Liquid football. Honourable mentions to the back-four and ‘keeper, a fourth successive clean-sheet leaving me not so much applauding as looking around suspiciously to wonder what the devil is going on. However, the day belonged to those at the other end. While it made for anxious viewing as the second half wore on, the brand of football purveyed was of the sort I could have watched non-stop for hours, slick little one-touch passes lifted straight from that pre-match six-a-side drill the players undertake up by the halfway line. My two-month old niece has duly been given her Spurs-embroidered bibs, caring uncle that I am, but on this occasion I snatched the bib from her, fastened it around my own neck and drooled.Modders’ Magic Second Touch
Hudd Earns A Mince-Pie, Sergeant Wilson Eyes Up Hollywood
As it turned out, Hudd delivered the textback definition of “Silencing the Critics”. His passing can often have us purring in appreciation, but his decision-making today, in picking the right pass – short or long as necessary – and upper-body strength were particularly impressive, and earn him a mince-pie.
Alongside him Sergeant Wilson looked more like his old self. AANP Towers has been buzzing with excitement in recent weeks at the news that a new sequel to Predator is apparently being made – Predators, which will pointedly ignore the previous, lamentable sequels, and be set on the predators’ home-planet, featuring amongst other creations, predator-dogs if you please. The template for such creatures is presumably Wilson Palacios of 28 December 2009, because if there was an ankle at which to be snapped he was there, every inch a growling, frenzied canine with the DNA of an indestructible alien warrior. Too early to claim we’ve got our Wilson back, but this is the standard he exhibited when he first joined.
Criticism. Sort Of.
The one grumble I suppose is that we ought to be turning such dominance into a bucketload of goals, à la Wigan; but the 70-minute inability to score was not for want of trying. Sometimes we sit back and indulge in fancy tricks ahead of a demented pursuit of the jugular; this time we knocked it around with purpose, always looking for the second goal.
There endeth the pseudo-criticism. Defensive clearances were not hurried, but typically measured, with a view to picking out a team-mate. Lennon’s performance demanded that new and ever more wondrous superlatives be created post-haste. Such was the general verve throughout our ranks that even Sergeant Wilson, BAE and Corluka could be spotted galloping towards goal. Harsh luck on West Ham to lose a couple of men early on to injury, but at times it seemed that they had not bothered to replace them, as we appeared to have an extra player on the pitch, lilywhite movement everywhere. The injuries excuse will only go so far; for our lofty current perch is due in large part to the strength of our reserves. Bassong injured? In comes Ledley. Modders needs a breather? Bring on Kranjcar.
West Ham may not have been the toughest nut to crack, but that should not detract from a performance which oozed wonderfulness from every pore. Happy new year indeed.
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And as ever, all are most welcome to leave memories – and browse those of others – regarding some of the players to be featured in forthcoming book Spurs’ Cult Heroes: Danny Blanchflower here, Dave Mackay here, Cliff Jones here, Martin Chivers here, Alan Gilzean here, Pat Jennings here, Cyril Knowles here, Steve Perryman here, Glenn Hoddle here, Chris Waddle here, Ossie and Ricky here, Gary Mabbutt here, Graham Roberts here, Jimmy Greaves here, Clive Allen here, Jürgen Klinsmann here, David Ginola here, Paul Gascoigne here
30 replies on “Spurs 2-0 West Ham: Football So Good It Made Me Steal From A Baby”
Brilliant article. Very funny
Definitely a good performance. Come on you Spurs
I’ve got to admit that for the first time in I don’t know how long,I believe we can go to Anfield with a view to playing with confidence before securing all three points.
Oh yes,and we might even have the company of a certain Sandro along side Palacios’
Have you got a spare bib mate.
We were lucky today. We played badly but wet spam were worse. No one played up to their potential. Good result, poor performances.
Could a 4-5-1 midfield with Lennon-Palacicos-THUDD-Modric-Kranjcar and Defoe up there by himself work? or do we need a holding/target man?
we definately need a good striker to play alongside defoe. both crouch and keane are fuckin shite nad pav is almost certainly moving on
I’m sorry, but I don’t share this unconditional love for the Thudd as a lot of you do. I agree he’s got potential, BUT he is way to inconsistant to be in a “top 4” EPL club. He did have a good game today (2. half at least) BUT apart from those long passes out right to Lennon,what does he do. He hardly ever makes a succesful tackle, he hardly ever wins the ball back (and he does loose it ALOT, especially against “tough”teams. He is way to slow, and beeing a brilliant passer of the ball (which I think has gone to his head a bit) is NOT synonymus with free-kick specialist or a good finisher, He takes way to many long shots way off mark, or soft crosslike on goal. I think what would be the best for him and Spurs would be to send him on loan so he could gain some pace, creativity and work on his defending, than we could bring him back when he’s closer to full potential. I do think Thaf is on to something by leaving Defoe alone on top. Unless we get extra points for taking the ball down on the chest and loose it, I don’t think Crouch is the world-class partner Defoe desirves. I’ve seen a few matches with Internacional, and Sandro could be a world-class “Palacios”player, I also think Muntari would be perfect for us, and I cross my fingers that one of them will be Yid next year.. I sugest we try 4-2-3-1 like this:
…………………………………..Gomes…………………………………..
Corluca…….2 Fit Centerback, possibly a new 1………..Ekotto
………………………………………………………………………………..
……………….Palacios…………MUNTARI/SANDRO……………….
……………………………………………………………………………….
Lennon………………………..Modric……………………….Kranjcar
……………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………….Defoe……………………………………
BUt I’m not complaining. I’m loving the way our season is going.
And I trust Harry to keep doing a fantastic job:
I don’t know what game Stoney was watching. Great Performances all around, although I felt differently about Hudd and Palacios. I felt Hudd was nipping at heels all game, winning possession, while also playing some great passes. But when WHam pulled 9 men behind the ball with their five man midfield, especially in the 2nd half, it was Sarge who picked up the ball from the CB’s and was threading balls to Hudd, Modders, Lennon et al. His passing the last month or so had been dreadful, but he was spot on today. Long may this form continue. Special shout out to BAE who most certainly should be a contender for our player of the season (after winning most improved player last season). Hopefully Bale fills in well enough that he isn’t missed too much during his ANC adventures. Bring on the Posh!
Nice piece. W.Ham look a very poor side and could go down with their various injury and financial problems.
We got the ball to Lennon well today and with Modric giving us some drive, as Kranjcar does, on the other flank we look better balanced.
Good point about Modric starting and finishing the move for our first goal. Couldn’t have been more than 20secs between his first and last touches.
Why one or your posters is dreaming about a 20YR.old newcomer to the country, the Premiership, the club, the squad and the team I don’t really know. He may eventually be backup for Palacios but who will he replace if not?
Send him on loan to “gain some pace and creativity”?
Brilliant passing has “gone to his head a bit”?
“too many long shots way off mark”?
Greavsy, I think you’re way off mark! I’ll agree he may not be up to scratch when up against the top 3 sides but how many of our squad are? I think it’s safe to say we fans have no unconditional love for any of our players, but he’s started every game bar the Fulham Boxing day draw and that settled midfield pairing may well be one of the key reasons we’re at the lofty heights we are now.
Aanp. Nice words and well put but has therumourman the only thing will stop me from hiding till the whistle has gone is if we are 9 goals in front with four minuets left .Why is this when we have played some great football well its this second half energy surge that leaves a usually confident Spurs fan trembling and my fingers have bean typing franticly all week before we played FULLOFENERGYAM COTTAGERS.And my fears have bean proved right and only for the drugba matching there fast athletic and muti million pound defending and the odd attacking skill they would be Roy of the energized stuff team of the month.This second Half Surge has no fear and 2 3 even four goals mean nothing ask Carrdiff fans if we can stop this or get the same Fitness conditioners that some of the more desperate teams and overambitious ones like Birmingham Sunderland Fulham .Then we can stay where we are and even go higher before the season kicked of my predictions where gomes to come good Lennon ro come good and Huddlestone and Spurs to finish third, and my last one was energy would play a big part in some teams games but the one thing I got wrong is how many When Huddlestone looks like Fellani then I will watch my Spurs from Start to Finish but I hope it wont come to this and UK sport stop this second half abuse of Ergized teams.
AA. Don’t know what game I was watching? I was sitting in the Paxton. Huddlestone was shite. You should lay off the booze mate, you can’t see or think straight.
Davspur a.k.a theromourman is a very funny human being…. Drugba? Lol!
That said, I must admit I was getting a bit nervous before we scored our 2nd. Westham were pathetic…but they could easily have come out of our place with a point. Crouch was rubbish again. But i’d rather see his fumbling touch than suffer Robbie Keane’s ‘helping’ of our midfield…talk of arubbish excuse for being a misfit! “Robert Keane – the striker who never scores but helps out in midfield!!” Sorry to digress.
Atlast our Defoe saved us with that vicious unstoppable shot that only he can produce.
Salut to Lennon, Modric, Corluka, Palacios, BAE, Ledley…the whole team – Crouch TBH.
Stoney-
you are being harsh. anyone would think you were Scrooge.
Huddlestone was not shite- but your post was.
Stoney you must smoke moracan red if you think tom was shite he is me main man for shampoo .And this should make you swallow your tongue a world cup star in the making davrumourman haaaaaaaaaastoneeeeey
Stoney, you are clearly an Ar5ena1 (or spammers) fan. I don’t think this is the first site you’ve left this sort of comment either. If you are in fact a yid then how about you get behind the team when they’re doing well rather than being a doom and gloom merchant!
Other than that, good game against a depleted iron’s team who at least tried to play rather than park the proverbial. Well done to Azza, Luka, Thud and also a mention for the back four who looked absolutely solid.
COYS
one of our best performances, lennon mom and thud close behind.whos this stoney pr@ck? got to be a windup.always one though eh….
Hutch. I’ve had a season ticket in the Paxton for the last twenty years. I’m a realist not a fantasist like you lot. If you think the team played well today your an even bigger c*unt than you sound. We only won because west ham were utter shite. Go to every game for twenty years, and quite a few for the preceding ten, then maybe I’ll let you pass comment on me. That goes for all of you.
We should play Pav with Defoe and try it out. Keane can leave, really, this time Liverpool needs a someone who can strike the ball don’t they? Talking abt Liverpool, we face them next at Anfield, and we need to go up there with a WINNING mentality. If we can give the fat spanish waiter a good spanking, then the future does look very promising. COYS.
Stoney, you can go eat some shit. Hudd was solid today, and we certainly didn’t do badly over the last four games. roll back to the emirates!
Look, there’s no need to get on each others backs here. Stoney’s entitled to his opinion and there’s no sense slagging him off with the worst insults known to man (Arse/Spammer supporter). We’re all in the same boat, we’ve all got lillywhite running through our veins. I for one admire him for his twenty + years of attendance. I’m certainly not saying that makes him a bigger fan than any one else, but it’s commendable nonetheless. As for his opinion on Hudd, he calls it as he sees it. Most of us just happen to feel otherwise.
Thanks AA.
Central midfield is where we lack depth especially the lack of cover or competition for Palacios.
Harry was linked in the papers with a few in the summer (Barry, Muntari, Vieira, Parker) but they did not pan out at the time.
Maybe we can revisit them to see if they fancy joining a title challenging Spurs side in January.
I kind of agree with Stoney. Good decent football but please it is not the best in the world. If it is not WH, say Fulham or Arsenal or Everton, then we might draw or lose the game! Luckily WH plays like jokers.
Please be realistic. I understand people will feel like we can win the WorldCup with this team right now with 70% of procession etc etc. But please keep both feet on the ground and admit that for 20mins we actually were under some pressure from them.
STONEY you are right we never played great but like me bitch says you don’t shagg me good all the time but when you do shagg me good its very good . Thats the way we played and yes Tom should have scored two goals but is overhaul performance was very good but just short of excellent .And being critical we gave the ball away to much especially from the back to crouch to west ham route.But you all no me and second half teams make me more scared than a Taliban because for some unexplained mystery Teams have more 9/10 McCarthy stamina.Thats why all the games from now on in will be hard poor Carrdiff fans will tell you 4-0 up and singing and at the end gasping .My Cv is 47 years in the north west in love with a team miles away Surrounded by scousers manx nutters lunatics and not a scar or black eye for it in all those years now thats dedication.So Stoney except my apology for stumping so low has to slagging a fellow yid your humble davrumourman
And Huddlestone was voted MOM by expert panels. Well!, an opinion is just like an xxxx-@/%, everybody is entitled to have one!
I thought Hudd was excellent and we played well. We did not score enough to match our superiority but yet another win and fourth place is a great return for the final game of 2009.
True that sometimes fans get carried away with good results but you have to make sure you enjoy the good times like we have now. When the bad times are here like we had before Harry arrived there are plenty of things to drag you down.
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