Gardner pleads for Spurs patience

[mawspurs]

Source: Teamtalk

Anthony Gardner has called for patience among Tottenham fans but admits the pressure is now on to get a result against Derby on Saturday.

Defeats to Sunderland and Everton saw Spurs drop to the bottom of the Premier League, a sorry start for a team tipped to challenge for a Champions League place after spending more than £40million in the summer.

Boss Martin Jol is dealing with an injury crisis in defence and his expensive strikeforce is taking time to gel, but Gardner is refusing to contemplate defeat to Derby at White Hart Lane this weekend.

"We just need a result to go our way," the centre-back said. "It may be early but Saturday is a must-win game for us to lift our morale. The players are disappointed, the fans are disappointed."

Jol grabbed the microphone at the end of last season and addressed the fans after finishing fifth, but the supporters jeered off the team against Everton after their first home match of the season on Tuesday night.

"I can understand the fans' frustrations," said Gardner. "Expectations are high and they are looking for us to do big things.

"We finished fifth last season and we have improved the team since then so we were expecting to make a strong start but we haven't.

"I just hope the fans can be patient because we have the quality to turn this around. I train with the players every day and know how good they are and the quality of players we have bought in the summer."

Bookmakers cut the odds on Jol getting sacked following the 3-1 defeat to Everton, a clash that exposed a lack of depth in Tottenham's defence.

Ledley King spent the night as a pundit as he recovers from his knee operation, Michael Dawson had an ankle sprain and Gareth Bale has been struggling with knee and thigh problems.

It got worse for Jol when £8million signing Younes Kaboul limped off with a hamstring problem in the first half against Everton, with Paul Stalteri, Ricardo Rocha and Gardner struggling in a makeshift defence.

It has increased the spotlight on West Brom's Curtis Davies, who wants a move to the Premier League and is understood to prefer Spurs as a destination.

"Derby will be a difficult game, we have to come up with a decent team again," said Jol.

Gardner took the blame for Joleon Lescott's opener during the Everton defeat, although he then scored at the other end.

Rather than being a springboard for victory, Leon Osman and Alan Stubbs earned the points for David Moyes' men.

Gardner is confident his team-mates can overcome their poor start - which they eventually did last season - and live up to their billing of top-four contenders.

"The level of expectations hasn't got to the players," added the 26-year-old. "Sunderland was not a good game to watch, it was tight and they scored with the last kick of the game which was unfortunate for us.

"I don't think it's because of players shirking away from the expectation levels, we are all aware what's on our shoulders and we just have to go out there and do it.

"If we can beat Derby it will make everyone happy again and give us something to build on."

Dawson has not been totally ruled out of the Derby game but King is out until the end of next month. Aaron Lennon has a knee injury and is not expected to return to training until the end of the month.

Meanwhile, Spurs have submitted new plans for training facilities at Enfield. An appeal for the first application is expected to be heard in November.

[L.S.U.Yiddo]

Gardner is right, although we have problems with the team (ie lack of width, etc.) we still have the quality to turn things around like we did last season. The team just need one result to go there way and morale is back up. It's still early days, so the fans shouldn't give up on the team just yet.

[DefoeFan]

"If we can beat derby?!!. Wow yer that would be a real coo wouldn't it!. I mean, derby are going for the top 4 like were are aren't they,PILLOCK., What a joke. The 2nd/3rd biggest spending club in the Premiership hoping to beat a newly promoted team!.:duh:

Can you imagine people's reactions if sir Alex ferguson said this after spending over £80 Million in 2 seasons!!".

When you spend this amount of money, People need to EXPECT results. Not sit at the bottom of the premiership. Personally I dont understand why we bought a 4th Striker when obviously people like Jenus only put in any effort and commitment when it suits them,

That 40 million should have been spent on midfield. Like Andy gray mentioned you can't just Bung the forwards/Strikers the ball and say "there you go, create your own chances".

We may only be 2 games in But if you want be in the top 4 you Seriously can't consider that if you lose your home games.

[tingy98]

there's nothing decent about Derby..... we shouldn't be bigging/encouraging them up in any way at all!!!!

[mrbrightside73]

Right,so what do you want him to say?? 'well,of course,everything will be ok when we beat Derby on saturday' Show Derby a little respect for fucks sake.Imagine if he did say that and we got beat,and give an already over the moon media more ammunition to chop us down with.

Its about time a lot of fans on this forum grew up.

[ziggy]

Right,so what do you want him to say?? 'well,of course,everything will be ok when we beat Derby on saturday' Show Derby a little respect for fucks sake.Imagine if he did say that and we got beat,and give an already over the moon media more ammunition to chop us down with.

Its about time a lot of fans on this forum grew up.


Well said

[tingy98]

Right,so what do you want him to say?? 'well,of course,everything will be ok when we beat Derby on saturday' Show Derby a little respect for fucks sake.Imagine if he did say that and we got beat,and give an already over the moon media more ammunition to chop us down with.

Its about time a lot of fans on this forum grew up.

why talk about how decent they are and difficult they are going to be? Derby should be fearful of us....

i'm not asking him to say "we going to easily beat a team that costs less than Darren Bent"...

i'd rather him say nothing at all..... there's nothing wrong with showing respect... in fact I think we show too much respect to lesser teams and don't play to our strengths - certainly in away games!!

[PaulM]

why talk about how decent they are and difficult they are going to be? Derby should be fearful of us....

i'm not asking him to say "we going to easily beat a team that costs less than Darren Bent"...

i'd rather him say nothing at all..... there's nothing wrong with showing respect... in fact I think we show too much respect to lesser teams and don't play to our strengths - certainly in away games!!

The reporter/journo probably asked him about the game against Derby on Saturday. It's an obvious question. What's Gardner supposed to say? Lay off the lad.

[worcestersauce]

What this is is a cry from the heart to Spurs fans to help the players and to stand up and be counted, if we can ask it of them they can ask it of us, simple things like not fu(k1ng booing them off the field, Christ that pissed me off, that was the only noise most supporters made all Tuesday night and it's only two games in, lets just do what we do best and give them the support we always say we do.

I am sick of this attitude that because I pay £800 I expect to win every game and the team had better damn well deliver.
Well I pay my money every year because the thought of not seeing my Spurs play is not something I can accept, I support Spurs because I am Spurs.
Sorry if this sounds a bit dramatic but we are fans not a poxy audience.

[Ali]

"
Can you imagine people's reactions if sir Alex ferguson said this after spending over £80 Million in 2 seasons!!".
.

Yeah, but he's not Sir Alex Ferguson is he? He's not even Martin Jol or Chris Hughton, or any of our coaching staff. He's a defender who many people on here thought we should have sold this summer now that we supposedly have such riches in central defence. Bloody good job we didn't sell him after all, eh? He may have made a mistake for their first goal last night, but he then scored an identical goal himself and didn't really do much wrong after that.

And of course he has to show Derby a bit of respect. Or were you one of the people who thought Sunderland would be a walkover too?

[Yidatron]

What this is is a cry from the heart to Spurs fans to help the players and to stand up and be counted, if we can ask it of them they can ask it of us, simple things like not fu(k1ng booing them off the field, Christ that pissed me off, that was the only noise most supporters made all Tuesday night and it's only two games in, lets just do what we do best and give them the support we always say we do.

I am sick of this attitude that because I pay £800 I expect to win every game and the team had better damn well deliver.
Well I pay my money every year because the thought of not seeing my Spurs play is not something I can accept, I support Spurs because I am Spurs.
Sorry if this sounds a bit dramatic but we are fans not a poxy audience.

Damn right! :clap: :clap: :clap:

[Boaman]

Look on the bright side, we're only 2 points behind Man Utd

[changispur]

two points behind united... And while we have many strikers and one second string winger, they have no striker available and too many wingers. Goals scored are pretty much the same ?

[wakefieldyid]

"Personally I dont understand why we bought a 4th Striker

If you're really struggling to understand this, perhaps Berbatov's absence for several weeks (at best) because of the recurrence of his groin strain should give you a clue.

COYS!

[Kay]

I think we should and need to play Huddlestone in defence.

[DanBrown]

Anybody else think Sami Hyypia might do a job for us for a couple of seasons? Might add a bit of leadership at the back and allow Kaboul and Dawson to develop with a senior partner.

[justfookinhitit]

Man Utd have had the worst start to a season since 1998. They have Rooney out for god knows how long and Ronaldo banned for the next 3 matches. Having spoken to a few of their fans (you know the type - grew up in London, don't know where to find Manchester on a map etc etc) they aren't screaming "Fergie out."

Yes I'm pissed off we lost to a 93rd minute goal to Sunderland and then were tonked by Everton. But we just need to get on with it. Our injuries are horrendous and we just need to get through the next few games. Pricks in the media talking about the amount we have spent should hold fire until we have an opportunity to play these new signings in a proper first team.

Oh, and it is probably best not to criticise Gardner when he's our top scorer !!! Never thought I'd get to say that about him.

[choffer74]

Bookmakers cut the odds on Jol getting sacked following the 3-1 defeat to Everton, a clash that exposed a lack of depth in Tottenham's defence.


i'm sure if Man U had Ferdinand, Vidic, Brown, Evra, Heinze, and Silvestre out they wouldnt be saying about a lack of depth! We've got 3 CDs (and still manage to play 2 internationals!) and 3 LBs out - we're going to struggle!
And what about the double standards between us and the top 2 teams. When terry was out last year the papers were 'oh its not surprising that chelsea are dropping points when captain fantastic is out'. Well what about us? Oh no, Jols doing a crap job, he's wasted £50m etc

[Deeyal]

I agree, whats all this b*llocks about patience??? So what, we should sit back whilst all the other teams around us are taking all the points in the hope we might just turn it round in the next 4 or 5 games. There is no place in the Premiership for patience I'm afraid. This is the kind of attitude we dont need at the club, and another reason we should get rid of Gardner, he is a f*cking tool.

[Tone]

What this is is a cry from the heart to Spurs fans to help the players and to stand up and be counted, if we can ask it of them they can ask it of us, simple things like not fu(k1ng booing them off the field, Christ that pissed me off, that was the only noise most supporters made all Tuesday night and it's only two games in, lets just do what we do best and give them the support we always say we do.

:clap: Last year we had the players and the manager saying what a difference the crowd made, like a 12th player on the pitch. The Everton crowd were making more noise that our fans 80% of the time on tuesday! OK, so they had more to cheer but we should be making the lane intimidating for any team and especially getting behind the boys when they need us to. I too was really pissed off with the booing off the field.

[john edwards]

Paul Robinson always seems to me as if he lacks total confidence in his abilities, perhaps dropping him might help not only him but the team. If we beat Derby then we go to Man U not even a point is likely there.:violin:

[asher]

After MOTD last night Ilicked over to ESPN Classic and they showed a Spurs V Arse game from 1978 at the Lane........we lost 5-0!!! Man them boys were bad, I mean even Hod didn't have a clue that day.
I think I speak for most when I saywe are all gutted by our start but lets not panic. I mean Man U have exactly started great. Lets re-assess after 8-9 games. If it doesn't improve I for one would like to see Juande Ramos come in and I think he would jump at the chance to manage at the Lane.

[littleAaronlennon]

Derby are my second team so please have some bloody respect, yes it will be difficult as they've just come up and will fight for every ball. Also personally up against our defence the way it is at the moment i would thrive on playing against them myself with a bunch of mates, let alone talking about a professional football team. Incidentally i don't think Derby wiil get relegated this season, nor if i remember correctly have Tottenham got a great record against the Rams in the premiership either.

[Glory_Years]

What this is is a cry from the heart to Spurs fans to help the players and to stand up and be counted, if we can ask it of them they can ask it of us, simple things like not fu(k1ng booing them off the field, Christ that pissed me off, that was the only noise most supporters made all Tuesday night and it's only two games in, lets just do what we do best and give them the support we always say we do.

I am sick of this attitude that because I pay £800 I expect to win every game and the team had better damn well deliver.
Well I pay my money every year because the thought of not seeing my Spurs play is not something I can accept, I support Spurs because I am Spurs.
Sorry if this sounds a bit dramatic but we are fans not a poxy audience.

I coundt have put it better my self well done fella.