From Wolves to the Rossoneri

Posted by Stevio in Tottenham Hotspur on March 9th, 2011

Not long to go before tonight’s big match at the Lane. AC Milan are coming hoping to overturn their 1st leg defeat.

We’re 1-0 up thanks to Peter Crouch’s goal at the San Siro, but even still, it’s only a slender lead, therefore it certainly is all to play for.

Throughout our Champions’ League campaign I’ve always thought it’s best to just enjoy it and not expect too much, but due to our recent performances, I’ve got to admit to feeling rather anxious about tonight’s game.

We lost 3-1 at Blackpool, and then on Sunday drew 3-3 at Wolves. Unlike our trip at the ‘seaside’, we finally found our shooting boots and scored three fantastic strikes through Defoe (2) and Pavlyuchenko, but still our defence was about as solid as jelly.

I really don’t know what the problem is with the defence, whether it’s Gomes, who’s not commanding enough in his area, the centre-halves who aren’t shackling opposing strikers, or the full-backs who aren’t stopping crosses. Whatever the problem is, I just hope we defend better tonight!

The good thing about the Wolves game was Gareth Bale’s return, instantly he came on and ran with the ball, causing havoc in the Wolves defence. He even made a few chances which could have secured the win, but sadly it wasn’t meant to be.

It’s looking unlikely that we’ll see Bale start tonight, but sounds like Rafael van der Vaart could following a spell out with a calf injury. If so, I’d be expecting the Dutchman and Peter Crouch playing upfront.

Vedran Corluka, who was on the bench at Wolves, is surprisingly fit, I suspect he’ll play, as Alan Hutton isn’t having the best of times of it of all, especially after conceding a needless penalty at Wolves.

Aaron Lennon and Wilson Palacios will I’m sure return to the first-team after being substitutes at Wolves, the question is where Luka Modric will play, as Harry could keep the Croatian on the left and stick with the impressive Sandro in the centre. Steven Pienaar would of course miss out, but he hasn’t set the world alight with his performances since joining Spurs.

Milan, who won 1-0 at Juventus at the weekend, will be without the suspended Gennaro Gattuso, also missing are injured duo Andrea Pirlo and Massimo Ambrosini. They still have the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho among other big name players, so it won’t be an easy task keep the Italians at bay.

It does sound like Harry intends to attack Milan, which as some say is the best form of defence, and considering our defence, it’s probably a good idea, but whatever happens, it looks like we’re in for another memorable night! COYS!

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Tottenham Hotspur 2009/10

Posted by Stevio in Tottenham Hotspur on July 19th, 2009

It has been quite some time since my last post, a lot has happened. The main thing is that Spurs managed to avoid relegation to remain a Premiership club.

Now it’s the close season and all the talk is about transfers. So far, the only signing is an ex-Arsenal youngster called Anton Blackwood. Ricardo Rocha has been released, and Didier Zokora has left for Sevilla.

At present there’s plenty of talk on who could be coming to the Lane. Ashley Young, Peter Crouch, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar are a few being bandied around.

There’s also a lot of talk on who will exit the club. Tom Huddlestone, Darren Bent, David Bentley to name a few.

I think the present squad is pretty good. We’ve got two very good goalkeepers. The defence is strong, although a new experienced centre-half would be a useful addition to act as cover with Michael Dawson. With Zokora’s departure, a new defensive midfielder would be a good idea, as we’ve only got Wilson Palacios who can play there. Of course, as always, a left winger would be great, but, well, let’s not hold our breaths. Upfront is an area which is up for much debate. We’ve got four quality strikers, however there’s question marks on whether they can play together.

I think with a few new additions we should be more than capable of qualifying for Europe next season, especially if we can maintain our excellent home form. That said, we must keep Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King fit, as without them, our defence becomes too vulnerable. Also I hope Aaron Lennon can continue improving his game, as he most certainly shone last season.

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Kaboul departs to Portsmouth

Posted by Stevio in Transfers on August 12th, 2008

Central defender Younes Kaboul has completed his move from Spurs to Portsmouth.

The Frenchman explained his move to his new club’s website, he said: “It wasn’t a difficult choice to make coming here. Everyone in the papers was saying I was going to Sunderland or Aston Villa but I wanted to come here straight away.

“As soon as I knew they were interested I said: ‘I want to come to Pompey’.

“I came here because the manager has wanted me for two years. I met him two years ago when I was at Auxerre and I like the man because he gives you confidence.

“It’s a good opportunity for me because the club has a lot of ambition.

“I think Pompey are a top-five Premier League side and I believe I can achieve what I want to achieve at this club. Hopefully we can get off to a good start.”

He added: “I enjoyed my year at Tottenham and it taught me many things. I’m still young and I made progress but now I hope to make more progress here.

“The players at the club have everything needed to do well this year. Players like Defoe, Distin and Campbell make up a really good side.

“I played with Defoe at Spurs and it’s good to meet up with him again. He always talked to me at Tottenham and helped me to adapt. He told me Portsmouth is a good club to play for.

“There are experienced players like Sol and Sylvain who I can watch and learn from. It can only help me to play alongside them.

“It does mean that there is a lot of competition for places but that’s good – it keeps everyone focused.

“Also, I can play in midfield or at the back – I don’t mind really. The important thing is that I’m here and ready to play.

“I really want to do a good job here.”

Including Kaboul, Portsmouth now have seven former Spurs players in their squad with Noe Pamarot, Sol Campbell, Sean Davis, Pedro Mendes, Peter Crouch and of course, Jermain Defoe.

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