by Adam Bate

To put Mick McCarthy's Wolverhampton Wanderers reign into perspective you need to go much further back than its beginning in 2006. You need to go back to 1989 – the year that Wolves won the old Division Three title.

Until McCarthy's arrival at the club that was not only the last team to win a league title but it was also the last team that had a meaningful connection with the club's supporters.

During his playing career, Liverpool legend Graeme Souness played alongside some fantastically talented players, and according to the combative midfielder, Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle is as good as any of them.In an interview with TalkSport, Souness enthused:"He [Hoddle] was a star. "He had ridiculous ability, and in terms of sheer talent, he was up there with anyone you want to name.

By Chris Wright

With his slinky goal against West Brom last night, Jermain Defoe overtook Glenn Hoddle's scoring tally for Tottenham but even that didn't gloss over the fact that, at some point before the game, he chose to do this to his head...

Yeesh.

Joe Cole was the flagship signing of the ill-fated Roy Hodgson era, and he was a Rafa signing that Hodgson inherited. For me, like Bellamy, Cole was not given chances to impress at Anfield. It was also unfortunate that he got sent off in his very first game for Liverpool against Arsenal.

During his playing career, Liverpool legend Graeme Souness played alongside some fantastically talented players, and according to the combative midfielder, Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle is as good as any of them.In a recent interview with TalkSport, Souness enthused:"He [Hoddle] was a star. "He had ridiculous ability, and in terms of sheer talent, he was up there with anyone you want to name.

Some follow-up observations:

The team was hell-bent on keeping shape, which gave us some perhaps surprising (but perhaps not) tackling information. Etuhu and Murphy, and the entire back four, really didn't go for many tackles. Instead Dempsey, Dembele, and to a lesser extent, Ruiz, were doing a lot of the actual harrying.

by Adam Bate

Lille may be a long way from Lourdes but the message from Joe Cole is clear – his visit to France has given him a new lease of life.

Cole had cut a forlorn figure at Liverpool but the loan move to Ligue 1 has seen him reinvigorated. Roaming the field with freedom and dribbling past defenders for fun, it is easy to be reminded of the player once hailed as the saviour of English football.

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Why are football formations important? What is the difference between 4-4-2 and 4-3-3? This week, languagecaster.com takes a look at how teams line up and how formations affect a game.

Villa's cutbacks go too far plus wicked whistle and daft quotes of the week

The state of Mark Bosnich's head has been worrying observers for some time. This screengrab (click the full screen button to see the pic properly) from a TV appearance suggests he's finally done something about it.

Jamie Redknapp: Robin van Persie is just like Glenn Hoddle

There was a moment on Sunday when Robin van Persie reminded me of Glenn Hoddle's famous goal for Spurs against Watford in 1983. The one that was replayed endlessly on Match of the Day.

View the full story here: The Mail

A news article on 2011-10-16 23:00:15 from: The Mail

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By Alan Duffy

We have been blessed with a multitude of truly hideous, often quirky and occasionally mediocre music videos made by those usually more comfortable with a ball at their feet than a microphone in their hand.

So here, in order of chart performance, is a hand-picked, sun-ripened assortment of five of the best/worst of the footballer/pop genre.

By Alan Duffy

With his disastrous spell at Liverpool now behind him, tricky schemer Joe Cole is looking to kickstart his career with French champions Lille.

Talking to BBC Sport, the 29-year-old is confident he will rediscover his best form across the Channel.

Fabio Capello looking for the Philosopher's stone to transform England?

There is no one in this England team save Wayne Rooney who'll make a World XI. And he relies on service. The best European teams have a midfield that have all five bars of connectivity when on the pitch while England stumble around looking for a signal.

How did our lads fare in the recent spate of meaningless important Internationals?

Well, first up was our shiny, new striker from Korea, Mr Young, who opened the week with a hatrick., and a fine one at that. The first being a quick run behind the last defender and a powerful volley. The second, a towering header from a corner (watch and learn Chamakh) and for the third he received the ball in the Theo position then struck a firm drive past the beleaguered Lebanese keeper.

Steven Howard of the Sun reports on the new book by former England international Gary Neville, and about some of the problems behind the scenes in the England national team.
SO Gary Neville, veteran of 85 England internationals, has spoken.
And it's all as we told you at the time.

From Dublin To Los Angeles: Always Keane to Impress - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

It's another step in the forward moving efforts to increase the profile of Major League Soccer (MLS), and one that carries with it more weight than the recent World Football Challenge (WFC), which saw the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus make fleeting pre-season visits to US shores.

So Spurs fans have finally discovered David Beckham's reasons for training with Spurs. We were all of the opinion that he was teaching Aaron Lennon how to hit the perfect cross, whilst explaining to David Bentley that looks alone won't win competitive matches.

It would appear though that he was actually on a scouting mission for L.

With Robbie Keane on his way to LA Galaxy THFC1882′s Rob Handworker takes a look back on the strikers Spurs career.

On signing him for Tottenham from Leeds Utd in 2002, our manager the God Glenn Hoddle said that Keane was ideally suited to Tottenham and could make White Hart Lane his "spiritual home" for years to come.

With Robbie Keane on his way to LA Galaxy THFC1882′s Rob Handworker takes a look back on the strikers Spurs career.

On signing him for Tottenham from Leeds Utd in 2002, our manager the God Glenn Hoddle said that Keane was ideally suited to Tottenham and could make White Hart Lane his "spiritual home" for years to come.

A swap deal may well be Spurs' best chance of getting new blood into the squad for the start of the season, but can there really be any value in exchanging Peter Crouch for Bobby Zamora?

This story started quietly on Saturday morning and gathered predictable momentum as the weekend went on.

My shout for a guest report from the Brighton game was answered by Mike Hooley, a man who's first game, at the age of eight, was the '81 Cup Final Replay. Good start! Unsurprisingly for someone getting their Spurs education in the '80′s, his favourite player is Glenn Hoddle.

Here's Mike's take on yesterday's match:

Brighton 2 Spurs 3: Pre-season friendly, 30th July 2011.

Poor, to be Franck He should have known better. He had his warning. Chris Waddle. Glenn Hoddle. Andy Cole (that one was ear-rapingly bad). Ian Wright. Paul Gascoigne. Everyone knows that footballers, as good as they are with their legs and feet, have a tendency to be dreadful at making music. It's something to do [.

Can the Hod bring a touch of Spanish sunshine to Hyde?

It might have escaped many people's notice this month, but one of the most intriguing lower-league stories of the week involves the return to England of one Glenn Hoddle, former national team boss and psychic-consulter extraordinaire.

Can the Hod bring a touch of Spanish sunshine to Hyde?

It might have escaped many people's notice this month, but one of the most intriguing lower-league stories of the week involves the return to England of one Glenn Hoddle, former national team boss and psychic-consulter extraordinaire.

Glittering past successes for the Diamonds

Yesterday Rushden and Diamonds FC were officially expelled from the Conference, marking probably the darkest day in the very short history of many fans second favourite team (if not just for their unique name). Struggling with debts of nearly a million pounds, and having been docked five points last month for unpaid tax payments, the club now face a winding-up hearing on Monday, whilst also now having to plan for a very uncertain future, having admitted they could not guarantee being able to fulfil next season's fixtures.

1986.
When men were men. When shorts were short. And when a grocer's daughter from Grantham was lord and master of all she surveyed.
Younger readers might also need some reminding that back then Scotland played in World Cup finals. All the ruddy time.
A simple but surprisingly effective formula of having decent players in a smaller footballing world won us a regular seat at football's grand jamboree.

This is the first in what I hope will be a series of guest articles. First up is Rob Handworker. Rob is in his mid 30′s, says Glenn Hoddle is the best player he's seen at The Lane and won his child's team loyalties thanks to Woody's head. This is Rob's first venture into Spurs blogging.

Football and music often goes hand in hand. Unfortunately for modern spectators, this relationship is less obvious nowadays as footballers choose to channel their musicality more passively. The closest Premier League stars have come to Top of the Pops in ... Continue reading →

What's Mungoing on? It's Mungo, that's what. This week, Mungo hits upon a unique plan to retain Heart of Clachmaninshire's top flight status and, with support from Glenn Hoddle, successfully makes everybody's liver shut down.

Dotmund is, as ever, responsible. For this, anyway.

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You can follow both Dotmund and Twohundredpercent on Twitter.

This was a match so bad not even a mother could love it.
Semarang United came into the game third in the table and if they are the third best team in the breakaway league then we're all in trouble. Both sides were abject. The ball spent so much time in the air you could imagine people like Harry Basset and Egil Olsen replaying the game non stop.

He'll have to make it on to the pitch first, but if Jermain Defoe scores on Saturday against his former team, he will join an elite band of Spurs players who have scored 100 goals or more for the club.

Only 15 players have achieved this so far and if Defoe becomes the 16th he will join illustrious names such as Jimmy Greaves, Martin Chivers, Bobby Smith, Glenn Hoddle and many other great servants from the past.

Signing a new player is always something of a lottery, but when that player comes from abroad, then the club instantly raises the stakes. At Tottenham, for every Ardiles, Klinsmann and Modric, there's been an overseas signing who's been hopeless. Here's a list of the five worst that I've seen.

Glenn Hoddle gets into some hot water with a Chinese aphorism. What is with these Sky Sports commentators? Open mouth insert foot.

But really all this aside, what is Torres's excuse? One can allow for a learning curve under a new scheme but he's flubbing simple football 101's. Liverpool fans are surely not missing him.

Hod's comic timing woefully out Sky Sports' scandal-ridden start to 2011 continued with a fresh saga last night. Glenn Hoddle, co-commentator for the Fulham v Chelsea game, took to his Monday Night Football slot like a bigoted duck to water. After some poor control for Chelsea's record signing Fernando Torres, Hoddle said he was "like [.

Fourth placed Tottenham host league leaders Manchester United at White Lane today hoping to derail United's title charge. The two sides have served some true thrillers in the past, most notably in September, 2001 when the Red Devils came from three goals down to win 5-3 at White Hart Lane.

We all have different memories, but when it comes to memories of the best goals ever scored in English top flight football, do most of us recall the same goals or not? And are these goals part of all of our conscious memories because we rate them so highly or because we've seen the goals replayed over and over again on any highlights package?