leffe186

Absolutely brilliant goal that was Brilliant finish, anyway.

The plain and simple fact though is that he wasn't good enough when he was here. How he's doing now is irrelevant. If it was just our fans who thought he was s****, why was he on the dole for 18 months? Quite. Us Spurs fans were happy to get shot of him when he left us, he had been going backwards for a while. Can't say if it was the injuries that were at the root of the problem but he certainly seemed to have something wrong with his attitude. I'd guess that the main reason he's doing well now is that he's grown up a bit and recognized his limitations, plus had a bit of luck with injuries. Can't remember the OP, but did Talkshite have him as the best RB in the prem? Better than Bosingwa, Sagna, even Luke Young? Good luck with that, like.

Is he really an idiot? Every interview I've seen (not many, to be fair) he's seemed pretty good to me.

I don't think you'll finish above Man City, they've got many more gears to go to after January. I don't think there's much between you and Aston Villa. I agree, unfortunately. Was hoping that Hughes would stay. My main hope is that City's defence keeps its vaudeville traditions. There's an awful lot between us and Villa in terms of the style of football we play, but their defensive set-up is very strong. It's a comparison between a counter-attacking style and a possession style and it's difficult to say which will come out on top. The game at Villa Park was indicative - Villa barely had a kick in the last hour, yet Friedel and Cuellar did really well to keep us out and we needed a dodgy goal to equalize. You say counter attacking style, but that's too easy to fall back on. At times this season we've played very good football. At times we've played awful football. The difference is this year we're far less reliant on the counter attack, despite what you read in the lazy media. Maybe you have more of the ball than we do, but what would worry me if i were a Spurs fan would be the familiar thing (of Spurs sides for every one of the 30 years I've been watching football) of seeing them have lots of possession but not really doing very much with it. The game against us was like that, in the second half you had all the ball, but Friedel didn't really have a great deal to do. A draw was about right, three points for you never really looked likely. I watched your game at Old Trafford in the league cup, and you had almost all the possession - it was quite embarassing to watch at times for Man United - but you did nothing with it and ended up losing 2-0. We went to Old Trafford, took the game to them, and won, as we did at Liverpool and at home to Chelsea. Bar Liverpool on the opening day and Man City, I can't really remember Spurs beating any of the stronger sides - you've done well against the weaker teams where they let you pass around them, but the results don't look that good against decent sides with a bit of resilience. That's where I think you'll struggle. Our problem is the converse, we do well against decent sides, but struggle against dross (Wigan, Stoke, West Ham). Agreed that you're less reliant on it this year (my wife is Villa so I like to wind her up and probably over-egg the pudding) but we still use very different styles and that was my point, not that ours is any more effective. We're both going to be there or thereabouts, and are both better than last year (both squad and team).

At first glance I couldn't see the point, but even without the Bolton connection there may be one. Maybe he does have his eye on the next move, and IS very confident in his own ability. Even if he stayed up with Burnley, who exactly would be courting him next year, or even the year after that? Newcastle? I can't see the Big Four being interested, Bruce, Redknapp, O'Neill, Moyes, Hodgson and McLeish look pretty solid, and Bolton are as good as any other - plus they're available now. If he does well with Bolton he'd have shown that he can create a squad from close to scratch at a small club and got them playing good football, then done well with more money at a more established Premiership side. It makes his CV all the more attractive.

Who does that leave for Burnley now? Strange.

But without them, what then? Whatever happens, the first season will probably be a huge battle to stay up. If that's a success then there will be plenty to build on.

I don't think you'll finish above Man City, they've got many more gears to go to after January. I don't think there's much between you and Aston Villa. I agree, unfortunately. Was hoping that Hughes would stay. My main hope is that City's defence keeps its vaudeville traditions. There's an awful lot between us and Villa in terms of the style of football we play, but their defensive set-up is very strong. It's a comparison between a counter-attacking style and a possession style and it's difficult to say which will come out on top. The game at Villa Park was indicative - Villa barely had a kick in the last hour, yet Friedel and Cuellar did really well to keep us out and we needed a dodgy goal to equalize.

They? I think it's 1 person on a joke of a website. Agreed, don't have to look far on t'interweb to find a pillock at any club. They'd be laughed off any reasonable Spurs site.

Sunderland-Everton has been fun. Pienaar looks the best player on the pitch, Everton on top, Sunderland playing so defensively now they've scored. It's been like watching Villa-Spurs *cough*.

Duff looked so much better than last year it's scary. Really shows that with proper management (and before Given left) last year shouldn't have been the complete calamity it was.

Draw away to Fulham. They're a really good team, better than us today, a draw's a good result. Modric got a run-out too and he looks mint. Zamora looked canny, Dempsey and Gera played really well, if they can keep away from injuries can see them going on a good run.

Crouch scores an absolute blinder, but the ref forgets he can play advantage. Commentators saying "unfortunate for the ref", no it bloody wasn't, he just failed to do his job.

Not yet, just gone ten here, means I've still got time to wrap my pressies.

Miraculous really, but I'm well chuffed. Just hope that no-one in the squad gets injured before the kick-off.

Allardyce understanding full well but using it as an excuse anyway, more like.

Torres to Man U would be worth it for the reaction.

Bassong played well again lads, FWIW.

Offside, man. Hmmm. Where's our resident ref?

Jordan Henderson looking good again. With a bit of luck he'll be an excellent player.

Terrible, terrible defending. This will end 7-7

They kept trying that offside trap last week too and it was rubbish then. Nosworthy played Heskey onside in comedy fashion for the first.

Definitely, but could say Larsson too.

Agreed, like Pienaar; most people can see how good he is and how much Everton miss him. Michael Dawson Richard Dunne James Collins Benoit Assou-Ekotto David Ngog John O'Shea?

Not surprised with the extra load it's been asked to carry.