Originally Posted by Castrol (Post 2308902) shocking. 4-4 in white hart lane. there goes my $100. :(

Originally Posted by dongbei (Post 2297381) I think JOL still have a few matches to go before the guillotine come down his neck .... :eek:

Originally Posted by nacho (Post 2309751) JOL HAS TO GO TO SAVE SPURS FROM PLAYING IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP.

Originally Posted by qbdp (Post 2309174) Bro Castrol, your disappointment cant be compared to O'Neil's and Coppell's. How many teams have scored 4 goals in an away game and not won?

Originally Posted by nacho (Post 2309751) I had stopped betting on Spurs to win any game. It always give me that roller coaster effect........I don't want to die from a heart attack.

Famagusta 1-1 Tottenham:
Keane strike saves Jol

Robbie Keane saved Martin Jol from an embarrassing defeat against Anorthosis Famagusta as Tottenham booked their place in the UEFA Cup group stages in unconvincing fashion in Cyprus.

Fabio De Matos Pereira, known as Fabinho, had given the hosts the lead at the Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium.

But Keane came off the bench to level on the night after the Barclays Premier League side had established a 6-1 lead from the first leg two weeks ago.

Losing the tie was never realistic and boss Jol looked as relaxed as he has been all season as Spurs created chances for Jermain Defoe in the first half.

But he was more animated in the second half when Fabinho broke the deadlock - and then brought on Gareth Bale and Keane.

After their wretched start to the season when Jol has appeared undermined by his own club, a solid victory would have been welcomed ahead of the trip to Liverpool before the international break.

After defeat to Arsenal last month it was suggested Jol would have until the international break before his future was decided.

At least Keane's strike meant they are unbeaten since their rivals defeated them.

The pitch in Larnaca was bobbly and underprepared, increasing the chances of a similar goalkeeper blunder to Paul Robinson's air-shot for England against Croatia.

Robinson, though, had no trouble putting his foot through the ball and as he looked to quickly get over his blunders against Aston Villa.

He was one of only four players to remain in the side from Monday's epic against Villa when Jol appeared to be on the brink before his side staged their comeback from 4-1 down to draw 4-4.

Kevin-Prince Boateng was given his debut following his summer move from Hertha Berlin, and the young German was quickly in the action as he flew into tackles and sent over crosses from the right.

Aside from a Fabinho shot, Famagusta were struggling to impose themselves on Spurs early on, although they had clearly targeted set-pieces as the visitors' weakness.

It was only Defoe's second start of the season. He had scored twice in the first leg and had plenty of chances to add to his tally.

Darren Bent set him up in the seventh minute after cutting inside his marker on the left and squaring, only for his strike partner to fire high and wide.

Steed Malbranque found Defoe in the six-yard box 10 minutes before the break but he stabbed straight at the goalkeeper, then just before the break the striker struck the post after the Frenchman found him again.

Bent had a frustrating first half, getting flagged incorrectly twice and seeing a dangerous cross cleared when he got behind the defence.

Malbranque also had a chance, meeting Paul Stalteri's cross with a scissor-kick just before the break, with the Frenchman's effort going over the crossbar.

Famagusta came out brightly for the second half and Fabinho fired over the bar from the edge of the area.

They took the lead in the 54th minute when Nikolaos Frousos appeared to control a hanging cross with his arm and pulled back for Fabinho to volley neatly into the bottom corner, giving Robinson no chance. Robinson was booked for his protests.

Malbranque had an immediate chance to level but Zoltan Nagy saved with his legs when the Frenchman ran through.

Temuri Ketsbaia, the Famagusta coach who used to play for Newcastle, brought on former Southampton striker Marians Pahars to keep the pressure on Spurs.

Tom Huddlestone tried his luck from long range, while Vincent Laban fired just wide from the edge of the area after Michael Dawson failed to clear.

Keane came on for Young-Pyo Lee to beef up Spurs' attack and he got his goal in the 78th minute. Bale crossed from the left and Bent dummied, with Keane side-footing into the top corner.

Robbie Keane is hoping for an end to the uncertainty around Martin Jol's future after coming off the bench to save the Tottenham boss from an embarrassing UEFA Cup defeat against Anorthosis Famagusta.

Losing the tie was never a prospect after Spurs travelled to Cyprus with a 6-1 lead from the first leg but they reached the group stages in unconvincing fashion in Larnaca.

After defeat to Arsenal last month it was suggested that Jol's future at the club could be decided in the next international break.

Although the cracks in their defence have remained, Spurs and Jol have been unbeaten since their rivals beat them. The Dutchman's position, though, has been concerning since club officials met Sevilla's Juande Ramos at the start of the season.

'I'm sick of people even talking about it to be honest,' said Keane. 'We are trying to do a job for the team and to get a result.'

Jol added: 'I'm used to it, I have to cope with it.

'It's been going on for the last six or seven weeks - but I feel in the last month we have done well.'

Only four players remained from the epic clash with Aston Villa on Monday and Jol admitted his side lacked rhythm.

Paul Robinson was given the opportunity to atone for his blunders against Villa and he had no chance with Fabinho's strike in the 54th minute.

Nikolaos Frousos appeared to use his arm to control a hanging cross before he pulled the ball back for Fabinho to volley home.

'I still consider this game as a clean sheet, if you see the goal,' said Jol. 'They had two keepers on the pitch.

'It would have been better if we could have kept a clean sheet because it was one of our targets - the only thing we could gain at 6-1 up.'

Spurs should have extended their lead before Famagusta struck, with Jermain Defoe hitting the post in the first half and also firing straight at the goalkeeper when found in the six-yard box.

The turning point for the visitors came when Jol brought on Keane in the 75th minute.

Within three minutes he had scored, getting on the end of Gareth Bale's cross after Darren Bent had intelligently dummied.

'I have to think positively and for me it's great that Tottenham are in Europe again,' Jol added. 'We had a couple of thousand supporters here and it is always good to see them happy.

'Jermain Defoe had five or six chances on his own, Darren Bent had two big chances. If you don't finish them off you have to settle for a draw.'

Jol has been criticised for his substitutions but bringing Bale and Keane on effectively spared his blushes.

'We had enough time and I knew Bale is good going forward and Keane is a good finisher,' Jol said. 'We needed them both. I wanted to win, that is why I put Adel (Taarabt) on to change things. In the end, we're going to the next round.'

Famagusta coach Temur Ketsbaia was pleased with the reaction of his players after they were trounced at White Hart Lane.

'I'm really proud of my players because they fought against a quality side,' said the former Newcastle striker. 'Maybe they have problems but they have a good team and a good manager.

'I'm happy because we gave 100% and did everything we didn't do in London. We will concentrate on the league now.

'It was not easy for them because they played on Monday and there was a change of climate.'
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=228914&cc=4716

Originally Posted by andyk (Post 2311937) Really hate to note the fact that we had let in so many goals already !

Originally Posted by Castrol (Post 2313874) thanks for the update bro andy. good to hear young boateng playing his first game. unlike spurs, mighty ajax crashed out of the uefa cup no thanks to croatian side dinamo zagreb. it is really a "conceding" crisis. if i am not wrong, spurs hasnt got a clean sheet since the season started. even had to concede against a cyprus side like anorthosis home and away. although i wont say spurs is a clean sheet kind of team but the talented defence must do better. this sunday is going to be a huge task in anfield for spurs. the reds will want to maintain "order" after their loss to marseille in midweek. :D

Originally Posted by andyk (Post 2313961) Yo Bro Castrol, Read that both our midfield & defence are can't get together well to "protect" Robinson.And he's also our "weakest link" since last season for corners & set pcs in front of the goal ! And damn we have "shiver" each time & start praying !!! :D

Originally Posted by lungless (Post 2317017) but my man of the match(keane was the actual MOM) has to be Zokora.....truly outstanding in breaking up attack!! out-play and out-muscle both Gerrard and Mascherano!!...thats almost the Zokora that i saw at the World Cup!

Originally Posted by jameswood (Post 2317843) Spur should hav the 3 points inside their pocket...Torres came out from nowhere to head in the equalier goal for pool....Btw why jermaine defore was not introduced.....

Originally Posted by Castrol (Post 2317428) yo bro, robinson still has very good reflexes that helped him to be england's no.1. but now i realize he has a huge problem with keeping the ball in his hands all the while whenever he makes an uneasy save.

Originally Posted by qbdp (Post 2319035) Robinson may be a good shot stopper but he is still a long way from being a good goalkeeper. Jol needs to sign a keeper who can seriously challenge Robinson for the keeper spot. It was very unfortunate for Spurs to lose 2 points on Sunday. To score 2 goals at Anfield and not win was a great disappointment. A win would have surely kicked start their season.

Originally Posted by Castrol (Post 2319307) i heard from the commentator saying liverpool havent lost in anfield for a long time, of course he's was referring to EPL games. :D

Originally Posted by qbdp (Post 2320575) Liverpool lost 0-1 to Man Utd in March 07. 7mths isnt that long. Chelsea's current run of 60+ unbeaten home games in the EPL is a new record. Now that's a very very long time. :eek: Bro, what do you think of the 2 wk international break? Is it untimely for Spurs? Next up is away to Newcastle with Emre and Owen back!

Originally Posted by andyk (Post 2319520) Hey SPURS Bros, Felt really great when Keene scored our 2nd goal but when Torres equalised in the dying mins,it really killed it all !!!... We have made it a habit of letting in goals every game now & also letting in goals after leading & unable to defend in the dying mins !.... JOL really should have brought in Gardner to "protect our lead"...there were comments that our defenders play liked "strangers"....yes,they love to attack & score goals but their main role is to really defend,defend.... JOL looked really unhappy & i got this feeling that "the pressure is finally getting into him" and possible chance that he may quit Spurs soon ! :(

Originally Posted by lungless (Post 2326064) Bro, are you okie? Fancy giving suggestion of bringing in Gardner to 'protect the lead':D - Spurs fanatics all over the world were asking that Jol to continue with attacking formation when they are leading (refering to the past few games where Spurs conceded when Jol brought in defensive player to 'protect the lead')...BTW, Spurs Conceded most goals from set play and not open play, so they have to learn to deal with set pieces now! Anyway, Spurs need to sort out the Goalkeeping issue if they are to improve further in the near future...all round the field they look solid except for the goalie and Jenas!.....Come on you Lilywhites!

Originally Posted by andyk (Post 2326841) Hey Bro, We were leading 2 - 1 at that time then JOL sub Taino with Malbranque so don't you think that we should have Gardner for more defending than attacking ?...Liverpool kept the pressure on so we were more defending than attacking !!! Anyway,the game is over already & i also know that Gardner is clumsy & make lots of boo boos in the past...but he was one of the subs,then what other options do we have ? Anyway who was really at fault for that last mins equaliser by Torres ? Chimbonda,Dawson or Robinson ? Or who was the one who allow the ball to be crossed ? Bale ?

Originally Posted by lungless (Post 2327045) Hey bro relax lar....No need to get upset over what i said. If i ever hurt your feelings, i apologise k. Im one that go with attack is the best defence as i see that our defence cannot be relied too much at this point of time and i see it as Robinsons fault as he does not command his 6 yard box well and he needs to command and instruct his defenders well too. If Spurs can attack wholeheartedly - it will translate the Opposing team needs to backtrack, thus denying them any attacking chance. Anyway, Spurs is improving and only a few areas need sorted out fast if they are to keep improving. Lets continue to Support our Lilywhites no matter what happens yeah!! Come on you Spurs!! Cheers!!

Originally Posted by avalonhill (Post 2337396) not sure about all you yiddos out there, but i am keen to see Jol play with Berbatov and Defoe upfront with Keane roaming behind the two. Lennon (if he is fit) can switch left and right during the game. Jenas and Zokora can hold the midfield. Dawson and Kaboul CBs with Bale and Chimbonda overlapping. With Newcastle, we may pull it off.

Originally Posted by avalonhill (Post 2337396) not sure about all you yiddos out there,.

Newcastle 3-1 Tottenham: Pressure mounts on Jol...

Newcastle plunged Tottenham boss Martin Jol into ever deeper trouble as they secured a fourth successive Premier League victory, 3-1 at St James' Park.

The Magpies took full advantage of some kamikaze defending by the Londoners, who remain rooted inside the relegation zone, to claim all three points despite having to survive a concerted fightback.

Obafemi Martins fired the home side in front on the stroke of half-time after embarrassing Michael Dawson, and the unmarked Claudio Cacapa made it 2-0 six minutes after the break with a powerful header.

Robbie Keane's seventh goal in as many games briefly gave the visitors hope with a 57th-minute strike, but substitute James Milner made sure with a 73rd-minute volley to cement his side's eighth-place standing in front of a crowd of 51,411.

Jol's pre-match comments about his side's relative recent success compared to that of the Magpies was left to sound hollow as the Tyneside club completed a fourth successive league victory over the men from White Hart Lane.

Newcastle chairman Chris Mort took the opportunity in his programme notes to dismiss speculation that owner Mike Ashley is ready to buy into Spurs, and that he supports the north London club, and the billionaire took his seat in the directors' box once again wearing his black and white shirt.

Ashley headed for the hospitality lounges at the break wearing a broad smile after seeing the Magpies eventually grind down a Spurs outfit low on confidence to take a deserved lead.

Newcastle had not lost at St James' this season before kick-off, while Spurs had not won outside of London, and after a reasonably even opening, a pattern started to emerge.

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce had little choice but to pair England international Michael Owen and the similarly diminutive Martins in attack with Mark Viduka still nursing a calf injury and Shola Ameobi only fit enough for a seat on the bench.

However, despite some less than intelligent service at times, their pace and movement was simply too much for Younes Kaboul and Dawson.

That said, it was defender Abdoulaye Faye who came within inches of opening the scoring on 13 minutes when he thumped a header against the post from Charles N'Zogbia's corner.

season.

The visitors, who started with £16.5million signing Darren Bent on the pitch and Dimitar Berbatov on the bench, might have gone ahead seconds after Faye had rattled the woodwork.

Jermaine Jenas' free-kick found Keane, but the Republic of Ireland skipper's shot was hacked off the line by Cacapa to the relief of Allardyce's defence.

Owen was left criminally unmarked on 27 minutes to run on to Geremi's pass and curl a shot towards the bottom corner, which is exactly where it would have ended up had Paul Robinson's replacement Radek Cerny not managed to get his fingertips to it.

The goalkeeper distinguished himself once again two minutes before the break when, after Martins had brushed off the towering Kaboul to reach Jose Enrique's long ball, he blocked the striker's shot with his legs.

But Spurs did not learn the lesson and when the Spaniard launched the ball upfield two minutes later, Martins ran away from Dawson to control and fire through the goalkeeper for his fifth goal of the season.

Milner arrived as a half-time replacement for N'Zogbia and took up his place on the left wing.

Tottenham emerged in determined fashion with Keane, as ever, at the forefront, but their hopes were severely dented within six minutes when the Magpies increased their lead.

Dawson blocked a flicked header from Owen out for a corner, but when Emre delivered the ball to the near post, Cacapa ran in unopposed to power a header into the back of the net.

But as the home side sensed blood, the visitors grabbed a lifeline when Bent headed a Pascal Chimbonda cross against the post and saw the rebound sit up nicely for Keane to reduce the deficit.

Jol responded by sending on Berbatov in place of Steed Malbranque as St James' descended into a nervous hush, and the anxiety increased by the minute both on and off the pitch as the visitors took control.

The mood did not improve on 70 minutes when referee Steve Bennett waved away Nicky Butt's claims for a foul by Didier Zokora deep in the Spurs half, and the visitors raced away for Bent to blast over.

Allardyce decided the time was right for Joey Barton to make his competitive bow, and within two minutes of his arrival, his side restored their two-goal lead.

Kaboul was unable to clear his lines and although Milner miskicked his first effort, the ball fell nicely for him to blast a left-foot volley into the bottom corner and end Spurs' hopes of another comeback.

Beleaguered Tottenham boss Martin Jol vowed to turn his troubled side's season around after seeing them suffer a mauling at Newcastle.

Spurs remain rooted in the bottom three with only one Premier League win all season after a 3-1 defeat at St James' Park which piled further pressure on the manager.

Glaring defensive errors contributed to their downfall at St James' Park as Sam Allardyce's men took full advantage of their edginess to complete a fourth successive league win on Tyneside.

The defeat ended Spurs' unbeaten six-game run and left Jol facing fresh criticism, although he remained unbowed.

He said: 'If everybody comes back, we have got a very good team and a very good defence.

'We still lack a bit of leadership, but it is about mental strength as well.

'Two years ago, we had that; last year at the start of the season, we lacked it as well, but we came back.

'Even today, we tried to come back, but we concede goals at the wrong moment all the time.'

The visitors fell behind on the stroke of half-time when Obafemi Martins out-stripped Michael Dawson to control Jose Enrique's long ball and fire past Paul Robinson's replacement, Radek Cerny.

Defender Claudio Cacapa made it 2-0 within six minutes of the restart with a free header, and although Robbie Keane pulled one back on 57 minutes to spark a fightback, substitute James Milner sealed the win 17 minutes from time.

Jol had introduced striker Dimitar Berbatov as a 58th-minute replacement for Steed Malbranque, and was swift to deny suggestions that the Bulgarian, who immediately gave his side a greater threat, had needed to be persuaded to make an appearance.

He said: 'No. I have heard that, but that was rubbish.

'There was no problem at all. Berbatov knows exactly what the schedule is for the next couple of weeks.

'He was fine. He played when (Darren) Bent did not play for two weeks and he could train.

'I need him on Thursday (for the UEFA Cup clash with Getafe). He knows that and I don't know where this rubbish is coming from.'

Jol's mood was not improved by a foot injury to big-money summer signing Gareth Bale, who will undergo a scan tomorrow.

The manager said: 'Hopefully he is not out for long because we have five games in 13 days.

'Hopefully, it is not too bad, but it doesn't look good.

'His foot was swelling up after the game, so it could be a pretty tough injury.'

Allardyce was sporting a broad smile as he surveyed a result which capped his side's best start to a season in a decade.

He said: 'We scored three great goals tonight, we outplayed Tottenham, we went out there and did what we wanted to do, and that was get three points.

'We have not moved in the table, but we have got within one point of the top pack now.

'We have played nine games, we have 17 points and it is our best start in 10 years now.

'From my point of view and that of the players, with us all just coming together in July, it is a terrific performance up to now from the team.

'That is three games on the trot we have scored three goals at home now, and at this moment in time, our home record is getting us where we want to go.

'We have got to make sure next week at Reading, we do not waste all this hard work. This home record has got to continue into the away record to make sure we come away from Reading with something.'