The Mail Bag
Remember Spurs' last time here
Comments (16)
Remember the Spurs debacle last season? I think it was Moyes's wake-up call with regard to playing some decent football and the aftermath was probably as close as he has come to leaving. Let's hope the lesson was well learned and we can look forward to pay-back time on Wednesday...
Jimmy Royston, Posted 27/01/2008 at 20:32:27
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Peter Hall
2 Posted 28/01/2008 at 08:49:15
2 Posted 28/01/2008 at 08:49:15
Remember it well, Moyes got booed for being negative in the last minutes of a home game when they got back to 1-1 - and of course it didn’t work whiich made it worse.
However I also remember looking at the table at the end of the year and realising that had we held on to 1-1 we would have finished above Spurs in fifth
However I also remember looking at the table at the end of the year and realising that had we held on to 1-1 we would have finished above Spurs in fifth
Michael Hunt
3 Posted 28/01/2008 at 08:38:26
3 Posted 28/01/2008 at 08:38:26
Another example though of how the billionaires are increasingly meaning we aren’t playing on a level financial playing field e.g. Chelsea miss Drogba and splash 15million on Anelka. Now Spurs miss Dawson to suspension then seal Woodgate for 8 million! Our January business: We bag 5 million for Faddy while spending 1-2 million on Gosling (hopefully there is money waiting for us to but Pienaar and Manny in a few months time though, plus another signing like Michael Bradley or a rising AFCoN midfield general). Re. AFCoN players who cares if they miss 3-6 weeks every 104 weeks?! On balance, I think it is worth it (though missing Yak, Yobo and peanut for the SF last week was not good!)
Erik Dols
4 Posted 28/01/2008 at 09:07:40
4 Posted 28/01/2008 at 09:07:40
To be honest I don’t rate Woodgate that high anymore, he’s lost some of his composure since he left Leeds. But I see the idea, Spurs easily spent mils and mils on players just for back-up.
Tony Part
5 Posted 28/01/2008 at 09:14:48
5 Posted 28/01/2008 at 09:14:48
I remember last seasons Spurs home game very well for the wrong reasons..I remember we were without Johnson up front and we looked absoloutly punchless all night long and then of course there was those substitutions that really did it for most people..I remember at 1-1 screaming at Moyes and the players to try and show some ambition and go for a winner but look back and know a draw would have been ok given the circumstances..I also remember getting drenched on the way home.. I dont think Spurs are as strong this season either but they are showing signs of real improvement under Ramos and I am worried now they have Lennon back and I know he will be up against Valente on Wednesday..That is one thing that concerns me for this game..I am worried we will not be able to stop Spurs scoring..Yes they are not so clever at the back and if we had Yak up front I would be confident but I just am not sure that after last Wednesday we will have enough to get past them..When AJ plays up front alone its almost as though we dont have a striker simply because AJ spends so much time chasing lost causes into corner flags,leaving obviously nobody in the box to score the ugly tap in goals that Yakubu has made his own trade this season..Plus there is no Cahill which weakens the goal threat even more..Players such as Arteta,Fernandes and Osman must all play to their highest level on Wednesday if we are to win and it cannot be like last Wednesday or last season at home to Spurs where we are sitting in our own half inviting pressure..
Dan McKie
6 Posted 28/01/2008 at 09:38:23
6 Posted 28/01/2008 at 09:38:23
You might say that we got payback at Shite Hart Lane earlier in the season and that its their turn! They have been in decent form but far from outstanding, their defence is still crap and if it wasnt for them beating Arsenals youth team then no-one would have even noticed!
Sean Allinson
7 Posted 28/01/2008 at 09:49:44
7 Posted 28/01/2008 at 09:49:44
Tottenham have now started to show the quality that their squad contains and I will be delighted with a point on Wednesday. There is an almost uncanny resemblance to last years fixture, facing them at a time when they are coming to the boil after a tepid start, and we are seriously depleted from what would be our first choice starting eleven. Unlike most people, I thought Moyes almost pulled off a minor miracle by nearly getting something from last years game. With Keane or Berbatov constantly dropping deep, their 5 man midfield overran us for the majority of the first half. Putting Naysmith on at left mid (that in itself showed the paucity of our squad that night) gave us a lot more balance and impetus,and saw us control long periods of the second half. However, a Spurs goal was always coming and the replacement of a seriously tyring Fernandes by Neville in the centre was a last ditch effort to stop the inevitable, and it almost came off. ?But we?re at home! We should be attacking! We should be playing beautiful football!? the rabble cry. Sorry, not when you can barely field eleven fit players, and are playing a strong side with no injuries, showing the kind of form which saw them move up from 11th to 5th within the space of a few weeks. I didn?t disagree with a single decision made by Moyes that night. Spurs were simply the better side with better players, and throwing caution to the wind would have seen us punished even more severely. Had we clung on to a point that night, we would have finished above Spurs. It was only through Moyes astute tactics that we were still in with a shout in the 91st minute.
(Starts putting sandbags around his trench and)
(Starts putting sandbags around his trench and)
Brian Donnelly
8 Posted 28/01/2008 at 12:39:01
8 Posted 28/01/2008 at 12:39:01
Sean Allinson,
Nobody is arguing with bringing Naysmith on at half time. It was when he brought Hibbert on, with Vaughan sitting on the bench, that everyone got annoyed.
How can it be good tactics to have the crowd booing the manager?s decision? Away from home I probably would agree with bringing Hibbert on, but at home the crowd can inspire that extra bit from players. The Hibbert substitution was an invitation for Spurs to push forward even more and they did so, resulting in a defeat. So you can hardly talk about astute tactics
Incidentally DM agrees with you. He spoke to ESCLA the day after the West Ham LC win. He said he didn?t do anything wrong in that Spurs game and in the same circumstances would do exactly the same again.
Personally I think he needs to get the crowd behind the team rather than creating a negative crowd reaction. Bringing Vaughan on would have inspired the crowd and the increased atmosphere would probably inspire the team. Precisely the opposite of what actually happened!
Nobody is arguing with bringing Naysmith on at half time. It was when he brought Hibbert on, with Vaughan sitting on the bench, that everyone got annoyed.
How can it be good tactics to have the crowd booing the manager?s decision? Away from home I probably would agree with bringing Hibbert on, but at home the crowd can inspire that extra bit from players. The Hibbert substitution was an invitation for Spurs to push forward even more and they did so, resulting in a defeat. So you can hardly talk about astute tactics
Incidentally DM agrees with you. He spoke to ESCLA the day after the West Ham LC win. He said he didn?t do anything wrong in that Spurs game and in the same circumstances would do exactly the same again.
Personally I think he needs to get the crowd behind the team rather than creating a negative crowd reaction. Bringing Vaughan on would have inspired the crowd and the increased atmosphere would probably inspire the team. Precisely the opposite of what actually happened!
Phil Gordon
9 Posted 28/01/2008 at 13:05:26
9 Posted 28/01/2008 at 13:05:26
Earth to Sean, I think you seriously over-estimate Spurs whilst seriously under-estimate your own team.
’’ if we are to win and it cannot be like last Wednesday or last season at home to Spurs where we are sitting in our own half inviting pressure.. ’’
Re last Wednesday - I don’t recall sitting in our own half inviting pressure, if anything Chelsea were sitting in their own hald inviting pressure and then hitting us on the break. In the previous 10 mins to Chelsea scoring we had 70% possession. Wake up!!
’’ if we are to win and it cannot be like last Wednesday or last season at home to Spurs where we are sitting in our own half inviting pressure.. ’’
Re last Wednesday - I don’t recall sitting in our own half inviting pressure, if anything Chelsea were sitting in their own hald inviting pressure and then hitting us on the break. In the previous 10 mins to Chelsea scoring we had 70% possession. Wake up!!
Sean Allison
10 Posted 28/01/2008 at 12:51:19
10 Posted 28/01/2008 at 12:51:19
Brian,
The day Moyes starts to pick the team because of crowd reaction is the day he should resign.
He brought Hibbert on because Fernandes was struggling badly in the centre. Spurs were getting the upper hand and could have scored several times before they finally did. With no recogniseable midfielders on the bench what was Moyes to do? Bring on Vaughan and go 4-3-3? It would have been suicide. He took what was his only option and pushed Neville into the middle to shore things up. It failed, but the reaction afterwards was shameful .
The day Moyes starts to pick the team because of crowd reaction is the day he should resign.
He brought Hibbert on because Fernandes was struggling badly in the centre. Spurs were getting the upper hand and could have scored several times before they finally did. With no recogniseable midfielders on the bench what was Moyes to do? Bring on Vaughan and go 4-3-3? It would have been suicide. He took what was his only option and pushed Neville into the middle to shore things up. It failed, but the reaction afterwards was shameful .
Sean Allison
11 Posted 28/01/2008 at 13:16:34
11 Posted 28/01/2008 at 13:16:34
Phil,
I guess we’ll see on Wednesday. If we win no-one will be happier than me....
....or more suprised.
I guess we’ll see on Wednesday. If we win no-one will be happier than me....
....or more suprised.
Jay Campbell
12 Posted 28/01/2008 at 14:16:07
12 Posted 28/01/2008 at 14:16:07
Sean Allison you have got to be kidding with that comment about the crowd’s reaction after the Spurs game last year!!!
It was Moyes that was shameful that night nobody else.
It was Moyes that was shameful that night nobody else.
Kevin Tully
13 Posted 28/01/2008 at 13:26:11
13 Posted 28/01/2008 at 13:26:11
It will be interesting to see if David Moyes goes with 4-4-2 on Wednesday night now that Tim Cahill is suspended for the Spurs match. I would rather see Vaughany play up front with AJ and frighten the life out of the Spurs back four. Big Vic just doesn't seem to be able to to last the full 90 just yet, and this line-up will hopefully stop the hoofball...
Brian Donnelly
14 Posted 28/01/2008 at 16:56:46
14 Posted 28/01/2008 at 16:56:46
Sean,
It?s all very well bringing another defender on, but because of this we couldn?t keep hold of the ball. Thus we invited pressure from Spurs. Also IMO Neville & Carsley have difficulty playing together, sometimes both trying to close the same man down or both leaving a player unmarked. This led to even more uncertainty in the midfield area. In fact, if memory serves me correctly, their goal came because the midfield did not pick up the player just outside the penalty area. Sometimes the best way of defending is to be more adventurous and this is what was needed in that match.
As for the ?shameful? crowd reaction - they reacted as they saw fit and the day when emotion, both positive or negative, is taken out of football is the day I stop going (if prices don?t finish me first!).
It?s all very well bringing another defender on, but because of this we couldn?t keep hold of the ball. Thus we invited pressure from Spurs. Also IMO Neville & Carsley have difficulty playing together, sometimes both trying to close the same man down or both leaving a player unmarked. This led to even more uncertainty in the midfield area. In fact, if memory serves me correctly, their goal came because the midfield did not pick up the player just outside the penalty area. Sometimes the best way of defending is to be more adventurous and this is what was needed in that match.
As for the ?shameful? crowd reaction - they reacted as they saw fit and the day when emotion, both positive or negative, is taken out of football is the day I stop going (if prices don?t finish me first!).
Ron Leith
15 Posted 28/01/2008 at 17:42:32
15 Posted 28/01/2008 at 17:42:32
The reaction of the crowd was not good and I was one who got carried away by the result. However, it was mainly because we should have buried Spurs well before the substitution. They were allowed back into the game after we had battered them but with no end product. This week we will not have Yakubu or Cahill and I fear that we will once again be hanging on at the end.
Jimmy Royston
16 Posted 28/01/2008 at 21:09:31
16 Posted 28/01/2008 at 21:09:31
Sean have you taken that tongue out of your cheek yet. Your remarks " cannot be serious" especially about the crowds reaction. On that night Moyes showed his tactical awarness limitations and got the reaction he deserved, as stated it was a wake up for him, perhaps it made him think or is it just coincidence that attitude & performances have improved considerably since. It will have a hard game on Wed, when we win I also will be very happy but unlike you have the will not to be "surprised" O ye of little faith....
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1 Posted 28/01/2008 at 07:57:48