Tag: Newcastle

  • ODDS and ENDS: I Felt the Earth Move, Tottenham Home Stretch, and the Dog Got a Haircut

    ODDS and ENDS: I Felt the Earth Move, Tottenham Home Stretch, and the Dog Got a Haircut

    (She blinded me with science…)

    NYC and the surrounding area got hit with a 4.8 magnitude earthquake which lasted for about 20 seconds. The epicenter was about 50 miles west of Manhattan. I was at home with the wife when it hit, and for the first few seconds of the quake, I thought it was come from the construction site behind our building. You know, like they were drilling or something. Then I thought that a truck had hit our building. But my wife was the first one to say, or I guess ask, “Is this an earthquake?!” In fact, it was. Thank God for social media, because within three seconds, people were posting. Funny enough, this is the second NYC earthquake I have been through. Back in August of 2011, a 5.8 quake hit northern Virginia, which was felt all the way up here. I was on the 12th floor of a building in midtown at that time, and all I felt was the building swaying, which was a very strange sensation. But in both occurrences, the overwhelming feeling I had was disbelief. You don’t think about NYC having earthquakes.

    We are down to the final nine matches of the season, and I hate to admit it, but it looks like Tottenham is playing for a place in the Champions League next season. Of those nine matches, three of them are against the teams ahead of Spurs on the table (Man City, Arsenal, and Liverpool), then there is Newcastle twice and Chelsea who both are hanging around in the middle, followed by three matches against teams fighting against relegation. The way I see it, Tottenham will walk away with three wins, three draws, and three losses, concluding the season with 69 points. Will that be enough to get past Aston Villa? I don’t think so as Aston does have the easier schedule compared to Spurs. This will be an interesting two months. Interesting in the sense that it will be infuriating, and gut wrenching.

    My dog got groomed yesterday. She’s very happy about it. She looks like a puppy.

  • WTF Tottenham!?!?!

    Did anyone else see the Newcastle v Tottenham match on Sunday? If you did, you must be a Newcastle fan. If you are a Spurs fan, you probably stopped watching after twenty minutes. It was a slaughter, a complete dismantlement of Tottenham. Newcastle scored five goals in twenty-one minutes, which isn’t a record, but should be. Sunday is where Spurs’ season died. It had a good life; lots of hope and promise, but it was not long for this world.

    It is one of the biggest sports clichés, but Newcastle wanted it more. They can see an open spot in the Champions League just sitting out there for anyone to take. Arsenal and Man City have run away with the season, and that will be an interesting finish to see who will win the Premier League.

    BUT! The race to secure the last two qualifying spots for the Champions League could be an exciting race!

    But it won’t.

    If Spurs played like a team with a little fire in their guts, then those last two slots would turn into this epic race between Spurs, Newcastle and Man United…

    But it won’t…

    It is so completely frustrating that Tottenham has all the pieces for a high caliber, trophy winning team. You look at the line up, and you’d think they’d be sitting at the top of the table. Even a few years ago, they had a weaker and banged up squad, but they still made it to the Champion League final.

    Where is that team? Where is that drive? That desire to win?

    I don’t know… I grew up a Cubs fan, so I am used to a sports team sucking all the time. I guess I need to start bringing my Cubs mentality to Tottenham matches.

  • A Tottenham Hotspur Blog: Conte Edition

    Welp! It happened. Conte and Tottenham have gone their separate ways. I don’t think anyone is surprised by this. The season was not working out as expected, and when the “most terrible/awfulness week ever” occurred where Spurs got knocked out of the FA Cup, lost in the Premiere League, and then got bounced out of the Champions League, everyone knew Conte was about to lose his job. I think the Conte press conference, the one after the Southampton 3-3 draw, was just Conte acknowledging that he’s about to get fired, so I might as well speak  my mind.

    So, where does this leave Tottenham with ten games left to go in the Premiere League season?

    Currently, Cristian Stellini has been named the interim head coach, which makes sense as he was Conte’s assistant coach at Spurs. Right now, as Tottenham is in fourth place, it would appear that his mission is to keep the team in fourth, which qualifies them for next seasons Champions League, if not move up the table.

    But, with this team, that seems like rather tall order. I don’t think they have a chance in hell of catching Man City, let alone Arsenal. And though Man United is one point ahead of Spurs, and Newcastle is two points behind, both of those clubs have two more games left to play on their schedule as compared to Tottenham. And, Spurs have both of those clubs left on their schedule, which means they are now must wins. In fact, Tottenham cannot afford to come out of any of these ten matches with no points.

    Then there is the biggest issue that is looming over the Summer; Harry Kane. Will he be back? It felt like Conte was brought in specifically to help this team win trophies, which at this point in Kane’s career, that’s the boxes he wants to tick. And I know I have been saying this for the past three seasons, but this Summer just might be the one where Harry goes to another club that is in a better position to win.

    It’s all too bad. I did like Conte. I thought he brought a passion to the club that Tottenham had been missing. But his passion did not translate onto the pitch. Under Conte this season, the team was always slow to start, and got behind early. They never looked like they wanted to win so much as they were trying not to lose.

    So long, Antonio Conte. I appreciated your effort.

  • There Went the Season

    Poor Tottenham. They got bounced out of the Champions League yesterday in the most limp noodle fashion imaginable. In the stretch of eight days, they had two losses and a draw; they got bounced from two tournaments and lost to a middle of the table team in the Premier League. It’s hard to imagine a worse week for the team.

    Sadly, I think things are about to get worse for them. Liverpool and Newcastle are nipping at their heels, fighting for the fourth spot on the table to qualify for the Champions League next season. Though Spurs have a rather friendly schedule coming up with five matches, I don’t think their head is in the game. They’re gun’na blow it.

    That’s what I witnessed from them against Milan yesterday. It wasn’t an inspired or aggressive team. It really did feel like they gave up at half time. Like they decided they weren’t going to win any trophies this year, so why bother.

    I think this is the end of the Antonio Conte era. My guess is that he’ll finish out the season, and they just won’t renew his contract. And then there will be an offseason of speculation of who will come in. Who has the ego to rein in this team, deal with the egos, win trophies? Maybe next year…

    Not that I know anything about football…

  • Arsenal Lost

    I can’t believe it myself, but Arsenal lost to Newcastle yesterday 2-0. Tottenham is in fourth place in the Premiere League, and if they can win or tie on Sunday, Spurs will earn a spot in next season’s Champions League. The thing I had hoped for might actually happen. And if they hold on to fourth place, then there is a good chance that Harry Kane will stay, and so will Conte.

    Ah, but it’s an “if.”

    If they can do it.

    And I have been around the block enough times to know that nothing is guaranteed until its over. Too many years of watching the Cubs blow it, and the Rangers, and the Cowboys, and the Stars, and the Mavericks, and pretty much any sports I have taken the time to follow.

    Do you really know what love is if you heart has never been broken?

    That’s kind’a what this feels like; my heart is about the be broken.

    But it’s also kind of thrilling as well.

    This season has been a roller coaster. From Harry Kane holding out, and the lack luster start of the season. Nuno getting hired then fired, and Conte coming in. Letting Dele go, and picking up Kulusevski, which has worked out great with Kane and Son. The defense is playing better, and it seems like things are going well.

    Which is why something awful may still happen.