please log in to view this image Tuesday 26th September 7.45pm Champions League Group Stage GSP Stadium Our 100% away record in the Premier League has been maintained. Can we match it in the Champions League and give ourselves a really positive start to the group? Our opposition may well be the expected whipping boys of the four teams, but this is where mistakes are made. Taking them too lightly would be a massive slip up and one that we may not recover from. Our hosts are the most successful side in Cypriot history. They have dominated the football silverware of the island, both historically and recently. They've won the last five league titles and won their Europa League group last season, before knocking out Bilbao. They may be from a relatively small and not particularly well known league, but they know how to win. It's been quite a slog for them to get this far in the competition. Their Champions League qualification campaign started back in July against Dudelange of Luxembourg. Having dispatched them, they went on to face FC Viitorul of Romania and the Czechs of Sparta Prague. All were beaten and they only conceded one goal in the six games. Their domestic campaign hasn't started quite as well, though. They lost the Super Cup to Apollon and have had a win, a draw and a loss in the league. Having played one or two games less than everyone else, this has left them in 11th place. Very unfamiliar to them and probably quite temporary, too. Their opening game of the group was against Real Madrid and they lost, as everyone expected them to. It didn't go that smoothly for their opponents though, from all accounts, despite the 3-0 scoreline. Here are the highlights: Far from a massacre and with a dodgy penalty thrown in, to boot. Not a lot to learn from that clip though, so have a lovely finish from one of their qualifiers, instead: Dele Alli will miss out again, as this is the second match of his three game suspension. Jan Vertonghen joins him, following his late red card against Dortmund. Dembele is out again, joining Rose, Lamela and Wanyama on the sidelines. Christian Eriksen will also miss out, as he was ill overnight and has been left in London. Lineups for our last league game and their last Champions League game: Spurs: Lloris; Alderweireld, Sanchez, Vertonghen; Aurier, Dier, Sissoko, Davies; Eriksen, Alli; Kane. Subs: Vorm, Trippier, Walker-Peters, Winks, N'Koudou, Son, Llorente. APOEL: Waterman; Vouros, Rueda, Carlao, Lago; Sallai, Morais, Vinicius, Aloneftis; Ebecilio, De Camargo. Subs: Gudino, Alexandrou, Antoniou, Farias, Merkis, Pote, Zahid. Referee: Pavel Královec (CZE). Had some fairly big games and is a regular for internationals. TV: BT Sports/ESPN. Given the injuries and suspensions, it looks like quite a few changes will be made. Should we stick with three centre-backs or go back to the 4-2-3-1 and who should play in defence? Who should replace Eriksen and Alli and should it be a like-for-like swap or something different?
Struggling with players for this one, but apparently they are missing a few too. I’d probably go with Lloris Toby Sanchez Foyth Aurier Dier Sissoko Davies Winks Son Kane Could also quite easily see something like: Lloris Aurier Toby Sanchez Davies Dier Sissoko Winks Kane son Llorente
Eriksen apparently came down with a bad dose of mental retardation after inadvertently brushing past David Gold on Saturday.
No Eriksen, no Dele, no Dembele. Massive lack of creativity against a side who will probably park numerous buses. Son, Sissoko and GKN all contribute similar talents to varying degrees of effectiveness, and I wasn't remotely convinced by Winks in a #10 position when he played there a couple of times last season. Given the dearth of creativity, I'd say going 3 at the back is an absolute must...but do we risk 1/4th? Not for me. I'd go with: Hugo Dave Toby Davies Aurier Dier Winks GKN Son Kane Llorente
Apoel are my team in Cyprus I usually go to watch them when I am there. They play a very steady game but usually lack a killer striker up front. They are well organised so we shouldn't expect an easy game. Their Ultra fans can be crazy, two games I have been to were abandoned as they hurled what looked like javelins at the opposition or launched flaming missiles. I wouldn't be unduly worried as no doubt they will be on their best behavior for the Champions League, they save the violence for their rivals from Larnaca and Limassol. I watch all the aggravation from the 'posh' stand
FACK! We're missing a few bleedin' playas! Hugo Aurier, Toby, Dave, Davies Gk, Dier, Sissoko, Son Kane, Llorente 4-4-2 baby! Vorm, KWP, Tripps, One Fourth, Winks, Oakley-Boothe, Georgiou.
Lloris Trippier, Toby, Sanchez, Davies Dier, Winks Aurier, Kane, Son Llorente GKN and Sissoko aren't great at receiving passes, whereas Aurier's can play more on the half turn, even under pressure. Plus with Llorente, Kane and Son getting in the box and crosses from Aurier, Trippier and Davies we should always have the option to pelt good crosses in, rather than trying to pick our way through the middle all the time.
That would be the team with the most balance, I think. Aurier would overlap Son on the right, while Davies would underlap GKN on the left. I might take Winks over Sissoko, as Winks may be the closest thing we have to Eriksen...though that, admittedly, is not very close at all.
I can’t believe how we’ve all managed to come up with so many potential formations out of such few options. One thing I don’t think porch will do is experiment. Certainly not initially, anyway. As much as playing Aurier in front or Tripper could well make sense and work nicely, I don’t see porch going with that. I also don’t see him starting GKN, which is a shame, as his pace could be vital in getting in behind this lot.
I can see Poch playing 4-1-4-1 tonight Lloris Aurier Alderweireld, Sanchez, Davies Dier Son, Sissoko, Winks, N'Koudou Kane This would allow flexibility with Dier able to drop in to 3 at the back and may give us the most creativity with the personel available
Very concerned about the attacking creativity for tonight. Finishing in the top two in the group may come down to GD/GF etc, so Spurs really need to be getting in front tonight ASAP.