This Saturday, normal kickoff. The first of a doubleheader with them in the space of a few days as there's a league cup game next week. Need to see a positive reaction from Santini and the boys to the last result. Was it a temporary blip on a strong start to the season or is it the beginning of a slump back into midtable? I hope to see Carrick get the full 90, need that extra creativity in there in place of Brown. Also may like to see Kanoute in there, his partnership with Defoe has been more effective than Defoe-Keane, although if Defoe is genuinely tired and off-form he may be rested for this one. Possible starting team: --------------Robinson Pamarot---Naybet--King--Gardner Davies----Carrick----Mendes--Ziegler -----------Keane--Defoe
I don't like Gardner at left back. I personally feel more comfortable with Ifil there. I like your midfield though. I'm at a friend's wedding this weekend so will be missing this and any highlights on MOTD. I'll have to rely on text updates from my brother!
Gardner was poor last game and needs to shape up before January or get gone to Southampton. However Ifil is right-sided and a bit young I think. Bunje is an alternative, he's slow but he did alright against Oldham and with Santini not wanting his fullbacks to push up so much, maybe he could do the job. Then there's always Tanno if he's fit
Is Davis fit enough for the match? If so I would love to see Davis and Carrick go in the middle of the park and maybe even try Mendes on the left because at this time Atouba isn't getting the job done. As for Gardner he is way out of position and I would rather see Ziegler get a go there and see if he can win the position as backup on the left side once Edman comes back. Defoe could use a week off as he has been a very busy and under pressure striker who probably thinks he has to score every week to keep his spot on the national team.
Davis isn't fit enough for 90 minutes apparantly. I'm no sure about Mendes at left mid. For me he is the 'machine' (a term that they used when I used to play in Belgium) of the side. If you noticed on monday he was getting the ball more than anyone on the park. It was almost like the defence were just told to win the ball and give it to Mendes to distribute. I think if you play him anywhere other than the 'stopper' role in front of the back four, he won't be as effective. Brown wasn't too bad at right mid in the second half against Birmingham once Santini told him what he wanted so I wonder if he could work out wide. I think he was just told to run at players and get the early cross in. I'd like to see Ziegler on the left but I'm unsure about left back - I'm not happy with Gardner there. Boring fact of the day - I'm at University just down the road from where Anthony Gardner went to school. Someone who saw him play at school tells me he's ******** quick and used to play on the wing! LOL
When Gardner was in school he was one of the top 200 metre runners in the country. Very fast sprinter, but he decided to stick to footie instead at Port Vale. He's not impressed me this season, it's a crucial year for him as well. I hoped he could do ok at left back, he has experience as a defender and should be able to get up and down the line. He's not done well but I think he's going to have to get the nod again. Edman is said to be on the way back and should hopefully be able to play next week. Apparently Sean Davis has tendonitis in his knee. So not severely hurt, but it's one of those where if you play it before its complete gone then it gets worse. He could be a sub at Bolton for the cup game next week at best, but as he's back training this week he's looking a near definite for the Fulham game next saturday.
I dont want to sound like a broken record but Keane on the left with Kanoute upfront, Bolton have huge centre backs in N'Gotty & Jaidi so the height could be crucial Mendes played right midfield for Porto last year
Yeah but Porto had Maniche and Deco in the middle. I think Mendes is the best we've got in central midfield at the moment and when we've got Davies fit he may as well play.
Yeah thats true about Deco & Maniche, i'm just saying he could play out wide. I would only like to see him playing in the middle not out wide
Yeah I understood you. I love the role he plays now, I think he just needs to right guy paired with him. Mendes has great distribution, can win tackles, works hard, has great vision and is like a little ferret scurrying around the middle of the park. I'm thinking Carrick is the best guy to play in the middle with him then hopefully Davies and Ziegler either side (as long as they get support from Pamarot and Gardner).
Bad news on a sad day...at least robbie got his first league goal and we play Fulham next who looked horrible today and this season really...
Holy helmets, fart fans! This game was proper pish! Gardner loses Jaidi in the box when he should be marking him at a free-kick - GOAL 13th minute! Hurrah to Bolton. Superb passing movement from Spurs - GOAL Keano 44th minute. Pedersen (Peado to his mates, AND KIDS! Har har) scores after Robinson has to make save after save because of twatty Spurs defending. Ball falls to his feet AND HE POKES IT IN! 75th minute! We'll never recover because we don't score more than one goal a match ITS IN THE SPURS GENES! And Santini's. He's the French George Graham, don't you know? So on a black day for Yids everywhere, the day the greatest Spur ever Bill Nic passed away, we got beaten at home by a bunch of Carlos Kickaballs. Well done lads! Points to consider; More goals like Keano's please. Thats how we're meant to play. Bunje not Gardner! Never thought I'd say that. Gardner is a Charlton player through and through.
Yeah it was unbelievable, very well deserved. The club have said their will be a tribute game for Bill sometime. I think Jacques did not deserve the bashing he got in the press today. If you havent seen he did not turn up for a press conference after the game so the press are saying he delivered a crude snub to Bill Nicholson for not talking after the game Club Spokesman John Fennelly answered back to the critisicm saying "Jacques is a passionate man. He is upset at losing and has gone to study a video of the game.
Spurs are a disgrace. Go back 15 years and if Gaza, Lineker, Mambbet and the rest where playing they would have gone the extra 10% and won the match for Bill Nicolson. Disgrace. Nicolson = true legend.
Sorry but it will be hard for most of the current spurs players to have seen Bill Nick in action so hard for me to say it was a disgrace. Sure they looked horrible for the first 30 minutes or so but we played a little better after that and Kanoute and Defoe both came very close in the second half to scoring. Just wasn't our day. Also its not like Bolton are Norwich or South Hampton or something, that team tied Arsenal and played them solid the whole game and should have beat Man U so I don't think we should have dominated this game even if Mr. Tottenham did just die. We need to get healthy and do it quick because Edman is so important to us and Davis takes a lot of pressure off of Mendes to play the defensive role because Redknapp and Brown just aren't up to it and neither is Gardner at left back.
Doesnt matter, Bolton are Bolton afterall - they have never won anything and never had any great players. Saying that it doesnt matter Spurs lost against Bolton leaves me speachless.
Never won anything? Methinks you need to check the history books laddie! Bolton have their best ever team for at least the last 40 years, and with players like Okocha et al, have people that can inflict damge on any team. Witness their 2-2 draw with ManUre at OT. Bolton are no longer push-overs. They did reach the final of the League Cup last year, and are well on the way to becoming EPL stalwarts. In our defence, the greatest ever Yid had died that morning. A hard situation to have hanging over your head when you're about to go out and play I'm sure. Likewise in the League Cup game against Bolton midweek, they had a player (Fadiga) collapse before the game and we beat them at their ground. These things affect players.