Manchester United 1 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur

Article by Jaymes Marsh

I know that many of you are wondering why I have given a false final scoreline to yesterdays result. I have to hold my hands up at this time and state that the fact that Tottenham Hotspur lost to Manchester United doesn't completely relate to the above scoreline.

After a week of media and boardroom shuffles, Martin Jol's men came out against United with all guns blazing. The players were committed to the cause; so committed in fact, that neutrals watching the game would have been hard pushed to comment on which team was playing at home.

Such spirit and guile was portrayed in devastating fashion. Spurs were so unlucky in the match, nearly scoring but for Ferdinand's goal-line clearance. We also saw Wes Brown showing his boss that he's an extremely capable shot-stopper.

If any team was going to win this match, it would be a strike of magnificence. Unfortunately for us Spurs fans, that's exactly what happened. Our summer target, Nani, hit a screamer from around 30 yards. The result; Manchester United 1-0 Spurs.

So why did I say 1-1? Manchester United may well have won yesterday's game, but Spurs also scored an absolute cracker, by agreeing that Dimitar Berbatov would remain at Spurs this season.

This is great news as so many are claiming that a deal to take him to Manchester United had already been done and dusted. Any qualms about a bust-up between Jol and Dimitar have been firmly put to bed.

Dimitar will be plying his trade in our colours, and with any luck, blast us into a top-four position, enabling our mighty manager to keep his job.

I am glad this happened

Article submitted by Sam Mollison

I personally am glad this has happened so early in the season because the reality of the situation is that Tottenham Hotspur could easily find themselves with three points from five games in the toughest Premier League since its inception.

We have a thirty-six thousand seater stadium that isn’t going to change anytime soon so revenue through sponsorship and our league placement is our real only revenue.

Spurs have sold or loaned their home-grown championship winning reserves to their poorer neighbours whilst paying over the odds for average players. When Tottenham do make any kind of progress financially, they do so by selling their best players to the detriment of the team.

Some say that Leigh Mills (19) has a cultured left foot, sweeter than Gareth Bale’s (18), but he can’t even get a sniff. There are so many player related issues at the club. Most of us fans are completely ignoring them, but it seems that the board is not!

The fact remains; Martin Jol has his favourites. He is prepared to play them at the detriment of others that deserve to be in the team, not just on merit but necessity also.

We have three excellent goalkeepers in Robinson, Cerny and Alnwick, yet if Robbo suffers any dip in form he still tends goal. Why?

A centre back of international class has been needed for two seasons, not to blood some of our home-grown before we ship them out is scandalous! Jermain Defoe penetrates the left side extremely well, yet our management cannot accommodate him in the team for more than 15 minutes at a time.

Sunderland, and Everton were must win games because all the other teams have truly manned up! Look at Sunderland and Everton’s subsequent results. Only now can we recognize how woeful our defeats and how tactically inept we were on the day.

I like Jol also, but the stakes and commitment are so much higher now. A little kick up the backside for someone like Jol, that has become complacent, is the right of any employer and it’s time for him to get it right because unlike Manchester United, we don’t have Anderson, Rooney, Saha, and Ronaldo to come back. We don’t have guaranteed European football to survive, and whilst spending £40 million on average players, we still haven’t worked out a scenario for our stadium.