Posted on Friday, 27th January 2012 by Harry Hotspur
Guten Abend.
Well that was the FA Cup then, eh? I’d say that was pretty standard FA Cup fare and no point getting overwrought about not having witnessed anything too fancy. But let’s not fail to recognise a truth tonight.
Arry said we didn’t play well. He was right. It was a dysfunctional performance to put it mildly. Player ratings in the morning.
Watford had a good go at it. Quite how a dull outfit achieved so many opportunities is a cause for concern. Yes, they were at home, yes they were used to the heavy pitch. But we failed to achieve any real shape, instigate anything resembling flowing football.
Jake Livermore squaring up to the linesman with the ball under his arm was embarrassing. Danny Rose is possibly one of the thickest footballers I ‘ve seen this season bar Balotelli. Walker struggled. All be castigated by these nearly men’s relatives and those who have over emotionally invested, but why should I care? It’s not my fault they can’t cope with reality.
Time to stop mucking about with kids and ship in proper number twos. And Pienaar, for the love of God. Give me a break.
The FA Cup is about luck and it is about desire to win. We were lucky, but we didn’t show all that much desire. Arry also said before the game that we were all about getting to Wembley and winning the cup. Was he talking to us or talking to Investec?
Van der Vaart’s stonker…
Watford 0 – 1 Tottenham Hotspur by motifoot
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Posted in Blogs, Premiership, Tottenham Hotspur | Comments (79)
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January 27th, 2012 at 10:49 pm
Hmm, I must have not been paying attention. Granted I was in a busy boozer, watching a Scandinavian satellite channel, but what I saw was Spurs popping it about and enjoying the vast majority of possession. I thought we played a LOT of good football.
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KevtheRev Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 11:14 am
II kept having to check the starting line-up over and over to confirm some of the players that were supposed to be out there on the pitch.
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January 27th, 2012 at 10:49 pm
Dream on loser.
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January 27th, 2012 at 10:59 pm
We have played 10 times better and lost, that was the worst showing all season. What`s the point in putting Pav on for the last minute, VDV and PNB were exhausted at the finish. Was in Barcelona on Weds night and the first half there was almost as bad.
Harry does not do signatures, he has a rubber stamp and pad, only thing is it looks like a dogs paw print.
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Bobbles Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 10:52 pm
Fackinel, is it just me then? Ok we couldn’t finish them off (as usual), but on another day we could have had 3 or 4 there, then this would be a whole different vibe!
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January 27th, 2012 at 11:00 pm
Livermore had a great game to be fair and danny rose and walker were isolated alot, because of the wandering vdv and modric. Harry got the selection wrong by picking both vdv and modric 1 of these should have been rested.
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SpurredoninDublin Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 9:03 am
Not sure we were watching the same game, but everytime I saw Walker, he was where you’d expect Lennon to be waiting to start his run. Broadway was the worst player on the pitch.
As a team, we played so badly that under normal circumstances it would have been difficult to single out anybody for additional criticism, but Rose solves that problem. Even when Lennon came on, he just got worse.
He is definitely not a LB, and I think the next any manager watching us tonight cannot wait for the opportunity to prove that.
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January 27th, 2012 at 11:01 pm
We cannot score from or take corners .We cannot defend or win corners.We cannot score from sustained attacking pressure but what we do better than any other team is score on the beak from deep in our own half. coys
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Bobbles Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 10:54 pm
No that IS the truth, VDV went to take a corner at one point and I went into a rant about how shit he/we are are them and right on cue he limped it in to the near edge of the 18 yd box and it hit the first man in the knees.
Un-fricking-believable
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Brisbane Spud Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 11:08 pm
Corners major issue. Nvever seen such pathetic attempt. Thing I don’t get is dangerous play from corners / set pieces can be learnt and practised. Look at the ugly teams like Bolton. Over half way through season and no improvement. You would think with the talent we have we would be driving quality balls at pace every time. Noticed against Man city we started playing it short… Needs sorting!!
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January 27th, 2012 at 11:08 pm
Harry
Are you menopausal? I don’t disagree with the observation that we were below par or even the somewhat snide comments on individuals. What I lament is the increasing tendency of this blog to trot out bland criticism without the wit that established your reputation. Dull, Sir and barely distinguishable from the thousand other rants we choose to ignore. Don’t waste your talent. Il miglior fabbro
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Harry Hotspur Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 11:14 pm
You think, ‘Danny Rose is possibly one of the thickest footballers I ‘ve seen this season bar Balotelli.’ is dull?
Fair enough.
Ora mangiare i miei pantaloncini.
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Hatch Spur Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 11:27 pm
That one not bad. You are close to the best.
TS Eliot leggere il mio amico
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Frontwheel 2 Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 12:05 am
Pog mo thoin (couldn’t put the fada’s in)
Harry Hotspur Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 12:17 am
Less bovver with a fada…
matt Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 12:07 am
If i see him just one more time standing with the ball on the touchline about the halfway line, just standing by the ball, with players closing him down, just standing (get the point here) doing to or three pretend passes while the ball is stationary at his feet. Im going to write a letter to someone.
Spurstacus Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 12:17 am
Chiuderlo bollocks intelligente!
Spurstacus Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 12:19 am
Tá mé capall taobh amuigh.
January 27th, 2012 at 11:11 pm
Why are Brisbane Spud’s posts disappearing?
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January 27th, 2012 at 11:14 pm
Thought Livermore was class tonight. All over the pitch and never stopped running. He is so much better technically than I thought. Not sure how Huddlestone is getting back into the team!?!
All in all though, that was miserable and pathetic watching. You comment on needing number 2′s, what about our number 1s? Defoe, Ade, Modric, Lennon, Dawson and even VDV were anonymous or worse.
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Harry Hotspur Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 11:19 pm
Defoe & Ade had no supply.
Modric was poorly and played like it.
Dawson looked bloody ropey.
Vdv was trying like crazy. ESPN website’s MOTM so not just my opinion.
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melcyid Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 11:19 pm
no 2s ,take peptobismal
no1s get your prostrate examined.
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Harry Hotspur Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 11:25 pm
Or maybe just cut back on the handstands after dinner?
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Spurstacus Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 12:22 am
I could have done with a couple of shots of pink bismuth tonight, oh hold it I’ve got a surgeon. Sorry I mean a surge on.
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Hartley Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 11:35 pm
He was OK, but did present them with at least one golden opportunity that the premiership would have taken….I’d give him a 5.75….
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Spurstacus Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 12:20 am
So our number 1′s were number 2′s tonight?
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January 27th, 2012 at 11:20 pm
Watford is a shit hole, and after our dislpay, I wanted to go home.
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January 27th, 2012 at 11:23 pm
what is a piccolo katza is it some to do with Mankini and bolloktelli?
arrevedici
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January 27th, 2012 at 11:23 pm
Got to change the strikers. Manu?? Glad hes only on loan. On this showing they can have him back.defoe is coming to the end of the line at spurs I think. Just not good enough. Thought walker was a brightness on a dull night but agree the defending has to improve. It was the spurs of old, lower league, we’ll turn up & smash em! Just lucky we didn’t get beat. Look forward to a long second half of the season
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Frontwheel 2 Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 12:08 am
Could tonight be the start of what all Man Shitty fans warned us about in regards to Manu?
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January 27th, 2012 at 11:23 pm
We won, they lost…..not pretty but we’re in the 5th round and the DOUBLE is still on……Arry out!…..can’t come soon enough as a change in manager now might just wake our (we are Barcelona, thinking) players that we have to work every game to achieve greatness….Wolves was awful, Watford worse….Wigan next…..my guess, with this mindset in the team 0-2 and then it will be too late…..just sayin
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melcyid Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 11:26 pm
in the cup at Tottingham
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Hartley Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 11:30 pm
I missed BAE tonight….
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melcyid Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 11:37 pm
moi aussi
Harry Hotspur Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 11:48 pm
He’s a dude.
essexian76 Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 11:33 am
I’ve been saying since the 2nd half v Bolton that an arrogance had been creeping in, a sort of ‘do enough’ attitude, whereas Yesterday-it appeared to be a ‘don’t want to be here’ which is far worse.I’m half hoping it was more a case of focusing on the Wigan game and getting Watford out of the way then putting our feet up, but FFS,that was kack.
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January 27th, 2012 at 11:50 pm
Grim
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January 27th, 2012 at 11:52 pm
Why do we persist with Dawson. Spurs always look shaky with him in the team. When will they get rid of him, we saw how good we played without him. since he has been back in the last 3 weeks we are not playing well. He is too slow,weak cant pass no vision basically not good enough for prem lge.
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SpurredoninDublin Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 9:14 am
You might well be right, but the alternative was Bassong.
In the days when Andorra had the death penalty, they never actually carried it out themselves. They gave you a choice. You could be guillotined in France, or garrotted in Spain. Dawson or Bassong?
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essexian76 Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 4:34 pm
Hopefully we’ll have Billy G back pretty soon along with Huddlestone and Sandro, so it’s like a mini transfer window but for free
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January 27th, 2012 at 11:57 pm
Just heard the interview with HR on the BBC site
Apparently Modders was unwell but nobody told HR.
Were a premier league club right ?
Danny Rose will dine out on that Arsenal goal for years. Will be the only time he dines out. Livermore reminds me of Jason Dozzell.
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Harry Hotspur Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 12:18 am
Livermore reminds me of Jason Dozzell.
You just made my blood run cold.
‘Cos your’re right.
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Spurfect Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 12:15 am
Jenas mark two in the making I’m afraid…
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Hartley Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 12:41 am
There’s more, I can feel it in my bones……
Spurfect Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 12:16 am
Jenas mark two in the making I’m afraid…All running no substance…mixd with silly challenges in dangerous areas…
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essexian76 Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 11:17 am
To single out one player when all ten outfield were pretty useless is a tad harsh IMHO.
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January 27th, 2012 at 11:58 pm
Oh deary me, that was poor, really poor. If we’d rested Parker, Modric and VDV,I perhaps could’ve understood the performance, but hey ho, I guess, we got away with it and we’re in the hat for round 5, job done and lesson learnt….I hope!
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SpurredoninDublin Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 9:32 am
I think it was the formation. If we had played our normal “cup side” we would have been 4-4-2 instead of 4-2-2-2. The full backs were so far down the pitch for most of the first half, that it looked more like 2-2-2-4.
With the Wigan game coming up, I don’t see why we fielded such a “strong” team against such modest opposition with such a bizarre formation.
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essexian76 Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 11:22 am
TBH Dub, I served this game for family reason’s, but if watching football via your PC is how many judge the team, I can now understand why the views on the game differ so greatly? and also why Mus could get a gig as a commentator! never again, rather have listened to it on the radio.
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SpurredoninDublin Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 12:52 pm
I watched it on ESPN.
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essexian76 Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 3:28 pm
I didn’t mean you specifically, I meant generically speaking. Watching the game on TV’s bad enough, but on a computer’s just madness. Obviously there are many on here who have no other option, but how on earth they can get a feel for it via that medium is beyond me?
January 28th, 2012 at 12:13 am
Bad choice of line up again, parker clearly needing a rest and carrying a knock paired with Livermore in midfield and ship modric out on the left, really?
We hear how niko only isn’t making the team because of bale then proceed to play modric instead and then bring on Lennon,a right winger, instead of niko.
No wonder ade looked disinterested, he could see he wasn’t goIng to get a sniff with that kind of service. Modric and vdv roaming out of position and flat in the centre with two defensive midfielders.
Totally disorganised and disinterested on a heavy pitch. Fringe ayers chomping at the bit to get some game time.
Actually felt a bit sorry for Watford such was their application to the game compared to ours. Youre better than that spurs, sloppiness is a habit we don’t need to be picking up at this time of the season. Let’s hope there’s a couple of signings on their way to give us a shot in the arm. With a no nonsense powerful striker top of the list! Coys!
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January 28th, 2012 at 12:16 am
Famous quotes from our glorious leaders….
“There’s no use being satisfied when things are done wrongly. I want perfection.” Sir Bill Nick
“It’s no use just winning, we’ve got to win well” Sir Bill Nick
“The public can’t be kidded. They know what they want to see, what is good and what is bad and what is just average. At least I believe they do.” Sir Bill Nick
“We are givers, not takers” Arry Rubberchops
“Watford were fantastic, they were brilliant. The boy Eustace ran the game. We rode our luck and got away with it, that’s how useless I am with things, and you can check with my solicitor if you like.” Arry Rubberchops
All famous quotes which have not been edited by me at all, not even once, not even the last one….but I swear on my caravans life he did say it…
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Harry Hotspur Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 12:23 am
“I can’t do no joined up”
Henry James Norman Stanley Fletcher Redschnapps
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Billy Legit Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 1:31 am
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essexian76 Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 6:48 pm
I can’t do no joined up-but I sure can read a damned mean contract!
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January 28th, 2012 at 12:18 am
The worst display in ages and I really don’t know who or what to blame.I know we won but the tactics were…What?
Was it a lack of respect for a lower team,or just a night where all the performances were well below par.Lets just hope its one we had to get out of our system because we won’t get away with another display like that.
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January 28th, 2012 at 12:24 am
It was a friday night and they arent used to playing in front only 15,000 gates and theres no where to go after the game in watford except for a couple of Indian resaurants.
I think they were cold and fed up.
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Spurstacus Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 12:26 am
There is also a chinese restaurant. I know cos I was in it.
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January 28th, 2012 at 12:30 am
The best thing about tonight was that listening to that drunken yiddo singing on his own.
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Harry Hotspur Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 12:36 am
He was sensational. Obviously had a kip at one stage but his comeback was admirable.
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Hartley Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 12:43 am
Legend…..who quite possibly is that pissed, his mates have stuck in a taxi to Northumberland ….bless
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January 28th, 2012 at 12:33 am
Can it be that Harry does have an influence on how training goes and him being gone all week impacted the performance?
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Billy Legit Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 1:30 am
No!
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January 28th, 2012 at 12:38 am
Harry says hes not a fiddler? They havent got the wrong North London club have they?
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Hartley Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 1:01 am
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Spurstacus Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 1:27 am
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Razspur Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 1:54 am
Fiddler on the Woof, c`mon Towser sign those four cheques(P Crouch, B Malone (PI), F Lampard and Mill an` Mandy Rich). Paw print on the dotted line. That reminds me Towser we must go down to the booth beside Costcutters and get passport photos in the morning.
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January 28th, 2012 at 8:51 am
Danny Rose is a massive liability. If BAE were to get injured we would be in a situation. I havent seen Rose put in a single good performance this season, not even a good half, not even a good 5 minutes. Shamrock Rovers and Watford made him look like a turkey…. OH OOOOO
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LosLorenzo Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 11:53 am
Bale was pretty shit for a long time, too. Rose has the tools. Just doesn’t know how to use them. He might learn, he might not. Too soon to say. That’s why it’s nice to have teams like Watford for players like him to cut their teeth on.
But by god, what a dismal game it was last night. I was fairly well sauced by kick-off, and still I was bored almost to perplexion.
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SpurredoninDublin Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 1:34 pm
Don’t agree about Bale. When he first joined us, he scored three in his first four games and then shortly later was injured and didn’t play again for the rest of the season. I think you are referring to his “league record” which is probably the stat we remember most about him, but he had been on the winning side in cup teams during the meantime.
No way was he “pretty shit” when he first joined us, but he was unlucky, both through injuries and being on the losing side.
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January 28th, 2012 at 9:20 am
I only seen five minutes of the game, that was enough. The game at the weekend has finished us, we will slip down the league at an alarming rate
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Frontwheel 2 Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 11:20 am
That’s the spirit.
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TMWNN Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 11:54 am
We need some fresh blood up top and at the back to maintain our progress, but Levy and Co. will settle for fourth.
To dare is to do?
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LosLorenzo Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 11:54 am
You should be a TV pundit.
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essexian76 Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 4:29 pm
We’re still trying to get rid of a load of crap, and this joker wants us to bring more in-genius
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January 28th, 2012 at 1:25 pm
I think this game was symptomatic of my ambivalence towards HR. Somehow or other, I was saying to myself throughout this game, “I still don’t think HR is a great tactician”. Other than brining on Lennon to give Rose some support, I cannot think of one thing that HR did to alter the shape of the game.
Throughout this season, we have seen corner after corner and free kick after free kick wasted, and I am left wondering what they do in training? The more I hear about “Just run around a bit”, the more I am thinking that this is the masterplan.
I admit to being a Walker fan, but in very much the same way we have criticised Lennon for his “end product”, I am in despair the number of times a Walker cross ends in a high ball into the centre, and being miles away from Ade, who apart from Bale is the only capable header of a ball in our attack. Anyone recall the words of Ben Franklin, “The definition of insanity is to endlessly repeat an experiment and expect a different outcome”. Have none of our coaches worked this out?
I realise I can’t keep sitting on the fence forever regarding HR, so I will say, great motivator and lucky on the plus side, but knows nothing about tactics. A bit like Kevin Keegan mark 2.
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Billy Legit Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 3:08 pm
Ideal for the England job then!
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essexian76 Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 3:50 pm
Still trying to find any criticism of VDV, does he have an agreement with Amnesty International or something? Also, perhaps judging by last nights performance, many can understand why the Goon’s and City fans fell out with Ade, or should we still buy him, only 20 odd million and 175k per week-bargain!
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