Match Day Thread Tottenham Hotspur v Huddersfield Town

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Saturday 30th September 12.30pm
Premier League
John Smith's Stadium​

A potential Cypriot banana skin out of the way, complete with flattering scoreline.
Back to the hustle and bustle of the Premier League, but with a new ground to visit.
Our last trip to Huddersfield was in 1972, when the club played their home games at Leeds Road.
Time to write some history. Let's hope that we can look back on it fondly.

David Wagner's journey to the Premier League has been rather unorthodox.
Born in West Germany to American parents, he spent his whole career as a striker in the country of his birth.
Despite this and despite having played for German youth sides, he chose to play for his parents' country.
His coaching career started in the land of good beer and sausages, then rumours of a move to England emerged.
He spent four years as Borussia Dortmund's reserve manager, before leaving for pastures new.

Jurgen Klopp had worked with him at their former club and they were expected to join up again at Liverpool.
Chris Powell's departure from Huddersfield left an opening though and he was the surprise choice to fill it.
He'd never been a head coach before and they'd never hired anyone from outside the home nations for the job.
Some surprises are good. This was one of them.

A tough first season saw the side finish near the bottom of the Championship table in 19th place.
His first summer transfer window allowed for some meaningful changes and they worked out well.
A 5th place finish and a play-off place was the reward, but their form going into it was patchy.
Two penalty shoot-outs got them over the line and into the Premier League for the first time.

They didn't have long to wait for their first win, as a 3-0 victory at Selhurst Park put them top of the table.
Their first home game was similarly successful, as they beat fellow promoted side Newcastle 1-0 the following week.
They've struggled since that though, losing one and drawing three in the league and only scoring once.
A cup victory over Rotherham saw them return to Selhurst Park, but the Eagles got their revenge against a weakened side.

No footage of recent games between us, of course, so have a quick look at their ground, instead:

Serge Aurier is suspended for this one, following his red card in the victory against West Ham.
Dembele, Lamela, Rose and Wanyama are all still absent, but Eriksen returns following his midweek absence.
Huddersfield will be without Quaner, Williams, Mounie, Palmer and Stankovic.

Spurs: Lloris; Alderweireld, Sanchez, Vertonghen; Aurier, Dier, Sissoko, Davies; Eriksen, Alli; Kane.
Subs: Vorm, Trippier, Walker-Peters, Winks, N'Koudou, Son, Llorente.
League form: WLDWDW.

Huddersfield: Lossl; Smith, Jorgensen, Schindler, Lowe; Mooy, Hogg; Kachunga, Sabiri, Ince; Depoitre.
Subs: Green, Malone, Hadergjonaj, Hefele, Whitehead, Billing, La Parra.
League form: WWDLDD.

Referee: Neil Swarbrick.

TV: Sky Sports.

With our suspensions, injuries and midweek travel, do we need fresh legs or stability?
Should Trippier replace Aurier or should Walker-Peters be given another chance?
Do we stick with five at the back or did our switch during the APOEL game call for a return to 4-2-3-1?

 

Pochettino's pre-match presser, care of @The RDBD :

 

On the subject of Big Vic

...he appears to be preparing for a new career in chariot racing. Best of luck to him.

 

Winks looked sharp midweek and was one of the few players who gave a display worth tuning in to see. Trippier will be fine against a side as conservative as Huddersfield. I just hope he can show a bit more invention than he did against Burnley and Swansea. Alli has been cruising through games all season but tbh Son had one of 'those' games ob Tuesday so hasn't exactly made a strong case to usurp the young diva. If anyone made such a case, it was Sissoko of all people

I think we'll probably see:

Hugo
Toby Dave Jan
Trippier Winks Dier Davies
Alli Eriksen
Kane

 

The last Spurs side to play a league match at Huddersfield was
Pat Jennings, Joe Kinnear, Cyril Knowles, Terry Naylor, Mike England, Steve Perryman, Ralph Coates, Jimmy Pearce, Martin Peters, John Pratt, Alan Gilzean

 

Toby looked a little jaded on Tuesday, so I'm wondering if Foyth might be coming off the bench in our next couple of league fixtures...if we haven't decided to make several pig's extremities of the last twenty or so minutes, obviously.

 

I think that’s what I’d go with, too. Fingers crossed Trippier will complete his first “take on” of the season in this match.

 

PNP well done on a well written and interesting match day thread.

 

Which ended in 1-1 draw Jimmy Pearce the scorer, where's 6061 when you need him!

 

Ah brings back some memories of my youth standing on the shelf watching my idols in the white shirt.gilzean surely has to be the best header of a football I have ever seen he could head it harder than lorimer could kick it .

 

Alli's performances haven't been as electric as they were last season, although IIRC he did start off slow at the beginning of the last campaign, too. That said, he's still bagged himself a few goals and an assist so if that's "poor form" then I can't wait for when he switches up a gear, hopefully that'll start with Huddersfield.

Winks had a blinder against Apoel but Sissoko has been very good lately so for me it'd be stupid to drop him. It's actually crazy - but also brilliant - that Sissoko has practically turned himself from the guy we'd all have been happy to see leave into becoming a pretty important squad member in the space of about two months, fair play to him, hopefully he can keep up his current form (or get better!) because with the uncertainty over Dembele, we may be needing Sissoko to play a huge part.

Hugo
Toby, Dave, Jan
Tripps, Dier, Sissoko, Davies
Eriksen, Alli
Kane

 

Five homegrown players and two other signed while under 20!

 

I remember them well and the score at The Lane, 4-1. "Mullers" was injured.

 

I'm at this game tomorrow.

Don't embarrass me please

 

Me too. I'm the clean shaven, tidy looking guy .

 

I'm hoping you will be paying homage to ArsenalFanTV
and be attired as a cross between Ty and Moh.

Holding up a sign labelled "Fam, blood, fam" would
help too.

 

Hope they put on a good showing for you!

 

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What's wrong with you?

We are getting hammered!!

 

What the actual????
WTF is the main man Sissoko