With and without

Stat of the year right here for you.

When King plays for Spurs our chances of winning increase massively. In the past four seasons we've won at least 50% of all the Prem League games he has featured in. This season our average is 0.89 condeded compared to 1.86 when he's missing. We havent won in the league without him.

Break down of the figures over the past few seasons:

2008/09 - 56% with King / 0% without King
2007/08 - 50% with King / 26% withouth King
2006/07 - 52% with King / 35% without King
2005/06 - 50% with King / 42% withouth King

Damn that dodgy knee.

10 on the trot

If Chelsea win away to WBA on Saturday they will equal our record of 10 consecutive away league wins in top flight football. That's a record that's stood for almost 50 long long years. It feels like 50 years since we were last decent away from home, coincidently.

It's how we roll

Spurs 4 Liverpool 2

Spurs were lucky to score four goals, all from defensive errors, and Liverpool should have won, but were cheated out of the game by the ref and Gareth Bale pretending to tackle when in fact he committed a cynical foul. But enough about what Liverpool fans thought of the game.

In all fairness, gloating should be kept to a minimum based on the fact that this wasn’t a full strength Reds side. We've already beaten that version.

So, yes, they made 10 changes and played their reserves. And yes, we made 7 changes (no King, Woodgate, Jenas, Bent, Modric, Bentley etc) and used other first team players. Is it our fault we appear to have better depth for these type of occasions? Even the Prince had time to come on and show-off a little. This wasn't our strongest side, but having Hoddlestone centre midfield, spraying balls all over the pitch (ooh) and the team pushing forward with intent, purpose and < insert other buzz words to help illustrate how decent we were on the night > helped make this even more comfortable.

Let's not forget a few years back (Fredi's handball) losing on pens to a team of Liverpool reserves. No mistake this time out. They weren’t up for it. We were and nobody is going to frown at 3 goals in 6 minutes of frantic play, and ending up eventual 4-2 winners. Their goals weren’t even proper goals. Early Christmas presents thanks largely to the flapping and mistiming of our calamity keeper, Gomes (they could argue the same about ours). Though credit to his bravery later on that saw him leave the field on a stretcher, but apparently (according to ‘arry) was well enough to grab a post-match Chinese with some of the other players. Sadly, he’s available for Fulham away.

Campbell looked electric, teaming up with Pav. Both shared the goals on a night that even witnessed several Ole, Ole, Ole moments as we passed the ball around. Got to love the over-excitability of the home crowd. Quarter-finals next. Chelsea knocked out by Burnley, so we’ll get Man Utd away no doubt. While The Kids© will get another home tie.

This win made it the best start to a Spurs reign by a newly appointed manager. You have to go back 110 years to a certain Frank Brettell (what, you’ve never heard of him?) to find a better record. All this after our worst start to a season ever.

Never a boring second supporting this lot.

Make 'em smile!

Ramos: 2 points in 8 games = average 0.25 points per game
Redknapp: 10 points in 4 games = average 2.5 points per game


Tottenham Hotspur, now ten times better than we were. Happy days.

The magic of tomato ketchup

Harry re-introduces it to the canteen and we go from scoring 12 goals in 12 games to notching up 12 in just 4. And if that doesn't prove the genius that is Redknapp, then asking Roman Pavlyuchenko, via his translator, to just 'Fucking runabout' (which resulted eventually in a last gasp goal against Liverpool) must surely deserve a sing-a-along.

All we need now is the re-introduction of a little mayo, and we'll be climbing that table in no time.

WE'RE GONNA WIN THE LEAGUE!

LOL @ the Premiership

Spurs. Worst start to a season in our history (at least Since the Titanic Sank©) and still bottom yet the Premiership finds itself with 14 clubs separated by a mere 6 points - 6 points from 7th place having just won 2 games all season.

Fans/the media alike have been citing us and Newcastle amongst one or two others as being in a dogfight, but if you take a quick gander, anyone who lacks form over the next 6 games will plummet. And it may well be the case that come Christmas, there maybe several clubs swapping places at the bottom faster than you can say 'three points' with no apparent certainty who might go down.

It's a bit zany, innit?

More scary stats

Thanks to Mudshark over at GG for this. Click here to see the thread and a whole bundle of disapproving numbers that will give you night terrors on top of all the nightmares.

• We haven't won a home league game since beating Portsmouth 2-0 on 22 March 2008 (0 wins in 8 at the Lane).

• We've only won one other game since then, 1-0 at Reading on 3 May 2008 (1 win in 15 home and away).

• We currently have a scoring shortfall of 1.28 goals/game relative to last season overall under Ramos.

• Players who were at the club last season are contributing roughly the same number of goals per game as they were last season (though slightly down on the equivalent figure for last season post-LCF).

• New acquisitions have so far contributed nothing to making up this shortfall.

• Goals against per game are slightly up on last season overall, but better than last season post-LCF.

• The sharp decline in form seems to have begun with the 4-1 reverse at home to Newcastle on 30 March 2008.

• Since beating Portsmouth in March, we have gained 9 points from a possible 45 (0.6 per game).

• This would translate to a total of 23 points over a 38-game season (if rounded up).

• January is a long way off.

Pre-match nerves

More pre-match stats from the beeb.

Winless Spurs, on the joint worst ever start to a league season in their history, pay their first visit to the Britannia Stadium for Stoke's 2,000th top-flight match.

Between them Stoke (Football League founder members) and Spurs (Premier League ever-presents) have lost 10 matches and won just one this season, dropping a collective 36 points.

This is Tottenham's 35th Premier League match under Juande Ramos. They have only won 10 in his tenure.

Tony Pulis selects a side for his 600th league match as a manager, and 100th league game since his return to Stoke in June 2006.

Spurs recorded their joint biggest away win in top-flight football when defeating Stoke 1-6 at the Victoria Ground on 15 September 1951.

Shitting a brick yet?


King out. Hutton starts at right-back. Bent upfront on his own. Pav (shockingly) on the bench.

4-5-1.

/shakes head

Last season

....after 7 games we scored 10 goals and conceded 12. This season we've notched up 4 goals and conceded 10.

Stoke, you have been put on notice.

This time last season

We were third from bottom, with 5 points. Just three points better than the position we are in now.

Last season we had Berbatov and Keane. This season we have neither.

This blog post is depressing.

Look on the brightside

Back in 1912/13 season (that's 96 years ago, and the same year the Titanic sank - in case you've forgotten since the last time it was mentioned) Spurs recorded their worst start to a season ever (apart from the present 2009 season).......but did not get relegated. And we finished above the Woolwich.

I think this calls for an open bus parade.

I love the BBC

These stats make for grim reading. Yes, more grim than last week, and the week before, and the week before that. Enjoy (don't be choking on your coco-pops).

Hull visit North London in search of a remarkable double over successive weekends. Last Saturday, the Yorkshire club in their first top-flight season, became only the second side ever to leave Arsenal's Emirates Stadium with all three points; now they set about the task of adding to Tottenham's misery and gaining their first back-to-back victories at the highest level.

If Hull can go to the Emirates and survive the onslaught of constant passing movements from the home team, and win 2-1, then what can they achieve at Spurs, were the ball just gets played sideways and then hoofed up the pitch? A lot.

Juande Ramos' side are the only club yet to record a Premier League victory this season; Phil Brown's newcomers are yet to lose on the road.

Something's gotta give, right? Erm, no. Spurs are likely to stay on the side of recent history and lose, with Hull storming to 12 points clear of us. That's 12 points behind Hull, potentially. Will the players finally admit to being in a relegation scrap? Nah, cause 'we're too good to go down' innit...

Spurs have made their worst start to a league season in 53 years; since gaining just one point from the first six outings of the 1955-56 top-flight season. The point came from a 2-2 draw away to Manchester United, and their first win in the seventh game was 3-1, home to North London rivals Arsenal on 10 September 1955.

Honestly, if they can't be arsed to restore some pride, end this dismal miserable run, and prove their worth - cometh Sunday - then drastic measures will be taken. By the board, no doubt. But also by me. Stay tuned.

If Spurs do not pick up maximum points, it will be the first time in 96 years that they have failed to win any of their first seven games of a league season. In the top-flight campaign of 1912-13, the Londoners took 13 games to register a first victory. They lost nine games and drew three of their opening 12, until they beat Newcastle 1-0 at home on 23 November 1912.

96 years. No-one can say we are not re-writing the record books, right? Can imagine the back pages of the tabloids already. Big white bold numerals, stating: 96. Scathing.

This is the first league meeting of Tottenham and Hull in 30 years; the Tigers have never won on Spurs' turf.

Until Sunday, of course.

Pompey v Spurs

I've pulled the following stats from the Beebs preview of today's away game at Pompey:


Negatives:

• This is Juande Ramos' 50th game in charge of Tottenham
• Spurs have made their worst start to a league season in 53 years; since gaining just one point from the first six outings of the 1955-56 top-flight season.
• Tottenham are the only club without a Premier League victory this season.
• Gained just two points out of 18 this season.
• On the longest current run in the Premier League of 12 matches without scoring more than a single goal in a game, since the 2-0 home win over Portsmouth on 22 March.
• Yet to take the lead in a Premier League game this season.
• Won 10 of 32 Premier League games under Juande Ramos.
• Won one of the last seven away league matches (at Reading).

Positives:

• Tottenham hold a seven-match unbeaten Premier League record against Portsmouth of six wins and one draw, including the double over them last season.

Grim. Defoe apparently wants a hattrick. The greedy git. With Pompey having been whipped in recent weeks, including that 6-0 lose at Eastlands, I'm sure 'all guns blazing' will be their mentality while we stand there with empty water pistols with no triggers.

Prediction? If Pompey play poorly then we might just snatch a point. Otherwise, home win. The odds on us actually putting in a solid performance? Don't bet on it. What's scary is Hull winning at Arsenal, and us facing them soon. Whatever happened to dead certs and no easy games?

We've become the dead cert.

Of course, Pompey do have about 6 ex-Spurs player in their squad, so they could well shut-down again. Which would be welcomed.

Start of the season curse

2006-7 p6 W1 D1 L4

2007-8 p6 W1 D1 L4

2008-9 p4 W0 D1 L3


If we defeat Wigan at the Lane on Sunday and then draw the next Prem game - it will be our best start in 3 seasons.

Crisis, what crisis? This is just normal sodding service.

Frazier Campbell

Has been given the number 23 shirt.

Genius PR there.

stat attack

• We have the joint highest stadium capacity at 99% (Manchester Utd and Arsenal being the other teams)

• We've hit the woodwork 15 times - more than any other team. Time for the Soccer AM crossbar challenge.

• 80 goals have been scored at White Hart Lane - more than any other club.

• And the one that sums up Ramos main problem that needs resolving.....33 points lost from a winning position. Thats more than any other club and equals the all time record shared Wimbledon and Chelsea. Shocking stuff.
  

Staggering

Spurs have won only two of 63 away league games against the "Big Four" during the Premier League era. In the past two seasons we've taken one point from a possible twenty-one available away to Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea.

Obviously all other clubs in the Prem probably have records as bad as ours at the grounds of the big four, considering Arsenal and Chelsea rarely lose at home. But other fans don't pretend they are level-pegging with the big four. Though to be fair, we only believed the gap was closing last season and the season before. Reality has a nasty sting to it.

An improvement on this 'record' is the way to gauge true progression.

Chelsea away up next. Am I asking too much?

Another point of view

• Since Levy took over at Spurs, the club has continually looked at the way successful European clubs are run.

• Jol has been linked to other jobs, including Holland.

• Many members of the media disagree with the DOF system and frankly do not understand it.

• Tottenham need to keep one step ahead and if that means tapping other managers - so be it.

• We had a bad start to the season. Two defeats.
  

• The media like there to be a 'club in crisis'.

• The board have told Jol to finish in the top four. And have given him £40m to assist him in his quest.

• Jol is our manager and if he does not hit the targets that the board has made then he will be replaced.
  

• In this he is not in a unique situation.

Rose-tinted glasses? Where can I get a pair?

Jol, second to Bill Nic

From The Times online:


Martin Jol has the best league record of any Tottenham Hotspur manager since the great Bill Nicholson resigned in 1974, in terms of points per game. Records have been calculated on the basis of three points for a win even though the system was introduced only in 1981.

Bill Nicholson 1.65 points per league game (1,102 from 666)
Martin Jol 1.58pts per game (167 from 106)
David Pleat 1.53pts per game (132 from 86: 91 from 54 in first spell; 41 from 32 in second)
Peter Shreeves 1.54pts per game (194 from 126: 142 from 84 in first spell; 52 from 42 in second)
Keith Burkinshaw 1.45pts per game (488 from 336)
Terry Venables 1.42pts per game (194 from 137)
Doug Livermore 1.40pts per game (59 from 42)
Gerry Francis 1.39pts per game (165 from 119)
Christian Gross 1.308pts per game (34 from 26)
George Graham 1.306pts per game (128 from 98)
Terry Neill 1.29pts per game (101 from 78)
Glenn Hoddle 1.27pts per game (113 from 89)
Jacques Santini 1.18pts per game (13 from 11)
Osvaldo Ardiles 1.15pts per game (62 from 54)

Sadly, football reasons are not relevant in the current boards assessmentof Jol's progression of the team. What grand times we live in.