THFC1882 present a match report by Anthony Lombardi

Liverpool and Tottenham: Both Clubs Fail to Dare and To Do.

Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur drew 0-0 at Anfield, in a tight Premier League encounter that neither team wanted to lose, or seemed determined enough to try and win.

Beyond anything which Mario may or may not be doing...what an odd sequence to catch during a game, isn't it? Fans get caught doing things quite often, but not players seated in cushy boxes.

That said....Mario makes a coke can disappear. I think. Which is pretty nice. Though I imagine the higher ups would prefer he be watching the game.

I thought we might all need a little cheering up after the result against Citeh, so courtesy of giftscardspresents.com, I bring you a t-shirt giveaway. Featuring the brilliant and original Spurs caricatures by James Husbands, to win your choice of t-shirt (pick from Ardilies, MacKay, Greaves, Parker, Bale, Hoddle, Modric, Rafa VDV and Harry & Wenger.

Espanyol extended their unbeaten run to five league games and moved into fifth place in La Liga thanks to a comfortable 3-0 win over Granada. The hosts started brightly and took the lead when Raul Baena headed in from Thievy Bifouma's flick-on after 26 minutes.

Espanyol doubled their advantage just before half-time as Allan Nyom was harshly penalised for a trip on Vladimir Weiss and Joan Verdu slotted home the penalty.

Former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez recently revealed that Steven Gerrard is the best player he's ever managed, but who does Benitez himself look up to? Who is his greatest football role model? In an interview with El Grafico, Benitez ran through the coaches and managers from whom he's learned the most over the years:"I have always taken samples from many different sources and I have enjoyed

By Alan Duffy

Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Sunderland Premier League 18th December 2011

They may have started the game without the crocked pair of Gareth Bale and Jermain Defoe and lost Aaron Lennon after just 27 minutes, but Harry Redknapp's in-form Spurs side still had far too much left in the locker for the visiting Black Cats.

Sylvie is a judge on Das Supertalent, the German version of Simon Cowell's Got Talent behemoth. Below are some of the best pictures of Rafa's lovely Mrs from the live shows. If you're interested, it was won by a pan fluter with a sob story...
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After a disappointing campaign in 2010-11, the season started on a more positive note for Niko Kranjcar as he stepped into the breach when fellow Croatian Luka Modric endured an unsettled August. The player's performance against Hearts even drew praise from manager Harry Redknapp,

"I thought Niko Kranjcar was outstanding in midfield," said Harry at the time.

Former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez recently revealed that Steven Gerrard is the best player he's ever managed, but who does Benitez himself look up to? Who is his greatest footballing inspiration? The answer will definitely come as no surprise.Speaking on Spanish Radio, Benitez stated:"I knew about Pele; I watched Maradona and Johann Cryuff, but my favourite was always Franz Beckenbauer".

Ex-Liverpool boss the target for Paris Saint Germain

Rafa Benitez being lined up to take over at the Ligue One side

View the full story here: The Mirror

A news article on 2011-12-03 22:56:49 from: The Mirror

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

The main question this weekend appears to be whether Rafael van der Vaart will return to the starting line up and reclaim his regular place behind the main striker.

According to manager Harry Redknapp, VDV is fit once again to challenge for his slot but there is a doubt over Sandro who has picked up a groin problem.

After his winning goal in Saturday's 3-1 win over West Brom, manager Harry Redknapp was quick to heap praise on the striker. JD only broke into this winning side after an injury to Rafael van der Vaart but he resumed his potent pairing with Emmanuel Adebayor and rounded off the performance with the crucial goal on 81 minutes.

Craig Bellamy Hated Rafa Beitez! Lucas Leiva Makes Alex Song Look Terrible! Tony Pulis is Probably a Human Being! Other Inflammatory Headlines...!

* Craig Bellamy's feisty, roaming performance on the weekend played a key role in Liverpool's success, even if the more senior player inevitably tired after a frantic first half that saw Liverpool fly at their opponents.

James Grossi gets us back into the swing of things by rewinding and pressing play on what happened in this year's MLS playoffs and the lead-up.

The first twelve matches of the 2011 MLS playoffs have been played; one remains to determine who will take the honours as Champions.

Rafa and the gaffers

Rafael Benitez told Soccer AM about his run-ins with some of the Premier League's bigger personalities.

View the full story here: Sky Sports

A news article on 2011-11-12 15:54:52 from: Sky Sports

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

Arsenal striker Andrey Arshavin rarely speaks about Arsenal in public as he is wary of being deliberately misquoted, or having his words 'taken out of context'. Rafa Benitez also suffered exaggeration and misquoting at the hands of the British press, and in a rare recent interview, Arshavin expressed some sympathy for Liverpool's former manager.

West Bromwich Albion marked the first time that Jamie Carragher hasn't started at centre half this season, and with it came the first chance in ages to see Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger paired at the back. The long-delayed partnership, one many assumed Rafa Benitez intended to use as the replacement for Hyypia and Carragher before a series of injuries made it nearly impossible to imagine, put in an almost flawless performance.

Following Rafael Benitez's bizarre rant about Sir Alex Ferguson in January 2009, our fans got to sing "he's cracking up, he's cracking up, he's cracking, Rafa's cracking up!" from the stands every week. The chant spread to the stands of whoever Liverpool's opponents were, with everyone making fun of the Spaniard who had seemingly lost the plot.

Rafa's 1998 Heemskerk Disco Dancing Champion medal was still very much at the forefront of his mindApologies for the lack of posts in recent days. It's been fairly non-stop ever since this blogsworth returned from Blackburn at 1am on Monday morning. Yes, that's right, it's not all dodgy Internet streams and crowded pub visits to watch games for me.

Spurs away and just like the old days. An inferior side produces their best because we let them play. Shaky at the back, vulnerable to the simplest long ball. Can't keep hold of the ball or close down our opponents. One difference, mind we won.

The familiar 4-4-2 created plenty of opportunities early on.

VDV celebrates his first. That's 5 wins out of the last 6 now for us. A brilliant run by Kyle Walker down the right allowed him to get into the Rovers penalty area. He cut it back for Rafa to slot home from inside the area. 0-1.
Endless sloppy tackles and defenders climbing on Blackburn strikers resulting in endless free kicks.

THFC1882 present Gareth Johnson's reflections on Spurs draw at Newcastle:

They say time is a healer, hence me writing this review having had a small period of reflection. We nearly had them. It was nearly the perfect victory. It nearly made me smug. It just about devastated me.

As someone who has always had an interest (some have called it an obsession; meh) in football around the world, Rafael van der Vaart came to my attention about 10 years ago. Another graduate of the famed Ajax academy, breaking into the first team and showing his exciting talent on the world stage.

Jamie Carragher: 'Rafa was a coach, but Kenny's a manager'

The Anfield defender answers talkSPORT's questions ahead of Liverpool v Manchester United

View the full story here: Talksport

A news article on 2011-10-13 17:14:17 from: Talksport

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

After recently voicing out his irritation about being placed in a new position at Tottenham Hotspurs, Rafael Van Der Vaart's future at the club could very well be in jeopardize.

This possibility occurred after Spurs' manager, Harry Redknapp, answered back to Van Der Vaart's statement by stating that if the Dutchman is insisting to play on his preferred role than the ex-Real Madrid player must compete with Jermaine Defoe for one position in the starting eleven.

Harry Redknapp has responded to the Dutchman's comments about team selection and substitutions by acknowledging that he has some decisions to make. There are options for the Spurs manager, including the question of whether to move VDV out of the club altogether but for now, Harry has hinted at a straight choice between Rafa and Jermain Defoe.

During his time at Liverpool, Rafa Benitez regularly used the press to get his point across, and he was up to his old tricks again yesterday, but this time it was Inter Milan President Massimo Moratti in the firing line.Very soon after leaving Anfield, Benitez took on the poisoned chalice of Inter Milan, and lasted less than six months in the hotseat before being ignominiously fired.

Rafael van der Vaart played a huge part in Tottenham's success yesterday in scoring his second league goal of the season in our 2-1 win over Arsenal at White Hart Lane.

However, it's been a familiar sight for Spurs fans to see VDV disappear from the field and to the subs' bench and just after the hour mark yesterday, he was replaced in midfield by Sandro.

By Andrew Villegas Paging Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl, I have the topic and title for your next book: The Márquez Experiment. In a lot of ways, the Rafa Márquez experiment in NY was a more important experiment than the David Beckham experiment was for MLS. Márquez was supposed to bring in Mexicans — a huge [.

By Chris Wright

He we go folks, the big one that you've all been waiting with bated breath for ever since we broke the GARGANTUAN news that Rafa and his lovely lady wife Sylvie were due for a waxing a couple of months back the big unveil at the Amsterdam branch of the world famous, ever-so-slightly creepy, heat-sensitive, wonky celebrity sculpture emporium that is Madame Tussauds.

One of the management principles in which I strongly believe is the merit system: if someone is playing well, you continue to play them. It's simple, and seems to make sense, but in recent years, that policy has been regularly ignored. Hopefully, Kenny Dalglish will employ the merit system with his team selection today.

Inter Milan coach Gian Piero Gasperini's future at the club is in major doubt after his side were soundly beaten by newly promoted Novara on Tuesday night. Goals by Riccardo Meggiorini and a brace from Marco Rigoni proved decisive as little Novara tore into the 2010 European Champions at the Stadio Comunale Silvio Piola.

Yesterday I rediscovered a valuable element of the art of watching football. It's absent for a good reason when Spurs play it's a serious business as far as I'm concerned and I'm totally absorbed. Wouldn't have it any other way, that complete commitment is the source of the passion, but it can be draining and debilitating sometimes.

Here's a treat for all you lot: the excellent Vertigo by author John Crace was recently released into the literary world and this blog is here to tell you that it's an absolute must-read if you're of a Spurs persuasion (which, seeing as you're on this website, is quite likely).
From the point of view of a long-suffering Spurs fan, the book tells the tale of Spurs in 2010/11 - the European highs, the domestic lows, Harry, Gareth, Rafa, Luka, all of it.

This is probably the hardest team to predict so far this season as we have been promised as many as ten changes for tonight's match against PAOK.

"We've got a lot of senior players injured," said Harry Redknapp. "William Gallas, Michael Dawson, Danny Rose, Steven Pienaar, Tom Huddlestone, Sandro, Aaron Lennon, Rafa van der Vaart, all not fit.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has played down talk of a rift with midfielder Rafael Van der Vaart following the Dutchman's disappointment at being dropped from the club's Europa League squad without notification.

The player stirred controversy in the British media yesterday by insisting that the Spurs should have consulted him before taking the decision, particularly given the manner in which he has quickly recovered from a recent injury.

Liverpool veteran Jamie Carragher has praised the new management team for the way they have transformed them into a formidable outfit.
Under Kenny Dalglish and Damien Comolli Liverpool have brought in some stellar signings to add some significant quality and depth to their squad, with seven players alone coming in this summer.

After what seems an eternity haggling over wages and fee, Emmanuel Adebayor's season long loan deal has finally been announced. Spurs long wait for a powerful front man is over. Adebayor is exactly the kind of striker Spurs have been looking for since summer 2010 and can provide the perfect foil for Rafa Van der Vaart and should also link well with Defoe or Pavlyuchenko if needed.

Just a quick one I thought you all ought to see... I've just stumbled across this story from the Dutch paper De Telegraaf. Sylvie and Rafa Van Der Vaart are to be immortalised in wax at Madame Tussaude's Amsterdam branch. They had their images taken earlier this month and the full models are set to be revealed in late September.

Today the Daily Star are running a story detailing a bit of a bust-up between new captain Robin van Persie and Arsene Wenger regarding the current standard of the squad and the lack of purchases this summer.

Robin, who recently took on the agent of Clichy, Nasri and Cesc in Darren Dein, is no stranger to getting under the nose of the boss.