v Tottenham reached the Champions League final last season. Watford the FA Cup final. After reaching such heights (and after the drubbing at Wembley it could be deemed a lowlight) one would have expected both sides to push on to brighter and better things. Tottenham recruited Lo Celso and Ndombele along with Ryan Sessegnon while with our more modest budget we splashed out on Ismaila Sarr. Yet both teams face each other Saturday at New White Hart Lane with a mood of despondency pervading both dressing rooms. Off the field issues in the bedroom are threatening to derail Spurs while others have no desire to be there but were not moved on in the summer by Pochettino. We on the other hand have been in a dreadful rut. The summer spending omitted to upgrade the defence a mistake which the owners will look to rectify at great expense in January with Spurs looking to do the same to revitalize their squad. Right from the pre-season friendlies in contrast to the last we have looked woefully undercooked in terms of physical preparation and sieve like in defence with no communication at the back and wide open swathes of turf for the opposition to wander around in and play the ball around us. The constant chopping and changing in defence cannot help. Other players the fulcrum of the team last season like Foster, Doucoure and Capoue look a pale shadow of what they were. And that has been capped by a general lethargy and complacency through out. Far too many players seem to take their spot for granted. Other faults like the weakness from set pieces, the inability to finish chances and the poor accuracy of passing have not been tackled either. This all points to one thing and one thing only if things do not change. Relegation. We are simply not scoring enough and conceding far too many. So it is right Flores is trying to ensure we tighten at the back. The players need to realize the one thing they need to do is to work hard. That is a minimum. Scrap for every single ball. And to defend as a unit from back to front and vice versa. Player selection needs a shake up too. I would early love to see Quina for example get a chance if just to allow Doucoure a rest and a realization he is not an automatic pick. One has to feel for players like Sarr. He is a player with great ability and potential and has shown it for Rennes and Senegal. But coming late in pre-season and then into a shambles is hardly ideal for a player trying to adjust to many new things and ideas. We have to show some patience with him and better still utilize him as a wide winger. Tottenham were lucky enough to recruit Giovanni Lo Celso a player who I've enjoyed watching with Rosario Central, before making a real impact at PSG and then at Betis. A highly gifted central playmaker with enormous flair (with Palacios, Asascibar he will make a formidable Argentina midfield) he may be fit enough to come into contention on Saturday and is more than adequate to replace Eriksen. Juan Foyth who was highly impressive against Germany and Ecuador in Argentina's recent friendlies may also be recalled. Magical Giovani Lo Celso: It's a crucial game for both teams. A loss for either side will have potential consequences. For Spurs the pressure will mount on Pochettino while for us it will make the trapdoor come that little bit closer. We have to be positive in our outlook and in the situation we find ourselves in the players must understand that they have to work as I have said incredibly hard and given Spurs recent fragility capitalize on any chances we create or are gifted our way. We must certainly not capitulate as we often do in games against the top six. Any repeat of the shameful afternoon at the Etihad is simply unacceptable. Last season saw a towering Cathcart header seal an excellent win and almost another at Wembley while poor officiating saw us removed from the League Cup on penalties. We are miles away from that form at present but so are Spurs and fingers crossed we can at least earn a morale boosting draw. Opposition Forum: https://www.thefightingcock.co.uk 'Hope' is the thing with feathers— That perches in the soul— And sings the tune without the words— And never stops—at all— And sweetest—in the Gale—is heard— And sore must be the storm— That could abash the little Bird That kept so many warm— I've heard it in the chillest land— And on the strangest Sea— Yet, never, in Extremity, It asked a crumb—of Me. By the great Emily ****inson (1830-86).
Defensive set up from us. Spurs grind a 2-0 to get themselves back on track. We draw with Bournemouth 0-0 following that and the crazies to my right power clap for 2 minutes at the clean sheet.
Brilliant write up Smudge and well worth the wait. Can't say we do not deserve the criticism that you so rightly pointed out. We are in a mess and the players need to understand and stand up to be counted. With a (winnable.???) game against Muff to follow this, a draw would be a good result for us, but a win would be brilliant. I'm not going due to financial constraints which is a shame because if we do go down I miss my chance to see their new ground. But hey I still have the awesome shout box to look forward too. Do I think we actually stand a chance? No. Despite their dreadful form, we are not even at the level of confidence Brighton were two weeks ago when they played them off the park and could of won by four or five. We are certainly no B. Munich!!! We are more likely to concede seven goals than score them. If we stay compact, stay together and fight a bit we might scrape a draw. We are not good enough to win, but hey prove me wrong lads. Off topic a little, them not having *Loris will either be a blessing or a curse - but our goal shy forward threat needs to get in a scoring chance and not do a "Gray" when well placed. Kane is not in the best form club wise, but he's still dangerous. Son and Ali generally have good games against us. When they beat us 4-1 home and away a few years back they did look very impressive. But we have regressed so much from even then - I just cannot see anything past a loss. Not a Citee pasting (god I hope not), but a respectable loss if it is to be that. **Get well soon Loris.... horrible injury that really looked painful. Spuds 3 Watford 1
Spurs are in terrible form. This is a game we could possibly stand a chance of nicking if we approach it in a vaguely positive manner. There's no chance of that under Flores, but I'm still going to be positive and bloody mindedly predict a rare point on the road. We'll park the bus, but by the law of averages, it's time somebody like Del or Pereyra had a moment or two. It'll be one of those results that we'll be looking back on once we've fallen through the trapdoor back to the Championship, and wonder what could have been if we'd have replaced the Hobgoblin with a head coach who thinks about offensive play as well as the defensive.
Might be as the last time we went to Spurs under Flores . Played for a 0-0 and a fine goalkeeping display kept the score down to one . Also remember Foster being beaten by Paul Robinson in 2007!
Uuurrrghhhh. Have spent most of the international break longing for club football to be back, now it's looming I'm not sure I can handle it. We're clearly going to lose. Look at how negative we were at home to Sheffield United, we are not going to even venture over the halfway line away at Spurs. I reckon Quique might dust off the 4-6-0 formation from away at Man City in his first spell. We're not going to attack them at all, we'll treat the ball like a hot potato on the rare occasion we do have it and we're not good enough to hold out for 90 minutes. 2-0 defeat, the most boring Premier League game of all time.
Spurs are all over the place, desperate for a good result, so I fully expect us to roll over and give them the 3 points.
Why am I so depressed reading all the above? Where’s the fight, where’s the Agincourt spirit against the cockerels? Oh yes, I remember now, the team spirit was left in the Wembley dressing room at the Wolves semi final, only to briefly resurface in the second half vs Arsenal, and disappear without trace again. We’re either going to wake up or the players are just beginning to stare zombie like into the abyss. What have Totteringham been doing in the bedroom to get everyone so upset? Is it serious?, will it distract them? Hopefully it will and we wake up a bit. 1-1 is my optimistic shout.
I'd like to know more about Tottingham's "bedroom issues" you mentioned. Obviously Spuds players, officials and supporters have always been famous for their uniquely tiny shriveled genitals, but are there some further sexual problems that may (hopefully) prevent the procreation of future generations of the lillywhite lumpen elements?
I had a dream last night that we lost 6-2. I also dreamt that bear cubs lived burrows and would leave the burrows if they sensed humans were near and climb on them to give them a kiss on the cheek....so....you know...
First and probably last time I will visit Spurs new ground for quite some time I should think! Better make the most of those special pint filling taps they have then...
We’re facing another wounded animal. Our wounded animal is fatally....erm....dead. So our wounds don’t count over the wounds of others. Expect another Saturday afternoon of misery and despair, when we finally turn into roadkill.
If we set-up defensively we'll lose and lose horribly. The only way we can nick anything from this game is to aim to score goals and hope we score at least as many as them. First game of the season I'm actively avoiding so we'll probably play brilliantly and win.
As I've said a few times already, the Premier League is massively unfair this season. The competition is completely skewed. While every other sad act, miserable, down-on-their-luck, waiting for the tide to turn club has the prospect of Watford coming up on their fixture list to perk them up, we get no such boost. Spurs will be the latest grateful recipients of our charity.
Great time to play Spurs or a terrible time ? I can't decide. We must try and keep it tight and catch them on the break with positive runs from the guys with pace. Get their fans frustrated.... 0-0 after 20 mins at home to the bottom team....still 0-0 after 40 mins... Must win game. 3-0 to Spurs. First goal after 2 mins. Pressure released. Palpable relief around the stands. From then on just a question of how many while we continue to play to keep the score down rather than equalise.
My hope is that over the break we've worked on a masterplan for Spurs and the rest of the season. In reality we'll concede in the first 5 minutes on Saturday and then it's anyone's guess what the score will be!
Must keep it tight for the first half hour. Get to that point at 0-0 the natives will hopefully start getting restless which may affect the players. Play Quina if fit with GD and Welbeck up front, presuming we go for a 3-5-2. Win 2-0, happy days and the season can begin Cathcart Kabasele Dawson Janmaat Cleverley Capoue Quina Holebas GD Welbeck Lets do this!!
I reckon a surprising away win. Poch has lost interest in Spurs and is waiting for the sack. It will start when the not so baby faced assassin is given his marching orders after getting hammered by Liverpool the weekend.
Excellent chance to really get the season up and running with a decisive victory for spurs A simple question of which team is most disinterested in winning
I think Maureen from the canteen is in goal. Its her first start and from all reports so far, she's a shoe-in to keep her place. Deeney gave special praise especially for her cullenry skills.
Nobody at the club believe that we are even remotely capable of winning a game, especially the players. At least 4 - 0 to spurs
Easiest win we'll get all season, perhaps even since our return to the Premier League, we'll humiliate Spurs to the extent that Poch will be sacked. Spurs 0-4 Watford Sarr x 2, Welbeck x 2 Europa League here we come!
At this point I much prefer watching my FM Watford team play than this dross. In game - 0-2 to Watford Reality - 4-0 to Spurs. Holebas red, Defence clueless, Gray missing an open goal from 2 yards by tripping over the ball
As I understand it, it was about overuse of somebody else's genitalia that should have been out if bounds, rather than underuse. If Spurs issued their players with a bottle of Bailey's per day, it would never have happened. Poor management.
We took a small defensive step last time out so hopefully the team will be better drilled now so will be a bit better at playing the system, less balls given away and a bit more cohesion. So 1, 3 or nil points I hope it is a further step in the right direction. Expect more defensive drilling and the compact 30 metre rule with players fined / dropped if they step out of position!
We will lose. Son will score. Kane will smash a penalty past Foster, who’ll have needlessly rushed from his goal and dragged down Son, despite the fact the Korean hitman is about to dribble the ball out of play for a Watford goal kick. We absolutely won’t score. What a **** season.
Find it hard to imagine what exactly we should expect from this match, but I can't really find the strength to muster any kind of hope for it at all. It might well be the first match I don't try and watch, because at least that way I'll either have a life-affirming surprise fait accompli, or I'll spare myself 90 minutes of hypertension as the blood vessels in my eyes burst.
