Tottenham Hotspur has had a week that many who consider themselves soccer fans would not like to remember.

Although they came out on top in a 3-1 victory over West Ham United on Sunday, Tottenham left the stadium feeling uncomfortable, after spending a good portion of the match receiving anti-Semitic chants from a small portion of West Ham supporters.

These anti-Semitic chants come days after Tottenham took a trip to Rome to face Lazio fora Europa League match, which came with a large amount of anti-Semitic abuse and one Tottenham fan being stabbed in a confrontation at a local bar in Rome shortly after the match.

West Ham fans were reportedly found chanting “Viva Lazio” throughout a portion of the match, and were also found mocking the gassing of Jews during the Holocaust.

The Football Association, along with West Ham United, plans to look into these chants and  punish those found guilty, which could involve lifelong bans from the grounds.

But the questions still remain: Why is Tottenham such a common target? Why has the abuse increased now? And why do these types of chants still exist in today’s game?

Being from the North London area, Tottenham has a large Jewish fan base. And being one of the oldest clubs in England, founded in 1882, their fans have gone through many years in which anti-Semitic abuse was sadly common.

Tottenham supporters joined together to nickname themselves “Yids,” not because their rivals called them this, but because they believed that accepting the name would take the negative connotations out of it, and later help stop the unnecessary abuse. Other fans disagree with taking the nickname as their own; many believe that accepting it would lead to more and even worse abuse from rivals.

It is not just Tottenham that are receiving abuse from their rivals.

Other well known rivalries have led to harsh abuse over the years. For example, Liverpool and Manchester United are always having issues: some Liverpool fans reference the Munich Air Disaster in their chants, and some Manchester United fans can be found chanting about the Hillsborough Disaster.

The reason why such racial and anti-Semitic abuse has increased in recent weeks is not quite clear. There is always tension between fans, and with international championships like the UEFA Champions League underway, teams from different countries travel to one another, and often travel straight into the firing line of racial and anti-Semitic abuse that goes far beyond the soccer pitch.

Something that has made soccer into the beautiful game that everyone has come to know and love, is that the long histories that each club has with its fans is well known by all. Although hooliganism has decreased a considerable amount in the past couple of decades, many of the older supporters from past generations have left a somewhat disfiguring impression on modern day supporters, and on what they consider to be morally correct actions. This explains how many of these chants and songs have stood the test of time, and are still used today.

Unfortunately, much of the old ways of being a fan have found their way into modern day. Even though the racial and anti-Semitic abuse is considered wrong and immoral, it is still used and could be considered common banter. In the end, we as supporters need to look at ourselves and ask if it is necessary. Only then will supporters who choose to chant these insults realize all they’re doing is hurting their own club, and themselves.

Image Courtesy : Tottenham Hotspur

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The international break is here and the English Premiership is off for a week’s break. In all honestly though no one wanted that to happen, such has been the excitement we have enjoyed since the resumption of the world’s most popular league – especially this past weekend.

Here are a couple of points:

• The Mighty Gunners of North London

I am super excited about the Gunners, so much so that I’m ordering a brand new replica jersey… I will admit I was thrilled to see Song leave Arsenal. I have nothing against him, he’s a wonderful talent and I truly believe he will go on to reach great heights at Barcelona. But to me Song was one of the main reasons for Arsenal’s downs last season.

It’s still too early to go around claiming vindication but the early signs are encouraging.

Yes, the season is only three games old, but the midfield of Arteta, Diaby and Carzola is looking scrumptious. Their performance against Liverpool was simply outstanding. They nullified Liverpool’s midfield and were able to set a platform for one of Arsenal’s finest league wins in recent seasons. The Gunners did ride their luck a bit; there were a couple of penalty shouts that could have easily gone the other way on another day, but after 90 minutes there was no arguing who was the better team.

Diaby. Well, what can you say? He was amazing.

When he arrived at Arsenal seven years ago from Auxerre he was said to be the new Vieira. This, however, never really materialized because he was unable to consistently play in his favorite position – frequently being deployed on the wing or further forward – while injuries also hampered him greatly.

Although he showed glimpses of his immense talent he was never settled so was never a nailed down player.

Thankfully Diaby’s back to full fitness and, based on Sunday’s evidence, could be Arsenal’s most important player in their quest for silverware.

I really believe Arsenal can challenge for the league title this season.

That midfield trio of Arteta, Diaby and Carzola is comparable to any in the league and the defensively the team suddenly looks pretty solid.

I’m happy with Jenkinson. He’s not the most refined player, but he has won me over in the last two games – games which have not been easy tasks, and have posed different challenges.

In dealing with the physical threat of Stoke and then the pace and guile of Raheem Sterling against Liverpool, Jenkinson has shown he can be a resourceful option at rightback. He’s still nervous, yes, and this coupled with his relative lack of technique means he’s prone to mistakes in possession. Nevertheless, I would like to see him get an extended run in the team.

The Mertesacker-Vermaelen combination also deserves to continue at the heart of Arsenal’s defence. Despite shaky moments from each against Liverpool, both were generally outstanding. I felt they complimented each other well, and Vermaelen’s all-action style is well-matched by Mertesacker’s composed approach.

It’s often pointed out that the most effective centreback partnerships are ones which comprise of differing personalities; the cool guy and the crazy guy – for example Carvalho and Terry, Ferdinand and Vidic, Pique and Puyol.

You would hope this partnership is given a chance to flourish because so far it hasn’t let the team down.

Upfront there remains a slight worry in terms of where the goals will consistently come from. But, for me, the most important thing is to keep this group together. Fingers crossed then that Arsenal doesn’t suffer any injuries over this international break.

• The Paul Scholes Conundrum

There’s still no convincing explanation why Paul Scholes doesn’t start more often for Manchester United.

Scholes himself has frequently said he wants to play more. Ok, he is 37, so maybe he can’t play every game, but he should be used as much as possible.

There are perhaps games where Scholes won’t be suited; a Stoke perhaps, who are more physical and where his tackling would be called into question more often. Maybe a Newcastle away too on the evidence of their victory over United last season which was underpinned by a frenetic pace and direct approach.

Probably against such styles you would require more mobility, stamina and force in midfield.

But otherwise it’s clear that Scholes should play every game. He changed the game on Sunday against Southampton.

United looks like a much different team when Scholes is on the pitch. His passing range is remarkable, and what’s more, he always seems to pick the right pass. That’s what makes him special. Scholes also brings a sense of calm and direction to the team, and because he’s been a midfield guru from his youth, he knows all the tricks of the trade.

Scholes should be played in his favored role as the creative fulcrum, not as at Everton where he was the deepest of United’s midfielders.

Scholes in my book is key to whether United will compete this season.

• Swansea Splendour

Swansea are the story of the league so far. Continuing on from they left off under Brendan Rodgers, the Swans are third and flying after three games.

Apart from their lofty ranking Swansea are also an illustration of how English football has evolved in the last ten years – the passing and technique-based football, with a sprinkling of tactical discipline.

You could see it with Southampton (against United) as well while teams like Wigan and Fulham have an emphasis on quality possession at the core of their philosophies.

There’s a place for the other side as well as Carroll showed brilliantly with West Ham, as Stoke does so effectively and as the variation Newcastle and Everton have to their strategy.

It just makes the Premiership that more intriguing because there are so many different styles.

It also means this will be the toughest season yet. Year on year this league is getting tougher and tougher. There is no side you can say are obvious favorites for relegation, nor can you say playing a certain way will guarantee success as opposed another style.

Southampton may be pointless after three games, but they were five minutes from beating Man United and gave City a real fright on the opening day of the season.

• Liverpool…

While Rodgers’ old team is going great guns, his new team–Liverpool–has some problems.

First, I believe they’ve tried to change things a bit too quickly. Rodgers has attempted to revolutionize Liverpool’s style into a technique-based, meticulous one. It doesn’t completely suit all the players at his disposal, for example Gerrard. Stevie G is a world-class footballer, full-stop. However, Liverpool’s new style more often than not entails measured build-ups while Gerrard is an explosive player, always looking to add tempo. At times this means he’s not on the same wavelength with the system, as evidenced by a couple of personal errors so far on his part.

Most of Liverpool’s transfer activity also hasn’t made sense.

One thing that’s a blessing is Suarez is now the undisputed main man and there’s no distraction of Carroll (even if it’s still a bit of a blunder not to have had a replacement for Carroll in place). A three-man midfield with Gerrard supporting Suarez is Liverpool at their best, something akin to the deadly Torres-Gerrard combo of 2008-09.

The only problem, though, is that Suarez is not a prolific scorer. This puts pressure on Liverpool’s other attackers to find the net, and if you look at the team-sheet there are no other scorers except for Gerrard. At the moment I see Borini as a bit of a weak link. Both he and Sterling are not goalscorers, but Sterling offers sharp penetration, which Borini hasn’t done so far.

Liverpool needs someone out-wide who can score. This is where an Afellay might have been an option, and is what Kuyt used to do.

Signing Owen would have helped too. It might have meant changing the system a bit, but Liverpool would have had the goal threat they are missing.

Other parts, though not yet perfect, are fine. Without Lucas, Liverpool lacks a presence on the defensive side in midfield. Nevertheless, the midfield group as a whole has real quality, and with Shelvey lately making himself a good option, it is likely going to serve Liverpool well.

The defense and keeper are also proven Premiership quality.

However, it will take some time for Liverpool to be transformed into a winning team that also plays to the manager’s philosophy.

• AVB and Spurs…

Another man of change is Andre Villas-Boas; the man tries to change things too much whenever he lands. He looks to be repeating the same mistakes he made at Chelsea. The jettisoning of Dawson, for example, makes little sense. He has been one of Tottenham’s best defenders over recent seasons and he understands the club. Vertonghen, has been thrown in the deep end.

Although Tottenham endured a poor finish to last season under Harry Redknapp they did finish fourth. The previous three seasons the Spurs have finished 4th, 5th and 4th, a pretty incredible sequence. This is the standard that’s been set by Harry’s superb work and, sadly, I feel the Spurs have taken a step back so far.

That’s not to say AVB will not have success at White Hart Lane. He may well achieve it, but it’s unlikely to be this season.

Image Courtesy of  ATGImages / Shutterstock.com

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Teams are making their final push for seeding in the NBA playoffs which are just weeks away, beginning April 16. Teams are preparing for the home stretch of the season, but also have an eye on where they sit in the standings, and what type of draw they will have come playoff time. The Western Conference has several intriguing matchups that should result in thrilling basketball as a carryover from March Madness.

No. 1 Spurs vs. No. 8 Grizzlies: The Spurs have been a surprising team this year, having the best record in the NBA. They still have the main components of their championship teams with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili. Although the eighth seed could be the Jazz, Rockets, or Suns, the Grizzlies have the berth for now. The Grizzlies have some nice pieces down low with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, and point guard Mike Conley is finally coming around. The Spurs are just too veteran of a team and have played so well this year that they won’t have a first round letdown. This is a team that has been there before and with Richard Jefferson making them a more athletic team, they will muscle their way into the next round, and compete to play in the Finals.

No. 2 Lakers vs. No. 7 Hornets: The defending champions, the Lakers, are one of the deepest, most complete teams in the NBA. Even if they don’t have the best record in the regular season, they are built to win in the post-season and they will be tough to beat, no matter who the opponent is. The Lakers have great big men, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, a good defender, rebounder and scorer in Ron Artest, experience and smarts in Derek Fisher, and possibly the best player in the NBA, Kobe Bryant. That’s not even mentioning the type of talent they bring off their bench, guys who would start for many other teams. The Hornets have put together a nice season this year, and have good forwards, David West and Trevor Ariza. Chris Paul runs the show, and will give Fisher all that he can handle, but the depth of the Lakers, along with the experience and ‘it’ factor of Kobe Bryant, will place this team in position to go much deeper than the first round. They will most likely represent the West once again this season.

No. 3 Mavericks vs. No. 6 Trailblazers: The Mavericks have had a solid year this season, and have a little different look to their team. Dirk Nowitzki leads the team, but a solid supporting cast with future Hall-of-Famer Jason Kidd, and shooter Peja Stojakovic, the Mavs are a bit more complete, balancing experience with youth and athleticism. Jason Terry, Tyson Chandler, and Shawn Marion round out a great bench, and help to add a different dynamic to the floor with their presence. The Trailblazers have had an up-and-down season, and star guard Brandon Roy’s numbers were down as he struggled to stay healthy. Marcus Camby and Andre Miller bring some experience, and Gerald Wallace provides a nice compliment to LaMarcus Aldridge at the forward position. The Mavericks just have too much offense for the Blazers though, and should slide past Portland, although the series should be tough and could go six or seven games.

No. 4 Thunder vs. No. 5 Nuggets: These teams will face off twice before the regular season concludes, April 5, and 8, and will be very familiar with each other’s tendencies. The Nuggets look so different with the gaping hole left by Carmelo Anthony’s departure, but they have continued to play good basketball. The team has good guards and forwards, and Ty Lawson adds a burst off the bench. If Kenyon Martin can step his game up, and Danilo Gallinari continues to have a good year, the Nuggets could pose a threat to an overly talented young Thunder squad. The addition of Kendrick Perkins was huge for the Thunder, adding size and playoff experience to a young, hungry team who gave the Lakers all they could handle in the first round last year. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are the two stars that everybody talks about. Without Carmelo, the Nuggets will have trouble keeping up with Thunder, and Perkins will pose serious problems for Denver down low. This will be a battle, as the 4 vs. 5 matchup usually is, but the young stars of the Thunder will carry them on, becoming a nightmare for a top seed in the next round.

This should be a year of great matchups in the West, as every team brings a winning record to the playoff table. The Western Conference boasts the defending champion Lakers, and the best record in the NBA, the Spurs. The team that makes it out of the conference will pose a serious threat to the East, and most likely be the favorite to win it all in the end.

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