GALLAS AS CAPTAIN???

Turns out that in the pub on Saturday whilst watching that Joyful Game, that I appeared to be in the minority as I actually think Gallas has, on the whole, been fairly good for us so far.

Yes, there has been one or two mistakes, but I feel they were mostly down to him getting his fitness and match sharpness back. One thing is not in question: Against the goons he had his best game for us so far. We can probably assume that this is partly due to playing against his old club and partly due to having 50,000 people booing your every touch, but if it was also a side effect of making him captain then I'm all for him retaining the armband.

One thing is for sure: Modric is not up to the job. Love him as I do, he made a massive mistake by allowing Ferdinand, the ref and the lino to have a cozy little chat duiring the aftermath of the Nani debacle those few weeks ago. As far as I can see, little Modders is far to much of a nice guy to handle the pressure of modern captaincy.

"Yes Mr Referee, you're probably quite right, I expect the ball was over our line. What's that? Go away? Yes of course sir, let me just take my players with me."

As far as I can see, in the modern game a captain's responsibilities are thus:

• Command respect through talent, loyalty, experience or fear
• Put a rocket up your team-mate's backsides when required
• Hassle the ref to go easy on your team whenever possible
  
• Hassle the ref to penalise the opposition whenever possible
  

Love him or hate him, you have to conceed that Billy G is the kind of c*nt to stand there and argue the toss. All the top teams have a captain with a nasty streak, and I think it's exactly what we've been crying out for.

Personally, I don't understand why Modders was chosen over VDV in the first place, as he is suitably tempermental too. Hopefully he's one for the future, but failing that I'd back Gallas to step in - particularly if it continues to bring his game up a level.

Can't see this being universally popular though, so how do people feel about it?

49ers Play 60 with the Hotspur

Here's some international sport based community collaboration...

San Francisco 49ers at Northumberland Park School with Spurs

I'm really only posting this though because the chap near the beginning made me chuckle - "Tottnam Spurs" indeed!

God bless America.

Huzzah - We Lost!

I think its fair to say that I've never been so strangely euphoric after seeing Spurs lose. Last night I left the boozer with a spring in my step and a smile on my face, which is odd not only because we lost, but also because Tottenham were, on the whole, woeful.

God bless you Gareth Bale, you have allowed me to walk into work this morning with some shred of my dignity intact - thanks to you I can skillfully sidestep goon based derision regarding the first 15 minutes and instead talk about the last.

However, it must be noted that my fellow yids all gave me a knowing nod and a roll of their eyes as I strolled to my desk, as if to say "what about those Spurs eh? Typical bloody Tottenham!" - yes, it's almost as if nothing can surprise us any more. Being a follower of this grand old club is notorious for its ups and downs, but last night was more unusual than most!

Maybe some of my contentment stems from the psychological effect of seeing us crumble so spectacularly within 15 minutes of a game I have been waiting 30 years for. Fifteen sodding minutes, that is all it took for the game to effectively be over. What an anti-climax! At half time I'd have settled for 4-1, I just wanted one brief moment to cheer. To get 3 of them in such spectacular style was a truly unexpected bonus.

As you might imagine, this blog would have had a noticeably different tone had I written it at 8.30 last night. Let's just revisit that nightmare for a moment...

Rabbits and headlights are 2 words that spring to mind. The players looked over-awed by where they found themselves. No pressing, no movement, no clue. Hutton and Benny looked way out of their depth. Gomes went mental.

Anyway, that's enough of that, let's pick out a few positives: I thought Tommy was pretty good (ok, maybe only in the second half - can't remember) Harry's half time chat must have been rather inspirational. Lots of experience gained, which will hopefully result in us not repeating that 15 minutes again - and Bale. Oh Gareth Francis Bale.

What a game he had, what a hatrick, what a player - such a nice chap too! Let's just all hope that Madrid don't offer us £50m for him next summer. I can see that being the kind of figure that might tempt Levy. Or maybe old Red Nose will try to use his Rooney money to nab yet another star from us... oh now that would make me angry, really very angry indeed. Best not to think about it I suppose.

Today, every journalist in the land wants to talk about us selling Bale - it's all too predictable. "Spurs have good young player == Spurs must sell player", well you can all feck off!

Its quite annoying - let's see how long it takes to upset Harry!

VDV: LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

That Rafa Van Der Vaart - he's a bit of alright isn't he? In fact, he's a bonefide sens-bloody-sation. Actually, I can't remember a signing in our modern history who has been so universally loved in such a short space of time - and yet, a bit like Modders, I'm not sure he's had a really, truly outstanding game for us yet (too controversial? Sorry!) - but you can bet your arse it's coming.

I was at the Wolves game - and yes, he had a decent game. He was composed, he knocked it about nicely, he chased and harried and ran for lost causes, he pulled off the odd moment of showboating every now and again - in summary he looked every bit the ex-Real Madrid player you'd expect him to. But he wasn't the best player on the pitch. Apart from the penalty and that beautiful chest/volley combo I don't recall any massively significant contribution - and yet when he was subbed, he got the kind of standing ovation usually reserved for hatrick heroes; one I was only too happy to join in with!

So why has he so quickly become the apple of our collective eyes? I don't know about you, but I just think he comes across as an all round decent chap. I have a feeling from him that he's genuinely happy to be here - that he's not just churning out the cliche's because his agent told him to. That he actually has some love for Tottenham, that maybe it's not just another job for him. Am I a gullible fool? I don't care!

He's saying all the right things about the scum, about the 'twelfth man' about 'feeling at home' and then he walks onto that pitch and charges around like a man possessed for 90 minutes. On top of that he has the bare faced cheek to pass it to people on the same side as him with alarming regularity!

For me, he's instant captain material. I wonder how long it will be before he's wearing the armband when Ledders is poorly? I'd wager it will happen before the end of the year - particularly with Daws out of action. Maybe it won't be until next season - but right now he's looking like a shoe-in for the job.

Anyway, what a lovely feeling it is to sign a truly world class player at the height of his powers and witness him displaying them week after week. Long may it continue...

GOON INVASION

Recent talk has seen us linked to Adebayor, Hleb and Gallas - can you imagine the consequences of 3 gooners turning up before September??? In truth you have to say they are all top class players who would benefit the squad, but three at once is probably a bit much to stomach even for the most level headed of us.

Adebayor is widely regarded as a bit of a cock - but in his defence those lot down the road, to quote one I work with, "have a special hatred reserved for that wanker". I don't know - that kind of makes him OK in my books! Anyway, I think we all smell the distinctive odour of press BS floating from this one. The player has been given the number 9 shirt, and there's not much chance of Levy doing £20m+ on him. I don't want him anywhere near the lily white so that's all a bit of a relief.

Talk of Hleb seems to have faded away in the last week. I always thought he looked like a respectable player and if you think of him in terms of a Jenas replacement then all of a sudden he looks more and more appealing! Can take him or leave him.

Gallas however looks increasingly like a done deal. Harry rates the deal as 50-50, but I think it's sounding more like 80-20. The player's representatives have called to discuss his wage requirements and Harry is quoted as saying they're not excessive. No blockers so far then, this suggests he wants to come and Harry wants him.

I'm guessing the player would like to stay in the Premiership if possible and CL footy could be a factor. The short journey across London must also be appealingly convenient. I think all signs point to something happening.

How do you feel about this prospect though. I have, at times, despised the man - but this is usually directly after he has scored a goal against us. A guilty confession: I'm starting to find the prospect of having him in our corner more and more appealing.

He's in good nick for his age, knows what to expect in the Premiership, has been playing in the Champion's League for 10+ years, pops up with goals and is a proven winner - not to mention the hope that he scores against them in the NLD! I also think Daws and Bassong would benefit from playing alongside him. On top of all this he's on a free!!!

Logic dictates that this would be a cracking signing, but I'm interested to gauge the feeling out there. So what do you think - snap up the bargain, or don't touch the reject? Please select one from the poll on the left.

THE DOS SANTOS RIDDLE

After another sparkling display in last night's victory over Benfica, I have been wondering what the agenda is with Gio Dos Santos.

Clearly every Spurs fan you speak to has pretty much loved him from day 1 and would be delighted for us to keep him. Most would even welcome the lad being given his chance in the squad proper, so why are we still hearing stories about swap deals, loans and sales?

Harry hasn't exactly got Rafa Benitez's 'eye for a player' so he must be able to see what we see. Gio is pacey, has quick feet, gets into space brilliantly, has good vision and can finish - I've even seen him chasing back and putting in solid tackles recently! Yet Harry seems incapable of publically backing the lad., all we hear is the "must knuckle down" sort of comments.

The thing is, Gio was the young player of the tournament at the World Cup, impressed me in his second half cameo against Villarreal and worked his socks off last night. What more does he have to do? We clearly have a need for a tricky second striker/in-the-hole type player and if Dos Santos is good enough for AC Milan (alledgedly) then he must be able to do a job for us.

I'm now wondering if this is just the legendary Redknapp man-management in action. It seems like insanity to give up a young player with this kind of genuine potential just because he likes a party or two. I can only assume that Harry knows what works with the player, and in his case the stick is more effective than the carrot. Time to give him his chance now though don't you think?

We can't seriously be about to sell him can we? If Keane goes he's a ready made replacement, a seat on the bench every week as one of the 4 strikers would be seen as apromotion for the player, so I expect he'd be happy. A perfect impact player when we need to beat the team bus against Blackpool?

I for one would be delighted for him.

England 1 Spain 4

Managed to blag a couple of free tickets to last night's friendly so hauled my arse all the way to WHL - then rather wished I hadn't. Ok, I know its a friendly, the players use it to get fit, blah blah blah - but doesn't the same go for Villarreal? The fact is we were poor and they were not. They were trying, we were not. Believe me when I tell you it could easily have been 7 - 1.

As the title suggests, it reminded me at one point of what the World Cup semi final might have looked like if England had somehow managed to beat Germany and the Argies. Villarreal were knocking it about beautifully. Fantastic passing and moving, great vision and a typically Spanish ability to keep our boys as far away from the ball as possible. By comparison, most of our successfully completed passes occured the wrong side of the centre circle and nobody really seemed to remember what is involved in creating chances. Let's hope they learned something.

First half positives: Walker looks like a hero in waiting.

The second half was a bit more lively. Bale is a game changer - incredible at such a tender age, he's well on his way to being truely world class. Best LWB in the world 5 years from now - mark my words.

A well taken goal by Gio. He looked pretty tasty too. Good positioning, quick feet, I even saw him get stuck in to a cracking challenge or two. Please don't sell him Harry - pretty please. He looked every inch the World Cup star we saw last month.

In other areas the Beanpole did OK, Kranners was poor, Hudd was average, Rose and Parrett were annonymous and Hutton is rapidly turning into my next hate figure. Still no sign of Modders - is he injured?

Lastly, I was disappointed that there were no pasties on sale at half time down in the corner (block 23) - had to have a hotdog which was utter shit and cost 4 quid. I'm not usually a patron of the Paxton end, is this normal for you lot over there or is it a new catering arrangement for this season?

The Chosen 25

So I was just reading something about the Prem's new squad rules, and it got me thinking about the impact at Tottenham. Who's in, who's out and what this tells us about our transfer targets.

If you missed that article, rules state that clubs must now select a 25 man squad, and that this squad cannot be changed until January. Of those 25, 8 must be 'homegrown', which means they must have trained with an English or Welsh club for 3 years before they turned 21. Teams are allowed to boost the number of selectable players beyond 25, but these may not be over the age of 21 (as of January this year) and, I believe, the kids don't have to be homegrown.

So let me just dive straight in. The names there are my picks from the players we currently have available. (a * denotes homegrown)

Gomes, Cudicini, Alnwick*

King* Dawson*, Naughton*, Bassong, Kaboul, Corluka, BAE, Hutton

Hudd*, Modric, Krancjar, Lennon*, Jenas*, Palacios, Bentley*, O'Hara*

Defoe*, Crouch*, Keane*, Pav.

So, from our current crop we have 12 homegrown, which is quite good as it definitely gives us room to manouvre in the transfer market.

Eagle eyed readers will notice there's only 23 names above, but I can't think of anyone else who'd be named. You're probably wondering where Gareth Bale is? Well he only turned 21 a couple of weeks ago, so he doesn't have to be named in the 25.

In addition to Bale, Kyle Walker and Danny Rose might be expected to get some game time this season. Taarabt also counts (he turned 21 in May), which makes me think he might stay. Dos Santos was also under 21 in January and I'd love to see him stay, but I guess he'll be loaned. If he's not in the squad but is eligible then I assume we can recall him at any time if need be.

So, how do we need to refine the group...

Firstly, Alnwick will be replaced by Pletikosa should that deal go through - and I think it will. Thant knocks us down to 11.

You look at that list and you have to wonder whether Naughton and Hutton are going to make it. Naughton is nearly 22 so would have to take a squad place and Scots don't count as homegrown (but Welshies do, seems strange!). As Kaboul, Corluka, Naughton, Hutton and Walker are all capable of playing RB, the evidence seems to suggest that Hutton will go, Naughton maybe loaned, however as we're already thin on the ground maybe he will stay?

Plans for Bale remain a mystery - is he LB or LM? I'd like to see us bring in a quality LB and move BAE down to 3rd choice as I think the man is a bloody liability.

One look at the midfield list and it maybe becomes a bit more apparent why we were after Joe Cole. I think we have room for one more top quality player in that list. We have the boy Sandro, but can't see him making the squad before January, I'm not even sure he's joining us before September.

Will O'Hara be given another chance, will Jenas be sold? I'm struggling to think of any other senior players for their positions and I can't see us getting rid of 2 of our English quota.

Up front the talk is of Keane going and Pav being loaned. Robbie has looked sharp in the States, and Wolves signed him young enough for him to count as homegrown. You know what, I'd keep him!

Pav out and another foreigner in (eg. Huntelaar) wouldn't bother me, but I fail to see the point in loaning him. Anyway, he seems as though he wants to dig his heels and fight for a place so good on him.

So, in terms of our homegrown quota we have Hudd, Lennon, King, Daws, Bale, Defoe and Crouch as definite. Keane, Jenas, Bentley and O'Hara in the balance and Alnwick gone.

I can see Bentley staying for sure, so that's our 8. Bit risky to just creep over the line though isn't it? Would love to see Jenas exchanged, Keane kept and O'Hara being part of the squad.

As for reported targets, here's my take:

• Pletikosa: done.
• Richards: Would be nice, but surely Citeh need to hang on to an English player or two
• Suarez: Hell will freeze over before Levy spends £30m+ on one player
• Huntelaar: More our price range
• Parker: Hmm, could see this working, but don't see the Spammers letting him go
• Bellamy: I hate him but.. Homegrown, cheap, fast, clinical. On his way.

I can see Bellamy playing on the left allowing Modders to be deployed in-field. Do we really need a CB? King, Daws, Bassong all good - Charlie and Kaboul capable when 2 of those 3 are out. What big name is going to want to join that list? Harry - go get a LB.

Oh dear - all that reading and no conclusion, sorry - you'll have to make your own minds up!

Capello the Turd Polisher

Believe me, I could write 10,000 words on why England have been such a crock of shit over the last few weeks, but I'm guessing your attention span for that kind of chit-chat has diminished considerably over the last week, so I'll keep it brief.

My take on it is rather simple anyway: Look at the 'good' teams in this world cup. They zip it about with one or two touches, each player is on the ball for a second or two at most. They form tight little triangles and players without the ball are always looking to move into space before their teammate gets it, so that when he does he knows he has a one-touch option. This means they retain possession, it also means that the man on the ball doesn't get pressed so quickly because the defenders know he's not going to dilly-dally. This in turn means that attacking players have more time to pick out creative passes. 'Quick ball' is international football in a nutshell - simple.

England probably managed this for about 5 minutes of the 360 minutes they played. Their modus operandi is usually to pick it up deep, push it forward with their studs once, maybe twice until they get to the edge of the centre circle, before holding their arms out Jenas-like as if to say "What now?". That answer never comes, so they either force a pass to someone who really didn't want it, pop it backwards to some other clueless participant, or boot it long to Heskey or the short man up front. And we wonder why we were shit.

I personally don't see how you can blame Capello for this. He was going as mental as we were. OK, you have to ask yourself why he subbed Defoe for Heskey when we're 4-1 down when the Beanpole for Rooney would have been much more sensible, but the game was up by then anyway. You also have to ask why, after 10 years of having the debate, we are still playing Lampard and Gerrard together. I don't think Lampard has ever had a Man of the Match game for his country - Capello needs to be bold enough to drop him. He's too old for the Euro's now anyway.

Which brings me nicely onto Harry. Spurs fans take heart - there is no way on God's earth that Harry will be the England manager next week. Yes, the tax thing might put them off, but the main reason is that the FA would have to be absolutely barking mad to spank £10m on removing a man who's only crime was an inability to polish turds.

If the Italian was watching the same World Cup as me then he'll now know that Heskey is not, and never has been international class, Glen Johnson is at best adequate and is incapable of playing with a 'proper' winger in front of him, Lampard is a one trick pony (that trick being goal hanging for Chelsea), Upson and Green nearly got their team relegated for good reason, Terry is an odious egomaniac and, that if you want to keep possession and spread the play when it gets too tight, that Tommy Huddlestone would be a vastly superior solution in the centre circle than Barry. Lastly, that despite all around him losing the plot - Jermain Defoe was a beacon of self confidence and positive energy and for that reason alone was England's player of the tournament.

Moral of the story: Capello's 'big mistake' was to ignore his Spurs contingent. Let's hope he's learned his lesson!

The Spurs View: Capello's 30 Man Squad

So here it is, England's 30-man provisional squad for the World Cup finals. Let's have a look at what it might mean for the Tottenham contingent:

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green.

I see the Italian has opted for the extremely shakey Robert Green over ex-Spur Paul Robinson. I think that's a big mistake, but we can only hope that that berth is considered 3rd choice and so will be largely irrelevant. James is having a decent season and I wouldn't lose any sleep if he opted for him as number 1.

Defenders: Leighton Baines, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock.

Common sense has prevailed and Ledders and Daws both get the call. If you assume he wants 2 men for each position then you have to assume 2 CB's are for the chop. I'm 100% sure he will take King, which makes it a straight shoot out between Daws, Carragher and Upson for that last spot. Upson is shit and Carragher has already let his country down once so I think Daws has to be the favourite. Particularly if King goes.

Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips.

I'm extremely pleased he's opted for Cole and Adam Johnson. The former has invaluable experience and the latter has impressed me greatly in recent weeks - with the added bonus of him keeping Downing out of the squad! The odd thing is he's a lefty but I think he plays mostly on the right for City. Lennion is a dead cert to go, and is the most likely to start right side against USA on the 12th. I can see SWP being cut.

The most interesting battle for places is amongst the defensively minded CM's though. Milner is this tournament's Mr. Versatile so Barry, Carrick, Parker and our Hudd are surely battling for one - maybe at the most 2 places. I think Big Tom's game is perfectly suited to International football. He'll get plenty of time on the ball and he's easily the best passer of the bunch, but I don't think it looks good for his chances of going. Cappello will probably stick with what he knows and take Carrick and Barry. I'd rather see Parker go as I think the squad needs a terrier in the middle for when we have something to hold on to. Tom has to hope Barry's injury is long term.

Forwards: Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney.

Would have been a bit harsh on old Dazza to not make the 30 wouldn't it? I still don't see him going though - he's a bit of a big game bottle job isn't he? I think that all depends on the Hesky situation though - I thought Capello wasn't picking players on the fringes of their club teams and Heskey has mostly been a 'last 15 minutes' kind of a guy for a couple of months now, and in fact has only got the full 90 6 times all season. Maybe the big fella deserves one last swan song though - even though I know in advance I'll be swearing at him at least 5 times every game. Benty is going to need to make an impact during these friendlies to stand a chance.

My 23 man squad (from Capello's 30):

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green.

Defenders: Leighton Baines, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Stephen Warnock.

Midfielders: Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Scott Parker

Forwards: Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney.

Come On England!!!

New Champions League Logo!!!

So Spurs finally grab their place in the Champions League - and one can only say that it's fully deserved. Team Tottenham have always been capable of delivering the goods on their day, the difference for me this season is that their disaster days, in which they spend an hour and a half trying to string 6 passes together, have been fewer and farther between.

Last night we were under the kosh for periods - but we didn't panic. We put our foot on the ball and started knocking it about (OK, there was also lots of lumping it to the big fella, but I'm trying to ignore that). I don't think any of our midfield were particularly on their game, but they did enough. Defoe got bullied and Crouchie was... well Crouchie. No, what won it was the magnificence of the back 5. Ledders and Dawson - immense. Fabio must surely take both to South Africa. Kaboul - solid, brave and against all odds managed to avoid being sent off. My personal hate figure at left back was occasionally left wanting positionally, but got stuck in and made strong tackles when he needed to. Gomes - I can't think of another keeper in the world I'd rather have right now.

Despite me screaming for Harry to swap Huddlestone for Palacios and Crouch for Gudjonssen for much of the last half hour, he stuck by his men and got the result. Shows what I know! Does it feel as good as winning the FA Cup? Hmm - it's close. I'll say this though, it bloody well will should Fulham manage the impossible on Sunday, that's for sure. Third place at the expense of those lot would just about put me into football utopia!

Here's a celebratory graphic for your amusement...

(thanks to Spurs Club regular Martin Gibbins)

TOPSEY TURVEY TOTTENHAM

I don't want to talk about it, but seeing as all my frigging work mates do then we might as well get it out of the way.

Look, before we all go throw ourselves under the Victoria Line let's get one thing straight. If Pompey had played like that all season they would not be going down. They closed down quickly, hassled and harried our midfield and defended like their lives depended on it.

Also, if Peter Crouch played like that all season... oh, hang on, he HAS played like that all season! Crouchie laying on the floor with his head in his hands is becoming a familiar sight - and one we'd better get used to as we'll probably be seeing it throughout the summer too. Don't get me wrong, I like him (well, he's likable isn't he?) but I'd prefer not to see him on a football pitch until at least 65 minutes of the game have elapsed.

Lovable as the lanky rogue is, Pav and Gudjonssen are both better footballers. The key to unlocking Pompey was class and creativity, not the ol' "lump it to the big man" tactic. We shouldn't have been drawn into the fight, we should have moved the ball quicker instead. A prolonged period of one-touch passing to people in space was sorely missed in the second half. Knock it around, tire them out, be patient... that would have been my half time talk. We were too direct.

Other than that I can't really grumble about the team selection, so there'll be no 'Harry Out' chat here please. The "outstanding" pitch (to quote Ray Wilkins) played a part in their 1st goal, nothing wrong with our goal or Wilson's tackle either, so the footballing Gods were obviously not in a smily mood. Truth be told I had a feeling it wasn't going to be our day after an opening half an hour of total dominance that inexplicably remained unproductive. Got to stick it away while you're on top and all that, haven't you?

Our heroes had better buck their ideas up come Wednesday - they owe us big time. Will all be forgiven if we stuff the Wanderers? Not quite, but it will go a long, long way towards helping me forget. Follow that by beating Chelsea at home and avoiding defeat at Old Trafford and maybe we'll have something to get excited about again.

However unlikely that run sounds, the weekend has proved that when it comes to Tottenham Hotspur, anything is possible. Maybe the race for 4th will go to the last day. We'd be in the driving seat then for sure. After all, we're bound to beat Burnley aren't we...

CRYSTAL BALL TIME

Whilst its always nice to see the Wanderers lose, I can't help feeling that their recent drubbing at the hands of England's future nemesis, Lionel Messi, couldn't have come at a worse time for Spurs. Quite a motivation for them to deploy a backlash isn't it? Combine that with the fact that they now have a week off, and we have a big game on Sunday and it's looking like a big ask to deal the death blow to their Championship hopes next Wednesday night. Let's just hope we don't need extra time to see off Pompey!

In fact, I must confess that the run-in is generally not filling me with confidence. I'm usually the optimistic type but for us to secure 4th we'll need to put together the best run of results for years. Man City are capable of dropping points, but the best looking fixtures appear to be Liverpool's. How bloody annoying would that be?

Here's my predictions:

Liverpool: Fulham (H), Spammers (H), Burnley (A), Chelsea (H), Hull(A).

They are capable of getting 4 wins and a draw out of that. Worst case scenario, 3 wins a draw and a loss.

High: 13pts = 68
Low: 10pts = 65


Man City: Brum (H), Man U (H), Arsenal (A), Villa (A), Spurs (H), Spammers (A).

Tough to predict as City are pretty inconsistent. Can see Brum shutting up shop, guaranteed loss to United and a win against the Spammers, the others... hmm. Have to back us to do them really don't I - shaky though isn't it?

High: 8pts = 67
Low: 5pts = 64


Spurs: Arsenal (H), Chelsea (H), Man Utd (A), Bolton (H), City (A), Burnley (A).

Bolton and Burnley are essential, got to assume wins at home there. Have already committed to us beating City when it counts but that could easily be a draw. That leave the Big Three - 4 points sounds ambitious, but let's indulge ourselves...

High: 13pts = 71
Low: 6pts = 64

That high does seem a bit optimistic I suppose, but with +5 advantage over Liverpool on GD it looks as though we can afford 10 points and still do it. What this means in real terms is that we either cock it up in the next 3 games, get 1 point and then beat Bolton, City and Burnley, or we do Arsenal, Bolton and Burnley and get a draw at City.

I like the sound of option 2. I actually think I've talked myself round in the space of the last 10 minutes. I thought we had no bloody chance because Liverpool have it easy - I'm actually not feeling too bad about it now. Still think we could do with bit of luck elsewhere. Maybe Fulham can nick a point against the bin dippers. Maybe Villa at home will be too much for City?

Remember, you heard it here first - you can't doubt the scientific evidence laid out here before your very eyes!

ADEL CRAVES A TIPPY-TAP MERCHANT (BUT NOT ARSENAL)

He talks a good game doesn't he, but Adel Taarabt will surely never don the lily white of Tottenham again. He's a player that at one stage or another I think we have all prayed would get a grasp of adult life on the football pitch and realise, as Peter Parker's uncle once said, "With great power comes great responsibility". Well, a couple of years on from dazzling and frustrating the faithful in equal measure and we are still in square 1.

Is this boy one for whom we will eternally be waiting to mature? Judging by his recent comments he still believes 90 minutes of football is all about how many step overs, nutmegs and Rocky 360's you can perform and to hell in a handcart for anyone with the audacity to do anything other than spontaneously combust in sheer admiration.

“England is not for me, I think La Liga is the best League for me,” he said. “I don't like how they play in England, I like to play football! I look at teams like Bolton, Stoke or Wolves and say: 'There is just no point for me'. I hate that style of football."

Hmm, it sound a bit like the kind of "it's my ball and I'm not playing" nonsense one might hear from a 10 year old who gets kicked in the park. I don't know if he catches anything other than Barca vs Madrid, but for every Seville there's a Getafe.

"[Coming to Spurs] was a big mistake for me. My friends in England — like Armand Traore and Abou Diaby at Arsenal — told me Tottenham were not the right fit for me. The big mistake was to sign for Tottenham and not go to another club when I first came over.”

Let it be noted here that he never actually says he should have signed for the Scum. That is the kind of truth bending that the press love to manufacture. It makes for good, provocative headlines, sells papaer, generates clicks etc. Nonetheless, it still smacks of a calculated attempt to engineer a transfer doesn't it?

Look, here's my take: Adel's a decent player, Warnock will be good for him, he's being shown some love and given the free role he craves. But I can live without him. Adel will NEVER be a great player because he's too wrapped up in his own greatness before he's even achieved any. Trust me, he's the kind of guy that will have us on our feet at the brink of orgasm once a month and effing and blinding at him for the rest of it. I've read people say that Ronaldo was the same when he first came to Man Utd. Yes, but he was 18 at the time and by the time he turned 20 he was World Class - ergo he responded to the hairdryer and learnt how to control his ability.

We've been banging our heads against brick walls with Taarabt for 3 years now - the boy is pushing 21 and he still fails to consistently impress fans of Championship football. Can you see him doing anything in the next 12 months to have Harry suddenly recall him and put him into the first team? Not renowned for our patience us Yids are we? Thank you, good night, all the best in the future, Have a great time in Tenerife.

Now, what's happened to that Dos Santos fella...

TOTTENHAM'S CHALLENGE STARTING TO CRUMBLE?

Today, many frustrated Spurs fans will be experiencing a feeling of de ja vu. Seasoned supporters will most probably have woken up to the realisation that we are slowly throwing away the dream of Champions League football. I suppose those optimists amongst us, myself included, should never have signed up to the hype machine in the first place really. Hansen may be a bastard but he was right on last night's MOTD. Just when you start to believe...

However, it's not all doom and gloom because this season has generally been a good one - much more enjoyable than the last campaign at any rate! All season I have been 100% convinced that we'd make the top 4. Today is the first day my belief has been shaken. The only hope for us now is to put together a 4 or 5 game run of wins. We absolutely must beat Wigan, Everton and then Man City to keep the dream alive. Draws will get us nowhere.

The problem is that Spurs have been found out. We simply do not know how to get past the "team bus", particularly without Lennon. Sides who come to the Lane and sling 10 men behind the ball have a very good chance of coming away with something due to us spending long periods passing it around their edge of the centre circle before trying an overly ambitious through ball. You can't blame our opponents, when "plucky" teams come and have a go we tend to tear them to pieces, which is fantastic, but we do lack a Plan B.

My mistake, we have a Plan B - it's having Dawson, Bassong and now Kaboul punt hopeful 60 yard balls up field in a miserable attempt to land them on the snowcapped bonce of Mr. Beanpole. Well Harry, it's not working - and don't even try to tell me we're not a long ball team because against those who come to defend that is exactly what we are. It's becoming extremely irritating.

Not that for one second I condone any Harry Bashing. I like him, he has progressed the club more in a year than I've seen in the last 3. If nothing else we look like we SHOULD be winning a lot more games than we actually seem to be. He's allowed to make the odd mistake here and there, of which last night was probably one. Kaboul at RB, and Jenas... well, anywhere seem like strange choices but giving some game time to Gudjohnsen was a good idea, even if he didn't set the world on fire, as he undoubtedly has the quality to reintroduce Crouchie to the bench he should have been sitting on for the last month.

A lot of people seem to be having a pop at the team selection yesterday but with Bolton in the cup on Saturday I think he has a decent excuse for trying a few different faces. After all, in essence it was only Kaboul, Gudjohnsen and Kranners - and the last of that trio is a firm favourite (who would have won us the game if his early chance had gone in).

That 4th spot is still a massive ask, but chin up fellas as the FA Cup is still extremely winnable. Should our Premiership campaign crumble, as seems likely, an FA Cup final should be adequate compensation.

THE 4th STRIKER CONUNDRUM

It's great being a Spurs fan these days isn't it? Not only are we actually having a modicum of success - and achieving it playing decent football - but it also strikes me that this transfer window is about the most subdued I have experienced in some years. Does this mean that the transitional period is over? Have we finished turning corners? I bloody hope so because we started when Glenda was still in charge!

Anyway, our focus this month is unquestionably on strikers. Pav wants out and who can blame him. The boy is a first class international and is quite rightly getting the hump about permanently warming the bench of a non-champions league club. He's better than that.

Personally, I'm gutted. I like him, I thought his partnership with Defoe a while back showed glimpses of genuine promise - quite frankly I can't believe he's not getting in ahead of Keane at the moment and I suspect he is equally incredulous.

It's a perennial conundrum the 4th striker spot. Even bigger clubs than ours suffer from it (think Tevez). The answer appears to be to employ a has-been on his last legs (Owen), or a hungry youngster happy to bide his time (Sturridge). According to reports we are exploring both these avenues in the form of Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Victor Moses.

Ruud was undoubtedly a top, top player™, but this deal makes no sense to me. Can he still cut it in the Premiership? Even if he can, are we really going to get more out of him than just a run in to the end of the season? He'll want some action and I don't see how we can guarantee it. This kind of short-termism has never been Levy's kettle of fish and unless we can pick him up on the cheap and convince him to take £50k a week then it all doesn't add up.

A Moses deal on the other hand has Levy's name written all over it. The boy is 19 and has just received the player of the month award for December. Palace don't want to let him go (a good sign) and other interested parties are quoted as Liverpool, Man City and Barcelona (also a good sign). A price of £4-5 million has been mooted, which seems extraordinarily good value for someone with a reputation like his.

Even if Moses does ok without setting the world on fire his value is likely to virtually double by the end of whatever contract we give him, yet there's also the distinct possibility he will develop into an established Premiership player and maybe even sneak an international cap or two at some point in the next 4 years.

I think it's clear where my preference lies, let's flog Pav for £10-12m, get Moses for a cash-plus-Obika deal and at the same time sweeten the deal by letting them have Dos Santos until the end of the season - everyone's a winner!

However, I suppose the question is, if they play as often as Pav does, does it really even matter who we get???