Vojskovoda

Even when there were a few doubters doubting him last season, I always kept my patience with him and knew he'd turn out to be the defender he has been this season so far. He was MOTM easily today and he seems to be getting better and better each game as it comes... it's also refreshing to know we can count on him at RB if we don't have anybody available to play there or if MON chooses him over Beye or L.Young, but I'd like to see him stay at CB and progress even further.

... They scored a goal which struck the arm of a player, therefore should not have stood. ...

Except it didn't strike his arm, as the replays show clearly.

But does that make up for all the times Dowd (Spurs player) was constantly giving you free-kicks for such petty things but yet he gave us **** all despite all the fouling from Spurs players on our players - they weren't just petty incidents either, a couple were bookable offences easily. Dowd was giving every decision your way and I think you know that too.

A point to throw in here. Bar a goal that should have not stood, we would have had 3 points.

Nah, I think Dawson did chest/stomach it, but it was quite near to his right-arm so I can understand why you say that. But I can't complain, it always looked they were going to score at some point and I was just waiting for it to happen.

I imagine Spurs fans are happy with a point though, we've only lost once at home this season and we've got the 2nd best defence in the league. Spurs fans may argue they should of sneaked the win, but before the match I think the majority of Spurs fans would take a draw if it was offered to them. It's a point gained for Spurs but 2 points dropped by us.

That's how I see it anyway.

we did not deserve our lead at ahlf time that's just gibberish!

we deserved it up until about 20 minutes, and then spurs dominated thereafter.

page one stat:

shots on target - villa 4 spurs 17

we're at home for godsake and we apparently share the same aspirations.

Spurs dominated from 20 minutes - what on earth are you on about? It took Spurs 20 minutes before they started to get the ball down and actually string some passes together.

I just don't all this negativity here. OK the second-half performance was probably the worst from us this season, but the only reason Spurs capitilized is because we were so poor not bringing on Downing and not wanting to take the game to them... we just sat back. Spurs were good, but nowhere near as good as many people are hyping Spurs up on here.

Well ....

Typical Villa at the moment if I may say so: score from a set piece (a scrappy goal in this case), then sit back, defend well, well-organised and hope to hit on the counter ... it ain't pretty, but it's often effective.

Spurs deserved to win, but didn't. All in all I'm happy enough with a point since Villa away is a tough fixture. We stay in 4th and at least preserve the gap between us and Villa. Plus you still have to come to WHL, where I think we'll win if - a big IF - both teams play at today's performance levels.

I don't agree with that, even neutrals are saying it was a game of two halves. We derserved our lead going into half-time and it was only until around the 55/60 minute mark Spurs starting piling on the pressure and making us look poor. The sub from 'Arry taking off Palacios and replacing him with Jenas was a good move and showed Spurs wanted to come out and attack and putting us under pressure which you did; it's just a shame our manager showed clear negativity bringing on Sidwell (who did nothing again I may add)... why oh why didn't he bring on Downing and just play a 4-5-1 if he was so worried about sticking with a 4-4-2. It's no surprise though, O'Neill keeps making this mistake not wanting to put on a player who can influence the game. You can't win football matches playing negative football and constantly defending... even more, you can't win football matches if you don't create any chances either which we failed to do in the second-half

Hopefully, I think O'Neill's mind is made up about Sidwell though... he's just shocking and when he came on we were just letting Spurs play football and because of the burden of Sidwell, it really did feel playing with 10-men.

OK-ish result but we've got to beat Hull next week, no excuses.

P.S. Dowd was shocking today. Extremely biased giving Spurs everything their way for very petty things.

MOTM goes to Phil Dowd - easily Spurs' best player.

Phil Dowd didn't have a very good first half, he was giving far too many petty free-kicks to Spurs.

Cuellar and Petrov are playing fantastic - may it continue for the second half!

I bet Glaston enjoyed that lol. We've taken advantage of Spurs crap defence lol.

About **** time! Unleash Coker!

A real shame about Warnock missing out because he's picked up a sudden injury... I hope he's OK but I'm still confident with L.Young at LB because he's already proven himself in that position. Crouch with Defoe... not surprised really, but the key battle is in the centre of the pitch, but I'm very pleased that Coker is playing instead of Shitwell.

I won't be watching the build-up on ESPN... no doubt it'll be a biased Spurs wankfest lol.

Come on you Villa boys!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey General;

I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving. Can I ask how long our contract is going to be with Nike and will we be having a long-term contract with Nike like Arsenal, Barcelona and Man United have? It'd be great if we could be with Nike for a long time because of course, Nike is the best around when it comes to making football kits for clubs and I think it increases the club's profile even more when people see the Nike swoosh on our shirts.

Btw, if we are going to be playing a 4-4-2 (which most likely we will be) what does everyone think of Petrov and Downing playing together in midfield rather than Petrov and Shitwell?

The thing is though, if Spurs continue to get steamrolled by the big boys on each occasion I don't think have any more of chance than us of finishing fourth because obviously, if you want to be finishing fourth you've got to take points off the Arsenal's, Chelsea's, United's, Liverpool's and even Citeh to an extent. This isn't just the first season we've turned over the top teams, it's dated way back to the start of the 07/08 season when we beat Chelsea at home 2-0, drew at their place 4-4, drew at Liverpool 2-2 and drew 1-1 at The Emirates... that also continued last season even managing to get a point at home against United which we have not done in a very long time. So when you look at it, both us and Spurs have the opposite weaknesses. We can beat the big boys and get results wheras we'll struggle a bit more against the 'lesser' teams... it's the opposite way round for Spurs and it doesn't work in either club's favour really although I would say that if we can beat the big teams, it shows we should be doing it against the lesser teams.

Anyway, about today, I really do feel this is a 'must win' match. A draw wouldn't be the end of the world but that could even mean Citeh go ahead of us if they beat Hull (which I think they will). So a win is vital to get back level on points with Spurs which will wipe the smug off that stupid criminal's face while it also leaves a small gap between between us and the chasing pack.

So... I've found out my sister has got a boif. Earlier on he brought around flowers and chocolates because she's sick after having a flu jab... I'm gonna have to suss him out if whether he's a predator or not.

Like its actually any of your business, sorry but thats just control freakery

Dude, it was just a bit of a tongue and cheek thing to say because as far as I'm aware this is my sis' first serious boif and I'm just trying to be protective in a joke-style way. She knows I'm joking when I say he's a 'predator'.

Spurs have no new injuries following the Wigan match: King and Cudicini remain out, and although he's now back in training it's too soon for Modric. Everyone else, now including Dos Santos, is available for selection.

I'd guess Harry will make 2 or 3 changes changes from last week: Bassong in for Dawson (since otherwise, without King, we'd have little pace in the CB pairing to cope with the likes of Agbonlahor), maybe Keane instead of Crouch up front, and maybe the pacier and more energetic Jenas instead of Huddlestone in CM.

So my guess would be:

------------ Gomes -------

Corluka - Woodgate - Bassong - Ekotto

Lennon - Jenas - Palacios - Kranjcar

---------- Defoe - Keane

Tbh, as long as Harry doesn't try to play Crouch, Defoe and Keane all at the same time, and sticks to 4-4-2, I don't mind too much which outfield players he choses to pick alongside Lennon, Palacios and Defoe.

That's interesting...

I would of thought Spurs would stick with Huddlestone instead of Jenas because of Huddlestone's recent form and Jenas being crap this season (according to Spurs fans anyway). Even though Jenas is energetic and is hard working he just doesn't seem too much of a threat from midfield whereas I think Huddlestone, although not being very quick can make make up for that because he has a decent strike on him and can play great through balls.

Bassong? Is he only just returning from injury or is it a case Dawson will be getting dropped?

Personally, I think Spurs should go for Crouch in this game. Our defence is big, quick and strong and although Defoe and Keane are great you'll need a target man like Crouch to hold the ball up and make room for his partnering striker. Although Crouch is less talented than both Defoe and Keane at scoring goals he'll be a big value for Spurs in this type of game especially from set-pieces where his height might even cause our defence one or two problems.

So... I've found out my sister has got a boif. Earlier on he brought around flowers and chocolates because she's sick after having a flu jab... I'm gonna have to suss him out if whether he's a predator or not.

I've just been watching Sky Sports News and they're saying Downing is poised to make his home debut tommorow... hopefully that means no more Sidwell!

lol, there is a Villa Talk romance between two posters? That's strange however that's happened but it's teh lulz.

Never write Everton off.

Pretty sure they'll hit a good run of form at some point.

Our run:

Liverpool (h)

AEK Athens (a)

Spurs (h)

Chelsea (a)

BATE Borisov (h)

Brum (h)

Sunderland (a)

Burnley (h)

uptil the end of 2009. I wish I had your confidence Oh and the first 2 league games of 2010 are Arsenal away and City at home

I predict you'll get 9 points from those six league games coming... and from then, if you can do that I think you'll be fine having been through the worst. It is vital you don't LOSE on Sunday though to the thieves... for Everton's and Villa's benefit haha.

Don't Spuds have the most expensive season tickets in the league? I've heard it a few times before... if true it's absolutely mercenary for a mid-table club to do that.

Yes but despite the fact I misread it, still disproves the theory doesn't it? You're only as good as you're last game.

Sorry, don't agree with that either. If Man United win 37 games in a row and lose the 38th does that mean they're no good?! :winkold:

Back to the point over a 90 minute football match Young will be all over Corluka. He's so slow and clumsy I expect him to have a field day!

Agreed - he's massively overrated by Spurs fans and so is Assou-Ekotto. I went on a Spurs forum a few days before they got hammered by Arsenal and there were about half-a-dozen Spudites saying Ekotto is better than Clichy lol.

Should be a cracking game on Saturday though I think. I've always quite liked Villa because so many of my family support them, and I think our clubs are very similar in many ways. Both clubs with a proud history, but have done very little the last couple of decades. Strong English core etc Don't understand why fans of either club dislike each other to be honest - maybe it's because we're so alike!

Yeah it should be a good one although after your 9-1 win and us winning our last home game 5-1 its got 0-0 written all over it

I can't answer why Spurs fans don't like Villa I'll leave that one to you Spurs fans to answer. The reason we don't like Spurs is that you are right we are similar clubs in everyone's eyes other than the London based media who's ankles have been dangling out of Spurs' collective ring piece for the last 20 years and most Spurs fans who think thye are bigger and better than they are.

I've never heard any Spud fans say anything bad about us and I don't think they have a problem with us... probably because we're not arrogant, overrating our own players and thinking we're better than we actually are, ahh that sounds familiar lol.

I watched episode 5 a couple of nights ago... very good and now the series is really hotting up and the real drama is now going to unfold - can't wait.

What's with all the Spurs hatred? I, like most Villa fans, dislike Redknob, but apart from that I like Spurs. Always look to play good football and are good to watch. I would take them over our other rivals every day as one of my favourite other teams.

Their delusional fans, all the hype the media give them, thinking that they're the "Pride of London", David Bentley, their arrogance, thinking they have the devine right to be a 'big club' and successful.

I disliked Spurs anyway even before Dirty 'Arry took over the helm, but 'Arry being their manager made it into more of a 'hatred' thing like I have for SHA, Man United, Citeh and Liverpool.

Why would you need a monthly thread about wanting to know if MON should stay or go? It's a bit silly in my opinion, maybe every have this thread every 3 or 4 months where the opinions would be more valued because it's not being done so often.

I don't know if MON is going to ever learn because he still repeats making the same mistakes... it's also annoying when he blasted the fans saying "it's not as easy as playing football manager", no one thinks that, but as fans we can all see the blatant obvious as to what is wrong with the team and there are stats to back that up too. I'm a pretty patient guy and I'm not expecting any miracles from the so-called "Messiah" but I don't think making us play attractive football again, playing 4-5-1 and leaving Shitwell out the team is really a lot to ask.

What's with all this negative posts? This isn't Man United... it's Tottenham Hotspurs ffs.

Even though negative posts before certain matches i.e Citeh and Chelsea have resulted in good results, I just don't understand why some just feel the need to be so negative when there's nothing really to be negative about. There's no reason why we can't beat Spurs 3-0 and move back into 4th, so lets just look at the positives and not let ourselves get brainwashed into thinking all this Spurs hype.