The Aston Villa Premier League game on Wednesday will be Tottenham's 85th competitive match played on a Boxing Day (not every year had one). Here is our complete record for those 84 Boxing Day matches played so far... please log in to view this image
Lots of Southampton games in there and this is our third consecutive trip to Villa, having played Fulham three times on the bounce, with two trips to the West Midlands preceding that. Better than some of the ludicrous "draws" that some sides get though, I guess. Wasn't there something like Plymouth away at Newcastle a couple of years back? They must've really put someone's nose out of joint. More sterling work, 6061.
Since 1960, Spurs haven't played a team further north than the Midlands on Boxing Day, which makes sense given the travel restrictions.
I take my hat off to you Spurs lads who will make the Boxing Day trip. I can't do it myself thesedays so I wish you all a Happy New Year with a few trophies thrown in.........!
Top work as ever 6061. I'd also like to see Dembele pushed further forward for this one with us reverting to using only one striker as we did earlier in the season. Preferably Defoe because I think with the extra midfielder Ade's link-up play is less necessary, we need a predator on the end of the moves. Ideally for me Carroll would come in to partner Sandro in the deep-lying positions but if it was Hudd then I wouldn't be too fussed. Parker would be destructive overkill for me against Villa, and besides they didn't work too well together last year. But fundamentally I don't think 2 out and out defensive mids against Villa is what we need or require. Lloris Walker - Daswon - Caulker - Vertonghen Sandro - Carroll Lennon - Dembele - Bale Defoe If BAE is back fit then I can see him coming back in, dropping Caulker and moving Verts into CB. To be fair I'd really rather drop Daws and keep Caulker in the side (thus making Lennon captain as he's done it in the past) but I don't think AVB would do that for a reasonably important PL away game. Playing a team that's just bean trounced 8-0 is an interesting situation for anyone. They'll obviously either be bang up for the game in front of the home fans or they'll be well and truly put out of joint and be there for the taking. I fear that it could well be the former and we could be in for a disappointing game from a Spurs perspective. Hopefully AVB will have picked the lads up after the disappointment of Stoke though and we'll be raring to go as well. COYS
The games come thick and fast over Xmas - I think squad depth and rotation will be key to success. Could see Friedel starting tbh! That being said - I reckon Villa will play much better and we'll expect to turn up and win 15-0. I reckon we'll scrape a disappointing draw with another underwhelming performance. Bah. Humbug.
I feel the same as you Moorpheus. This is exactly the type of game historically Spurs lose or end up drawing. We simply have to win today. With Arsenal picking up wins, Chelsea looking unbelievable and now Liverpool winning, we need to get back on track. Although I'm not anti AVB, not by any means, with the team we have we should be beating teams like Villa. Our home form has been patchy to say the least so hopefully there will be more space playing away and we can actually score some goals!
Nice little stat going into today's match: Tottenham Hotspur are the only team in the Premier League this season which has scored in every away game.
Well that's it, we're jinxed! I get the feeling we're going to see a very defensive and determined Villa today.
To be honest, you should be battering Villa. But they are a very unpredictable team. They fought hard for a draw with us, then went on a 6 game unbeaten run, beating Liverpool at Anfield and then ended up on the wrong side of an eight goal spanking. Depends on which Villa turn up today I guess. But I would have thought that they'll approach the game in the same way as they did against us.
Supposed line-ups: Aston Villa: Guzan, Lowton, Baker, Clark, Bennett, Holman, Westwood, Herd, El Ahmadi, Delph, Benteke. Substitutes: Given, Bowery, Lichaj, Ireland, Carruthers, Bannan & Albrighton Tottenham: Lloris, Walker, Gallas, Vertonghen, Naughton, Sandro, Dembele, Lennon, Bale, Adebayor & Defoe. Subtitutes: Friedel, Caulker, Dawson, Livermore, Townsend, Parker & Sigurdsson Hmm...
We badly need to score whilst we are on top. This is our problem we dominate but don't score and then the other team gain confidence. So frustrating!!
Totally agree SD these are the games we have to win, although I think I have said that many times before as a Spurs fan!
