The Yidsnews Feed

Tomorrow the North London Derby has been billed as the biggest EVER!
Now usually a game like this sky sports get very over excited by the prospect of the best teams in the country playing the best football in a the best stadiums.
We then watch the game and get the same old nonsense from clapped out players imposing their opinions on each manager because plainly they are doing it all wrong.
This creates the best atmosphere for what is usually the worst game of football you will watch all year but you will still bite off every finger nail drink two barrels of lager because it just means that much to you.

This is still all true nothing will change that and I will be there with a couple (many) friends gooners and Yids together watching the game in harmony only made possible by living on the same street for twenty years doing all the above with tonnes of banter and above all laughter.
This is how these games should ( and mostly are) be watched not with the violence and outrage that the redtops crave.
So remember calling them glory hunters and french frog loving wankers is fine.
But cross that line and talk about their mothers harris and what you did to it last night normally results in a bit of the ultra violet (kids ask your dads what that means or watch clockwork orange)…

So to what most of you want to hear.

TEAM NEWS
The good news is it looks like Adebayor, Van der Vaart, Moddle and BAE are all set to return with varying degrees of fitness. As usual Ledley will be last minute and we won’t really know if he will play till Arry asks him ten minutes before kick off. Definitely injured are Gallas, Thudd and Sandro.

L’arse have Wilshere, Metesacker, Santos and Diaby out for definite and Ramsey, Koscielny and Chamakh are doubts for various boring reasons….

Possible Starting Elevens.
Arsenal: Szczesny; Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs; Song, Arteta, Ramsey, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Walcott, Van Persie.

Tottenham: Freidel; Walker, King, Kaboul, Assou-Ekotto; Parker, Modric, Bale, Lennon; Van der Vaart, Adebayor.


Conclusion

This is our year its as simple as that. We play the best football sing the loudest and we are ten points above them in the league which says it all really!


Finally some Little Facts

I have got these from the same place everyone else has but they are still interesting none the less…
Form guide: Arsenal: LLDWW Tottenham: DLWDW.
Referee: Mike Dean
odds: Arsenal 6/4, Draw 23/10, Tottenham 7/4

Head-to-head

Tottenham are unbeaten in the last four league meetings between the sides, including a first win in 17 years on Arsenal soil last season.
Spurs last did the double over Arsenal in 1992-93, when they won 1-0 at home and 3-1 away.
Arsenal have only won one of their last seven league meetings with their north London rivals.
This is the 168th meeting between the sides. Arsenal have won 69 times, Tottenham 53 and there have been 45 draws.
There has been only one goalless draw in their last 32 league and cup encounters.
Tottenham have fallen two goals behind in all three visits to the Emirates under Harry Redknapp, but have twice recovered to win or draw.
Arsenal

Arsenal have won back-to-back league games after starting the year with a four-match winless streak.
They have gained 10 points from losing positions, a feat bettered only by Wolves and Aston Villa.
However, the Gunners have lost three matches from winning positions - only West Brom had fared worse prior to this weekend’s fixtures.
Robin van Persie has scored 22 league goals this season, including 21 in his last 20 appearances.
According to Opta Sports, Theo Walcott has found a team-mate with just 14 of his 103 crosses from open play in the league this season.
Tottenham

Spurs have only won one of their last five away matches in the league, taking five points from a possible 15.
Harry Redknapp’s side are unbeaten in London derbies in the league this season with three wins and a draw from four matches.
They have mustered fewer headers on target than any other Premier League team this season (6).
Luka Modric has attempted an unrivalled 1,691 passes or crosses in the league.
Emmanuel Adebayor will play at Arsenal for the first time in a Tottenham shirt and on his 28th birthday. He scored eight goals in nine games for Arsenal in this derby. Jimmy Robertson is the only player to score for both Spurs and Arsenal in a north London derby.
Michael Dawson could make his 250th career league start, while Kyle Walker is set for his 100th career league appearance.
Tottenham have kept just one clean sheet in their last 32 matches in all competitions against the Gunners.

During today I have accomplished a few minor fixes to Yidsnews tumblr and Yidsnews on Facebook.

But what is more important is some of the facts you will find below about are future right winger Eden Hazard.

I believe this as I am being told from all angles that this boy will be in a white shirt next year. With champions league football and the prospect of a forward line consisting of Defoe and Saha we will definitely see investment in the summer and this boy seems as good a place to start as any.

Eden Hazard’s rise over the past couple of years has been meteoric, with the Belgian starlet undergoing a remarkable transformation from precocious Lille youngster to Ligue 1 sensation and one of the most sought after players in Europe. The fleet-footed attacking midfielder/winger has drawn comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi,
Born into a footballing family, Hazard’s youth career took in Belgian sides Royal Stade Brainois and Tubize before he settled at Lille as a 14-year-old in 2005. Two years later, and the teenage prodigy had made his debut in the French top flight, going on to make a handful of substitute appearances in the 2007-08 season. The following campaign was a real breakthrough year though, as he went from impact sub to first-team talisman in the space of a few months - with his sparkling performances earning him an international debut for Belgium and the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year Award.

The plaudits continued to roll in last season and Hazard was tied down to a new four-year contract with Lille in an attempt to stave off interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
With five league goals and eight assists, Hazard became his side’s creator-in-chief and his influential displays, coupled with Europa League goals against Genoa, Gent and a winner against Liverpool, saw his reputation continue to grow around the continent.

Hazard’s start to the 2010-11 campaign was a troubled one as he was publicly criticised by Belgium national team coach Georges Leekens, who accused him of being lazy in training, and he was also dropped by Lille coach Rudi Garcia.
He didn’t start a league game for Lille until November but has now re-established himself as an integral member of the first-team, causing a number of Europe’s big clubs to show an interest.

Strengths: A defender’s nightmare, Hazard can dribble at pace and, like Lionel Messi, he is 5ft 7in and has a low centre of gravity that helps him breeze past opposition players. He has an eye for the spectacular and has scored some memorable solo efforts.

Weaknesses: Hazard’s work-rate has questioned by his club and national team bosses, so much so that Lille coach Rudi Garcia dropped him earlier this season in a bid to spark him back into life. His strike-rate is also somewhat erratic and while he creates plenty of goals for others, he must start to score more himself.

Career high: Becoming the first non-French player to win the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year Award in 2008-09, before achieving something that the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry never managed by winning it again in 2009-10.

Career low: Suffering penalty heartache at the hands of Spain in the 2007 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship . Hazard’s Belgium were hosting the tournament but went crashing out in the semi-finals after losing a shootout to a Bojan Krkic-inspired Spain side.

Quotes: “Eden is technically gifted and very fast. I would take him to Real Madrid with my eyes closed. He can become a great footballer, he is a star of the future.” France legend Zinedine Zidane gives Hazard a ringing endorsement.

Conclusion.

The boy is erratic at the moment but his class will eventually shine through and just as Harry has managed to motivate VdV from a lazy bench warmer to one of the EPL’s best attacking midfielders I think he could do the same while this boy while he is still young.

Arry knows its a poisoned chalice but does he realise the success rate has to literally be 100% to be a success.
We have missed te golden age of the likes of Scholes, Becks etc what makes us think that Wilshere, Parker etc will win us a world cup?

42 – Games played by England under Fabio Capello

28 – Games won under Capello since he took charge in January 2008

8 – Games drawn during Capello’s time in charge

6 – Losses England suffered while Capello was in charge

2 – competitive games lost under Capello, the 4-1 World Cup second round defeat against Germany, and a 1-0 World Cup qualifier defeat against Ukraine

16 – the amount of clean sheets kept by the five England goalkeepers to have played under Capello

89 – Goals scored during Capello’s time in charge of England

67.7 – The percentage of games won by England under Capello, the best win percentage of any permanent England manager.

26 – The amount of players given their full England debut under Capello, with Daniel Sturridge being the last in England’s 1-0 win over Sweden in November

3 – of those 26 players, only three have gone on to win more than ten caps under Capello

3 – goals scored by England at the 2010 World Cup. They exited at the second round stage against Germany.

5 – Goals scored against Croatia, including a Theo Walcott hat-trick as England banished memories of their failure to qualify for Euro 2008 by booking their place in the 2010 World Cup back in 2009

6 – the most amount of goals scored by England in one game under Capello, in a World Cup qualifier against Andorra in 2009
3 – The number of full-time England captains, Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand and John Terry.

20,000,000 – the approximate amount Fabio Capello was reported to have earned, in pounds, during his four years in charge of England.

2.1 – Average goals per game by England under Capello

83 – the percentage of passes completed by England under Capello

0.83 - the amount of goals conceded per game by England under Capello

46 – Years England have now gone without winning a major tournament

The fallout from Capello’s resignation will rumble on & on. I think the country as a whole is slightly relieved he has gone. Unless of course, you support Spurs.

We all accept the FA would be insane to consider anyone but Redknapp. Let’s face it, if it was our job to appoint the next manager, we’d all go for Harry. The fact that he was not guilty in court today pretty much ensures he will be offered the job. The questions are now, when & on what basis?

I’m assuming, once the dust has settled, the FA will approach Daniel Levy and request Harry takes charge on a part time basis for Euro 2012. It’s what comes after that, that worries me. It speaks volumes about the job Redknapp has done. When it seems like anyone but Mourinho, to replace Redknapp, would feel like a step down. Assuming Redknapp does go, our future is potentially thrown in the balance. Would Mourinho take the job? Would we be willing to part with the cash he would require in transfers & wages? You can also question whether the fans would accept his style of play?

You look beyond Mourinho and the candidates do little to excite you. Hughes, O’neil, Ancelotti, Moyes…these are all good managers that have done good jobs almost everywhere. But do they excite you?? Speaking for myself, the answer is a resounding ‘no’. Also add to that, 3 of the 4 have just taken on long term projects, so may not even want the job. I don’t want to paint a picture of doom and gloom, because we are in the middle of a fantastic season & I am personally watching the best Spurs team of my life time. What I am saying however, is that I can’t help worrying that this amazing period under Redknapp may be ending prematurely & it seems a great shame.

Probably clutching at straws. But I leave you with a couple of questions; Does Harry have enough of the chips in play to take the England job on a part time basis? If he doesn’t or doesn’t want to….where do we go from here?

Either way…we must be grateful for the amazing job Harry has done & at the same time, back Levy to get it right, if he has to make an appointment.

Let’s enjoy the rest of the season.

COYS!!

Yesterdays game was many things but a thing of beauty it was not. It was game of MEN that some showed thier true grit and determination (Parker, Livermore, Dawson) and some blamed everyone but themselves for their lack of heart (uncharacteristically Bale, Adebayor maybe Walker). I know I am being unbelievably harsh and the lack of heart from certain players may have had nothing to do with the game or their heart at all really but as a supporter who was brought up on the likes of Gazza, Mabbut, Lineker etc all i ask is these players played like those boys did. with their heart on their sleeve and their balls bigger than footballs.

So along comes Parker on almost deadline day walks straight into the side and I must admit I was one of the boys saying that all he would do was slow Sandro and Thudd’s progress in football. I was wrong, he was brilliant the stats speak for themselves really. an assist 48 of 53 passes completed 4 tackles wins the ball 4 times. 4 fouls committed 3 fouls against. that’s against wolves not bad i hear you say…. 81 of 85 passes completed 3 interceptions 3 of 5 challenges won 1 foul committed 2 foul against this was against Liverpool. i would carry on but this needs some context. Sandro for instance against Chelsea 41 of 45 passes completed 2 of 3 tackles completed 1 interception 1 foul committed 1 foul suffered not bad right? unusually they both played in that game and Parker has better stats in every category than Sandro. their influences are different due to the way they approach the game. Sandro has that laid back but intense style reminiscent of the great Dunga the Brazil captain of 94 & 98 world cups. Parker on the other hand is more 1960’s England. all energy and grit with the more energy you put in the more you get out of it sort of view to the game. this is where a third player comes in, Livermore. the build of Sandro but the values of Parker from early blunders against man utd and shiteh to bossing a game against Everton who traditionally flood the middle and make it hard to play. 75 of 77 passes completed. 3 of 3 tackles completed even winning in the ball in the air this boy is showing a fine mix of the two a fore mentioned finished products. all this adds up to one thing. we have gone from being desperate for a ball winner to having three emerge in one season. hopefully we will find the balance next year with all the extra games we will play as i do not think these boys can play in the same side too often without one of them developing an eye for goal anyway… in a straight fight who would you be backing Kung Fu Sandro or the PARKERNATOR! also who would start today out of these three? Finally what Now for Thudd??

Whilst most of us die hard Spurs fans, that expect so little, yet dream of so much, half expected a win. There are more than a few reasons that a point at Anfield today, speaks volumes for this, so called “New Spurs”.

The obvious & short sighted outcome is, that we have lost ground on the leaders. As painful as that is, we have also kept pace with the red half of Manchester & as well as keeping Chelsea at bay. But it runs deeper than that.

Yes we showed grit, determination, resilience, and a will to win that is not normally associated with Spurs (and boy does Gary Neville like to remind us of that). But a word that I didn’t hear mentioned today, that was displayed in abundance…..”maturity”. We showed a maturity that said, whilst we are willing to do everything we can to win the League, we are also mature enough to understand that 3rd is the bare minimum we will accept.

It’s easy to say now, but maybe this new found maturity would have served us well at the Etihad. That’s not the point though, today is a new day. When you look at the display of young Jake Livermore, you can only assume the future is bright. If ever a cool head was needed, it was tonight & boy did Jake deliver. Cool in possession, determined when he didn’t have the ball. Jake displayed exactly why he has become a regular in & around the first team. Playing with Parker can only help him, but he has grabbed every chance given to him with both hands (none more so than when he came on for rafa @ city). I have to mention Louis Saha, who’s brief cameo, displayed why he may be the best bit of business in the January transfer window. He held it up well, showed a desire to win every header & didn’t stop moving.

The papers will say Liverpool had the better chances & we’ll probably wonder what if Bale had converted his chance. But the important thing is we didn’t lose a game, that a year ago, our beloved Spurs would have lost.

We’re stronger, faster, tougher & a more mature outfit than we were a year ago. Most importantly however, we are a better football team.

COYS!