Team News for Sunderland (A)

[Geez]

Source: Official Site

Young-Pyo Lee has returned to training but Martin Jol feels he's not quite ready for first team duty as we kick-off at Sunderland on Saturday.

The South Korean full-back has missed most of pre-season after damaging his knee in our UEFA Cup quarter-final first leg against Sevilla back in April.

However, he completed his return to full training this week and is now only lacking match fitness. "Young-Pyo needs time, perhaps one to two weeks and then he'll be fit for selection," reported Martin Jol on Thursday afternoon.

Young-Pyo is one of five players unavailable for the trip to the Stadium of Light.

Martin continued: "Gareth Bale is doing well, he's on a high-level conditioning programme but he'll need another couple of weeks because he missed a large part of pre-season training.

"Benoit Assou-Ekotto had swelling on his knee and he's responded well to treatment but will be out another four to five weeks.

"Aaron Lennon had a small tear in his left knee and should hopefully be back in training at the end of this month. He's had no reaction and is doing his conditioning work with the coaches.

"As everyone knows, Ledley King underwent surgery for a cartilage tear, he's now doing his conditioning work and making progress but we're looking at the end of September, early October."

[infamousyiddo]

wicked the first comment :hump:

[KarsenToon]

Do you think it will be Ric Roc at left back or Stalteri.

[gdoguk22]

Think the Torino line up will be the line up versus Sunderland.

Robbo
Chimbonda Kaboul Dawson Rocha
Tainio Jenas Zokora Malbranque
Keane Berbatov

Subs: Cerny, Gardner, Taarabt, Defoe/Huddlestone, Bent

[spursLA]

Seems like a good bet - and maybe Bent in for Tainio if the games needs chasing later on (god forbid)

[Chimbo!]

Bad news, bale out, lypee comin bak 2 fitness; do not rate the korean at all. azza seems 2 hav knee probs doesnt he? I swear BAE seems to always be out 4 about 4-5 weeks away. Somethings fishy...
I think we will play 433 with keano just behind front 2 n JJ n Zokora in DM. Stalteri at LB.

[oobaties]

is BEA not in prison?

[will8587]

Think the Torino line up will be the line up versus Sunderland.

Robbo
Chimbonda Kaboul Dawson Rocha
Tainio Jenas Zokora Malbranque
Keane Berbatov

Subs: Cerny, Gardner, Taarabt, Defoe/Huddlestone, Bent

Looks to about right. I think Hudd will definitely be a sub, if not starting.

[Mike_The_Spur]

would love to see taarabt given a go at LM with Malbranque at RM, swapping every now and again

[vigospur]

I think we will play 433 with keano just behind front 2 n JJ n Zokora in DM. Stalteri at LB.

All about opinions but for me no chance of a front three. Could be useful at home but not first up away to a promoted team motivated by Keane. Safety first this time.
Personally I would play Bent as one of two but I don't think that will happen.

[StevieJ]

Think the Torino line up will be the line up versus Sunderland.

Robbo
Chimbonda Kaboul Dawson Rocha
Tainio Jenas Zokora Malbranque
Keane Berbatov

Subs: Cerny, Gardner, Taarabt, Defoe/Huddlestone, Bent

Yeh I think this would be the best bet but also the best line up. For some reason i seem to prefer Tainio on the left, but doesn't really matter. I definitely think Hud will be on the bench and it will be between Taarabt and Defoe for the last place but apart from that would be glad to see that line-up at 12.30pm Saturday on channel 401. CANNOT WAIT!

[DOX]

What about Prince?

[walworthyid]

Bad news, bale out, lypee comin bak 2 fitness; do not rate the korean at all. azza seems 2 hav knee probs doesnt he? I swear BAE seems to always be out 4 about 4-5 weeks away. Somethings fishy...
I think we will play 433 with keano just behind front 2 n JJ n Zokora in DM. Stalteri at LB.

Do not rate the Korean at all?

I take it from your name that you DO rate chimbo? Is that the same player who dwells on the ball for so long that he can only pass backwards because all of his team mates are then marked?

YPL is better in every single aspect of his game than chimbo.

[camaj]

Wow BAE is alive?!!

[SammyM]

Where is The Prince? I really wanna see how good this kid is. We should get him into the first team rotation asap.

I'm sorry but I really don't think Steed deserves a place in the first team until he starts showing the kind of form he did we he was red hot at Fulham.
It doesn't help that we keep playing him out of position. But, its completely Martin Jol and Damian Comolli's fault. They've had all summer to sign a decent left winger.
Instead they sell a great prospect in Reto Ziegler!
All summer long to get a classy player to light up the left, heck all last summer too. Its a huge hole in a team and the reason why we won't finish fourth, the problem has to be sorted.

I know its hard to get players in blah, blah.
Man City, Man United, Chelsea, Liverpool, West Ham and Bolton have all managed to get quality left siders in during the summer season. ALL OF THE LEFT MIDS WHO THESE CLUBS HAVE SIGNED WOULD GET IN OUR TEAM AND DO WELL.

Its boardering on pathetic the way we've chucked silly money at the attack and right midfield but not on a left winger. I really like Darren Bent, but i'd get rid of him in a heartbeat if it meant we'd spend nearly anything like the money we paid for him on a good left midfielder.

The only players who we've signed this summer i wouldn't trade in for a lefty would be Gareth Bale and Adel Taarabt.

As you can probably tell it infuriates me massively that we've not filled the huge gap in our squad. Its our weakness and all our opponents know it.

Here's my starting XI for the Sunderland game -

Robbo
Chimbo Dawson Kaboul Salty
Jenas Tainio Zokora
Keane Berbatov Bent

[Lachster the Yid]

The Prince has a "nock" so basically has not trained with the squad enough yet to be let loose

was on sky sports news today

would imagine he will play against derby

[Parmenio]

Think the Torino line up will be the line up versus Sunderland.

Robbo
Chimbonda Kaboul Dawson Rocha
Tainio Jenas Zokora Malbranque
Keane Berbatov

Subs: Cerny, Gardner, Taarabt, Defoe/Huddlestone, Bent

yeah I agree with that. Compact competitive team. Likely to see Bent on at some point, for more physical oomph up front. It will be for games like this that he was bought.

Sunderland actually played a bit of football in their progression to the top of the championship, so it will be interesting to see if they should be in the same category as Blackburn/Bolton, or perhaps the more attacking style of reading and portsmouth. Somewhere in the middle I feel.

[jackhealy]

We got off to a bad start last season so it's imperative we start well this season. Jol is not going to exoeriment with the team or the formation in this game. Sunderland are going to be tough, but I really think that even if we had bought nobody in the Summer we have too much class for them. Hope I don't sound complacent because I'm not. We could lose, but I back us to win.

[spurs_viola]

...All summer long to get a classy player to light up the left, heck all last summer too. Its a huge hole in a team and the reason why we won't finish fourth, the problem has to be sorted.

I know its hard to get players in blah, blah.
Man City, Man United, Chelsea, Liverpool, West Ham and Bolton have all managed to get quality left siders in during the summer season. ALL OF THE LEFT MIDS WHO THESE CLUBS HAVE SIGNED WOULD GET IN OUR TEAM AND DO WELL.

Its bordering on pathetic the way we've chucked silly money at the attack and right midfield but not on a left winger. I really like Darren Bent, but i'd get rid of him in a heartbeat if it meant we'd spend nearly anything like the money we paid for him on a good left midfielder.

The only players who we've signed this summer i wouldn't trade in for a lefty would be Gareth Bale and Adel Taarabt.

As you can probably tell it infuriates me massively that we've not filled the huge gap in our squad. Its our weakness and all our opponents know it.


I'd have to agree in general, it is very difficult to understand why spurs management cannot sign a quality LW for the first team in nearly 3 years now. I hope Taarabt can fill the vacancy there, but he is not left-footed either and if Bale is to play as a LB, we would have an 18 and 19yr olds on the left!...
Last summer we were all expecting a proper LW signing till the end of the transfer window, which did not happen. I'm concerned that we will miss the boat again this summer too.
Why are we being linked with people like Curtis Davies when we have just signed Kaboul who is far superior to Davies?
Why are we not seriously linked with people like Samuelsson and Drenthe for the LW position (I know Drenthe was mentioned but only fleetingly and then the story died)?
Why are we not attracting quality Dutch players even though we have a Dutch manager? Benitez, Wenger, Mourinho, Queiroz did not have too much difficulty in bringing potentially good players from their respective countries.
The only quality Dutch signing we had was Davids, and it didn't work out between Jol and him either...Is there a question of our manager not being able to command enough respect from Dutch players of higher calibre to want to work for him at Spurs?

[ShelfSide18]

I'm sorry but I really don't think Steed deserves a place in the first team until he starts showing the kind of form he did we he was red hot at Fulham.
It doesn't help that we keep playing him out of position. But, its completely Martin Jol and Damian Comolli's fault. They've had all summer to sign a decent left winger.
Instead they sell a great prospect in Reto Ziegler!
All summer long to get a classy player to light up the left, heck all last summer too. Its a huge hole in a team and the reason why we won't finish fourth, the problem has to be sorted.

I know its hard to get players in blah, blah.
Man City, Man United, Chelsea, Liverpool, West Ham and Bolton have all managed to get quality left siders in during the summer season. ALL OF THE LEFT MIDS WHO THESE CLUBS HAVE SIGNED WOULD GET IN OUR TEAM AND DO WELL.

Its boardering on pathetic the way we've chucked silly money at the attack and right midfield but not on a left winger. I really like Darren Bent, but i'd get rid of him in a heartbeat if it meant we'd spend nearly anything like the money we paid for him on a good left midfielder.

The only players who we've signed this summer i wouldn't trade in for a lefty would be Gareth Bale and Adel Taarabt.

As you can probably tell it infuriates me massively that we've not filled the huge gap in our squad. Its our weakness and all our opponents know it.



Oh its so obvious, sack Jol get Sammy in, he obviously knows better than Martin Jol and Damien Comolli.

[royboy]

I'd have to agree in general, it is very difficult to understand why spurs management cannot sign a quality LW for the first team in nearly 3 years now. I hope Taarabt can fill the vacancy there, but he is not left-footed either and if Bale is to play as a LB, we would have an 18 and 19yr olds on the left!...
Last summer we were all expecting a proper LW signing till the end of the transfer window, which did not happen. I'm concerned that we will miss the boat again this summer too.
Why are we being linked with people like Curtis Davies when we have just signed Kaboul who is far superior to Davies?
Why are we not seriously linked with people like Samuelsson and Drenthe for the LW position (I know Drenthe was mentioned but only fleetingly and then the story died)?
Why are we not attracting quality Dutch players even though we have a Dutch manager? Benitez, Wenger, Mourinho, Queiroz did not have too much difficulty in bringing potentially good players from their respective countries.
The only quality Dutch signing we had was Davids, and it didn't work out between Jol and him either...Is there a question of our manager not being able to command enough respect from Dutch players of higher calibre to want to work for him at Spurs?

give me a break. you and sammy need to get a grip.

zeigler was sold because DC and MJ didn't think he was up to it, and there were also rumours of a poor attitude. forgive me for stating the obvious, but i have more faith in the thoughts and decisions of DC and MJ than the majority of fans on this site.

drenthe was linked initially but DC didn't believe the kid would adjust to life in the premiership and our interest stopped there.

it is well documented that we were in for petrov, but he went to city instead of us. we have also been making enquiries into other options (including SWP and Nani), that have also not panned out.

MJ and DC see davies as cover for CB and RB - hence our interest. With the amount of injuries ledley had last year, and the amount of games we expect to play this year - quality cover for our defence is vital. AG will allegedly be sold, leaving us with only MD, YK, RR and an injured LK plus the likes of Dervitte to step up - which for 60 games and possible injuries, is a little thin.

as far as bent is concerned - that is crazy talk. have you actually watched any of the pre-season games? he will be no bit player this season - let me assure you. we now have arguably the best strike force in the premiership - with multiple options so that we can adjust to whatever team we are playing. without him, an injury to berbatov would be catastrophic - plus if you remember last season he played a number of games carrying groin injuries, thus limiting his effectiveness.

the squad is infinitely stronger this season, than it was in august last year - even without a left winger. DC and MJ have consistently said that if they can find a quality LW and the right price they will try and get them - which is exactly what they have done.

finally - who gives a toss whether we sign a dutch player or not? if the right player that MJ and DC want happens to be dutch - great, but just because they are dutch doesn't mean we should buy them - or that they want to come to us. MJ is doing a fantastic job and you are bagging him for not signing more dutch players (let me finish the way i started) - give me a break.

[WesTheWalrus]

i'm a little concerned about how we'll manage for the first month or so without our key players in King and Lennon. we seem to be a FAR better team when they're playing, especially Lennon as he's our main goal creator. plus we don't have a left back.. really hope we can still manage to get a good start to the season.

[coys63]

And tosser of the season award 07/08 goes jointly to Sammy M and Spurs_Viola....

What a couple of negative shites you are. The season hasn't even kicked off and your passing judgement!!

[StokeSpur]

I wouldnt swap any of the players weve signed but i would cut my right arm off if it meant we signed a left winger.

[infamousyiddo]

the sun says we after matt taylor...pompey want £8m smmmmackers

[Shirtfront]

Where is The Prince? I really wanna see how good this kid is. We should get him into the first team rotation asap.

I'm sorry but I really don't think Steed deserves a place in the first team until he starts showing the kind of form he did we he was red hot at Fulham.
It doesn't help that we keep playing him out of position. But, its completely Martin Jol and Damian Comolli's fault. They've had all summer to sign a decent left winger.
Instead they sell a great prospect in Reto Ziegler!
All summer long to get a classy player to light up the left, heck all last summer too. Its a huge hole in a team and the reason why we won't finish fourth, the problem has to be sorted.

I know its hard to get players in blah, blah.
Man City, Man United, Chelsea, Liverpool, West Ham and Bolton have all managed to get quality left siders in during the summer season. ALL OF THE LEFT MIDS WHO THESE CLUBS HAVE SIGNED WOULD GET IN OUR TEAM AND DO WELL.

Its boardering on pathetic the way we've chucked silly money at the attack and right midfield but not on a left winger. I really like Darren Bent, but i'd get rid of him in a heartbeat if it meant we'd spend nearly anything like the money we paid for him on a good left midfielder.

The only players who we've signed this summer i wouldn't trade in for a lefty would be Gareth Bale and Adel Taarabt.

As you can probably tell it infuriates me massively that we've not filled the huge gap in our squad. Its our weakness and all our opponents know it.

Here's my starting XI for the Sunderland game -

Robbo
Chimbo Dawson Kaboul Salty
Jenas Tainio Zokora
Keane Berbatov Bent

Congratulations. I think that is the best post I have read that manages to rehash the same half thought out points that occur on here time and again in a single email.

1. If you've never seen him, why on earth do you think Prince should be in the first team "rotation"? And what sort of yankee soccerball term is "rotation" anyway? It's typical of fans like you that you assume whatever is new must be better than what we've got.

2. If you'd actually watched any of the pre-season matches (50 quid says you didn't go to one), you'd have seen that Steed is in EXACTLY the sort of form he was in with Fulham 3 years ago and has been our best player, playing on the left or right.

3. Reto Ziegler did not have what it takes. Just because he showed some promise 2 seasons ago and has a left foot doesn't make him the answer to our left sided "problem". Here's the clue: Hamburg wouldn't start him; Wigan wouldn't start him and Jol decided to sell him to a lower tier club in a shoddy league (leaving aside their top 3 sides). When are people going to wake up to the fact that perhaps he just wasn't good enough for us, despite his inital promise.

4. Thanks for your novel and useful suggestion that you think we could use a left winger? Who exactly did you have in mind? An established star like Robben perhaps? Well here's a clue, Real Madrid are struggling to sign him despite offering £24m, being the biggest club in the world, Spanish champions and Champions league football. And he's not even in Chelsea's first 11. The sides you list as having managed to do it are all above is in the league or paying silly money for over-rated players (and who did WHam and Bolton sign that would play for us anyway?). Rather than paying over the odds for players that will demand silly money, how about sticking with the policy that got us this far and sign young talented english players? Like another Aaaron Lennon. OH, yeah, we did exactly that - signing Rose. Bale is also left footed, in case you didn't notice, and will give us the width that our right footed left backs couldn't last season. So maybe the people you are so quick to blame actually know what they're doing (here's a clue: we have just had our best season since before you were born).

Fans like you make me despair. You think the game is played on a computer and you have the right to slate the management because they didn't sign uncspecified players to fill perceived weaknesses that are at worst an inbalance on the side (rather than the disaster you portray) and in reality largely illusory.

See you at Sunderland tomorrow? Thought not.

[YIDBOY]

Our signings have been excellent but Sammy and Viola have a valid point about the left side. I'm sure we're all bored of saying it but if we signed a player for that position the midfield would be so much more balanced. Mark Lawrenson (knob) was saying that our left side is weak but we all know that already. I trust that the management have a solution in mind, i just hope that we aren't still asking the same questions this time next year?

[choffer74]

Congratulations. I think that is the best post I have read that manages to rehash the same half thought out points that occur on here time and again in a single email.

1. If you've never seen him, why on earth do you think Prince should be in the first team "rotation"? And what sort of yankee soccerball term is "rotation" anyway? It's typical of fans like you that you assume whatever is new must be better than what we've got.

2. If you'd actually watched any of the pre-season matches (50 quid says you didn't go to one), you'd have seen that Steed is in EXACTLY the sort of form he was in with Fulham 3 years ago and has been our best player, playing on the left or right.

3. Reto Ziegler did not have what it takes. Just because he showed some promise 2 seasons ago and has a left foot doesn't make him the answer to our left sided "problem". Here's the clue: Hamburg wouldn't start him; Wigan wouldn't start him and Jol decided to sell him to a lower tier club in a shoddy league (leaving aside their top 3 sides). When are people going to wake up to the fact that perhaps he just wasn't good enough for us, despite his inital promise.

4. Thanks for your novel and useful suggestion that you think we could use a left winger? Who exactly did you have in mind? An established star like Robben perhaps? Well here's a clue, Real Madrid are struggling to sign him despite offering £24m, being the biggest club in the world, Spanish champions and Champions league football. And he's not even in Chelsea's first 11. The sides you list as having managed to do it are all above is in the league or paying silly money for over-rated players (and who did WHam and Bolton sign that would play for us anyway?). Rather than paying over the odds for players that will demand silly money, how about sticking with the policy that got us this far and sign young talented english players? Like another Aaaron Lennon. OH, yeah, we did exactly that - signing Rose. Bale is also left footed, in case you didn't notice, and will give us the width that our right footed left backs couldn't last season. So maybe the people you are so quick to blame actually know what they're doing (here's a clue: we have just had our best season since before you were born).

Fans like you make me despair. You think the game is played on a computer and you have the right to slate the management because they didn't sign uncspecified players to fill perceived weaknesses that are at worst an inbalance on the side (rather than the disaster you portray) and in reality largely illusory.

See you at Sunderland tomorrow? Thought not.

:clap: :clap: spot on!

[JKSpurs]

Congratulations. I think that is the best post I have read that manages to rehash the same half thought out points that occur on here time and again in a single email.

1. If you've never seen him, why on earth do you think Prince should be in the first team "rotation"? And what sort of yankee soccerball term is "rotation" anyway? It's typical of fans like you that you assume whatever is new must be better than what we've got.

2. If you'd actually watched any of the pre-season matches (50 quid says you didn't go to one), you'd have seen that Steed is in EXACTLY the sort of form he was in with Fulham 3 years ago and has been our best player, playing on the left or right.

3. Reto Ziegler did not have what it takes. Just because he showed some promise 2 seasons ago and has a left foot doesn't make him the answer to our left sided "problem". Here's the clue: Hamburg wouldn't start him; Wigan wouldn't start him and Jol decided to sell him to a lower tier club in a shoddy league (leaving aside their top 3 sides). When are people going to wake up to the fact that perhaps he just wasn't good enough for us, despite his inital promise.

4. Thanks for your novel and useful suggestion that you think we could use a left winger? Who exactly did you have in mind? An established star like Robben perhaps? Well here's a clue, Real Madrid are struggling to sign him despite offering £24m, being the biggest club in the world, Spanish champions and Champions league football. And he's not even in Chelsea's first 11. The sides you list as having managed to do it are all above is in the league or paying silly money for over-rated players (and who did WHam and Bolton sign that would play for us anyway?). Rather than paying over the odds for players that will demand silly money, how about sticking with the policy that got us this far and sign young talented english players? Like another Aaaron Lennon. OH, yeah, we did exactly that - signing Rose. Bale is also left footed, in case you didn't notice, and will give us the width that our right footed left backs couldn't last season. So maybe the people you are so quick to blame actually know what they're doing (here's a clue: we have just had our best season since before you were born).

Fans like you make me despair. You think the game is played on a computer and you have the right to slate the management because they didn't sign uncspecified players to fill perceived weaknesses that are at worst an inbalance on the side (rather than the disaster you portray) and in reality largely illusory.

See you at Sunderland tomorrow? Thought not.


:clap: What a fantastic responce, I'm so glad there are sensible articulate people on here able to put across a balanced argument to some of the drivel that is posted on here... Me I just shout Prick at the screen.

[ravo]

give me a break. you and sammy need to get a grip.

zeigler was sold because DC and MJ didn't think he was up to it, and there were also rumours of a poor attitude. forgive me for stating the obvious, but i have more faith in the thoughts and decisions of DC and MJ than the majority of fans on this site.

drenthe was linked initially but DC didn't believe the kid would adjust to life in the premiership and our interest stopped there.

it is well documented that we were in for petrov, but he went to city instead of us. we have also been making enquiries into other options (including SWP and Nani), that have also not panned out.

MJ and DC see davies as cover for CB and RB - hence our interest. With the amount of injuries ledley had last year, and the amount of games we expect to play this year - quality cover for our defence is vital. AG will allegedly be sold, leaving us with only MD, YK, RR and an injured LK plus the likes of Dervitte to step up - which for 60 games and possible injuries, is a little thin.

as far as bent is concerned - that is crazy talk. have you actually watched any of the pre-season games? he will be no bit player this season - let me assure you. we now have arguably the best strike force in the premiership - with multiple options so that we can adjust to whatever team we are playing. without him, an injury to berbatov would be catastrophic - plus if you remember last season he played a number of games carrying groin injuries, thus limiting his effectiveness.

the squad is infinitely stronger this season, than it was in august last year - even without a left winger. DC and MJ have consistently said that if they can find a quality LW and the right price they will try and get them - which is exactly what they have done.

finally - who gives a toss whether we sign a dutch player or not? if the right player that MJ and DC want happens to be dutch - great, but just because they are dutch doesn't mean we should buy them - or that they want to come to us. MJ is doing a fantastic job and you are bagging him for not signing more dutch players (let me finish the way i started) - give me a break.

Brilliant reply mate. Personally I would not have given that much time to the tripe they wrote, but you did.. and well.

:clap:

[danielneeds]

Drenthe has gone to Real Madrid for 15m Euros...out of our league, when these big boys get involved i'm afraid...

[spursfish]

i think with lennon out,jol should explore with the formation and play a 4 3 3...zokora jenas huddlestone in the middle perhaps aqnd bent keane and berb!!! we can always add somewidth in the 2nd half buy chucking inmalbranque..... thoughts?

[spurslenny]

Congratulations. I think that is the best post I have read that manages to rehash the same half thought out points that occur on here time and again in a single email.

1. If you've never seen him, why on earth do you think Prince should be in the first team "rotation"? And what sort of yankee soccerball term is "rotation" anyway? It's typical of fans like you that you assume whatever is new must be better than what we've got.

2. If you'd actually watched any of the pre-season matches (50 quid says you didn't go to one), you'd have seen that Steed is in EXACTLY the sort of form he was in with Fulham 3 years ago and has been our best player, playing on the left or right.

3. Reto Ziegler did not have what it takes. Just because he showed some promise 2 seasons ago and has a left foot doesn't make him the answer to our left sided "problem". Here's the clue: Hamburg wouldn't start him; Wigan wouldn't start him and Jol decided to sell him to a lower tier club in a shoddy league (leaving aside their top 3 sides). When are people going to wake up to the fact that perhaps he just wasn't good enough for us, despite his inital promise.

4. Thanks for your novel and useful suggestion that you think we could use a left winger? Who exactly did you have in mind? An established star like Robben perhaps? Well here's a clue, Real Madrid are struggling to sign him despite offering £24m, being the biggest club in the world, Spanish champions and Champions league football. And he's not even in Chelsea's first 11. The sides you list as having managed to do it are all above is in the league or paying silly money for over-rated players (and who did WHam and Bolton sign that would play for us anyway?). Rather than paying over the odds for players that will demand silly money, how about sticking with the policy that got us this far and sign young talented english players? Like another Aaaron Lennon. OH, yeah, we did exactly that - signing Rose. Bale is also left footed, in case you didn't notice, and will give us the width that our right footed left backs couldn't last season. So maybe the people you are so quick to blame actually know what they're doing (here's a clue: we have just had our best season since before you were born).

Fans like you make me despair. You think the game is played on a computer and you have the right to slate the management because they didn't sign uncspecified players to fill perceived weaknesses that are at worst an inbalance on the side (rather than the disaster you portray) and in reality largely illusory.

See you at Sunderland tomorrow? Thought not.
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: exactly!

[spurs_viola]

To the self-congratulating, "everything is fine, don't want to hear anything else, don't you dare to try lifting my rosy specs, you prick/c**/sh**" brigade: please don't lump someone who dares to raise a valid question which has been unresolved for the last 3 years with the people who post just negative load in every point. And can we have a discussion without the idiotic abuse?

I have never said anything about Ziegler, Bent, Prince etc - I do not agree with Sammy there, but it's just his opinion which I don't share on those points. But I do share the concern that without a quality left-footed LW we will continue to be unbalanced. I knew there would be plenty here who would jump at the chance to throw stones at him, so I didn't bother replying to the other points.

Raising questions does not have to mean lack of trust. Refusing to ask questions and knocking anyone who wants to ask questions is for sheep and their shepherd dogs.

If we hopefully do sign a quality LW this month, it would be a perfect responce to the question and will deserve praise where it's due. All our signing this summer so far have been of good quality and with good potential. But it still leaves the LW position unsolved properly, and we do have the right to ask about it. Just repeating the self-congratulating tone of "haven't we done well and we're going to be in CL now!" is frankly boring and doesn't contribute to a discussion or even argument.

[spurs_viola]

MJ and DC see davies as cover for CB and RB - hence our interest. With the amount of injuries ledley had last year, and the amount of games we expect to play this year - quality cover for our defence is vital. AG will allegedly be sold, leaving us with only MD, YK, RR and an injured LK plus the likes of Dervitte to step up - which for 60 games and possible injuries, is a little thin.


There are no signs that Gardner is going to be sold. And I would much prefer Dervitte to step up in the covering place rather than Davies. It is going to be much harder to keep Davies happy as a cover than it would be with Dervitte, considering Davies was first choice for WBA for the last couple of seasons. And he would cost a hell of a lot more than promoting Dervitte.

Another point: the lack of cover did not stop Spurs loaning Routledge last season, did it? We were left with only Lennon as a recognised RW, if you remember?

[spurs_viola]

DC and MJ have consistently said that if they can find a quality LW and the right price they will try and get them - which is exactly what they have done.


Err...done what exactly? Do you know something we don't and we are indeed about to sign a great LW?

[YIDBOY]

To the self-congratulating, "everything is fine, don't want to hear anything else, don't you dare to try lifting my rosy specs, you prick/c**/sh**" brigade: please don't lump someone who dares to raise a valid question which has been unresolved for the last 3 years with the people who post just negative load in every point. And can we have a discussion without the idiotic abuse?

I have never said anything about Ziegler, Bent, Prince etc - I do not agree with Sammy there, but it's just his opinion which I don't share on those points. But I do share the concern that without a quality left-footed LW we will continue to be unbalanced. I knew there will be plenty here who would jump at the chance to throw stones at him, so I didn't bother replying to the other points.

Raising questions does not have to mean lack of trust. Refusing to ask questions and knocking anyone who wants to ask questions is for sheep and their shepherd dogs.

If we hopefully do sign a quality LW this month, it would be a perfect responce to the question and will deserve praise where it's due. All our signing this summer so far have been of good quality and with good potential. But it still leaves the LW position unsolved properly, and we do have the right to ask about it. Just repeating the self-congratulating tone of "haven't we done well and we're going to be in CL now!" is frankly boring and doesn't contribute to a discussion or even argument.

Well said. It seems that many people on this site just don't want to hear any opinions that they might not agree with. Either Spurs are the best team in the world, or you're a tosser. You've been subjected to some unfair abuse from some small minded, deluded people.

[spurs mental]

I think a good start would be to come away from the Sunderland game with at least a point and then win our next 2 home games.After that we have a tough run of games.If we get out of the first 6 games with 11/13 points we would be happy.We have Sunderland,Everton,Derby...all games we can get 3 points in...then Manurre,Foolham,and the Arse...if we get 5 points out of them games we would be extremely happy..so 14 points from the first 6 games would be a great start.But id take 12 right now.

[SammyM]

In response to the blasting that myself and Spurs_Viola have been annihilated by -

I made a valid (okay rehashed) point about our left side, expressing my frustration at how much of a farce it has become.

I'm excited about about Kevin Prince Boateng because I've seen him quite a few times in the bundesliga and he looked a great prospect. Who wouldn't want a kid like that in the first team rotation? For all those people who have seen him I, like many other will tell you is a bit of nutter but has bags on skill.

What really makes me laugh is the pathetic way some of you people make really valid points to answer myself and spurs_violia's comments only to chuck cheap insults to the mix for 'good' effect. I knew when i wrote that comment that maybe one or two 'supporters' with a individual mind and respect for free speech (cheers spurs_viola and YIDBOY) would give me time of day and a intelligent response.

The rest have been kinda worrying.
I thought we were all Tottenham Hotspur supporters?
Supporters who go to every game.
Supporters who flat out refuse to go to any matches as part of a protest of ticket prices.
Supporters who can remember when the Glory, Glory Days weren't just something you read about in the illustrated history books.
Supporters who know that commentary of Gazza's free kick in the 1991 semi final off by heart.
Supporters who can remember when we used to have a class act down the left.
Supporters who just love Tottenham Hotspur.

It doesn't matter how much of a Spurs fan you are, it doesn't matter if you've gone to every home or away game for the last ever.
All the matters is that you are Tottenham. The way supporters insult people because they think they are not worthy is shocking.
What do they know about fans lifes away from being a spurs fan? Nothing. So who are they to pass judgement?

If you love Spurs you have a right to post your opinions on this site and just maybe you won't get dumped on by the small minded, less celebrated 'supporters' under our glorious banner.

I'll take my Tosser of the Season award and put it in my trophy cabinet. I'll put all the times people have wanted to write or shout prick at the screen and put them in a big bag and take them to a recycling unit and have them turned into match day programmes.

Will I see you at the Sunderland game? Sorry no. I'll be at work, Tottenham unfortantly doesn't pay the bills. Unlike government benefit. Computer £300, Replica shirt £35, getting the state to pay for your yids tickets... priceless.

Seeya at the Everton game.

[ShelfSide18]

SammyM, I'm not disputing your right to an opinion but you seem to be a negative Spurs fan who hides behind the banner of 'being realistic'. The fact is Jol and Comolli didn't want a left winger, you did. I know who i'm gonna trust.

It's not exactly like we struggled scoring and creating goals last season, we struggled keeping them out.

[Jolmeister]

I'd have to agree in general, it is very difficult to understand why spurs management cannot sign a quality LW for the first team in nearly 3 years now. I hope Taarabt can fill the vacancy there, but he is not left-footed either and if Bale is to play as a LB, we would have an 18 and 19yr olds on the left!...
Last summer we were all expecting a proper LW signing till the end of the transfer window, which did not happen.

I see Danny Rose has been given squad number 37, this obviously means that he will be given a run out at some point this season. Just what we need a fast LW who can cross a decent ball. I think this means we have given up any thoughts of signing a LW LM.

[royboy]

Err...done what exactly? Do you know something we don't and we are indeed about to sign a great LW?

i thought my point was very clear - read it again if you are unsure. DC and MJ have said that they will try and sign a LW that they believe will improve the squad and is available at the right price - i assumed failed attempts to sign petrov, nani, etc proved this point.

[royboy]

There are no signs that Gardner is going to be sold. And I would much prefer Dervitte to step up in the covering place rather than Davies. It is going to be much harder to keep Davies happy as a cover than it would be with Dervitte, considering Davies was first choice for WBA for the last couple of seasons. And he would cost a hell of a lot more than promoting Dervitte.

Another point: the lack of cover did not stop Spurs loaning Routledge last season, did it? We were left with only Lennon as a recognised RW, if you remember?

read the itk thread - has been mentioned there many times that AG is going to be sold.

with regards to the alleged lack of cover for lennon - jenas, ghaly and malbranque all played RM last season - doesn't really sound like a lack of cover now does it?