Tag: Champions League

  • ODDS and ENDS: Apple Picking, I Like Teams that Frustrate Me, and Halloween Costumes

    (By Mennen!)

    It’s Fall, which means apple picking. This is the one stupid Autumn tradition we have that I cannot quit. It’s… it’s just dumb. We go to a farm and pay the farmer to go out and harvest his crop for him. It feels like such a con, but damn do I love doing it. And we do take it too seriously. We’ll get up at the crack of dawn and drive way out to a farm in upstate New York, so we can be the first people there. And we’re gun’na buy a pumpkin too, maybe pickles as well, because I think we did that last time. The dog will be with us, and we’ll wander around the orchard, picking, then sampling apples, and if they don’t meet our standards, we’ll toss the half-eaten fruit on the ground, like some inconsiderate Patrician. Then for a week afterward, we’ll find a way to work apples into every meal. But the wife will make a really great apple pie, so that does make it worth it. It is a little bit of a cliché thing to do, but aren’t stupid traditions the ones we love the most?

    Oh, I sure know how to pick sports teams that end up confounding and frustrating me. I will say this, Tottenham accomplished the bare minimum in their Champions League Group match against Frankfurt – They didn’t lose. At the half way point in the group stage matches, Spurs are in second place with four points, so they are not out of the woods, and could still blow this. And that is the thing with this team – they still don’t seem to have found their groove. The Kane/Son duo still hasn’t shown up this season, and I think without that threat up front, it gives opponents the confidence to try added pressure against Tottenham’s back line, especially in the final ten minutes. And this Saturday will be another test against upstart Brighton, who is in fourth place behind Tottenham in the Premiere League. With only a month left to go before the World Cup break in November, Conte has to get this club into some cohesive championship form. The goal this season wasn’t to just be good, it was to win trophies.

    And, I spent two hours this morning searching and ordering a Hermione Granger costume for my daughter. Not that tie and robes boarding school stuff, no sir! She wants a very specific version of Hermione from a certain scene from a movie. I didn’t mean to, but I think I am teaching my daughter how to Cosplay.

    (Don’t forget! If you are enjoying this blog, please be kind and give a like, share, comment, or even start following! It would help my case to the wife why I need to stay in my pajamas on the sofa all morning writing this stuff.)

  • It’s a Tottenham Blog Post

    I don’t know a whole lot about Premiere League football, but I am learning. And as a burgeoning Tottenham Hotspur fan, I am still taking in as much lore and history about the team as possible. One of the things I have down is that Arsenal is the chief rival, and when these two teams play, it’s a very big deal, and it even has a name; North London Derby. I got that much down.

    It does seem like every time that these two teams play, there is something very important on the line. Last year, the second match between them pretty much determined who was going to qualify for the Champions League. This year, it was to see who would lead the top of the table, as Arsenal was in first and Spurs were in third.

    The match didn’t go Tottenham’s way, and though Kulusevski was out with an injury, he wouldn’t have helped. Arsenal was clearly the better team and they were determined to prove it. And this is the part that makes me nervous about Spurs; they are a fragile team. When things start going bad in a match, it’s hard for them to right the ship. The second goal that Arsenal scored should have been stopped by Lloris. It was a fluke mistake, or accident depending how you look at it, but the end of the day, he shouldn’t have let that ball squeak by him. Which leads me to Royal’s foul. Did he deserve a red card for it? I don’t think so. But it was a stupid foul, done out of frustration. And Arsenal made they pay for it, scoring four minutes later. At the end of the day, Arsenal is still in first and Spurs are third, but instead of a one point difference, it’s now four.

    Tottenham have now suffered two losses in three matches, and in both cases a lack of focus has done them in. Sure, I understand the argument that Conte is putting too much emphasis on scoring, and the defense is lacking. Maybe that will get solved later in the season. Maybe.

    As for now, they face Frankfurt, in Frankfurt, for a Champions League Group match. I haven’t heard if Kulusevski will be back, but just as with the Arsenal match, I’m not sure he will be the key to their success. The team needs to come out swinging, and be that aggressive group that Conte keeps talking about. That’s what I will be looking for.

    Here’s the obligatory: #COYS

    (OY! Be a good lad, and share a little love with a guy trying to write about football! A like, a share, a comment would be ace! As would be subscribing to this blog!)

  • Son Showed Up

    So, you remember how I said on Friday that Son needed to show up if Tottenham was going to have a successful season? Well, only one person read that blog, so the odds are that you didn’t know that I said that, but I’m not going to hold that against you.

    But let’s be honest about that match between Leicester and Tottenham; Spurs were up 3-2 by the time Son came in, so it wasn’t like the game was on the line. I hate to think that Conte is playing mind game with his team, but it did kind’a feel that way. Son didn’t get the start for this game, and when he did come in, he looked like he had a chip on his shoulder. His first goal, a right footer from outside of the box that curved into the right corner was just brilliant. The way Son stood on the field, soaking in the roar of the crowd, and having his team mates congratulate him, it was like all that pressure was coming off his shoulders. Then his goal eleven minutes later off the left foot to the left corner was like a mirror image of the first. You could tell the man was having fun again with that one; smile was back on his face; all was right in the world. THEN, two minutes later, he gets his third goal of the day – completing the hat trick.

    I like Son. I think he’s a lot of fun to watch, and he’s a very competitive man. He wants to be out there and he wants the ball. I think it helped that Spurs didn’t need any of those goals to win the match, which allowed Son to just play his game. But like I said on Friday, if Tottenham wants to go deep in the Champions League, and if they want to win the Premiere League, Son has got to be out there scoring goals.

    Bottom line; I just might know what I’m talking about when it comes to Tottenham.

    (I know I just impressed you with my knowledge of football, so be a good lad and share the love with a like, comment or a share. It would help me carry on.)

  • ODDS and ENDS: Tottenham Lost, TNF, and Setbacks to Working

    (Yo Momma Jokes Welcomed!)

    Yeah, I know that Tottenham lost to Sporting CP in the Champions League. I also know that this is the Group Stage, and there is a lot of football left to be played in the tournament. And I know that Spurs were due to lose a match at some point this season. But it was the way that Tottenham lost: two goals at the very end. Now, as is the theme with my football coverage, I know nothing about Sporting CP, but what I do know is that they were the much better team in that match. Tottenham looked tired and conservative. They had some good chances with Royal and Richarlison especially, but again, where was the Son/Kane connection? And Hugo Lloris can only do so much for this team, which gets me back to my original point of that, this team crapped out at the very end. It reminded me of Spurs teams past who were very aggressive in the first half, only to be beaten in the final ten minutes of the match. Yes, it was one match, but the way this team has been playing – finding ways to not lose – might be coming to an end, leading to more losses. The Son/Kane duo is the key, and until they become a treat on the pitch again, this team could start floundering.

    Thursday Night Football – I can’t get over how much it feels like a money grab on the backs of the players. But I like watching Ryan Fitzpatrick. So, I’m torn.

    And then there is the big setback, or maybe it’s an opportunity. We were not selected for the free after-school program at my daughter’s school. It’s a lottery system, so the students selected at random, but we were counting on the kid getting in. For a very simple reason, the after-school program would give me the ability to go and get a job. The kid would be in school from 8:30 to 5:30, and between me and the wife, one of us would be able to drop the kid off, and the other could pick her up. In that situation, I could re-enter the world of full-time employment, and work a normal 9-5. I know I am not the only parent at the school that was counting on their kid getting into this program, as I know many parents are still trying to get back on their feet after Covid, and childcare is still hand to find, and when you do find it, it’s terribly expensive. I’m trying to Zen about the whole thing. For one, I get to spend more time with the kid, which is truly a gift. Second, this could be an opportunity. I don’t know how it’s an opportunity, but I feel that if I keep saying that, over and over again, then I just might manifest an opportunity out of thin air.  Anyway, setbacks are part of life, and we have to find a way to keep moving forward.

    (Hey you! I need your help. I need you to like this blog post. In fact, like it, share it, and leave a comment. If you just read this post, then you know I need a job, so engage with me so I can generate some funds. I promise, it won’t make baby Jesus cry.)

  • ODDS and ENDS: The Queen, and Tottenham Updates

    (Hey! Ho! Let’s Go!)

    I don’ think there is any way to avoid this story, which is that Queen Elizabeth has died. And I don’t think the story should be avoided. In a world history sense, a head of state has died, will be mourned and buried, and a new head of state will be put in place, through a very long and old ceremony. A Ceremony that doesn’t happen very often. The Queen was of the World War II generation, though just barely, and as of such knew and participated in a world of empires and colonies. For that reason, I understand why there are people out there who have no intention of mourning her. (I am not surprised that Irish Twitter is behaving in that way.) For me, as an American, I have found the British Monarchy odd and fascinating. I fully believe, as all good Americans should, that there is no need for a monarchy, and cannot understand why a nation keeps a family in ceremonial power though they serve no functioning constitutional purpose. (I guess that makes me a pragmatic America.) Yet, as an American, I understand that there wouldn’t have been a US if not for a UK and that monarchy. But at the end of the day, I can’t shake the acknowledgment that the Queen was someone’s wife, and someone’s mother, and grandmother, and great grandmother.

    Yes, Tottenham Hotspur has yet to lose a match, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to complain about the team. On Wednesday, Spurs kicked off their Champions League campaign against Marseille, and I noted earlier that I know absolutely nothing about Marseille other than they are from France. But I was able to easily watch the match live on Paramount+ while my kid was running around the playground. (You hear that Peacock?!?! Take a lesson from Paramount+ and learn how to stream matches live!) What I saw was Tottenham starting off shaky again, but holding it together, again. Thank god for the Richarlison pick up from Everton during the off-season, as he was the only player showing some life out there. I apricate the win, but I’m beginning to get nervous for Son. For the past couple of seasons Kane/Son was an unstoppable team on the pitch: If Kane wasn’t scoring then it was Son, and vice versa. Hell, Son was tied with Salah last season for the Golden Boot in the Premier League. But, thus far, Son has had seven appearances and 0 goals. I was looking forward to this Saturday when Tottenham played against Man City, to see if Conte was going to make more of an effort to get Son involved, but with the Queen’s passing, all matches this weekend have been postponed. Just going to have to wait another week and wonder.

    (Yo! I see you! And if you want to help me out, then take a moment to like this blog, or share it, or leave me a comment about how Dejan Kulusevski is the real difference maker this season for Spurs. All would be apricated.)