Number 1 - Comments

I wonder how much longer Spurs' new stadium is going to be... looks nearly ready from the recent photos.

The less resources line is bollocks - Pardew nearly got relegated in 2012-13 with a better squad than we have now, and still presided over the clusterfuck ending to 2013/14 when we blew a real shot at the top 6, even if selling Cabaye didn't help. He didn't get approval, but given his ideas apparently included Darren Bent and Colin Kazim-Richards, he didn't have that bad an alternative. In any case, 2018 might be the wrong time to stick up for him given he's probably torched his PL career for a little while after the Palace/WBA clusterfuck. Although Ashley probably would be mad enough to give him another go.

Rafa is not bulletproof - at the end of the day, he picks the team and right now, the team is doing shit. The timid caution against Cardiff, Palace and Leicester in particular was not great and made for shit watching on highlights. But even so, the team did come 10th last year despite having a squad that wasn't that good, which indicates the manager was able to do some good, and given Ashley declares "every penny" will be spent, you'd think there would be a decent bit of cash to give a go at improving a squad that got a top half finish in such a ludicrously wealthy league. Hell, if Brighton, Huddersfield and several Championship sides can spend big cash, surely the club with the retail billionaire could?

But no. Instead, we've made a player trading profit and have a squad that is shitter, particularly in attack. I'm aware it wasn't Ashley's fault that Benitez didn't get on with Mitrovic or wanted an upgrade on Gayle, but hell, who wouldn't have gone for something else if they thought they might get upgrades rather than a half-fit loanee who didn't score that many for WBA last season and someone who was never that prolific in the Bundesliga to begin with. But at the end of the day, Ashley never fucking learns. I know things on the pitch are bad and they are by no means entirely excused by the off-pitch nightmare, but Ashley is still making exactly the same mistakes he made with Keegan, Hughton and Pardew, even if the latter seemed more willing to take the punches. There is no merit to his continued presence. The mood might well improve if he cuts his losses and goes to ruin some other club.

Incidentally, it appears Pardew was on Goals on Sunday yesterday and said that Benitez is in the same place he found, in that Ashley is very much not helpful and doesn't help his managers with appropriate funding. It remains a bit shit the only manager he's really backed with funding was Steve McClaren, whose dreadful form in the first two thirds of 2015-16 with a squad much better than our current one on paper - if not in motivation, clearly - makes him a bigger reason for that demotion, even if it was Benitez in post when it was too late.

… that went on longer than I thought it would do.

I could bemoan the fact Brighton's goal came from a corner that wasn't and via a major deflection, but really, our lack of a strikeforce is the bigger problem.

We somehow finished 10th despite a run of 1 point in 2 months last year, but with such a crap start and a weaker overall squad, breath is not being held for a recovery any time soon.

Bloody hell that Ramsey goal that made it 3-1 at Fulham was a fantastic goal.

The fuck was this about someone throwing a cabbage at him during the Preston game on Tuesday?

I don't know what it is but this has the air of a season, much like 2008/09, 2014/15 (or at least outside everything October-December), 2015/16 or the relegations in the 1970s and 1980s, where nearly everything that can go completely fucking wrong does.

If we repeat today's first half performance and goalscoring in other games, then we should get something, but the longer we wait for a win, the further risk we have of this hole being too deep to climb of, and that's even before the fact it feels like we're repeating the late-Pardew/Carver trick of always just being slightly less good than our opponents. Its basically a limp until January and hope the purse strings will be loosened sufficiently, and even then, could well be too late.

Fuck me that last 20 minutes was depressing.

Between more takeover talk, more evidence the strikers at the club aren't fit for purpose, and all the other crap, can't really see this season being anything other than just never ending tedium.

I honestly thought Man Utd would have a brighter shade of pink for their new away number, similar to the training wear, but instead it does look like the cliché "red shirt with the white laundry" thing. Although tbf, some other PL clubs have shitter away kits.

Quite something that they've cancelled their deal with Hummel, signed a new one, and are still waiting on their new strips. Although apparently other Hummel teams have complained of issues with their kit supply for this new season.

Well thank fuck that turd of a fixture list is over with.

Not that Palace or Leicester would be the teams I'd want to face to try and pick something up, mind... but we'll need something ASAP all the same.

I didn't think we'd manage it but this has been even more shit than Cardiff was.

I miss the World Cup.

EDIT: Posted before the injury time equaliser, conceding a second, not being given a definite penalty, and then conceding even worse. I mean... its been 4 games and already I want the season to finish. Which must be some kind of record.

That Huddersfield own goal was... different. But I guess freaks like that happen when you're game chasing.

This is going to be a long arse season... eurgh.

Oh well its only Manchester City away next.

Last week showed some promise but this was just a turd of a performance, culminating in that last minute penalty miss.

Can we just have another World Cup instead?

I have no idea what to expect this season from the Mags. Depends which one turns up - the one that showed genuinely excellent form in the final three months of the season, or the one that picked up 1 point from 10 matches in the autumn. Unlike some pundits and the more pessimistic members of the fanbase, I don't think we'll go down, even if the pre-season atmosphere has not been great. Today might not be a bad opener, mind, given this match is effectively Spurs' pre-season as most of their better players came back late from Russia.

Fulham have had a better summer than Wolves of the two big-spending newbies, although part of me wouldn't be that surprised if Cardiff scraped their way to survive, as that seems to be the done thing now. Watford look like they could struggle if only because I wasn't that convinced by Javi Gracia, especially away, and they don't seem to have solved their problem at centre-forward, although their midfield is still pretty good. Europa League and only making 3 new signings means Burnley are going to have injury problems, although Leicester last night did have potential.

But you know... my pre-season guesses are usually wrong.

There's a symmetry to this, given that last season, the team bonus structure was only agreed in the last few weeks and after direct negotiations between Ashley and the players, lead by Lascelles. Just appears this time that the dispute is more public, and could end up with a club fine if we don't do the broadcast graphics.

Still would've preferred to send WBA Joselu instead of Gayle. Though not really convinced by either at PL level.

Leave it to Mike Ashley to bank over £120million for last season and still tell Benitez the policy is sell to buy.

Presuming the more expensive variant is player issue.

Still think the replica is overpriced anyway, not least given they'll be replacing it in a year.

Bit of an odd final, but I think France are fair value for tournament winner. Thought they half-arsed the group stage but they controlled all their knockout games, including today, very well.

Roberto Martinez in the World Cup semi-finals... bit of a leap forward from when he got fired by Everton two years ago shortly after a mauling by Sam Allardyce's Sunderland.

Huh England won a penalty shoot-out. That's new.

England did alright yesterday, didn't they?

Meanwhile the end of Group B has been magnificently farcical. Makes the VAR trial... interesting.

Getting Boateng sent off and changing to 2 at the back seemed to be the cue for the most coherent football Germany have played all tournament. Also its a hell of a kick from Kroos at the end, and an utter kick in the pants for a Swedish side that had defended so well.

I was aware some Argentina fans weren't exactly looking forward to this after losing the World Cup Final and then 2 Copa Americas, but I doubt anyone anticipated such a messy rabble.

I think we should probably just have a general World Cup thread.

On this game, France did get away with a pretty half-arsed performance. Something Argentina couldn't. Although quite impressive Germany seemed to put in more effort than both of them, and still lost, but that owed as much to a very impressive Mexican defence.

Its different but I kinda like it. Reminds me of Harchester United.

If nothing else, last night's game was a lot more watchable and interesting than the non-event in the FA Cup last week.

I'm not entirely sure what, if anything, Man United were trying to do yesterday. The penalty did tip the game because it meant they had to do something to respond, and they took too long to really get going.

Top 10 finish on our return to the PL is a very good return given some of the poor runs on the pitch and transfer-based politics off it. And I'm aware its on goal difference, partially helped by Chelsea effectively not bothering to take part in a good 3/4 of today's game, but its still an excellent reward.

Spurs v Leicester has to be one to seek out for later's highlights shows. Sounded hilariously absurd.

I liked the Southampton fan who went on Trip Advisor and put up a semi-serious 1/5 review of the hotel that cancelled the team's booking. Made me chuckle.

But yeah. I think Huddersfield might get a point from one of their last 2 games, and even then, can equally see an increasingly toothless looking Swansea not picking up three points on the final day. So that race is probably run. Must be equally galling for them knowing Cardiff City are passing by in the opposite direction.