Tottenham Hotspur Football Club

A season review 2006/07.

Part one - August.


Welcome to the Tottenham Hotspur F.C season review. Each match will be have a capsule review to jog the memory and two ratings. The first will be a performance rating. This will rate on how the team has played as a whole. The second will be an entertainment rating. This rating will rate how entertaining the match was from a supporters (me) point of view. Both ratings are out of 10, with 5 being average. Both ratings will be added up at the end of the review and a total score on how I think the team performed and how entertaining the matches were will be provided. Should be interesting (he hopes) and maybe start the occasional debate.

Before the season started the Spurs first team under took eight friendly matches. Seven of the matches ended in success for Spurs with the other ending in a draw. Dispatched during the summer were Bordeaux (2-1), Nice (1-0), Celta Vigo (2-0), Birmingham City (2-0 including Berbatov's first goal for Spurs, and a corker it was too), Stevenage Borough (3-0), Inter Milan (2-1), Borussia Dortmund (1-1), and Real Sociedad (2-1).

New signings to the club were the £10.9 million pound acquisition of the Bulgarian International Dimitar Berbatov, Didier Zokora, Pascal Chimbonda, and Benoit Assou-Ekotto. The future season held great promise for Martin Jol's team, and with great enthusiasm Spurs and their supporters set off for a 5.15 pm kick off on the opening day away at Bolton Wanderers.

Saturday 19th August 2006. Bolton Wanderers (Away).

The game started with Spurs in their new ‘aquamarine' away kit  and the rain pouring from the heavens. Our high hopes of a good start to the season had evaporated within the first 13 minutes of the tie with Kevin Davies heading Bolton ahead and then Ivan Campo scoring from an outrageous shot from 35 yards to make it 2-0 to Bolton. Spurs never looked like getting anything from the match before or after the goals and the season had started on a poor note.

Spurs Performance rating 2/10
Entertainment rating 1/10

Tuesday 22nd August 2006. Sheffield United (Home).

Desperate to get some points on the board after the poor start at the Reebok Spurs ripped into the Premiership newcomers from the start. Aaron Lennon wasted no time in terrorising the left back of United and after seven minutes sent in a perfect cross which eluded all the Sheffield United defence and left a simple tap in for Berbatov. The Bulgarian proved his worth ten minutes later by heading down a cross field ball directly into the path of the on rushing Jemaine Jenas. The midfielder then made no mistake in lifting the ball over Paddy Kenny for 2-0 Spurs. Sheffield United caused Spurs few problems that night and the only disappointment was that Tottenham did not add to their tally in the goals for column.

Spurs performance rating: 6/10

Entertainment rating: 5/10

Saturday 26th August 2006. Everton (Home).

Three points was expected from this match and for the opening 25 minutes Tottenham were good value to go on and secure the win. However, five minutes later and the tide turned in an unexpected way. Kevin Kilbane was sent off for two bookable offences and from that moment on Everton seized the upper hand. The breakthrough came in the 53rd minute when Callum Davenport turned an Arteta free kick into his own net. Spurs supporters misery was doubled 13 minutes later when Andy Johnson slid home Everton's second from six yards out after some fine team play from the Merseysiders. This match will be remembered (or not as the case may be) as one of the poorest performances of the season by Spurs.

Spurs performance rating: 1/10

Entertainment rating: 3/10.

This concludes the first month of the season. A poor start for the Lilywhites. Unfortunately it was not due to get better in a hurry.

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