Source: http://www.insidespanishfootball.com/sporting-gijon-1-2-real-zaragoza/
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Saturday, 31 March 2012
Sporting Gijon 1-2 Real Zaragoza : Visitors win to move off bottom spot
Real Zaragoza finally moved off the bottom of La Liga with a 2-1 win over fellow relegation strugglers Sporting Gijon on Saturday at El Molinon. By Staff Writer After back-to-back wins over Valencia and Atletico Madrid, Manolo Jimenez’s Real Zaragoza were looking for a third successive win to move off the bottom of La Liga. [...]
Scandinavian players, available for cut prices and ready to move on
Scandinavian players, available for cut prices and ready to move on
Source: http://soccervoice.com/n111034.htm
football america football tables play football football today
Pep Guardiola?s Dilemma
Ben Crump looks at Pep Guardiola’s growing dilemma on whether he should continue as Barcelona coach next season. By Ben Crump����� Follow @insidelaliga It has now been a month since we heard the news that Pep Guardiola would be announcing his decision to�sign a one-year contract extension at Barcelona, however after a busy month, we [...]
Source: http://www.insidespanishfootball.com/the-white-hanky-pep-guardiolas-dilemma/
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Strength. Width. Tempo.
Stoke, under the lights. I'm sure once I get to N17, walk down the Seven Sisters, have a beer or two and take my standing place in the Park Lane Lower I'll find myself edging back towards the necessity of us acquiring all three points. I remain fairly detached still from the pressures of finishing in the top four and retaining third place ahead of the two other London clubs below us.
Fabrice Muamba remains in our thoughts. It's great news that he's no longer critical and is in a stable condition, progressing well. Life goes on and so will football, even if for the moment it still feels some what unimportant in comparison. I wasn't at the Bolton cup game. I'll be there this evening (a rare occasion post-fatherhood) and I guess I wont know until the game kicks off how subdued the atmosphere will be. Hopefully it wont be. Harry said no player will be selected if they're not in the right frame of mind. If anything, we'll honour the lad as he continues to fight on and off the pitch. I'm positive all players will want to participate and do so with utmost professionalism.
I think the manner in which we played in the abandoned cup tie (aside from the openness in defence) would be a good starting point to continue with this evening. That means Bale out wide on the left in a more traditional flank role. Modric in the middle and van der Vaart free to roam from the right. It's a must-win game. Doesn't feel like it is but placing everything aside and taking the game in isolation - we can't afford to drop points at home. Not just in this game but all our remaining fixtures at White Hart Lane. Chelsea away to City, Arsenal away to Everton. It wouldn't be that surprising (considering the roller-coaster nature of this season) if the home sides falter. Ironic that for the best part of the season I've always cited how other results are of no interest to us. However now, the interest in what happens elsewhere is of a slightly more keen nature. It would be nice if our rivals came unstuck.
We need plenty of spirit and desire and complete focus at the task at hand. We're up against a side that has already beaten us twice this season. Make no mistake it's a tricky fixture under normal circumstances let alone following what happened in our last one. They are physical and dangerous from set-pieces. We need to grip the midfield and play our game and let them worry about attempting to contain us. Got to be organised when defending from high balls. We've also got to be wise to them breaking up our play so we might need to be patient in some of our build up play.
Strength. Width. Tempo.
Life does go on and we should embrace the positives and do them justice.
COYS
Source: http://www.dearmrlevy.com/dml/2012/3/21/strength-width-tempo.html
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La Liga Preview : Round 30
Dani Perea looks ahead an exciting weekend of La Liga action that sees Real Madrid travel to Pamplona and Barcelona face their Copa del Rey final opponents Athletic Bilbao. By Dani Perea���� Follow @danielpereaalfa Saturday Barcelona ? Athletic Club Bilbao All eyes will be on Camp Nou as Barcelona host Athletic Bilbao, both sides will [...]
Source: http://www.insidespanishfootball.com/la-liga-preview-round-30/
Pe�a B�tica : The Real Betis rollercoaster rolls on
Ben Hardman gives his opinion on the latest goings on around Real Betis and admits his frustrations as poor form continues. By Ben Hardman����� Follow @hardmanbs In my article back in February I talked about the need to grind out some results and start drawing more games instead of getting beaten: what I didn?t mean [...]
Source: http://www.insidespanishfootball.com/pena-betica-the-real-betis-rollercoaster-rolls-on/
football fixtures football news england football espn football
Friday, 30 March 2012
Fabrice
The football doesn't really matter. Seems all fairly redundant at the moment when a young man is in critical condition fighting for his life. Everyone present at Spurs and those that watched via TV were emotionally anchored to the scenes transpiring on the pitch.
Soon enough, life will continue for all of us. Hopefully for Fabrice Muamba on the road to a full recovery. And even though we'll all think twice about frivolous problems (in comparison to all this) and arguments relating to our club and its dramas, that perspective we all have right this second that it doesn't truly matter and that it's just a game and such an incident proves that to be the case...it will slowly begin to fade and everyone will settle back to the way it was.
I'm not sure what my point is other than to support your team and enjoy the game for what it is, for what it is meant to be, and that when football fans of opposing sides sing together a players name, it should not be deemed as a surprise or exceptional football fan behaviour. Rather a dignified human reaction to a terrible moment. Everyone was a credit to themselves (the medical staff, the club, the players, the fans). I'd hope for the same reaction in any walk of life tagged with a label.
We're fragmented by tribes within the game, that's just part of the make-up of football. Wash it all off and you're left with people, some good some bad but for the most part good, who simply care for the well being of another human being. But the reaction we witnessed was only possible because of this game we love so much. It was powerful, the united support and in that instance in some ways football does truly matter because of how it amplifies and transcends that emotion.
I don't know Fabrice Muamba but my thoughts are with him and his family. Because he's part of the family.
Source: http://www.dearmrlevy.com/dml/2012/3/18/fabrice.html
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10 of the best: Nottingham Forest books
It’s hard to talk about Nottingham Forest without talking about Brian Clough, no more so when it comes to books. Inevitably, Clough dominates the past four decades of the club so, with a heavy slant towards ‘the greatest manager who ever lived’, Seat Pitch brings you another 10 of the best… 1. Provided You Don?t [...]
Source: http://seatpitch.co.uk/2012/03/22/10-of-the-best-nottingham-forest-books/
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UEFA Becomes Too Banhappy
TweetIn the light of Arsene Wenger receiving yet another touchline ban from the UEFA overlords, I feel it necessary to reflect on a few items that are deemed silly and childish regarding the entire process and punishment. UEFA typically administers bans and fines in response to cries of outrage by managers in the wake of [...]
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The season remains long and hard: Nottingham Forest 1-2 Doncaster Rovers
After a couple of weeks of such promise, with improved performances and improved results, trust Forest to bring us back [...]
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Aston Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov has cancer
ASTON Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov has been diagnosed with Leukaemia, it has been revealed.
Source: http://www.midlandsfootball.co.uk/2012/03/aston-villa-captain-stiliyan-petrov-has-cancer/
live football scores atdhe football football news football clubs
Premier League 10 years ago, what happened to the teams that were in the best party
Premier League 10 years ago, what happened to the teams that were in the
best party
best party
Source: http://soccervoice.com/n111037.htm
football news football clubs football history football scores today
Hello, Hello, we are the Tottenham boys
This is The Fighting Cock.
THE PODCAST
Episode 34 - "Unleashing hell...blindfolded"
Oh look, it's us again. Big whoop for ep 34. O drum, drum! Wherefore art thou drum? We talk up the crusade to get the Shelf Side drummer back in the stands. An update on another crusade, this one to get the Fighting Cock emblem tattooed on Chicago Dan's bum to raise money for a new mic. We do football as well. Our third successive sobbing on the trot (wherefore art thou three points?). Bolton in the cup for Tottingham. Stoke under the lights. We then tackle knee-jerking with two feet, studs up. We've also got questions via the forum along with Rickipedia, Windy blowing sh*t up, ZoC with an exclusive interview with Arsene Wenger and a Meat Men update.
Round the table today: Flav, Spooky, tehTrunk, Ricky, Thelonious, engineer Al and some bloke called Richard with a beard and a camera crew that plan to follow us around for a while. The stalkers.
Click on above image for the podcast or use itunes to subscribe/download.
FEATURE OF THE WEEK
International Spurs fans of Mystery
via Ricky (from the podcast)
The Fighting Cock has a new feature that needs the help of you! We all, as fans, go to ridiculous lengths to watch or listen to Tottenham. Whether you live in Tottenham or Thailand, we all have one thing in common, our love for TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR! We want to hear how much effort it takes you to catch the game.
Tottenham have a lot of fans around the world and a number of you tune into The Fighting Cock podcast every week, so this is your chance to have your voice heard as an international Tottenham fan. We are truly taken back with the amount of fans that listen to The Fighting Cock on foreign land ranging from America; China, Germany, South Africa, Norway, Ireland, Canada, Singapore, Nepal, Djibouti, Bermuda, Vietnam etc!
What do we want you may ask? Either a recording of yourself or an email, simple!
We want to hear and experience your journey which can include your town/country, time difference, chosen bar, your superstitions, if you snuck in a crafty ***k before the game, what transport you took, the whole lot.
For a three O’clock kick off, I roll off tehTrunk’s mum four times, watch Sky Sports News until 11 and whilst popping in and out of the kitchen I make myself a fry up and get changed. I meet Flav for 11:30 (but it always ends up being 12 because I’m late for everything), get the W3 bus from Crouch End to WHL station and go straight to the Bell & Hare pub for a beer.
Not very exciting I know, but we want to hear what YOU DO, whilst we’re doing that. I literally have sleepless nights thinking of your routine as I carry out my routine from across the globe.
Love, Ricky
“Love the shirt” (and the lengths you go to watch that shirt)
Email your stories to thefightingcock@gmail.com
Updates will be appearing here (as well as features on future pods).
THE PROJECT
Project tattoo Chicago Dan's arse
Hello one and all.
We’ve got another appeal. Now we know we’ve asked for money before, and we’re very grateful for everything that has been donated so far this season. There was the Botswana Christmas Appeal. And there was the drum that the FC forumites clubbed together to sort for the Ultras event. And lets not forget that we raised over £600 for Movember last year.
We need a new mic to record the show. What we use currently, although sounds alright, isn’t fit for purpose. Plus it’s Engineer Al’s personal Mic and he doesn’t really like carting it about all over the place, he gets angry, and well, he isn’t a very nice person at the best of times so, and he is very ugly even when he’s happy.
The cost of the mic we’re looking at is £340. That’s a lot of dough. We’re looking to raise £250 of this through your donation. The rest we’ll raise ourselves.
Now, we don’t just simply expect you to give us the money. We want to give you something in return, more than just the podcast each week. For your donation, Chicago Dan has agreed to get The Fighting Cock emblem tattooed on his arse. We’re talking as much of the cheek as possible. We will film the event, and edit it, and stick it on the website.
One day The Fighting Cock will cease to exist, but we will live on, immortal, by way of Dan’s arse tattoo.
To make a donation send it sibsthfc@gmail.com via paypal or use the following link: https://www.paypal.com/uk/sendmoney
More discussion on this here.
60% thus far so ta muchly for that.
THE FORUM - TOP THREADS
Top threads this week from the message board...
When is Harry going to STFU about England?
The squirrel chaser - (Berbatov anyone?)
Polish Under-8's Game Abandoned (Ultras Style)
FORUM CONTROVERSY
By any means necessary (cheering for Woolwich)
THREAD OF THE WEEK
Éperons and Belgian Spurs travelled from the continent to the Valley to join in with the Tottenham Ultras supporting the youth team in the FA Cup.
Here's their photo-diary of the journey. Essential stuff.
Love the shirt.
Source: http://www.dearmrlevy.com/dml/2012/3/17/hello-hello-we-are-the-tottenham-boys.html
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Never give up: Nottingham Forest 1 ? 1 Brighton and Hove Albion
After the amazing result on Tuesday night, there was every chance that today?s game would be a hangover. But in many ways, Brighton is a great team to play in these circumstances ? they keep the ball on the floor, and whilst solid in defence, would allow us a bit of space to play. In fact, in many ways, Brighton were one of the best sides I?ve seen at the City Ground this season ? a controlled possession game with a solid defence ? only spoilt by their cynical fouls [...]
Read the original post on eighteensixtyfive
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Thursday, 29 March 2012
Reds hit the big four-oh with a decent draw at Leicester..
Leicester City – 0 Nottingham Forest – 0 A draw ain’t too shabby really, considering, is it?� It gets us to the forty point mark which, whilst not by any stretch is a watermark of safety, it’s something that seemed a million miles away not all that long ago.� It means now with all teams [...]
Source: http://nffcblog.com/2012/03/28/reds-hit-the-big-four-oh-with-a-decent-draw-at-leicester/
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The fizzy pop has gone flat
Spurs 1 Stoke 1: One point from twelve
I think we can start to panic. Not the screaming down the road pulling out your hair foaming incoherently panic. Just the quieter biting of the nails version. Perhaps some of you prefer the former rather than the somewhat hopeful latter. Plenty around me in block 34 opted for a third choice, which involved mostly of screaming obscenities at our best players informing them they are in fact nothing more than excrement. Oh how the fickle love to dance in the moonlight, howling with sadness. Excrement? I’d argue that’s a tad (no, I’m not going to do the obvious pun) unfair although it’s the perfect description to label our inherently poor set pieces which once more personified a night of frustration with perfect grimness.
I’m not sure where to start so I’ll just start moaning and whatever I type will have to do, so please don’t expect anything linear or in a traditional matchy reporty chronological order delivered with flair. I'm fragile at the moment.
Might as well start with the set pieces as they are fresh in mind. Expect the most obvious conclusion and you will witness it over and over and over again.
Ball fails to beat the first man.
Ball pings past everyone.
Short corner is not played because that would involve creativity.
No intelligence with free kicks, other than to have a go, might hit the target but probably won't.
Concede a goal from a free kick because that’s the expected result from a dead ball against a side that score a fair few from there.
Just after conceding I noted one or two players holding out their hands in a philosophical manner, pondering what had happened. Half expected them to reveal t-shirts proclaiming ‘Why always us?’. There is a fundamental brain fart that continues to linger in and around the heads of the players we posses regardless of how technically gifted they are. No one is capable of resolving this perplexing nightmare we never seem to wake up from. I'm still talking about the set-pieces here but also, the lack of want, the lack of stepping up and finding that relentless tempo from earlier in the season. When we dug deep on occasions, made our own luck, forced things to happen.
The Stoke goal, it did came against the run of play. And yet to be fair to them, at least they got something on target and by virtue of doing so scored and therefore deserved it. First half Luka had a couple of efforts. Bale's loop not dipping under the crossbar. There were one or two other sort of half promising moments either in the box or in the build up when attacking towards the box, but let’s be honest here. It was all ominous, that mocking apologetic football akin to knocking on a door you just need to get through hoping someone will answer when it would be far more apt to kick it down.
Sure, we had Bale on the left and Modric in the middle and one up front. I would, under normal circumstances, talk about how we are a side that is reliant on having our best players in their best positions and thus struggle if there is even one player missing. But this is a weak excuse. It’s still true in many ways as illustrated when the manager has tinkered to resolve problems with width. But in this instance it transcends selection. Adebayor has hardly been setting the world on fire recently and although his hold up play remains important this should not hold us back. And yet it did. If Adebayor isn’t setting the world on fire, Saha is attempting to do so by using a wet match.
Oh Saha, when you have the ball at feet, look up, look up. Pass it to a team mate. Alas no, the ball was persistently played to nobody or into space where an opposition player could thank and collect. There was one moment where he gave this look, with a swing of an arm, which was reminiscent of someone that couldn’t even be bothered to portray genuine care. Just wanted to look like he did. Oh golly gosh, the ball has been wasted. Darn it.
Is that harsh? Probably, but there was not enough about him. Defoe (on for Niko) gave us some direction when he was subbed on but it was hardly a tactical master-stroke. Gio came on for Saha. If that doesn’t tell you how desperate we are for something, anything to happen...
That's not to say simply having Saha up front ruined any chance of winning the game. The problem remains a collective one. No edge to our play at all. No fluency (thanks Harry for the confirmation).
King limped off. The logic here was probably, ‘Let’s play him in the must win home game because we’ll probably not win away to Chelsea’. Oops.
Scott Parker is now looking like the player I thought he was before we signed him. He’s completely out of form. Was always going to happen, him burning out like this. Hindsight will point out we should have roated more.
Much like the Everton game, we statistically battered them. In physical form the story was altogether a different one. A tale of woes and woefulness. We didn’t really carve out that many opportunities. We didn’t test their keeper enough. The football was flaccid, limp and lethargic. Now I know that a good solid side that has basked in consistency for the most part of the season and has also crowed loudly in acceptance to the plaudits given for the football played doesn’t turn rubbish over a game or four. But we might as well be because the results we’re producing are not inspiring or aspiring.
‘It’s all about the performance’, some would say, well yes okay, I get that. But the result matters more when you’re in a slump. Sure it’s not the good olde Spurs slump of old. We have not completely unequivocally surrendered. The effort is there, the execution isn’t. But we’re in danger of allowing this loss of confidence to destroy all that has been built. There’s a game, a moment that is meant to galvanise our team and allow us to once more attain momentum. But it’s not forthcoming. It’s all just a little too laborious in effort. There is no hunger, no ruthless 'win at any cost' desire. That mojo is not lost behind the sofa. It's fallen through the floorboards into the flat downstairs. And that door, we're still just knocking on it instead of knocking it the **** down.
I don’t know if it’s the England job. The court case. Redknapp or the lack of leadership on the pitch. What I do know is that nothing we’re doing at this moment in time is deserving of us retaining 3rd spot. Which is why we’ve lost it. If we want to reclaim it we’ll have stop feeling sorry for ourselves and grow that pair that appear to have gone from grapefruits to grapes to pomegranate seeds. Post-Chelsea, the fixture list is one we should seek to lap up. Should.
Around the 90th minute mark I bid my farewells to the two staunch Spurs fans to my right (one of which made the quote of the night stating how the best ever Spurs side of recent years was still miles behind the worst Man Utd side of recent years...ooh snap) telling them I needed to visit the bog and that I would watch the final minutes of injury time on the tv screens below before departing. I’ve done this once before and we scored (Keane, 4-4 v Chelsea) so off I went. I found a cubicle with the least amount of puddle to swim through and watched my fluid elegant flow hit the basin. Best move I had witnessed all night. I then walked out of the bogs looked up at the screen and within seconds saw Bale cross for Rafa for the 1-1. How nice of us to finally make a breakthrough.
I shrugged and left for the Seven Sisters.
I shrugged because had we done that 10 minutes earlier we might have found the belief for a second and thus securing that galvanised ‘performance’ to aid with reconstructing our depleted confidence.
Instead, we now go to Chelsea off the back of 3 defeats and 1 draw. At least we can recycle ‘mind the gap’ for their attention although best use up your quota of gags before the weekend before the five point buffer gets cut down. Oh come on, we never win there, do we? Although if there was a game that could galvanise our season this would...ah, never mind. Let's just wait and see.
Oh the joys of football. It’s never easy. It’s always cruel. It always makes us feel alive. Because we are. Alive. There's no shallow grave dug yet. I can see the shovel but no digging. And yet in amongst all this depressive rhetoric I still fancy us. Is that delusion? I’ve looked in the mirror and I’m not foaming so I’m pretty sure there must be some logic in my belief. We took a point in a game where we never looked like taking one. If that is our fight back its hardly one of epicness. But it's a start. It's a point. It's not a defeat.
There is now no disputing what needs to be done to get the job done. Either stand up and be counted or sit back down, put your feet up and whistle the day away whilst you throw it all away.
We are still super Tottenham, just without the super bit. Just plain old Tottenham. Do what it takes. Sellotape the flipping super onto the Tottenham if you need to. Just get the job done.
x
Source: http://www.dearmrlevy.com/dml/2012/3/22/the-fizzy-pop-has-gone-flat.html
Forest vs. Brighton and Hove Albion preview..
Hmm, it is of course tempting to fill this page with doom and gloom as I did for the Leeds preview. It wouldn’t be unreasonable, Brighton are a decent side – and they’ve only lost one game in 2012 so far and find themselves firmly ensconced in contention for the play-offs. Irrespective of the justifiable boost that Tuesday’s game at Elland Road will give us, it’s probably reasonable to assume that the Seagulls will provide a sterner test [...]
Read the original post on Through the seasons before us
Source: http://www.ltlf.co.uk/forest/2012/03/forest-vs-brighton-and-hove-albion-preview/
Strength. Width. Tempo.
Stoke, under the lights. I'm sure once I get to N17, walk down the Seven Sisters, have a beer or two and take my standing place in the Park Lane Lower I'll find myself edging back towards the necessity of us acquiring all three points. I remain fairly detached still from the pressures of finishing in the top four and retaining third place ahead of the two other London clubs below us.
Fabrice Muamba remains in our thoughts. It's great news that he's no longer critical and is in a stable condition, progressing well. Life goes on and so will football, even if for the moment it still feels some what unimportant in comparison. I wasn't at the Bolton cup game. I'll be there this evening (a rare occasion post-fatherhood) and I guess I wont know until the game kicks off how subdued the atmosphere will be. Hopefully it wont be. Harry said no player will be selected if they're not in the right frame of mind. If anything, we'll honour the lad as he continues to fight on and off the pitch. I'm positive all players will want to participate and do so with utmost professionalism.
I think the manner in which we played in the abandoned cup tie (aside from the openness in defence) would be a good starting point to continue with this evening. That means Bale out wide on the left in a more traditional flank role. Modric in the middle and van der Vaart free to roam from the right. It's a must-win game. Doesn't feel like it is but placing everything aside and taking the game in isolation - we can't afford to drop points at home. Not just in this game but all our remaining fixtures at White Hart Lane. Chelsea away to City, Arsenal away to Everton. It wouldn't be that surprising (considering the roller-coaster nature of this season) if the home sides falter. Ironic that for the best part of the season I've always cited how other results are of no interest to us. However now, the interest in what happens elsewhere is of a slightly more keen nature. It would be nice if our rivals came unstuck.
We need plenty of spirit and desire and complete focus at the task at hand. We're up against a side that has already beaten us twice this season. Make no mistake it's a tricky fixture under normal circumstances let alone following what happened in our last one. They are physical and dangerous from set-pieces. We need to grip the midfield and play our game and let them worry about attempting to contain us. Got to be organised when defending from high balls. We've also got to be wise to them breaking up our play so we might need to be patient in some of our build up play.
Strength. Width. Tempo.
Life does go on and we should embrace the positives and do them justice.
COYS
Source: http://www.dearmrlevy.com/dml/2012/3/21/strength-width-tempo.html
football news football clubs football history football scores today
Everton expert in the West Brom camp
Everton expert Paul Scharner today set his sights on chewing up the Toffees again ? and nailing down a place in the Albion side.
Source: http://www.midlandsfootball.co.uk/2012/03/everton-expert-in-the-west-brom-camp/
2012, Top 20, who are the best websites on the net, covering English football ?
2012, Top 20, who are the best websites on the net, covering English
football ?
football ?
Source: http://soccervoice.com/n111046.htm
football today football equipment live football scores atdhe football
Europa League Preview : La Liga?s Europa trio hoping for good first-legs
Athletic Bilbao, Atletico Madrid and Valencia will all be hoping for good first-leg results on Thursday as they search for glory in this years Europa League continues. By Staff Writer Athletic Bilbao put on the performance of the lives to oust English club Manchester United in the last round but poor league form�since that tie [...]
england football espn football football blog football tonight
Reds hit the big four-oh with a decent draw at Leicester..
Leicester City – 0 Nottingham Forest – 0 A draw ain’t too shabby really, considering, is it?� It gets us to the forty point mark which, whilst not by any stretch is a watermark of safety, it’s something that seemed a million miles away not all that long ago.� It means now with all teams [...]
Source: http://nffcblog.com/2012/03/28/reds-hit-the-big-four-oh-with-a-decent-draw-at-leicester/
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Latest transfer rumours, Berbatov in Man Utd exit, Hazard close to Tottenam move
Latest transfer rumours, Berbatov in Man Utd exit, Hazard close to
Tottenam move
Tottenam move
Source: http://soccervoice.com/n111059.htm
football results football statistics football game football games
Nottingham Forest 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion: Just rewards
Following up the 7-3 victory over Leeds United was never going to be easy but a dominating performance saw Forest unlucky not to take all three points against Brighton. James Bolton reports from the City Ground. Steve Cotterill named an unchanged team from the one that produced the special win at Elland Road, which meant [...]
Read the original post on Seat Pitch
Source: http://www.ltlf.co.uk/forest/2012/03/nottingham-forest-1-1-brighton-hove-albion-just-rewards/
live football football results football statistics football game
Player power, Chelsea rollercoaster, Roberto Di Matteo, respect and understanding
Player power, Chelsea rollercoaster, Roberto Di Matteo, respect and
understanding
understanding
Source: http://soccervoice.com/n111057.htm
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Andrews relaxed over contract
Keith Andrews insists he remains relaxed about whether West Brom are ready to offer him a contract to remain at The Hawthorns.
Source: http://www.midlandsfootball.co.uk/2012/03/andrews-relaxed-over-contract/
live football football results football statistics football game
10 of the best: Nottingham Forest books
It’s hard to talk about Nottingham Forest without talking about Brian Clough, no more so when it comes to books. Inevitably, Clough dominates the past four decades of the club so, with a heavy slant towards ‘the greatest manager who ever lived’, Seat Pitch brings you another 10 of the best… 1. Provided You Don?t [...]
Source: http://seatpitch.co.uk/2012/03/22/10-of-the-best-nottingham-forest-books/
football manager football scores footballs football fixtures
Strength. Width. Tempo.
Stoke, under the lights. I'm sure once I get to N17, walk down the Seven Sisters, have a beer or two and take my standing place in the Park Lane Lower I'll find myself edging back towards the necessity of us acquiring all three points. I remain fairly detached still from the pressures of finishing in the top four and retaining third place ahead of the two other London clubs below us.
Fabrice Muamba remains in our thoughts. It's great news that he's no longer critical and is in a stable condition, progressing well. Life goes on and so will football, even if for the moment it still feels some what unimportant in comparison. I wasn't at the Bolton cup game. I'll be there this evening (a rare occasion post-fatherhood) and I guess I wont know until the game kicks off how subdued the atmosphere will be. Hopefully it wont be. Harry said no player will be selected if they're not in the right frame of mind. If anything, we'll honour the lad as he continues to fight on and off the pitch. I'm positive all players will want to participate and do so with utmost professionalism.
I think the manner in which we played in the abandoned cup tie (aside from the openness in defence) would be a good starting point to continue with this evening. That means Bale out wide on the left in a more traditional flank role. Modric in the middle and van der Vaart free to roam from the right. It's a must-win game. Doesn't feel like it is but placing everything aside and taking the game in isolation - we can't afford to drop points at home. Not just in this game but all our remaining fixtures at White Hart Lane. Chelsea away to City, Arsenal away to Everton. It wouldn't be that surprising (considering the roller-coaster nature of this season) if the home sides falter. Ironic that for the best part of the season I've always cited how other results are of no interest to us. However now, the interest in what happens elsewhere is of a slightly more keen nature. It would be nice if our rivals came unstuck.
We need plenty of spirit and desire and complete focus at the task at hand. We're up against a side that has already beaten us twice this season. Make no mistake it's a tricky fixture under normal circumstances let alone following what happened in our last one. They are physical and dangerous from set-pieces. We need to grip the midfield and play our game and let them worry about attempting to contain us. Got to be organised when defending from high balls. We've also got to be wise to them breaking up our play so we might need to be patient in some of our build up play.
Strength. Width. Tempo.
Life does go on and we should embrace the positives and do them justice.
COYS
Source: http://www.dearmrlevy.com/dml/2012/3/21/strength-width-tempo.html
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Foreign influence, the most important factor for Premier League clubs
Foreign influence, the most important factor for Premier League clubs
Source: http://soccervoice.com/n111030.htm
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Never give up: Nottingham Forest 1 ? 1 Brighton and Hove Albion
After the amazing result on Tuesday night, there was every chance that today’s game would be a hangover. But in [...]
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Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Reds in seventh heaven at Elland Road..
Well, well bloody hell. It just goes to show what I know – doesn’t it? Ten players who put up a limp-wristed attempt to out-hoof Derby a week ago also started today and conspired to become the first team to put seven past Leeds at Elland Road. Certainly a result that defies prediction, and to a degree, explanation – one that of course offers much hope, particularly given the now seven point gap between us and the relegation zone [...]
Read the original post on Through the seasons before us
Source: http://www.ltlf.co.uk/forest/2012/03/reds-in-seventh-heaven-at-elland-road/
Nottingham Forest v Coventry City: preview and LIVE match updates
Let’s start with the week just gone (especially as I wasn’t able to write anything before or after the Middlesbrough [...]
The transfer rumours that happened, deadline day verdict, what next ?
The transfer rumours that happened, deadline day verdict, what next ?
Source: http://soccervoice.com/n111049.htm
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Who will buy my sweet red sports club?..
After a pleasingly small amount of macabre speculation Forest have confirmed some degree of what will happen to Forest in the aftermath of Nigel Doughty’s untimely death.� In a nutshell, we are more than likely going to be operating under new ownership from July-August 2012 – until then an unconfirmed level of funding for the [...]
Source: http://nffcblog.com/2012/03/09/who-will-buy-my-sweet-red-sports-club/
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York ace attracting interest
A host of Football League clubs are understood to be keeping tabs on York City ace Jamal Fyfield, Sky Sports understands.
Source: http://www.midlandsfootball.co.uk/2012/03/york-ace-attracting-interest/
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VIDEO: Al Wasl Coach Diego Maradona Does A Crazy Roly-Poly!
TweetAl Wasl boss Diego Maradona is the butt of our jokes here at the In The Stands offices after his crazy roly-poly reaction during a game. The fiery, yet utterly lovable Argentine saw his side miss a glorious opportunity to score during Al Wasl’s match with Emirates Club in the U.A.E league and reacted like, [...]
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Latest transfer rumours, Podolski considers Arsenal, Hoilett set to join Tottenham
Latest transfer rumours, Podolski considers Arsenal, Hoilett set to join
Tottenham
Tottenham
Source: http://soccervoice.com/n111056.htm
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Just when I thought I was out?
… they pull me back in! Nottingham Forest – 1 Doncaster Rovers – 2 Okay, I’ll be honest, nobody really thought that we were out of it – but well, I needed a way to cheer myself up and what better way of gratuitously quoting the Godfather?� After a decent mini-run of results Cotterill made [...]
Source: http://nffcblog.com/2012/03/06/just-when-i-thought-i-was-out/
Monday, 26 March 2012
Fabrice
The football doesn't really matter. Seems all fairly redundant at the moment when a young man is in critical condition fighting for his life. Everyone present at Spurs and those that watched via TV were emotionally anchored to the scenes transpiring on the pitch.
Soon enough, life will continue for all of us. Hopefully for Fabrice Muamba on the road to a full recovery. And even though we'll all think twice about frivolous problems (in comparison to all this) and arguments relating to our club and its dramas, that perspective we all have right this second that it doesn't truly matter and that it's just a game and such an incident proves that to be the case...it will slowly begin to fade and everyone will settle back to the way it was.
I'm not sure what my point is other than to support your team and enjoy the game for what it is, for what it is meant to be, and that when football fans of opposing sides sing together a players name, it should not be deemed as a surprise or exceptional football fan behaviour. Rather a dignified human reaction to a terrible moment. Everyone was a credit to themselves (the medical staff, the club, the players, the fans). I'd hope for the same reaction in any walk of life tagged with a label.
We're fragmented by tribes within the game, that's just part of the make-up of football. Wash it all off and you're left with people, some good some bad but for the most part good, who simply care for the well being of another human being. But the reaction we witnessed was only possible because of this game we love so much. It was powerful, the united support and in that instance in some ways football does truly matter because of how it amplifies and transcends that emotion.
I don't know Fabrice Muamba but my thoughts are with him and his family. Because he's part of the family.
Source: http://www.dearmrlevy.com/dml/2012/3/18/fabrice.html
Leeds United vs. Forest preview..
A week away from the misery and we’re back on the road with a tough trip to Neil Warnock’s new squeeze.� Seven days to recharge the batteries is certainly welcome ahead of the journey to Elland Road to face Leeds United, the Reds will also be heartened by the weekend’s results which broadly went pretty [...]
Source: http://nffcblog.com/2012/03/19/leeds-united-vs-forest-preview-3/
Latest transfer rumours, Rooney on Man City radar, Man Utd in for Scholes and Lampard
Latest transfer rumours, Rooney on Man City radar, Man Utd in for
Scholes and Lampard
Scholes and Lampard
Player power, Chelsea rollercoaster, Roberto Di Matteo, respect and understanding
Player power, Chelsea rollercoaster, Roberto Di Matteo, respect and
understanding
understanding
Source: http://soccervoice.com/n111057.htm
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Nottingham Forest v Doncaster Rovers: preview and LIVE match updates
After seven points out of nine, Saturday’s point away at Barnsley brought in a busy couple of weeks. Steve Cotterill [...]
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Round pegs in round holes ? Nottingham Forest 3 ? 1 Millwall
So after the midweek disappointment of Doncaster, Cotterill made a few changes, as we lined up in an orthodox 4-4-2, [...]
Source: http://www.eighteensixtyfive.co.uk/2012/03/round-pegs-in-round-holes-nottingham-forest-3-1-millwall/
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Reds in seventh heaven at Elland Road..
Leeds United – 3 Nottingham Forest – 7 Well, well bloody hell.� It just goes to show what I know – doesn’t it?� Ten players who put up a limp-wristed attempt to out-hoof Derby a week ago also started today and conspired to become the first team to put seven past Leeds at Elland Road.� [...]
Source: http://nffcblog.com/2012/03/21/reds-in-seventh-heaven-at-elland-road/
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Nottingham Forest v Coventry City: preview and LIVE match updates
Let’s start with the week just gone (especially as I wasn’t able to write anything before or after the Middlesbrough [...]
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Sunday, 25 March 2012
Destroying footballers, isnt hard to do, to build them up again could be impossible
Destroying footballers, isnt hard to do, to build them up again could
be impossible
be impossible
Source: http://soccervoice.com/n111028.htm
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Nottingham Forest v Millwall: preview and LIVE Match updates
It’s been a tough week; the defeat to Doncaster was not only demoralising to players and fans, it stretched the [...]
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VIDEO: Peter Crouch Goal Stoke vs Manchester City
TweetPeter Crouch scored an amazing 30-yard volley and what may well turn out to be the Goal of The Season as Stoke held Manchester City to a 1-1 draw at the Britannia Stadium. The lanky Stoke forward juggled Jermaine Pennant’s knock down with his right knee 30-yards from goal before unleashing a simply unstoppable first-time [...]
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Nottingham Forest v Coventry City: preview and LIVE match updates
Let’s start with the week just gone (especially as I wasn’t able to write anything before or after the Middlesbrough [...]
AC Milan 2-1 AS Roma: Serie A Video Highlights
TweetA late goal by Zlatan Ibrahimovic gave AC Milan a 2-1 win over Roma to move seven points clear of Juventus at the top of Serie A. The big swede fired home the winner in the 83rd minute having also shot the hosts level in the 53rd minute after Pablo Osvaldo had given Roma the [...]
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Leeds United vs. Forest preview..
A week away from the misery and we’re back on the road with a tough trip to Neil Warnock’s new squeeze. Seven days to recharge the batteries is certainly welcome ahead of the journey to Elland Road to face Leeds United, the Reds will also be heartened by the weekend’s results which broadly went pretty well with our fellow relegation scrappers not picking up a huge amount in their games leaving us still four points clear of the drop zone [...]
Read the original post on Through the seasons before us
Source: http://www.ltlf.co.uk/forest/2012/03/leeds-united-vs-forest-preview-2/
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Saturday, 24 March 2012
Understanding Eden Hazard
"Hi my name is Steven and I’m a Hazardholic"
by @Teflon6
(aka Belgian Spur)
I’ve been suffering from this for about as long as Eden has been playing but lately the thought that there’s an off chance he’ll be soon wearing the lilywhite shirt is getting too much for me. That’s why I took the liberty of sharing my emotions and thoughts with you. Consider it the first step in the process of rehab after he’s had his picture taken in an Arsenal (wash my mouth out with soap) shirt.
I haven’t been in such a miserable state since the first time I saw a then almost unknown Zinedine Zidane (the bloke that needs to learn how to dish out a decent head butt) led Bordeaux to the EL finals in 1996. It’s not by accident that the very same Zidane is one of the greatest admirers of the small Belgian prodigy; he once said he’d sign him at Real Madrid in a heartbeat. We now know that there is hype surrounding Hazard but is he really worth all the buzz?
Let me try to give you a little insight in to why I am suffering from this unfortunate mind melt that is seriously clouding my otherwise very balanced view on football players.
First and foremost I must remind you all that I am from that tiny little country that produces the best beers this world has ever known. We are proud to have that because we have little else to be proud about. When it comes to football we have had some very grim years filled with humiliating defeats for both clubs and country. This was mainly due to a lack of decent youth development , only focusing on big , strong and mainly Caucasian players and forgot all about the 101 of modern football ; technique, pace and that bit of trickery.
A few years back this all changed and we are now slowly seeing the results of that. We now possess players that posses a decent first touch. Players like Dembele, Kompany and Fellaini showed the youngsters of all races that the skills they learned on the streets can help them become pro footballers. There is still plenty of work to be done but at least we can see our national team play attacking football again. We just lack an experienced striker and two good fullbacks.
image located here
Then at the tender age of 14, Belgium (and the scouts of the world) discovered Eden Hazard when his move to Lille created some controversy in Belgium. The Hazard clan decided to leave the record winning champions Anderlecht for the grim north of France. The clan has always had a very positive influence on their son , with dad having been a decent lower league footballer and determined to help his sons avoid the mistakes he made during his career. Not in the same way that crazy mums that put their girls through beauty pageants or various crappy talent shows because of missed careers, but as a level headed coach and advisor that knows how the football world works.
He took his sons to France because he believed that the French system of youth academies is unrivalled in Europe. They focus on football and schooling and they try to develop players both technically as mentally.
Even now, in their search for a new suitor, they keep repeating that money isn’t the main thing. It’s all about the right club for him to evolve and develop. He truly wants to be great and will probably think very hard about who will offer him the best environment to shine. If you do the math that means only L’Arse and Spurs qualify for what he wants. And what does he want? He wants a club that will play Champions League, has a tradition of playing attacking football and a coach that is known for his man management skills. If we both offer what Lille want for the young star and we both qualify for the CL, I’am afraid Wenger will be the winner in this battle. He has been following and visiting Hazard for a few years now. But it’s football and we all know nothing is written in stone and in the end he might do a Nasri and just sign for a City or a Chelsea. I for one would be very surprised and fooled by the aura of sincerity that the Hazard clan has upheld for so long if this particular eventually transpired.
So what makes Eden so special, you ask? The answer to that question is not easy because he has the potential to be a world beater thanks to the combination of speed, agility, technical skills, self-confidence and the ability to open up every game with a moment of brilliance. In addition, he has always resisted big money offers because he wanted to evolve as a player and show loyalty to the club that gave him his first chance in league football. But it’s not only about skill, he is also very strong for such a small lad and has adapted in a league that is known for its aggressive defending. The concept of an “African tackle” is not new to anyone that follows the French league.
I know that we have seen these kind of flavour of the month players in the past (Gio anyone?) but when I see people comparing Hazard to Taraabt I tend to get stabby. It is true that both players have the tendency to be in love with the ball and showboating a little more than they should but apart from that there is no way that Taraabt is fit to tie Hazard’s shoelaces. At the age of 21 Hazard has already won three individual prizes (youngest player ever to win Player of the Year in France) in a league that is the main supplier of foreign EPL players and he’s also led his team to their first double since 1953. Adel on the other hand…
So will he succeed in the EPL and become a world class player, I don’t know. He rarely shines when it comes to the biggest games and he’s had some problems with our NT coach Leekens. When the Dutchman Dick Advocaat was our NT coach (for a brief period of time) he said that Hazard could become one of the best players around if he could just learn how to put in that extra defensive shift and add efficiency to his game. But if efficiency is the main aspect of his game that needs improvement than it’s not a major worry, 25 goals and 39 assists in 131 league games (according to Wikipedia) as an attacking midfield player/winger isn’t too shabby at all.
He still has a lot to learn and for that he needs to leave the cocoon where he currently finds himself living in. At Lille he knows the environment and what is expected of him. He’s like a very expensive superbly nurtured Koi fish in a very small pond in a neglected garden. A thing of beauty compared to his surroundings but will he be as pretty when he needs to stand-out in a luxurious pond in London?
Source: http://www.dearmrlevy.com/dml/2012/3/16/understanding-eden-hazard.html
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Coventry City 2 Portsmouth 0: The reaction on Twitter
Coventry City fans gave their verdict on the Sky Blues 2-0 victory over Portsmouth at the Ricoh Arena in the Championship.
Source: http://www.midlandsfootball.co.uk/2012/03/coventry-city-2-portsmouth-0-the-reaction-on-twitter/
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Reds in seventh heaven at Elland Road..
Leeds United – 3 Nottingham Forest – 7 Well, well bloody hell.� It just goes to show what I know – doesn’t it?� Ten players who put up a limp-wristed attempt to out-hoof Derby a week ago also started today and conspired to become the first team to put seven past Leeds at Elland Road.� [...]
Source: http://nffcblog.com/2012/03/21/reds-in-seventh-heaven-at-elland-road/
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Reds in seventh heaven at Elland Road..
Leeds United – 3 Nottingham Forest – 7 Well, well bloody hell.� It just goes to show what I know – doesn’t it?� Ten players who put up a limp-wristed attempt to out-hoof Derby a week ago also started today and conspired to become the first team to put seven past Leeds at Elland Road.� [...]
Source: http://nffcblog.com/2012/03/21/reds-in-seventh-heaven-at-elland-road/
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Scandinavian players, available for cut prices and ready to move on
Scandinavian players, available for cut prices and ready to move on
Source: http://soccervoice.com/n111034.htm
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Tulisa Contostavlos Sex Tape With Alledged Premier League Star!
TweetA sex tape starring X-Factor judge and former N-Dubz singer Tulisa Contostavlos is doing the rounds online with speculation as to who the male figure is. The ?Tulisa sex tape? seemingly stars the 23-year-old herself and having been leaked on the Internet on Monday morning, shows the former N-Dubz singer engaging in sordid acts of [...]
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A real nine-pointer: Nottingham Forest 2 ? 0 Coventry City
The very definition of a relegation six-pointer – with two struggling teams in the bottom three going head to head [...]
Source: http://www.eighteensixtyfive.co.uk/2012/02/a-real-nine-pointer-nottingham-forest-2-0-coventry-city/
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There's glory in it
by Flav (written just after the 1-1 draw at home to Stoke)
You can’t start writing about White Hart Lane without thinking about what happened to Fabrice Muamba only a few days before. I was at the game and saw it happen. It was grim, and I’ll never forget it. I approached this game against Stoke philosophically. Whatever happened wouldn’t really matter, not really in the grand scheme of things, not when a player’s life is in the balance…but then the whistle went. And I realised, as much as Fabrice was in my mind, there’s was enough left to once again become entangled in 90mins of Tottenham Hotspur. I kind of wish there wasn’t. At points I thought the left side of my skull was going to cave in.
I’d imagine being a Spurs fan is slightly different from being a supporter of other teams. Mostly it’s unrivalled agony and heartbreak. Obviously there are moments of joy and delusion, that maybe we’ve turned the corner, maybe this season, after so many false dawns, will be the one when Tottenham’s quality shows through. We know that it won’t, but we hope and believe none-the-less. This season is different in one way, we kept believing until February, rather than giving up all hope in early September.
The problem that most Spurs fans have is that once we start playing well they fall in love with the idea of being successful. It’s those fans who were gloating when we were 10 points ahead of Woolwich. And it’s those fans that expect victories at home against teams like Stoke, despite being well versed in Tottenham tradition. To be fair, they got what they wanted, except the goals. We hit the bar and post, we created plus twenty chances; Stoke were dull and scored a sh*t goal. But that is what Spurs are about, and really, what Stoke are about.
When Cameron Jerome made it 1-0 on 75mins, a tap in from 3 yards, it was a feeling of inevitability rather than injustice. When Van der Vaart scored a sublime header from Bale’s pitch perfect cross from the left it wasn’t jubilation, it was…what we deserved. The celebration was muted in desperation for a second goal with all but three minutes to grab it. We didn’t, obviously. It ended 1-1, as Woolwich held on to beat Everton at Goodison. They leapfrogged us into third to finally overhaul the ten-point gap we’d lauded over them for so long. I’ve done my best to avoid them, but the digs are coming through, and another droplet of blood forms on my forehead whenever I read a goading tweet or text message.
It could have been different. We could have easily won last night. And to be fair, Stoke deserve credit. As much as Sky Sports would have you believe it, football isn’t all about wild attacking football, and stupendous goals, the large majority of football is organisation and perspiration. Stoke were dogged like no other team I’ve seen at the Lane this season. They harried, and fought, and blocked our one hundred and forty eight shots at goal, and probably, if I was being extremely generous, deserved their point. But bollocks to being a Stoke fan.
As the game ended I began to ruminate. We’ve got Chelsea away next Saturday, and the Scum are at home to Villa. Depressing though it may sound, we could easily be four points behind them and I’m sure we’ll get dog’s abuse if it does happen, but I don’t really care. Being Spurs is more than living your life vicariously through millionaire football players who, despite what they say on twitter, really don’t care about you. It’s about loving the football club, and the cockerel on the breast. Which is why it’s easy to deal with disappointment, the pain, and obnoxious neighbours, because we’re Tottenham Hotspur and we’re built for misery and live for the hope. It’s the way it is.
There’s nine games left. We could win every one and finish above Woolwich, sign Eden Hazard and win the league next season. We could lose them all and sell Bale, Modric and Van der Vaart and return to mid-table mediocrity that was the mainstay of my adolescent years, but that’s what Spurs is all about, and there’s glory in that.
Source: http://www.dearmrlevy.com/dml/2012/3/23/theres-glory-in-it.html
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Friday, 23 March 2012
Blindfolds and dizziness
Been sat here thinking (dangerous I know) about my immediate post-game reaction to the Everton defeat and the manner in which it resulted with our third successive defeat. I always seek positivity and balance post-match and consider other variables like form/psychology/fixtures/circumstance in an attempt to find solace and peace. Perception can usually cloud emotion and distort judgement. Something in isolation or something that goes against the grain can be deemed definitive even though completely contradictory a few weeks earlier. Negatives are always all consuming over positives when you're sat knee deep in the negatives.
Soon enough I was posting and tweeting composed and calm words to aid my brethren in their hour of need. That was before I took fingers to keyboard to elegantly type the post-mortem. My immediate post-game reaction watching the internet stream of the game was one of disgruntled frustration and angering of the blood that had me spitting out countless expletives and punching the air with venom all towards the players who trudged off disheartened with the 1-0.
I wasn't enraged by our calamitous gutless performance. Because it was neither calamitous or gutless. I was not holding my head in my hands trying to figure out where the Tottenham side that has both swaggered and bullishly dispatched so many this season to find themselves in third place had disappeared to. Because I could still see them with my own eyes. The crux is they don't appear to see it themselves, blindfolded, along with a manager who has (using his own free will) turned around in a circle over and over again and is now so dizzy he can't quite work out where to look and what to focus on.
The fact that even with players out of position and ineffectual compared to their more natural habitat in our more seasoned and successful line-up, we still pushed forwards and attempted to get something out of the game. What I was enraged with was the manner in which we endeavoured. The application and execution was a bloody mess. It was like the 300 Spartans unleashing hell with no shape or cohesive pattern to their attacking formation. 300 Spartans blindfolded and holding their spears back to front.
11 Spurs losing their way.
"It's over there. Those sticks, get the ball between them"
"How?"
"Er...I don't know, how about we just run in that general direction and if you see a team-mate pass the ball to them"
"Then what?"
"I don't know. Kick it?"
"Kick it straight?"
"Sure"
"What if I'm not facing the goal?"
"You'll need to reposition yourself"
"Okay, sounds a bit difficult"
"Does doesn't it. Okay, let's just run really fast in that direction and see what happens"
England distractions, tinkering with formations...even though Spurs are built in such a way that we can not hit full pelt if we have no width, there is still the question of desire and guile. Two emotive components that we have lacked for years until rediscovered under Redknapp. Two components that can sometimes guide you through a rocky period. We've had one or two of them already but you tend to forget because that desire and guile saw us through them with minimum impact. Having a pocket of games where it deserts us completely is actually quite normal for any side. Although the timing does suck a little with this one. We are a team out of form and lacking leadership. We might not have the experience others do in these pressured games but that's no excuse. We have been here before and as stated in earlier blogs, we are far more equipped for it this time round.
I was still very much angered because nobody appeared able to step on the ball, anchor in the frustration and remind players that patient intelligent build up play with some tempo will get the job done. In the Everton game, with our main conductor being pushed out to the left hand side, our galvaniser on the bench and our main attacking force lost on the right, composing ourselves seemed an impossibility. Blindfolds and dizziness nullifying us.
All three defeats, each in isolation have been stupid. As a collective, painful and avoidable in some instances. But all part of a continuation and a personification of doubt and the result of us inviting a smidgen of complacency to the party, who has proceeded to relieve himself in the flower pot.
It's now all about pride. We could finish 3rd and they could finish 4th or vice versa, both clubs claiming CL football out of it. Still a testament that both sides are not quite good enough for a title push. One attempting to hang onto the past another vying to claim a slice of the future.
Two successive home matches await. White Hart Lane. A cup game followed by a league game that will play out like a cup game. If we win these two games then the three before will take the shape of an apologetic blip, a crisis of confidence and moral and much like other teams that have navigated their way out of troubled waters we might soon find ourselves back on that surf board on the crest of a wave.
There's a reason I love football so much. Music, women, my baby daughter aside - it's the only thing in life that truly makes me feel alive. This is my Tottenham and I'll be damned to have it any other way.
Source: http://www.dearmrlevy.com/dml/2012/3/13/blindfolds-and-dizziness.html
Liverpool, Dalglish and the way forward at Anfield
Liverpool, Dalglish and the way forward at Anfield
Source: http://soccervoice.com/n111035.htm
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The Academy profile: Part three
Concluding the final part of his assessment of the Nottingham Forest Academy, Grant Nelson asserts the importance of a link between the Academy and the first team and identifies some of the players to watch in the future. Recent years for Nottingham Forest have been turbulent at senior level. First-team managers have come and gone [...]
Source: http://seatpitch.co.uk/2012/02/24/the-academy-profile-part-three/
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Hodgson wants to keep Foster
West Brom manager Roy Hodgson wants to turn goalkeeper Ben Foster's loan spell at The Hawthorns into a permanent deal.
Source: http://www.midlandsfootball.co.uk/2012/03/hodgson-wants-to-keep-foster-2/
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A real nine-pointer: Nottingham Forest 2 ? 0 Coventry City
The very definition of a relegation six-pointer – with two struggling teams in the bottom three going head to head [...]
Source: http://www.eighteensixtyfive.co.uk/2012/02/a-real-nine-pointer-nottingham-forest-2-0-coventry-city/
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Norwich v Wolves preview
Terry Connor will be hoping recent history will help him to record his first win as Wolves boss when his side face Norwich at Carrow Road.
Source: http://www.midlandsfootball.co.uk/2012/03/norwich-v-wolves-preview/
Survivor Club : La Liga?s Relegation Battle
With the relegation battle hotting up in La Liga, Joe Wood brings you up-to-date with those clubs in danger of the drop. By Joe Wood Whilst many people are fixated on La Liga?s battle for fourth there is another battle that has generally been forgotten. La Liga?s battle for survival could prove to an equally [...]
Source: http://www.insidespanishfootball.com/survivor-club-la-ligas-relegation-battle/
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Fix up
I've been deeply philosophical in recent weeks and equally cautious. With each passing game when considering a battle cry for the next one (knowing the risk of repetition and the sorry fact that what follows is a post-match post-mortem allowing for both the knee-jerkers and the blind faithful to knock heads together) we stand waiting for something unexpected to happen. Like a win.
It's the FA Cup this time. That's not unexpected. We've had one of these puncture our league games before. The win in the previous round against Stevenage was hardly inspiring but taking into account the away team performed admirably in what was their 'cup final' it was never going to be a walk in the park. Spurs were professional enough in the end to get through and into the quarters with a semi-final the new prize to those that dare to achieve. Being that this is now a quarter, as a collective, we have to up our game to match the desire required for this stage of the competition.
As for repetition, I was going to cite the catalyst nature of this fixture . In isolation, it's potentially 90 minutes from a game at Wembley. A push for silverware (remember when this ilk of adventure meant something important?). In terms of our season, it's a chance to re-birth lost confidence. Blah blah blah. Re-read any of my prior match previews. It's the same colourful emotive nonsense that has failed me each time.
To compound matters further, Harry Redknapp appears to have taken responsibility to inspire the troops and fans in the post-match build up.
“Finishing top four is not a must to keep those players. If Arsenal don’t get in the top four, are their best players going to leave? If Chelsea don’t, will their best players walk away?"
“It doesn’t work like that. We don’t have a divine right to be in the top four. If we finish in the top four — and I think we will — we’ve punched above our weight"
“If we don’t make it, it’s just one of those things. We’ll have given it our best shot. We’re third in the league and we would have taken that at the start of the year"
“We’d be way over expectations if we finished in the top four. We haven’t finished above Arsenal or Chelsea for a long time and it looked like it would be tough to finish above Liverpool at the start of the season. We’ve finished in the top four once, not every year. If we do it this year, it will be fantastic, and I think we will.”
My blood is pumping and I'm dizzy from the head rush.
Underplaying much there Harry? Protecting the brand name? Comfortable? I'm hoping his team talks are a little more zesty in delivery when standing in front of the players with the aim to muster up some passion.
Pundits, managers, fans, the lot of us basically change our perceptions on a game to game basis to suit our emotions and analysis and protect ourselves from suffering if what is expected and first predicted doesn't happen. We've gone from just outside top four, to top four, to third, to title challengers, to third, to possibly 3rd, to probably 4th and now 'it will be expected if we finished 5th'.
Fix up Spurs. Regardless of the contradictions and media sound-bites, finishing outside of the top four now would be a failure compared with the form we've displayed across the season as a whole. A failure of ours rather than the result of others.
I'd like to see far more emotion (from the players its a given) but also from the gaffer, but then this is hardly a revelation (his comments to the press). It's textbook. Still, words are just words. Actions on the other hand...
We have a chance to stick those white and blue ribbons back on a piece of silver we've not had our hands on for far too long. A cup once synonymous with this club. It's all about glory, right? Nothing in the small print saying that glory can't be packaged up in two parts.
Get it done Spurs. Cup on Saturday. Then Stoke under the lights. Wake up. A good performance is imperative (rather than 'just win any which way') as we have the tools to play well and with flair. We need to apply them to inject that belief back into the side. Momentum. Remember that?
As for a traditional DML battle cry, it would be rude not to, so I'll end on this:
COYS
Source: http://www.dearmrlevy.com/dml/2012/3/16/fix-up.html
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Thursday, 22 March 2012
The importance of being Gareth Bale
There are a variety of inherent traits that make up the stereotypical DNA of a football supporter. On occasions we can be fickle and impatient. We can also very carefully manoeuvre away from one opinion in order to present a differing perspective to suit a new argument. Ignoring or contradicting is also another characteristic that shines through depending on whatever climate we stand in (good form or bad form).
Gareth Bale joined Spurs as a promising youngster. He made an impact before picking up an injury and then we did what we were so good at during that particular period of time; mismanagement of youth. He returned and was almost ruined as we drained every last drop of confidence from the lad who struggled to settle (and finish on the winning side) in a spell of twenty four appearances thanks mostly due to the incompetency of his team mates (although he suffered also thanks to some personal howlers). No end in sight, at one point he was being lined up with a loan away from Spurs. Benny got injured and Bale got another chance. Yet we almost missed out on seeing it transpire this way because we had given up hope of him succeeding. From left back to left wing.
Bale's development was finally progressing and his confidence rejuvenated. The Champions League season cemented him as one of the leagues brightest stars, strong in body and technically gifted with power and drive along with pace. Seems its easy to forget the time he struggled for us, equally so, it appears quite easy for some to also ignore that he's still young and developing and is having to deal with hype and expectation. He's playing in a side that has also progressed through a learning curve (and continues to do so) with a far more stable set-up than his early days with us. He's surrounded by some genuine talent making his growth as a player and young man one of assurance.
He's wanted by a variety of clubs or at the very least, the interest is there. We know at some point within a year or two he might leave. That's not to say he has a free pass and therefore should be exempt from criticism but there is so much short-term nonsensical reaction to the player that I sometimes wonder if some of our support is drowning in fickleness and attempting to drag Bale down with them to the despairing depths.
Firstly, ego. How does a player believe his own hype exactly? Is this a way to describe someone that is confident in their own ability but when isn't playing well is subject to being tagged as negligent or complacent?
If he's instructed to play in certain positions or if he wishes to add new dimensions to his play then freedom should be given so that the player can continue to adapt and improve. From left back to left wing to a potential free-roamer. He has both the physicality and technical skills to play on the flank or behind the forward(s) although there's no doubt that in our current set-up (with all players available) he's better suited on the left to provide us with width and to drag players across to open up space in the middle for others to exploit.
Bale has spent his career adapting. Several years ago nobody was quite sure of his best position. It's because he has so much about him as an athlete, a winger with rampant pace and an eye for goal, that he can potentially cut inside and attack centrally. It's how, where and when this is applied that is pivotal to the teams shape throughout the season when breaking opposing sides down. Equally pivotal for him in retaining consistency.
All the rhetoric about him getting giddy with the Ronaldo comparisons and forgetting his responsibilities to the team is (IMO) an easy way to scapegoat a player that is high profile (young) and therefore susceptible as a target to blame for the teams deficiencies. The manager should be controlling the players with far more astuteness, picking when and where the 'inside forward' experiment should play out. Wasn't too long ago we all jumped on Redknapp for the right wing selection only for it to morph into a tactically in-game swap with Lennon that can be effective against some teams. The handling since has not been cohesive enough and that is down to management. Do we want Bale on the right attempting to cross with his left? Of course not. He's wasted there unless he' swapping wings to confuse the opposition (unlikely to reoccur until Lennon is back).
When free-roaming into the centre he needs to know understand when this will work and when it's detrimental.
The criticism aimed at him (Bale) is usually voiced when its not going well (that's the fickle trait kicking in partnered impatience). Even after the Inter hat-trick and his devastating performance in the return game at the Lane, it was gradually highlighted that he wasn't effective in domestic games with many preferring to completely bypass the fact he was being singled out/doubled up on. Equally so it was easy to box up his age and pretend he was meant to be able to cope with cracking the mainstream and playing like he did at the San Siro week in week out.
Bale had to adapt to be able to cope with the extra pressure on and off the pitch, especially on it where he would be accompanied with a variety of defenders and hatchet men. As fans, our expectation levels rise and our standards of what quantify a good solid performance is hiked up meaning we are far more critical when a quiet game is had.
This season he's had his most consistent one yet. Like any player there have been peaks and troughs. Hype and ego are continually thrown into the discussion that Bale has somehow come to the conclusion that he only needs to stick on the shirt to perform rather than work hard out on the pitch. That he can wander around with complete freedom, purely for his own selfish agenda. The caveat here being, if we win/he scores it works and its all good and if it doesn't then the 'who the hell does he think he is?' brigade start screaming with hair pulling and clenched fists waving. Once again, there is a responsibility with the coaches and the manager to make sure there is shape within the team and that the players (Gareth included) are aware of their instructions as part of a working unit.
As for the diving. He does go down easily. He's admitted to this. At times it does look bad, a touch embarrassing even. Mainly because we rarely have players in our ranks that do this. Remember Zokora? I can think of two occasions when he blatantly fell to the ground and everyone around me in the Park Lane (including yours truly) cringed. We don't accept this as part and parcel of our game.
Perhaps he is far too conscious of the fact that if he is knocked or about to be and doesn't go down he might do himself an injury. Not too long ago, he would stay down clutching his knee/thigh/leg when fouled. Precautionary. I don't blame him protecting himself as long as he doesn't start rolling around La Liga style. If he's clipped and the ref will award a foul regardless (due to it being obvious to all that witnessed it) he still goes down for good measure to make certain of it. That's not to be confused with play acting and falling over shadows. He's been guilty of perhaps doing this once or twice but I don't see any maliciousness or premeditated tactic to cheat. IMO, he's still over cautious and sometimes takes it a touch too far reacting too soon to what he expects might happen. Some players are far too aware and worry too much about the what ifs and try to avoid any potentiality that might end with long term injury. Bale only appears to be conflicted with this lingering thought rather than seeking to fall at every available opportunity.
Now, you might find yourself questioning my ethics and reasoning here suggesting that I am being overly bias and attempting to excuse his actions based on my opinion that I don't believe him to possess the mentality of a cheat. I know he's not a cheat because when compared to certain other players that have 'graced' the Prem who have dived/cheated time and time again, in comparison there is no comparison. And on that basis, as a Tottenham supporter, I'm going to side and support the player as opposed to some who appear to be very comfortable and very quick to jump on him and ram their accusations of complacency down his throat. Can we attempt to protect our own especially when the crimes they've alleged to have committed do not warrant the negativity aimed towards him? He's one of us. There are enough rival fans hating on him so why would I consider standing in-amongst their group to point and shake my head at Bale?
Not every player is humble to the bone or posses the low centre of gravity to graceful navigate their way around sliding tackles and bruising shoulder charges. Most players have egos and are in some shape or form arrogant, perhaps not arrogant in an ugly way but simply in terms of self belief, allowing them to excel on the pitch. Gareth Bale isn't stupid. He knows he hasn't conquered the world. He knows he has the potential to do that and he shouldn't be fearful and shy away from it. While we have him in Lilywhite shirt I'll continue to enjoy his football and hope his progression and impact is of a high standard, a responsibility he shares with everyone at Spurs. All in it together, right?
It's my perspective. You might disagree with it. It might conflict with your own opinions which you are also free to share.
Gareth Bale is a brilliant footballer. He's twenty-two years of age and by all accounts is very mature and level-headed for someone so young and famous, carrying the expectations of so many on his shoulders. Please feel free to remember that next time you slate him.
Source: http://www.dearmrlevy.com/dml/2012/3/12/the-importance-of-being-gareth-bale.html
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