Premier League Spurs - Arry's gone but we still dislike them...

[Brumerican]

I think we will give them a much tougher game at the lane to be honest.

[TrentVilla]

I think we will give them a much tougher game at the lane to be honest.

Wouldn't be hard though would it.

If we cross the half way line 4 times in the 2nd half it will be an improvement.

[MrDuck]

Woodgate and King are shit lol.

does make me laugh the whole 'if' they were fit,look their **** renowned crocks pull the other one.

ps. 'if' Laurson didnt retire.

Woodgate and King are excellent defenders... I'd take Dunne/Collins/Cuellar every time though, as they are just as good plus can play more than 2 games in a row without needing surgery.

[chrissmith921]

I dislike Spurs, I dislike their manager and I dislike every Spurs fan I've ever met.

However, they were unlucky not to leave Villa with 3 points - they were better than us (aside of the opening half hour) and we didn't adapt to their long ball, thump it to Crouch as he stands next to Beye approach.

We lack anyone in our side with the composure and thought to put their foot on the ball and slow the game down, let us get our shape back - instead we resort to thumping it away.

That game showed precisely why the top 4 will not be any different this season - because if Liverpool had dominated a game like that, they'd have won it. Neither Villa or Spurs are in that league because that is 2 points dropped for Spurs on the basis of performance.

Exactly why they wont break the top 4. Not enough magic in the side to win games while time slides away. I'd be sure if that had been Liverpool we'd have seen Gerrard or Torres showing a little bit of magic / genius and getting the points.

[Stevo985]

King and Woodgate are superb. But so is Dean Ashton, so is louis Saha etc etc

Fact is they are never fit. Would I rather have our defenders who aren't quite the standard of Woodgate and King but will play the majority of games in a season, or Woodaget and King who will play superb every now and then but then be out for weeks on end?

I'd take ours.

[PauloBarnesi]

I'd be sure if that had been Liverpool we'd have seen Gerrard or Torres showing a little bit of magic / genius and getting the points.

Just like when Liverpool scored against us to make it 2-1 in September, we went and made it 3-1...

[Parky]

Hello,

Spurs fan here. I normally read opposing fans forums before we play them but I rarely feel the need to sign up. However a few threads on here caused me to raise an eyebrow and sign up.

First up: Why the anti Spurs sentiment? I have glanced through this thread and can find no real reason except for our fans being considered in some way arrogant. (Ever met a Man utd / Arsenal fan???)

I really have nothing against Villa, I think you and Everton are on a par with us club size wise and we are all battling for a place in the "Sky four" but I certainly would never say I hated Villa. Certainly not compared to Arsenal or West Ham. Surely you should be concentrating on Birmingham, Wolves and West Brom.

2nd: Redknapp. I was never his greatest fan before Spurs due to his West Ham connection. Why all the grief from your lot?

3rd: That fella who has written your match report on the front page, trying to make out you were hard done by? Embarrassing. I know Villa bias on a Villa site is to be expected but I couldn't help but laugh as I read it. We deserved all three on Saturday but our nervy start cost us, even the most one-eyed of Villain would agree.

Anyway, good luck for the rest of the season, it would be great to see the Goons and the scouse out of the top four.

[Stevo985]

Why do we hate Redknapp? Why do you like him?

The man's a cock.

As for the SPurs hatred, a lot of it comes from Redknapp being the manager, a lot of it comes from Spurs being pretty much direct rivals.

Also, a lot of it comes from the media wankfest everytime you guys do anything. As you're a london based club you get all the attention from the media. It's good in a way, means we gfo quietly about our business, but it ends up being Spurs hyped up as this hugely amazing team who have consistently wons tuff, when it just isn't true.

Cue Glaston...

[Stevo985]

Also, did you actually read the report on the game? the writer (Jon I believe?) clearly stated that a point was the minimu Spurs deserved from Saturday's game.

But that doesn't change the fact that you only managed to score via a handball. Like it or lump it, the only goal you scored shouldn't have stood.

Now I don't begrudge the result, I can see why the goal stood and why the ref couldn't see it. but the only point Jon was making was that a correct decision at that point could have seen us take all 3 points. an undeserved 3 points but 3 points nonetheless.

At no point does Jon say we actually deserved to win. So I'd have a more careful read before you start throwing around criticism.

[Wainy316]

It's the media thing that gets me with Spurs too, and the false perception it gives.

We had a 5 year period of finishing 8th-12th and during that we were labeled the most boring and pointless team in the premiership and it was totally forgotten that in the first 10 years of the premiership we regularly finished in the top 6 (including 2nd and 4th place finished).

Spurs meanwhile always seem to be thought of as somewhat successful in this period to neutral fans due to media shower that comes with them. In reality I believe Spurs have finished above Villa something like 3 or 4 times max in the 17 years of the premiership.

On the other hand I do not dislike Spurs fans but I certainly dislike your manager.

[Parky]

Also, did you actually read the report on the game? the writer (Jon I believe?) clearly stated that a point was the minimu Spurs deserved from Saturday's game.

But that doesn't change the fact that you only managed to score via a handball. Like it or lump it, the only goal you scored shouldn't have stood.

Now I don't begrudge the result, I can see why the goal stood and why the ref couldn't see it. but the only point Jon was making was that a correct decision at that point could have seen us take all 3 points. an undeserved 3 points but 3 points nonetheless.

At no point does Jon say we actually deserved to win. So I'd have a more careful read before you start throwing around criticism.

I read the article and, fair enough, amongst the paragraphs of bemoaning the ref there was a small nod toward our performance.

To be fair both of our goals were debatable, Dawsons was somewhere between the chest and shoulder and Defoe's was headed at him from about two yards away.

Either way sitting there bemoaning refereeing decisions when you were pretty much played off the park sounds to me very much like someone who is clutching at straws.

[Parky]

It's the media thing that gets me with Spurs too, and the false perception it gives.

We had a 5 year period of finishing 8th-12th and during that we were labeled the most boring and pointless team in the premiership and it was totally forgotten that in the first 10 years of the premiership we regularly finished in the top 6 (including 2nd and 4th place finished).

Spurs meanwhile always seem to be thought of as somewhat successful in this period to neutral fans due to media shower that comes with them. In reality I believe Spurs have finished above Villa something like 3 or 4 times max in the 17 years of the premiership.

On the other hand I do not dislike Spurs fans but I certainly dislike your manager.

Funny because a good percentage of the Fleet street mob are goons and Spammers so we get it in the neck as much as we get praised.

Most of the time its the media are saying "Spurs for top 4", then later, when we inevitably fail they love to say. "Deluded Spurs fans demand top 4".

Most Spurs fans I speak to would be happy with top 6-8.

[NormandyVillan]

Spurs to finish in the top four this season?

Possibly... but whenever I’ve actually watched them play a whole 90 minutes, they haven’t looked quite good enough.

I was only able to watch about 25 minutes of the first half on Saturday, so the only full games I can judge Spurs from have been:

Bolton v Spurs (2-2): Spurs looked the more likely winners by the end, but it was a game that could have gone either way. Not really a convincing “top four” style performance against one of the poorer teams.

Spurs v Stoke (0-1): Despite the lousy final result, I thought Spurs looked the “genuine article” for the at least the first half hour. Excellent attacking play and doing everything but scoring. Went a bit off the boil after that however, although continuing to dominate, and got caught by a sucker punch at the end.

Arsenal v Spurs (3-0): Not a good performance. On the positive side, actually looked on top in midfield for sizeable periods of the game, but even during their best spells still looked less likely to score than Arsenal. Didn’t seem to carry anything like the same attacking threat without Lennon and Defoe in the team, and were let down by poor defending. Looked a ragged and well beaten team by the end. Not good enough.

Having said that, I’m prepared to accept that this is not a representative sample of Spurs’ performances this season. I seem to have caught them on their bad days...

The highlights I have seen of their last two games have been particularly impressive: 9-1 (on actual goals) against Wigan and about 9-1 (on chances) against Villa, at Villa Park. It looks like the 25 minutes I saw live was the only period when Villa were actually in the game...

So on current form at least, I would say Spurs look a very good bet to finish in the top four, and possibly as high as third. And good luck to them if they do. I would prefer it to be Villa breaking into the top four, of course (even if we win our games by bundling in a corner and then defending for eighty minutes), but if Villa are not good enough to make it (which they don’t seem to be at the moment), then, unlike some, I wouldn’t mind seeing Spurs doing it.

But what’s the “real Spurs”? The “not quite good enough” team I saw in the games I mentioned above, or the team that have looked so brilliant (at least judging from highlights) recently? I mean, which are we more likely to see in the majority of games from now on?

Spurs fans?

[Stevo985]

Well firstly, it's a villa site. Our report is hardly going to be the ins and outs of how good Spurs were. it's not the BBC. it's a report on our performance. And our performance was pretty dire. Jon acknowledges that. But amongst our bad performance was a shocking performance from the ref which didn't make it easier.

So despite our dire performance, an outsdtanding performance from our defence very nearly earned us a win. If your goal had (rightly imo) been ruled out, we very well may have got that win. I don't think bemoaning the ref because of that is a problem. You battered Stoke not so long ago and still lost. had you handballed in the last few minutes and then scored, do you not think Stoke would have been moaning at the ref? of course they would. And so would you if it was the other way round.

I haven't heard a single Villa fan say anything other than Spurs deserved to win. But deserving to win and actually winning are 2 different things. We didn't deserve to win but we very nearly did.

[chrissmith921]

Can we have a replay please or write to the FA to give us the 3 points due to the handball?

Thanks

[Parky]

Spurs to finish in the top four this season?

Possibly... but whenever I’ve actually watched them play a whole 90 minutes, they haven’t looked quite good enough.

I was only able to watch about 25 minutes of the first half on Saturday, so the only full games I can judge Spurs from have been:

Bolton v Spurs (2-2): Spurs looked the more likely winners by the end, but it was a game that could have gone either way. Not really a convincing “top four” style performance against one of the poorer teams.

Spurs v Stoke (0-1): Despite the lousy final result, I thought Spurs looked the “genuine article” for the at least the first half hour. Excellent attacking play and doing everything but scoring. Went a bit off the boil after that however, although continuing to dominate, and got caught by a sucker punch at the end.

Arsenal v Spurs (3-0): Not a good performance. On the positive side, actually looked on top in midfield for sizeable periods of the game, but even during their best spells still looked less likely to score than Arsenal. Didn’t seem to carry anything like the same attacking threat without Lennon and Defoe in the team, and were let down by poor defending. Looked a ragged and well beaten team by the end. Not good enough.

Having said that, I’m prepared to accept that this is not a representative sample of Spurs’ performances this season. I seem to have caught them on their bad days...

The highlights I have seen of their last two games have been particularly impressive: 9-1 (on actual goals) against Wigan and about 9-1 (on chances) against Villa, at Villa Park. It looks like the 25 minutes I saw live was the only period when Villa were actually in the game...

So on current form at least, I would say Spurs look a very good bet to finish in the top four, and possibly as high as third. And good luck to them if they do. I would prefer it to be Villa breaking into the top four, of course (even if we win our games by bundling in a corner and then defending for eighty minutes), but if Villa are not good enough to make it (which they don’t seem to be at the moment), then, unlike some, I wouldn’t mind seeing Spurs doing it.

But what’s the “real Spurs”? The “not quite good enough” team I saw in the games I mentioned above, or the team that have looked so brilliant (at least judging from highlights) recently? I mean, which are we more likely to see in the majority of games from now on?

Spurs fans?

Its been a weird season to be honest. Modric being out has been a big blow and it has taken a while to find a system to work without him (although the straight swap for Niko seemed obvious to most of us).

We played stoke off the park and got nothing and undeservedly took the points from Sunderland.

You are right though, we have only played well for 90mins in a couple of games this season.

We were woeful against the Goons but we were missing Defoe, Lennon and Modric, three of our most influencial players.

The fact we are in third when we are up and down bodes well because if we settle in and hit our stride hopefully we will have enough cross the line before Pool / City.

That said the fact that the prem is so woeful this year it means stuttering teams like Liverpool and City will continue to pick up points keeping them in touch for when they finally hit form.

[VillaChris]

Must say I've never rated Krankjar that highly but thought he had a tremendous game on saturday and he seems to have fitted in well at Spurs.

What could prove your undoing is Redknapp obssession with playing Keane most of the time as it unbalances your play.

[joey55]

It's the media thing that gets me with Spurs too, and the false perception it gives.

We had a 5 year period of finishing 8th-12th and during that we were labeled the most boring and pointless team in the premiership and it was totally forgotten that in the first 10 years of the premiership we regularly finished in the top 6 (including 2nd and 4th place finished).

Spurs meanwhile always seem to be thought of as somewhat successful in this period to neutral fans due to media shower that comes with them. In reality I believe Spurs have finished above Villa something like 3 or 4 times max in the 17 years of the premiership.

On the other hand I do not dislike Spurs fans but I certainly dislike your manager.

The media attention is down to simple economics, like most things. At the end of the day those employed in the media jobs are dependant on revenue from advertising. If the readership of a newspaper or TV viewers go down, then heads will role. Compared to Villa it may seem like Spurs get alot of media attention, but compared to the likes of Man utd, Arse and Liverpool, we get little.

Media push their products to mass market. In Birmingham, the local press will concentrate on Villa and Birmingham City stories, as the majority of the readership are mainly interested in those teams. If they concentrated more on Newcastle, who would buy the paper? National papers are the same, hence they concentrate on the clubs who are most likely to increase their readership.

If you look at size of fanbases in the country, isn't more likley you'd push stories about Tottenham than Villa and Man Utd than Tottenham.

In terms of actual fanbase (uk only)

1.) Manchester United 4,209,000

2.) Liverpool 3,133,000

3.) Arsenal 2,652,000

4.) Chelsea 1,485,000

5.) Tottenham 1,240,000

6.) Newcastle 1,159,000

7.) Leeds United 938,000

8.) Manchester City 886,000

9.) Aston Villa 700,000

10.) West Ham 691,000

11.) Everton 628,000

http://www.roymorgan.com/news/press-releases/2006/490/

If you are producer for Sky Sports, would you not concentrate more on teams thast provide you with bigger viewing figures?

Most watched teams when on TV (average audience)

1.) Liverpool 14.3

2.) Manchester United 11.8

3.) Tottenham 9.7

4.) Arsenal 9.6

5.) Newcastle 5.8

6.) Man City 5.3

7.) West Ham 4.9

8.) Aston Villa 4.4

9.) Chelsea 3.6

10.) Everton 3.1

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/3797456/Liverpool-best-supported-team-in-Premier-League.html

If you ran a website and wanted to generate more hits and thus more revenue from advertising, which clubs stories would you be more likely to push?

Most Web traffic (percentage share of Prem club traffic)

1.) Liverpool 17.3%

2.) Man Utd 15.4%

3.) Arsenal 10.9%

4.) Tottenham 7.5%

5.) Newcastle 5.9%

6.) West Ham & Man City 5.7%

http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/730465/Liverpool-FC-named-supported-Premier-League-club-online/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH

We do get a lot of press coverage, but whilst you might notice the positive stuff, Spurs fans pick up more on the criticism and think the media hate us. It's just about perception, but the media don't like us per se. It just comes down to the fact we provide them with a bigger market to target. Obviously when a major drama happens at any club they will get all the attention as even the neutrals are interested. But if nothing much is happening you can be sure that Utd get the most press, then Liverpool, then Arsenal, Chelsea and then us. At the end of the day a dreary Man Untied story on the backpage is going to sell far more copies than a dreary story about Everton as there are about 7 United fans for every Everton fans. So the media will look for some ex pro who for a couple of hundred pounds will do a 5 minute phone interview saying why Tottenham will finish in the top 4 this year. Then the media will use it as a headline and know there are enough Spurs fans out there to pay attention to it.

But if you ignore the media and just read what the actual fans are saying on messageboards etc you'd get a very different perception. For example, only a small percentage actually thought we'd finish in the top 4 this season. Yet messageboards of other clubs are always criticsing Spurs fans for saying "this year we'll finish in the top 4." That's because of how the media portray things, not the actual fans.

[Qwpzxjor1]

Excellent stats there. Cheers.

Just to add my 2 cents.. I hated Spurs under Ramos, and I hate Redknapp even more... but I can't honestly say now I hate Spurs.. I enjoy watching them play because they play great football and really are looking a threat to the top clubs.

Obviously I want Villa to break the Top 4.. but if we don't, I hope it's Spurs (assuming Everton won't get there this year, they are my first non-Villa choice). I don't want the top 4 monopoly to continue, and I really don't want Man City to.

But sorry Spurs fans, I will still be supporting whoever you are playing each week, you're our rivals

[daft]

The fact we are in third when we are up and down bodes well because if we settle in and hit our stride hopefully we will have enough cross the line before Pool / City.

That said the fact that the prem is so woeful this year it means stuttering teams like Liverpool and City will continue to pick up points keeping them in touch for when they finally hit form.

Actually, I think you might also have to consider the fact that you have, in fact, already hit your stride, and that your final position will be hugely dependent on how you handle a slump in form. I'm not saying that this is the case, but from where we as fans are, it's hard to tell. The same with us really. We've been pretty shit a couple of times but we are still trying to find our feet a bit after loosing Barry, so it's hard to say if we will hit our stride or crash and burn horribly after already having reached our "peak". Time will tell.