Tottenham vs Hearts

Europa League qualifier, first leg

Venue: Tynecastle
Date: Thursday, 18 August
Kick-off: 1945 BST
Coverage: Live on ITV4, BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 live, BBC Radio Scotland

Hearts are without midfielder Mehdi Taouil for the Europa League first-leg qualifier against Tottenham.

But Eggert Jonsson and Arvydas Novikovas have shaken off knocks, while David Obua and Andy Webster have resumed training after injuries.

Tottenham defenders Ledley King, Alan Hutton and William Gallas are all missing through injury.

As are midfielders Sandro, Steven Pienaar, Jermaine Jenas, Luka Modric, Tom Huddlestone and Wilson Palacios.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp may be forced to play the likes of Jake Livermore and Danny Rose.

However, the visitors are buoyed by the news that influential playmaker Rafael van der Vaart has fully recovered from an ankle injury.

Strikers Kevin Kyle and Calum Elliot are long-term absentees for Hearts.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14486531.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14568630.stm
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Harry says we will be fielding our strongest possible team, which doesn't say much in terms of our centre midfield as we only have Livermore fit. Should be an interesting insight to who Harry is looking to play against Utd on Monday. I think Gomes will probably start and if he has a good game will then start against Utd too

I'm probably gonna end up with egg on my face but I don't think we'll be too troubled tonight, I'm going with 3-1 Spurs.

 

I'd go with this:

Friedel; Corluka, Dawson, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto; Kaboul; Lennon, van der Vaart, Kranjcar, Bale; Defoe.

I think that Redknapp will pick a different team, possibly with Livermore and van der Vaart in the middle and two up front.

 

Remember what we said before we played Young Boys . I'd be happy with any win or at least a draw. Hearts will probably play like a Fulham or Bolton and not allow us any space. If Bale, Lennon and VDV play we should create a lot of chances...lets hope someone puts it away.

 

We're not playing on a plastic pitch this time though.

 

the scenario is still the same Schteffen, we are expected to win and shouldn't go out there expecting it.
however I'm sure Harry will warn them to expect an early onslaught from Hearts.

 

I thought we looked nervous against Young Boys. Hearts are a poor team, I don't want our players to take them for granted but I am confident we will walk it.

 

That was our first game in the CL.
The Hearts boss has basically declared that Spurs are favourites , and that they shouldn't take them lightly or something embarrassing might happen or words to that effect.

 

Ledley King. Injured?! Never.

 

Seems we were lucky not to play on the weekend then with that many injured.

 

I'd go with:

Cudicini (Just to throw a spanner in the works)

Walker Dawson Bassong Rose

Lennon Livermore Kaboul Kranjcar

Vdv

Defoe

 

No Bale or Assou-Ekotto, WY?

Why would Cudicini disrupt them, exactly?

 

I'd like us to play a strong line-up personally. It's not like we've had to travel to some Eastern european country and what with having the 1st game of the season, it could be handy to get us up to speed with competitive football again.

Therefore my preferred would be:

Friedel

Walker Dawson Kaboul Assou-Ekotto

Lennon Kranjcar Livermore Bale

Crouch Defoe

Let's give our strikers a bit of confidence against poor opposition to help with their sharpness come monday. I know i've left out VDV but that's because he showed last season he doesn't need match practice to get up to speed and gives Kranjcar a chance to impress.

 

I like your team, but would put VDV in for Crouch. EVeryone needs match practice, and he was injured a lot at the end of last season and needs to build match fitness.

 

Don't think it's worth playing Bale in Europa, with the injury problems/fatigue he suffered from last year I think we're best leaving him for the league to get back on his feet.

Liked the look of Rose last season - he's not going to get better if he doesn't get played. Just think we should be using Europe to train up some of the youngsters...

Not saying Cudicini would disrupt them - just everyone seems to be writing him off as a gk contender...

 

I'd go for...

Friedel

Corluka Dawson Kaboul BAE

Lennon Kranjcar Livermore Bale

VDV Pav

As it's our opening game, and away, a no-nonsense back four to cover for any problems of a weakened midfield. Pav, VDV and Kranjcar are our best finishers, so if they bury any chances they get we have an away goal advantage. Then for the second leg we can bring in Defoe and Walker, as well as whoever is fit by then, and finish the job.

 

I'd normally agree about not wanting to risk burning out our players and blooding youngsters in the Europe WY, but with the Everton postponement and the Man Utd game not being til Monday we may risk a lack of sharpness.
As Croydon suggests, I'd like to do as well as we can in this leg and then hopefully be able to stick in the youngsters for the return and probably a number of the group games, if we progress.

 

I'd actually be slightly more interested in the EL if we used our youngsters. I'd quite like a look at Bostock/Parrett/Kane/Livermore/Townsend etc for a bit longer than 15mins.

I think we should get through to the group stages first though with just 1 or 2 of them playing vs Hearts.

 

Livermore is probably going to start because we've run out of central midfielders (although I think Palacios' injury is cover for his move to Stoke), although PNP is right - blood them in the group stages, either as substitutes or occasional starters.

Kane and Coulibaly played 90 minutes in the NextGen yesterday, so they won't feature.

 

Agree

 

I can see what your saying RE: VDV instead of Crouch but for me, I think if reports are to be believed that we are trying to shift strikers left, right and centre, I'd say play 2 tonight. That way if we keep them (Hoping they would get opportunities tonight) they would have a bit more confidence and sharpness, and if we don't we've driven up their price.

The team i selected is like Croydon says, strong so as to get an advantage in the first leg, to avoid having to play such a strong team second time around.