leffe186

Nice try, but I disagree! Look at the bigger picture. Club stays up, club does well second half of season and gets out of a massive hole. Keane played a big part in that. The shambles was the position we were in before Redknapp arrived. What matters is the long term and (a) God only knows what will happen to Spurs next year but (b) it's better to stay in the Premiership (apologies to the hosts here) and © what happens to the club matters more than machinations over one player.

I cant believe that about Keane What an absolute f***ing shambles that will be on Spurs' part if that happens. He did the job he was brought back for - to knit us together and keep us up. Particularly after Defoe got injured. There's talk of him being unhappy and he certainly didn't play at all well in the last few games, so I wouldn't call it a shambles - just a short-term decision that paid off. I wouldn't have been unhappy to see him leave in the first place for that insane amount of money, if we had had any cover left.

I actually like it, but I can hear a million chants with the word "piss" in already.

Much as I love to say it, that's exactly what everyone was saying this time last year. And the year before. And the year before. Rinse and repeat. Sorry, I had to. Tbf, that last "year before" of yours, Spurs finished fifth. And the year before that! Too many variables this year for anyone to be confident. Man City, Villa, Everton, Portsmouth? Fulham? Anyhoo - where were we? Other team's transfers.... "2321 BST: Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is hoping to beat Hull to the signing of Manchester United striker Fraizer Campbell. Hull have already had a £6m bid for the striker accepted by United but England under-21 star Campbell is waiting until after the European Championships to decide his future." Looks like the death knell for a transfer to the Toon.

Egypt are pretty good and Italy are a bit better, but didn't get the breaks. The keeper made a stack of saves but he shouldn't have been given a sniff on a couple. This really makes me wish it was a World Cup summer.

Having a bit of a blinder tbf. How has Iaquinta not scored?

Good save. Come on Egypt.

Babatunde - got to take you up on that, that second St Etienne strip is just beautiful.

£6M would be an awful lot for Campbell. He played in fits and starts for us, worked really hard but looked like he needed another proper season playing consistently in the Championship. Some Spurs fans really, really didn't rate him at all.

Compared to Terry he is! I was just making a general point anyway, not neccesarily saying that was the ideal pairing I'd go for with the two first choices being out. 4/5-0 tonight I reckon, I hope we start poorly though because I like watching Capello bollock people from the sidelines. I'm with the man who said 7+. Its about time we obliterated someone, not because we deserve it but because it would be nice for me to actually enjoy an England game for once. The classy/clogger argument would suit Woodgate but I'd rather he didn't play for England - an injury waiting to happen.

Gunter is capable of playing either fullback and did some work for Forest at right midfield. I really like him, but he's not better than Hutton or Corluka right now. Give him a couple of years in the Championship. I'd rather have Gunter than Ryan Taylor tbh.

I went to that game. Zilina's fans were brilliant. Best fans I've seen in the last few years was when we (Spurs) went to Besiktas. Everything a support should be.

Good defence, but that midfield would leave them horrendously exposed. I know you're lacking creativity in the centre but that's a wild lurch in the other direction.

I still think it's going to be Boro, Hull & West Brom. You definitely don't need to be relegated to revamp the squad. During the 2003/04 season Spurs had an aging/ropey squad that finished 14th having been midtable all season. Apart from King & Keane, every position was revamped for the next season. In 2004 & 2005 we totally rebuilt the youth squad and blooded loads of youngsters, signed Cerny & Robinson in goal, Dawson, Edman, Naybet, Atouba and Pamarot in defence, Brown, Carrick, Sean Davis, Mendes & Reid in midfield and Defoe and Mido up front. It was bonkers. King, Redknapp and Defoe were the only players who lined up in the first match of 2004/05 who lined up in the last match of 2003/04. Most players were signed for relatively small fees (Defoe a notable exception at £6M). Great swathes of dead wood were cleared out. There has to be a change of ownership/attitude, a new managerial team (Shearer would still count as that) and some concrete investment. You already have a number of young players signed up and I understand that the youth development team has come on over the last couple of years. Losing players like Viduka, Owen etc will free up lots of money, Bassong, Beye, Barton would stay. I think you will and should stay up.

Definitely not the most hated club. Just imagine how much more virulent it would be if Liverpool, Man U or Chelsea were struggling. The motive is broadly the same just that in the case of Newcastle there is currently the opportunity as well. As others have said, if we (Spurs) were in the same position the general feeling would be the same, maybe worse with an anti-London/southern media mafia slant tacked on. I think you can look at any inter-club hatred coming from various angles - 1) local rivalry 2) tall poppy syndrome 3) rivalry between peers 4) personal resentments/jealousies. At the moment, Newcastle ticks a lot of the boxes. 1) Boro & Sunderland 2) smaller clubs 3) Man City/Spurs/Villa/Everton and I'd actually say some residual Big 4 rivalry (it wasn't that long ago) 4) any club with smaller attendances, less media spotlight, smaller wage bill - or who've got mates who are Newcastle fans and enjoy a bit of a laugh. When I was growing up in N London in the 70s/80s I hated Arsenal (1, 2, 3 & 4) and Liverpool (1, 3, 4 - so many bloody glory-hunters). I only knew one Man U fan and Chelsea weren't a threat so I've never hated them. It's schadenfreude. Most fans have the same delusions just some teams can live up to them more often than others.

Level with Boro with better goal difference, three points behind Hull with better goal difference. Beating Middlesbro alone might conceivably do it.

They have to win three of their last four, minimum. Can't see it. I think they'll be down after their next match - away to Spurs.

aye. crazy eight bonkers ain't he. even better with spanish commentary even though i dont understand a word. TBF I'm a defender and many's the time I've felt like doing that to a soft, diving twat.

Best to drink in the centre of town then make your way there. I would cab it from the centre but you can catch a 67 bus to Aston Station (get off by the Swan pub) and walk it or the train from New St. Pubs on Broad Street are a bit like Blackpool, low rent but with a fair bit of talent. Some late drinking at my favourite - the Tap & Spile, usually open till 4 - with some more upmarket bars by the Mailbox and dotted round the centre. The Barton Arms is good with decent food but is away from the centre. Anyone driving in might fancy a drink in Sutton Coldfield as a warm-up.

Another year of Stoke.

Watching Stoke vs Blackburn in the US. What better advertisement for soccer football could there be. I pity Howard Webb for having to ref these games.

FWIW it looks like Jenas may be out. If so then we may have the spectacle of three of the least mobile CMs ever on one pitch - Huddlestone, Butt & Nolan.

Finally did the predictor - Hull, Boro & West Brom down (before the last game too) and Newcastle 13th or 14th on 43 pts. Duly added to the poll

I think you'll stay up at the expense of Sunderland and Boro. They are in as much trouble and playing at SJP will make a massive difference. I know there is the potential for the crowd to get on the players' backs but against mediocre teams like Middlesbro & Fulham, if you get an early goal you'll win at a canter. Barton coming back could be crucial. Looking at [edit] the teams from [edit] Bolton down in the next two games, if West Brom lose both, all games against the "Big Four" are lost and all other games are home wins the table would look like this: Stoke 38 Bolton 37 Hull 36 Portsmouth 35 (with a game in hand) Blackburn 34 Sunderland 32 Middlesboro 30 Newcastle 29 West Brom 24 I know that looks scary but Boro will still have to go to SJP and both Middlesbro & Sunderland have a horrible-looking last four games. I think they'll both go down.

For what it's worth, I saw the Arse at Villa not that long ago and it was the worst Arsenal team I'd seen for years and years. Sure, they have Arshavin now, but I still think their confidence is fragile and if you guys get an early goal a la Man U I can see Arsenal struggling. Get at them early.