Views On Vertonghen, Adebayor, The Stadium, AVB And More
By Alan Hill
[Photo: Alan Hill]Alan’s 2013-14 Season Diary no. 20
Tues 5 Nov
Good news. Riether has been charged retrospectively for his stamping.
Jan Vertonghen
Jan Vertonghen is complaining in today’s Sun about playing out of position. First week of November. Crikey, that didn’t take long. I predicted this at the start of the season when we had signed so many new players. He is a cracking player but doesn’t exactly appear to have Spurs carved into his heart. Of course, the papers will make the most of it. With the transfer window approaching, it looks like he is preparing the way for a move to a Champions League club. I wouldn’t rule out a disruptive bid from Arsenal, let alone Barcelona, with Vermaelen offered as a makeweight.
Talking of the Ar*e, I wouldn’t be shocked if they sneaked Lebandowski out from under the nose of Bayern Munich either. I hope not. I get the feeling there is some disgruntlement in our squad. Even down to Soldado’s eyebrows raised to the Sky and flashing elbow at Everton. We are not unique in that amongst the bigger clubs but we could do without it.
- Andy Murray says he fears he will always be disliked by some following his comments about England before the 2006 World Cup. Too right. The wife won’t watch his games on TV and insists on turning over whenever he appears. He says he felt like a loser until he signed Ivan Lendl as coach. There is a reason. It doesn’t pay to p*ss her off. She has had to focus her thoughts elsewhere since summer 2011, which has given him a chance, with or without Lendl.
- Joey Barton says in a TV interview he will stay in the game and become a top manager. Of course he will, stop laughing at the back. Someone will give him a job. After all he has set such a good example. He could be the next Paulo Di Canio. Or team up with Roy Keane at Millwall when he has finished with Ireland.
Champions League:
Moneybags MC score another 5 but still concede 2 in the absence of Kompany. Pellegrini wastes no time in pointing out that he has achieved qualification with two games to spare, something Mancini failed to do for two seasons in a row. Aguerro in top form. Man Utd roller coaster ride hits another dip as Van Persie misses a penalty, Chicharito misses an open goal and Fellaini gets sent off in a 0-0 draw.
Weds 6 Nov
Tom Huddlestone’s high tackle [Photo: Alan Hill]Ouch! It’s still a man’s game.
In the wars – Crystal Palace’s Adlene Guedioura – two broken ribs and a punctured lung after hit by Boaz-Mihill’s knee. Arouna Kone – to have a cartilage operation and long layoff after studs up on his knee from Tom Huddlestone. Sascha Riether gets a 3 match ban. Fair enough.
Emmanuel Adebayor
There is a first class full page article in tonight’s Standard supporting Tottenham’s treatment of Emmanuel Adebayor, pointing out the trouble he has been at every club he has played for. It lists many incidents but leaves out the fact that he voluntarily declared he would not go to the African Nations Cup before we committed to signing him. He then went back on his word when the time came. That, as much as any other issue, with his collapse in form and effort cost us a Champions League place which in turn kick started events leading to Gareth Bale’s departure. A year later, AVB does not suffer from memory loss and does not have “MUG” stamped across his forehead. Neither does David Levy.
New Sainsbury’s opens at WHL [Photo: Alan Hill]Spurs publicise the opening of the first stage of our new stadium project. A new Sainsbury’s! I hope they sell those caramelised onion-topped mini pork pies. Wouldn’t it be nice if the actual stadium shot up with similar speed and efficiency? Can’t help but feel for the residents and businesses affected by the proposed compulsory purchases. I hope the compensation packages are generous. They say there is going to be a Wembley-style walkway. A plea for the disabled; plenty of lifts and escalators please.
Arsenal beat Dortmund in Dortmund, Ramsey and Wenger do it again. Chelsea go to the top of their group with a 3-0 victory over Schalke. Messi back scoring again for Barca and Benitez’s Napoli pull it out of the fire 3-2 versus Marseille. Gareth Bale scores again for Real Madrid, settling in now.
Thurs morning 7 Nov
AVB lays it on the line.
"This team has changed from playing 4-4-2 to playing one striker up front. It is a massive, massive change. I don’t see us going back to 4-4-2. It’s the reality. We have been extremely successful, as we were extremely successful using 4-4-2 in the past."
Exactly but under 4-4-2 we scored goals so it was equally successful but more attractive to watch. West Ham got 3 goals against us without any strikers at all, so it can be done. We just need the dam to burst for our lonely hit man.
Meanwhile I am starting to think us as the python of the Premiership, squeezing the life out of our opponents.
We took another chance to shoot the Sheriff. Congrats to Erik Lamela and Jermain Defoe on their individual landmarks.
COYS!