Thought I’d offer the opportunity for a little footie chat and gossip as this unexpected 10 days (of Tottenham topping the Premiership) comes to a crashing close – actually, it might not just yet. Our next couple of games are also against fellow mediocrity so we might hang on a while…
At the moment, I’m just relieved that Spurs are only about 25 points away from avoiding relegation and now have a bargain price striker of some ability and potential – the dream is, obviously, that Robbie Keane will inspire Rebrov into remembering where the net is. Yep, a dream…
I also note the Chairman thinks we’re headed for a Champions League place… I’d be elated with any damn European place but I am not, yet, holding my breathe.
FWIW, I think it’ll be a close run thing this year with, hopefully, Man U ending up anywhere from 3rd to 5th.
Wouldn’t it be nice if the 45,000 Faroe Islanders got a roof on that stadium of theirs…
What about your shower ?
BTW, I get an e-mail every morning from the BBC now – tailored to your team news but also covers the daily doings in the football world. Worth signing up for, in my view:
Och Aye The Clawman - Well, you Jocks are in a bad way. I really don’t want to mock *too]/i] much…
What is quite amazing (for me) is that Celtic and Rangers can apparently only muster two home-born players and they’re are only eight Scot’s playing in the Premiership – can that be right ? Seems remarkable and I’m not sure I can believe that…
What were there twenty years ago…I think I saw somewhere there were 30+ Scots in the old English First Division…crazy…
I had high hopes for this season, tempered with the knowledge that I am an Oldham Athletic fan. An intelligent new manager (Iain Dowie), a good squad and a wealthy chairman not afraid to invest wisely (and obviously ambitious).
Unsurprisingly things didn’t go to plan. A poor start and some unconvincing displays, not helped by a lack of goals and poor attendances. Those fans that did go spent more time booing captain Matty Appleby for no good reason than cheering the team on. Only with a very convincing 3-1 win over an admittedly poor Notts County side on Saturday do we look like a playoff side. Some bizarre tactical decisions (playing strikers and defenders as midfielders in a 3-5-2 formation) didn’t help, but finally the players seem to be gelling.
Clint Hill is a colossus in defence, and perhaps our best signing in years. Alongside him “One size” Fitz Hall, a young non-league defender, is earning some rave reviews for his Rio Ferdinand-like performances. Up front we’re still struggling for goals but with New Zealand international Chris Killen and former Leeds man Clyde Wijnhard getting a few matches together we’re starting to look more dangerous. Signing a new winger helped balance the team immensely.
Basically a poor start but we’re looking better. I hope we can keep this up, since the chairman is not an Oldham fan by nature and has made his impatience clear.
Well there were five OF players playing on Saturday (Lambert, Ferguson, Douglas, Ross and Crainey), but the latter pair don’t really get a regular first team game. It’s sad, but it’s been a death by a thousand cuts over many years. I’m just old enough to remember Liverpools glory days in the seventies and eighties, and the part that Messrs Hansen, Dalglish and Souness played and I long for those days to return.
Scottish football is almost bankrupt and is entering a period of retrenchment which will mean some clubs will not survive, and those that do will have no choice but to rear their own youngsters rather than paying over the odds for third-rate imports. That can only be a good thing for the national team in the longer term.
Incidentally, I hope that the middle to lower order EPL clubs are having a very close look at what has happened up here (and in the Nationwide), and are considering what their finances are going to look like if, as seems likely to me, the next Sky deal is vastly less valuable than the current one.
As a fellow Spurs fan I am absolutely elated (and I have a ticket for Loftus Rd tomorrow which sould see us back at the top).
Not only have we signed a proven striker (after possibly the longest most embarassing chase ever. “Nearly” signing players for God’s sake!) We have also made what could well turn out to the signing of the season in Redknapp.
The boy Davies is on fire, and little matty Etherington is proving his critics (inc me) very happily wrong. Not to mention Gardiner and King.
Blondell looks the absolute mutts nuts as does Bunjy.
All in all a talented squad with depth in all positions except the front playing good attacking “Spurs” fotball with a manager who knows what’s expected and a board that doesn’t treat fans as an inconvenience.
All in all I’m very happy and think we’ll be top 6. Maybe a cup too.
The filth will win it though.
Man Utd are as weak as I can remember, Leeds are in the hands of a has been, Chelsea are potless and Newcastle won’t repeat last seasons exertions.
The spanners being last doesn’t hurt either. Looking forward to their visit next Sunday, its always nice to meet up with old friends (this is not irony).
The SPL should make a Youth academy a condition of entry.
Compare and contrast Scotland and Norway, very similar countries, yet oceans apart in football terms. The reason for this is that Norwegian football has a good infrastructure and academy system.
** owl **, agreed 100%. Getting out of this rut will take a while, but it will happen.
My home town team, Alloa Athletic, operate at such a low level (being part-time and all) that they are largely immune to the winds of change, thankfully.
As to England, does anyone agree that the Imperial Lord Ferg is going to regret staying on, and not retiring to spend more time with his whisky and horses when he had the chance?
Another thing I heard was that there is only one indoor training facility in the whole bloody country – which, if true, must mean training is something of a bracing affair come January. Is it Rangers with the indoors ?
Interesting that English clubs are (now) restricted to youth potential within 90 miles of their clubs…that doesn’t help the Jocks develop either.
I hope you’re right, Clawman. And I think you’re right – as I mentioned, they’ll finish 3rd-5th for my money.
I’m seriously worried about the Gooners: They way they’re going, it could even be a Premiership and European Championship Double – all ending at Old Trafford. Gawd help us all…
Walking home victories in the SPL isn’t doing Celtic a lot of good. We were shown up tactically in Basel, going for a 4-42 when we should have stuck with our tried and trusted 3-5-2.
Johan “Thor!” Mjallby has just gone for a scope on his knee and will be out for a month. Hopefully Crainey can get bac in time and we can push Bobo into the center.
Roll on October 6th to play the Knuckledraggers and we’ll see how well we do.
Yup ** L_C **, Rangers not only have the only indoor pitch, but they are the only ones with a dedicated training facility at all. And it’s only 18 months old. And it only cost about the same as Tore Andre Flo, and will presumably be a lot more useful.
Its an odd thing this distance thing. I understood that it was based on 90 minutes travelling time, which is obviously hugely different in various parts of the country. I may well be wrong though.
Charlton Athletic have got an academy in White Hart Lane! Its well within the rules, but it is a bit naughty.
As to the woolwich nomads. I can’t see them getting beat much. THough it hurts to admit it, they are a very fine team, at their peak.
Coldie - I didn’t think they were your (main) team ? Wasn’t it some Yokel pillow-biters up in the North of Holland ? I occasionally catch an Ajax game on Channel 5…riveting stuff the Dutch league at 3.00am…
Owl and Clawman - Oh, I thought it was miles not time…‘time’ seems a strange measurement given the limited Motorway network and how it doesn’t work…hmmm. Still, no more potential Beckhams lured north by the crafty Manc’s.
I think it is 90 minutes (hence Manchester United moving players closer to Manchester). Some of the sites I’ve seen suggest it’s 60 minutes for younger players.
I’m a split personality, LC. Willem II (yokels from the South, thankyouverymuch!) is my home town team, so I definitely have a soft spot for them. But ever since I was a young lad, I’ve always fancied Ajax.
Does that make me the Dutch version of the average Man-U fan?
I’d be elated with any damn European place but I am not, yet, holding my breathe.