All posts by h79snht.top

Tottenham’s hopes of Champions League success now hinges on them finishing in the top four this season. It is a mammoth task that faces Harry’s men, although Spurs are never known for making life easy for themselves.

At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Spurs blogs that includes the media looking to rain on Tottenham’s parade; seven likely casualties of Harry’s cull, while assessing Van Der Vaart’s contribution to the team.

We also look at the best Spurs articles around the web this week.

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The Greatest Ever Premier League XI

Time for Spurs to rule with their head not their heart?

Caption Competition: New best buddies Harry and Jose!

Van der Part of the team?

The unlucky SEVEN casualties of Tottenham’s summer clearout

Media clearly looking for ways to rain on Tottenham’s parade

Is he the right signing for Tottenham Hotspur?

VIDEO: Rafael van der Vaart takes keepy ups to a new level

FIVE things the future holds for Tottenham

In light of outburst – shouldn’t fans have the right to express their opinion?

Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs do battle for £15m Serb

*Best of Web*

Fantasy football – Spurs Musings From Jimmy G2

We Came To Celebrate and Are Not Downhearted – Tottenham On My Mind

Do you think that’s wise, Spurs? – Martin Cloake Online

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Y word – Dear Mr Levy

The Lilywhite Cup – 20th May 2011 – Harry Hotspur[divider]Click on image below to see Carles’s latest lady

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Inter will not be distracted by their impending Coppa Italia semi-final when they face Fiorentina on Sunday, according to coach Leonardo.The Coppa is Inter’s last chance of silverware this season after losing pace with AC Milan in the Serie A title race, and they will take a 1-0 advantage into the second leg of their semi against Roma on Wednesday.

But Leonardo said the match against Fiorentina at the weekend was his immediate concern, as his side look to secure second place in the league.

“Our targets have not yet been reached and so Fiorentina are just as important as Roma if we want to secure second place,” Leonardo said.

“We’ve had two whole weeks to work on training and I doubt we’ll have a problem facing two games in three days.”

The coach admitted it was disappointing not to be challenging for the title at this stage of the season, but defended his team’s performance.

“There is obviously bitterness that we weren’t able to leapfrog those in front of us in the table, but whoever wins deserves it,” Leonardo said.

“That is always the case. We battled, dealt with the problems we had and pushed on, but what we are now is a reality. We are a team.”

“Nobody is thinking about what could happen next season. We have a competitive squad capable of fighting on all fronts and that is what we did.”

“You can say what you want, but we’re second in Serie A, reached the Champions League quarter-finals and are challenging to win the Coppa Italia.”

The Brazilian confirmed Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder would be missing as well as Walter Samuel, and also took the opportunity to defended out-of-form striker Diego Milito.

“Sneijder will certainly not be there, while Walter Samuel has trained regularly and his condition is being evaluated day by day,” Leonardo said.

“Diego Milito had three thigh strains in a season, so it’s impossible for a player to give his best in those conditions.”

Tottenham look set to qualify for the Europa League after they moved into fifth spot at the expense of Liverpool after a 2-0 win at Anfield.Goals from midfield duo Rafael van der Vaart and Luka Modric gave the London club the win and, despite Harry Redknapp claiming the European tournament would be a hindrance next season, his team go into the last weekend of the campaign in pole position to seal their place in the competition.

The visitors dominated the first half and Liverpool really struggled to get a foothold in the game, despite home advantage and a win confirming their own place in the Europa League.

It was a scenario that seemed highly unlikely earlier in the season when the club was languishing in the relegation zone.

It took Tottenham only nine minutes to take the lead, with Van der Vaart bagging his 13th league goal of the season with a superb curling effort.

Modric’s corner was only half cleared by the Liverpool back line and the ball found the Dutchman on the edge of the area, who trapped the ball neatly before unleashing an unstoppable shot into the top corner of Pepe Reina’s goal.

Andy Carroll, restored to the starting line-up following a knee injury, wasted a glorious chance to draw Liverpool level, mistiming his header after a decent cross from defender Martin Skrtel.

Luis Suarez then bent a free-kick marginally over as the first half came to an end, and despite Tottenham’s lack of chances, their dominance in possession saw them deservedly lead at the break.

Liverpool’s hopes of hauling themselves back into game took a major blow just after the re-start following John Flanagan’s barge on Steven Pienaar in the penalty area.

The home players’ appeals that the offence occurred outside the box fell on deaf ears as referee Howard Webb awarded a penalty, and Modric sent his spot-kick right down the middle to double Tottenham’s lead.

Tottenham settled back into their keep-ball routine on the back of their two-goal cushion and were rarely troubled by the normally impressive Suarez and his strike-partner Dirk Kuyt.

The loss would not have been how manager Dalglish would have wanted to celebrate signing a three-year deal at the club earlier in the week.

However, he can still complete his remarkable turnaround in charge of Liverpool by getting them into the Europa League if results go their way at Aston Villa next weekend.

Celtic left-back Emilio Izaguirre could be on his way out of Celtic Park with Liverpool reportedly leading a queue of English clubs in the hunt for the player.

Signed from Honduran side Motagua last summer, the defender enjoyed a fantastic debut season winning both SPL Players’ Player and Player of the Year awards after 41 appearances.

Liverpool are reportedly searching for a new left-back with Newcastle’s Jose Enrique an option and Stephen Warnock linked with a return to the club. Paul Koncheseky looks set to be sold whilst the futures of Fabio Aurelio and and Emiliano Insua are more uncertain.

The 25-year old Honduran cost Celtic a reported £400,000 but Neil Lennon is keen to hold on to his star defender and bidding is likely to start at around £8 million.

Manchester United, Arsenal and Aston Villa are all also rumoured to be interested to the player compared to Roberto Carlos by former Scotland boss Craig Brown.

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But, first, Izaguirre is set to return to Honduras to add to his 45 international caps in the Gold Cup.

Joe Cole’s disappointing Liverpool career could be about to come to an end, according to the Daily Mail.

Cole moved to Anfield on a free transfer from Chelsea last summer and signed a lucrative four year, £90,000 a week deal. Despite impressing manager Kenny Dalglish more recently, he has struggled for form and fitness since being sent off on his debut and has only made 9 starts for the club.

The England international looks set to be reunited with former West Ham manager Harry Redknapp at Tottenham for a fee in the region of £3 million. Liverpool’s new owners Fenway Sports Group are thought to be increasingly keen on removing Cole’s substantial salary from the wage bill as they look to invest in younger talent.

Cole hasn’t featured for England since the defeat against Germany at last summer’s World Cup but still has 56 caps to his name.

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His arrival at Spurs could pave the way for Luka Modric to move to Manchester United. The Croatian playmaker is seen as an ideal replacement for Paul Scholes who retired this summer. But, Modric is likely to command a transfer fee well in excess of £20 million.

Udinese defender Christian Zapata has been linked with a move to Liverpool, according to Mirror Football.

The 24-year old has been at Udinese since 2005 and played for the club 127 times but is attracting interest from several of Europe’s top clubs.

Arsenal, Manchester City and Bayern Munich are all rumoured to be tracking the £14 million-rated Colombian but Liverpool appear to be leading the race for the versatile defender.

Zapata is currently with Colombia, for whom he has won 17 caps, where he is preparing for the Copa America and any deal will have to wait until after the tournament.

The 6ft 2in defender would be the second big-money signing at Anfield after the arrival of Jordan Henderson from Sunderland with plenty more signings expected during the transfer window.

Manager Kenny Dalglish and Director of Football Damien Comolli have been given the financial backing of new owners Fenway Sports Group. The owners are keen on younger players with potential resale value and Zapata certainly fits the bill.

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The club are also in need of cover at left-back with the futures of Fabio Aurelio and Emiliano Insua yet to be decided. Paul Konchesky’s days at Anfield appear to be numbered having failed to lived up to expectations and spent the second half of last season on loan at Championship club Nottingham Forest.

In recent years, Arsenal have developed a reputation for crumbling. At the business end of the season, everything falls apart. Last season was perhaps the finest example so far. After suffering defeat to Birmingham City in the Carling Cup final, they swiftly exited the Champions League at the hands of Barcelona and the FA Cup at Manchester United before dropping out of the title race completely. Their dramatic losses of form always raise questions about Arsenal’s mental strength. Where is the self-belief of United’s squad? Where are the leaders? Why can’t they shake off defeats and close out the season or just close out a game? These are all valid questions, but it would be wrong to suggest that all their problems are mental.

Since the invincibles side, Arsene Wenger has steadily siphoned the leadership and experience out of the squad. He continues to do so with the recent sale of Gael Clichy to Manchester City. Clichy may be only 25 but he has 48 Champions League appearances and nearly 200 in the premiership. The duty of left-back now falls to the vastly less experienced 21 year-old Kieran Gibbs.

Whilst Wenger’s young side may be full of talent, willingness and speed, it lacks the power of players in their physical prime and the mentality of those who have tasted success and want more. There is an over-riding sense that even at their best this Arsenal side are an incredibly talented group of boys. Van Persie is the old hand and Fabregas has inherited the responsibility of captain because of his essential role on the pitch, not because he has the mental qualities required. When things are not going well he often looks pained, struggling under the weight of his title.

Whilst the squad lacks leaders, it also lacks fighters. Perhaps as a consequence of Wenger’s football philosophy and his abhorrence of the physical side of the game, hard talking players are a rarity at Arsenal. Jack Wilshere may be the first midfielder to demonstrate a willingness to get stuck in since the departure of Flamini in 2008. Wenger’s nurturing, molly-coddling attitude towards his youngsters and his bitter complaints of ‘rugby teams’ create a sense of victimisation rather than a desire to fight back.

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The biggest problem Arsenal face is not a mental one. It is the quality of their squad. Even their best starting 11 has flaws, primarily in defence, and there is an unhealthy dependence on the fitness of Van Persie and Vermaelen. Walcott has shown flashes of brilliance but has struggled to find consistency due to injury and Arshavin has gone from a star to a sub in a disappointing season. There is a lack of depth up front and the need for a solid, consistent, central defensive partnership to bring some stability. It is these problems that really took Arsenal’s season off the rails.

We all love a spectacular goal, and since the start of the Premier League back in the 90s, we have seen a fair few stunners. But what would you regard as the greatest Premier League goal of all-time? Would you go for a goal that required a great technique? Is a long-range strike what you’re looking for? Or does it all depend on how important the goal is?

Choosing the best Premier League goal of all-time is too great a task for one man, so we’ve gone all democratic and decided to give you the fans the final say! There will be no coalition here, just one great goal that has received the most votes. There’s no way you can remember all of the great goals that the Premier League has seen, so we’ve even got some videos to jog your memory. Simply watch a bundle of great strikes and then vote for the greatest Premier League goal ever!

Click on the image to see the contenders – ENJOY

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Compiled by Tom Jones

Manchester United defeated Barcelona 2-1 on Saturday in a friendly re-match of last season’s Champions League final.Barcelona lifted their fourth European crown with a 3-1 win over United at Wembley Stadium on May 29.

And although goals from Nani and Michael Owen helped the English Premier League champions come out on top at FedEx Field, Washington, the pre-season victory is unlikely to have been much consolation for United, who have lost two of the last three Champions League finals to the Spanish giants.

Thiago Alcantara struck for Barcelona, who were without Lionel Messi, Dani Alves and new signing Alexis Sanchez.

In other matches, Inter Milan defeated Celtic 2-0 despite being reduced to 10 men in their Dublin Super Cup pre-season match.

Luc Castaignos and Giampaolo Pazzini scored first-half goals to put the Italian side ahead at the Aviva Stadium, and despite Tiago Motta’s dismissal for a second yellow card, Inter held on to record a victory.

Inter remain second on the Super Cup table after day one following Manchester City’s 3-0 victory over an Airtricity XI of players from the Irish Premier League.

With new signing Sergio Aguero watching on from the stands, Roberto Mancini fielded a side largely made up of reserve and youth team players, but it made little difference as the English Premier League side controlled the match.

One of City’s forgotten men, Shaun Wright-Phillips, broke the deadlock on 52 minutes, before Adam Johnson made it 2-0 seven minutes later and young substitute Luca Scapuzzi finished off the victory with a third on 83 minutes.

City will face Inter on Sunday to decide the winner of the tournament.

In London, Arsenal threw away a two goal lead and were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw against Boca Juniors in the Emirates Cup.

Robin van Persie and Aaron Ramsey had given the Gunners a comfortable lead in the first half, only for defensive lapses to allow Lucas Viatri and Pablo Mouche to equalise for the Brazilian side after the break.

The New York Red Bulls top the Emirates Cup table after day one following their 1-0 win over French side Paris Saint-Germain, with Joel Lindpere scoring the winner in the 27 minute.

Fernando Torres was on target as Chelsea won the final of the Barclay’s Asia Trophy 2-0 against fellow EPL side Aston Villa.

Youngster Josh McEachran opened the scoring in the first half before Tores deflected a Florent Malouda strike past Villa goalkeeper Shay Given to register just his second goal in a blue shirt.

Blackburn easily defeated Hong Kong side Kitchee 3-0 in the third-place playoff.

Elsewhere, Everton beat newly relegated Birmingham City 2-1 at St Andrews, Bolton defeated Conference outfit Newport County 3-1 and Norwich won 3-0 away to Coventry City, while West Brom and Wolves also recorded narrow victories over Bristol City and Ipswich Town respectively.

Finally, La Liga runners-up Real Madrid defeated Championship side Leicester City 2-1, with Jose Callejon and Karim Benzema on target for the Spanish visitors.

Bolton entertains Norwich City at the Reebok this weekend and you can watch the action in style, courtesy of another Football FanCast giveaway. We have teamed up once again with the good people of 188Bet who are providing an executive box for 10 people for Saturday’s game.

Both teams were on the wrong end of defeats at the weekend with Owen Coyle’s side the latest side to face the wrath of the Champions’ strike force that tore apart their defence at will. The result in fairness wasn’t a fair reflection of the play, but Bolton will be determined to get a positive result against the Premier League new boys.

Paul Lambert will also feel that the results haven’t mirrored the Canaries efforts so far this season and the Scot will be determined to see his Norwich side register their first win of the season. It promises to be a classic and the perfect fixture for your very own Premier League Box experience.

To enter the prize draw for one of the 5 pairs of places in the Executive Box then sign up to 188BET to be in with the chance for Saturday’s big giveaway.

The competition closes at 11:59pm on Thursday 15th of September so as long as you sign up and make your bet before then you’ll have a chance of winning. So sign up, place your bets and keep your fingers crossed! You be watching Bolton v Norwich in ultimate style in just under a week’s time.

Click on the banner below and sign up to be in with a chance in this week’s prize draw

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