Royston Vasey

I had not realised that in the ENIC/Levy era (19 years and counting since Alan Sugar sold for £22M), only one trophy has been won (the League Cup). Really quite a poor haul......albeit Spurs fans can argue that unlike Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea etc, Spurs have over these years never been able to have an open cheque book approach to player purchases.

I attended the first home game of the season back in August v Leicester and it was clear something special was in the air even before the teams came out. The love for the new manager was palpable. 4 months on, it seems in Frank Lampard, the club have seemingly pulled off a master stroke. Clearly it was a risky appointment as Frank’s managerial CV is hardly lengthy, but already it looks like being a gem of a decision.....and of course coupled with the transfer ban, absolutely nothing is expected this season, so anything like say a top 4 finish is just one huge bonus. Frank will only be judged in about a year’s time, once he has had a full season under his belt and once the transfer ban is lifted, at the latest, next summer. For now, every Chelsea fan is ecstatic with life, loving every minute, and made all the better with the meltdown ongoing at Spurs, West Ham, Arsenal & Man Utd. The football is mesmerising and the way the ‘kids’ are being given a chance (at last) and shining, well it’s unbelievable. The likes of Hudson-Odoi, Mount, Abraham, Reece James and Tomori are that good that they could make up nearly half of England’s regular starting line up in years to come. Add Loftus-Cheek to that list once he is back from his achilles injury. Imagine England starting with 6 Chelsea players ! Good luck to Frank, an absolute gent and clearly someone developing into a top manager. The future at Stamford Bridge is looking rosy.

Jim, that is a fascinating overview of the current state of play at Spurs. A proper analysis ! It will be fascinating to see how things play out over the next say half a dozen games. Much amusement here in London at the moment with talk of the forthcoming West Ham v Spurs fixture being a proverbial ‘6 pointer’.

When I speak to my Spurs friends and ask them why it’s all gone belly up, to a man they refuse to comment. It is as if they are in denial. Here are a few theories : The team have been punching above their weight over the last few seasons. Now they are at their realistic level. The squad needed a big revamp in the summer but Levy didn’t deliver for Poch. The funds for rebuilding aren’t there following the £1B cost of the new stadium. Players like Erickson, Toby A and Vertonghen are not paid the market rate and are just running down their contracts. Spurs generally do not pay the levels dished out by Man U, City, Arsenal and Chelsea. Vertonghen and Erickson have had a major bust up over a woman’s rumoured infidelity and this has completely disrupted the dressing room atmosphere. Eric Dier has not been played enough. Add all these factors together and you have a team ‘going through the motions’. Poch is naturally hugely frustrated and I expect him to walk in the summer. His win rate this season at only 25% is simply not good enough. Recent seasons have been over 50%. Levy however won’t sack him as the cost of severing his contract is estimated at over £20M. Troubled times for the club.

Thin Lizzy, late 70s, Lynott/Downey/Gorham/Robertson......surely worthy of flagging up here. Likewise Status Quo from the same period, Rossi/Parfitt/Coughlan/Lancaster. I remember some amazing gigs at Hammersmith Odeon at that time.

After a great draw, the replay is this afternoon. Huge game for The Fort and a chance to progress into the next round of the Scottish Cup. Their website describes it as the biggest game in their (illustrious) history.

Always the victims......as we know.

Now just Liverpool and the Minstermen the last 2 remaining unbeaten clubs in the top 6 divisions of English footie.

I got my hygienist to closely examine Jurgen’s teeth on the computer screen recently after I had been in the chair. The before work done / after work done photos are deceiving. Whilst they look whiter than white and Jurgen is no doubt happy with the results, the work is apparently of poor quality. The whole set, top and bottom, have been crowned but shoddily.

I am now struck down with fear for Bruce tonight at the recording. This could be a car crash of an interview a la Eamonn Holmes with Little Steven recently on ITV which was toe curlingly appalling. Norton has to keep referring to his notes to remind himself of the title of the album etc. He also misjudges totally the gravitas of the man on the sofa and his inane questions completely miss the level required. Bruce ends up lowering himself to Norton’s level with Mutleyesque grunts every 28 seconds and the utter disaster unfolding in front of us is only ended when Bob intervenes and moves the chat on to Meet The Fockers 3 due in 2024, much to the delight of the screaming audience who are mostly aged under 35 and have no concept that they are in the presence of the world’s greatest rock and roll star.

You can take the boy out of Liverpool but........

......unbeaten.

Only 3 teams in the top 6 divisions of English football remain unbeate.

I can’t help but be worried about how this interview will go, if Norton is his usual joking, irreverent self, and Bruce, lest we forget, is a serious ‘performer’. That said, our man does have experience of these type of situations having done Fallon and Stewart in the past, both frivolous individuals. Frankly, all I want out of the interview is a positive answer to “so a new E Street album this Autumn and a full world tour in 2020, Bruce ?”

They were a brilliant band in their hey day and Barrie was a top front man. I recall gigs at places like the Lyceum and the Nashville, late 70s. The Hot Rods had great energy, and great songs. Seems like Barrie can only have been in his 60s when he passed away. Died too young. RIP Barrie Masters.