Inter v Spurs

[trigger]

isnt benitez a c@nt waving the imaginary cars to get gomes sent off???!!!

was it a fiat? ford? , bmw?

[smiffy]

isnt benitez a c@nt waving the imaginary cars to get gomes sent off???!!!

Why, if that had been Camp downing Commons I would expect Clough to do the same.

[Alex W]

Why, if that had been Camp downing Commons I would expect Clough to do the same.

I wouldn't, i'd let the ref do his job without trying to influence him.

It's unsportsman-like.

[MuespachRam]

England's next manager....the saviour...the god of football...truly showed what a second hand car salesman he really was last night.

Don't let the final score fool you, they were completely battered for 90minutes by a team managed by Rafa Benitez..!

For all those that are calling for him to be installed as the national manager...get a grip.!

[Hartley Hare]

Compare the 2 line-ups Michel. Apples and pears. Redknapp has been saying for weeks now that he has no alternative but to play attacking style because he has no first choice back four. A general can only deploy the troops he has. Benitez would know what to expect and set his team out accordingly. I dare say you or I could put that Inter team out and get a good performance out of them, they're quality players - and we're not even second hand car dealers.

Bale was pretty poor when he first went to Spurs, it could be argued that we're seeing such good form from him because of the management style of the second hand car dealer. He's got Bale playing to his strengths and there's always an expectation that something's going to happen when he has the ball. People want to watch him play, and that's a big part of what football should be about. It'd be great if England had a player like that, and a manager who could bring that out of a player. Mind you, if Redknapp is so bad as a manager, just how good could Bale be if a proper manager got hold of him?

Oh, and by the way, aren't Inter the current European champions? Even Benitez can't screw them up that quickly. They should be steamrollering most teams at home. It's Spurs' first season in the Champions League and they got there by finishing fourth in the domestic league, so no reasonable observer should be expecting them to truly compete with the established teams as they haven't had the benefit of the sustained income and exposure, which translates into signing better players. No disgrace for Spurs last night, they kept at it and almost got a point. I'd love to see an England team fight to the end of the game, whoever they were managed by.

[MuespachRam]

Compare the 2 line-ups Michel. Apples and pears. Redknapp has been saying for weeks now that he has no alternative but to play attacking style because he has no first choice back four. A general can only deploy the troops he has. Benitez would know what to expect and set his team out accordingly. I dare say you or I could put that Inter team out and get a good performance out of them, they're quality players - and we're not even second hand car dealers.

Bale was pretty poor when he first went to Spurs, it could be argued that we're seeing such good form from him because of the management style of the second hand car dealer. He's got Bale playing to his strengths and there's always an expectation that something's going to happen when he has the ball. People want to watch him play, and that's a big part of what football should be about. It'd be great if England had a player like that, and a manager who could bring that out of a player. Mind you, if Redknapp is so bad as a manager, just how good could Bale be if a proper manager got hold of him?

Oh, and by the way, aren't Inter the current European champions? Even Benitez can't screw them up that quickly. They should be steamrollering most teams at home. It's Spurs' first season in the Champions League and they got there by finishing fourth in the domestic league, so no reasonable observer should be expecting them to truly compete with the established teams as they haven't had the benefit of the sustained income and exposure, which translates into signing better players. No disgrace for Spurs last night, they kept at it and almost got a point. I'd love to see an England team fight to the end of the game, whoever they were managed by.

I would prefer to see an England team who actually went out and won, rather than battling to the end.... and make no mistake...good ol arry was completely battered for 90 minutes last night, him and "his troops" were made to look like a sunday morning team.

[Hartley Hare]

...a Sunday Morning team who scored 3 goals against the reigning European champions in the San Siro and only lost by the odd goal despite being down to 10 men for almost the whole of the match? With all due respect, that'd be one hell of a Sunday morning team.....

I'd like to see and England team winning too. Unfortunately, our "top 5 in the world" manager seems to have forgotten how to do that. If the game's not going well I at least expect the players to work hard and show some effort - something the current England squad seem reluctant to do.

Football's about entertainment, something that's lost to many these days. The Inter-Spurs match was entertaining, certainly more so than the average Champions League match at this stage of the season. Credit Spurs for not sitting back with 10 men on the edge of their own box and for taking part in an open entertaining game.

[MuespachRam]

...a Sunday Morning team who scored 3 goals against the reigning European champions in the San Siro and only lost by the odd goal despite being down to 10 men for almost the whole of the match? With all due respect, that'd be one hell of a Sunday morning team.....

I'd like to see and England team winning too. Unfortunately, our "top 5 in the world" manager seems to have forgotten how to do that. If the game's not going well I at least expect the players to work hard and show some effort - something the current England squad seem reluctant to do.

Football's about entertainment, something that's lost to many these days. The Inter-Spurs match was entertaining, certainly more so than the average Champions League match at this stage of the season. Credit Spurs for not sitting back with 10 men on the edge of their own box and for taking part in an open entertaining game.

i think you probably didn't actually watch the match, just read the score in the paper this morning.

Spurs didn't contirbute to an entertaining game, they were completely outplayed in every single department for 90 minutes. They scored a couple of goals in the last minute when inter had pretty much gone home.

Don't let the score line flatter them and decieve you, they were completely awful.

[Hartley Hare]

So you're suggesting that Inter's play was not entertaining?

I never said Spurs were entertaining, I said the match was entertaining, Spurs contributed to an entertaining match by sending out an attacking team which lead to an open game, Inter took advantage of it. If Spurs had parked the bus and closed the game out, that would have been very dull indeed. I prefer to watch teams play football, not try to avoid defeat. Avoiding defeat is not entertaining. Simples.

[MuespachRam]

So you're suggesting that Inter's play was not entertaining?

I never said Spurs were entertaining, I said the match was entertaining, Spurs contributed to an entertaining match by sending out an attacking team which lead to an open game, Inter took advantage of it. If Spurs had parked the bus and closed the game out, that would have been very dull indeed. I prefer to watch teams play football, not try to avoid defeat. Avoiding defeat is not entertaining. Simples.

i didn't say that Inter weren't entertaining....I simply said that Spurs were terrible..

I could have turned up with a team of lads from the office and played inter and it would have been "entertaining" because we would have lost 35-0.

personally i prefer my team to win things rather than get spanked off the park, give me George Grahams Arsenal side over kevin keegans Newcastle side everytime....because guess what....winning is everything...it's the whole point of it...

[Hartley Hare]

winning is everything...it's the whole point of it...

Maybe it is to you, Michel....

But what I don't understand, if that's the case, is why you don't support Chelski this year, Man Utd the year before, etc, etc. If winning were everything then surely you'd switch your support to the team that won more games? If winning really were everything...?

[MuespachRam]

Maybe it is to you, Michel....

But what I don't understand, if that's the case, is why you don't support Chelski this year, Man Utd the year before, etc, etc. If winning were everything then surely you'd switch your support to the team that won more games? If winning really were everything...?

What a silly argument...The same reason that you don't support Barcelona one year, then United the next, then Arsenal the next just because they are the most "entertaining" team...

[StaffsRam]

I'd be more concerned if I were an Inter fan at this point in time.

For a game where they completely dominated for 90 mins, they still only managed a single-goal victory, at home, against a side down to 10 men and managed by a used-car salesman......

And these are the Italian champions against a side, who in truth, aren't even in our top 4?

[Hartley Hare]

What a silly argument...The same reason that you don't support Barcelona one year, then United the next, then Arsenal the next just because they are the most "entertaining" team...

It is a silly argument. But if it's silly then winning really isn't everything, is it.....?

I have an emotional attachment to my club. That can't be the case if winning is everything, there's no room for emotion.

[Hartley Hare]

I'd be more concerned if I were an Inter fan at this point in time.

For a game where they completely dominated for 90 mins, they still only managed a single-goal victory, at home, against a side down to 10 men and managed by a used-car salesman......

And these are the Italian champions against a side, who in truth, aren't even in our top 4?

Agreed Staffs, but hey - they wanted Benitez, now they'll reap that decision.....

[MuespachRam]

It is a silly argument. But if it's silly then winning really isn't everything, is it.....?

Sorry..I should have put...For your OWN team, the team you support...winning is everything, entertainment is definetly NOT.

[MuespachRam]

I'd be more concerned if I were an Inter fan at this point in time.

For a game where they completely dominated for 90 mins, they still only managed a single-goal victory, at home, against a side down to 10 men and managed by a used-car salesman......

And these are the Italian champions against a side, who in truth, aren't even in our top 4?

I work with a quite a few Italians, some Inter, most not. When Rafa signed for them I told them all he would systematically destroy Inter, I think they are now starting to believe me.

But let's not get away from the point here, Inter ripped Spurs to pieces for 90 minutes, and really did make them look like they didn't belong in the European Cup...(which they don't by the way, but that is a different argument)

[Hartley Hare]

Sorry..I should have put...For your OWN team, the team you support...winning is everything, entertainment is definetly NOT.

Ah, yes, you'd rather watch a George Graham 1-0 team.

Well, you pays your money and you takes your choice. If George were Derby manager, or anyone of his ilk, I wouldn't be paying my money. Don't matter how many matches we might win.

[Alph]

How long then before Inter have tons of Spanish inexperienced and extremely average players who are so much alike eachother that you need a close up shot from the camera to tell them apart.

Rafa's escape from Liverpool was just in time. He's avoided most the blame. He spent too much money and time turning a good tight squad into a oversized average squad.

Every team needs passengers to keep things simple and keep the side ticking over, but Benitez builds squads full of them.

Have i heard correctly that he rates Goran Pandev highly? Because he's a player of average speed, technique, passing and shooting ability that shouldn't be anywhere near a team with the ambitions of Inter. Seen a lot of him and he's far too highly rated in Italy.

Mourinho on the other hand built a world class midfield infront of a world class defence and keeper.

Mr Go Compare will end up a very short stay if he thinks Biabiany and Coutinho are key players to European and Italian domination. Their good it seems, but Benitez doesn't seem to understand the difference it makes to have world class players in your side compared to just good players. He's inherited some immense players like Sneijder, but he'll no doubt fail to build on from there.

I hope Benitez stays at Inter long enough to put AC Milan back to the top of Serie A.

[StaffsRam]

Inter ripped Spurs to pieces for 90 minutes, and really did make them look like they didn't belong in the European Cup...(which they don't by the way, but that is a different argument)

Spurs' problems were vastly apparent within the first 10 minutes, they were like a rabbit in the headlights. That being said, for a team that didn't look like they should be there, Inter only just scraped past them despite a massive advantage of a 4-0 lead against 10 men.

I suspect the return match at White Hart Lane will be somewhat more mundane. A smaller/tighter pitch won't allow for Inter's expansive game.

I thought Spurs were largely poor last night (but for Bale, and possibly Lennon), but I don't think it's right to say that they shouldn't be there. They're there on merit, having finished fourth, and they've already walloped the Dutch champions 4-1, and should have beaten Bremen as well. If we start dismissing teams of that ilk then we'd be left with Chelsea, Arsenal, Man Utd, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter and AC Milan and that's it.