Opposition View: Spurs For Life

Is this going to be a regular and new feature this season, getting the opposition view ahead of upcoming features?

If so, I like the initiative.

A very fair and balanced assessment by Ryan.

I expect something similar to the previous game, very tight and Spurs players systematically leaving their boot in again on Richarlison , and getting away with it. As instructed by Jose in his game plan.

Everton will be a different proposition though and won't be so easily bullied. The game is going to hard fought, acrimonious and probably will be decided by a single goal. Hopefully an Everton one.

And I agree with Jay Woods. Could be a neat feature just before each game.

I always quite liked going to White Hart Lane, apart from the time when the bloke standing next to me was hit by a flying seat!

Their fans are as narky and impatient as ours (I often went with a Spurs mate in the home end) and like us, they can create an edgy, nasty atmosphere.

Hope it's us singing in Sunday!

O, wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us!

What Mark Murphy said.

Mike #8, Phil Neville perhaps?

Propped up Premier League media darlings by virtue, that haven't won a major trophy for even longer than us. Two league titles, last one in 1961.

And then, when they finally looked like doing something, went and sacked their best manager since Nicholson because their horrible prick of a Chairman wouldn't buy anyone when Pochettino had been telling him for years to invest.

And then they employ that massive gobshite Mourinho and they look absolutely awful. But given how much the media love them (second only to the RS), the Premier League and Sky still managed to massage them into 6th place ahead of a far superior Wolves side.

Mark my words, they'll get every single fucking decision against us because that's the way it works. Vile

A very balanced view.

This Opposition View feature could turn out quite entertaining. We could supply our version to the coming opponent's site, then after a day or two, combine them on each site and go "Open season". You could be the ideal guy to write it, would be a hoot.

Well maybe not quite as bad as Man Utd, but not far behind.

Of course it is sanitized! One of the first things that Jose says about Spurs is that they are “too nice” – guess he didn't see Son's assault on Gomes!

One thing is for sure is that their stadium and training facilities are state of the art. If we can match those when Bramley Moore Dock is built, we won't be too shabby.

I looked back at our record against Spurs, even worse than I remembered. We must be due one soon.

It's all bullshit, based on perceived reputation. Everton need to start reasserting themselves on and off the pitch. Get nasty. And start winning.

Larry and I won't speak Friday or Monday. Just to maintain civility.

Your club, from my afar, bastardized view, is a solid one. Very good, loyal fans. Your owner is a tight D-Bag, but you didn't pick him, so whatcha gonna do?

I do hope Son has his leg broken. The tackle on Gomes is one I won't ever forget nor will I ever forgive – intentional and filthy. But I digress.

Good article Ryan. Best of luck after this weekend. I personally wouldn't mind an Everton title closely followed by a 2nd place Spurs finish. But we both can dream.

Michael and Lyndon – I really enjoyed reading this and I hope the opposition articles continue. Very entertaining. Ryan seems an okay dude by the read. If you can find more friendly, intelligent, objective contributors from other clubs I for one would love it.

Thanks, Ryan for representing what I assume is the general feeling amongst your fellow fans, of course you do get the OTT ones at every Club.

Though I must correct you that Everton is NOT part of Knowsley, and has never been, although I do concur on the sub-tropical weather aspect. However, you are exonerated as you are not familiar with the area.

I am looking forward to the game, despite it being behind closed doors, and hope it is a fair one, by that I mean no stupid refereeing decisions or VAR errors dictating a disputed outcome.

In this case, we got to 16 posts, before someone lit the blue touch paper.

I then made my own way downstairs to meet my mates, and next thing I got lifted by plod, with this head steward also in attendance. I was thrown out just for using "foul and abusive language". This was in the mid 90's when I guess you could say trouble at games was still around but coming to an end. There were loads of spurs fans around who couldn't get into the game, so I had to keep me head down as I had to wait for me three mates to come out as we had gone down by car. So from that day onwards, I've hated spurs with a vengance!!

There is such a disparity between the Premiership and the Lower Leagues, what must they be thinking? All this money still getting brandished about on players, post Covid-19 lockdown, and many Clubs lower down are struggling to stay solvent.

It is in times like this when you have to admire the supporters of those Clubs who stick by them thick and thin, yet deep down know, although an extreme and fantastical possibility, that they will never aspire to the Top Table!

As an avowed free market capitalist, you'd be (possibly?) surprised to hear I agree with you.

The smaller clubs don't have the TV revenue and sponsorship to survive a CV19 no-fan lockdown. In my opinion, the English FA should, for the next year or two, engage some form of mandatory revenue sharing across the football pyramid.

The smaller clubs have to be getting killed financially.

UTFB, crush Spurs.

I thought that Spurs had found the Manager of potential in Pochettino, that Evertons where always hoping for. Still trying to work out what happened, but do have my doubts about the attitude of their squad who seem to drop off a cliff on Pochettino.

Mourinho impact has been limited and tends to lose his way with players in his second season, particularly with this type of squads history. Pochettino the future Real Madrid Manager hasn't got a job yet, maybe this the answer.

I think that Mourinho and Son are bad company for one another.

Everton have improved defensively and the midfield can only improve from a very low base. The question for me is how the attacking play will add up, now that midfield issues have been addressed.

Will Iowbi improve ?
Will Walcott decide he has to do something ?
Bernard recover from his unspecified personnel issues?
Will Richarlison get more space and not come deep, becoming less a target ?.
Will Calvert Lewin get into position ?
Will Kean look as good as his performance in the last game.
And above all will their collective finishing improve.

Finally, hopefully Pickfords one mistake is not fatal.

Bitter blue coming out, just leave the Derby as the exception!! Balance? They'll just gloat about how good they and tell us that "it's different" being Liverpool!

Thanks for the view Ryan. I'm London based these days so feel your pain with the Arsenal mob. Dreary bunch of fans!

We meet cybernetically so often and share very similar views, albeit maybe not the same politically, but we are true Blues! Long may that continue buddy!

Had similar experiences at White Hart Lane. Did play football with one Spurs fan and he was a poser, which I deduced arose from Spurs influence when I later attended catching matches. Ryan as a Spurs fan is something I am not use to. Never liked them hiking up entrance fees for in demand cup matches.

But one of my best memories of White Hart Lane was in April 1985 when I was amongst the away supporters behind the left goal upright pressed against a mid terrace barrier as Everton became Champions elect. The media had Spurs built up to stop us, no chance that evening.

Honestly don't understand the negativity towards Spurs, a proper football club imo, and I've probably witnessed more great games between our two clubs, than I've watched between Everton and any other side?

Spurs have been a lot better than us on the pitch for a long time now, and it makes me laugh when people say it wasn't that long ago when we were probably a better team than Tottenham, because Everton should only exist to compete and to try and win cups imo, so let's hope the better times return soon.

Perhaps they are more geographically concentrated around the area of north London they are based? Randomly, the largest visible concentration of Tottenham supporters I experienced was when I was stationed in Cyprus. Many Greek Cypriots with dual nationality who split their time between Cyprus and London.

Had some laughs with them in Haringey Irish club. two separate rooms before the game for home and away fans. all mixed in together afterwards.

What a place that was back in the day. The queues for a beer moved at real pace because there was always about 28 people serving beer, but it would be a bit unnerving when you queued for your "dinner" to find the toilet cleaner, doorman and the glass collector was also the "chef". A huge multi talented Irishman. Anyone not showing the barmaids total respect would also find out he also had a right hook like Earnie Shavers.

Had some horrible days at WHL, but if anybody ever asks me to name my greatest Evertonian moments. The night Andy Gray and Tricky Trevor virtually wont the title for us will always get in the frame...That save from the big fella when Spurs came roaring back at us was the stuff of legend.
We were probably the best two teams in the country at the time.

This would be a great feature

I tell you what would also be great: If you stuck to regaling us with more "Evertonian moments" instead of banging on about Evil Carlo only being here to line his pockets.

Unlike around their southwest London "neighbours" manor, where away supporters are banned from pubs within a 1 mile, and a bomb-disposal-like cordon around Stamford Bridge.

Both clubs have had their neighbours dominate the trophies over a period of time. Both clubs have bought and produced some great players, and both have changed managers far too often. Both usually have a far superior home record but not a great away record.

And Spurs have just built a magnificent new stadium and we are about to do the same.

With Holgate out and Tomori looking far from nailed on to come I'd still say we have a fairly immobile defence. Maybe Carlo will have to keep us sitting back if this is the case. Still some holes to fill I reckon.

To the Spurs fans: 62-63, 69-70, 84-85 and 86-87.

I am just about to get my state pension and I have no recollection of them being league champions. {smug face}

I don't have much confidence about Sunday, surely our powder puff defence will cough up at least two goals when put under pressure. Those new lads will take 1-3 months to settle, they literally set foot in Finch Farm 72 hours ago.

Perhaps the unspoken element of the persistent hatred referenced on this thread has something to do with this?

And counting

I think you may be right, and Carlo will keep us fairly deep. First job is to get things stabilized where they have been anything but, and play with some shape and cohesion in that central defensive area from midfield back... without the ideal personnel, as it's looking. We have a lot to rebuild, physically and mentally.

Like you and probably others, I can't even make a guess at the result at this stage. Can't wait!

I already know what he'll be like. Totally shameless. If Carlo gives him another "Evertonian moment". the fucker will celebrate more than anyone and demand "The Mercenary" gets a pay rise.

I thought we'd signed a Russian back in the eighties. He kept banging on about a "red spy". After a while I realised he was talking about Alan Harper " worst thing we've ever done, signing that twat". Then Harper smashes one past Grobbelaar. He spent the night parading around RS as if signing him was all his idea.

Always used to like Spurs when I was growing up in the mid 80's although we have a terrible record against them more recently!

FA Cup Semi Final at Elland Road the best game though Vs Spurs👍

Love this. More stories like that please everyone.

Nearly got beaten up on the way home after the match. Making our way down the Seven Sisters Road (a gang of Spurs fans were stopping people and asking for the time to see if they had scouse accents...Luckily the mate I was with was a Londoner so he answered and on we went. Close call though.

That semi-final game is on my top 10 of all time list. The atmosphere was fantastic. One of the best performances by an Everton team in recent decades. We really rubbed some media faces in it too, which just added to it all. And then we WON it.

Others that spring to mind are the obvious ones mentioned on here (Bayern, Tottenham, arguably the Anfield derby in 1984), but one that hasn't been was clinching the title at Norwich away in 1987. Not the best match, but such a feeling given the way we had capitulated the previous season and then been faced by a terrible injury crisis going into 86-87. Arguably that was a greater managerial achievement by Howard than his 84-85 title win.

Above all, and I was only 15, it was the journey back on the coach to Speke that lives in the memory. It took forever, I don't think we got back until the early hours but it was absolute ecstasy and my dad permitted me and my best mate (RiP) to the odd celebratory drink or two. Champions of England for the second time in 3 years. Hand it over Liverpool!!!

Phil surely you must remember the Spurs league and FA Cup winners in 1961.
What a team led by for me the best captain I have ever seen Danny Blanchflower. Danny was the first player to organise a wall when facing a free Kick. Ireland played Italy and the Italians had a guy who scored from free kicks, so Danny organised a wall which stopped the Italian having a straight shot at goal. The manager and players were asked afterwards had you practised this in training, no they said Danny just organised it during the game.

Norwich (and Ipswich) difficult trips. I did just about all of them back in the past, driving, train, coach now & then. This was back when we had a road travel system that sort of worked...

Yes we all like to look a bit lively bouncing out of the traps, but its still only one 38th of a season.

I remember playing Spurs on the opening day of the 84/85 season. After lifting the cup the faithful gathered with such anticipation. An expectancy we had not experienced for over a decade descended upon Goodison. you could almost touch it.. They fucking mullered us.
People with window ledges to rent out must have made a right killing that day as tens of thousands of suicidal Evertonians shuffled out of Goodison...It didnt just feel as if we had been suckered into yet another false dawn. It was unquestionably the end of the world.

Actually we recovered. Turns out we were just a bit rusty. Thank fuck all those blues on the window ledges decided to give it a couple more games - They'd have missed sharpy's goal if they had jumped.
We didnt just find our sharpness, we found our will to win. Our style. We found a passion no other team, either here or on the continent could live with. We became quite probably the best team in the world.

Oh for the youngsters and the new fans to have seen us when we were kings. At least you would understand.
If we hadn't seen such riches, we could probably have lived with being poor.

I didnt mean to make this an all-our-yesterdays post. The Appletons rum started to kick in as I typed and my natural grumpiness gave way to a dewey eyed nostalgia.

The point I want to make is this; Enjoy this weekend but don't get too carried away. Its a long old season. A good start is meaningless if for some reason we cant sustain it and a bad start does not mean we cant finish the season like Dancing Brave.

I'd love to beat Spurs this weekend, but I'll settle for our players giving a good account of themselves and coming back healthy.
I know injuries are part and parcel, but what a refreshing change it would make, if the injury curse passed us by this time and all our signings were able to develop as a unit.

I`m so glad footy`s back, but if we are going to be treated to fireworks. Let it be at the business end of the season

No use looking at League positions until week 6, although it's always good to get the first win asap and if that comes in the first match even better.

I do hope that you didn't lose a bundle on CarloFantastico which ran at Chester today.

I've got so frustrated over the years with us judging a "season" by mid September. And its not just Everton, it's in general, hence the annual cycle of managerial changes around October November.

But with Everton in mind and your specific example. I too remember that season. We played Tottenham followed by West Brom in our opening two games. We were beaten 4 -1 and 3 -2 respectively.

As we are about to repeat those fixtures, if that happens next week ther will be outcry. In 1984, we went on to win the league with a then record 90 points haul.

I'm all for superstition but don't for one minute expect history to repeat itself. But to echo your sentiment; it's a season, not a couple of matches in August / September. Whatever happens Sunday and in the next month or so, it's where you are in May that matters.

I didnt see it, I was too busy losing my dosh at the televised Doncaster meeting.

Obviously a blue horse. Maybe next time

Indeed Danny

If you came out of the Hawthorns that night claiming we would win the league by the length of our street, they`d have carted you away

That stuff sits with you.

Been once since for a unforgettable loss when Redknapp was in charge. I just went to exercise the ghost, wouldn't go again even if you paid me.

I've seen groups of masquerading Spurs fans outside games looking for soft targets. Well kitted-out young thugs.

I had a friend, a Leeds Supporter I knew, who was kicked to death after befriending opposition fans (not Spurs fans) in an eatery. They were waiting for him and his mate outside. The two charged turned out to be sons of a barrister and a policeman, university students.

You were lucky. White Heart Lane is off Seven Sisters Road which used to be a predominately Jewish area, most prospered moving North to Hendon. This is how Spurs got the name of a Jewish Club, though the support would be mixed. I doubt any thuggery came from that quarter.

Glad I didn't come across any anti-semitic behaviour when I attended the away end.

I got the last laugh and was behind the goal when Trev made it 2-0, after the game I was staying in London at my brothers flat and there was some hairy moments getting back.

I was behind the goal that night as well.