The Sky is falling in on us...

Perspective. MIA. Let's try and claw some back.

It's ok for the likes of Liverpool (that's Liverpool as in 'Top 4 Sky Sports Top 4' Liverpool) to have key players out and suffer for it and have the 'experts' talk about how their missing players are detrimental to the effort on the pitch, but its not ok for lickle Spurs to be missing 3+ key players? Because whether we have players out or not, when we lose, its cemented evidence that we are nothing more than pretenders.

I'm drying them as I type.

Not using this as an excuse because our general performance and body language was a joke v Arsenal and we deserved the drubbing we got, but let's not try to under-play the facts post-match. Even if its a tad hypocritical.

No midfield equates to wave upon wave of invited pressure that will surely end in tears. Which proved to be the case. It was Hackney Marshesque effort at best.

We know we do not have the same level of quality in key areas as certain other clubs possess. Our best first 11? That's altogether a different prospect, and we've yet to field them all at once this season. But that's neither here or there because most teams have injuries at any given time and do fine without a perfect starting eleven. But you can't ignore the fact that as well as we've played this season, there has been an oh so subtle decline since Modric got himself a broken bone. And it finally all caved in over the weekend.

I also don't agree that our bench is 'strong'. On paper it is, but the likes of Pav and Bentley are not exactly storming it form wise at the minute. Does that make us one-dimensional and single player-reliant? In some ways yes, but we are more then competitive against the majority of the Prem other than those pesky hard nuts at the top even when missing the likes of Defoe or Lennon or Modric. It's just that with them, we tick. Without them we might get tonked.

We don't have a complete squad to challenge for a Top 3 place. We all know that.

Go back 4/5 years and perhaps further back still and the top 4 were so far ahead of the chasing pack that it was akin to comparing the sexual prowess of a snail with Peter North (although granted the snail has far more personality). It was different gravy, in a different league. The power has shifted from Utd/Arsenal to Utd/Chelsea and may well shift again to Chelsea/Utd. But they are no longer in a galaxy far far away. Half a million light years at the very least.

The fact is - that massive massive gap is not so massive. Not if you look with your own eyes rather than a set belonging to one of the tabloids or our friends over at Sky. I'm under no illusions (delusions). Only Utd and Chelsea can seriously wish to win the league and Arsenal and Liverpool are always going to be outside challengers. But much like we and others below them hope for one of them to trip up, they too hope that either Utd or Chelsea hiccup. Nothing is therefore...impossible.

Dare I say the gap between Utd/Chelsea and Arsenal/Liverpool is as wide as the one between us and that 4th spot? Ooh matron. Note how I said '4th spot' rather than single out a particular team.

But that gap is sadly still wide enough for the likes of us to fall in when attempting to get across it. Serves us right always attempting to jump across in the hope we sprout wings. But unlike the past where there was no bridge, one is now under construction. No need for any Superman impersonations. Just patiently walk across it, aiding with the finishing touches to the path leading across to the other side.

We got it all wrong on Saturday, Arsenal never had to step up a gear. Anyone watching the coverage on Sky would think they dished out a master-class in total football. Once their giddy fans - who only ever show true emotion twice per season - come back down from their ketamine high they'll notice that the win was not half as impressive as they would wish it to be and nowhere near the devastation that Andy Gray and his drooling mouth would have us believe.

It was easy for them made easier by some textbook sleep-walking from our midfield and implosion from our abused defence. We had nothing on offer in the centre of the pitch. But let's not pretend slice bread was re-invented slap bang in the middle of the Emirates. Or that Spurs have regressed back to a side managed by Christian Gross. We got spanked for our lack of effort.

Before any gooners start gobbing off, don't think for a second I'm trying to deny you the glory. It's a NLD. No one would wish to write one-off or dismiss it's importance. You lot turned up for it. Our lot didn't. That grates me because I know deep down you'd have preferred to have contested an actual proper game of blood and thunder rather than the whimper you got. I'd rather lose with effort than without it. And don't think I wouldn't have us in your position either. Plenty of flair but lacking title winning discipline and desperately requiring the bulk of a Vieira in the middle (just not the Vieira who nowadays is more black and white tv than High Definition). I'd love it if we were the 3rd best side in the country. Hold onto that as tightly as possible. Mortality is within smelling distance. But you're fine for a CL spot to help out with those hefty loan repayments. And that's what its all about. Surviving relegation into the dreaded 5th spot. I wouldn't mind your problems at all.

And back to the NLD again. I mentioned two blogs ago about how I hoped we wouldn't fail to turn up. Oh the hilarity. I guess lacking mental strength is not a surprise considering its 60+ games since we won away at one of the nations untouchable Elitists. And quite possibly lost in all the fanfare that has proceeded the game are Harry Redknapp's comments that we can still grab a Top 4 place. He's dressing the facts up again a little (challenge is more like it rather than grabbing), but I completely agree with his sentiments. Why should we write off our chances? It's just a shame he got all the pre-match talk fuzzed.

The fallacy is simply this: We are not good enough to compete away from home against the seasoned CL teams. But unlike seasons past, that doesn't mean we are not good enough to compete for 4th. Contradiction? Yes. Well no. Apart from the Stoke upset, we are showing good form. It's been lacking something extra since Modric's injury but he along with others will be back shortly. Our form is nowhere near being tagged world class but then world class is not something that the Prem is a buzz with - other than the CL sides - and you don't need to have that quality in abundance to fight for fourth. At least not in the way others would have you believe.

Teams right at the top are susceptible to defeats, more so than the standard average deficit, which will make this season more open than the last. It's a trend that started up a few years back and it's continuing. And far too often (for Sky Sports liking), one of the untouchables shows signs of weakness. Obviously, you might argue that if they lose more, the teams outside the Top 4 will also lose as many. And in the end, it all levels out. Maybe. Perhaps. We'll see.

Villa, Everton, City of course and even Sunderland should be looking at that 4th spot then looking across to Liverpool and then rubbing their hands. Not that the Anfield team should be dismissed just yet. But once more I refer you back to the fallacy. Why should anyone outside the cartel not want to aim for it? Bit pointless if we don't. And I stand by comments from past weeks that we should be beating the rest rather than being obsessed with the best.

Another side note to all the knee-jerkers crying about our performance, lets remember - we are still up there. And if the previous 10 games had us crowing with hope, why the sudden doom and gloom? It's 90 minutes gone forever and there are 27 games left. Absolute melters all over the shop at the minute balling their eyes out over the apparent demise of Ledley King and how half the team should be sold on the back of 90 disappointing minutes. Yeah let's do it. Let's get rid of Palacios and try and get Zokora back. Because you know, on current form Wilson is apparently on the same headless chicken level that Zoko was. Baby Jesus is weeping again.

It was a bad day at the office. And I was probably not alone in wishing for some of that tenacity that Jamie O'Hara would have had in abundance for us had he played. Which more or less sums it all up.

And as for Mr Andy Gray. Is there a bigger tit on tv than this absolute douche-bag of a commentator? Him and Richard Keys, every Saturday and Sunday re-write reality as they purge anything that might upset the kings in their thrones by spouting ambiguous nonsense and daft propaganda.

Gray: "Lee Harvey Oswald is the lone gun man. There's no way there's a man on the grassy knoll interfering with play. Look, if I move the motorcade further forward at the precise moment the President is hit, you'll notice the trajectory is, well, it's impossible coming from this direction over here at Dealy Plaza. However, watch the movement of Kennedy. It's a nailed on shot from the school book depositary. It's a wonderful set-piece."

Keys: "Does he have the right to have a go from there?"

Gray: "Why not Richard? Why not? You have to take a risk in this game and he took it. Alone. And if I just show you it from this angle you'll notice what a cracking effort it was from that distance. I don't say it often but take a bow son, take a bow..."

Keys: "Zapruder might beg to differ"

Gray: (laughs) "He was in an off-side position and the Warren Commission agree with me"

Keys: "That's settled then"

Our away record (best in the Prem prior to Saturdays decimation) was dismissed by The Gray because we've only actually played one decent team away from home (Chelsea) and lost that. And yet the analytical logic presented in the debunking of Spurs was not applied when Arsenal's impressive home record was mentioned. You know, cause, Arsenal have had a really really tricky set of games at home thus far this season. Because beating the type of sides they beat at home isn't comparable to us beating sides of similar ilk away. Unless it's them playing away and them beating the same sides. And let's all forget about how defeats away against Utd and City don't matter any more because they've beaten the mighty mighty Spurs 3-0.

Football. Love it.

And I'm just fine supporting a pretender.

Is the wrong way the right way?

For arguments sake (we all know it's fantasy) let's say someone outside the current Top 4 manages to gatecrash one of the CL positions, sneaking in and remaining there not just for a single cameo season but for several years. Cementing their place as one of the Sky Sports favourites.

Obviously, with this new-founded success comes various welcoming bonus additions courtesy of eager to please referees, the suddenly soft-hearted FA and the usual drivel from the media that aids their stature further.

Let's say it happened to us (stop laughing).

Do we start to embrace a team of c*nts, justifying every obvious cringe-making cheat ethic as something that's a necessity? You need to be arrogant and you need to be hypocritical. Add to the mix thousands of glory hunters joining the ranks doing their utmost to prove they are loyal fans and have been since the beginning of time by wearing various assortments of club merchandise including three scarfs and a tracksuit, preferring to savour the moment via snapshot on their mobile than share true emotion that comes with a goal celebration.

I'm wondering, is there any hope of bucking the trend?

There was another stand out moment for me in the Chelsea v Spurs game, other than that penalty decision that did not go our way. It's a two-parter, with the first part starring Drogba. You might know him from various football incidents such as 'My losing battle with gravity' and 'Losing Gravity II - Gravity wins again'.

The Drog, dying on the ground, is left there while Spurs move forwards with the ball. Chelsea fans protest at their crippled brethren who is desperate for treatment meaning the good attacking position attained results with the ball kicked out of play. Keane doing the 'right thing' even though it's up to the ref to stop the game. Play resumes and Spurs do not receive the ball back. Part two sees Ledley King turn and fall to the grown in agony, pulling up knowing full well he wont be getting back up again to take part in the game. So what do Chelsea do? They continue with their attack and almost steal in with a goal.

Of course, some might point out the goal scored in the 2006 season at Highbury where two gooners crashed into each other and Spurs played on with Davids playing in Keane for 1-0. Play acting on the part of both of the Arsenal players. But a true wannabe Top 4 reaction from Spurs.

"Fuck 'em"

More of the same please in future. No point waiting to get into a CL position. Just play like you're there already.

Ta.

'The Glory days are back'

Sky Sports News, you've done it again.

Give it a rest with all the ‘Spurs for the top 4’ nonsense please. Picking out a couple of simpletons and enticing them to talk about ‘the glory days’ just because we’ve won two games on the trot is not a representative of the majority. Prior to the start of the season, most of the media and pundits had as for 6th at best. Fans agreed. Six points later you’re showing a Spurs shirt with ‘Top 4’ printed on the back (did you offer to pay for that?) and interviewing two giddy over excitable supporters who probably have ancestry you can trace all the way back to a Newcastle mental institution. What next? Cameras outside of Harry’s house with four or five Spurs fans gleefully jumping up and down behind a reporter holding up a cupboard cut out Premier League trophy? Daniel Levy to commission a new special release entitled, ‘The Glory Days are Back – 2 games, 1 DVD’? Chas'n'Dave to release a new track with the lyric, 'We're gonna do it again like last week'?

I guess with no repeat performance of last year’s debacle, and thus no Soccer Saturday punditry mock of the week to entertain the SSN viewers, you’re taking the tactic of building us up so that any fall would appear to be bigger than it is so you push Charlie Nicholas in front of a camera to slate all of the deluded Lilywhites who all believed we were Top 4 material after two games. Are you chaps so insecure about the Premier Leagues status as 'the best in the world' that every game and performance has to appear to mean more than it actually does? Wait until we've won 12 on the spin, then you can wet your knickers to your hearts content.

Shame for all the countless clips of fans saying '6th at best' ending up on the edit room floor. Not newsworthy. No potential for a sound-bite there. Realistic fans on SSN? Doesn't fit the narrative does it?

As for the lady who claimed ‘It’s great to see the glory years come back’ who has apparently supported us since 1977, how much acid did you drop you absolute belting melter? Get a grip ffs. And if I see anyone wearing a Spurs shirt with ‘Top 4’ on the back, I’m going to pelt you with frozen monkey shit pellets.

We all know how the media work. Pick out the weak moronic ones, prime them up with questions and force them to say the most sensationalist comment possible, edit it to fuck, and run it every 20 minutes. I guess if some fans want to over-react wearing ridiculous smiles on their faces, it's better than what we had at the start of last season with all the insufferable crying about relegation and the Keystone Kop comparisons. Fans moping around with sickles and hooded cloaks. Depressing stuff. And from one extreme to another. You never fail to let us down.

How about running a story with more substance? It's staggering that nobody has picked up on Chirpy's drinking problem. He's the Amy Winehouse of mascots. A mess who spends most of his time getting shit-faced in Faces Gants Hill, and then staggering around WHL on match-day hugging and harassing people. Can nobody smell the alcoholic stink on his breath?

Anyway, I'm off to have 'Champions League Treble winners, 2011 - 2012 - 2013' tattooed on my back.

GTFI COYS.

I blame Richard Keys

The Premiership Years on Sky Sports. Got this on at the moment, it's 1992, and its the year Sky started their coverage with cheerleaders, balloons, Richard Keys pre-shaved, Monday night football and five hour coverage. These were the days when £3M was considered a massive transfer fee, Clough, terraces, Norwich topping the table, Jimmy Tarbuck, hardly any foreign imports, Spurs constantly mediocre, QPR playing attractive football, ITK info only available via word-of-mouth, Leeds defending champions…you get the picture. Innocent days about to be mugged and left battered and bloody in a dark alley way.

We now live in a world of the Top 4 monopoly, over-inflated transfer fees, ridiculous wages, player-power, seating, family stands, microscopic coverage, the death of muddy pitches, overly expensive season tickets, corporate entertainment, fewer 3pm Saturday kick-offs, play-acting, lack of atmosphere at newly built stadiums, refs with massive egos, far too many average imports, club badges ruined by brand consultancy, empty seats, Vicks covered shirts, The FA Cup losing it's magic, yellow streaks on what should be an all-white shirt, celeb glory hunting fans, billionaire takeovers, Internet kneejerkers, money-spinning pre-season competitions…and Spurs are still mediocre. The irony that I have Sky is also not lost on me.

How I failed to see it all ending in tears, I'll never know.

So, did you watch anything decent on the box this evening?

Is this a gloat? I guess technically speaking it is. Although I prefer to quantify it as payback for some of the abuse aimed at me by some Chelsea 'friends' through-out the season relating to our adventures down south in the mire of relegation. So, let's not waste a second more.

Football justice at the Bridge. Hard luck for defending deep over two games, nine players behind the ball and then failing to take control of the game against 10 men who nicked it with their one and only shot on target. Although to be fair, it was a job well done stopping the Catalan goal machine for 181 minutes. And if the decisions had gone their way, it would have made going to work tricky and the tabloid love-in for another all English Utd v Chelsea final completely unbearable.

But praise the lord, for he has given us Tom Ovrebo.

Was the Norwegian referee completely out of his depth? Yeah sure. He got the Barca red card wrong and should have given Chelsea a couple of penalties, if not more. But who cares when his performance gave us the magic of Ballack almost jumping on him in protest and the ironic genius of Drogba chaotically chasing the ref after the final whistle before turning to the Sky camera and crying 'fucking disgrace'. Yes, Drogba, you absolute melter, what a disgrace. I guess the moment was made for you having spent half of your playing career rolling around on the ground, diving and cheating. Dry your eyes and consider what would have been had you taken that one glorious opportunity to make it 2-0. Sleep easy tonight.

What topped it off was the minutes silence from the Sky panel post-match. Jamie Redknapp almost in tears, various suggestions that the referee possibly knew what he was doing when not giving obvious expected decisions out on the pitch. Chelsea hard-done by, thoughts and prayers all round. All in all a wonderful ending to a nights football, illustrating once more the complete lack of dignity and class when defeat is dished out.

Apparently it all kicked off in the tunnel. They really do know how to take it gracefully.

Spurs 'nearly signing' someone can be music to my ears

I was otherwise engaged yesterday (hence the lack of a morning/afternoon blog article) having spent the best part of four and a half hours as a guest of the Central Line thanks to a track problem, two defected trains and a signal failure.The London Underground is a bit like re-signing Pascal Chimbonda. Shambolic.

This morning’s journey was far more pleasant and was spent a little more productively putting together this light breakfast blog (something to read with your corn flakes). We’ll have to wait and see how the day progresses in the way of more meaty subject matter for me to write-up about. I'll leave the 'Beckham to Spurs' rumours alone for the minute.

So, first up, Daws. The lad might have ligament damage or it might just be a plain old fracture. Either way, not great. We have enough cover to muddle through, I’m sure. Summer isn’t too far off, so plenty of recovery time to be fit and ready for next season – as long as it’s not too serious an injury. I like Dawson. He recovered from his clumsy blip and has performed admirably for us since. Decent squad player who has a part to play at Spurs. I'm sure most of you are now scoffing at the suggestions he was Championship quality at best. Patience, not a virtue some of our fans are blessed with.

Elsewhere, I’ve basking in the glory that is the greatness of Spurs 'nearly' signing players. One player in particular. The two words that make me all giddy?

Craig. Bellamy.

It's scary that Harry wanted this player to spearhead our attack. Mr Angry was never the answer but Redknapp fancied him and made no qualms about it. So much so that our esteemed chairman made a bid or two, thankfully rejected by West Ham's new-founded 'we won't sell to Spurs' transfer policy. It finally ended with the backhanded suggestion that Man City's alleged interest in Palacios - which died the moment we gave up on Bellamy - was a form of blackmail to allow Hughes to complete the signing of the Welsh striker without any trouble. Which indicates that Bellamy was more interested in Spurs than he was City. Who said politics was dirty hasn’t spent enough time in the murky world of football.

As for the day Bellamy was officially unveiled as a City player, what a joyful day that was. It was one of those ‘where were you?’ moments akin to people who recall what they were doing on that fateful day in Dallas when JFK was blown away. I remember dancing with joy and skipping and singing to the birds when I read the SSN ticker. A transfer story is nothing until its trickling across your screen.

He’s gone on to score five goals in eleven appearances and has spent the rest of his time as a City player injured. It’s a concern that Harry actually thought he’d get some kind of positive impact from making him a Lilywhite and his comments post-near miss transfer about how he was surprised about the Spurs fans negativity towards the clubs interest in the player is naivety on the part of Redknapp. Fully fit all of the time, he might have an argument with spending £6M or £7M on him. We – as fans – might have to bite the bullet if a player has undoubted abilities even if he has characteristic impediments relating to personality. But he’s never fit. And he’s not very likable. The fact Levy sanctioned it is even more worrying.

Bringing Bellamy to White Hart Lane would be like a Romulan turning up to a birthday party in Klingon fancy dress. It’s just not fucking funny. Robbie Keane, a less angry Irish version of Craig Bellamy, was the better choice.

Elsewhere, I was not at all shocked or surprised when it was confirmed to me that Noel Gallagher (on the TalkSport show over the weekend with Russell Brand) churned out his ‘I’d rather smother my kid than let him support Spurs©’ line. You’ve heard this one before, right? Although last time he was quoted as saying “I've told him (his son) he can support his local team down here if that's what he wants - but he can't support Man Utd or Tottenham. I have an irrational loathing of Spurs, their fans and everything about that club”.

See what he’s done there? He’s taken something that he’s said before and he’s said it again, expecting everyone to be equally impressed with the same thing, said a little differently. I’m not sure. Can’t quite put my finger on it. But this reminds me of something. It’s familiar to me. The same thing, repeated. Same words but delivered a little differently. Not quite the same..but sounds the same...

Nope, can’t think. Not to worry.

Anyways, for all we know, Noel might have already done the deed. Seriously, has anyone ever seen this alleged son of Noel? Liam hasn’t. He’s only seen pictures. Anything can be done with photo-shop these days.

Noel's local team by the way is Arsenal. He’s got a season ticket there. I saw him standing alone.

And moving swiftly along, I’ll end this article with some wise words from Andy Gray who stated the following at the start of the season:

'I know Spurs have been linked with Arshavin but I think he has been over-hyped. I'm not a big fan of Modric either. He looks ordinary to me but I can only assume Juande Ramos knows what he is doing.'

This is the same Modric who is showing mad skillz all over the shop and the idle yet clinical lad Arshavin (too expensive for Levy at £20M because money was better spent on £16M Bentley and only cost Arsenal around £12M in the end) who yesterday evening scored four goals at Anfield, be it four very well taken gift wrapped goals that a player of his undoubted ability could not have possibly missed. Where does Arsene find these kids from? Apparently it was the most brilliant display from a forward he's ever seen. Yeeeeees. Of course it was Arsene. You don't miss a thing with those big round eyes of yours.

As for Andy, take a bow son. You know your football. You know it so very very well, with your graphics and last word antics and you're insightful insightfulness.

In fact you know it just as well as your colleague Martin ‘Nowhere in the world would you get a game like this. And that's why the world's broadcasters come to us’ Tyler.

Time to bring out that yellow ticker. Spread the word.

Two players and a referee walk into a pub.......

"What do you both want to drink?" Asks the ref.
"I'll have a pint", says one of the players. "Make mine a rum", says the other.
The ref then sneezes a 'Dummy's Guide to understanding Java' out of his nose and Deirdre from Coronation Street wakes up from her dream explaining the fundamentals of dark matter in spoken Hebrew to the badger with the head like a golf ball. He laughs and the squirrels feast on the dead carcass of themselves from the future. North Korea then star-jumps with a knowing nod and remarks 'Καλά Χριστούγεννα'.

Confused? Was that joke a little on the random side? Inexplicable and surreal? I personally thought it made far more sense than some of the decisions I witnessed during Saturdays 2-1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers.

In particular, the foul on Palacios.

No matter how many times I watch it, all I see is Aaron Mokoena shoulder-charging Wilson Palacios face. Even looks like he shapes up to hit him as he runs towards our midfield powerhouse. Surely a red card ref, no? The right honourable Mr Walton didn't see it as such, but no surprise there considering what he did and didn't see through-out the afternoon. Whether it was the penalty he gave to us, the one he didn't give to Rovers or the second yellow to Palacios.

Allardyce (if you happen to notice) subbed the defender almost immediately after Mokoena flattened Wilson. Hmm...I wonder why.

Nothing has been said about this since (from what I've seen). And not a lot was made of it at the time either. Wilson (eventually) got up and got on with it. No damage done. I can't remember Andy Gray having kittens about it either. Mountain out of a mole hill then? Maybe I'm being too protective of a player in Lilywhite.

Or perhaps it does not require a re-visit based on the fact that Wilson does not wear the colours of Man Utd/Liverpool/Chelsea/Arsenal thus deeming the incident a non-event and a simple case of over-exuberance and Wilson's face getting in the way of very legal player-to-player contact.

The irony of later on having to watch Palacios get red-carded for basically attempting to avoid physicality with Dunn (and avoid a certain card) and thus falling to the ground and still receiving a card is completely and utterly lost on me. With Johnson of Pompey sent off for running in one of the other Saturday games, it's like some kind of weird experiment in anti-football where refs are following directives set by David Lynch.

Respect the referee? Sure I will. But only after the backwards talking midget in the room with the red drapes tells me to.

Morning

According to SSN, Harry wants rid of Pav, but nobody is interested. 1 goal in every 2 games Pav obviously doesn't know where the back of the net is, the lazy Carlos Kickaball. How dare he not settle in London and average 2 goals per game from the off. Considering the lack of depth we have upfront, this is yet another example of lazy unnecessary reporting which has no relevance to anything other than filling up a couple of hours of time in between all the rehashed-every-20-minutes of non-event headlines going into the weekend that Sky Sports News drowns in.

Ramos, apparently wants Adam Johnson. I kid you not. Madrid obviously going for a next generation galactico.

Elsewhere, forgot to mention yesterday the Jamie Redknapp to Chelsea story. He's apparently coaching reserve players twice a week (so sadly he'll be free to pundit on Sky Sports over the weekend). Massive massive move there for Jamie, and no doubt he'll continue to be impartial when discussing his cousin Frank Lampard, Chelsea, Liverpool and his dad at Tottenham. I don't know about you, but if I'm out at White Hart Lane and miss whatever is being televised I rush home after the final whistle, and sit in-front of the tv with my wank-rag watching Jamie tells us how it is in that ever handsome yet definitely not clichéd manner he has when he insightfully tells us he can see a chess game when all we can see is 45 minutes of fucking crap. Surely our Jamie would have been a better bet than Tim 'I hate Spurs unless they are paying me wages and all the slagging off I did about them on the radio didn't really happen' Sherwood.

We've lost out big time there people. Big time.

Challenge Spurs™ - I really really love Sky Sports, I really do

We won. 1-0. Pav with another goal (that's 6 in 9 now). Great first half performance, but couldn't score that second which would have made it just a little bit less of a 'Oh God please no last minute equaliser' type of afternoon.

Second half, with Rovers down to 10 men was still fairly comfortable thanks to their inability to push forward and apply any type of pressure. Lennon, was in cracking form. Hasn't just put in pacey performances here and there this season, he's actually playing decently week in week out. Another reason to pat Harry Redknapp on the back.

Out of the bottom three, for the second time, and up to the giddy heights of 14th. Nosebleeds all round.

Now the match review is out of the way, let's get down to the business of ironic cheering and Sky Sports who pride themselves on hype and bullshit. See, a game of football is never enough for them. They have to take something and turn it into something else and do their best to make sure it builds a nice bit of momentum so that Sky Sports News have something to talk about every 30 minutes. Although (ironically) we have ourselves to blame for cheering in this manner in the first place, thus given them opportunity to run with it.

Spurs fans cheered with smiles on their faces every time Gomes got hold of the ball without a fumble or flap in sight. Now usually, ironic cheers like these are kept for the visit of David James. These type of cheers are blatantly tongue-in-cheek piss-takes. Because for all of James ability to drop a clanger, he can pull a mighty fine world-class save out of the bag. And we know it. Much like he knows it. There's no argument that these type of cheers are of an ironic nature. And YES, its not the cleverest thing for Spurs fans to do the same thing for their own keeper, because of the way it will be misconstrued.

However, to suggest Spurs fans this afternoon were cynical or negative to Gomes is mountain out of a mole hill ridiculous. That includes you Harry (who mentioned it in a post-match interview). Abusive language and booing is far worse than ironic cheering. And I'll prove it to you.

Back to the suggestion that this form of pisstaking is moral draining is it of the same level as the the Sky Sports Soccer Saturday panel do when they laugh and giggle and make jokes at Gomes expense? If Spurs fans 'hated' Gomes or did not want him in the side they would boo and shout abuse whenever he got the ball, not cheer or sing his name or applaud him - all things that Sky prefer not to mention because if they do, there's no story to be told.

People who publish photos on the back pages of the papers with clever and witty headlines, ridiculing a man for millions of people to read about is something I'd wager more likely to hit his confidence than a few hundred people cheering at a game.

Touched upon it a moment ago, but no mention of the same Spurs fans singing 'We love you Gomes, we do'. Why? Was this an editorial decision to make Spurs fans look bad? How about a news item on the constant booing the Arsenal home fans dish out to their own players. Or are they being ironic?

[ repeating myself ] Ironically cheering an opposition keeper for simple ball handling is what it is - a piss take. [ / repeating myself ]. When you do it to your own, its not the brightest of ideas even when meant in good-humour. But its far from being devastating. Much like Spurs fans singing 'England's Number One' to Robbo last year when he was complete shit. Surely that could be deemed ironic too? No? Robinson appreciated it, much like the positive applause he got from us today (he throw his gloves into the Spurs crowd......on purpose, they didn't slip off his hands).

For every Gomes fuck-up, he's made 3 or 4 great great saves. Doesn't excuse his fuck-ups, but one or two media hacks should concentrate on the facts rather than soap opera sub-plots. That includes Match of the Day 2 this evening.

Facts?

We sang his name.
He acknowledged us at the start of both the first and second halves of the game, during the game and after it when he APPLAUDED THE FANS.
The fans behind both goals stood up and applauded him.
He even managed a 'thank you' in our direction and was the last Spurs player off the field at the end of the game, having celebrated the three points with the home faithful.

This is Spurs AND Gomes sticking a middle finger up to the armchair pretty-boys and shaved-gorilla(s). I'd say its best next time to leave out the irony, but it was clear to anyone with their eyes and ears open that Gomes was just fine, got over his early mishap missing the ball completely and grow stronger in confidence as the game progressed.

So, fuck you Sky Sports.

And now back to Challenge Spurs™.

13 points in the bag now, halfway through the Dirty Dozen. Still part of the yo-yo that is 20th - 11th, and currently sitting in at 15th spot. Home win next weekend is once again imperative. But can't argue with our current form, even if we are still way way off playing at full capacity. And talk of Europe is still not acceptable.

Everton at the Lane next.

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.

Owen

Allegedly spotted leaving the Spurs training ground around quarter to ten this morning.

Wind-up? Or carefully placed dis-information? If this story appears on Sky Sports News today, then Owen was at the Lodge this morning - no question about it.

You ain't seen me...........right?

If having Ledley wasn't frustrating enough?

Paul Merson

How wonderfully bitter and twisted some people can people, claiming that Lampard's cross-come-goal was superior to Bentleys, which, according to Merson, was a hit and hope effort and wasn't all that great.

Keep on mouthing off you horrid little man. Had Fabregas scored that we'd never hear the end of it, about how brilliant the technique was and how he spotted the keeper off his line and aimed for the back of the net.

Which is exactly what Bentley did, you shit-eyed twat.