please log in to view this image Sunderland host Tottenham Hotspur at the Stadium of Light on Saturday 13th September 2014 (KO 15:00) in the 4th Round of 2014-15 Premier League matches. This will be the 118th time the two clubs have met. Sunderland come into the game in 13th place in the table on 2 points with Spurs 6th on 6 points. The first meeting came at Northumberland Park in March 1898 when Spurs were playing in the Southern League in a friendly which Sunderland won 2-0. A second meeting followed within the year when Spurs beat Sunderland 2-1 in the old second round (today's fourth round) of the FA Cup in February 1899. Tottenham's first visit to Sunderland came during a mini tour of the North-East to celebrate the turn of the new Century with Spurs winning the friendly match 3-1 on 2nd January 1900. The first Football League meetings between the two clubs saw Sunderland win at home 3-1 in September 1909 and Spurs having a comprehensive win in the return fixture at White Hart Lane 5-1. Tottenham Hotspur's all-time record attendance of 75,038 at White Hart Lane came in an FA Cup 6th round match against Sunderland in March 1938. Sundeland won the game 1-0. This was the only FA Cup match Sunderland have won out of the 7 played so far with Spurs winning five and one game drawn. The only two League matches ever played outside the Top Flight came during 1977-78 when Spurs won at Roker Park 2-1 but lost the return Division Two match at the Lane 3-2. The clubs first met in the Football League Cup in November 1984 with Spurs drawing 0-0 away but Sunderland winning the replay at the Lane 2-1. The three matches in the competition have resulted in a win each and one game drawn. Since Sunderland joined the Premier League in season 1996-97, no further domestic cup ties have been played between the two clubs.Spurs have a good record during the Premier League Era with 15 wins to Sunderland's 5 and the remaining 4 games drawn. Spurs have taken an average of 2.04 points off Sunderland in the 24 matches played so far. The 2010-11 fixture at White Hart Lane ended in a 1-1 draw with Rafael van der Vaart putting Spurs ahead in the second half only for Sunderland's Asamoah Gyan to equalise three minutes later. The match at Sunderland resulted in a 2-1 win for Spurs with Asamoah Gyan putting the Black Cats ahead after 11 minutes before Michael Dawson's equaliser just before half-time. Niko Kranjcar scored the winner for Spurs in the 57th minute. The 2011-12 match at White Hart Lane in December resulted in a 1-0 win for Spurs with substitute striker Roman Pavlyuchenko scoring the winner with just over an hour of the match played. The three points won put Spurs in third place in the table for the first time during 2011-12. The match at Sunderland in April 2012 was a goalless draw which produced very few chances for either team. In August 2012, Tottenham's full-back Danny Rose went to Sunderland for a season's loan. The match at the Stadium of Light in December 2012 was won by Tottenham 2-1. John O'Shea opened the scoring for the Black Cats five minutes before half-time. Carlos Cuellar headed an own goal three minutes into the second half to even the game and Aaron Lennon scored the winner three minutes later for Spurs. A 90th minute Gareth Bale goal secured all three points for Spurs at home to Sunderland on the final day of the 2012-13 season. Hong Kong provided the setting for the 2013 Premier League Asia Trophy in July and Sunderland beat Spurs 3-1 in the Semi-Final. Gylfi Sigurdsson put Spurs ahead after 28 minutes but Cabral equalised five minutes later. Second half goals from Wes Brown and David Karlsson ensured that Sunderland progressed to the Final, where they lost 1-0 to Manchester City. Adam Johnson opened the scoring for Sunderland after 37 minutes in their home Premier League game in December 2013. Paulinho levelled things just before half-time and John O'Shea scored an own goal five minutes into the second half to give Spurs all three points. Tottenham completed the double over Sunderland with an emphatic 5-1 win at the Lane in April 2014. A defensive error led to Lee Cattermole putting the visitors ahead after 17 minutes but an Emmanuel Adebayor goal after 28 minutes saw the sides level at half-time. Furthur goals from Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen, Adebayor and Gylfi Sigurdsson ensured all three points would remain at the Lane. Overall, Spurs have the upper hand over Sunderland with 49 wins to 39 and 29 of the 117 matches played so far drawn. please log in to view this image Full Record of Tottenham Hotspur v Sunderland Matches 1898-2015 please log in to view this image They Played for Spurs & Sunderland... Ben Alnwick Darren Bent Ted Birnie (Spurs player, Sunderland trainer & coach) Ivor Broadis Fraizer Campbell Graham Carr (scout with both clubs) Jim Chalmers Pascal Chimbonda Ernie Coquet John Curtis Calum Davenport Jimmy Delvin Márton Fülöp Phil Gray Jim Hartley Alan Hutton Joe Knowles Steed Malbranque Fred Mearns Bobby Mimms Bill Murray George Payne Gus Poyet (Spurs player & coach, Sunderland manager) Andy Reid Danny Rose Louis Saha Jimmy Seed Paul Stewart Teemu Tainio Chris Waddle Jack Whitbourne please log in to view this image Tottenham Hotspur Premier League Squad Numbers 1992-2015 Sunderland Premier League Player's Squad Numbers 1996-2015 please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
Another top quality match thread THFC6061, with the usual cameo by Paul Stewart. This game should give us some idea of where we actually are at the moment. Our opening game was disrupted by a questionable red card, our second opponents were very poor, our Europa League opponents weren't a real test and Liverpool are very strong right now. Sunderland are a decent Premier League side with a manager whose had a little time to get his feet under the table and who knows our club. They should give us a proper game but without overwhelming us. I wouldn't throw our newer signings into this one. Fazio and Stambouli should be used against Partizan on the Thursday, instead. Should be interesting to see how Pochettino reacts to his first loss, though. Might see Naughton restored to the side, especially with the news that Dier took a knock for the U21s.
I hope kaboul doesnt start tbh...he looks slow, is passing badly and is instilling fear across the back four at the moment. I would also drop rose ... he was poor against liverpool imo so I would give davies his full debut.
Always like playing Spurs, always seems a bit of bite to the atmosphere. Great game early doors to get an idea of where we are at the moment, being the strongest side we've faced to date, by some distance. Think you've got the right manager in now, but will take a few weeks to get everything precisely how he wants it, so I think we could shade this. I'd expect at least 44,000 to turn up, so will be a good day for ome of the more occasional fans. We were kitten piss weak at QPR in truth, and as such I'd expect a reaction, as despite this, our lads sound full of confidence in this weeks press time. 2-1 the lads I fancy.
We also were bad last time out so we are hoping for a positive reaction...think it will be a tight match. .I would take a draw as I think you will be tough to beat at home this season but think that you lot are due a win against us...think the last time you beat us was that mad match when bent scored inside a minute and you got 2 or 3 pens...think you missed 2...2010 I think it was.
The answer was in the link above you. You are right, 2010. http://www.myfootballfacts.com/SpursvSunderland.html
Aye that was the one, Bent missed 2 pens, scored one, and scored one from open play. Pretty much sums the lad up like. We seem to get in front against yopu lads a lot then go completely to ****, we are better now, but the midfield, which will be our strongest area this season, Rodwell looks way short of match fitness, but he will get stronger by the week. Vergini has been class for us but I'd be concerned about him coming up v a winger with pace, so I think you will target him and attack us down the left hand side, but I just fancy us. We've been patchy with good and bad in each game, but probably more good, just, despite the lack of a win. Think we'll both have good seasons, I really do think Pocc is a perfect fit for Spurs, that means close to 4th for you, and anywhere from 9-12th for us, I just fear not getting another striker in might land us closer to the bottom end. Who knows, Altidore, who is a fine player but not a goalscorer, might get on a run......... Ahem.
Bread and butter match this and both teams must find winning ways. I fancy that we will win this one but not too comfortably but as usual I hope we go ahead and not behind first. I was concerned about going behind against Liverpool as I'm not sure of the strength of character of the team. It seems alright if it goes ahead which it became used to this season but our wins were not particularly spectacular or fluid despite the score lines. The signs were there that we'd lose to Liverpool and I'm treating it as a one off and we'll get a hard fought one goal win which will do me. Now we must get a good form going especially from the strikers who just sometimes I'd like to see score a brace rather than just one. Where has the hat trick striker like Clive Allen gone from the Spurs forward line?
After Liverpool, back to playing the small clubs, games we have to be picking up points but I've never confident about us facing the North East teams, not sure on the exact stats but there is that feeling we tend to struggle so as Thor mentions above, a hard fought victory wouldn't be a disappointment. Just it will be interesting to see the reaction from the players, after the disappointment of losing against Liverpool.
I'm of two minds about Kaboul. He was poor against Liverpool, and has looked off the pace. On the other hand, he had plenty of company the Sunday before last. And the one thing he has done reasonably well is win headers, and the first choice to replace him, Chiriches, is weaker in the air. It's a tough moment for Pochettino. The players who are not in the starting lineup will feel, justifiably, that those who looked good against Limassol should replace those who played poorly against Liverpool. On the other hand, chopping and changing too much was IMO one of AVB's downfalls. So what changes does he make? Chiriches for Kaboul? Paulinho for Eriksen or Chadli? Other? I thought Rose was pretty good against Liverpool, incidentally. He had as difficult a job as anyone on the field, and was isolated too often, but worked hard and didn't do too badly. I thought Capoue and Bentaleb were okay as well. Dier was up and down, but I enjoyed watching him. Vertonghen continues to be disappointing. Dembele, I think, would improve the team, but I don't want to drop Bentaleb or Capoue. I'd be tempted to replace Chadli with Kane or even Soldado, if either one is fit. I think Pochettino has got to make at least one change, in any case. Cheers, GG. I enjoyed reading your posts. Good luck after Saturday (though not before).
Sunderland fans are some of the only opposition fans I've ever had a laugh with since I've been going Spurs. I met a few in my local chippy after our game a few years back, ended up being in there for about half hour with them chatting and having a laugh about the game and one-another's clubs. They were a great bunch of lads. As for this game, we need to bounce back from the Pool defeat so I'm hoping Poch has given the boys a kick up the arse and we see a rejuvenated Spurs. I'd personally make a few changes, not because I want to make a radical decision due to the loss but because I think it'd be good to mix it up a bit and see if others can do better and stake a claim for a place now. Plus, all the World Cup guys should be fully fit now and so it'll be interesting to see who Poch really does rate and who he doesn't, we don't have many injuries so 2 or 3 first teamers will be missing out on the 18 altogether due to selection, not injury/ lack of fitness. I'd go for something like: Lloris, *Dier, Fazio, Vertonghen, Davies Paulinho, Dembele Lamela, Eriksen, Chadli Ade *If still injured, then Kaboul/ Chiriches. Subs: Vorm, Chiriches, Bentaleb, Capoue, Lennon, Kane, Soldado To miss out: Friedel because he's more ambassador/ mentor now I'd say. Naughton's still suspended I think (not that he'd get much of a look in to be honest). Kaboul unfortunately has looked a shadow of his former self for too long now, I'm possibly his biggest fan and I've tried fighting his corner for months, hoping he'd be back to his best in the new season but he hasn't, looks like injuries again have ruined another Spurs player, a real shame. Rose limped off against Pool and even though he's been with England, it may be best to sit this out and fully recover, plus it'd be nice to see what Davies can do in a more competitive game as Rose (with Pool aside) has played well. Stambouli will likely need some time adapting, so I'd wait for a Cup game to ease him in. Townsend, it was between him or Lennon as to who misses out, I chose to put Lennon in the squad purely due to work rate, neither have done much in the chances they've had and have looked well off the level we'd expect from both.
I'm hoping we'll line up with Lloris; Dier, Fazio, Vertonghen, Davies; Capoue, Dembele; Lamela, Eriksen, Townsend; Soldado(if fit). Probably a few too many changes to actually happen but I feel Ade doesn't stay upfront enough to provide us with a regular goal threat Dembele looks like he's raring to go from the short appearances he had before the break.
I don't think I'd change much for this game, despite the crap performance in the last one. The new players need time to settle and learn what Pochettino wants from them and I think that the side should be allowed to have one bad game without a massive reaction. We've got the Partizan game to introduce Fazio and Stambouli, as well as giving an opportunity to those on the sidelines to show that they're worth a start.
I'd rather see Veljkovic start than Kaboul, he should be 6th choice the way he's played over the past year. I guess you're right about not too many changes, I'd still like to see Townsend get his chance soon though.
Lloris Chiriches Fazio Vertongen Davies Dembele or stambouli Lennon eriksen lamela Adebayor soldado 4-1-3-1-1....it's the way forward
That strikes me as a good thought. I don't envy Pochettino his team choices this week. This is the moment he starts defining how much a loss will change the team. I don't know but believe rather ignorantly that Pochettino didn't juggle lineups much with Southampton. But unlike them, we have very few players who look clearly better than their replacements: Lamela, Erikson, I would say Ade. Certainly Kaboul and Vertonghen, and arguably just about everyone else, played ineffectively enough to deserve dropping. From the Limassol team, Paulinho, Chiriches, Dembele, Kane, and maybe Davies played well enough to deserve a start. I guess five is too many changes. Zero is too few. One or two is probably right. Davies for Rose should probably happen since Rose may not be 100%. I can't make up my mind about whether Dembele and/or Paulinho should start. I guess Kane and Soldado are not fully fit, and don't know about Dier.
Players are "bullish" ahead of the match and will bounce back etc etc. I wish they'd just shut up and let the football do the talking. Big mouths make big targets.
