The Fight for Fourth and Advice for Palacios

How about them Spurs? Despite all of the injuries, we have managed yet another win. I would have been extremely disappointed had we lost at home to Blackburn. Pav just keeps on scoring. Joe Jordan, our assistant, has come out and said there is still a spot in the squad for Keane and that he will definitely be returning next season. I can tell you how this is going to play out in one of two ways. Defoe will be sold for upwards of 30 million pounds or Celtic ends up ponying up the transfer fee we demand for Keane. There is just one too many roosters in the hen house. I don't even want to think about Pav being on the way out. He is quality. I love his left footed finishes. He always seems to create just enough space for himself to get off an accurate shot. Harry...sell Keano, keep the others. You hate drinkers, and despite what you said, you hate that he corrupted everyone on the Christmas party to London. By the way, who doesn't allow a team Christmas party with a little booze? I would want to leave Spurs, too. Harry claimed that "you don't put diesel in a Ferrari" when asked why he is so against his players drinking. You are paying them upwards of 60,000 pounds a week and they are surrounded by babes. Why not just ask them to quit masterbating while you are at it. Try telling an 18 year old sailor not to buy a BMW. It's just not happening.

In other news, Palacios has come out and said he would love to play for Real Madrid at some point. Here is a piece of advice, Wilson. Never leave a good time looking for a good time. You are cult hero at Spurs, and you would never be fully appreciated there. Look at how they ran Makelele out after everything he did for them. You are basically a spitting image of Makelele. They want superstars and flash, not hard working midfielders who send too many errant passes downfield. Stick with us, buddy.

Wolverhampton

Ok ok, I was wrong about Palacios scoring but let me explain what went wrong. I revealed my relevation about Palacios to my cousin Will around 9:30 am. It was a full two hours before the Aston Villa match. I received a text back a few minutes later declaring that he would rather have Jozy Altidore score. Within the next 10 minutes, Altidore buried one. So...instead of Palacios obliging Will, Altidore stood up and stole Will's request. I can't be faulted for that.

As for the game tomorrow, Spurs 3-1. The odds of us using a sub: 1 to 1.

An Engagement and a Prophecy

I know this might seem like a crazy thing to say 2 hours before kickoff, but Wilson Palacios will score this afternoon against Aston Villa. I had this epiphany three days ago but I didn't know whether to release it to the world or not. After getting a call late last night from my cousin Will announcing his engagement, I now know my hunch is a certainty. Palacios will know about this engagement because he is one of my biggest readers and also knows he will be letting me down if he doesn't deliver. Palacios always delivers...

I am actively trying to bring cousin Will on board to make some guest posts. This is my first mention of him on the blog, so I will give a quick introduction. He was a former starlet of the Richmond Strikers, who opted to play other sports instead of focusing on soccer around age 13. He is famous within the family for producing a moment of magic during Christmas 2008 with the "Knuckler Heard Around the World." It is common for our family to break out a volleyball before Christmas dinner and fire set pieces at each other. I don't remember the exact buildup because I was the victimized goalie but I do know the ferociousness of the drive. It was pretty much a carbon copy of Benoit Assou Ekotto's strike against Liverpool earlier this season. The strike was a glimpse of the type of player he could've been had he stayed focused on the beautiful game. Will currently resides in DC supporting Fulham in the Premiership, Reading in the Championship, Charlton in League One, Macclesfield in League Two, and VT-22 in La Liga Kingsville. I am now expecting a guest post within the next two days Will...

Ode to Wilson

One of my many readers thought this could be a tribute to Edgar Davids (pretty good memory by the way). In a way it is, Sam. Wilson Palacios plays the game much like the Dutch bulldog. It's unfortunate we caught Davids so late in his career, because he was a true terror in his youth. As for Palacios, we have him in his prime, and I've never had so much respect and admiration for a Spurs player as I do him.

Palacios is a Honduran international who was bought by Harry Redknapp from Wigan shortly after Redknapp was appointed manager. At first I couldn't believe the transfer fee of around 14 million pounds, but it has been money very well spent. Despite being about the size of Jermaine Defoe, Wilson has become one of the most feared hardmen in the game. If you gave me an odds on bet whether he would get a yellow card in any given game, I'd take it. He never even receives a yellow for dissent, but purely for mistimed challenges, repeated fouling, or professional fouls. His work ethic has rubbed off on everyone and even has big Tom Huddlestone working his socks off. Not an easy feat mind you. If you watch him just casually, you will notice he often gives the ball away. If you pay closer attention, watch how he hustles his ass off to win the ball back. That is a true teammate and work horse. It has been said that Tottenham has not had a true hardman in recent times. We do now.

There was a play against Fulham where someone gave possession away in a really bad spot. The Fulham attacker was running full bore down at our two central defenders and out of no where Palacios came in with a perfect slide tackle to dispossess him from behind. It was a play that won't show up on a highlight reel or receive much attention from the pundits, but it typified Wilson and the kind of all out effort he gives every match regardless of the score. I remember my good ole playing days. I can't tell you how many times I watch Stephen Berlucchi get stuck in within the first five minutes of a match. Immediately the intensity of the entire team would spike up a couple of notches and get everyone in the mood to give full effort. I imagine the same feeling must run through the Spurs team watching Wilson track down any attacker no matter how far away. They must think, "If he is giving maximum effort, then I must as well." At least that was what ran through my mind back then. Again, watch Hudd runs his fat ass up and down the pitch and close down defensively with Wilson around. Go back and watch Hudd when he was paired with Jenas and you can see the difference clear as night and day. You can't put that mentality and motivation on a score sheet, but it is priceless.

Palacios became an immortal Spurs hero in my mind after this story last year. His younger brother was taken hostage in Honduras and there was a ransom put on the brother's head. Wilson ended up paying up the ransom, but the attackers still killed the boy. At 1 a.m. the night before a big Premiership match, Palacios was informed that the police had found his brother's body. I think most people would just pack up their things and head for home, right? Instead, he waited up all night so he could personally tell Redknapp he needed to leave in the morning. He has so much respect for his coach that he didn't want to disturb his sleep. It's absolutely unbelievable. It is a sad personal tragedy, but even in his toughest personal moment, he still put others above himself. That quality is easily seen on the pitch.

Tottenham went from relegation all the way up to eighth this season. That change happened when Redknapp and Palacios both arrived. A coincidence? I think not. His unselfish nature and work ethic has rubbed off on the entire team. The hardman we once craved for is finally here in Wilson Palacios. I will end this with a quote from the gipper that accurately sums up my favorite player:

"Palacios has made a massive difference to this club. He gets on with it, he's strong, he's aggressive - he's what Spurs haven't had. You get a little group who have seen Palacios come in, work his socks off and close down opponents, and it rubs off on people. He's not a big-time Charlie, you need people like that to be successful." Spurs boss Harry Redknapp