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Letters October 2001 to March 2002
29.3.2002
Wyart,
A couple of points, if
you will indulge me.
Firstly, Mr. Goddard is
absolutely right. Taricco is being sh*t on by pretty much everyone
at the moment. Admittedly over the last few games he has been dodgy
discipline-wise, but over the season he has replaced Steve Carr very
well. Let's hope the current problems and lengthy ban will not get
him down; he is a player well worth having.
Secondly, I find it very
hard to believe that there are Spurs fans out there who want
Hoddle's head. His previous managerial record speaks for itself; he
performed wonders at Swindon, turned Chelsea into the top six team
they are now (they have not really improved since he left), he had
an excellent record as England manager and was sacked only for
off-the-field problems, and he actually managed to turn SCBC into a
decent team, quite a major achievement!!
He has been at the Lane
a year now, and while it has not been the most successful year in
our history, it has not been bad. One final, one quarter-final, and
hopefully our first top-half finish in five years; I would not
complain at that.
Remember a chap called
Alex Ferguson at Man U in the last ten years? Who doesn't. Remember
a chap called Alex Ferguson at Man U in the late 80's? Not many
do. He'd been there four years, not won anything, struggled in the
League and then got beat 5-1 by Man City. The Man U board kept faith
with him, and as we all know that turned out to be probably the
single best decision ever made by a football club board.
Now I'm not saying I'm
expecting three titles in a row twice in the next twelve years, but
I do think Hoddle needs at least another three years. It's about
time we stopped sacking managers without giving them a decent
chance, or we'll end up like Everton. He has improved things
already, and anyone who disagrees has only been watching selected
highlights of our season, edited by a Gooner. Hoddle was the
greatest player; let's give him a chance to be the greatest manager.
Thirdly; as we all know
our season has gone somewhat to pot over the last few weeks; is it
just me or does this slump seem to coincide with Steffen Freund
getting injured? Hurry back Steffen, we need you (no offence Tim if
you're reading!)
Phil Drummond, Bournemouth
Ed : - Phil, they are
all good points. Whatever happens with Hoddle, if we do sack
him, where do we go from here ? Ex-Spurs hero, Tottenham style
football, ENIC's master stroke. It was supposed to be the
definitive answer to the Sugar years and to give fans their
Tottenham back. The best option is to stick with him for a
while and try and get some stability back at the club like Man U did
with Fergie. Not saying we will have the same success, but it
might help rather than chopping and changing managers every couple
of seasons.
As for Taricco, he
will be a better player for cutting out some of the nonsense he puts
into his game. Concentrate on the football Taz, that's what
it's all about.
Like you, I feel that
after the initial burst that Sherwood had when he came back, we seem
to be missing Freund more now than previously. He would have
provided a better defensive foil for the young defence. Not
sure what the summer will bring in terms of signings, but Hoddle
should be aware that Stef still has much to offer.
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17.3.2002
I know this player
(Taricco) is not flavour of the month at the moment, but I am sick
to death of other so called players and there supporters sl*gging
him off.
And of course it doesn't take a genius to figure out he has had an
awful day at the office over the last month or so, but he is not on
his own by a long shot, his downfall is his over-commitment by being
sent off, which we know is unprofessional.
The thing I hate the most is the way other clubs players are putting
the boot in (literally) because he don't mind getting a foot in
(pardon the pun), after all that is his nature and in South American
football, now and again you have to take a kick.
What the hell is wrong with that. The English game used to be famous
for it, now we are sl*gging off some Latino for doing in some cases,
what, a few years back, we were brought up on.
But I think the real issue here is probably the racism factor
brought up by Beckham and company due to his Argentinian nationality
and the poor sod is not even a full international player at the
moment, so what is the Engerland going to do when they come up
against a bit of world class ?
Also as far as some Spurs fans go they are ready to jump on his back
as an example to what has gone wrong with our team over the last
month because of his sendings off and no I don't condone what he has
done, but I'm not going to criticise him for his commitment, however
wrong it looks, because at the end of the day, he is one of our own
and we need all the points we can muster now and until the end of
the season.
When you think he has been in the side for most of the season and
has played well and improved by his standards and if by chance had
Carr had been fit mid-way he would have not walked into the side
overnight by his reputation alone.
J.Goddard
Ed : - Not sure if we
would have won at Man U or Chelsea, but with the score at 0-1 when
he was sent off on both occasions, he let his team-mates down.
Yes, he is the first choice in that position, but he is getting a
reputation that will not help him or Spurs if he carries it
on. Hoddle said in the Everton match that his challenge on
Gravesen was uncalled for. I agree that there are plenty of
players who have let everyone down in the last month, but the only
way that will be resolved is by getting goals on the pitch. We
will see how England cope with Argentina in the World Cup, but it is
interesting that Ferguson is saying that rumours spread about Vern
are designed to upset him for the World Cup. Looks like Taz is
not the only on being targeted.
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17.3.2002
Well what now? I can't
say. Well I know we wont get n European football drop Sulli,
Les, Taz, put Anderton back on wing, he's no good in midfield. or well
be in bottom four at the end of season. No big stars will come to us
we haven't got the money, only a good manager GH.
Stephen Gregoire
Ed : - It looks bad,
but the season hasn't been a disaster. Realistically, we were
not going to get European football this season and the fact we lost it
in the Worthington Cup Final makes it frustrating, but the signs are
there that something good is happening. Maybe next season,
depending on the investmen tin the summer
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17.3.2002
I have heard rumors that Carr is joining Arsenal and that they are
already contributing to his wages, can this be true ? If so why was
Luke Young sold ?
JS Bennett
Ed : - Rumours are
circulating that Carr wants out and that Arsenal are one of the
clubs interested. Carr was always a strong Sol supporter and
maybe he was paving his way out of the club. The one saving
grace is that he is under contract and we should get a healthy fee
for him if he goes. The only thing is, who would buy a player
who has been out all season and has broken down on his way back to
fitness. He would need to play to prove that he can still cut
it.
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16.3.2002
I think Hoddle should
revert back to the 4-4-2 formation, we don't look solid playing
5-3-2, our 3 central defenders are all over the place, Chelsea could
have had 6 or 7 the other night, had their finishing not been like
ours.
I watched the Tranmere
game, which we won 4-0 and they had several very good chances, but
didn't take them. I'm no manager, but after being beaten 4-0
at Old Trafford, then at home to Chelsea 4-0, I would have had a
long serious look at what I was doing.
To lose a third game
4-0 to a team who's just beaten you 4-0, doesn't make me believe
Hoddle is a good manager. Too often this season when we have
been behind or playing poorly, he has refused to bring on a sub or
two and try to change things. Rebrov gets 10-15 minutes
maximum. No player can get into a game in that short space of
time and especially not a striker. A striker needs a run of
games, a few goals under his belt. People who say Rebrov is rubbish,
just look at how many our two main strikers have scored?
Hoddle was my hero,
one of the most talented players this country has ever produced, but
do we have another Ardiles in charge? Over the history of the
League, it's usually the teams who conceded the least amount of
goals, who will eventually win the title, not the team who's scored
the most (although that does help). At the start of every
season, I want to see Spurs up there in the top 5, but to be honest,
I really doubt we will ever be a top 5 side again.
I really hope i'm wrong.
Damian Butcher
Ed : - 4-4-2 is the
preferred system for many side sin the league and it is my view that
Hoddle wanted to play something different that made his team more
attacking. The system Hod wanted was (or should have been
flexible enough to revert to 4-4-2 when required and earlier in the
season did so. Some of his decisions have been questionable,
but managers always have their favourites and he has probably felt
that he has to stick with some of the players he has brought to the
club.
Maybe Rebrov will get
a run now, as Les and Teddy both look knackered. And I think
that has been the problem Hoddle has had ... too many old players
running out of steam together.
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14.3.2002
Hi Wyart,
Please disregard my earlier e-mail containing any element of hope for
our chances for a decent league finish. I have now had my
medication and am back in my nice warm cosy (padded) room.
The men in white coats have taken me away ........
Maybe there is a record for a run of consecutive 4 - 0 drubbings that
Glenn has his eye on. As for Taricco, he can't start his bans
soon enough. Wake me up when the nightmare ends .......
Regards
Dean Fenner
Ed : - Not sure what
Taricco is on ?? Needs a good rest cure for his red
mist-disease, I think.
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13.2.2002
Is it the Weather ?
It's 25 degrees here,
blue skies and late suntans. {Mountain River, Tasmania, Australia}
Yes, I realise not quite that in a London near Spring.
Is it onfield
Performance ? {Last 3 games}
In part yes ... not the
latest and greatest.
BUT !!!
What a depressing lot of
mail mostly.
Just think if one
followed most {not all of the rest of the league} ... how even more
depressing/suicidal the world of football could be.
We follow a Cup Final
side, a Q/F Cup side, a side lying eighth, challenging still for a
spot in Europe {the fire has not gone out yet}.
We may not yet make it,
but the rollercoaster ride continues ... the test match is into it's
5th day ... 331 to get ... always hard ... but they made it {unlucky
S. Africa? Roll on Australia ... not forgetting a 6 off the
last ball to get his 100 by Ponting ... {Talent and
character always count }.
Sorry about the cricket
analogy, but the Opera ain't over ... the Tottenham Express is
always worth the roller coaster fare.
Yours,
Very Optimistically
Greg Meyer ... 10 ... C'mon You Spurs.
Ed : - The view from
a distance can often be misleading Greg. For the team are
looking tired, uncoordinated and vulnerable. For those
reasons, the season will not end with the European place that we
crave. Too many games now will slip away from Spurs with
little chance of improving (or even holding onto) the 8th place we
are always in. Not saying that the season has been a failure,
as we have had some memorable games, but if Hoddle is to be judged
on results, then those in the big games have let him down.
It's never dull
watching Spurs, but not always in the way you want !!
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13.2.2002
Hi Wyart,
Just a quick note.
We must all get behind Chelsea to win the cup as, if they do and they
finish out of the top four, this will open a place to Europe to the
club finishing 7th.
I know pigs may fly, but having being so gutted since the worthy cup
defeat and then the debacle on Sunday, all is not yet lost. Yes....I
can see those hands clutching at straws and the barrel being well and
truly scraped with the quality left in our squad, but without this
blind hope we might as well pack it in for another season.
One last thing, although a season tickets holder, I do use my
membership card for occasional games for the empty seat by us which
was previously held by our mates season ticket. (gone to Oz). I have
just used the new Spurs on line booking site and would have to say
what a fantastic option this is. I booked this one seat with total
ease for the West Ham game which would have taken days to get through
by switchboard.
Cheers, keep up the grand work you folks.
Regards
Dean Fenner
Ed : - Nice to know
something works at Tottenham. That's what happens when you take
some staff out of the loop, I suppose.
As for Europe, perhaps
it might be better left for another year, as the team would not get
far as they are. Desperate need for some fresh blood to help out
the old boys, me thinks.
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5.3.2002
I was listening to TalkSport
on my way home from work on Monday, and happened to catch a Gooner
ringing in saying about a Spurs supporter who rang in hoping that
Man U would win, not to lose any ground against the Goons, I think
people take the Arsen*L thing a bit to far to the point of being
obsessed with them losing more than Tottenham winning.
It's time to get
behind Glenn and forget about the Nomads down the road, otherwise we
will always be cannon fodder for radio shows and journalists with
those sort of comments.
John Chapman
Ed : - You are right
John. I learned from coming home from Cardiff that phoning up
radio shows, you
just cannot win. either you sound like a raving loony or if
you have a valid point, they are in control of the mike and can cut
you off if you are too clever for them. Leave the whingeing on
the airwaves to the Gooners. They are better than us at it !!
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I'm writing at nearly 2
a.m. on Sunday morning and getting quite nervous about the Final.
But I know we've got the players to do it, and after all Blackburn
aren't that great - c'mon they only beat the scum 4-0!!
Although I'm nervous, I'm predicting a landslide victory for the
Spurs, my guess is 6-0, but that may be a touch optimistic!
I'm hearing reports that
Spurs are in for Djibril Cisse, a French U-21 international who's
apparently sh*t-hot! But do you know anything about him - that's
pretty much all I've heard. At the reported £18million he'd
better be quite useful!!
Finally, why the hell
was Arse-Sol presenting an award on the Brits? And why was the
previously semi-respected Frank Skinner such a kiss-ass?
Phil Drummond
Bournemouth
Ed : - Phil, I know
little of Cisse although Manchester United were supposedly keen on
him, as were Liverpool, so he must be reasonably good.
As for tomorrow, I
think it will be a bit closer than that. But Spurs have the
ability to win, if they take their chances.
S.Cumball made a bit of
a dick of himself I thought and Skinner went down in my esteem as
well. Being hit by the Gooner must be like having a sting from a
butterfly (to misquote a great man).
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23.2.2002
This sad under
achieving Gallic twat's latest belief that the UEFA Cup is
better off without the League Cup winners is total sulk !
If it's so easy to win why have'nt they won it lately ? Then again
what have they won for years ?
Let's measure their success, but then again why waste a good two
minutes !
Let's examine the so called 'Champions League', how many of the
participants are champs ? Certainly not Arse's group of red card
gatherers; surprised that he actually recognises any of his squad due
to the amount of each game he claims he misses.
Isn't it funny when he is under pressure he attacks a rival, did it
for ages with Alex Ferguson and Man U for one thing or another, now
he's having a go at us ... makes me think he's a little worried about
us. So carry on worrying Arse, here we come !
WhitehartN17
PS Carry on getting your red cards and carry on justifying it as
professionalism, we know better !
Ed : - His little rant
is designed to try and wind us up before our final. Petty and
small-minded are two terms which spring to mind, but short sighted
(another failing of the old Frenchie) is the most obvious one.
Secure of a place in Europe by February is one thing he would love,
but then I am sure he takes the league a whole lot more seriously than
any other competition. Shame they are no good at it.
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18.2.2002
I'm
just writing to wish the lads the very best of luck for the
Final. Lets bring the worthy cup back to the
Lane were it belongs.
We thoroughly
deserved to get to the Final, especially after the fantastic 5-1
hammering of Chelsea and hassle-cheat.
On our day we can
beat anyone. Although Blackburn will be a stern test.
And that Guv'nor (off teletext) bloke ... where do I begin I
think he's a Gooner in disguise and to all the Arsenal fans, we have
got Ledley at the back. Sol who?
So come on Teddy and
the boys, bring the first European place this season back to the
Lane. Let's get right behind the team for the Final, because there's
a bright future for T.H.F.C.
COME ON U SPURS!!!
Matthew Gamble
Ed : - Here Here !!
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18.2.2002
Wyart
As much as I find him exciting to watch, does anyone really believe
that Rebrov is the answer to our long-term striker problem ?
He seems to flash in and out of the games he plays in and has never
really grabbed the chances that he's been given. For me, he
misses too many gilt edged chances and (West Ham in the FA Cup last
year aside), he rarely seems to score vital goals. His goals
tend to arrive when the game is already over.
People who complain about Hoddle not
picking him need to look at the facts - Ferdinand has been class this
year, Sheri picks himself for my money and Iversen has been more
effective when he has been given the chance.
Rebrov may well complain about not
being picked but he should know that every forward is measured by his
goals - Sergei hasn't scored many for us.
I've long been his staunchest
defender when arguing with Gooner colleagues but the Emperor's new
clothes are looking mighty thin to me.
The Dazzler
Ed : - Rebrov looks like a fish out
of water. He didn't get much better service when he played in
GG's side, but he did manage to score a few as he had more on-pitch
time.
I don't believe we have seen the
best of Sergei as we have not played to his strengths. When Hod
took over, there were hopes that the new style would fit him better,
but Glenn doesn't seem to rate him. If he was given the right
balls, I think he could do well for us and at the moment his
confidence looks shot to pieces. With all the off-field rumours
coming from his agent, he is probably also unsettled about what is
going to happen to him in the future.
If we let him go, we could live to
regret it, as Les won't go on for ever and Iversen goes through spells
of not scoring as much as he goes through ones when he does. And
Rebrov's first touch is infinitely better than the Norwegian's.
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17.2.2002
I will keep this one
short - am I the only person who thinks that buying an unproven
Englishman who has failed to score on several internationals and is
likely to cost Spurs in the region of 12m makes good business sense,
when we already have a guy who holds the Champions League record
number of goals scored ? I honestly believe that given the
right service and a decent run in the team Rebrov could be as
good as his price tag suggests.
Philips is a good Premier
League player and will always score goals, no matter which team
he plays in. I have my doubts if he has the extra quality to score
in European football. Rebrov has already proved he can.
Look at our ageing
forward line and with the greatest respect to Chris Armstrong and
Iversen, who no doubt are fine men and good footballers, they are
not going to trouble Real Madrid or Bayern.
If we can get to
Europe next year great. But as we all know it is short term in
the extreme to rely upon Sir Les, King Teddy and Gus 'The Don'
Poyet.
Let us keep Rebrov,
and persuade THFC to spend some £££££'s, and bring in a bit of
class, rather than trying to bring in new blood by going to £-
stretchers.
Regards
Danny-Boy
PS
What is this I read about Shevchenko going up for sale ?
Or am I just
dreaming about Spurs buying a world class player.
Ed : - You are not
alone. I was only talking to a friend yesterday along the same
lines saying that as a bread and butter League player, Phillips will
get you 20-30 goals
per season, but when it comes to Europe, you need players who can
make that step up. I do not believe that Phillips is that
player. While prices have jumped up over the last few years, I
am glad Spurs paid £11 million for Rebrov rather than Heskey and I
would be a bit outraged if they splashed out £12 million on
Phillips. For that money we need to buy someone who can take
us to where we want to go and that must be Europe. While
Phillips might help us step up the League as to achieve that we need
a poacher style scorer, Rebrov could unlock defences in European
competition, if we get there.
While Shevchenko is
for sale and he would be the ideal foil for Rebrov, Tottenham do not
have that sort of cash to buy players of his standing.
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10.2.2002
Well, what can I say
about Sergei Rebrov ? Well, firstly, what a waste of £11m
!! All GG did was sit him on the bench, so why did he bring
him in ? I know he's an ex-Gooner, but surely there's no
need to try and bankrupt us. I can understand that Sergei
might not be Hoddle's type of player, but for the sake of
keeping hold of a player who has a lot of honours in the Ukraine,
please give him a chance. I mean c'mon, he don't earn the
honours he's got for nothing.
Sergei, my heart goes
out to you, but all I can say is that if you have to leave then
don't do a Sol Campbell on us, cos, as you well know, he isn't very
popular at the Lane. Hoddle - try the bloke, he
could be as good, if not better, as the likes of van Nistelrooy,
Owen, Fowler, etc., etc. Just don't make a huge mistake - he
has big potential.
Mark Bennett
Ed : - Sergei is a
bit of an enigma. Firstly he is rumoured to have said all
these things to the Press and then his agent comes out with a story
denying everything. Once, you can understand that something
might have got lost in the translation, but after a few times, you
wonder what games they are playing. Arsenal weren't interested
when he left Dynamo Kiev and although Luzhny is trying to get him to
Highbury, there does not appear to be much hope of them selling both
Kanu and Wiltord to buy Rebrov.
He looks like he can
be a good player, but he is not the 25 goals a season player we need
at the moment. He could take over from Teddy in the long run,
as long as there is someone who he can team up with in the forward
line.
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9.2.2002
We will never win the league, we just don't have what it takes.
It just sums up Tottenham sides, we destroy Chelsea 5-1 play some
brilliant football, then play like a Sunday league side and lose
away to derby. Also you MUST spend big if you wanna bring in
proven quality players, although Rebrov cost £11m and is quality.
Finally we will never have a Defence capable of keeping clean sheets
from one week to the next, we have always conceded stupid goals far
too easily and far too often.
Great CUP TEAM, very
average League side (as history will prove).
Thanks
D.Butcher.
Ed : - There is much
in what you say. The team have never been consistent enough to
win the League since the early Sixties and consistency is the
key. Money helps form a side that can be consistent. If
it is well spent. Look at Leeds, Aston Villa and
Chelsea. They prove the point that you can't buy the
League. Hoddle is working towards that aim, but will the money
be there for him to achieve it and will he be given enough time
? Only ENIC know the answers to those questions.
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6.2.2002
I've always thought
that Sulli would make a good James Bond - he's got that smoooth
unruffled look (even if he does make the odd pig's ear of things).
On the subject of footballing look-a-likes, how does Danny Murphy manage
to balance his football commitments with his role as lead singer of
Travis ?
Our attempts at trying to create chances at Derby were woeful.
80 minutes of possession and we never looked like scoring.
When is Hod going to buy a creator and a poacher ?
There are more
questions than answers.
The Dazzler
Ed : - With Danny
Murphy, being on Top of the Pops on TV takes pounds off him !!
And Sulli as James Bond ... "Licensed to keep a clean sheet"
hopefully.
There is a desperate
need to bring in a poacher. Even against Bolton we could have
done with someone with the innate ability to stick the ball in the
net, then we might have had a scoreline that reflected our superiority
!!
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1.2.2002
Does anyone else think
Sulli looks like Buzz Lightyear (Toy Story 2)? I do.
Alex Mac
Ed : - Yes, Alex, he
certainly does bear a striking resemblance to our Scottish keeper ...
or should that be the other way around ?
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26.1.2002
I have been a
supporter for 54 years and I can honestly say that Wednesday's
result and the demolition job that we did on that Chelsea mob rates
very highly in my list of the top 10 greatest nights that I have
experienced.
Thank you god (Glenn Hoddle) for that.
from
Barry, Princetown
in Devon
Ed : - That was one
of the best 90 minutes I have seen from a Spurs side too ... and for
it to be rewarded with a win over Chelsea made it even better
!! The odds have been against us so far in this competition.
Having to overcome Chelsea - our very big bogey team - and now being
put in the "unlucky" end at Cardiff and having to change
our kit, but then who cares !! It's lucky for Spurs when the
year starts and ends in the same number !!
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24.1.2002
Hi Ed,
It looks as if the
glory days may be showing their face again. Not doing bad in
the League and in the final of the Worthy Cup. What is
puzzling me though is the treatment of Rebrov when we have such an
old strike force.
Why don't they rotate
them more - Rebrov and Iversen (when fully recovered) are the future
so let's start looking towards it. The youngsters coming
through are first class too - Davies, King and Gardener were
outstanding last night. My main reason for writing is that as
I'm from Stoke on Trent and getting tickets for matches is a bit hit
and miss. Me and my brother would love to go to see the lads
in the Final. We have only been able to see them twice so far
this season and would love if you could tell us of reputable sources
from which to gain these as we only want match tickets not travel
any help would be gladly received.
Simon Fowlds, Stoke on
Trent
Ed : - Simon, I fear
that you will be in the same boat as a lot of other fans.
There are 30,000 tickets available, but with 20,000 season ticket
holders, there will be few left over for all the supporters who want
to go. However, some will make their way into
"corporate" packages or even to West End ticket
agencies. How reliable they are, who knows. If anyone
has any ideas to help Simon out, then mail us and we will pass them
on.
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2.1.2002
I'm sure I share the
concerns of the majority of Spurs fans in my disbelief at the way
Sergei has been treated under King Hod. Don't get me wrong, I
think we've made an encouraging start under the Messiah, but surely
there is a place in our team for everyone's favourite
Ukrainian.
There can be no
argument against his quality and it would seem that he actually
cares about the club as well (a pre-requisite for any of our players
as far as I'm concerned), yet he only plays when Les is out.
I'm obviously aware that Les is our top scorer this season, but to
consistently leave out someone of Sergei's ability is
criminal. His goal against Newcastle last season was one of
the best I've ever seen at the Lane and considering the dross that
surrounded him (Deadwood, Leo, Clemence, Booth and Judas), he did
pretty well in a mind-numbingly average side.
Before I go I would
just like to put forward my views on Judas. I'm sorry, but I
will never forget or forgive him for the way he conducted himself, I
personally believe he deserves the vitriol of abuse that we have
given him and long may it continue. It still winds me up every
time I see him in that evil shirt and my feelings are so strong on
the matter that I will find it very difficult to get behind him if
he does make it into the World Cup XI.
Maggie Nichols
Ed : - The Rebrov
situation is one that needs to be sorted. I cannot believe
that we would be able to bring in anyone with a similar pedigree if
he was sold. Phillips has not cut it at international level
and has not had the chance to play in Europe, so although he is a
good Premiership goalscorer, that does not mean it will necessarily
translate to a higher level. Les and Teddy will not go on for
ever and we need to retain someone of his standing in the game.
As for S.Cumball, he
will never be forgiven by the majority of Spurs fans.
|
29.12.2001
Has anyone noticed the
sports pages, especially The Sun, is like a Gooner programme ...
every day, even when they have no game there are stories about
them. Someone must be on a drink to get them all this
publicity.
I know some of it is
what might be called bad publicity, but none the less it's still one
of those shirts spread across the pages, they were even quoting a Gooner
player from a French newspaper a few weeks back just to just to get
them in the papers again.
THFC should look into
this and get some Spurs shirts in the papers on daily basis,
that lot are getting all this free publicity.
I might be wrong, but
just get The Sun for a few weeks and see. Now one of
those is saying that he gets something sexual when he hears the
crowd sing his name !! This crap is in the sports pages and
that shirt getting more publicity. Has anyone else noticed ?
Steve
Ed : - Unfortunately,
around Christmas there is little news around ... in sport as well as
any other area of news ... so a lot of silly season stories make
their way into the Press.
However, I know what
you mean as the Evening Standard seems to have to in for Tottenham
on a regular basis. So not all news is good news.
Spurs have done their
bit by donating Spurs shirts to the cast of in the West End show
"Umoja"and this has been widely reported in the Press and
on the radio/web. These sort of stories counter the bad press
Tottenham usually get.
Personally, I would
prefer to let the Gooners do all their talking in the papers, while
ours is done on the pitch (hopefully).
|
I've just been watching
Sky Sports, with all their stats, and apparently we are bottom of
the Premiership in terms of shot on target - 37%. This shows that we
need a quality striker. Fowler would have been ideal, but he's gone
to Leeds, and there aren't many available. Bobby Zamora is a
possible, but he's unproven, and my view is that we should try and
raid the Spanish League before other clubs do. I'd love to see Diego
Tristan at the Lane, but I think more realistically Raul Tamudo at
Espanyol is a good bet.
Don't get me wrong, I do
love Les, but this kind of stat only proves that he's a little past
it against the top clubs.
We need a quality
striker Glenn, not another injury-prone midfielder like
Redknapp....sort it out NOW!
Phil Drummond
Bournemouth
Ed: - The need for a
creative midfielder is there, as the stats show that we might be
creating chances but the strikers are not hitting the target (so
what you say about Les is verified). The more chances we
create, the higher the percentage on the goal. Glenn will look
for a midfielder who can pass, as he has with the other
players he has brought in. Despite that we have scored a fair
amount of goals, but in games like Liverpool, Ipswich and SCBC, the
fact that we failed to get a goal from all of our possession means a
lot.
We do need a poacher,
as Les is not that type of player. The rumours of Rebrov going
means we will be even lighter in the striking department if Sergei
does leave. The two players who you mention would score goals
almost anywhere, but the Spanish transfer window means Spurs will
have to move fast if they are going to do anything.
|
27.12.2001
You must be gutted.
Norf London muppets.
======================
SFC. FEW BUT LOYAL.
NO SURRENDER.
Dave SFC
Ed : - Au contraire mon
ami. If you know anything about Tottenham, you can be sure that
we will donate three points to the down at heel and needy clubs in the
Premiership. SCBC do not fall into this category I know, but
then Rupert "The Bear" Lowe, will never say no to a handout
from Tottenham. By the way, it appears that your e-mail should have
been sent to Gooner_muppets.com rather than to MEHSTG.
|
The most recent pieces
on the letters page seem to relate to a chap we are no longer going
to mention, if we have any sense. It's gone....who cares. Let's
leave it at that (except that we now have five defenders with the
potential to be better than that sad whinging scumbag - sorry, got
caught up in the hype).
Spurs fans seem to be
getting a bad press at the moment. Sorry, did I say at the moment?
When was the last time we got a fair deal from the notepad-wielding
tosspots?? To be honest, we shouldn't give a flying Gooner about
that either.
Spurs are currently one of the two teams in the country that
seem to have a chance of impinging on the big five's dominance (the
other is Newcastle.) We have to admit that ManUre, Liver-wreckers,
the Scum (much as I hate to say it), Leeds (nuff said) and the jammy
blues from the Bridge are currently ahead of us, but with Sir Glenn
at the helm the gap is closing all the time.
Glenn is my favourite
all time player and I have to say he seems to be doing at Spurs what
he tried to do at Chelsea. There, he got in quality players with
vast experience (Vialli, Zola et al) and would have gone on to match
them with impressive youth had he not been called up by England. At
the time that was one of the only two jobs that would have pried him
from Chelsea, but since he's done England and currently has the
other one that ain't gonna happen at the Lane.
He's doing the same
thing at Spurs. Sheringham, Poyet, Ziege and Ferdinand may be
getting on a bit but they are class players (I mean Sheringham is
the reigning double Player of the Year, for Christ's sake!) and the
likes of King, Davies, and even Gardner and Etherington look like
extremely promising guys.
I reckon this style of
management will lead us into Europe this season. the way things are
going it could even be the Champions League, but whatever happens
this season it will not be long before Spurs are at the forefront of
British football where they deserve to be.
So long as ENIC allow
Glenn the financial backing he deserves and needs, we will be among
the forefront of European football once again, and the likes of
S.Cumball will be completely forgotten once and for all.
We have a bright future
ahead of us, and we should start looking at that rather than
dwelling on the past.
Phil Drummond
Bournemouth
P.S. Having said that,
the big w**ker deserved everything he got in that game in November
(but that should be IT! We have our self-respect!).
|
22.11.2001
Wyart,
Everyone in the press
and football in general seems to have deliberately missed the point
of Spurs' fans anger aimed at C***bell. Admittedly some of the
things that happened on the 17th were OTT, but to accuse Spurs
fans of being thugs and racist smacks of a media/football conspiracy
against us.
I don't want to sound
like I've developed a Ferguson tendency to siege mentality, but
reporters like Ian Wooldridge have spouted utter b******s to gain
some kind of lefty, self righteous, right-on credibility. Wooldridge's
tirade is typical of so many people trying to prove that they
are sooo PC, with uninformed and inaccurate knowledge of the
Spurs fans problem with C***bell.
We dislike him because
he's a mercenary of the worst kind. Nothing else. As a
club that is open to the worst kind of racist abuse because of our
so called Jewish heritage (another misnomer: Arsenal and West
Ham for starters, have just as bigger Jewish following) we have been
subjected to racist crap as much as anyone. Leeds and Chelscum
have regularly sung songs about it in the past. That doesn't
get reported, yet Wooldridge concludes we are having a go
a C***bell because he's black. Do me a favour!!!
We've had scores of black players over the years and suddenly we're
racist toward C***bell? He was OUR captain and he went behind
enemy lines. For whatever reason he did it, we are not going
to forgive him. It's a Spurs v Arsenal thing.
Terry Venables also gave
us a bollocking which really pissed me off as he as much as
anyone should understand how betrayed we feel. I think
that people in football, like him, have criticised us, because
they are just trying to exercise players rights to move on to
anyone, regardless of fans feelings, to their own ends. They
are trying to disperse the theory that players should have some
loyalty to a particular club because of the money they can make by
moving.
In the meantime, I hope
Woolridge's application to the 'Hampstead Labour Club' is rescinded.
W**ker.
Jeff
Ed : - The
Press in general seem to have made light of the fact that the
captain of our club did not feel himself able to tell the truth to
the fans until he was announced as the rivals latest signing.
Money makes the man move and money will be the motivating factor for
anyone in the game to do anything they want. That is what the
Press understand and that is what the game has become. As I
said in the piece about the reaction to the game, it is not that
easy for the journos, as they do not feel like fans do and they
cannot understand that we might only be having a go at him because
of the colour of his shirt.
|
18.11.2001
I
think Sol deserved the demonstrations, balloons and boos. He was our
captain and he had said how much he loved the club, but if you do, you
don't sign for Arsenal !
But,
the club and us as supporters should move on. Sol has gone. We've now
got King and Richards who are better players and Gardner, Bunje and
Doherty who could become excellent players for us too.
When
Sol returns next season, he should be treated like any other Gooner,
not as a special case.
Lets
now use all our energy to get behind the team and hope that we can
continue to make progress under Glenn, so that in a year or so we can
be playing in The Champions league and challenging for the
Premiership.
Dave
Regan : Stafford
Ed
: - Dave, the amount of press column inches dedicated to his reception
show that the effect on the media was large. Not any of it has
been properly explained and all has put Spurs fans in a bad
light. Therefore, we should move on, as I think that our club is
in the ascendancy, while his is not.
He
is wrong in thinking it is now over and done with. That sort of
behaviour cannot be swept aside and he will have to live with it for
the rest of his life.
|
16.11.2001
Are you aware of the
inaccurate and offensive article in the Daily Mail, dated 14/11/01
concerning Spurs supporters ? I have complained to the Daily
Mail and the Press Complaints Commission etc like many other
supporters. Maybe you would like to complain too. I am a regular
visitor to your site.
Thank you.
Daniel Head.
Ed : -
Daniel, we did hear about it and saw it. On the face of it
there is little defence for what the writer wrote. I know that
many Spurs fans have made formal complaints and that the Tottenham
Hotspur Supporters Trust have also registered their disgust at the
piece. I understand that the author advertises his e-mail
address as a way of getting feedback to his articles too.
|
15.11.2001
I thought those of your readers and website visitors who do not take
the Times Education Supplement might be interested to know that our
former player, C. Lose-Ball M.P was recently interviewed for the
publication's 'My favourite teacher' feature. Unsurprisingly, in
view of the sums he tried to screw out of Spurs and ended up
settling for at 'the other place', his favourite was a Maths
teacher!
It's a great pity he
didn't spend more time concentrating on history and geography!
Best wishes
John Edrich
|
13.11.2001
Don't know about you
boys but I'm getting a bit fed up with constant negative press reports
about all aspects of Spurs.
These reached new heights however, with Ian Wooldridge of the Mail
missing all the salient points in the Scumbal affair, and accusing us
of being racist, and homing in on the dummy's effigy being
hanged out side the Lane, (not something I agree with however), and
comparing Spurs fan who will be involved in any protest as
having KKK sympathies. I feel deeply offended as I thought the whole
club's ethos was now very anti racist and may he be reminded that a
name sung on the terraces is that of Ledley King, all our hopes for
the future, who is not the paragon of white Anglo-Saxon
Presbetarynism. Is this something you think the rest of the
media will hack into ?
WhiteHartN17
Ed : - I have been of
heavy heart over the media coverage that Spurs fans and the club in
general have received over the last few years. Their treatment
of Gross, who whatever you thought of him, was a dignified man.
Just because he spoke differently to us and nobody had heard of him,
this was open season for the Press to make a joke out of him.
Almost anything that
the club or supporters does is now leapt on as a "juicy"
story. I suppose we should be grateful that we are so newsworthy
!! However, the potential for them to mis-read the situation on
Saturday is not one they will miss. I am disappointed that a
highly regarded journo lie Woolridge is spouting such nonsense.
However, without wanting to tar all readers of the mail with the same
brush, this might be what they want to read.
While not to everyone's
taste, this is the very reason why we are supporting the Minute of
Contempt. A non-abusive way of showing him how we feel.
Apart from that the best way to show your contempt for him is to
ignore him completely and get behind our team and, as you rightly
state, our young stars, who are our future ... not our past ...
regardless of colour, creed or sexual persuasion.
|
11.11.2001
With no Premiership
football this weekend there wasn't much to smile about. However,
that soon changed when I opened page 36 of The Daily Mail (Sat 10th
Nov) and read that Osama Bin Laden is a Gooner. How apt that his
middle name corresponds with that rubbish down the road.
Steve1956
Ed : - I saw that
too. LoL !! Let's hope he's not planning on turning up
next Saturday though !!
|
10.11.2001
It's Saturday
17th Nov 2001 and instead of being in Sydney I'm in the High Rd,
Tottenham. Actually the Hotspur Grill finishing a great bacon and
egg lunch when all of a sudden there's a commotion outside. The fans
have poured out of the Cockerel Bar and are rocking the coach that
contains the Scum players. At the front Wenger is complaining and at
the back sits S. Cumpbell. He knows what awaits. The coach escapes
driving into the West Stand Car Park where unbelievably S. Cumpbell
is abused further by the 'wealthy ones'.
The M
of C works perfectly and the scum supporters even shut up. No.23 is
shitting himself. The minute finishes and the whole ground erupts in
song behind the lads.
The games is
played at pace and crunching tackles inevitably lead to a skirmish
involving Vieira who lifts his hands and sees red! Freund hits a
speculative drive which takes a deflection and nestles in the corner
of the net. When Teddy makes it 2 and bows in front of the scum fans
we all go wild. Henri misses a penalty and a minute later Ledley
King hits the 3rd. "You can stick your S.C. up your...
"commences. 5 mins. from the end they fluke one back and the
ground stands up to sing 'we beat the scum 3-1'.
Thanks
Martin,
Sydney Spurs
Ed : - Martin, we are
all with you on that one. We will put in a big one for you at
the match and let's hope that the Ledley King song will be ringing
around the ground at 4.53 p.m.
|
6.11.2001
I'm in support of the
Minute Of Contempt although I think that we should then confine this
sorry matter to history books. Ledley King's a far better proposition
in my book anyway.
As for Campbell - I'll
be astonished if he plays at WHL. He'll have a niggling
hamstring or a sore toe or something.
How's Steve Ferguson
playing in the reserves? Has he a bright future ?
The Dazzler
Ed : - Agree about
Ledley and there will be plenty of time to give air to your praise for
him after the MoC. As for Ferguson, there has been little news
and we assume he is injured, as he is not playing and Sutton and
Barnard have stepped up from the Under-19s. When he has played,
Steven looks a fine player; fast, incisive and knows where to be for a
goal-scorer. We hope that he will maintain his progress when he
is back playing.
|
1.11.2001
Finally Spurs
are starting to play the way Glenn Hoddle used when he was wearing a
spurs shirt. Ferdinand finding his form after 6 years and
Anderton back to his best, Sven has to pick him for the world cup, who
else can we link up the defence and the attack with ?
Ed : - I agree
that Darren is playing a lot better, but his pace has gone and that is
such a vital part of international football. Despite that I
think SGE will give him a go in one of the friendlies coming up, just
to have a look at him. Dazza did alright against France in the
friendly out there before his last bad injury, so might feature in the
World Cup build-up.
|
28.10.2001
What's eating old
Dave Jackson. What a grumpy chap.
How can anyone in the Paxton be so miserable when it is clear that we
are moving swiftly into the great renaissance. I hate to say I
told you so but I wrote to MEHSTG on the week he was appointed and
predicted that Hod would be our saviour.
Such beautiful
football AND 3 wins in a row - I'm starting to have wet dreams.
This can't be real,
please don't wake me up! Just get Daniel Levy to agree 20
million for a midfield maestro and a decent YOUNG striker and we'll
all be laughing.
The Dazzler
|
24.10.2001
I've just read your
coloumn on teletext and i've gotta admit i pissed myself when i read
that u knew all the time fans were calling for freund to shoot.
dont take the piss u
thought they were booing him and thats why u had a go at us last week.
at least have the balls to admit u were completely wrong instead of
using a shity cover up. at the end of the day u aint a hard core fan
unlike some and u can only base your reportson live matches or the
highlights u see on the box. so admit that u had the complete wrong
end of the stick in your next teletext coloumn to try and claim some
dignity back!
Dave,
It is a joke we have used before and if you have read our Teletext
column before or our fanzine or website, you will know we went
right back to the days of Nayim being "booed" by Spurs fans.
Why would I have thought the Spurs fans were booing him, when our
match report made him man of the match. Not the view of someone
who wasn't at the game surely ;-)
Lighten up. It's only a game.
Best Wishes, Wyart Lane
R u trying to say i
werent at the game? unlike u im a season ticket in the paxtons along
with theother REAL FANS. i dont care if u gave FREUND your poxy man of
the match award. At theend of the day your report tried to make the
Yids have a bad name for 'booing' one of our own. and if it werent for
other Yids along with myself voicing our dis apporval of you stupid
remarks thats exactly how we would be seen by other fans. therefore
forthe sake of the REAL FANS i feel you should use the teletext
coloumns to write an apology to us!!!!!
Dave Jackson
|
22.10.2001
Dear MEHSTG,
We might not be title contenders, yet, but, we sure do play
pretty.
Who am I talking about? I'm
talking about the team that is bringing a fresh waft of Mediterranean
like jasmine through the acrid stench of the premiership, for decades
dominated by powerful players and muscle bound midfielders. I am
talking about Tottenham Hotspur. Glenn Hoddle has given the
lovers of football, disciples of the 'beautiful game' (Pele) and sexy
soccer (Cruyff), hope in the hearts and minds to the very few nearly
extinct football lovers, that this once pure art form is not
dead.
Under decades of brutal bottom
lines, as football fans, we have resigned ourselves to thinking,
"well, at least we got a point out of it", irrespective of
how we got it. A point is a point, and that's the main objective
of playing the game. Don't get me wrong, I said playing, not
watching. Let's be clear, two different things we're talking
about. Watching the game ain't about getting the point, watching
the game is about enjoying the delights of the minds at work, a team
of men using the tool of the ball and plush turf to create an
art. What have I been smoking? Nothing, just high on the
fact that there is a small corner of the football planet, at White
Hart Lane, that still believes that football is still the beautiful
game.
Zaidoon A. Al-Zubaidy;
Montreal, Canada
Ed : - Zaidoon, that is what
keeps us all Spurs fans through the bad times. It is the
knowledge that whatever the situation at the Lane, that the game is
about Glory, as Danny Blanchflower used to say. Now that style
of football is coming home, we all feel that Spurs can go
places. Man U have proved that you can have success playing
attacking football (although it is back-firing at the minute) and
Spurs are picking up that one and running with it. As our
editorial always says - "Keep The Faith".
|
18.10.2001
Hi Wyart
What do you make of the
Club's latest financial report ?
It looks to me
cynically, like they are saying "No Big Name Signings for
Us". I'm all for investing in youth and our youth policy,
if not comparable to Man U and Leeds, fares very well against
everyone else. But if we really want to get into the Champions
League in the next two seasons, which, financially, is a must, once
again I reiterate, ENIC must speculate to accumulate. As
you're at pains to comment, they are an investment company, but
surely, that is the first rule of investment and if Spurs are going
to go forward Glenn must be given money to buy until we are
producing the players in sufficient quantity to achieve that.
That said, Glenn's
revolution has produced the best football I've seen at the Lane for
10 years. I hope the idiots who slated Ted's return are now
choking on their stupid words pre-season. Gus has been a
revelation and Ziege has proved me wrong for presuming he was after
one last big pay day. I think Deano will be a better centre
half than C***bell will ever be.
Outside of the obvious
top five, the rest of the Premiership is pretty ordinary and Spurs
with one to two more decent signings will be top 6. Lets break
the bank, show real investment and sign Kevin Phillips and De la
Pena.
Jeff
Ed : - The need to
buy quality remains. There are still areas of the team that
need strengthening and now that ENIC have come out and said that
there will be no more money for big signings, this does cause
concern. The Phillips deal being quoted as a New Year swoop
indicates that we have to wait until the Italian transfer window is
open to sell Sergei before buying the Sunderland man. The crux
of the matter is increasing revenue streams into the club and the
way that it is done. Spurs have been slow to take up the media
companies money, saying they didn't want to sell off the family
silver on the cheap. Leave it any later and they won't be able
to give it away !! The same for merchandising. We lost
the opportunity to surge ahead there when we let Edward Freedman go
to Man U when the club refused to listen to him. One thing I
hope will change is the lack of openness in listening to others by
the new regime, but so far, they appear to not want to hear things
that may be to their benefit.
|
7.10.2001
Wyart
I have just checked in
to MEHSTG for the first time in too long, and am interested in one
story in particular. Wayne Bridge in my opinion is a cracking full
back and would be a good acquisition from SCBC; however we don't
want to go over the top else we'll end up being as crap as they were
at their best last season (which obviously isn't great.) That has to
be enough, or we'll be signing Fatt Le Tissier!!
Best of luck to Willem
Korsten for the future if you could pass that on for me,
Cheers
Phil Drummond
Ed : - We don't have
much direct contact with the club, but I am sure that we all send
our best wishes to Willem, even though we never saw the true side of
him in his limited appearances. However, I do agree that if we
sign Bridge then that should be the end of it with SCBC. We
should have taken enough of their staff then to doom them to
relegation !! Let's hope we don't go after Le Tissier as
Rupert Lowe-Self Esteem will have us paying for him by the pound !!
|
3.10.2001
What can you say
about the game on Saturday?
Let's start with a the first half. I can't remember us looking so
accomplished for a long time. Anderton was making tackles and the
whole level of off the ball running, people making themselves
available for each other, was brilliant.
Remember this too: we
are still missing some key players. Can you imagine how good this
side could become with Carr going down one flank and Ziege - who,
granted, at times looks a bit lazy when he is being attacked -
also running full pelt?
Sheri and Anderton
combine well, Sheri's neat lay offs giving Anderton someone who is
always available. I am a bit sad that Sergei is not getting a game.
I hope he does not get too disillusioned. We have not seen the best
of him and it's a shame because he is a really good
footballer.
But it is a long
season and you have to wonder how long Ferdinand and Sheringham will
last. Anyway, the pair have done well so far this season, although
at times they do look a bit predictable when they combine.
Then the middle of
the park. Freund is still annoying to watch, just because there are
times where my Gran could do better, but at least he is committed
and he gives us a bit of bite (or threatens to anyway.)
Anderton has had a
good start. I thought he passed the ball well on Saturday, but the
best thing Hoddle has got out of him - apart from two games on the
trot - is his tackling. He was going in on people the other day that
just was not like Darren Anderton. He was making well timed
challenges, winning the ball then pushing it off.
Poyet looks a good
signing as well. It was a shame he had that lay-off but give him a
few more games and he will be a asset.
Defence wise, nice to
see Dean Richards here at last. We still have got Bunji and Doherty
to come back, but Perry - for all his sins - also had a good first
half.
I am feeling more
excited than I have about where we are going for a long time. There
was a good atmosphere and we need to get behind this team. Remember
who is in charge.
Glenn Hoddle cannot -
must not - fail at Tottenham, and it is our job to get behind
him.
Second Half? What
Second Half? I went down the pub at half time to
celebrate and missed the rest of it.
All in all, I am
looking forward to the Arsenal match. I think we have seen three and
a half good performances against Chelsea, Sunderland, Liverpool and
Man Utd. I know we only got three points, but we are moving in
the right direction and I reckon we are going to thrash Derby. It is
about time we really battered a team.
Sorry for my rant.
Come on you Spurs. See you at the game on Monday.
Dan Carrier
Ed : - The games that
we have played recently have been hard ones - we all expected that,
but the manner in which we have played has given us hope. The
need for points in the coming handful of games is that much more
pressing now, but the teams are ones we should be able to
defeat. Some of the new players will take time to fit in and
those who are playing tend to get a bit leg-heavy in the second
half, so Hod will have to have some in reserve to bring on when
required. Many a time we have seen Spurs give away the lead,
but this was something else and I think United were the only side
that could have done that to us in this era.
We should take
comfort from the good things and work on resolving the bad
things. Our day will come.
|
1.10.2001
At the start of the
season I was optimistic of much better quality football, but still
hesitant about finishing high up in the table. We ARE playing
some good football, but struggling with our league position.
Somehow the balance needs to be put in place (a bit of George Graham's
dourness would have come in handy after half-time Saturday). And
Hoddle should have made three substitutions after they came back to
3-2 as a few of the players were losing heart.
Rebrov is being wasted on the bench and will go if not given a run.
We are in need of a good striker - Ziege is top scorer and he is a
back!
Good wishes to you all.
Andrew
Ed : - Not sure why there was no change when Man U started
coming back. Maybe Hoddle hoped the players would sus it out,
but by then it was too late ... the damage was done. The Rebrov
situation is worrying and I hope that Sergei can be fitted into the
pattern of the team as we need someone up front who can take the
chances we are creating. Les has cost us a few points this
season, because the build-up is good, but the finishing is not there.
|
1.10.2001
Wyart,
In response to the snippet about Benfica's proposed stadium move on
today's White Hot Lines (30.9.2001), there's more to that story. This
month's World Soccer has a piece about the club and the proposed move,
and it's not universally popular.
The Portuguese giants
have a property developer as their chairman and there's a school of
thought which sees the stadium move as a ploy for him to make a
sackload of money. The fact that the new ground will be smaller than
the Stadium of Light, with a capacity of 70,000, is just one of the
reasons why many of the club's fans, including its 120,000 members,
may yet scupper the move. It all goes to prove that dodgy chairmen
possibly looking to line their own pockets isn't an entirely British
phenomenon.
Martin Cloake
Ed : - Martin, you are
better informed than me and it will be interesting to see how far the
members get in stopping the move. Of course, as members they may
well have a better chance of influencing a decision. At Spurs
there are rumoured to be fans representatives involved in the working
party looking at the move away from White Hart Lane, but what sway
they will hold is questionable. Maybe the Trust will have to cut
it's teeth on this important issue.
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