Watford v Tottenham Hotpur Vicarage Road 3 p.m. Monday 28th December 2015 please log in to view this image The Opposition Tottenham Hotspur Football Club commonly referred to as Spurs, are an English football club located in Tottenham whose home stadium is White Hart Lane. Founded in 1882, Tottenham won the FA Cup for the first time in 1901, making them the only non-League club to do so since the formation of the Football League. Tottenham were the first club in the 20th century to achieve the League and FA Cup Double, winning both competitions in the 1960–61 season. After successfully defending the FA Cup in 1962, in 1963 they became the first British club to win a UEFA club competition – the European Cup Winners' Cup. In 1967, Spurs won the FA Cup for a third time in the 1960s. In the 1970s Tottenham won the League Cup on two occasions and were the inaugural winner of the UEFA Cup in 1972, becoming the first British club to win two different major European trophies. In the 1980s Spurs won several trophies: the FA Cup twice, FA Community Shield and the UEFA Cup in 1984. In the 1990s the club won the FA Cup and the League Cup. When they won the League Cup once more in 2008, it meant that they had won a major trophy in each of the last six decades – an achievement only matched by Manchester United. They are much better than Arsenal by the way. The Manager Mauricio Roberto Pochettino Trossero is a retired Argentine footballer who played as a central defender. On 27 May 2014, Pochettino was appointed head coach of Tottenham Hotspur on a five-year contract. He left Southampton after 18 months at the club, becoming Spurs' tenth manager over a twelve year span. On 28 January 2015, Tottenham reached the Capital One Cup final following a 3-2 aggregate win over Sheffield United, only to be beaten 2-0 by Chelsea FC in the final at Wembley. In the Premier League, Pochettino's first season with the club was generally successful, ending in a 5th placed finish and the conversion of several young academy graduates into regular first team players. Tottenham recorded home wins against rivals Arsenal 2-1, and Chelsea 5-3, with Tottenham academy graduate Harry Kane scoring two in each. The two matches were judged by The Guardian to be contenders for match of the season. Pochettino favours a very high-pressing, attacking style of football. He has often employed a 4–2–3–1 formation at the clubs he has managed. While doing so, he instructs his team to build from the back, intimidate and unsettle opponents with a quick press system, and work the ball into the box. Pochettino's team selection tends to include quick players with excellent stamina, likely due to those players having the attributes to excel in a high press system. He has also been hailed by many pundits for his focus on developing local players from the clubs' youth academies. FORM Both teams won on Boxing Day. Watford have the edge on from 4-1-1 against 3-2-1. The defeat by Newcastle ended a run of 14 games without losing for Spurs but they have bounced back with two wins.. please log in to view this image Spurs and Watford sit 4th and 7th in the table as they did before Boxing Day with 3 points between them. However Watford need a win by a margin of 7 goals to overtake. please log in to view this image Head to Head For this head to head I am showing only post war encounters between the teams. Including cup competitions there have been 23 meetings with Spurs winning 14, Watford 6 and 3 drawn. At Vicarage Road we have only won 2 with 7 defeats and 2 draws. The full record is 39 games with 7 Watford victories, 24 defeats and 8 draws. Our first ever encounter was the only time we beat Spurs pre-war back in the old Southern League on 6th October 1900: 2-1 in front of 7,000 fans please log in to view this image The Man in the MIddle Referee: Anthony Taylor Assistants: J Brooks and S Burt 4th Official: C Pawson Anthony Taylor has been a member of the Select Group of referees since the 2010/11 season, after an eight-year career officiating non-league and Football League matches. In his fourth season of refereeing in the Football League, Taylor was given his first opportunity to work in the top flight when taking charge of Fulham’s 1-0 win over Portsmouth in February 2010. Later that year, Taylor was in charge for the FA Vase final and his performances throughout the 2009/10 campaign elevated the Cheshire FA referee to the Select Group officials for the following season. The FA Trophy final followed in 2012, before Taylor was the fourth official in Wigan Athletic's 1-0 victory over Manchester City in the 2013 FA Cup final. Taylor was promoted to the FIFA officials list and in 2015 he refereed the Capital One cup final between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. This year he has refereed 14 games showing 52 yellow cards and 1 red. He was referee for our game at home to Crystal Palace earlier this year when a penalty gave them a 1-0 victory. Previously he was in charge only once for the Championship match in 2010/11 - a draw with Norwich. Betting Spurs are clear favourites for this one at nearly evens while Watofrd are nearly 3:1 against. The draw id please log in to view this image
Sorry to put this up rather early but I doubt I would get a chance over the next few days. Team news not yet available
I'm taking my son in law and two grandsons to the spurs game, unfortunately they will be supporting the away side. My daughter has warned us all not to gloat after the game, whoever wins. I might struggle if the horns finish on top.
Should be a cracking game - I hope QSF plays Guediuora from the start and with Nathan back we should be a bit more solid than we were today and we will need to be!
I guess after the game with Chelsea there will be some players feeling the strain as most of them put in loads of running and effort. How will we do? Watching Arsenal get trounced by Southampton tonight, the people saying this is the most unpredictable season could be right, So to answer my question; no idea at all.
Another tough game this, Spurs are favourites but certainly a draw is not unlikely and a win not beyond us. Ake will be fresh
Thanks for the thread Leo, a great job. We have read that some squad rotation might be required over this period, but it is hard to see who can be dropped for a rest. I will admit that I was nervous when I saw who was Ake's replacement, but I thought that Holebas did pretty well. I can also see now why QSF has such faith in Jurado who has come on in leaps and bounds since his early days in the team.
I think it will be an interesting game tomorrow. We have improved asa side since our games against Arsenal, Man Uand Leicester. Much greater belief and not the same fear of watching over you shoulder. Most of us would have accpeted 4 points from the 4 holiday games so any more now are a bonus - another 2 or 3 - even 4 would not go amiss. Spurs are undoubtedly a good team and on good form with Kane seemingly unstoppable. Let's hope Gomes players a blinder -not blind against his old mob.
Unfortunately I don't think our players will have it in the tank for this. Love to be proved wrong, but I think Spurs will win by a couple of goals. I would love to get revenge for that FA Cup game though, I still can't figure out how we lost that. At least Gomes should be a safer pair of hands.....
Tough one to call. I suppose it could be argued that Spurs had the easier match yesterday but I cannot ever recall a really decent Boxing Day performance from any Watford team and even, yes even, yesterday I would argue that we were short of our exacting standards thus far. Spurs can be fragile and if we are on top of our game we can exploit that. Equally we have to face the spectre that we could be in for a very long afternoon indeed. I would settle for the draw provided we play for the win.
Flores confirmed after Watford’s draw with Chelsea the Hornets should have a full squad - barring long term absentees Tommie Hoban and Joel Ekstrand - to choose from against Spurs despite Miguel Britos suffering a knock at Stamford Bridge.
Spurs have a good record against Watford and your goals yesterday were a penalty and a big deflection
Every major Premiership side inevitably has a good record against Watford - we have been the minnows. Mind you we have had a few good years at White Hart Lane back in the early 80s. This year though is a very difficult year to predict - the "obvious" winners have struggled. Nobody would have be on Leicester, Palace and ourselves being in the top 7 at Christmas.
Hope not - if there are it means people have used their I'd numbers to buy them for Spurs fans at the expense of other fellow 'orns.
Nothing Dan but a LOT of luck there, no real good form goals in open play which when that happens has to be a slight concern.
