Is it time to panic yet?
The first weekend of the 08/09 season saw Tottenham lose away to Middlesbrough, Manchester United held to a draw at home to Newcastle, Portsmouth destroyed in a game that will be as remembered for Chelsea’s tactical superiority as the lack of effort from Pompey players and Everton lose at home to a Blackburn side that has lost 2 of its best players over the summer (see all results here).
Shocking, shocking results. United have thrown away the title, Pompey will join Everton in a relegation scrap and Tottenham will probably join them once Berbatov refuses to come back from Bulgaria. It’s the end of the world as we know it….
Studs Up
Or maybe some perspective is in order? Chelsea’s performance, and United’s opening day blitz 2 years ago, just go to underscore how difficult it can be to hit the ground running at the start of the season, and after United won the title last season despite suffering their worst start since the Premier League started, maybe there’s more to the season than winning/losing the first game?
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“Panick” Mr Manwaring I think not just yet ask me when we are 7 in & 0 then it might be time for Jonesey to put on his tin helmet and proclaim that imortal chant!
can anyone tell me what dream move berbatov could have gone to man u 2years ago but chose spurs
pet the greek he has now realised what a mistake he made joining you yiddo’s and now wants to get away as quick as possible…….
I really don’t know what the all the fuss is about. So we lost our first game to Middlesboro, so what! This is the Middlesboro that beat Arsenal, drew against Man Utd and beat Man City 8-1 last season. They are no pushovers far from it, especially at home. Compared to the so called big 4(maybe apart from Chelsea) we had the toughest fixture. OK I admit Ramos did get the selection wrong this time but give the guy some credit. He is allowed to make some mistakes. Trust me, we will get better. No need to panic.
I hope berb slings his hook soon, I am getting bored of it all now. Just sell him or put him in the reserves for a year.
Why was the Blackburn result “shocking”? Firstly Everton had 7 players out and had to field a 16 year old. Secondly, Rovers played brilliantly and we still have RSC and some excellent attacking players.
Friedel is a loss and so is Bentley but the latter’s tendancy to big himself up has smokescreened our other good players who got ignored by the media and other fans when Bentley was in town.
It was a deserved win for Rovers, nothing “shocking” about it and the suggestion that we should lose to Everton annoys me because some people seem have this hierarchy in their head of where teams “deserve” to be based on popularity. I mean how dare a small town club like Blackburn beat a big club from the metropolis that is Liverpool? The amount of fans, money and stadium capacity we have means nothing during a 90 mins game of football.
theres no need to panic for anyone yet
everton like esteban says didn’t fiel a lotta first teamers and the same goes for united.
the only thing is that everyone gets back from injuries asap.
Yep Middlesbrough away definitely harder than many other fixtures away this weekend. You spurs fans live on another planet you really do. Face it despite making some good signings you’ve lost your most influential players and will not threaten the top 4. Villa are miles ahead of you there! Also isn’t it funny how forgetful you are..poach Ramos one season, cry foul of Utd trying to poach Berbatov. You pull out of the Mido to Man City deal last minute last Janauary, yet when the same club does the same to you Levy threatens to sue! Jokers the lot of you
LOL….you Spurs fans are so funny. I thoroughly enjoy popping on to a spurs site to read your constant whining of being a big club but without fail you fail in proving it when you have to time and ime again.
Its not the fact you lost one game its the fact that you were apatrently in hot form in pre season and beat roma 5-0 then suddenly when the “walking pace” football of pre season was over and the real football started Spurs proved yet again why your club is the joke team of the premiership and the laughing stock.
We had to listen to constant babble about “Spurs are there with the big 4″ after buying unproven expensive players. Then when its time to prove it , Spurs fail.
Spurs have wasted millions on buying weak,lightweight soft touches, players that make pretty runs but get eaten alive by even the average Premiership player as even the weak premiership teams are tough and phsyically agressive. What fools Spurs fans have been and Ramos has made a major managerial error which a top manager shouldnt in the way he has brought pretty footballers with no ability to survive the rough and tumble of the Premiership. No quality defenders and midfield generals.
I for one am loving it and look forward to a season of watching your mid table rivals roughing up your soft touch team week in week out.
To add to that your defense is soft and after the borough game , EVERY teams knows now how to beat you.
Spurs have built their team in a quasi/homo - feminine way, a Poor Mans Arsenal if you will.
I see you fighting amongst the bottom of the mini middle league this season , while my team enjoys the lush pluckings that come with being in the top 4 cartel.
Ha Ha Ha ….Cavier anyone?????????????!!!!!!
Liverpool shouldn’t u be cashing your giro or something,joker.
Liverpool WUM above is right on a few points - your new ’star’ players (Apart from Bentley) are all unproven and just too lightweight to boss a EPL midfield. Modric, Santos, Bentley & Lennon - hardly battlers are they?
Ramos has spent badly, your problem wasn’t scoring last season - you needed a couple of quality DM and DC. Your squad is STILL lacking in fight, they rolled over yesterday and you could see their heads go down! Where’s the drive, belief and will to win? Injury prone defence, a talented but weak midfield and now your without Keane/Berba your lacking a cutting edge up front!
Villa are the best bet ATM for 5th, if we can get a RW and another striker (Although scoring wasn’t a problem for us last season so its just the Cherry on top!) we’ll push the hardest for that top4 spot too. Of all the teams we’ve spent the best, dodgy keeper and defence last season cost us. MON sorted with 5 quality signings. No we’re looking for those 1 or 2 Cherry’s!
Like I say Ramos has spent badly for you guys.
No doubt villa will be a force this season but dont fall for the media hype around my beloved yids. We’re on the stock market and make profit every season from nothing in particular so so what if we have money to try new things and take some much needed risks to break the monopoly of the top 4. The roma game was nothing but a confidence boost but it was also a chance for the media to once again put us on that laughing stock pederstall for the season. Transfer window is not closed yet so who knows what ramos has got in mind but all I know is that the man is smart and has eyes to see we was weak in defence and midfield. When bale, king, hutton and huddlestone return to the 1st team next week we’ll see who’s soft. 1 game in, lets get some perspective lads, the cream always rises to the top.
LOL….you Liverpool fans are so funny. I thoroughly enjoy popping on to a Liverpool site to read your constant whining about winning the championship but without fail you fail in proving it when you have to time and time again.
It’s not the fact that you were lucky not to lose to Sunderland or the fact that you were even luckier not to get thrashed by Standard Liege, its the fact that you clowns actually think you are going to win the league.
We have to listen to constant babble about “This is Liverpool’s year to win the league title” after wasting 20mil on a Tottenham reject who never has been and never will be anything approaching world class and whose performance yesterday was absolutely terrible. Or maybe you think the very average Gareth Barry will win you the title? Or maybe you think Dossena and Deggen will win you the title. “We” all know that you will be out of the title race by November as usual.
Liverpool have wasted millions on useless “weak” fullbacks and Robbie “I am anything but clinical” Keane, and some “alleged striker” from PSG who scored 1 goal in 30 matches last season in ligue 1! LMFAO!
Coming into the summer, every Liverpool fan was screaming about your need for skillful wide players, so your incompetent blame-everyone-but-me-unless-we-win manager wastes 20mil on 28 yr old Robbie Keane and wants to waste another 18mil on 27 yr old Barry, neither of whom will give you any width and neither of whom can dribble more than one opponent.
You need world class players to to win the premiership and right now you have 3 (Torres, Gerrard, Alonso) and you want to replace one (Alonso) with the anything-but-world-class Barry. That makes sense. So you will be left with 2 world class players and some crappy fullbacks and no skill or pace on the wings. Did you watch the match against Sunderland where you scraped a totally undeserved win? Did you notice that Sunderland have more skill on the wings than Liverpool? LMFAO!
Rafa Benitez has built a team that cannot play proper football. Liverpool’s passing game is similar to Wimbledon’s in the 1990s. Long ball crap all game long. At least I can look forward to the might Hotspurs playing the most attractive football in England on the way to a top 6 finish and a legitimate run at the UEFA Cup. In fact, I predict we’ll see Liverpool in the Uefa Cup come 2009.
I look forward to NOT watching any Liverpool matches this season as I don’t want to provoke my brain into convincing my body to commit suicide. Liverpool will need more of this extreme luck they have enjoyed in their first two games this season in order to hang onto 4th spot. Quite frankly, Liverpool have no more talent than Villa, Everton, Spurs, Man City or Portsmouth. As for the league title, DON’T MAKE ME LAUGH!
What is this guy^ talking about? Does anyone know? Are you talking about the very same Gareth Barry who completely outclassed all of you Yids at Villa Park last season? Is this the same Gareth Barry who has played more England games in the last 12 months than any other player? ha ha you obviously don’t watch much football, maybe you should talk about something you DO know about. Makeup/handbags etc. Spurs are a joke, and I enjoyed watching you all suffer last season, this season will be even more amusing!!! Small club, small fan base . . . one day you’ll realize it.
it would be nice if we could all just get along…
I’m panicing slightly. Liverpool have some big games coming up and they look toothless. With trouble off the pitch and our manager starting to look loopier than a red arrows display, we desperately need some players to show. Babel, Lucas and Mascherano will be back soon thankfully. And in Torres and Gerrard at least we have two world-quality players who can carry us through rough patches.
Spurs should worry, a little. With the amount they’ve spent this summer, its important they get moving. But they have quality there and Ramos can bring it together. Tottenham mainly have to worry with regard to their ambitions, because Villa look top notch and they can’t afford to let them get 10 points ahead.
Teams like ManU, Portsmouth and Everton should consider the same two reasons: i) that they fall behind impressive opponents and ii) that if they can spot problems in their sides now these could cost them dear over the course of the season.
AJVillan.
First of all, why are you defending Gareth Barry after he said that Villa are a small club going nowhere with a crappy manager and that he wants to go play for Liverpool? I mean, seriously, why would you stick up for a guy that basically dismissed you club as rubbish?
Gareth Barry didn’t outclass anyone at WHL. You’re delusional. The guy is a decent left back. He’s an average midfielder who plays for an average team (Villa) and an average country (England).
I’m glad you enjoyed watching us suffer to a League Cup trophy after back-to-back 5th place finishes. When did you last finish 5th? When did you last win a trophy?
Villa are a small club with about 10% of the support that Spurs have. One lucky 6th place finish and now you are a “big” club? LMFAO!
Moderator, is there any way we can screen comments from people who obvioulsy don’t know the first thing about football, like AJVillan?
How dare Liverpool keep a clean sheet away from home while their record signing scores the only goal. FOR SHAME
If you didnt notice by the name im a Spurs fan and I think this is complete crap, Why do you people persist in these petty remarks? So what Tottenham lose their first game of the season, it was away against Middlesbrough! for gods sakes look at it! As Richard Grant said Middlesbrough isnt a pushover team, why can everyone think that after the results the pulled off last season? True we made some signing but they arent BIG signings like everyone makes them out to be. I look at it this way: We secured some decent signings who will with time grow and improve into great players, its building for the future. Ok many Spurs fans boast that we will break the top 4 this season, not me.
Even with these signings we have lost players aswell, players which complemented the team nicely. The major problem we do have at the moment is how Ramos wont realise that the problem isnt with the attacking its our defence!
You dont will the premier league with the tactics of just trying to outscore the opposition by scoring 5 goals but in the process letting 3 or 4 into the back of your own net. You need defence, thats how you win games, your opponent cant win if they cant score, keep them goalless then they get frustrated and make mistakes. Thats when the players like Modric and Bentley come into it and play the game that caught the attention of us in the first place, God thats me done for now.