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Tottenham (A) – Sun 19th Dec 2021 (4:30pm)


Trumo
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As I write, who knows whether this fixture will even go ahead? With positive Covid cases on the rise thanks to a combination of the new Omicron variant and peoples’ tendency to do as Boris the Biff says, and Spurs seeming to be a hotspot, this might yet add to their fixture backlog while also giving us another fixture to cram in somewhere in the new year. And if it does go ahead, we don’t even know how strong a squad we’ll be able to take to Spurs’ shiny new stadium.

 

Bravery. Urgency. Organisation. Nous. Order. Energy. Skill. Tenacity. Effort. Nerve. Tactical flexibility. Effervescence.

 

I don’t ask for much.

 

Last season’s fixture was just an utterly dominant performance from the Reds. Mourinho and his players had no answer to the slick movement and intensity we brought with us to London. It finished 3-1 but the gap between the sides looked like an absolute chasm. We missed a number of great chances and even had a goal ruled out when Bobby was adjudged to have handled the ball on halfway as we broke. The ball did indeed clip his arm but only because it clipped Eric Dier’s arm first. Mind you, we were well accustomed to having goals ruled out and decisions given against for utter bollocks VAR calls.

 

Bobby finally converted the opener shortly before half time as we got the goal our approach work merited. Trent hammered a second past Lloris shortly after the break and, though Spurs pulled a goal back almost immediately via a Hojbjerg long range effort, we just stepped up a gear and Sadio finished at the back post after his marker lost the flight of the ball. It was a very good performance in stark contrast to our general form after the New Year. It was also the game that put Big Bird out for the rest of the season and saw us having to scramble for defensive reinforcements as the transfer deadline approached. Everyone knows we SHOULD have brought reinforcements in earlier in the month as Matip wasn’t a player who could play 3 games in a week.

 

In March 1986, we were slowly starting to step up a gear and Everton, who’d convincingly won the league a year earlier and looked good again this season, began to creak. Big Nev in goal was a big miss for them but they’d added Lineker’s pace and goals. We travelled to Spurs and played on a frozen pitch that had been cleared of snow before kick off. Spurs took the lead when Brucie fumbled a corner under his own crossbar to led hef-hef-hef-heff-heff Chris Waddle bundle the ball home.

 

We equalised in the second half when, after the ball ping-ponged around the Spurs box, Big Jan drilled home from the edge of the area past ex-Red Clem. After a mistimed attempt to head the ball clear, Whelan found some room in midfield before playing a precise through-ball behind the defender towards Rushie. Rushie did what he always did and it was now 2-1. The title challenge was now well and truly back on. The momentum we gained carried us all the way to a first ever League and Cup double.

 

 

High school coming-of-age dramas written by, produced by and/or directed by John Hughes were massive in the 80s. They almost always starred Molly Ringwald and Andrew McCarthy too. Pretty In Pink is one of the most well-known examples, and was the biggest box office hit in March 1986. Jocks, geeks, prom queens, the best friend who secretly fancies the protagonist, everyone with single parents. I wonder if these stereotypes were based on the typical high school demographic, or whether the high school demographic morphed into these stereotypes. I’ve never seen this film. I have seen The Breakfast Club though, and that is ace.

 

 

As I said at the beginning, it’s hard to know what to expect going into this one, because it’s not certain if it will go ahead as scheduled, and if it does, we don’t know what sort of line-up we can expect. From Antonio Conte, I would think he would go with his tried and trusted 3-4-3 set-up with wing backs and hard-working midfielders. With all the games they’ve had called off recently, they might be a little rusty. Or, they might be less weary than some of our players. Who knows? What I do know is that if Jurgen is as meticulous in his preparations as usual, and the attitude and application are right, we can continue to dominate Spurs as we have in recent years. Go out there, do what we can do, and get the job done.

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If both teams were fit, we'd snot them. Even if both teams are more or less equally depleted, we'd still wipe the floor with them, because we've got a decent squad. As it is, it's anyone's guess who starts or how fit they will be.

 

It's all very confusing. Bring some clarity and just get these beat, Reds.

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3 minutes ago, skend04 said:

Rumors Hendo and Mo got Covid. This should be called off. Not a chance teams should be playing with players out with Covid as it's not immediately evident if others in the squad could have it too.

That's a good point. I'd imagine we'll test the lads and staff tomorrow again. Chances are more positive tests will be recorded. 

Were none the wiser about spurs situation, probably been training several days and raring to go. 

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39 minutes ago, Freddo said:

That's a good point. I'd imagine we'll test the lads and staff tomorrow again. Chances are more positive tests will be recorded. 

Were none the wiser about spurs situation, probably been training several days and raring to go. 

 

Had a look at a Spurs forum and it seems like most of their squad is in full training. 

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9 minutes ago, MegadriveMan said:

If the rumours are true then,

 

Alisson

Trent, Matip Konate, Robertson

Thiago Milner Ox

Jota, Bobby, Mane

 

I think that's missing too many players for a tricky away game. 

Which is why we turn round and say "fuck Spurs, everyone else has been cancelling games without even saying who's positive. We are cancelling now."

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If the rumours are true then it should be cancelled. London a hot bed for omicron at the minute why send players and staff there so they can potentially get ill and ruin their Christmas let alone travelling fans too,  that alongside the sporting integrity of having to play a weakened side when other teams have cancelled games because the goldfish has it. The league should call for a two week break and maybe open its fucking eyes to the amount games in a season being too many.

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8 hours ago, MegadriveMan said:

If the rumours are true then,

 

Alisson

Trent, Matip Konate, Robertson

Thiago Milner Ox

Jota, Bobby, Mane

 

I think that's missing too many players for a tricky away game. 

If that is the team and the rumours are true we're in trouble. 

Facts are matip and Ox struggle to back up. That could possibly be 2 more issues to deal with. 

More players we have out with Covid, the more stress placed on others so injury risk will rise enormously. 

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27 minutes ago, Bobby Hundreds said:

If the rumours are true then it should be cancelled. London a hot bed for omicron at the minute why send players and staff there so they can potentially get ill and ruin their Christmas let alone travelling fans too,  that alongside the sporting integrity of having to play a weakened side when other teams have cancelled games because the goldfish has it. The league should call for a two week break and maybe open its fucking eyes to the amount games in a season being too many.

Not to mention conte comments regards vaccination. 

Seems that spurs have a lot of unvaccinated players. Same with Palace. That adds to the risk, why shouldn't clubs who are fully vaccinated have no knowledge of who or who isn't vaccinated at other clubs. 

The integrity of the competition is at stake and a couple of defeats could very easily kill off our hopes. 

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3 hours ago, Freddo said:

Not to mention conte comments regards vaccination. 

Seems that spurs have a lot of unvaccinated players. Same with Palace. That adds to the risk, why shouldn't clubs who are fully vaccinated have no knowledge of who or who isn't vaccinated at other clubs. 

The integrity of the competition is at stake and a couple of defeats could very easily kill off our hopes. 

Defeat tomorrow probably kills our hopes on reality.

 

If that happens when we are full strength then ok so be it, if it happens because we have half our 1st team out with covid then it is just totally unacceptable and the integrity of the league is shot.

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8 minutes ago, Rushies tash said:

The longer this goes on with no word from the club, the more I fear the rumours are true and we're going ahead with the game regardless. I'd be fucking livid if that were the case.

No point in stressing until we know the facts .

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Can't see us getting it called off...

 

PL have again used the 'not enough players to field a team' line when calling off Villa game today.

 

A Premier League statement said: "After reviewing all the new information provided by Aston Villa this morning and receiving separate medical advice, the [Premier League] Board approved the request as a result of the club not having enough players to field a team. This decision was based on the number of Covid-19 cases, injuries and illness."

 

But its ok to play with potentially half your first team missing though against full strength opposition.

 

Farcical.

 

 

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4 minutes ago, an tha said:

Can't see us getting it called off...

 

PL have again used the 'not enough players to field a team' line when calling off Villa game today.

 

A Premier League statement said: "After reviewing all the new information provided by Aston Villa this morning and receiving separate medical advice, the [Premier League] Board approved the request as a result of the club not having enough players to field a team. This decision was based on the number of Covid-19 cases, injuries and illness."

 

But its ok to play with potentially half your first team missing though against full strength opposition.

 

Farcical.

 

 

Well, nothing stopping our club providing “new information”. Reporting of lateral flow results requires no evidence whatsoever.

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3 minutes ago, TheDrowningMan said:

Well, nothing stopping our club providing “new information”. Reporting of lateral flow results requires no evidence whatsoever.

Looks like we have been as open and honest as usual and will likely get stiffed.

 

League has missed a kick IMO...should have cancelled all games start of this week and made clubs create isolation/bubbles for 10 days and then started again on boxing day.

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5 hours ago, Rushies tash said:

The longer this goes on with no word from the club, the more I fear the rumours are true and we're going ahead with the game regardless. I'd be fucking livid if that were the case.

I'll be livid too. If we win I'll be celebrating a great decision to play the game

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