Match Day Thread Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United

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Friday 5th May 8pm
Premier League
London Stadium​

The big derby game is out of the way, we've got the monkey off our backs and it's onto another one.
This may not be as important a fixture to us normally, but it's now a massive one for both sides.
For us, it's a chance to close the gap on Chelsea, keep our winning run going and stay in the title fight.
For them it's the opportunity to reach relegation safety and do a number on our season.
After the Lord Mayor's show? Let's hope not.

This campaign started with a lot of fanfare and hope for the future for our hosts.
They'd conned their way to a new, larger stadium, qualified for Europe and held onto their star player.
Slaven Bilic, their ex-player, had returned to lead them to 7th place in the league and bigger, better things.
Their owners promised the world. Did they deliver? Of course not.

A disappointing pre-season clashed with the Europa League qualifiers, leading to a rather rocky start.
One win in their first seven league games and a quick European exit followed, as they fell to Astra ****ing Googoo. Again.
The natives revolted, cursing their new ground as unfit for purpose, as they wished for a return to the Boleyn.
A dramatically improved mid-season calmed some, but the sentiment is still there, brooding under the surface.

They've hit another rather dry patch now, managing only one win in 11 and being dragged near the drop.
It looks extremely unlikely that they'll go down, but it's cast a shadow over the future of the manager.
Reports suggest that Bilic's job may not be safe and he needs to show something in the remaining games.
This is an opportunity for him to reconnect with the fans, at least.

Our game at the Lane earlier in the season was quite a roller coaster.
We dominated possession, but fell behind twice and looked like we were chasing a lost cause.
Antonio's header from an uncleared corner was the first.
That's how things stood at the break, as we failed to turn chances into goals.

Harry Winks leveled up on his Premier League debut after Randolph could only block Janssen's shot.
The parity didn't last though, as the Dutchman gave away a penalty shortly after that.
Lanzini put away the resultant spot-kick and that scoreline stood until there was only a minute left.
That was all it took for Son to have a massive impact from the bench, though.
First his cross was diverted to Kane, then he won the penalty that the same man converted.

As if that wasn't enough, Winston Reid was dismissed in added time for dissent.
Insult fully added to injury.
West Ham saw victory switch hands in a matter of moments. Painful for them, glorious for us.

Our last visit to the Boleyn didn't go nearly as well, unfortunately.
A disjointed looking side struggled badly after going behind to an early Antonio header.
It was a big blow to any chance that we had of putting Leicester under pressure.
Avoiding a similar fate at their new ground is a must.

Neither side has any suspensions for this one, but both will be missing scorers from previous fixtures.
Winks, Lamela, Rose and Carter-Vickers all miss out for us.
Sakho, Antonio, Obiang, Ogbonna and Tore are all out for them, while Masuaku, Carroll and Arbeloa face tests.

Lineups for each side's last league game:

Spurs: Lloris; Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies; Wanyama, Dier; Eriksen, Alli, Son; Kane.
Subs: Vorm, Walker, Wimmer, Dembele, Sissoko, N'Koudou, Janssen.
League form: WWWWWW.

West Ham: Adrian; Fonte, Reid, Collins; Fernandes, Kouyate, Nordveit, Masuaku; Lanzini; Ayew, Calleri.
Subs: Randolph, Cresswell, Byram, Noble, Snodgrass, Feghouli, Fletcher.
League form: LLWDDD.

Referee: Anthony Taylor.

TV: Sky Sports 1.

Should we stick with the same system that we used against Arsenal or match up against theirs?
Are there any personnel changes that we need to make?
Is there anything tactical that we need to do in order to deal with their system or players?

 

Courtesy of @The RDBD :

 

It's been brought up that this match takes place on the 11th anniversary of The Lasagna Incident

...slight problem with that Narrative, though: The Lasagna Incident cost us both Champions League football and finishing above Arsenal - the latter's already secured, while one point (or two, just to be sure) will guarantee the former.

 

Paul Stewart did play in claret and blue.
But not for these

 

Interesting to see Pochettino talking up Levy so much and that importance of having a competitive squad.
He seems very keen to share credit for everything, not just with all of the players, but the coaches and other staff.
I get the impression that this is something he does constantly when the press aren't around, too.

As for the rumours? He's not impressed, is he?

 

If any motivation is needed beyond the possibility of winning the title, then getting our revenge for last season's defeat should supply it. Add in winning one for Aaron Lennon and I'm not expecting too much additional geeing up is going to be needed.

Whatever happens at the end of the season, we need to win all of our remaining games. No more draws and no losses. If it's not enough, then so be it but a second half of the season of 16 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat would be a statement of intent for next season. If we end anything like last season then we've learned nothing.

 

Would you be ??
How much of that press conference was wasted on "rumour" chatter ??

 

It's so much easier than actual journalism, though.

 

Noooo! Seriously, where the duck have the 11 years gone!?

 

They're a bit dumb, asking the same question over and over and expecting an answer

The woman reporter had better questions. Want to know something about Walker? Ask questions about rotating wing backs.

 

The narrative that really winds me up is the Spursy "choking" thing. So if by chance we don't win tonight (and there's always a small chance regardless of how well we have been playing), does that lazy narrative come out again? Fact is (really, a fact) that we have only got to this lofty position by not choking all season. Yet for some teams with vastly greater wage bills and vastly more expensive squads continually fail to live up to their potential but for some reason they haven't "choked", or indeed are hardly criticised at all. For example we've finished about Liverpool for every season apart from one in the last six (maybe seven or eight) seasons, yet we've choked but apparently they haven't. The only really Spursy thing is the reporting of Spurs.

 

Bobby Zamora.......

"Played for both teams, scored for both, love only one"

Oh Bobby! Just remember all those great.....all those......Just remember......Sorry, who are you?

 

Good thing Antonio isn't playing as he has an annoying habit of scoring against us.

If the incredibly unlikely rumours about Walker prove to have some truth to them, he would be my choice of replacement. Quick, strong as an ox and superb going forward. Knows the league, chips in with 5-10 goals per campaign and is HG. Has loads to work on defensively as that is one aspect of the game that Bilic ironically doesn't seem to get. Poch is the perfect manager to learn them from though.

For this game, I think Kyle really does need to be brought in from the rain. A top performance from him will go a long way to crush the narrative surrounding him.

Hugo
Dier Toby Jan
Walker Wanyama Dembele Davies
Eriksen Alli
Kane

 

Expecting a cricket score tonight, let's not go Spursey. Put the game to bed before half time and then give Sissoko 45 minutes to show us what he is made of and Jannsen 45 minutes to score his first Spurs hatrick. I'm hoping the Lasanga will be on the other foot tonight, or at least Bilic ****ting himself in anticipation. Do it for Aaron lads, COYS!!!!

 

'Hoping' rather than 'expecting'....... These scumbags seem to have a habit of pissing on our strawberries at important times!!

 

We've always accussed the Spammers of this being their cup final, and hence they've always tended to be up for it, resulting in the Strawberry pissing. For some reason, perhaps because the Chavs don't play until Monday, it feels more like our cup final this time around. It's a must win. Poch is problably going to have to calm them down rather than try to get them up for it. The Spam won't know what has hit them. We're gonna be more 'in the face' tonight than when Karunt gobbles the entire Spammers first team.

 

Good luck to all venturing into the HMRC Stadium tonight. Be safe - and bring home the points!!
COYS!!!

 

"Good luck to all venturing into the HMRC Stadium tonight. Be safe - have your P60s printed out ready
for inspection, and bring home the points!!"

<fixed>

 

Just arrived at Pikey Park. A very heavy Police presence, hopefully no trouble and a good away win.

COYS

 

Jeez, that is hostile coming from you.