THE GREAT WILSON

This opinion piece by Philip Oliver is taken from www.spursodyssey.com- a website which we strongly recommend.

It was a home debut that stirred the fans. Energetic yet composed in possession, aggressive but disciplined; Wilson Palacios was the clear man-of-the-match against Arsenal and is already a favourite with the White Hart Lane faithful.

Harry Redknapp gave our Honduran recruit from Wigan Athletic quite a build-up and Palacios certainly delivered in his first home appearance. He bossed central midfield and did all the things his new boss said he would, with some extra things beside.

His hunger to win the ball is breath of fresh air in a team that has failed to screen the back four properly since Michael Carrick left the club in 2006. Palacios hunts the opponent with the ball down with such intensity that an easy pass is usually denied.

It is often said that tackling is a dying art form in the modern game, which is why Palacios is such a welcome addition. He is an expert in judging and timing tackles, conceding just four free kicks against Arsenal, although Harry will be keen to preserve his dynamism and aggression – the fact Palacios was suspended when we bought him endeared him to a manager frustrated by the soft centre of his squad.

However, Palacios is much more than a defensive midfielder who hassles opponents: his use of the ball on Sunday was excellent, misplacing just four of his 34 passes. He also tested Manuel Almunia with a rasping drive that suggests his shooting prowess is a league above that of his fellow midfield engine, Didier Zokora.

Palacios’ ease on the ball was surpassed by Jermaine Jenas, who found a white shirt with 41 of his 43 passes, the highest success rate of any midfielder on the pitch.
Unfortunately the two he misplaced, a simple five yard ball to Lennon after a first half burst into the Arsenal half and an ambitious floated cross-field switch to the same player in the closing stages, will stick in the fans’ minds.

It is this inconsistency at crucial stages with which Jenas frustrates, but it is clear that he know has the ideal foil to improve his own game and I hope Harry persists with the midfield axis he started the derby match with. Two games into his Tottenham career and Wilson Palacios is already a crowd favourite.

Written by Philip Oliver, a Tottenham Hotspur fan and a professional sports writer who blogs about football betting at Betfair.

FIXTURE CHANGES

The following two Barclays Premier League matches in April have been selected for live television coverage and will now take place as below (all Kick offs Malta times)

Saturday 4 April - Blackburn Rovers (A) - will now kick-off at 1.45pm

Saturday 25 April - Manchester United (A) - will now kick-off at 6.30pm

JERMAINE IS BACK

Jermain Defoe returned to White Hart Lane on Tuesday night then saw his former team respond to a half-time rollicking from Harry Redknapp to move within sight of a second Wembley appearance in 12 months.

Defoe milked the applause of the White Hart Lane faithful and admitted, on his return to Tottenham, that he never wanted to leave. Defoe was introduced to the crowd before last night's 4-1 win over Burnley and was taken aback by the response.
"It's great to be back," he said. "I'm looking forward to the challenge. It's hard to put it in words – it's brilliant. I had been looking forward to it all day.
"A number of things made me return. Obviously everyone knows the manager was a major factor; my family still live in London and the fans were a factor, too – you can tell by the reception I got.
"I never wanted to leave, but as a professional there comes a time when you think you need to move on. I did, in order to improve my England career. But I didn't want to go in the first place."

WELCOME BACK YIDDO !!!!!

VIEW FROM THE PARK LANE

by Mark Mizzi

This article will be published in the next edition of "The Cockerel"

In my first article of this series Spurs were in deep crisis, had collected just two points and the future did not look good at all. In that piece I wrote that the Club should give Ramos more time to turn it round.

I am writing this article on Christmas day. Ramos was given some more time but results did not improve. He was sacked and Harry Redknapp was installed in his place. I got the news from our Secretary Alex Cilia who texted me at 6.30am!

Though I always advocate consistency, I don’t think the Club had an alternative. Ramos is a top coach but the simple fact is that it was not working for him in the Premiership. Yes he won us the League Cup, but league results were nothing to write home about.

It was crystal clear that Ramos had lost the dressing room and the players wanted a change. His message was not coming across and the players were baffled by some of the tactical decisions. The language barrier did not help and it was not that easy for Ramos to change things during games. His lack of fluent English prevented one to one communication with the players and man management was inexistent.

Redknapp is known to be a very good man manager and a great motivator. In a few weeks he has instilled confidence and belief in our players and results have changed. The transformation of error prone Heurelho Gomes and Michael Dawson from accidents waiting to happen to strong and reliable players exemplifies Redknapp’s man management skills.

The players are happier, they know their roles and want to play for the new gaffer. As one journalist once said, it’s doesn’t matter whether you are a great coach or not. What matters is that you make your players want to play for you. Harry has certainly achieved this and more.

At the time of writing we are still in the middle of a relegation battle and the team is still prone to mistakes that cost vital points. Gomes’ error against Fulham, the soft goal conceded against Everton at the Lane and the last minute undeserved defeat against Newcastle show that we are still work in progress. But progress there has been. Just ask Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United fans.

I was at the Park Lane for the Blackburn and Everton games. We won one and lost the other but the experience was still great. Harry is turning it around in the League, we are in the semi-final of the League Cup and in the knock-out stages of the UEFA Cup while the Club has announced plans for a new stadium. The Academy is also doing very well and some of the boys have had the chance to be in the first squad.

A disastrous season may still turn out to be a positive one. Much depends on the January transfer window. Our attack is still very weak and with a proven striker we will be challenging in the top half of the table.

Redknapp has also got to strengthen the defence. Ledley King is a fantastic player but he is chronically injured, does not train between games and every match is touch and go for him. I am not saying we should discard Ledley. He will always be the King of the Lane but top drawer cover is needed very urgently.

I have been saying that we need a top class holding midfielder for about three years. Redknapp has come in and the first thing he said was that the squad is not balanced and the team lacks strength in midfield.. Let’s hope that the Club listens to Harry and this post- Michael Carrick problem is solved once and for all.

In closing I want to say a couple of words about the new stadium. A round of applause to Daniel Levy for deciding to stay in the same area. I always believed that the area is the heart and soul of any club and moving away is just not right. Tottenham Hotspur FC would not be the same out of Tottenham. If anything, the new stadium will be closer to Northumberland Park and Tottenham Marshes where our beloved Spurs started gracing English football.

The new stadium will be adjacent to White Hart Lane. The location and designs will ensure that the Club is able to remain in the area even during construction. The change from the old to the new stadium will take place over the course of one season and at no stage will capacity be less than that of the current stadium.

Architecturally the stadium design looks fantastic. Being a traditionalist I have to say I am a bit sceptic about its general bowl shape. Square stadiums are the hallmark of English football but sadly they are disappearing. What encourages me is that, according to the Chairman and the design company, the stands will be distinct from each other. We have not seen any interior projections yet but what I am hoping for is a modern trendy stadium on the outside and an English traditional “squarish” stadium on the inside.

Till next time…Come On You Spurs

Mark Mizzi- 25 December 2008
maltayid1882@gmail.com
www.spursmalta.blogspot.com

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR ANNOUNCE NEW STADIUM PLANS

The Club has recently announced plans for a new 60,000 seater stadium next to White Hart Lane. Here we reproduce excerpts from the official announcement as it appeared on the Club's official website

The Club is delighted to announce that, having concluded an extensive review of suitable sites and viable alternatives, its preferred stadium option is to remain at the Club's spiritual home in Tottenham - the option known to be the fans' favourite.

The existing 36,000 capacity stadium has remained unchanged for over a decade and the club is currently in the position of having 70,000 registered club members and a waiting list for season tickets of around 22,000 people.

The Club is preparing plans for a world class scheme incorporating a new stadium, Club museum, shops and homes, new facilities for the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and important public space. The plans will enable the team to remain at the current site throughout construction.

Daniel Levy, Chairman of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club said:
"The Northumberland Development Project would deliver a world class scheme and substantial new investment for Haringey and our supporters. It represents a significant step in the growth of the Club, with a proposed stadium capacity of 60,000 and would provide state-of-the-art facilities, important public space, new jobs and homes and a significant boost for the local economy.
"It would also enable us to provide a new base for the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation so that its award winning programmes can continue and have an even greater impact in the local community.
"Tottenham Hotspur is proud of its roots in Haringey. We have been in the Borough for 126 years and the Club is inextricably linked with this part of London. We believe that this scheme has the potential to create a truly inspirational environment for the Club and the community as well as acting as the catalyst for the uplift of the wider area.
"We are at an early stage of what is part of our long term plans for the Club and now we want the views of local people and our fans. I hope people will take the time to look at our plans and let us have their comments."

Councillor George Meehan, Leader of Haringey Council, said:
"I am delighted that Tottenham Hotspur has confirmed its commitment to remain in our borough.
"We have always regarded Spurs as one of Haringey's prime assets. They bring major economic benefits to our borough and carry out some excellent community work through the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation.
"But more than anything, Spurs has played an integral role in giving a sense of identity to the area it calls home. Tottenham would not be Tottenham without its football club.
"We have been working extremely hard to regenerate the Tottenham area, which suffered so much from industrial decline. Real progress is being made, and it is extremely pleasing that Spurs has demonstrated that they share our commitment to this continuing regeneration.
"But, as always, we will consider very carefully any plans that are submitted to us, as we strive to ensure that a new stadium delivers real benefits for all who live and work in the area."

The plans, which will be unveiled at the first public exhibition later this month, cover an area of around 20 acres including the site of the current ground and the adjacent industrial estate. The new stadium would be sited largely to the North of the existing one.

In policy terms, the area is within the 'Tottenham High Road Regeneration Corridor' and identified in the Haringey Unitary Development Plan (UDP) as a "major site for potential redevelopment" to act as a "catalyst for prime regeneration".

The transport infrastructure around the stadium is already in place, with 4 stations (White Hart Lane, Northumberland Park, Seven Sisters and Tottenham Hale) and over 100 buses an hour serving the stadium area. Together these deliver a total capacity in excess of 90,000 passengers an hour.

On Friday 14 November, the Club will launch a special section of the website dedicated to our future plans. Please visit it at www.tottenhamhotspur.com/futureplans to see the emerging plans and to let us have your comments.

Whilst we are at the beginning of a long process, should we receive the necessary planning permissions, preference will be given to existing season ticket holders and corporate customers to retain their status in a new stadium. Priority for any new season tickets will go to our One Hotspur Bronze members, who make up our season ticket waiting list. Any current season ticket holders who are interested in obtaining additional tickets for friends and/or family members in a new stadium will therefore need to ensure those individuals are signed up to the One Hotspur Bronze membership scheme.