please log in to view this image Saturday 16th January 12.45pm White Hart Lane Premier League Two poor results against a negative long-ball team out of the way and now we face... Sam Allardyce. Sunderland haven't been much cop for most of this season, but they've managed to pick up a couple of wins in the last three games. Defoe's hat-trick against Swansea will have given them a massive boost and they'll fancy this. Our high line against his offside meandering? Risky. The game at the Stadium of Light was a tough one and we nicked it when they ran out of steam. Mason's late goal will have been noted by their new manager and I doubt their fitness is still as suspect. Some of our players are looking rather leggy at the moment though, so we should beware of a similar fate. Despite our decent performance against Leicester, I think that Pochettino will have seen a few flags go up. He looked extremely angry at times during the game and I expect a couple of changes to be made. Dembele's return to the starting lineup would be one predictable move, but he might look to shake things up a little. No word on Ryan Mason's return at the moment, but no new injuries, either. Yedlin won't be able to play for Sunderland in this one though, obviously. Lineups for the last league game: Spurs: Lloris; Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Carroll; Eriksen, Alli, Lamela; Kane. Subs: Vorm, Trippier, Wimmer, Rose, Dembele, Onomah, Son. League form: LWWWDL. Sunderland: Mannone; Jones, O'Shea, Brown, van Aanholt; Cattermole, M'Vila; Johnson, Lens, Borini; Defoe. Subs: Pickford, Coates, Yedlin, Rodwell, Watmore, Graham, Fletcher. League form: LLLLWW. Referee: Mike Dean. Do any of our players returning from injury deserve a shot in this one and if so, who gets left out? Should we switch our tactics at all to deal with another side that will probably concede possession to us? Is there anyone that definitely shouldn't be starting for us?
Happy with our recent fight but think you'll be too strong for us Just too much quality for our poor squad to contend with. With that in mind I'd rest our best player M'Vila. He's played a lot of football this season and really needs a rest.
Lioris Trippier Wimmer Jan Davies Moussa Alli Walker Lamela Son Kane. Toby must be getting burnt out mentally as mistakes are creeping in. Wimmer looked solid to me, comfortable with the simple things. Will never happen. Many a time I've thought we should try Walker on the wing now and again to utilise the attack minded half of his brain, he can always chip in with defending too and rotate with Trippier as I think Trippier can cross the ball well.Think it would make our left hand side solid. Moussa and Alli can rotate the forward forages, whilst both are capable of sitting too. Dier needs a break. Eriksen needs the bench, yeah he can play a through ball..but only now and again. Not doing enough for me needs a kick up the arse only a bench can give. Son because he's not as out of form as Chadli. Kane because we got no other options.
Can not see us winning this...no, this ain't my reverse pessimism in action...Dier and Kane look shattered and Eriksen looks out of form imo. The Leicester result effected the team (Vertongen came across as really disappointed, and a little classless, when he complained that they were a long ball team after the match) and I think that Fat Sam will come to defend and try and get Defoe to hit us on the break. I would start Omonah instead of Eriksen and Dembele instead of Carroll (Carroll has done well imo but think we will benefit from Dembele's physicality and Onomahs's directness. I would also start Bentaleb instead of Dier. Up front I would start Son instead of Kane. I am not criticising the players but think we need to freshen it up as the 7 games since 19th December have taken their toll on the players. I think the result will be either 1 all or 1 nil to them...buts here's hoping I am chatting ****e! COYS
Another match that on paper we should win, but also another match against the type of opposition that we often struggle against, I would be very surprised if there is more than 1 goal scored. Having said that if we start fast and get in front early that will give us our best chance because the longer the game goes the more likely that we will suffer as we did on Wednesday. I would make changes for 2 reasons firstly (and most importantly) many of our players are knackered, and secondly I want to play the strongest side possible in the cup as I really want to win that match now. Lloris, Trippier, Rose, Wimmer, Vertonghen, Bentaleb, Dembele, Townsend, Lamela, Onomah, Son I don’t even want to see Alderweireld, Kane Alli,, Dier or Eriksen on the bench they should be given the day off completely so my bench is Vorm, Davies, Carter Vickers, Carroll, Winks, Chadli, and Harrison.
We will be pretty fatigued for this one, I think its close to 2,000 miles we will have travelled in one week, which started last Saturday travelling to your neighbours, then away to Swansea and now this game. I can see Coates coming in for Brown and maybe Watmore will come in for Johnson. There's rumours of M'Vila being rested but I don't think that will happen. We've won every league game this year and Defoe has scored 5 out of the 7 goals in our wins against Villa and Swansea. Saying that, I do think you'll be to strong for us on Saturday and I have a feeling you will have a comfortable 2-0 victory against us. Mind, HIAG and Balesballs coming on our forum taking the piss out of our players could well blow up in their faces...
I agree with a lot of Dona's take here. Eriksen has been out of sorts for months now and as much as it pains me to say it, now that Dembele is back there is really no reason to be carrying a passenger every game. Agreed - Toby looked absolutely shot towards the end of the Leicester game. I'd rest him and play Wimmer. And as for our beloved right back, he has to learn that if he doesn't cut those ridiculous, heart-attack-inducing mistakes out of his game, he will simply be benched permanently. I'd go with (although it's never, ever going to happen!) Lloris Trippier Wimmer Jan Davies Dier Alli Lamela Dembele Son Kane We tried a variation of that front 6 at the beginning of the season when Dembele was busy reminding us and himself what a talented player he can be. I think it worked really well and can wreak havoc against a team that, with all due respect, struggles to pass their way out from the back. Playing Dembele that far forward gives us a 'first line of defence' that is nigh-impregnable. I also think that Alli is most effective as a box-to-box midfielder. True, he won't score as many, but he's impossible to pick up when starting deeper.
I was thinking the same thing about Alli, CK. I'd like to see Dier rested, though. He's looking very leggy towards the end of games. I think that Eriksen could do with being given the central role in the three back, too. He's far more effective from there, as it makes him more of a goal threat and he doesn't get picked up when he goes wide, either. Lamela popping up on the left in recent games didn't seem to help much, so I'd prefer him to stick to the right more. I'd go with: Lloris Walker Alderweireld Vertonghen Davies Alli Dembele Lamela Eriksen Son Kane Stick Dier on the bench instead of Wimmer, but hope not to have to use him. Hopefully give some time to Chadli and Bentaleb. Maybe see Carroll used in a more advanced position from the bench, too.
I don't think that he was actually having a pop at them, to be honest. We struggle against sides that play a compact, counter-attacking style and I think he was just saying that it's something that we have to improve on. He's right. We don't create enough and our centre-halves are bothered by high balls, for some reason.
I put lamela in the centre due to his work rate, something Eriksen lacks, from what I see. Walker on the wing for sheer pace, something we need to inject into our season I think. I do like to tinker a bit.
Asked whether Spurs can go all the way in the league, Allardyce said: “For the title? Perhaps Tottenham not winning the title this time around – I’m not so sure they can hold their nerve." Stick that up on the wall. Tell the players he laughed about it in a pre-match interview. Job done. Home win. We have enough talent to win this game. It's all psychological from here on in.
Very good start but again no end product...cost us 5 points in the past 2 matches and could do so again today
Sunderland have no outball and they're playing way too deep. They're congesting the middle of the pitch but when they get the ball, they're lumping it forward in the hope that Defoe latches onto it, but that's not how he plays and it's clearly not working anyway. I can't see you not winning this. They're inviting pressure on themselves by setting up so negatively and have the worst defensive record in the league. It's only a matter of time.
