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Thursday 28.2.2002 (For
other Spurs history on this day click here)
 Glenn
Hoddle's father Derek died today aged 68 after suffering a
stroke. This follows the death of John Gorman's father-in-law on
Thursday. Gorman believes that Hoddle will be in charge of the
team in Saturday's match against Sunderland as it would be what his
father would have wanted.
Tottenham
turned a profit of £2.9 million in the six months to the end of
December as players sold balanced the books somewhat. They would
have been £2.6 million in the red had the money from selling Luke
Young and Ian Walker not have offset that debit. Wages rose to
£22.5m of the turnover and make up the bulk of the outgoings.
Ledley
King said that he has gone over the mistake that cost Tottenham a
second goal in Sunday's final and he thinks that he would probably do
the same again. he said the awkwardly bouncing ball meant he
tried to head it down before clearing, but Jansen nipped in to move it
on towards Cole. He said that after that goal, he pushed forward
to try and recover the game for Spurs, but with the defeat, he does
not want to dwell on the error for too long.
Hans
Segers is to sign a new contract as Spurs' goalkeeping coach.
The Dutchman was thought to be considering a future elsewhere, but has
committed himself for a further two years. Segers denied the
truth of the story run by a newspaper earlier this year that he wanted
to move on, as he loves the club and enjoys working with the senior
goalkeepers at Tottenham.
Darren
Anderton is still suffering from the hamstring problem that kept him
out of the England squad recently and although he played through the
Worthington Cup final, he might miss out on a place in the Spurs
midfield on Saturday.
A
Blackburn Rovers fan, who saved a Spurs fan's life after he had a
heart attack on Bristol Parkway station. Dr. Jonathan Dewhurst would
like to trace the 44 year old Spurs supporter to find out how he is,
it said on the Spurs website today.
...
and finally ... bearded weirdie, Chelsea chairman and Wembley stadium
apologist Ken Bates has said that Tottenham losing the Worthington Cup
final was "good for football". he said that they had
been over-hyped in the run-up to the game and he was hopeful that his
side would settle some scores for the "gloating" that Spurs
did after the Worthington Cup semi-final victory over his West London
side. A bit hypocritical coming from him, don't you think
? But then anything to get his face in the spotlight, eh ?
Wednesday 27.2.2002 (For
other Spurs history on this day click here)
Glenn
Hoddle said he did not snub the medal presentation ceremony for Spurs
at the Worthington Cup Final last Sunday. He was not aware that
manager's were meant to go up and collect a medal and he said he would
be happy to receive it. The medal has been passed onto the club
for Hoddle to pick it up.
Stephen
Clemence is pleased that his recuperation from his groin injury is now
almost complete. He told the official website that he is happy to have
played 60 minutes of last night's reserve game and that despite
playing in an unusual deep midfield position, he is looking forward to
improving his match fitness over the next few weeks.
Viewing
figures for the Worthington Cup Final exceeded those for the FA Cup
Final last May between Arsenal and Liverpool. The ratings peaked
at 6.8 million viewers and averaged 5.6 million. It is the first
time that the League Cup final has outstripped the viewers for the FA
Cup final.
Steffen
Freund is desperate to get back playing so that he can score the goal
that we all want him to get. He is aiming to be ready for the start of
next season.
Tuesday 26.2.2002 (For
other Spurs history on this day click here)
Les
Ferdinand has said that Spurs will get to the FA Cup Final to make up
for the disappointment of losing to Blackburn Rovers in the
Worthington Cup Final. He said the season is not dead and that
having beaten Chelsea in the Worthington Cup semi-final, Spurs could
progress further in the FA Cup.
Goran
Bunjevcevic has requested that he be allowed to go back to Yugoslavia
to receive treatment on the knee injury he has. The defender
said that he has had trouble with the muscles around his knee for 12
weeks and is sure the doctors in Belgrade will be able to clear it
up. He said that if he had returned home when it happened, he
might have been fit to play in last Sunday's Worthington Cup Final.
Kasey
Keller has been prevented from playing in the USA's friendly
international against Ecuador on March 10th. He will be required
to come back to Tottenham after the one against Honduras as he is
needed for the league game at Manchester United and the FA Cup tie
against Chelsea, albeit he might be on the bench. With this
being Tottenham's best route into Europe after losing on Sunday,
Hoddle wants all his players available for the tie.
It
seems that I got the wrong end of the stick about Teddy's comments
about Graham Poll's decision on Sunday and it was Sheringham who is
going to write a book about it in six months, not the referee.
Today, the Spurs striker said on the official site that the
disappointment is quite deep, but that the game against Sunderland on
Saturday is an important one and they have to focus on that.
Apparently,
Graeme Souness has today said that the trip on Sheringham by Johansson
did look like a penalty.
Hoddle
told the Spurs website that Ledley King has played immaculately all
season and even after his mistake in the Final did as much as anyone
to try and salvage the game for Tottenham. He said that Spurs
never got ahead in the game and it could have been different if that
had happened. He said Blackburn deserved their win and gave them
credit for their performance.
Christian
Ziege also felt that if the chances had been taken to put Spurs in
front, that there could have been a different outcome on the
day. however, he said that the team must not dwell on the result
and must look forward to the League games and the FA Cup quarter final
against Chelsea.
Chris
Hughton told the Spurs site that he believes that the club still must
push on two fronts ... the FA Cup and the League. He said that
the loss should fire the side to want to return and the League games
will be important and the side must not lose sight of that. The
Tottenham coach said that the passing game just didn't click and the
team lacked movement too, but that they could turn the negatives into
positives to turn their season around.
John
Gorman feels that a return to Cardiff could be on the cards, despite
this being the club's best route into Europe. Gorman said on t
he official website that he believed that the team must bounce back
and beat Chelsea to put them one game away from another Final in the
Millennium Stadium.
Spurs
reserves lost 1-2 to West Ham United reserves at Upton Park tonight.
Sergei Rebrov scored for Tottenham.
Former
Spurs boss Peter Shreeves has been named as head coach at Barnet.
Monday 25.2.2002 (For
other Spurs history on this day click here)
Glenn
Hoddle is hoping that the feeling of losing a Cup final will inspire
his team to push on to return to Cardiff to try and win another final
soon.
Nils-Eric
Johansson has accused Teddy Sheringham of taking an "easy
dive" after a tackle in the box in the closing minutes of
yesterday's match. He said that he had his heart in his mouth,
but when the ref waved play on, they all did.
John
Gorman said that although he didn't agree with the referee's decision
on the "penalty" he did not remonstrate with him afterwards,
as there would not be any way he would reverse his decision and you
just have to accept it. He went on to say that Rovers players went
down in the box a couple of times and he made the same decision on
them.
Former
Blackburn Rovers striker Mike Newell admitted that he thought
Sheringham was tripped and Spurs should have been given a spot-kick,
but added that the luck was with his old team.
Both
Neil Sullivan and Les Ferdinand leapt to Ledley King's defence after
yesterday's game. They said that he had played really well, save
for one mistake and he would learn form that and bounce back. Sullivan
said it would make the younger Spurs players hungrier for success
having tasted the bitterness of defeat.
Sheringham
echoed those feelings saying that neither he nor the team played
particularly well, but the hurt would mean that the team would be more
determined to succeed in other matches this season.
Les
went on to say that it just wasn't to be, especially when Friedel kept
saving his efforts. However, he said that you have to move on as
tomorrow is another day.
Former
Spurs midfielder David Howells said the defeat would have hurt the
Spurs players as they failed to do themselves justice in their
performance. Howells added that the future was bright as the
team could still get something out of this season and there are a lot
of good young players coming through.
Mauricio
Taricco has been charged with misconduct after being seen to pull
Mario Melchiot by the hair in the Worthington Cup semi-final second
leg at White Hart Lane. He has 14 days to respond to the charge.
Sunday 24.2.2002 (For
other Spurs history on this day click here)
Spurs
were beaten by Blackburn Rovers 2-1 at the Millennium Stadium today in
the Worthington Cup Final. Christian Ziege scored Tottenham's
goal. For a match report click here.
For reaction, click here.
Teddy
Sheringham said that the referee decided not to give the penalty in
the Worthington Cup Final as the Spurs captain had been on at him all
game. Teddy said that you would probably read about it in Poll's
next book in six months time.
Tottenham
are today being linked with a £8 million move for Leeds
United's Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane after having sent
scouts to watch him play for his country last week. Just how
likely is that to come off then ??
Some
money for the deal might be raised from selling Oyvind Leonhardsen to
Wolverhampton Wanderers for £2 million if the rumour is true.
Spurs
are rumoured to be willing to swap Sergei Rebrov plus £5million with
Sunderland for striker Kevin Phillips according to a story on
Soccerupdate.
Saturday 23.2.2002 (For
other Spurs history on this day click here)
For
everyone going tomorrow, let's do the club proud and for all those at
home, we will give them a cheer for you. COME ON YOU SPURS !!
Teddy
Sheringham has said he was right to move to Tottenham and he is most
pleased that the team are playing great football and that fans are
pleased that Tottenham have returned to a style more associated with
the club.
TOTTENHAM
TEAM NEWS : Sergei Rebrov suffered a knock on his ankle in
the week leading up to the Tranmere Rovers FA Cup tie and may not be
fit to take his place in the squad for the Worthington Cup
Final. He is the only doubt after Ledley King, Darren Anderton
and Anthony Gardner all declared themselves ready for the game.
BLACKBURN
ROVERS TEAM NEWS : Andy Cole is struggling to overcome a stomach
bug that he has picked up. The club hope he will be fit, but if
not, new loan signing Jordi will make a start for his first
appearance. Manager Souness has also stated that 38 year old
will play at some stage in the match too.
Former
Spurs midfielder Paul Gascoigne has hinted he might be ready to
retire. He said at 34, his club Everton have bought some fresh
recruits in his area of play and he could consider moving abroad, from
where he has had some good offers.
Youth
goalkeeper Nicky Eyer has been selected for the England Under-17 squad
to play Lithuania and Scotland in the West Country in the early part
of March. The Scotland match will be on March 6th at Bristol
City's Ashton Gate and they take on Lithuania at Bristol Rovers'
Memorial Ground on March 10th.
Friday 22.2.2002 (For
other Spurs history on this day click here)
Should
it be raining on Sunday, the Worthington Cup Final could be played
indoors, with the Millennium stadium roof closed, after both sides
agreed to that happening in the best interests of the game and of
spectator comfort.
Glenn Hoddle has told
the London Evening Standard that his long term future is at Tottenham
and that if there is to be success at the club, he wants to be part of
it. It is his intention to extend his stay at White Hart Lane
and he wants to see the job through, whereas in his other jobs, he has
moved on for one reason or another after laying down the foundations
for the future.
Hoddle also stressed
that if the team lose on Sunday and then crash out of the FA Cup, then
there will be a view that this season has been a failure.
Sergei Rebrov has not
been released by Spurs for the Ukraine's friendly in Japan on March
21st.
The Spurs ticketing
operation is being reviewed and on the Spurs official website, you are
encouraged to have your say. If you go to the News page, you
will find a link to take you to the appropriate part of the site.
Roads around the
Millennium stadium will be closed from Noon on Sunday and not 1.00
p.m. as was reported in other places.
Spurs Youth Team will
face Blackburn Rovers youth side in the quarter finals of the FA Youth
Cup at White Hart Lane on Tuesday 12th March. Prices for entry
are £3 for adults and £1 for kids.
Former Spurs defender
David Tuttle has joined Wycombe Wanderers on loan from Millwall.
... and finally ...
Arsene Wenger has blasted FA officials for awarding a UEFA Cup place
to the winners of the Worthington Cup. The jealous Arsenal
manager moaned (no change there then) that he could not see (no change
there then) why the winners of five or six games should be given a
place in Europe when the team finishing sixth in the league at the end
of the season did not. Perhaps his side should try and win five
or six games then !!
Thursday 21.2.2002 (For
other Spurs history on this day click here)
Anthony
Gardner and Goran Bunjevcevic both came through last night's reserve
game against Coventry City and Darren Anderton has been declared fit
for Sunday's Worthington Cup Final. Ledley King is expected to
be ready to play after suffering from tonsillitis and he has been back
in training this week, although he is still on anti-biotics. Ben
Thatcher is fit for the game.
Graeme Souness
said that the thought of him and Glenn Hoddle in the same midfield at
Tottenham, had he not left, would have been an intriguing
thought. He admitted that when he got to Tottenham as a
youngster, he thought he had made it and his three (refused) requests
to Bill Nicholson to put him in the first team were ill-advised.
He said that when Spurs were interested in signing him, he jumped at
the chance, but became a "big-time Charlie" and was too
impatient to wait his chance for a spot in the first eleven.
Blackburn Rovers
have failed to sign Hakan Unsal from Galatasaray in time to for the
Worthington Cup Final. He has to await a work permit and that
will not come through until next week some time. However, loan
signing Jorge "Jordi" Gonzalez is available after being
brought in from Real Zaragoza today. He will go straight into
the squad for Sunday's match.
Tottenham's
£750,000 bid for Wimbledon's Lionel Morgan was accepted by chairman
Charles Koppel, but the manager Terry Burton is holding out for £2
million.
Stipe Pletikosa,
the Hadjuk Split goalkeeper, is to stay in Croatia after no official
bids for the player were received. Manchester United were
rumoured to be the other "mystery" side interested in the 23
year old goalie. Spurs have been linked with the goalie in the
past.
Should a replay
of the FA Sixth round tie with Chelsea be necessary, it will take
place at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday March 19th. If this is the
case, then the home Premier League game against Charlton Athletic on
Monday 18th would revert back to Saturday 16th March.
Spurs will play
at Crystal Palace for Simon Rodger's testimonial on Wednesday, July
31, with the kick-off at 7.45pm. Rodger is a big Spurs fan and
although West Ham United were lined up to provide the opposition, the
date had to be changed, which allowed him to approach Tottenham.
Kasey Keller has
been called into the USA squad for two friendlies against Honduras and
El Salvador on March 2nd and 10th in America.
Former Spurs
midfielder, Jeff Minton has gone on the transfer list at Leyton
Orient.
Wednesday 20.2.2002 (For
other Spurs history on this day click here)
Glenn Hoddle has
ruled out Spurs' participation in the InterToto Cup. He said
again that he thought that the pre-season qualification would be too
arduous even though it might lead to a UEFA Cup place.
Teddy Sheringham
said it will be his proudest moment when he leads Spurs out at the
Millennium Stadium at Cardiff on Sunday in the Worthington Cup
Final. He said he is enjoying playing with the world class
players that are at the club and hopes that he will be able to pick up
the cup at the end of the game to complete his dream day.
Spurs are
watching the Luton Town players Matthew Spring and Matthew
Taylor. Glenn Hoddle was at the Hatters' game on Saturday to run
the rule over them himself. Both of the youngsters are out of
contract in the summer and while Luton intend to offer new deals, SCBC
have expressed an interest in Spring, along with Tottenham's
monitoring of the situation.
Terry Burton has
said that Tottenham would have to come up with a realistic figure if
they wanted to buy midfielder Lionel Morgan from Wimbledon, as they
would need compensation for his development.
Kevin Phillips'
agent says that he is happy at the Stadium of light and has three
years left on his Sunderland contract, which eh intends to see out.
Blackburn Rovers
hope to sign Hakan Unsal from Galatasaray in time to take part in
Sunday's Worthington Cup Final. Talks have taken place with the
club and the player is in England for the Turkish side's match against
Liverpool tonight.
Spurs reserves beat
Coventry City reserves 1-0 tonight at Highfield Road with Lee Barnard
scoring an 18 yard volley.
Tuesday 19.2.2002 (For
other Spurs history on this day click here)
Stephen
Carr has given a cryptic interview to the Spurs official website about
the knee injury he has been suffering from. He said he would
rather not discuss what the problem was or what had to be done as it
is nobody else's business. Carr will be getting back into
training after doing a lot of gym work and is looking forward to
kicking a ball again.
The site also
reveals that Gary Doherty will also be back in training within the
next two weeks. He wants to get his touch back, but realises
that he will have to play very well to convince Mick McCarthy of his
readiness for the Republic of Ireland World Cup squad.
Both Anthony
Gardner and Goran Bunjevcevic will be playing for the reserves at
Coventry City tomorrow. Both defenders are making their first
appearance for some time since injury and hope to press for inclusion
in the Worthington Cup Final squad.
Glenn Hoddle
revealed that he tried a new midfield system against Tranmere Rovers,
with Gus Poyet and Simon Davies playing off Tm Sherwood in the middle
of the three. Hod told the Spurs website that he was pleased
that it worked and that he had to ensure that they both were not
caught in the same position at the same time. The Tottenham boss
is very pleased with the rapid learning curve that Simon Davies is
climbing and has high hopes for the Welshman.
Hoddle went on to
explain that he had specific plans for Gus when he signed him to allow
him to play a free role, which would enhance his goalscoring
opportunities. He said Gus was looking forward to the final and
the manager thought that rather than restrict the Uruguayan to on set
place in the side, he plays him loose, playing off the front two,
allowing him to float across the penalty area and snap up any chances
that come along.
Stephen Clemence
has been battling against a niggling groin injury that he has been out
to Italy to try and solve. He took advice from Mauricio Taricco,
who saw a specialist in Italy about his problem and it was
cured. Clem hopes to be ready to play for the reserves at West
ham next week as he seeks to regain match fitness.
Hadjuk Split
goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa is currently the subject of interest from
two Premier League clubs. One could be Derby County, who were
linked with the 23 year old stopper last week, but the other is
unknown, although conjecture suggests it could be Aston Villa who are
concerned at losing Schmeichel in the summer. Spurs were strongly
linked with the Croatian keeper last season. A price of about
£3 million has been quoted for the highly rated keeper.
Tottenham are
rumoured to be watching Bologna striker Julio Cruz, who scored for
Argentina against Wales last week.
Monday 18.2.2002 (For other
Spurs history on this day click here)
Spurs will wear
yellow shirts for the Worthington Cup Final on Sunday. The FA
ruled that the light blue shirts are too close to Blackburn Rovers'
blue and white halves, so a special shirt has been commissioned and
will not be on general sale, the club site revealed today.
Unlike them to miss out on a marketing opportunity like that, unless
... the rumour I heard about Kappa doing Spurs kit next season is true
??
The FA Cup Sixth
round tie against Chelsea at White Hart Lane will be shown live on Sky
TV at 4 p.m. on Sunday 10th March.
Glenn Hoddle said
that on his day Christian Ziege is the best left wing back in the
world, but the club have to try and get him to be more
consistent. Hoddle hoped that the emergence of Matthew
Etherington would help put some pressure on the German international
to produce the goods more often.
Simon Davies said
that the Millennium Stadium pitch is in good condition, even though
the grass for the international against Argentina was left long for
the rugby last Saturday. He said that the surface is playing
very well and that it should be a great occasion with the stadium half
full of Spurs fans.
A new striker has
been linked with a move to Tottenham. Djibril Cisse of Auxerre
has been rumoured to be interesting Spurs, as well as Arsenal, Fulham,
Charlton Athletic and West Ham United, in addition to a further seven
unnamed Premier League clubs. The 20 year old forward is said to
be happy to move to England as he believes the game here will suit
him. He certainly impressed David Pleat who saw him score twice
in France Under-21's 5-1 win over Belgium Under-21, prompting the
Spurs Director of Football to say that Cisse has got the lot.
However, rated at £30 million, it is unlikely Spurs will bid for him
unless the win the National Lottery after a number of roll-overs !!
Some defensive
injuries are plaguing Tottenham's build-up to the Worthington Cup
Final. Ben Thatcher took a knock on his leg in the Tranmere
Rovers match, while Ledley King still has tonsillitis, while Anthony
Gardner will play against Coventry City reserves on Wednesday to get
some match fitness.
Alton Thelwell
was keen to go on loan to get some more first team experience, but has
been thwarted as he is needed to cover the defensive injuries in the
first team.
and finally ...
Leeds United's Lee Bowyer is being linked to a move to Arsenal in the
summer. Anyone at all surprised ??
Sunday 17.2.2002 (For other
Spurs history on this day click here)
Tottenham
beat Tranmere Rovers 4-0 at White Hart Lane this afternoon in the
Fifth Round of the FA Cup. Spurs goals were scored by Christian
Ziege, Gus Poyet 2 and Teddy Sheringham. For a match report,
click here.
For reaction, click here.
Spurs have been
drawn at home to Chelsea in the Sixth round of the competition and the
tie will be played on the weekend of 9th/10th March.
Glenn Hoddle was
pleased with the performance and the fact that Tottenham are in the
next round. He said that he had taken a small risk with playing
Christian Ziege, but wanted him to have a game before next week's
Worthington Cup Final.
Glenn Hoddle has
commented about Sergei Rebrov's future at Spurs and said that all the
speculation is the "way of the websites". Hoddle said
that Rebrov had done well this season despite his limited on pitch
action and that if he was unhappy at not getting regular first team
football, that would have to be reviewed at the end of the
season. There could still be a significant part for the
Ukrainian to play this season and the Spurs boss said he hoped that
Rebrov would have a bright future with Tottenham. He also
mentioned that he and the player had spoken about the comments that
were being released to the Press from his agent and Rebrov was told
that this must not happen. Where this leaves things is anyone's
guess, but we reckon that if Hoddle rated him that highly, he would be
a regular in the side. It is probably just part of the game, so Spurs
don't look desperate to sell him and lose a lot on what they paid for
Rebrov.
Spurs look
likely to sign a link up deal with the Mouscron Excelsior which will
allow the exchange of players and Spurs having the first pick on any
good players at the Belgian club.
Brighton boss
Peter Taylor has said that Tottenham have not signed forward Bobby
Zamora for next season and probably wouldn't as Glenn Hoddle is
looking for a more experienced striker.
Saturday 16.2.2002 (For
other Spurs history on this day click here)
Gus
Poyet has told the Spurs official website that he has never been on
the end of a Cup giant-killing and does want to start now !!
While at Chelsea, he missed the only match they played against a lower
league side and lost, so he wants to maintain his record with
Tottenham in tomorrow's match against Tranmere Rovers.
Les Ferdinand
said today on his icons.com site that Ledley King could be the
"dark horse" that sneaks into the England World Cup squad
for Japan and Korea. Les feels that a defender rather than a
forward might make a late run into contention for the tournament as
there are a number of forwards who will already be penciled in to go.
Before the Cup
games in the next seven days, Hoddle said that nothing has been
achieved yet. If they came out of the week with two defeats,
then people would ask questions about the seriousness of Tottenham's
credentials.
Friday 15.2.2002 (For other
Spurs history on this day click here)
SPURS
TEAM NEWS : Spurs will wait to see if Ledley King will be fit for
Sunday's FA Cup tie against Tranmere Rovers. Ben Thatcher faces
a late fitness test on his facial injury picked up in the win over
Leicester City. Darren Anderton is expected to play after
missing the England match with a hamstring pull. Christian Ziege could
be back in the squad, but he lacks match practice.
TRANMERE ROVERS
TEAM NEWS : Midfielder Sean Flynn could miss the match with a
broken toe. Defender Clint Hill is doubtful with a sore back,
while Alan Navarro could recover from a bruised foot to take part in
the tie.
Glenn Hoddle
believes that European football would help both Ledley King and Dean
Richards in their quest to play for England at international
level. The Spurs boss said he thinks European competition
provides a natural step between league football and the national side.
The manager
revealed on Spurs.co.uk that he was wary of a shock result in the
match. He is acutely aware of their giant-killing efforts in the
cup, being on the end of a 4-3 defeat when SCBC manager. Hoddle
said they will be given the utmost respect, as they are a tough team
and Jason Koumas is a player who is ready to play above the Second
Division, but added that he was not the type of player Tottenham were
looking for at the moment.
The Spurs site
also features an interview with Gus Poyet, who says that the team must
not think about the Worthington Cup Final, but concentrate on the
match with Tranmere Rovers on Sunday. The Uruguayan midfielder
said that he believes the pace of the FA Cup game will be hectic and
that the first goal will be important to Spurs.
Goran Bunjevcevic
is at last overcoming his run of injuries that have seen him have a
fractured cheekbone, a pulled hamstring and tendonitis in his knee, he
told the official club website. He has trained with the team and
hopes to be in the squad soon, with the prospect of a reserve game to
get match fitness. It has been hard on Bunjy, s it is the first
major injury that he has had in his career and then two more come
along at once !!
Matthew
Etherington has told the club's official website that he feels he has
made a point with Glenn Hoddle. His performances over the last
couple of weeks have shown Hoddle that the speedy winger can play well
in the first team and can be relied on if called upon. He also
thinks that the experience of having lumps kicked out of him by the
Slovenian team for England Under-21s will stand him in good stead too.
Steffen Freund
has made the first steps in his battle to regain his fitness after
suffering medial ligament damage on his knee. The German
midfielder has started using an exercise bike as he begins the long
haul following his operation in the USA.
The Sun newspaper
reported today that Sunderland were willing to accept £12 million for
striker Kevin Phillips, with Tottenham the most likely bidder.
However, later in the day, the North-East club refuted the report and
said that he was under contract until 2005 and was not for sale.
A perhaps more
unlikely rumour is that Tottenham are looking at Sheffield United's
Michael Brown. The midfielder is catching the eye of a number of
clubs and Spurs are believed to be in poll position with a £3 million
deal agreed according to the Daily Express. Funny ... when he
played for Manchester City I used to think he was plain awful and
wouldn't have paid three quid for him. Luckily, Blades boss Neil
Warnock (excellent anagram potential there) said that there had been
no contact between the two clubs.
It must be a big
transfer rumour day as the club are also being linked with James
McFadden of Motherwell. The 18 year old striker is also being
eyed by Leeds United, Liverpool and Leicester City. Motherwell
hope to hang on to him for a few more years and are looking to tie him
into a longer term contract.
Spurs are again
being linked with a move for Watford's England Under-21 striker Tommy
Smith and a fee of £5 million has been mooted by the Daily Telegraph.
Spurs transfer
target Lionel Morgan of Wimbledon scored for England Under-19s against
Germany at Portman Road last night.
One possible
destination for Sergei Rebrov might have been removed as AC Milan are
said to have to sell 17 players to avoid being declared
bankrupt. One of their first departures could be the man that
Rebrov was keen to pair up with - Andrei Shevchenko, his former Dynamo
Kiev strike partner.
A league table of
clubs who's fans have banning orders was published today and at the
top was Cardiff City (99), with Stoke City (87) second and Leeds
United (64). The top London club was equal tenth and was
Millwall with 17 and then came Chelsea on 15 in fifteenth place.
Tottenham were the sixth highest London club with 4 banning orders.
Gary Mabbutt
managed the UN forces to a 3-1 victory over Kabul United in the first
football match in Afghanistan since the conflict.
Thursday 14.2.2002 (For
other Spurs history on this day click here)
Anthony
Gardner is making progress to being fit for the Worthington Cup Final
after damaging his knee in the semi-final second leg against Chelsea.
He has not been training for a couple of weeks now, but should be back
with an intention of being ready for Cardiff, if selected. He
told the official website that he was hoping to play after the
excitement of the semi-final and with Dean Richards cup-tied, he could
stand a good chance of being picked.
Ledley King could
miss Sunday's FA Cup match against Tranmere Rovers as he is suffering
with tonsillitis, which forced him out of the England game yesterday.
Glenn Hoddle was
at last night's match between Wales and Argentina at Cardiff's
Millennium stadium, where he saw Simon Davies make a sizeable
contribution to the draw achieved by the home side. Spurs will
be £100,000 worse off after that performance as they have to pay
Peterborough United that much as one of the conditions of his transfer
for playing five times for his country.
Les Ferdinand has
hinted that at the end of next season, when his current contract
expires, he might call it a day on his football career. He will
then be 36 and could feel that his physical powers of recovery after
each match might be at their limit.
Spurs are again
being linked with the Ponte Preta pair of striker Washington and
midfielder Adrianinho. Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Ipswich
Town are all also interested in the two players, who could be included
in the World Cup squad for Japan and Korea.
SCBC chairman
Rupert "The Bear" Lowe just won't let it lie. He is
saying he is so pleased that Wayne Bridge is playing for England,
while Dean Richards is not, thus proving that small unfashionable
clubs (not sure who he is talking about) can provide players for the
national team. The fact that Bridge plays in an area where there
is a shortage of options and that he will soon be playing for another
club, apparently have passed Rupie Baby by. Glenn Hoddle
disagrees with his former boss, saying that if Deano keeps progressing
there is no reason why he can't make the international team.
Former Spurs
stars Allan Nielsen, Espen Baardsen and Ramon Vega have all been put
up for sale by Watford.
Wednesday 13.2.2002 (For
other Spurs history on this day click here)
Stephen
Carr has said that he does not need another operation despite rumours
to the contrary. It has been reported that a stomach problem
would need a hernia operation to resolve it, but Carr said he had been
seeing a specialist in Italy about it and didn't need to go under the
knife again. He added that he would be stepping up his training
an joining the rest of the squad in two or three weeks.
Ledley King
missed the 1-1 draw between England and Holland after suffering with a
sore throat.
Simon Davies
played the whole 90 minutes of Wales' 1-1 draw with Argentina at the
Millennium Stadium tonight.
Steffen Iversen
played an hour and Oyvind Leonhardsen the whole match for Norway
against Belgium, which ended in a 1-0 win for the Belgians.
Kasey Keller says
he is confused by his role at Tottenham. Being brought in as
cover for Neil Sullivan, the American says he is not ready to settle
for being the number two keeper at White Hart Lane and will think
about his future, although he said it was a bit early to do so just
yet. However, there is some comfort for KK, as his national
team-mate Joe Max-Moore has said that the goalie plays exceptionally
whenever he gets a game for the USA.
Matthew
Etherington said that he has benefited greatly from his loan spell at
Bradford City and that he hopes to catch up with former Peterborough
United colleague Simon Davies, who is a couple of years older than the
Spurs winger.
Tottenham will
get a good look at one player they are being linked with this week, as
they face Tranmere Rovers' Jason Koumas on Sunday. The Welsh
midfielder is rated at £2.5 million and West Bromwich Albion are keen
to sign him, but have only gone to £2 million. The Midlands
club have been told that if they do not meet the asking price, then
there are clubs, such as Spurs, who will pay that much.
Patrick Mboma,
the Cameroon striker who Tottenham were linked with last year, has
joined Sunderland on loan until the end of the season.
Tuesday 12.2.2002 (For
other Spurs history on this day click here)
Dave
Bassett, the Leicester City manager, has said that he does not want
the FA to look at the alleged "acting" that he claimed
Mauricio Taricco was doing after the Spurs defender's clash with the
Foxes' Andy Impey. Bassett said that his post match comments
were not intended to cause the FA to investigate the single incident
and Glenn Hoddle had spoken to Bassett on the phone to straighten the
matter out. The Spurs boss added that the video shows that Tano
was not pretending as it is clear that the Leicester winger pushed him
in the face.
Speculation
surrounds a £10 million offer that Spurs are supposed to be making
for Bolton Wanderers striker Michael Ricketts, according to the London
Evening Standard. The 23 year old has impressed this season in
the Premiership, but the Bolton chairman said that there was no
official approach and it was his intention that Ricketts would be a
Trotter for the rest of this season and next season too. Called
up to the England squad for the friendly tomorrow against Holland,
Ricketts has recently signed a new five year contract and his club say
he is not for sale. Spurs see Ricketts as the long term
replacement for Les Ferdinand and are said to be ready to fund the
deal by selling unhappy Ukrainian Sergei Rebrov.
Matthew
Etherington made his England Under-21 debut in today's 1-0 win over
Slovenia in Nova Gorica, as a half-time substitute.
Darren Anderton
hopes to be fit for the FA Cup tie against Tranmere Rovers on Sunday
despite having to pull out of the England squad with a hamstring
problem. He told the Spurs official site that he will need a lot
of treatment on the hamstring pull, but hoped to feature in all the
big games coming up after having to miss out on the Holland match
tomorrow.
Yannick Kamanan
is happy at Bristol Rovers, where he is on trial and the Pirates' boss
Garry Thompson is keen to take him on loan or on a free
transfer. However, Tottenham have now decided that they want a
fee for him and this may cause Rovers some problems.
Following recent
stories that Steffan Effenberg was in Madrid to sign for Atletico
Madrid recently, there now seems some confusion over the move.
Sources at the Spanish club claim that he will not be joining them,
which could leave the door open for Tottenham to bring him to White
Hart Lane.
Monday 11.2.2002 (For other
Spurs history on this day click here)
Glenn
Hoddle thinks that if Darren Anderton can stay fit, he could achieve
the success he stayed at Tottenham to find. He said in an
interview on the official website that Anderton has been on top form
and has been pulling the strings for the team. The Spurs boss
believes that Dazza has done so well this season because he has been
playing with players who are on the same wavelength.
Unfortunately,
Anderton has had to pull out of the England squad for the friendly
with Holland after picking up a hamstring pull on Saturday in the
match against Leicester City. Just when he was hoping to impress
Sven Goran Eriksson at international level.
Arsene Wenger has
denied rumours that Arsenal are interested in Sergei Rebrov. He
said they have five strikers and a couple of good youngsters coming
through too. It looks like Rebrov might have been on another
kite flying exercise after his comments asking Jean Tigana to come and
take him to Fulham fell on deaf ears.
Hoddle thinks the
last week has been a successful one, not only in terms of getting
through to the Fifth Round of the FA Cup, but also in getting three
points from a difficult match with Leicester City and avoiding
suspensions for the Worthington Cup Final. Hod was aware that he
was treading a tightrope with some of the players, but considered Les
needed match practice even though he was one booking away from missing
the Final.
The Blackburn
Rovers midfielder Tugay will miss the Worthington Cup Final after
collecting his tenth yellow card of the season on Saturday at Craven
Cottage. He joins Craig Short in being suspended for the final
after the centre half elbowed Steve Marlet in the face in injury time
at the end of Saturday's match.
Spurs reserves
lost 0-2 at Wimbledon tonight.
Sunday 10.2.2002 (For other
Spurs history on this day click here)
Sergei
Rebrov has claimed in a newspaper article that Arsenal want to sign
him. In what might be an illegal approach to a player under
contract, the News of the World claim that Arsene Wenger has already
spoken to the Spurs striker and are to sell Kanu and Wiltord to fund
his purchase. Rebrov is alleged to have told the reporter that
he has no relationship with Glenn Hoddle at all and that he wants to
leave now, but it is not possible until the end of the season.
Later in the day, the Ukrainian striker's agent claimed that he was
happy to stay at Tottenham as long as he was playing regularly and
that no talks had been held with Arsenal.
Glenn Hoddle said
his heart sunk when the referee approached Les Ferdinand after the
fracas with Robbie Savage and he could not get him off the pitch quick
enough to save him getting another yellow card and thus missing the
Worthington Cup Final.
Both Tottenham
and Blackburn Rovers players have been given only four tickets each
for the Worthington Cup Final, but are allowed to buy up to 25
more. This is an attempt to restrict the number of tickets
falling into the hands of touts and thus fans getting into the wrong
areas of the ground, as happened at the 1999 Final.
Bayern Munich
skipper Steffan Effenberg is likely to join Atletico Madrid according
to reports today. Spurs had been strongly linked with the German
international in the past.
Saturday 9.2.2002 (For
other Spurs history on this day click here)
Tottenham
beat Leicester City 2-1 at White Hart Lane this afternoon.
Spurs' goals came from Darren Anderton and Simon Davies. Click
here for a match report, click here
for reaction.
Following the
game, Leicester City manager Dave Bassett labelled Mauricio Taricco a
"disgrace" for diving when "pushed" by Andy Impey.
Glenn Hoddle said that was not his view of the incident and that
Bassett should take time to have a word with a few of his own players
about their activities on the pitch.
Ian Walker has
said that Darren Anderton could break into the England World Cup squad
as he is playing really well, but Walker is keen to prevent him
scoring today. He also thanked Glenn Hoddle for not
standing in his way when it became clear that he would not be the
first choice keeper at Spurs. The former Tottenham keeper said
he was pleased to see the team being coached in the traditional way by
the new manager.
Ledley King has
been named in the England squad to play Holland in a friendly match
next Wednesday (13th February). Darren Anderton is also
included.
Matthew
Etherington has been selected for the England Under-21s, who will play
a match against Slovenia on Tuesday 12th February.
Glenn Hoddle said
he was delighted for Ledley King that he was called up by England and
said he has a rare talent. Hoddle converted the Spurs man from
midfield to defence and says that he is quick, strong and good off
both feet. Although, he has come on two years sooner than Hoddle
expected, he believes that King needs to develop his on-pitch
communication and improve his concentration.
Craig Short
picked up a last minute red card for Blackburn Rovers today at Fulham
and should be suspended for the Worthington Cup Final on February
24th, when they face Spurs.
Friday 8.2.2002 (For other
Spurs history on this day click here)
Sergei
Rebrov has told the Sun newspaper that he intends to leave Tottenham
by the end of the season at the latest. He has even put out a
"come and get me" plea to Jean Tigana saying he would like
to play under him at Fulham.
SPURS TEAM NEWS :
- Spurs look set to rest Teddy Sheringham, Les Ferdinand and
Chris Perry - all of who are on four yellow cards and another
would see them suspended for the Worthington Cup Final. Gus
Poyet is serving a one match ban and will miss tomorrow's match
anyway.
LEICESTER CITY
TEAM NEWS : - The visitors will be without Muzzy Izzet as he is
suspended for one game. There are also injury worries over Impey,
Scowcroft, Sinclair and Savage, although they are all expected to
play.
While Hans Segers
has praised the returning former Tottenham keeper Ian Walker for his
professionalism during his spell as understudy to Neil Sullivan, John
Gorman said there will be no sympathy for him in his club's present
position. Both coaches rate him very highly, but want to see
Spurs winning over the ex-goalie's Leicester City side tomorrow they
told the official Spurs website.
Micky Hazard has
said that both the young players Spurs bought from Peterborough United
could be stars for the club. He said that Simon Davies is a very
good player and could develop even further, while he was also
impressed with Matthew Etherington, who he thinks could be a regular
scorer and provider of goals.
Ledley King is
hoping to realise his dream of gaining an England cap and told the
Evening Standard that he has always had confidence in himself,
believing that he had a good game in front of Sven Goran Eriksson on
Tuesday in the FA Cup victory over Bolton Wanderers. King is
expected to be named in the England squad on Saturday for the nation's
friendly against Holland on February 13th.
Spurs are keeping
tabs on East Stirling scoring sensation Alex Williams. Charlton
Athletic, Celtic and Glasgow Rangers have also shown an interest in
the 19 year old, who had a spell in South London training with the
Addicks.
Tottenham have
been told that they will have to find £1.5 million if they want to
sign the Wimbledon midfielder Lionel Morgan.
Martin Peters
will be inviting Cyril Knowles' son Julian to tomorrow's match.
There he will meet some of his father's former team-mates such as
Ralph Coates, Phil Beal, Pat Jennings, John Pratt and Martin Chivers
the official website reports.
Former Spurs
winger David Ginola has left Aston Villa for Everton until the end of
the season after his Villa contract was cancelled this morning.
Thursday 7.2.2002 (For
other Spurs history on this day click here)
Gus Poyet will not be available for the match against Leicester City
on Saturday as he has picked up a one match ban for receiving five
yellow cards this season.
John Gorman has
said that Tottenham have to earn their right to play football against
Leicester City on Saturday. He stressed the importance of
turning good performances into winning ones in the League after the
successes in the two Cup competitions.
Former Spurs
team-mate Micky Hazard has hailed the success that Glenn Hoddle has
brought to Spurs in the Cups this season. Hazard believes that the
side can reach finals in both competitions and said that the style in
which the team are playing will not bother fans as the League form
dips because of Cup commitments.
If Simon Davies
plays for Wales against Argentina next week, it could end up costing
Spurs £100,000. The deal which brought him from Peterborough
United contained conditions that sparked extra payments after a number
of games for club and country.
Christian Ziege
has been selected for the Germany squad to play Israel on February
13th.
Wednesday 6.2.2002 (For
other Spurs history on this day click here)
Les Ferdinand has said he is willing to risk missing the Worthington
Cup final by playing against Leicester City on Saturday. Big Les
is one booking away from a suspension that would rule him out of the
Cardiff showpiece.
Tottenham's Youth
team have progressed to the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup by
beating Leeds United at Elland Road 1-0. Jamie Slabber scored
the only goal of the contest. The boys will be at home for the
first time in the competition to Blackburn Rovers
Matthew
Etherington reckons that after some ups and downs, he has finally come
of age in the first team. Scoring his first goal for the club in
a fine performance, he wants to be more involved in the squad
and hopes for more on pitch time. Talking to the official
website, Matty said that there is still a lot to come from him.
The signing of
Wimbledon's Lionel Morgan might not be a done deal, as it is rumoured
that there are more clubs interested in the player, who is now
described as an attacking midfielder. Wimbledon might be interested in
an auction to get the best price for him, but the report says Spurs
remain the favourite for his signature.
The reason behind
Mauricio Taricco playing last night was that one of his yellow cards
has been wiped off the records. He was the victim of mistaken
identity in the match at Ewood Park early in the season and took the
blame for a Perry foul. Now he is on three yellows, he could
afford to play last night without the threat of missing the
Worthington Cup Final.
Steffen Freund
and Sol Campbell have taken out a joint mortgage on a house in
Hampstead Heath to renovate it and sell it off as flats. The
£2.8 million property is in a very popular area and the Arsenal
player arranged the mortgage through the Woolwich Building
Society. How apt !!!
Steffen Iversen
has been called up for Norway's match with Belgium on February
13th. Oyvind Leonhardsen is also in the squad.
Kasey Keller is
picked for the USA squad to play Italy on the same date.
Ben Bowditch will
be available to play for England Under-19s against their German
counterparts at Portman Road on February 14th, while Under17 keeper
Nicky Eyre will be in the squad for the England U-17s for their game
against Slovakia on February 13 at Stevenage.
Jonathan Black is
in the Northern Irish U-17 squad for their match against Scotland to
be played on February 10.
Spurs are
rumoured to be interested in the 28 year old Heerenveen striker Marcus
Allback. The Swede was linked to Spurs during GG's reign, but
nothing came of it and he has more recently been linked with SCBC and
Sunderland. Glasgow Rangers and PSV Eindhoven are also rumoured
to have an interest in the player.
Tuesday 5.2.2002 (For other
Spurs history on this day click here)
Tottenham beat Bolton Wanderers in the FA Cup Fourth Round tie at
White Hart Lane tonight 4-0 with goals from Darren Anderton, Steffen
Iversen, Matthew Etherington and a Anthony Barness own goal.
Click here for
a match report. Click here
for reaction.
Spurs are
reportedly ready to complete the signing of Lionel Morgan, the young
Wimbledon defender for £750,000 plus more related to
appearances. The 18 year old left sided defender has only made
seven first team starts this season, but Tottenham have been very
impressed with him at reserve level.
Simon Davies has
been called into the Welsh squad for the friendly against Argentina on
February 13th.
Ciaran Toner has
been selected for the Northern Ireland Under-21 squad to play Germany
on February 12th.
Tomorrow's
reserve game at Leicester City has been called off because the pitch
is waterlogged.
Monday 4.2.2002 (For other
Spurs history on this day click here)
Mauricio Taricco will miss tomorrow's FA Cup Fourth Round tie against
Bolton Wanderers after having to retire from the action in Saturday's
match against Derby County. The Argentinian suffered a ricked
neck against the Rams, the official site reports and he will not be
ready to take part in the Cup tie.
Neil Sullivan is
also a doubt as he is said to b struggling with a calf injury, so
Kasey Keller, recently returned from the USA win in the CONCACAF Gold
Cup, could step in.
However, the site
did reveal some better news in that Christian Ziege has resumed
training and will be doing some ball and fitness work this week.
The Spurs site
also interviewed Matthew Etherington and he feels that he is ready to
make the step up to the first team after a successful loan spell at
Bradford City. Having featured in the last few games as a
substitute, he says he needs a couple of games on the trot and will be
looking forward to getting a full 90 minutes against Leicester City
reserves on Wednesday to hone his match fitness.
Taricco's yellow
card on Saturday puts him on four bookings - just one away from a
suspension - along with Sheringham, Ferdinand and Perry.
Fulham will be
playing their home games at Queens Park Rangers' Loftus Road next
season while their Craven Cottage ground is refurbished.
Sunday 3.2.2002 (For other
Spurs history on this day click here)
Lazio are apparently unwilling to pay £8 million for Sergei
Rebrov. The Italian outfit are keen to take him to Rome, but
they are struggling for funds and the price quoted above might be
outside their budget.
Meanwhile,
Tottenham are reported to have bid £750,000 for Wimbledon midfielder
Lionel Morgan, who is highly rated despite only making one
substitute appearance this season. However, Wimbledon are likely
to ask for more than the amount offered to recoup some of the
investment they have made in the 18 year old.
Spurs, along with
Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Arsenal and Fulham are all looking at West
Bromwich Albion's Jason Roberts. The Spurs supporting striker
has caught the eye this season in the Baggies' surge up the First
Division. At 24, he is coming to his prime and although he only
has five goals, he has been on the injured list for a while this
season.
Kasey Keller was
the captain of the USA team that lifted the CONCACAF Gold Cup against
Costa Rica. A 2-0 win took Keller to his first winners medal in
this competition after finishing third and second previously.
The Spurs keeper kept four clean sheets out of the five games played
and won them a place in the final in a penalty shoot out against
Canada.
Saturday 2.2.2002 (For
other Spurs history on this day click here)
Tottenham lost 0-1 at Pride Park this afternoon to Derby County.
For a match report, click here.
For reaction, click here.
Simon Davies has
been called up into the Welsh squad for three days training in
Glamorgan on February 9th to 11th.
Former Spurs
winger Andy Turner has left Yeovil Town to join Nuneaton Borough on
loan.
Friday 1.2.2002 (For other
Spurs history on this day click here)
TEAM NEWS : - Spurs are likely to be without Anthony Gardner with a
knee injury and Les Ferdinand, who is still troubled by a neck
injury. Ferdie said he picked it up after recovering from his
clash of heads against Everton, but when he headed a ball, his neck
locked up again. Some reports claim that he might have a late
test and be fit to play, while others state that he is more likely to
be back for the Bolton Wanderers FA Cup tie.
TEAM NEWS : - Two
days ago Warren Barton was a sub for Newcastle United at White Hart
Lane and tomorrow (Matthew), he will be lining up against Spurs in the
match at Derby County as the Rams new signing. Luciano Zavango
is back in the squad after a suspension.
Les has said that
Spurs must take their Worthington Cup form into League matches and
start picking up points, although that will not necessarily be that
easy against Derby County, who will be looking to have a winning start
under new manager John Gregory.
John Gorman has
also warned of the galvinising effect a new manager can bring to a
team. On the Spurs website, he told a reporter that there would
be a response form players and fans at Pride Park, but Tottenham had
as much to prove with the need to bounce back from the loss to
Newcastle United on Wednesday.
Darren Anderton
is happy that people are talking about his football rather than his
injuries at last. He said on the club's official website that
the games have been coming thick and fast, but the team must pick up
their form for the match at Derby County followed by the re-arranged
FA Cup tie against Bolton Wanderers.
With Spurs
rumoured to be ready to fly representatives out to Cyprus to watch
Polish international Bartosz Karwan, the Legia Warsaw player has
missed the trip because of an Achilles injury.
With the pitch at
Spurs Lodge waterlogged, the Under-19s game against Arsenal has been
postponed.
The Spurs
reserves away game against Charlton Athletic has been moved from
Wednesday 13th March to Thursday March 14th.
A 19 year old
midfield player that has been linked with Tottenham in the past -
Nottingham Forest's Jermaine Jenas - has had a £5 million offer for
him from Newcastle United accepted by his club.
Former Spurs
midfielder Moussa Saib has gone on loan from Monaco to Lorient.
Former Spurs
midfielder Scott Houghton has joined Halifax Town as a free agent.
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