Conjo

Think most of the Spurs hatred surfaced during the time they got Modric, and then the Harry Redknapp/Rosie/Demba Ba/general pouching incidents. The fact that they got some good deals for players while being able to shift average dross for big fees on top of that made people a bit jealous. I don´t really mind Spurs now that Redknapp is gone. They have been fun to watch for many years now, and bar Bale, most of their squad is fairly likable.

Christ, I have always thought it had something to do with him shagging his brothers wife

Santon lack experience? Give over. He is one of the most experienced 22 year olds there is, and I certainly think he is better than Bernard was defensively.

Looks aren't everything. And fuck me don't i know it, i'm staring at the gargoyle i knocked up right now. Gargoyles are quite useful at keeping away foul spirits. No good at foul smells, Mrs Bimpy smells like Viet Cong latrine. you are my hero

I fucking long for the day he is back in the team. God what a fucking amazing player he is. Ben Arfa, Cisse, Gouffran, Sissoko & Cabaye as the attacking 5, with Santon & Debuchy supporting is grade A wanking material. Best player in the team.

Is the correct answer. Not Liverpools fault the ref didn´t blow for a foul.

Fuck off Man City/Dzeko. He was never injured.

Think what struck me the most about him today was that he looked a lot sharper. Last few games it seemed like he didn´t have any reflexes. Reacted very slowly to all situations (passes, opposition players turning etc), which resulted in some very basic mistakes such as trapping a ball from a relatively easy pass. Still, I´d prefer Anita or Marveaux a head of him for the next game, but I won´t throw the toys out of my pram when Padre selects him like I did today.

I singled him out as the one player we shouldn´t have on the pitch before the match. Obviously, I´ll reserve my judgement till after a game is played next time. Good performance from him!

Is this real life?

Anita for Jonas and I'd have been contempt. Still think MYM and marveaux should have been in there, but Jonas does more harm than nothing these days.

In the first half, I thought both Gouffran's and Sissoko's quick one touch passing was something we've missed for a long time. Whether he'll get the goals needed still remains to be seen, but both players are going to contribute positively in terms of developing the pass and move football required. Agreed. Gouffran is obviously an overall better player individually and collectively. Still think Obertans highest Level when everything clicks (which is very very rare) is higher than that of Gouffran. Anyway, I can understand why people would disagree.

Nah, point stands.

It was ment as a compliment to him Obertan is quicker, has a better first touch, better passing, better dribbler when he is turned on. Most often though he just doesn´t know how and when to use what - as Gouffran clearly does although Obertan is capable of doing everything Gouffran can better. IMO.

Seems to be a competent player, but other than his hold-up play, work ethic & footballing brain, Obertan beats him in all aspects of the game. Although he hasn´t played a whole match for us yet, it proves for now at least that you can have all the talent in the world, and still not be good enough for the top level.

For a big intimidating presence on the field, he sure was weak in the air? Didn´t manage to time his leaps at all. Once he gets used to the pace he´ll be one of our top top performers though. Was well impressed by what I saw. Keep in mind, Ben Arfa, Cabaye & Marveaux all said it took them some time to adjust to the pace of this league, so I can see why he was knackered and had to be subbed.

tactics probably the same as the first but they never responded from the whistle in the second half. the players never responded to the higher pressure and tempo. Probably the same? Or looking at all of our other performances under Pardew, were they probably different? Given that we almost always concede initiative if we're winning. looking at today we didn't have the ball enough to see if we'd changed tactics. one thing for definite, cabaye and sissoko had nowhere near the movement looking for the ball and working in the second half, or was that pardews tactic, stand still 35yds out and don't even trail back ? I don't know what his exact instructions are, but we can all see the effect of them, can't we? and if the instructions were "just keep it going, more of the same" but we couldn't live with the tempo ?, we were without an effective central midfield for the last 35mins. And the reason for that is.....................?

it sounds so easy "keep possession", do you not think we were actually trying that but failing at it and thats where the pressure came from ? it's like saying "try not to shoot wide" Hard to try and keep possession when it´s 10 men behind the ball in our own half for 40 minutes, so no. The players might have wanted to, but the tactics didn´t allow it to happen. I know it sounds so easy to say "just keep possession" by the way, hence the sentence afterwards

I could have understood if the Villa pressure had been going on for 15-20 minutes, as they really did fight tooth and nail and it did shake us up. I don´t think it is a weak mentality in the team. Problem lies with Padre who set us up to invite the pressure on us, instead of trying to calm things down with possession. Those subs man....I am speechless. I don´t think I´ve been critical to Pardew this season, but tonight he made me doubt how this season will pan out. All he had to do was sub Anita on for Jonas and give him the same role, and instruct the team to retain possession. I know that sounds extremely pompous, and although the second half never would have been as good as the first due to the immense work the Villa players did, we would have won in a more comfortable fashion.

Thank fuck Pardew didn´t manage to fuck the game up for us, although he seemed to try his best to cock it up.

Looks like a flat 4-4-2 to me. Sissoko RM, Guti LM with Cisse & Gouffran up top. Interdasting.

Ffffffffffffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuu clock! Still 11 hours left until kick-off

us ? yup There´s not a page in any transfer thread on here where "yada yada yada crowds of 50k yada yada" being mentioned. Have to be said though, that it´s the only thing this team has had going for it for a long time, so it´s not very surprising.

To be fair: http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/9434/screenshot20130126at122.png