Tottenham Hotspur

[Chris]

I still remember his dazzling insights on setanta, "I like man to man marking because you know who to blame" "You cant rely on 3 players, Gerrard, Alonso and Torres to win the league, Man Utd have Tevez, Ronaldo and Rooney". His hatred of Rafa oozed out of every pore, I thought he was going to have a breakdown when we come back to win 3-2 at Portsmouth that time.

Now he's talking "up and at em" "steady the ship" etc. Obviously learnt from Hodgson at Blackburn.

[Shaggy]

I still remember his dazzling insights on setanta, "I like man to man marking because you know who to blame" "You cant rely on 3 players, Gerrard, Alonso and Torres to win the league, Man Utd have Tevez, Ronaldo and Rooney". His hatred of Rafa oozed out of every pore, I thought he was going to have a breakdown when we come back to win 3-2 at Portsmouth that time.

Now he's talking "up and at em" "steady the ship" etc. Obviously learnt from Hodgson at Blackburn.

I remember him on Setanta now you mention it. He was a right bitter cunt.

[Rigadon]

I still remember his dazzling insights on setanta, "I like man to man marking because you know who to blame" "You cant rely on 3 players, Gerrard, Alonso and Torres to win the league, Man Utd have Tevez, Ronaldo and Rooney". His hatred of Rafa oozed out of every pore, I thought he was going to have a breakdown when we come back to win 3-2 at Portsmouth that time.

Now he's talking "up and at em" "steady the ship" etc. Obviously learnt from Hodgson at Blackburn.

Sherwood hates Liverpool. Prick. Hope he gets the Spurs job. From Redknapp to AVB to Sherwood. Classic!

[G]

At the time they bought Lamela it was reported that he didn't want to leave, and didn't want to join them but Roma really needed the money. Not surprising he hasn't settled.

[Norbs]

At least Aquilani made the excuse that he was poorly

[Chazza]

The agent of Frank de Boer has claimed Tottenham have expressed an interest in making the Ajax head coach their new boss.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy was at the club's training ground on Thursday as he considers candidates to replace Andre Villas-Boas.

Tim Sherwood took charge of the team for their Capital One Cup defeat to West Ham on Wednesday night after Villas-Boas was sacked in the wake of their 5-0 Premier League thrashing at home to Liverpool.

Sherwood also looks likely to take charge of the team for Sunday's trip to Southampton but De Boer, who has led Ajax to three consecutive Dutch league titles, is the favourite with Sky Bet to take over as boss on a permanent basis.

His agent has claimed there is interest from White Hart Lane, but there has been no contact between the two clubs yet.

Guido Albers told Voetbal International: "Through a number of sources it has become clear to me Spurs are interested, but that club haven't contacted Ajax so far.

"So we can't say much about it now. Frank isn't thinking about it. He is fully focused on Ajax."

Technical co-ordinator Sherwood is also in the running, along with former Spurs manager Glenn Hoddle.

Another former England boss, Fabio Capello, has also been mooted for the position along with Swansea boss Michael Laudrup.

Sherwood has refused to rule himself out of the running but admitted the role would have to be right for him and the club.

"I need to chat to the chairman and see what they're thinking but the immediate future is up in the air. I don't even know about the weekend," he said.

"It would have to be right for me and the club. The chairman needs to make the correct decision and find a manager most compatible."

Meanwhile, the club have rubbished suggestions that Villas-Boas had four of his seven summer signings forced upon him.

Reports have emerged that Erik Lamela, Nacer Chadli, Vlad Chiriches and Christian Eriksen, players who cost a combined total of £56m, were signed by Spurs against his wishes.

It was also claimed Villas-Boas was only happy with the summer acquisitions of Paulinho, Etienne Capoue and Roberto Soldado.

But the club have insisted a transfer committee consisting of the head coach, Levy and technical director Franco Baldini, worked together to approve all new signings.

That view was backed up by Spurs coach Les Ferdinand who told US podcast Beyond the Pitch: "Most of the signings were perhaps suggestions to him, but he agreed to those suggestions.

"The bottom line is he agreed to all of those signings. It wasn't a case that the players were brought in and he was told 'You have to make a team of these players', because if you're a manager and that happens, you're destined for the sack."

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11675/9079954/premier-league-tottenham-interested-in-frank-de-boer-says-agent

[Chazza]

But...........

Frank de Boer is not interested in becoming the new manager of Tottenham, according to reports in the Netherlands.
On Wednesday night, De Boer had reportedly been approached by Spurs to fill the role vacated by Andre Villas-Boas. Tim Sherwood has been placed in charge on a temporary basis, and he tasted defeat in his first game after losing to West Ham in the Capital One Cup.
Currently the manager of Ajax, De Boer is committed to the club, as his agent Guido Albers has played down the links with the Dutchman.
"Through various channels it has become clear to me that Spurs are interested, but the club has not approached Ajax," Albers told Voetbal International.
"So for us there is not much to say about it. Frank focuses entirely on Ajax."
Sherwood believes he is still "in the frame" to become the club's permanent boss despite the Cup exit to West Ham.
De Boer signed a four-year deal in the summer, and the signings of Christian Eriksen and Jan Vertonghen from Ajax for Tottenham have previously revealed how they enjoyed their time under De Boer.
Spurs are also believed to be interested in talking to Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino and Zenit Saint Petersburg's Luciano Spalletti about the vacancy.

Read more at http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport...1WoKaItfu8g.99

[dom9]

https://twitter.com/SamWallaceIndy/s...91842006237184

Why is it written three times?

[Fosterbloke]

What's funny is reading that of all the players wanted by AVB and eventually bought by Baldini, none of them are defenders!

I'd have thought a top class CB would be high on their priority list.

[john316]

They overrated Dawson so thought him and Vertonghen would be first choice. Not scouting your own players is the ultimate mistake.

[BubbaZanetti]

Brendan Rodgers has claimed he had "a close shave" in rejecting the chance to manage Tottenham Hotspur as he launched an outspoken attack on the hierarchies at White Hart Lane and Cardiff City.

The Liverpool manager delivered his scathing assessment in response to André Villas-Boas' sacking by Spurs and Malky Mackay again being undermined at Cardiff by the owner, Vincent Tan. Rodgers was approached about replacing Harry Redknapp as Tottenham manager in 2012, only to cool on the vacancy once he studied the club's track record of hiring and firing managers. He was ultimately lured from Swansea City to Liverpool that summer while Villas-Boas succeeded the discarded Redknapp.

Rodgers' doubts about working for the Spurs chairman, Daniel Levy, were reinforced on Monday when Villas-Boas' brief reign was ended after Liverpool's 5-0 rout of Tottenham's expensively assembled team the previous day. And he contrasted the lack of patience in north London, plus the interference in south Wales, with the support he has received from Liverpool's owners, Fenway Sports Group.

Asked how he now felt about Tottenham's approach in 2012, the Liverpool manager replied: "A close shave. They are a great club and one of the things I looked at was their history. They'd had 11 managers in 18 years there, so for someone like myself, who needed to create something, I needed to go to a club that was going to give us that opportunity."

Rodgers believes Spurs' decision to take a world-record transfer fee for Gareth Bale last summer, at a time when Liverpool refused to sanction the sale of Luis Suárez, was the cause of Villas-Boas' problems this season.

"It's difficult. They have had a good couple of years, they were up there under Harry Redknapp. Obviously there have been difficulties from Bale leaving," he said. "It shows you that when you have someone with that x-factor, sometimes eight, nine or 10 players can't replace that. That was why we fought like tigers to keep Luis Suárez here because he is a top player, he is a performer. There are many good players but very few who perform week in, week out to that level. I am more than happy with the choice I made to come here and hopefully in time it will prove to be the right one."

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/dec/19/liverpool-brendan-rodgers-tottenham-cardiff

[RedReet]

Brendan Rodgers has claimed he had "a close shave" in rejecting the chance to manage Tottenham Hotspur as he launched an outspoken attack on the hierarchies at White Hart Lane and Cardiff City.

The Liverpool manager delivered his scathing assessment in response to André Villas-Boas' sacking by Spurs and Malky Mackay again being undermined at Cardiff by the owner, Vincent Tan. Rodgers was approached about replacing Harry Redknapp as Tottenham manager in 2012, only to cool on the vacancy once he studied the club's track record of hiring and firing managers. He was ultimately lured from Swansea City to Liverpool that summer while Villas-Boas succeeded the discarded Redknapp.

Rodgers' doubts about working for the Spurs chairman, Daniel Levy, were reinforced on Monday when Villas-Boas' brief reign was ended after Liverpool's 5-0 rout of Tottenham's expensively assembled team the previous day. And he contrasted the lack of patience in north London, plus the interference in south Wales, with the support he has received from Liverpool's owners, Fenway Sports Group.

Asked how he now felt about Tottenham's approach in 2012, the Liverpool manager replied: "A close shave. They are a great club and one of the things I looked at was their history. They'd had 11 managers in 18 years there, so for someone like myself, who needed to create something, I needed to go to a club that was going to give us that opportunity."

Rodgers believes Spurs' decision to take a world-record transfer fee for Gareth Bale last summer, at a time when Liverpool refused to sanction the sale of Luis Suárez, was the cause of Villas-Boas' problems this season.

"It's difficult. They have had a good couple of years, they were up there under Harry Redknapp. Obviously there have been difficulties from Bale leaving," he said. "It shows you that when you have someone with that x-factor, sometimes eight, nine or 10 players can't replace that. That was why we fought like tigers to keep Luis Suárez here because he is a top player, he is a performer. There are many good players but very few who perform week in, week out to that level. I am more than happy with the choice I made to come here and hopefully in time it will prove to be the right one."

http://www.theguardian.com/football/...tenham-cardiff

I always wondered if Rodgers arse licking of FSG was just PR, but seems like he genuinely does rate them highly.

[Vermilion]

Old Brendan does love the phrase 'fought/fight like Tigers'.

[dom9]

Brendan Rodgers has claimed he had "a close shave" in rejecting the chance to manage Tottenham Hotspur as he launched an outspoken attack on the hierarchies at White Hart Lane and Cardiff City.

The Liverpool manager delivered his scathing assessment in response to André Villas-Boas' sacking by Spurs and Malky Mackay again being undermined at Cardiff by the owner, Vincent Tan. Rodgers was approached about replacing Harry Redknapp as Tottenham manager in 2012, only to cool on the vacancy once he studied the club's track record of hiring and firing managers. He was ultimately lured from Swansea City to Liverpool that summer while Villas-Boas succeeded the discarded Redknapp.

Rodgers' doubts about working for the Spurs chairman, Daniel Levy, were reinforced on Monday when Villas-Boas' brief reign was ended after Liverpool's 5-0 rout of Tottenham's expensively assembled team the previous day. And he contrasted the lack of patience in north London, plus the interference in south Wales, with the support he has received from Liverpool's owners, Fenway Sports Group.

Asked how he now felt about Tottenham's approach in 2012, the Liverpool manager replied: "A close shave. They are a great club and one of the things I looked at was their history. They'd had 11 managers in 18 years there, so for someone like myself, who needed to create something, I needed to go to a club that was going to give us that opportunity."

Rodgers believes Spurs' decision to take a world-record transfer fee for Gareth Bale last summer, at a time when Liverpool refused to sanction the sale of Luis Suárez, was the cause of Villas-Boas' problems this season.

"It's difficult. They have had a good couple of years, they were up there under Harry Redknapp. Obviously there have been difficulties from Bale leaving," he said. "It shows you that when you have someone with that x-factor, sometimes eight, nine or 10 players can't replace that. That was why we fought like tigers to keep Luis Suárez here because he is a top player, he is a performer. There are many good players but very few who perform week in, week out to that level. I am more than happy with the choice I made to come here and hopefully in time it will prove to be the right one."

http://www.theguardian.com/football/...tenham-cardiff

Ouch. Take that Levy.

[Norbs]

I always wondered if Rodgers arse licking of FSG was just PR, but seems like he genuinely does rate them highly.

I also like the confidence Rodgers has in his own ability and how highly he rates himself. It's a bit arrogant but it's clear he wanted this job but it had to be on his terms. Power struggles FTW