Stoke City Vs Tottenham: Match Thread

[chrissivad]

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Stoke City v Tottenham Hotspur​

Barclays Premier League
Venue: Britannia Stadium Date: Saturday, 21 August Kick-off: 1500 BST​

Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 live, local radio, Final Score & highlights on Match of the Day
For more details on coverage please check out Geez's Live Media Thread Click Here​

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Both sides seeking first win of season

Tottenham return to Premier League action against a Stoke side looking to get their first points of the season on the board.

The Potters have finished in mid-table in each of the last two seasons after winning promotion in 2008, and will remain confident of pushing on this term.
But they made a disappointing start at Molineux on the opening day of the season as they went down 2-1 to Wolves.
Manager Pulis was unhappy with the performance but pinpointed an early injury to record signing Kenwyne Jones as the key moment that 'knocked the wind out of their sails'.
Jones, who only arrived from Sunderland earlier this month, had to be replaced in the 14th minute after suffering an ankle problem.
There were initially fears that the Trinidad & Tobago striker could be sidelined for some time but scans revealed there was no serious damage.
Jones has already resumed running and will be assessed closer to kick-off at the Britannia Stadium after Pulis stated he had an 'outside chance' of featuring.
If Pulis does have to tinker with his starting line-up then Tuncay Sanli and Mamady Sidibe are options up front, or Jon Walters could come straight in for his debut after joining from Ipswich on Wednesday.

Spurs news
Tottenham won at Stoke last season but lost at home so will be fully aware of the size of the task facing them in Staffordshire.
Spurs are coming back from a trip to Switzerland in midweek, where they almost squandered the good work of last season in a nightmare opening half-hour against Young Boys.
Having qualified for the UEFA Champions League play-off round by finishing fourth in the Premier League, Harry Redknapp's men conceded three goals inside 28 minutes before rallying back to lose 3-2 and leave the tie delicately poised going into next week's return leg.
Tottenham will be determined to produce an improved display and win their first match of the campaign, having played out a goalless draw with Manchester City last week.
However, Redknapp will have an eye on the home game against Young Boys when he selects his starting XI and is expected to make several changes.
Jermain Defoe is set to miss out after aggravating a groin injury in the second half in Bern, leaving Robbie Keane, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Peter Crouch to compete for the attacking berths.
Luka Modric was also replaced against Young Boys due to injury and could be left out, while Ledley King may be saved for the next European clash.
Aaron Lennon is pushing for a recall on the right wing in place of Giovani dos Santos, butJonathan Woodgate remains a long-term absentee.

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Stoke's club record signing Kenwyne Jones could be available despite limping off with an ankle problem on his debut last weekend.
Versatile forward Jon Walters is in the squad following his move from Ipswich.
Tottenham have a dearth of attacking options, with Peter Crouch their only fit striker.
Jermain Defoe and Luka Modric are out with groin strains, Robbie Keane has a knee injury, and Roman Pavyluchenko and Giovani dos Santos are also sidelined.


Stoke
Doubtful: Jones (ankle) Injured: Lawrence (groin)
Tottenham
Injured: Bentley & Pavyluchenko (both ankle), Defoe, Modric & Woodgate (all groin), dos Santos (hamstring), Keane (knee), O'Hara (back)

Taught a lesson by Young Boys in midweek, Tottenham can expect a searching examination on Saturday from an old-school team.

Stoke are unashamedly direct and physical, and will try to bully a Spurs side that crashed in Berne on their Champions League debut.
This is also a meeting between pupil and mentor; Tony Pulis was a player, captain and coach under Harry Redknapp's supervision at Bournemouth before succeeding him as manager in 1992. The pair are now firm friends, and Pulis has even bought a house close to Redknapp at an exclusive retreat in Dorset.
Stoke have been right at home in the Premier League since promotion two years ago, earning two mid-table finishes. Their victory in this fixture in October 2008 resulted in the demise of Juande Ramos at Spurs, and a new dawn under Redknapp.
Tottenham have since graduated to a place among Europe's elite; how long they stay there depends on their response to a disappointing opening week of the season.

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Head-to-head
• Stoke's only win in their last four home league matches against Tottenham was in October 2008.
Stoke
• Stoke have won their opening home match in each of their previous two years in the Premier League: 3-2 against Aston Villa in 2008 and 2-0 against Burnley last season.
• They have won one of their last seven league matches since April (W1, D2, L4).
• The Potters lost 22 points from winning positions last season. Only Wigan Athletic had a worse record in the top flight.
• Danny Higginbotham is expected to make his 200th Premier League appearance.
• Matthew Etherington will be playing against his former club.

Tottenham
• Tottenham have lost three of their last four Premier League away matches, conceding 10 goals.
• On Tuesday night, Spurs conceded three goals in a European match for the first time in 61 games since a 4-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in 1982.
• Roman Pavlyuchenko is the club's top Premier League scorer in 2010 with five goals, one more than Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch.
• Defoe is a hat-trick shy of 100 Premier League goals.



LEADING GOALSCORERS FROM LAST SEASON
Stoke City

Abdoulaye Faye: 1 goal (1 league)
Tottenahm

Bassong & Pavlyuchenko: 1 goal (0 league)

MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Chris Foy
Assistant referees: Bob Pollock & Martin Yerby
Fourth official: Mark Halsey

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• Premier League. Stoke v Spurs.
  
• Spurs v Young Boys - CL qualifier 2nd leg
• PL - Newcastle v Aston Villa
• PL - Fulham v Man Utd
  
• Premier League. Man City v Liverpool.

 

[milkman]

Nice preview mate, should be a good game.

I predict a 1-0 win to Spurs.


COYS!

 

[Son_Of]

ridiculous injury list. if crouch gets injured tomorrow morning we'll have to play gallas or sandro up front

 

[Duffman]

Is Sandro Available for tomorrow? Would be nice to see him get a sub appearance or something

 

[Son_Of]

don't think so, i was being silly. he'll prob be in the dugout

 

[chkthfc82]

With the injury list I see see at best a draw.

 

[Berglad]

Ugh, we will be sporting the baby blues tomorrow, won't we?

 

[mil1lion]

Gomes
Corluka....Dawson....Gallas....Ekotto
Lennon....Huddlestone....Palacios....Bale
Kranjcar
Crouch​

Save King for Weds.

COYS! Get a well earned victory in this one.

 

[Wellspurs]

I can see a few long balls to Crouch tomorrow, its on at the Archer pub in Dover by the way.

 

[Garm]

So 4-5-1 or 4-4-1-1 then? Or... 4-3-3 with:

Bale - Crouch - Lennon
Kranjcar - Huddlestone - Palacios
BAE - Daws - Bassong - Charlie
Gomes

 

[PT]

I don't think Gallas was registered in time for the Stoke game and he's ineligible for the YB match at WHL in the Champions League.

 

[Legacy]

Well, I'll be in attendance tomorrow, and Spurs have yet to lose in the 15+ games I've been to in the last couple of the years.

So it'll be a draw, at worst. You're welcome.

 

[Spurger King]

That's one hell of a legacy.

 

[Johnspur]

I hate to say it but I'm not very hopeful for the game tommorow.I was gonna go out and watch this one but I can only see a draw at best.

 

[brett.spurs]

Gallas hasn't even officially signed yet so it would be impressive if he were to start tomorrow

 

[Wsussexspur]

Think we might struggle today. Would happily take a draw with Wednesday and our injury list in mind.

 

[walworthyid]

It will obviously be a tough game today, particularly with the injuries, but our we still have our effective away striker in Crouch and also our most dangerous player in the same fixture last season in Niko.

We are going to have to get as close Crouch as possible so as not to isolate him.

I personally think Harry will go for a 4-3-3 type of shape without the ball with Bale and Lennon pressing wide and Crouch pressing in the middle.

I actualy think we could really dominate them with the extra man in the middle and as long as we defend well we could win this.

 

[badajozjim]

I was surprised that Obika was loaned out yesterday to Crystal Palace, it leaves us without a recognised striker on the bench, unless Kane is called up from the under-18's to sit on the bench. I think that Kaboul should start ahead of Corluka.

Gomes
Kaboul Dawson Bassong Bae
Lennon Huddlestone Palacios Bale
Krancjar
Crouch

I would like to see the Hudd rested for this game, didn't he have a problem with his knee from the astro-turf? Maybe Livermore could step in.

 

[Son_Of]

Well, I'll be in attendance tomorrow, and Spurs have yet to lose in the 15+ games I've been to in the last couple of the years.

So it'll be a draw, at worst. You're welcome.

awesome. thanks.

although i started last season with spate of 5-1's and a 5-0 but by the end i had seen us lose to pompey at wembley and concede a darren bent hattrick!

 

[peter_the_yid]

Dreading it today. I'm also worried if we lose our confidence will
be smashed for Wednesday, and I'm already scared enough about that.