Really not sure about this whole business of enmity with West Ham. I’m supposed to loathe that lot, but it just seemed like too much effort to scream abuse at them until my face turned purple, or go wandering the High Road afterwards armed with a deranged stare and a machete, or whatever the kids are using these days.I don’t want to sound disloyal, and their fans certainly become rather excitable – but I just don’t care about them enough to hate them.
They’re not based particularly close to us. Their manager is quite likeable. They will end up selling the best of their players to us anyway (before we in turn sell them on to Man Utd). I only know one Hammers fan and he’s a decent fella. I guess what it boils down to is that they just aren’t any real threat to us. Even if they finish above us they’re no real threat to us – in terms of history, fan-base, financial backing or long-term prospects.
With this in mind I didn’t bother antagonising them when previewing the game (they nevertheless bit anyway). And now I can’t be bothered to gloat about victory. West Ham are no ?ber-villain to me; they’re just another faceless henchman to be despatched, en route to a bigger showdown. Another game ticked off, another three points in the bag. That’s as much vitriol as I can muster I’m afraid.
And so to some things that caught the eye on Saturday.
1. Ankle
I only really began to notice how many times per day I pivot on my ankle once I’d sprained it. Admittedly this has little to do with Saturday’s game, but as it’s been my Thought Of The Day for a record seven consecutive days I figured I’d mention it.
2. Too many of our midfielders require Palacios alongside them to look good
The Hudd continues to polarise opinion. Did he play well or not? To be honest, judgements on this were probably made prior to kick-off. The Hoddle-Reincarnated camp point to his catalogue of gorgeous passes; the Fat-And-Lazy camp point to his general lack of mobility and life-depends-on-it energy. Mind you, the thought of unleashing a Hudd-Palacios midfield combo against Newcastle next week does rather set the pulse racing.
(Some have naughtily suggested that Hudd’s inclusion on Saturday was just a means of advertising him to potential summer suitors. Honestly, as if our glorious leader would be so cynical. Tsk tsk.)
Zokora’s performance reinforced my opinion that if we really are to mount a serious challenge to the Top Four next season we’ll need to bring in a better understudy for Palacios.
3. Top Dollar Can Buy Top Class
By contrast our Pav cost £14 mil and has shown he can cut it on the international stage. He had his back to goal and was offering no obvious threat, but put on his dancing shoes, turned his man and scored a peach of a goal. Out of nothing. Reminded me of his goal vs Burnley at home – just a little flash of class, which separates men from boys. It’s the bit of quality you can get when you pay top dollar (or, bearing in mind that Bent cost more than Pav, when you spend top dollar wisely). He still cuts a frustrating figure a lot of the time, but those moments remind that form is temporary, but class is permanent.
4. Modric – So Good He’s Biblical
So a happy Easter. A win against West Ham, but it might as well have been West Brom for all I cared. Anything less than three points vs Newcastle next week would be pretty shoddy. Thereafter things could get tricky, but we’re definitely safe from the drop, and Europe is still possible. Bring on the next of the faceless henchmen.
34 replies on “Spurs 1-0 West Ham: Defeat of A Faceless Henchman”
read all the crap on hammers forums before and after the match and you will see a silmilar theme…spurs spend vast fortunes on absolute shit……lets rewind to the goal for a second…..corluka splits the west ham defence with one pass that finds his countryman modic…..modric then puts the ball through a space that looked only inches wide…and splits the west ham defence again….pav takes his goal as coolly as an alley cat….MODRIC, CORLUKA, and PAV…what aload of old shit LOL
Like your stuff though don’t agree with everything obviously. I am both a Jenas and a Huddleston fan, think that Modric is our one world class performer and happy that Harry managed to get three squad players on.
My blog ref.is there and if you give it a look and like it give me a ref. I am putting yours on my recommended reads.
Most of mine is published on Spurs Community and Topspurs columns but I am trying to drum up more responses to the blog itself.
Cheers JimmyG2
Get rid of Jenas, buy Kranjcar from Portsmouth!!
that way we will get rid of a player who looks like hes never going to improve, we get a left winger and can play Modric where hes meant to and can deliver many more quality passes. Furthermore we will expand the Croatian contingent.
COYS
Hmmm… methinks the lady doth protest too much…
your piece may be lacking in vitriol my little spud, but your I’m afraid your ‘disinterested’ condescension does not hide your obvious dislike of us. Wonder if you’ll put up a piece in a similar vein next time you play, who was it? Oh yes. West Brom. Ah, sorry, my mistake. You got beaten by the mighty baggies, didn’t you?
“Oh yes. West Brom. Ah, sorry, my mistake. You got beaten by the mighty baggies, didn’t you?”
Maybe zolasnose … but How many points did we take from you this season, 6 was it?
No, he’s right, Zolasnose. It comes across as tired bemusement of this “rivalry”.
Me personally, I’ve always had a soft spot for your boys, as you at least try and play the game in an attractive manner; and not one of my Spurs supporting mates particularly dislikes you.
Compare and contrast the average Spurs fans’ feelings on Arsenal or Chelsea to their feelings towards West Ham and you’ll find a world of difference.
That isn’t meant as a dig in any way shape or form, it’s the honest truth.
COYS
“Even if they finish above us they’re no real threat to us – in terms of history, fan-base, financial backing or long-term prospects”
That is the most laughable thing ive ever seen written by a flid, how old are you? 12 .
We have won a european cup and the odd fa cup (more than most clubs).
We produced 3 of the players that won this countries only ever world cup(one scored a hat trick the other who unfortunatly went on to play for the flids scored the other while the best centre half this country as ever seen captained the team that day)
We continue to produce quality english players(take a look at current england squad)
Fan base , is that a joke ………… no thats a serious question you muppet we were getting 30+ thousand when we went down after selling all our players ,what would happen if you lot actually when down , i tell you what would happen you would all go down the arsenal thats what
Of course your bothered about us , we yes we stopped you goin to the champions lge the week before we took part in a real ‘cup final’
And aint it bad enough for you lot that chelsea and arsenal finish above you, but to have someone like us finish above must be embarrasing as we spend at least a quarter of what you spend……….and were as it got you ????????
Yep, fair play, 6 points off us this season. Much as I’d like to, can’t change that. But fer chrissakes we’re all just feckin bored of this “biggerclubbiggerfanbasebigggerstadiumbiggerplayers” mantra. And why oh why do you persist with the self-delusional claim to have rivals only in the top four? The stats deny it. The football you play makes a mockery of it. The debt you are in screams trouble. Mebbe it’s the self-importance that gets under our skin – we’re proud to be Hammers, through thick and thin. We know we’re finally going to fulfill our potential. Problem is most of you guys seem to think it’s some mistake when you fail to win the champion’s league. Man all me mates are Hammers or Spuds, don’t be telling me there’s no rivalry, I know it’s cobblers and so do you. Good luck with yer team boys, here’s to next time.
whilst i agree that hating West Ham seems a little pointless and I do find it hard to muster any sort of ill feeling, I do actually see West Ham as a ‘rival’ in the Chelsea/Arsenal sense and it is one of the first fixtures i check when they are revealed preseason.
I enjoy the the banter more than with most fan bases, perhaps it is because despite the occasional hiccup its a fairly painless and enjoyably onesided banter. Particularly after the event when they get all stroppy.
And I quite like Zola he is a good bloke.
we arent in debt. in fact i think we were one of only 2 or 3 who arent in debt last time the figures were released.
Can I point out we sold Keane/Berbatoss/Chimbonda/malbranque/Tianio/Kaboul/Defoe & Robinson last season (as well as other odds and ends i cant be bothered listing) for a combined total of well over 70m.
Whilst our spending on players is huge so is our sale returns.
This talk of overspending and debt i think is mostly wishful thinking on the part of our rivals. We arent in debt and havent been for years. Sickening I am sure. But true.
“the debt you are in screams trouble” zolasnose do you actually follow the prem and know anything about our so called debt?….we are currently in 14mil worth of debt…according to deloitte we are the best run club financially in the league, with the best assets to debt ratio around….compare that to man u….600mil debt, liverpool, 400mil, chelsea the same, arsenal in massive debt because of the financing of the emirates was based on projected fiqures to do with sale of property on the old highbury site, that hasn’t happened….its just wishful thinking on the part of afew hammers like you, who seem to know very little…do you want to remind me of your clubs current financial position and the fact you are screaming out for a foreign buyer to save you!
Thanks for putting me straight – was reading some site the other day had a different slant on it. Darn. Still, you want to know about money ask a Spud, eh? While we’re on the topic of who does what best maybe you lot would like a lesson in how to support a club? We’ll be running Passion 101 and Loyalty for Beginners in the closed season. See you there? And yes, when a foreign buyer comes and pumps millions into our little club it will be very pleasant I’m sure.
“The debt you are in screams trouble.”
Obviously zolanose is numerically challenged. Of course it could be that he’s jealous of how Spurs are well managed financially. West ham have been an excellent footblling club bu a disaster financially. terry brown, the Icelandic mafia- they certainly know how to pick them. Blimey they make Rbs and HBOS look well run!!. Get over it there’s no fairy godfather out there in this financial crisis. Please wait and hope and keep that greeneyed moster under control. Envy is still one of the seven deadly sins.
I thought you already had a foreign buyer come in and pump millions into your little club, from Iceland wasn’t he? Oh sorry, of course you had to do it differently: he pumped millions OUT of your little club!!
I had absolutely no axe to grind with the Hammers until lasagne-gate. I was furious at the glee from the hammer’s fans when they prevented us from stopping Arsenal getting into the Champions league. Didn’t understand it at all. Had the boot been on the other foot we’d have been delighted to see WHU take Arsenal (or Chelsea’s, or Liverpool’s place). Showed a rather bitter small-mindedness that has stuck in my craw ever since.
Happily we responded in the best possible way and have taken points from you hand over fist since.
I’m a footie fan not a finance fan, as my ill-informed earlier post shows. I do know that we’re not fecked over that icelandic numptie tho – he’s taken nothing. And whoever does come in (and there will be somebody – like it or not fellas the West Ham are massively followed and good solid business – we own our little bit of the East End) will be a sound bet and will want to make us watertight. Finally. If we hadn’t been run by a bunch of total arses for years we’d be sitting pretty. But we were. So we’re not. Who cares? We’re on the up man and about time. And green eyed monster, sidesache? Me jealous of you? Is that what yer gettin at? For what exactly? Maybe you’ve got a fit missus I know nothing of? Or a Ferrari? Sure as shit it can’t be yer footie club sunshine ; )
west ham are a nice little club like fulham and should stay just above the relegation teams and keep quite and out of harms way .Europe is to big a place for the hammers and fulham and going into europe can get you into dept like iceland banks .Good look next year only kidding the hammers are the best club in london behind spurs that is for playing the game the right way.
I agree with most of the comments. I used to quite like West Ham but for some reason they have such a chip on their shoulder and seem almost jealous of us for some reason. Even visiting their ground the merchandise they have on sale mentions us almost as much as their own club. WHY ????
Do they not understand they are not our rivals, that is Arsenal, they are nothing to us. Is it because they dont have any proper rivals of their own? Please West Ham fans take note. We dont give a sh*t about you, find your own rivals and stop being so worried about us and what we are doing all of the time.
Just for a laugh I had a look at the tables back to 2000 just now – looks to me like you are a mid-table club too, apart from 2 seasons. Now if I remember my stats classes right that’s called “bucking the trend”. Get my drift? Good to see that last season and this you’re back to form.
for what its worth, i think that its only a matter of time before the hammers are bought out, whether thats in time to spend in the summer remains to be seen, soon it will be unusual for teams not to have a private mega rich owner, as the prem seems to be on track for being a private members club for the super rich who see our teams as their plaything…..im just glad that up until now, the money made by spurs as a business has meant that we can continue to invest in the squad and club infrastructure without having to sell our soul to the devil or a arab prince!
Must have touched a nerve with zolasnose. Seems to be trying to change the subject about other halves and cars. A strange thread to follow. As for the queue of buyers, you might find it odd but being a football fan is not exclusive, You can be a fan but also have a life and understand fiance. That’s not being a fan of finance-a bit tricky to follow that reasoning. Yes I can read balance sheets and can make a considered comment rather than rubbishing facts beyond a simpleton’s comprehension. Off to hold a more intelligent conversation with a six year old grandson.
Dear Harlow, that’s cobblers. Your fans and sites have as much to say about us as we of you. And Arsenal, whilst being a bunch of tits, are much, much better than you. Does it get on yer nerves that we did your big ‘rivals’ at the new Library?
i cant work out whether zolasnose wants to be all matey or antagonistic. I think he is torn between his pathological hatred of Spurs and his admiration for our club and support. and big stadium and money. and history. and simmering under the surface potential. yeah yeah, I only say this because we know you hate this.
But I think like it or not, no one can deny IF we ever got it right we have the resource and infrastructure to break the top 4. What I can accept must be amusing is our wackyracesdickdasterdlyesaque repeated fuck ups.
What’s wrong with a bit of banter? You know: banter; a laugh. You take yourself very seriously.
pmsl at the sad no life spammer supporters who can’t be gracious and admit when they get beat by a better team twice
I think Jenas should go let Huddlestone take the rains & get someone worth while on the left its not fair that such a good player like Modric is played out of postion
I’d say matey antagonism.
Iv never read your blog before but what a nob you are,
bigger fan base just google tottenham hotspur fc and then west ham fc and then see how many hits on websites (the only way to truly measure it) and then do the same on yahoo and you will find our fan base is twice the same as yours and i live in north london
zolanose stop being such a tub-thumpin’ nob-jockey and get off our friggin blog you loser.
I have often thought why that the spammers have such a jealous attitude towards us,the reason has to be because our stadium is more or less the same size as theirs,we have underachieved too,albeit not since 1980 though,and yet we receive far more media coverage than them whilst they get on average just a little bit more than Fulham,other than when the media is talking about their debt.So there you have it it’s envy,pure and simple.
As for me they are all just chavvy little oiks who want a rivalry with us and do anything to provoke it.However the truth is the atmosphere at the lane for these games is nothing compared to when Chelski or the arsewipes come to the ground.That says it all,we aren’t that bothered really, of course we want to win,as we usually do,but we know it upsets the spammers more to continually lose your”cup final”..That’s the truth of it…
“You know: banter; a laugh. You take yourself very seriously”
This is fundamentally the problem at hand. Some West Ham fans take it waaaay too seriously. For every nutty Spurs supporter who bangs on about how playing us is your ‘Cup final’ and how ‘Were the bigger club’, there’s about 10 Irons who are obsessive in their lust to see their team beat us.
We’ve both got idiot fans, like any club. I think irony is lost in the midst of all the hypocrisy between the two. Illustrated perfectly by the mention of ‘we produced 3 World Cup winners’.
Remind me again, who did Bobby Moore want to sign for before the WC finals and who did Martin Peters sign for not long after?
Oops, damn it….I just knee-jerked!
I guess that’s just how banter works hey 😉
“And Arsenal, whilst being a bunch of tits, are much, much better than you. Does it get on yer nerves that we did your big ‘rivals’ at the new Library?”
Zolasnose that sums up my point exactly. Why should it worry us that you beat Arsenal, in fact we would have wanted you to win. Also what has them being better than us got to do with them being our rivals? not sure you know what you are talking about, so you fit in well with most of your other fans.
Your right spud we are of no threat to you as we above you now as we were last season. Your immeadiate threats are sunderland and hull. bigger fan base lol better long term prospects lol TOTTENHAM LOL keep up the good work hotspunk. you jokers
Immediate threats? I’d say the most immediate threat is to our gut and whether to go for a kebab pre-match or a burger.
Bigger fan base? 4 million of us self-important yiddos. I’d say that was pretty big.
Long term prospects? Moving to a 58,000 stadium whilst you’re stuck paying off the likes of Sheff Utd from your Lego castle HQ.
Good work? Another double over the ‘ammers. I’d say that was good work, breaking your lickle hearts again.
As for Hotspunk…I should bloody well hope so.
LOLZ. you muppet.