Spurs 2023/24

[Zapp Brannigan]

Doubly annoyed. Given the Arsenal Liverpool result, we were one late Everton set piece equaliser away from being bang in the title race with 15 matches left to go. It's never been more than the tiniest, faintest of hopes but the biggest mark of progress is how late into the season that faint hope remains.

Chelsea away has been postponed because they're in the milk cup final. So, our next 3 are all at home (Brighton, Wolves, Crystal Palace). 9 points and just maybe we're still there.

 

[Silas Loom]

Doubly annoyed. Given the Arsenal Liverpool result, we were one late Everton set piece equaliser away from being bang in the title race with 15 matches left to go. It's never been more than the tiniest, faintest of hopes but the biggest mark of progress is how late into the season that faint hope remains.

Chelsea away has been postponed because they're in the milk cup final. So, our next 3 are all at home (Brighton, Wolves, Crystal Palace). 9 points and just maybe we're still there.

Not as if it would have been a bad time to play Chelsea! They’ll probably be on a new manager bounce by the time we get round to them.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Not as if it would have been a bad time to play Chelsea! They’ll probably be on a new manager bounce by the time we get round to them.

They'll probably be on a new manager bounce by tomorrow evening

 

[ska invita]

It's all about Villa who annoyingly look in...



...fine fettle

 

[stavros]

Spurs never deserve three points when wearing that away kit.

 

[Cerberus]

Doubly annoyed. Given the Arsenal Liverpool result, we were one late Everton set piece equaliser away from being bang in the title race with 15 matches left to go. It's never been more than the tiniest, faintest of hopes but the biggest mark of progress is how late into the season that faint hope remains.

Chelsea away has been postponed because they're in the milk cup final. So, our next 3 are all at home (Brighton, Wolves, Crystal Palace). 9 points and just maybe we're still there.

Always feels like the fine margins hurts this club - stupid foul by Kulusevski, poor header from Romero = 1pt instead of 3pts. Then again, most supporters views their club under such (unfair) precision microscopes.

Just aim to win every game AND seek to get back to the style of football we were showing earlier in the season and things will take care of themselves. Not a sniff of challenging for the title - never were. Hope we keep some distance from the chasing pack…

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Captain's coming home - Jordan sprung a surprise to knock out Korea in the semi final.

I didn't know she's any good at football!

 

[Silas Loom]

That was absolutely ridiculous. Subs that didn’t work at all until they suddenly did at the death.

We still haven’t got anything like our August mojo back. If there was one player I’d swap for that summer version, it would be Maddison.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Scenes!

Brilliant goal to win it, not an easy finish with the bouncing ball but a sensational run and cross from Son.

Superb bit of character from Spurs, not an easy game but 3 points finally in the bag.

COYS!!!

 

[Cerberus]

Scenes indeed - for the 2nd goal and then at FT!! Take it all day long but……

We were lucky. Very lucky. Too many of our players not up to it today. Looked disjointed and sans mojo. Brighton will be kicking themselves. talented footballers who play with their heads up and forward should’ve won it near the end. They didn’t though and we did!!

Enjoy the win but hope the players get a kick up the arse this week

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Quick straw poll - what results tomorrow would make it the best weekend? This is where we find out who's looking up, and who's looking at the chasing pack - Arsenal and Villa winning would (almost) cement the top 5, West Ham and Man Utd would obviously take points off our most obvious rivals but keep them both just about in the hunt.

West Ham vs Arsenal, Aston Villa vs Man Utd.

 

[Silas Loom]

Quick straw poll - what results tomorrow would make it the best weekend? This is where we find out who's looking up, and who's looking at the chasing pack - Arsenal and Villa winning would (almost) cement the top 5, West Ham and Man Utd would obviously take points off our most obvious rivals but keep them both just about in the hunt.

West Ham vs Arsenal, Aston Villa vs Man Utd.

I want everyone in the top half of the table playing each other to draw, every game, no exceptions, until there are only a couple of games left and the consequences are certain. However happy an Arsenal loss makes me.

 

[Silas Loom]

Scoreless draws, just for preference. Exhausting ones though.

 

[Cerberus]

I like this thinking, I’d also add a sprinkle of red cards BUT I can’t not want Arsenal to lose.

Shout to Palace on Monday night too

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

I'll take West Ham being a goal up with 5 mins left to play. That way any late drama won't be a bad thing.

Watching our highlights back, we must be one of the quickest teams ever assembled. Romero, Porro, Bentancur, Sarr, Bissouma, Richarlison, even Vicario - all seriously rapid. Then there's VDV, Udogie, Son, Werner and Johnson where the word rapid doesn't do it justice. Still a work in progress, but I really like the clearly defined style of the team being put together.

 

[Cerberus]

I like this thinking, I’d also add a sprinkle of red cards BUT I can’t not want Arsenal to lose.

Shout to Palace on Monday night too

I think I’ll leave trying to Bokk other teams alone for a while (0-4 Woolwich already…)

I’ll just stick to trying not to Bokk Tottenham

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

I'd forgotten that West Ham are capable of being absolute dogshit...

Strange really, I've watched them a few times this season and been reasonably impressed (including against us in our own shite period). But this is spineless, weak and generally looks like a team who want their manager gone. Odd.

 

[ska invita]

A couple of solid Villa losses would help a lot. Our fate for top four is in villas hands... I've no idea the depth of their squad but hopefully they will tire more than us

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

We play Villa (away) in a few weeks, huge game. Their squad is very good in many places - CB for example, even without Mings they've got Pau Torres, Esri Konsa and Clement Lenglet (formerly of thus parish), and further forward there's Diaby, Bailey and Zaniolo for one or two places.

There's an over-reliance on McGinn and Watkins though, they play every minute and their current rough patch coincides with these 2 looking like they're running on empty.

Man Utd meanwhile, are the turd that just won't flush. How they've been as shit as they are and not ended up in the bottom half is beyond me.

Media: Man Utd are still in it, Spurs and Villa will be worried, Ten Hag has got them on a traditional late season surge, Man Utd have the momentum, THEY'RE COMING.

Reality: last 5 games - Spurs 11 pts, Man Utd 10 pts.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Game in hand in italics, otherwise it's played 24.

Top 6 is almost set in stone; Man Utd can still be caught, think the top 5 can all start thinking about a European tour of some description.

Down as far as Chelsea could still be interested in case 7th is enough for Conference League.

Bournemouth can consider themselves safe(ish) if they win the game in hand, but that's a big if - at Luton (abandoned after Tom Lockyer's collapse).

Brentford's is vs Man City (club world cup), so they and Palace are still bang in trouble. 1 from 5 to join the 2 already down.

54 - Liverpool (32 GD)
53
52 - Man City (31), Arsenal (31)
51
50
49
48
47 - Spurs (15)
46 - Aston Villa (18)
45
44
43
42
41 - Man Utd (0)
40
39
38
37
36 - Newcastle (12), West Ham (-6)
35 - Brighton (3)
34
33
32 - Wolves (-2)
31 - Chelsea (-1)
30
29 - Fulham (-6)
28
27 - Bournemouth (-13)
26
25 - Brentford (-5)
24 - Crystal Palace (-14)
23
22
21 - Nottingham Forest (-14)
20 - Luton (-12)
19 - Everton (-6)
18
17
16
15
14
13 - Burnley (-25), Sheff Utd (-38)

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Brentford vs Liverpool
Burnley vs Arsenal
Fulham vs Villa
Man City vs Chelsea
Spurs vs Wolves
Luton vs Man Utd

Top 6 all playing teams 10th or below, but some of those fixtures are slightly tricky looking away trips. Where (if any) are the dropped points coming from this time around?

 

[Cerberus]

Us?

(couldn’t help myself….40 odd years of conditioning)

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Us?

(couldn’t help myself….40 odd years of conditioning)

Had crossed my mind too!

Slight doubts over Udogie and Porro, but I reckon both will play. For the first time in a long time, just about everyone available - there's going to be a couple of very good players don't even make a 9 man subs bench.

Son to play, score and generally be a loveable madcap belter of a human being.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Eep, both Porro and Udogie are out. Got that one wrong didn't I...

Emerson Royal and Ben Davies to play. Or as a left-field suggestion, Dragusin to play at centre back with MVDV adding to his burgeoning "quick Jan Vertonghen" reputation by playing left back.

 

[Silas Loom]

Eep, both Porro and Udogie are out. Got that one wrong didn't I...

Emerson Royal and Ben Davies to play. Or as a left-field suggestion, Dragusin to play at centre back with MVDV adding to his burgeoning "quick Jan Vertonghen" reputation by playing left back.

I would like to see that!

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

I would like to see that!

Sadly not, Ange has gone with the less maverick version.

Vicario
Emerson - Romero MVdV - Davies
Bissouma
Sarr ---- Maddison
Kulu ---- Richarlison ---- Son​

Heck of a bench though, which should give license for a high tempo performance - empty the tank in 65-70 mins secure in the knowledge of decent players coming on. Bentancur, Lo Celso, Hojbjerg and Skipp on there for the midfield, Johnson and Werner forwards. Poor old Dragusin is a one man backup defence.

 

[Silas Loom]

Sadly not, Ange has gone with the less maverick version.

Vicario
Emerson - Romero MVdV - Davies
Bissouma
Sarr ---- Maddison
Kulu ---- Richarlison ---- Son​

Heck of a bench though, which should give license for a high tempo performance - empty the tank in 65-70 mins secure in the knowledge of decent players coming on. Bentancur, Lo Celso, Hojbjerg and Skipp on there for the midfield, Johnson and Werner forwards. Poor old Dragusin is a one man backup defence.

I don’t understand why he always ignores helpful suggestions.

 

[Silas Loom]

Come on Burnley, you have it in you to hand out a drubbing this afternoon.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Come on Burnley, you have it in you to hand out a drubbing this afternoon.

No favours from Brentford, and odds not looking good for Burnley either.

 

[Silas Loom]

Cerberus is it getting a bit ugly in your corner of NWHL yet? Something seemed desperately wrong with our flanks today, but I don’t really know whether it was our former stand-in CBs at FB, Son and Kulu being off for most of the game, or Angeball having been worked out now by all his peers. Maybe a bit of all three.