big wage packet.

As for the game stats that stand out: 16 shots on target, 10 off. Hit the post. Bent could of/should of scored. When luck doesn't smile her face at you, then you know that you truly are up against it.

And next up is Stoke. 8th game of the season and you can tag this as a 'Relegation Dogfight Six-pointer'. Hand on heart, can you see Spurs winning this game based on everything that's been dished out in the way of performances thus far this season? Don't answer that question. Just knowingly wink and nod at your monitor.

But what song is apt for such a miserable and tragic occasion that befalls us Spurs fans? How long would I spend having to find a song and then change the lyrics to make it Spurs related? Well, thanks to Rose Royce, not long at all. Seems this song was actually made for Tottenham. So much so, that I've hardly had to re-work the original. Such is its simplicity and majestic honesty.

South Stand, North Stand, East Stand and West.....actually, you lot don’t need to bother with the singing. But the rest of you, sing it loud and embrace our possible future head on. It’s more therapeutic than you might think.

"We’re Goin' Down" (Original lyrics by Rose Royce, re-worked by Spooky)

No win in our hands
What's going on here Daniel
You ain't got no footballing plans
No no no no
And Zokora and Jenas running
Around White Hart Lane
Is slowly, is slowly drivin' me insane

We’re goin' down
We’re goin' down
Cause you ain't bought a DM
My whole world's upside down

Passing the ball don't come easy
Daniel please believe me
Since you been here
Everything's goin' wrong
Why'd you have to have a Director of Football
Look what you've done to us
Will Ramos stop these tears from fallin' from my eyes
Ooh we are doomed

We’re goin' down
We’re goin' down
Cause we play with no style
My whole world's upside down

Oooh Lilywhites
goin' down, goin' down
Mmm ooh we’re goin' down
Ooh I, I...

We’re goin' down
We’re goin' down
Cause you sold Keane and Berbs
My whole world's upside down

Ooh, goin' down
Goin' down
Oh, I don't know what to do

~Spooky

A steaming pile of Hotspur

Due to work, and lack of extended highlights, I'm going to allow the boys of Glory Glory.net to sum up today's UEFA Cup match. Bake'em away toys.....

Worrying...

Inept

Clueless

Painful

Scrappy

Shite

~ markysimmo04

roflenham lolspur

~ Truth

DISASTRAMOS

~ yid-soldier

Could have been worse, if we got drawn standard liege we would have got battered

~ diego_maradona

Cowbell 2 Spurs 0, nothing, narda, zilch

Pompey were not all that great. The fact they won so easily is testament to just how fucking shit we are.

We never play our strongest line-up when it matters. With each game and variance to the selection, the end result is always the same. Abject failure. We are a team so passive in spirit and passion that winning a game is a concept so far fetched, it will only ever happen in Imagination Land.

No pace (Lennon on the bench) and no creativity (no Gio, O'Hara as chief playmaker). One up-front and King rested/injured (is there a difference nowadays?). Modric - our spark - currently looking too fragile for the mess we find ourselves in. Yeah sure, we should have had a penalty. But we can't sit around waiting for our luck to change. We have to be responsible and determined to graft out a victory from open play. From wanting it.

So do we blame the manager? Or Levy and Comolli? Yes, here we are again. Wasn't that long ago we all snuggled up to discuss a similar situation when Martin Jol was at the helm. And we all why that imploded.

Who to blame then?

Ramos, if disappointed with the summer dealings, should still be able to muster some kind of consistency with the team and the players he has. I can't believe motivation/inspiration and tactical nous is suddenly a blind spot for him. Yet our Prem record continues to degrade further. We might be missing a DM, but can you imagine if - for the sake of argument - Martin O'Neill was our manager? Would players give very little with him in the dug-out?

Something has to give. But if Levy has his finger on the panic button, which might result with a textbook self-destruct sacking, then it's roll-back time again. Another transition, and more pro-longed uncertainty. No wonder El Tel said no to the Newcastle job.

But that (Ramos management) isn't really the root of our problems, is it? Ramos can't be blamed for loss of Keane and Berbatov. Although harping on about it so much is also getting boring. And yes, I get the irony, because here I am again talking about the terrible twosome. It's a broken record this, but it's the heart of the issue. I might have 'celebrated' the way Levy fleeced both Utd and Liverpool for the cash, but with hindsight, it's been nothing short of shambloic.

Daniel Levy utterly spit-roasted the club's progression by fucking up the football side of things because he was too busy looking after the business side, pulling panties down and bending over.

Berbatov to United. Keane to his boyhood club. All we get is long-winded rants on the official site explaining how our players have been tapped up and illegally approached this and unfair that. And in the end, rather than do what Aston Villa did with Gareth Barry, we fail to set a deadline and a price with Berbatov, and instead, wait till the final seconds to sell him when we were always going to sell him. With Keane, we simply didn't spend the money profited on the type of player we desperately needed. All this income, along with increased season ticket prices - because Levy requires this extra dosh to help the club buy quality players.

Studs-Up.com

How about buying the right type of players? Ones with leadership qualities. Backbones. Grafters. The type of players this club has desperately lacked for years and years. It's not difficult. Other clubs manage to do it. Even Hull and Stoke appear to have some fight in them. But no, we buy luxury players - who are all well and good - but only if you have the grafters doing the donkey work for them.

We never truly replaced Carrick. We've never come close to buying a left-winger. And when we did, we didn't want to pay him the money he wanted (Petrov, if you believe the stories).

Instead, we buy Pavlyuchenko. £14M for a player who can't speak the language. Has already played several months of Russian league football and doesn't even look 75% fit. He's cup-tied for the UEFA Cup and....this is the bit that takes the biscuit.....he is a similar type of player to Darren Bent which is why we are playing with one up-front.

How exactly is this NOT a panic buy? The lad, on form, will score goals - but there was no reason to buy him. Much like there was no reason to buy Bent when we did.

Keeping the club's bank balance in the black is all well and good, but it's not what defines a club. We are supporters, not appreciators of accountancy. And in the age of the Billionaire's playground, it's criminal to be wasting the money, no matter how much we make from selling our players.

If Ramos played a part in the transfer dealing this summer, then shame on him. If he did then he can stop complaining about the loss of Berba and Keane and take responsibility for what he is has. And Levy can take responsibility for Ramos.

If Ramos was promised but did not receive from Comolli, then his uncertainty and disappointment is being channelled through the players he selects.

But who cares? Who cares about any of the crap I've just written? Why bother trying to justify the reasons why we find ourselves rock bottom? It's happened. And depending on your perception and opinion, you either rate Levy for his handling of the club, or blame him. And you either want Ramos to remain and drag us out from this ugly pit we find ourselves trapped in or you want him sacked and replaced with yet another messiah.

Thursday will no doubt be another low in a season of constant lows.

Sunday will be yet another heart-wrenching must-win against.......Hull City.

You couldn't make this shit up. Just support Tottenham. We own the copyright.