Football Focus

[mockney piers]

Half of ManUski is ex west ham, so it's thoroughly depressing for us.

In fact I remember the spurs fans chanting "west ham is our feeder club, doo dah doo dah" not so long ago too.

[Jah Lush]

CitizenEd, what's with the Spuds-u-like? That's not your style at all. You're begining to sound like Atila. As for the the "big two" it should be Big Four and you can include Man U, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal in there. Berbatov will go eventually but I just hope we can hang onto him until the end of the season and maybe just maybe if we win some silverware he might stay but I rather doubt it as a player of his skill and stature needs to be playing in the Champions League. Fat chance of that with Spurs though I'm afraid.

Our defence is definitely what needs sorting though.

[rifleman harris]

When i say the "Big Two" i mean the Rich clubs; Man utd and Chelsea. I agree with what you say- our defence does need sorting as well as our midfield but what i dont want to see is another 4 years down the line and we are still in exactly the same position. Especially if we are sacking yet another manager. In my opinion things started to go down hill when Keith Birkenshaw was forced out in '84. since then 14 managers? How many have Aresenal had in that time- 3?

I have tickets for the return at WHL.

[Jah Lush]

Ah! Mr Burkinshaw, who's parting quip was "there used to be a football club over there." Sadly, he's just had to retire from Watford due to ill health in the family. A good man. A good footballing man too.

I'm hoping to go to both legs. My mate has two seasons tickets at White Hart Lane and I often go with him. We've been going there together since the 60s when we were just kids.

[rifleman harris]

My first game at the Lane was against Southampton in about 70-71 me thinks. we got beat 3-1. My favourite player was Cyril Knowles. In my opinion that club has never had a better full back since.

[Jah Lush]

Nice One Cyril. The best left-back we've ever had bar none. I like Gareth Bale though but he's been used on the left side of midfield of late until he got injured of course.

I first went there in '68 against Newcastle or Southampton, can't remember which, bit of a blur after all these years but my hero was Jimmy Greaves, a goalscoring genius.

[rifleman harris]

My dad's favourite was Danny Blanchflower who he refers to as "God".

[Jah Lush]

Nah! That was Glenn Hoddle.

[rifleman harris]

I must say; I do see some of Hoddle's qualities in Huddlestone. I hope they don't get rid of him as I think he can develop in to a great player.

[Ladygooner]

I'm so pleased Jah has got someone to play with now!

[atila the gooner]

Ladygooner Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I'm so pleased Jah has got someone to play with

> now!

NOW, NOW LADYGOONER.:))

[Jah Lush]

Yeah, that's right. Can I have my ball back now please Mister?

Huddlestone's a very good prospect. Needs to lose a few pounds. He has a good range of passing and can shoot with both feet as we saw in the recent Fulham match but to mention him in the same breath as Hoddle is a little premature methinks.

[Keef]

According to the BBC, Ramos has said Spurs would consider selling Berbatov for ?30m. As good as he is, I think I'd take that for him, you could get a couple of really decent players to improve other parts of the team.

Would be sad to see him go to United though!

[citizenED]

Jah, my earlier comment was simply a reference to the fact that I like Spurs. I hate the fact that as an Arsenal fan I'm suppoosed to hate them. I don't, never did and certainlly never will. I grew up on Liam Brady and Glen Hoddle, the two saints of North London. Love any team with high footballing credentials like the Spuds. So spuds-I-like.

[atila the gooner]

Are Kitsons comments about the FA cup justified? I can see where he's coming from but I love the magic ( if there's any left) of the old pot.

[Jah Lush]

I think Kitson is bang out of order. Much like Alex Ferguson was a few years back when Man Utd decided to play in some meaningless Cup competition abroad to sell more Man Utd shirts in South America.

The FA Cup is the oldest and most famous cup competition in the world. It has great history. The final is watched by a massive worldwide audience and yes there is still magic and glory in the old FA Cup.

[Keef]

I agree about Sir Alex, but I think Kitson's comments are fair enough. It's a shame, and I'm sure he'd love to lift the cup, but he's right, Reading are not going to win it, and staying in the top flight is far more important for the future of their club.

[Ladygooner]

But if there was a choice between not being relegated or winning the FA Cup I think most teams would go for staying up!

[Jah Lush]

I can't see Reading going down though. Kitson is a Tottenham fan though. Perhaps he wants us to win on Saturday.

[Ladygooner]

Didn't stop him scoring against you! Sorry to hear your bid of ?4m for Diarra failed!

[citizenED]

"The FA Cup is the oldest and most famous cup competition in the world. It has great history. The final is watched by a massive worldwide auience and yes there is still magic and glory in the old FA Cup." I agree Jah. Shame that it's only ever won by one of the Big Four:

FA cup winners since 1996:

1995 *******

1996 Manchester United

1997 Chelsea

1998 Arsenal

1999 Manchester United

2000 Chelsea

2001 Liverpool

2002 Arsenal

2003 Arsenal

2004 Manchester United

2005 Arsenal

2006 Liverpool

2007 Chelsea

In 1995 the winners were not from the big four. Who was it?

[Ladygooner]

Everton

[SimonM]

So not that many Premier League clubs making the 4th Round of the FA Cup then.... A shame so many played semi-reserve teams today/tomorrow

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I agree. It goes totally against the spirit of the cup. It's always pretty special when a small team battles their way up but it will mean nothing if real teams aren't played.

Just like to point out that 2004 cup run was brilliant!

[SeanMacGabhann]

despite all the hoo ha about foreigners, it's the "pragmatic" British managers who are as culpable as anyone else re: rather-stay-up-than-progress-in-the-cup business

And the first half of the Villa - Man U game is as bad as anything I have ever seen. And that includes the time I went to see Exeter play L orient....