2009 and all that...

All in all it's been an okay 2009. Very Tottenham. Some good, some bad, and some just downright
ugly! We seem to be showing some signs of progress, and it was nice to hear H very upbeat after
the Wham match. The Ammers were dire, they will certainly lose a couple of players this January,
and most probably not be in a position to buy. Scott Parker to Sunderland I had heard...might just
be enough to tempt H, you know how he loves a bargain...I'm interested to see how much we will miss
A&E as I think that he has been one of our most improved players in the past year. Bale might just
finish on the winning side in January? Anyhow lets watch us go out to Peterborough on Saturday!COYS

Judgement Day

H said something along the lines of, we would be pretty happy with 6 points from those 3 fixtures.
That's Tottenham thinking for you...Yeah I know I'm never happy, but I doubt Sir Alex is very happy
at the moment.
The Mirror Mirror reckons that H will 'throw the book' at the 16 'golfers', who could be fined upwards
of 1.3 million in total. Hey Harry how about starting up a fund to help old players who have fallen on
hard times with the cash? Or maybe just donate it to The Double Celebration Pot...Just a thought?
I'm keen (geddit?) to know who the 16 were?

That's more like it!

My one question to H today would be have you learnt
anything from last Saturday. Keane (Version 09) and
Defoe starting does not work. If you bring Crouch on
chasing a goal then all we tend to do is hoof the thing

...Last night was different, it seemed that everyone knew
what they were doing, and some of them looked like they
were enjoying themselves! Niko is a lovely player to watch,
though I'm not sure how Modders and him will fit in the
same side?

That's one for H to ponder...Thanks for last night Spurs!

Happy days.

Smithy

Off to talk to Bobby Smith today regarding the book. He was the guy
on the end of many of the crosses and passes from the Ghost. By all
accounts a bit of a character.

Interesting noises coming from H at the Lane today, I'm reading between
the lines at letting us all down softly. 'He hasn't got where he is today' without
a long list of excuses and people to blame...

"One of those days..."

Said H. I thought that we had moved on from that fatalistic thinking at the Lane.
Looking at the press coverage from Anfield yesterday, it sadly looks like one
Premiership manager may have earned his corn at half time. I can't imagine AW
sitting in the dressing room at half time and saying things like, "Keep doing what
your doing and it'll happen. Or it might just be one of those days!"
In a strange twist the result on Saturday could have damaged us a lot more with
only Villa making any real gains...
City goal feast on Wednesday, 4-4? Football being football my money is on 0-0,
although we have only kept two clean sheets in the league all season.
COYS

Les & Tony

Had a brilliant day yesterday interviewing Les Allen and then Tony Marchi for the book.
True gentlemen who have lived the life, made the film, written history and still remain
humble. These guys should be giving life lessons to the new, tattoo clad, silly haired
polyester wearing millionaires!

The Ghost

Off to interview Les Allen tomorrow morning and Toni Marchi in
the afternoon. Ghostly fun in Essex! Really looking forward to it.
Sort of putting the final bits in the jigsaw puzzle. Wish we had a
picture on the front of the box!!

Groundhog day...

Due to a number of factors I could not watch the match live yesterday. It meant
that I was reduced to watching it being 'typed' about on The Guardian site. When
it got to 2-0 and coasting, I left it, went downstairs and relayed the good tidings.
However I did add that this was Spurs and anything could happen...Well it went
and did. Part of me sort of expects The Famous Tottenham to always let you down,
although I had hoped that H had got us past that...Oh well it's only football.

Carling Cup

Today makes me feel much better. Good old Robbo.
Sarkosy must love Wenger, who makes him look like a
rational Frenchman. Somebody should strap Wenger in a
padded room playing Kipling's 'IF'( he does write exceedingly
good poetry!) to him at volume 11 for about 24 hours...

Apart from that I was quite pleased that H seemed so
pissed off yeaterday, and looking at who got through he
must now think that we could have gone all the way...

Guilty

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury I would like to announce that my opinion is changing.
I like to see it as a sign of maturity and an improvement in the human condition to say
"I was wrong". For too long I've held negative, petty views on 'Arry but in the past few weeks
I've witnessed things that make me confident that he does know more than me.

At Villa yesterday we were superb, and should have com e away with all 3 points. It sort of
made me feel how I imagine supporters of very good sides must feel. Martin O'Neill has to
be one of the most over-rated managers in the Premiership, he obviously has lots of good
contacts in the media.

Thanks 'Arry, now just watch us get stuffed at Old Trafford!

COYS

£9.01

I don't mind a bit of crass fleecing, but come on you lazy, feckless, board.
Missed a golden chance for a bit of PR £9-01 should have been the R.R.P!

Sunbeds anyone?

Just seen Robbie and Roman going into Thomas Cook on the High Road. Probably not
brochures for South Africa then sir!

A great leveller..

A quick thought on the friendly v Brazil. Jenas, Huddlestone, Crouch and Defoe did not
look out of place surrounded by other second rate, second string, players. Shame they
were up against Brazil and not Norwich.

No way Jose?

Interesting piece in the Times today about Mourinho wanting to come back to England.
It ties in with the rumour from Dan last week, which I dismissed as a work of fiction, It's
a funny old game!

Purgatory or International break

Not my lines...from 'In Bruges', a fine movie which changed my perspective on Colin Farrell.
"Purgatory's kind of like the in-between one. You weren't really shit, but you weren't all that
great either. Like Tottenham." Enough said really.

Danny Boy

"Ideas are very funny things. They never work unless you do."

Sandra is better than Benty!

Harsh. Not much luck for The Black Cats. I've developed a fantastic management theory as I spent most of
the game moaning about Keane and Huddlestone, who both ended up on the score sheet! I'm going to try
it with the other 9 in our next game. Most thought that the first half set up from Arry was peculiar to say
the least.We looked more of a threat when Keano went off, although we got more than we deserved. I hate to
say I told you so, but swear I saw a horse box heading for Essex after the game and thought I saw the face
of Ledley pressed against the window...

Sunland

So big chance on Saturday to put things on the right track with a win against a whole host of
our old boy. Thankfully Defoe will be back, with Crouch probably getting put back in his box.
(Just had this strange image of Crouch like a Jack In The Box). I would imagine that Ledley will
continue, probably with Woodgate although I'm a fan of Dawson. Arry being Arry will probably
keep the rest of the midfield as it was with perhaps Bentley making way for Krancjer. Sadly too
soon for Modders, but we should be able to beat those darn Black Cats without him.
COYS

The King is dead....

I have long held the opinion that bringing Ledley back whenever he is a little less injured is
bad for the team. Imagine yourself in Dawson's position, you come in, work really well then
next time you go to work your manager comes over and explains that the bloke who used to
do your job is actually better than you although he can't do the job full time, and if it's okay
with you he will do the job this time. How would you feel? I guess it depends on whether you
like the job! Just a thought.

Monday, monday...

Arry says...""There is no gap between the clubs in my opinion. I think two mistakes turned the game upside down."
I say Man Utd at home 3-1, Chelsea away 3-0, and now The Arse 3-0. I see some gaps Captain 'Arry, and they're
getting bigger. I guess in the words of Mandy Rice-Davies "he would say that, wouldn't he?"

The morning after...

In the cold rainy light of day it still pisses me off to look at pictures of The Woolwich

Wanderers celebrating in that tacky kit. Sad news for Elsie is that Bristol Rovers lost too!

That's football. I've just read an interview with Arry, who seemed to be fairly happy with 41 minutes gone! between him and Robbie Keane if a match was only 41 minutes long and played between either bench then maybe we would have a chance...

In the words of Cliff Jones, about Arsenal v Spurs: "Bill would say to us 'this is the FA Cup Final, the league championship all rolled into one, this is the one we've got to win for the fans', he was so aware how important the game was for the fans.

Maybe someone should have read that to Huddlestone, Bale, and Bentley, and others. I've had enough of us just not showing up at these things. I'm sat there thinking someone just hit someone to show a bit of passion and desire!

Ian Dury once recorded a song called Delusions of Grandeur, that's all that is filling my head this afternoon. Endless long balls, underplayed passes, and a general lack of ambition The only thing that I keep telling myself is that their wage bill is about double ours. If you pay expensive

peanuts you get expensive monkey's I guess.

Very poor. I've even given my kids the choice of changing their team. Elsie has chosen Bristol Rovers! But also kept Spurs.

Looks like I owe Aaron an apology, he wasn't putting it on! Not looking forward to tomorrow. COYS. Be positive.

Impressed with Spurs last night. Thought that Roman did well, but then I've got issues

with Crouch (novelty act, very good impact player, etc. etc.). Wilson was magnificent,

if only we could somehow combine Hutton and Corluka we would have a world class

right back. Bentley was effective and seemed to enjoy himself, again it would be a

thing to see someone with the pace of Lennon and crossing ability of Bentley. I also

love Gomes! Next stop The Emirates! All aboard...

Recorded The Spurs Show last night with Mike and Paolo, think that it went well.

Meant to say how Peter Baker kept saying how one footed he thought many of the

players were on Saturday, Spurs v Stoke. Off to see us play Everton this evening, I

hope that we turn up for this one!

Recording the Spurs Show tonight with Paolo and Mike. Try to be positive.

Recording the Spurs Show tonight with Paolo and Mike. Try to be positive.

Went to the launch of Big Chiv last night. The Autobiography of Martin Chivers.

Good event.

The Ghost Of White Hart Lane