Tottenham v Burnley: Carling Cup semi-final 1st leg Match thread

[DC_Boy]

To an extent DC I agree with you, but Lennon for instance is an out and out winger who tracks back and does some fairly decent (for a guy of his stature) defensive work which helps out the full back no end. I think it's possible to get a player on the left who offers not only more threat than Bentley going forward but a bit more balance, a player who also can deal with the defensive aspects of the game. .

well time will tell - I don't think lennon and modric have enough physical presence when played with a left winger as opposed to a left mid

and lennon still doesn't offer enough end product going forward to compensate for the defensive frailty he does leave, which wouldn't happen if you had say JJ on the right downing on the left ohara and modric in the mid

some of this may come down to semantics but they are important semantics (to me anyway)

lots of spurs fans have been crying out for a left winger for years - I haven't been

it'd be nice but it's never been priority (IMHO)

we've had three good seasons playing three mids in a 4-4-2

usually involving jenas and then a mix of carrick zokora davids malbranque tainio

we now o'hara, who's exactly right for the job

by all means get in someone else too like Downing as we need a squad

but if Downing plays as a left winger then it won't work with lennon and modric in a 4-4-2 (IMHO, time will tell etc)

 

[worcestersauce]

well time will tell - I don't think lennon and modric have enough physical presence when played with a left winger as opposed to a left mid

and lennon still doesn't offer enough end product going forward to compensate for the defensive frailty he does leave, which wouldn't happen if you had say JJ on the right downing on the left ohara and modric in the mid

some of this may come down to semantics but they are important semantics (to me anyway)

lots of spurs fans have been crying out for a left winger for years - I haven't been

it'd be nice but it's never been priority (IMHO)

we've had three good seasons playing three mids in a 4-4-2

usually involving jenas and then a mix of carrick zokora davids malbranque tainio

we now o'hara, who's exactly right for the job

by all means get in someone else too like Downing as we need a squad

but if Downing plays as a left winger then it won't work with lennon and modric in a 4-4-2 (IMHO, time will tell etc)

Interestingly when O’Hara came on yesterday the biggest beneficiary was Gareth Bale, from a first half where he was obviously under orders to get forward but was exposed too often at the back which left him looking very poor, in fact it seemed he was trying to be both left back and left wing. He grew in the 2nd going forward with the confidence that he was covered behind him what’s more his defending improved enormously and he had a cracking half, which does sort of back up your point about Jamie.

I have to say though that I’m in favour of Downing for the left wing, someone who could actually deliver great balls in means that the left back can still overlap but isn’t under pressure to take chances with his defensive duties to do so, plus Downing is a good player whatever we think of positions and would add variety to the squad.

 

[Chris12345]

I'm sorry, but not all of us can afford to go to every single game... especially when I know that if I do go, I'll have to put up with people whinging and booing... I thought that 31k was a decent attendance considering...

 

[ShelfSide18]

I think its more the fact we manage to sell out for Fulham on boxing day but not a Semi Final tbh.

 

[Chris12345]

Boxing day games have tradionally high attendances...

 

[DC_Boy]

most tkts for the prem are 'pre-sold' - ie season tkts

we could probably pre-sell the whole lot ifor the prem f we want

buying extra games is a different matter

I believe man u have a kind of enforcement policy you hve to buy any cup games too

not having man u's pulling power, that would be high risk for us

 

[Kendall]

Biggest negative from last night, yes even more so than Bentley's performance, was the attendance of just over 31k.

With the camera's located on the East Stand, the two blocks of empty spaces on the West Lower must've looked embarrassing on the box.

I know, I know, credit crunch, just after Christmas, no money, it was cold, it was midweek, it was against championship opposition, it was on the box, the club's pricing policy was all wrong, but it was also a fucking semi final of a cup for fuck sake.

I know we have been spolit by being in the semis three years in a row, but come on is that the best we can do.

No doubt if we get through to the final there'll be a whole load of people whinging about not being able to get tickets because they didn't have enough loyalty points. Well, if you can't be arsed to even go to the semi finals then quite frankly I've got absolutely no sympathy.

Sorry for the rant, I know a lot of people have genuine reasons for not being able to go, I just felt it needed to be said. Maybe I've still got some of the -9C in me today.

Well unfortunately some of us have to spend a pretty penny during the crunch to get down to the Lane at the best of times. The lack of sufficient transport back to the North after an evening game is also a massive factor in some people not being able to go. Don't forget, not all Spurs fans live a few tube stops away.

It's not a case of can't be arsed, it's a case of having to be in work at 9am the next morning and not physically being able to get back home to be able to do that.

 

[ShelfSide18]

Yeah i know I guess I just really hate seeing the cups being devalued like they are.

I was watching some old footage of cup games from days gone by and it looked amazing, the FA cup especially and the importance everyone placed on the cups.

Seeing empty seats in a semi final at the lane depressed me somewhat.

Ultimately it's the fact that astronomical ticket prices are killing the real fanbase of football and that angers me. Look over to european countries and the prices they are charged over there and it does make you wonder.

 

[DC_Boy]

hi WS as I say I'm all in favour of getting Downing in (on the right terms etc) as it's a squad game

I think we'll struggle playing lennon modric CM and Downing in a 4-4-2 tho
unless Downing alters his game considerably, and there's no guarantee that will be a good idea

time will tell etc etc

 

[DC_Boy]

Yeah i know I guess I just really hate seeing the cups being devalued like they are.

I was watching some old footage of cup games from days gone by and it looked amazing, the FA cup especially and the importance everyone placed on the cups.

Seeing empty seats in a semi final at the lane depressed me somewhat.

Ultimately it's the fact that astronomical ticket prices are killing the real fanbase of football and that angers me. Look over to european countries and the prices they are charged over there and it does make you wonder.

Hi 18 yep I remember when cup games were bigger than lge games

you'd sometimes have to make a seperate journey to the Lane to get Cup tickets, which you rarely if ever did for the lge (just get there early for the big ones)

there was a buzz, especially about the FA Cup and European nights

but the Champions lge, Sky Prem money, the ludicrous UEFA format has killed so much of the cups' romance

I mean 4th or winning a Cup - it wasn't even close
when I started following football, it was the cup everytime

Im still sufficiently old school to prefer winning the lge cup to finishing 5th hence my view last season was better than the previous two

the FA/UEFA Cup or 4th place - that for me is a dilemma, but I know for many it's a no-brainer - 4th place

 

[MattyP]

Chris#, Kendall (and any others) - didn't mean to rant and hopefully no-one has taken it as a slight on them or their level of support.

Just that at a time when we are looking to build a new stadium, which has been asked for for a while, I find it weird that we struggle to fill our existing stadium at times. I can understand earlier rounds against minnow opposition, but a semi final doesn't come along every year (apart from the last three :grin and should still be special.

 

[ShelfSide18]

Well I only started going (as a very young kid) to Spurs in the 93/94 season and remember being knocked out at Ipswich 3-0. I remember nothing of the match but I remember being in tears on the way out(I was only 6). I think that era was the arse end of the cups meaning everything as the Premiership was still in it's fledgling state. Indeed that season the only games my old man took me to were Fa Cup games because simply...it was the cup. (Peterborough and Ipswich)

I remember going to Anfield the next season when Klinsmann scored that last minute winner, I can remember it vividly and still remember how important it felt.

I fully understand the reasons why people stayed away last night, but empty seats in a semi final just seems wrong.

All this is one reason i'm happy with Utd away in the Fa Cup, as it seems like a proper cup tie. The Wigan game simply didn't.

 

[Chris12345]

I didn't ask for a new stadium

 

[DC_Boy]

I remember some on here criticising the Board for proposing a 55-60k stadium, that it was too small

mmmmmmmmmmm

 

[MattyP]

I remember some on here criticising the Board for proposing a 55-60k stadium, that it was too small

mmmmmmmmmmm

I hold my hands up to being one of them, wanting 61k.

If the 31k that went last night all brought an inflatable doll with them, we'd still fill a 61k stadium.

But then it really would be like the emirates with all the plastic fans who don't sing.

 

[Chris12345]

I don't even want 60k

A redeveloped lane with a capacity circa 50k woulda done me...

 

[MrWoolley]

I think the date itself didnt help the match not being sold out. Alot of people are back at work now and if you dont live in and around London, your looking at having to book time off to go to the game, and with it being so early in the year, people are more reluctant to use holiday.

And the amount of games and the credit crunch means every team is bound to get smaller attendances.

 

[ShelfSide18]

I don't even want 60k

A redeveloped lane with a capacity circa 50k woulda done me...

Thats what I was after too to be honest.

 

[General Levy]

A new 50,00 seater stadium with chance to increase would be great.

 

[DC_Boy]

so well done to the board again for having the foresight not to outline some 60,000/70,000+ stadium as called for by many

check the threads- I remember it vividly cos I was arguing the board had called it right (as were many others of course)

the fact that we are constantly on TV, the ever increasing availabilty of streams/dodgy satellite boxes/pubs etc etc, the high cost of football, means that a conservative approach to our capacity is a wise one