*** SPURS v MAN UTD *** Official Match Thread

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Man Utd for the second time in a week and with the possibility of nearly a completely different back 4 Eek I am sure the lads will do fine and we will put on a great show as well always do.


The Official Site Team News:

New recruits Gilberto and Alan Hutton go straight into the squad to face United at the Lane on Saturday.

Gilberto will become the first Brazilian international to play for Spurs if he makes his debut and both trained with their new team-mates on Friday.

Michael Dawson is available after serving a one-match suspension following his red card in last weekend's FA Cup tie at Old Trafford.

Darren Bent also trained on Friday but is still not deemed match fit enough to return while long-term injuries Gareth Bale (foot) and Benoit Assou-Ekotto (knee) remain out.

Skysports.com Preview:

Tottenham welcome Manchester United to White Hart Lane on Saturday hoping to halt the Red Devils' title charge.

United returned to the top of the Premier League on Wednesday as Sir Alex Ferguson's side brushed aside Portsmouth with ease.

However, Juande Ramos will be looking to avenge last weekend's FA Cup defeat to United, while the Spurs boss will also be keen to test his new look side against one of the best oppositions in the business.

Having replaced Martin Jol in October, Ramos has been one of the top flight's busiest bosses in the January transfer window as he attempts to stamp his own mark on the Spurs squad.

Formidable form

Ramos has brought in a host of defenders in Brazil left-back Gilberto, Alan Hutton, Jonathan Woodgate and Chris Gunter as his bids to plug Tottenham's porous back-line.

Gilberto and Hutton could make their debuts, while Woodgate is expected to continue after making his first start in the midweek draw with Everton.

Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov's formidable strike partnership has forced Jermain Defoe to seek pastures new on the South Coast with Portsmouth and therefore the duo are expected to continue to lead the line on Saturday.

United have been in formidable form over recent weeks and have won nine of their last 10 league games.

Tevez recall

Tottenham's main aim will be to stop Portuguese trickster Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 19 league goals this season, as the United winger continues to terrorise defences the length and breadth of the land.

Meanwhile, Ferguson is expected to recall Carlos Tevez, Ryan Giggs and Owen Hargreaves to the starting line-up after the trio missed out on a first XI place against Pompey.

However, Louis Saha (knee) and Gary Neville (ankle) remain sidelined through injury

BBC Match Squads (take with a pinch of salt):

Tottenham Squad (from): Cerny, Robinson, Chimbonda, Lee, Gilberto, Hutton, Gunter, Kaboul, Dawson, King, Rocha, Tainio, Jenas, Malbranque, Boateng, Taarabt, Huddlestone, O'Hara, Lennon, Bent, Berbatov, Keane.

Man Utd Squad (from): Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Brown, O'Shea, Simpson, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Fletcher, Nani, Park, Scholes, Ronaldo, Anderson, Carrick, Hargreaves, Giggs, Rooney, Tevez.

Interesting Stats:

Spurs

The goalless draw, away to Everton on Wednesday night was only the fourth time they had failed to score in this Premier League season.

Still the Premier League's most entertaining club to watch for goals; their 24 goals have produced 84 at 3.5 goals per game. :dance:

It was also their first no score draw of the season, and first in 52 Premier League outings since October 2006.

Man Utd

Won nine of 10 league games, including the last four against Birmingham (1-0 h), Newcastle (6-0 h), Reading (0-2 a) and Portsmouth (2-0 h).

Failed to win their first three Premier League matches, but lost only two of the subsequent 21.

Won 75% of their Premier League programme; 18 of 24 - that's more than any other club.

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Right, that's enough fuel for this fixture, kick off is at 15:00 GMT - check [thread=26685]Geez's Media Coverage Thread[/thread] for watching and listening options.

COME ON YOU SPURS!

[SIZE=-4]Lots of information courtesy of the BBC and SkySports[/SIZE]


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[Tricky]

Anyone else got mixed thoughts about this match? As much as Id wet myself if we did pull off a decent result the other half of me would be seething at the thought that Ars*nal would then be given an opportunity by us.

I know it seems petty but ive become a semi (ok maybe thats a bit too much) -MU fan since the possibility of Ars*nal winning the title has emerged.

I guess I just have to see this match as a win-win.

Cant wait to see our line-up. Surely rest King for Derby as Woody will be suspended for that one. Also it will be interesting to see who will be asked to help upfront if/when Berbatov or Keane gets subbed. I have a sneaky feeling it will be Malbranque.

COYS

 

[stevenqoz]

O'Hara played particularly well against Man U and I feel he will be in there somewhere........he is willing to play where the boss puts him. Huddlestone has also done little wrong in the past few matches and would be unlucky not to start. Ramos has no reason to force King back into this side and I wouldn't mind if he missed this one. I feel that Lee and Tainio will be the ultimate losers from our mid-week activity and may struggle to make the bench.

 

[SpurSince57]

20 Years Ago Today

Spurs 5 West Ham United 0

This League Cup Replay, following a 1-1 draw the previous week, saw Spurs produce a top class performance with Ardiles and Hoddle in control, producing some very attractive football. After six minutes Ardiles found Claesen who scored and from then on, Spurs dominated the game but it was not until the 71st minute that they increased their lead with a Hoddle shot from 20 yards. In the last ten minutes Clive Allen came into his own, completing a hat-trick including a penalty after a foul on his cousin, Paul Allen. This is a game often remembered by those present and set up a two-leg semi-final clash with North London neighbours, Arsenal. (Acknowledgements to Topspurs)

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

20 Years Ago Today

Spurs 5 West Ham United 0

This League Cup Replay, following a 1-1 draw the previous week, saw Spurs produce a top class performance with Ardiles and Hoddle in control, producing some very attractive football. After six minutes Ardiles found Claesen who scored and from then on, Spurs dominated the game but it was not until the 71st minute that they increased their lead with a Hoddle shot from 20 yards. In the last ten minutes Clive Allen came into his own, completing a hat-trick including a penalty after a foul on his cousin, Paul Allen. This is a game often remembered by those present and set up a two-leg semi-final clash with North London neighbours, Arsenal. (Acknowledgements to Topspurs)

Yeah we walloped them good that night. 20 years ago? Blimey, I feel old.

 

[JJetset]

Yeah we walloped them good that night. 20 years ago? Blimey, I feel old.

I was there too and i feel ye olde too!
Classic walloping and Hoddle was sublime!

 

[Legend10]

20 Years Ago Today

Spurs 5 West Ham United 0

This League Cup Replay, following a 1-1 draw the previous week, saw Spurs produce a top class performance with Ardiles and Hoddle in control, producing some very attractive football. After six minutes Ardiles found Claesen who scored and from then on, Spurs dominated the game but it was not until the 71st minute that they increased their lead with a Hoddle shot from 20 yards. In the last ten minutes Clive Allen came into his own, completing a hat-trick including a penalty after a foul on his cousin, Paul Allen. This is a game often remembered by those present and set up a two-leg semi-final clash with North London neighbours, Arsenal. (Acknowledgements to Topspurs)

I made reference to this game in a thread about 2 weeks ago.

It remains the most exciting game of football I have ever seen, played in an intoxicating atmosphere.

Incredible game!

 

[SpurSince57]

I was there too. Nearly 42,000 that night, biggest attendance of the season. Just amazing, considering the quality of the football we were playing, how small many of the crowds were.

http://www.topspurs.com/8687.htm

How odd, since then we've been largely ho-hum at best and prices have skyrocketed, yet we've been packing them in.

 

[Legend10]

Clive may have hit a hat-trick but cousin Paul against his old team was just magnificent.

It was played at 120mph from 1st whistle to last, I loved every second of it and it was a game full of meaty crunching tackles as well as magnificent football.

You could never see a game as good as this in the modern era.

 

[sammyboyspurs]

Coys !

 

[Chuba]

We need a win but i can see a draw happening, but a win would be F.A.B, JuandeBirds are go...

COYS!

 

[JamesTheYiddo]

2-1 Us :grin:

Come On You Spurs! :beer:

 

[NickHSpurs]

Class signiture! ^

 

[JamesTheYiddo]

Cheers :up:

 

[Defsta]

We will today :dance:

 

[DoublePivot]

I honestly think we are going to do them today. We lost to them only due to errors a week ago and we will have a new but lets just say less patchwork defense this time around. 3-1 us with Robbie, Gilberto and Jenas scoring

 

[Adamspurs]

I was sure this was on Sunday, Glad its not though!

 

[camaj]

COYS, we can do this! Play Woodgate and King then King and Daws against Derby.

 

[DC_Boy]

I have no mixed feelings about this game at all - my team is Spurs - end of - let the 'big 3' decide the title race amongst themselves - I want us to win -

however just as importantly, maybe more so, I want no injuries and no '3 match Reds' that lead to players missing the final

 

[speccy_spur]

Like the way Sky stuck their neck out and predicted Keane & Berby up front. Top quality journalism.

Be a nice way to throw Gilberto & Hutton into premiership action, against the likes of ManUSA corp. But it all depends on how well thay have gelled with the rest of the defence in training so far. Woodgate seemed to fit right in, as all quality players will. Cannot believe we will risk Daws getting embarrased again.

I think we can sneak it, but we need to get a couple of goals out in front and make them stretch out. 3-2 to Spurs!