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Virus forces Spurs to close down their training ground
Jon West26 Feb 2010
Tottenham today closed down their training ground and put players in quarantine in a bid to stop illness wrecking their Champions League hopes yet again.
Defender Vedran Corluka and midfielder Wilson Palacios have already been laid low by a virus that has swept through their Chigwell base and manager Harry Redknapp was desperately hoping no more first-teamers would be affected ahead of Sunday's visit of Everton.
Tottenham, then under Martin Jol, famously fell at the last hurdle in 2006 when they were poised to pip Arsenal for fourth place.
A virus — initially misdiagnosed as food poisoning — sent them tumbling to defeat against West Ham and allowed the Gunners to nip in on the last day.
This time round Redknapp wasn't prepared to take any chances, ordering those affected to stay away for 48 hours.
“We have this virus problem at the training ground and we've closed it down,” he said. “We are going to train there but everything else is off limits — the offices and the cafeteria. There will be no food or anything.
“We are just going to go in and train and then get out of there. We had a few down with it the other day. Corluka had the virus and Palacios was not feeling great with it either.
“It has swept through the Academy. About 18 who work there or the kids have all got it so the doctor decided we couldn't use it.
“We are still going to train there but just get into the changing rooms, get out on the pitch, shower and get out of there. Other than that it's closed down there completely.
“It hasn't disrupted us, we are still training as normal and hopefully no one else gets it but there have been so many other people who have gone down with it, including a few of the Press boys who came over on Tuesday. It is certainly spreading.”
Redknapp has other worries as striker Jermain Defoe is doubtful with a hamstring problem and fellow forward Peter Crouch is also struggling with an ankle knock.
But at least the Spurs boss believes his team are under less pressure than his rivals to claim a place in the Champions League.
He said: “Compared to ourselves and Aston Villa, I still believe there is more pressure on Liverpool and Manchester City, when you consider what they've spent.”
Reader views (9)
To right Adrian, Rob Gooner the stairwell dweller from the 'stow' who has more comments on Spurs than the Spurs fans have...............Love all Gooner interest as they have nothing to talk about there own team except for the occasional comment by Voyeur.........
- Coloneyjohn, Vancouver Canada, 27/02/2010 02:00
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People ! take no notice of these no mark, no win anything, proud to be in third place, ARSEnal French-ites. We're going to Wembly AGAIN this year, like we did last year, and the year before.............."We'll send you some photo's "Rob" so you know what the place looks like lol.
- Bob Masters, Hemel Hempstead UK., 26/02/2010 20:26
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btw Bob Gooner -
Coming from a 'fan' of a club with around 1/4 of a BILLION POUNDS of debt and whose club can't afford to get a good goalkeeper in....thats a fairly ironic comment.
- West Spur, London, 26/02/2010 17:01
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West Spur - Even worse it could be Financial flu... symptoms include.. every club you have managed being in severe financial difficulty, inland revenue charges for tax evasion, lack of passport as has never been abroad & sore neck from looking up the table.
- Rob Gooner, North London, 26/02/2010 16:02
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Adrian - Dont Tootenham fans bite easy! In respect of writing about Arsenal.. read the following... Sitting pretty in 3rd place & in the last 16 of the Champions League, yes the Champions League, the competition Tootenham have never been in. As for becoming a Tootenham fan, thanks, but no thanks, it must be so depressing. Its like supporting City instead of United... Everton instead of Liverpool.... Fulham instead of Chelsea. EWnjoy the Europa League next season, if you manage to qualify.
- Rob Gooner, North London, 26/02/2010 15:57
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It is thought that this virus is a less serious strain of the more dangerous and more invasive 'French Flu'.
Symptoms of French Flu are that the victim looses vision or they have hallucinations, have delusions that their team are still the best even when they have been hammered and they become allergic to silverware. Current suffers have had this strain for over 5 years with no sign of recovery in sight
- West Spur, London, 26/02/2010 15:26
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More pressure on OTHER teams because of what they've spent?
Just how misguided can one man be...?
- Stu, Homeless, 26/02/2010 14:58
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Rob, my mate, when they don't have anything to write about Arsenal, you come and look at the Spurs articles, my freind you are becoming a Spurs supporter? It seems alot of Arsenal supporters are interested in what Spurs are doing!! Thanks for yr support....
- Adrian, London, 26/02/2010 14:58
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Apparently the symptoms of this virus are a red face, twitch & delusions that your team might finish in the top four.
- Rob Gooner, North London, 26/02/2010 13:35
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