Tottenham Vs Liverpool: Match Thread

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Tottenham Hotspur Vs Liverpool
Barclays Premier League
Venue: White Hart Lane Date: Sunday, 28 November Kick-off: 1600 GMT​

Coverage: Watch live on Sky Sports 1 and highlights on Match of the Day; listen on BBC Radio 5 live and local radio including full match commentary on BBC Radio Merseyside 95.8 FM, 1485 MW and DAB; text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles​

For more on live coverage please visit Geez's Live Media Thread
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Tottenham are no longer a bunch of 'mugs', according to Roy Hodgson, and the Liverpool boss is well aware of the huge challenge that awaits at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

The Anfield manager has delivered a glowing assessment of Spurs ahead of the weekend, with the Reds having been replaced by their hosts as one of the Premier League's top four.

Harry Redknapp has performed an incredible job in North London to ensure that his club's success in the past 18 months has been in stark contrast to fallen giants Liverpool.

Spurs are flying high on the back of another impressive home win in the UEFA Champions League, this time against Werder Bremen to ensure a place in the competition's knockout stages, and their dramatic turnaround against Arsenal.

Confidence
Redknapp's men therefore enjoy an unusual status as favourites to defeat the 18-time top-flight champions, but Hodgson, who was appointed in the summer in a bid to restore fortunes, has hopes of following Bolton in taking advantage of Spurs' European hangover.

Liverpool are poor travellers, but their overall record currently stands at one defeat in eight matches in all competitions to mark something of a recovery and build some renewed confidence.

Jermain Defoe could return to Tottenham's starting XI after he came on during the 3-0 win over Werder Bremen, while Redknapp has said that Rafael van der Vaart has a 50-50 chance of playing after sitting out in midweek.

Michael Dawson was expected to return to training on Friday after a knee injury, but is still at least two weeks away from first-team football, while Ledley King is still recovering from his groin complaint.

Gerrard absence
But Jermaine Jenas limped off after 20 minutes during the victory over Bremen and requires a scan on his calf and Tom Huddlestone is still unavailable.

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is still missing with the hamstring strain he sustained during England's friendly defeat to France.
But Lucas Leiva is available again after serving a one-match suspension for his red card in the defeat at Stoke.

Joe Cole could return for Liverpool after his hamstring injury and could face the team he almost joined in the summer and former manager at West Ham, Redknapp.
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Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rafael van der Vaart is a major doubt with an ankle problem.

Jermaine Jenas could miss out with a calf injury, but Michael Dawson has returned to training after 10 weeks out with ligament damage.

Liverpool could be boosted by the return of Joe Cole after a month out with a hamstring injury.

Steven Gerrard is still a not ready for a return, although Lucas is back from his one game suspension.

Tottenham
Doubtful: Dawson (knee), Jenas (calf), van der Vaart (ankle)
Injured: Huddlestone (ankle), Dos Santos, King & Woodgate (all groin), O'Hara (back)

Liverpool
Doubtful: Cole (hamstring)
Injured: Agger (calf), Gerrard (hamstring), Spearing (ankle)

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Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp claimed his side could win the league after their stunning comeback victory at fierce rivals Arsenal last week. Those words were also uttered by defender William Gallas following his controversial switch across north London during the summer.

Spurs have only ever been crowned champions of England twice, in 1951 and 1961, leading to the club's fans believing that years ending in a one are lucky for them. Perhaps Redknapp and Gallas can feel fate on their side.

In a campaign of inconsistencies for all Premier League sides, Redknapp knows Spurs need to discover a more ruthless streak to be considered genuine title challengers. So are Spurs realistic contenders? Redknapp's lit the touch paper, now it is down to his players, who secured the club's passage through to the last 16 of the Champions League in midweek.

If title-talk is fanciful for Tottenham, it is mythical for Liverpool and their fans these days. It is only 18 months ago that the Reds missed out on the title by four points, but that already seems like a distant memory. At this stage of that season they were 14 points better off than now.

At least there now appears to be genuine hope that Roy Hodgson can turn Liverpool's fortunes around. Thirteen points from the last six fixtures has the club looking towards the top end of the table rather than the bottom.

His side may have lacked fight in their last away game at Stoke, but victory at Spurs by a two-goal margin would lift Liverpool above their opponents in the table. Then who would be the title challengers?

Head-to-head
• The two English heavyweights are meeting for the 135th time in the league. Liverpool have 63 victories, compared to Tottenham's 37.
• This fixture has favoured the home side in each of the last two seasons. Spurs have recorded successive 2-1 league victories, as well as a 4-2 League Cup win two years ago.
• Liverpool's last victory at White Hart Lane was 2-0 in May 2008, with Fernando Torres among the scorers.


Tottenham
• Spurs have recorded back-to-back league wins for only the second time this season. However, they are yet to win three league games in a row.
• Harry Redknapp is unbeaten in his last four home games against Liverpool. His only defeat in 11 home matches against the Reds came while with former club Portsmouth in May 2006.
• Tottenham have accrued 13 points from losing positions this season, more than any other club in the division.
• Spurs have scored 16 goals in six November games in all competitions, including 10 their last three matches



Liverpool
• The Reds' 3-0 win at home to West Ham last time out was their first win in three league games.
• Liverpool have mustered only one away victory away from Anfield, at 1-0 win at high-flying Bolton last month.
• The Merseysiders have kept five league clean sheets this season, including three in their last five games.
• Roy Hodgson has never won in four previous trips to White Hart Lane as a manager. He has two draws and two defeats to date.


LEADING GOALSCORERS


Tottenham

Bale: 9 goals (5 league); Van der Vaart: 8 goals (6 league);
Pavyluchenko: 8 goals (4 league)

Liverpool

Gerrard: 7 goals (3 league);
Ngog: 7 goals (1 league); Torres: 5 goals (5 league)


MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Assistant referees: Peter Kirkup & Mike Mullarkey
Fourth official: Mark Halsey
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[brett.spurs]

Charlie :dance:

Coys.

 

[Mr Pink]

Fully expect Pool to line up like this:

Reina

Johnson
Carragher
Skrtel
Konchesky

Kuyt
Lucas
Mierles
Maxi

Ngog
Torres

Two combative players on the wings to help their full backs with Bale and Lennon...those battles will obviously be key. Palacios and Modric up against Lucas and Mierles....if we are properly up for this we should win but it wont be easy.

Gomes

Hutton
Gallas
Kaboul
Benny

Lennon
Palacios
Modric
Bale

VDV

Crouch

2-1 Spurs - VDV brace.

 

[brett.spurs]

Yeah someone on RAWK said that's their team.

Lennon, Modric, Bale, VDV, Defoe - If half of those are on their A-game then we should be causing them some serious trouble.

 

[PT]

Interesting if the Scousers do go 4-4-2 as it will make for lots of room in midfield for the likes of VdV and Modric when we have the ball.

 

[Mr Pink]

Yeah someone on RAWK said that's their team.

Lennon, Modric, Bale, VDV, Defoe - If half of those are on their A-game then we should be causing them some serious trouble.

Yeah I saw that, but mentioned yesterday that I had a hunch that Ngog would start in a 4-4-2 with Kuyt on the right.

Should be quite a few goals in this one.

 

[Dr Know]

Interesting if the Scousers do go 4-4-2 as it will make for lots of room in midfield for the likes of VdV and Modric when we have the ball.

Shhh did no-one tell you woy fwequents the fowum?

 

[camaj]

There are some tickets on the ticket exchange if anyone needs one. If they're gone when you look, keep checking people may still add tickets up until 14:00 on Sunday

 

[walworthyid]

Every game is a "must-win", but this really is. Will be tough, but we need a result.

 

[gibbs131]

Konchesky: Sent off within an hour?

Obviously the usual own goal by Carragher.

Coys. We should stuff this lot. Most disjointed Liverpool team and shite away from home.

 

[jamesc0le]

Affair of the hart: Peter Crouch is feeling the love...from Harry AND the Anfield faithful

Nov 28 2010 by Dave Kidd, The People





IT’S been hard to wipe the smile from Peter Crouch’s face during one of the greatest weeks of his career.
Even when he was stuck in a traffic jam on the way to training on Friday, the England striker was smirking away. Written in dirt on the back of the bus in front of him were the words ‘Arsenal 2 Tottenham 3’.
And the Spurs hit-man will be *feeling plenty of love today, at a fixture which will seem like a meeting of his own appreciation society.
Crouch has often divided opinion – but has never had to doubt the *supreme support of Harry Redknapp nor the *supporters of *today’s *visitors, Liverpool.
Having played in the Champions League Final for the Anfield men, Crouch was a key figure in the Spurs side which last season *ousted the Reds from Europe’s premier competition – and this week he helped the Londoners secure their place in the knock-out phase.
Yet he will never forget that it was Redknapp and The Kop who helped him through some of his darkest times.
Redknapp told Crouch he would become an England player when he was stuck on the bench at Southampton – and the Anfield faithful stood by him when he failed to score in his first 19 matches for Liverpool.
It is fair to say that neither his former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez nor current England chief Fabio Capello have always shared Redknapp’s unshakeable confidence in the lanky frontman.
But Crouch said: “I have always enjoyed working with Harry, in two spells at Portsmouth, at Southampton and now here.
“He’s a lot different to a lot of other managers, who are far more stand-offish. It was great for me to work with him again after being at Liverpool.
“He gets the best out of me and he is getting the best out of a group of players, a lot of whom have been here for a while and not really achieved that much. They had been playing below par but he has come in and given *everyone belief, like he has done with me throughout my career.
“Every time I’ve played for him, he’s told me there is no end to what I can achieve. He was telling me ‘you’ll play for England’ before I was even getting in the Southampton team. He had that much belief in me. In the end you start believing in it. He knows the game inside out, he knows his tactics but his biggest strength is giving us that belief.”
When Crouch suffered that chronic early goal drought following his move from Redknapp’s Southampton to Liverpool in 2005, The Kop inspired him with the legendary chant ‘he’s big, he’s red, his feet stick out the bed, Peter Crouch’.


And he admits it now hurts to see Liverpool outside of the Champions League places.
Crouch said: “The Liverpool fans were absolutely brilliant. At a lot of clubs, the fans might have turned on me and got frustrated. The admiration I’ve got for Liverpool fans is that they know the game inside out.
“They could see I was maybe being unlucky and still working hard for the team. It was a really frustrating time for me and I’m my own biggest critic.
“I went on to score 40-odd goals for them and I owe it to those supporters. In those early stages it was so difficult and they stood by me.
“The old song ‘he’s big, he’s red...’ that came out really early on – I loved my time there, we won things and I got to hear that song quite a bit. Hopefully they will soon get back where they belong.
“At Tottenham we want to play in the Champions League at whoever’s expense, but I was disappointed for Liverpool because of the history of the club and everything, they deserve to play in the Champions League, year in, year out. I hope they do get up there challenging for titles again.”
Crouch believes Spurs are capable of emulating Liverpool by reaching the Champions League Final – though he admits surprise that Redknapp openly suggested they could win the title this term, after that stunning comeback win at Arsenal last Saturday.
He said: “Now we’re in the knock-out stages, we know anyone has a chance of winning the Champions League. That Liverpool side I got to the final with in Athens, I wouldn’t say we were the best team in the competition.
“I was a bit surprised Harry said we could win the league, though! We haven’t won it since 1961. We have good enough players, it’s a very open title race but I think most fans would settle for the top four.
“This has been a great week for us. When you come back from 2-0 down against your local rivals, there’s no better way to win.
“It’s absolutely massive to win a derby. You see fans out on the street and it means so much to them.
“I was laughing as I came in today, written on the back of the bus in the dirt, there was the Arsenal-Spurs score. I was driving behind it for quite a while and it made me smile!”
And after making seven transfers in a nomadic career, Crouch insists he wants to stay at Spurs until he retires.
He said: “I’m so happy here that I want to be here for the rest of my career.
“For a time at Liverpool, I didn’t think I would ever leave there – but eventually felt I had to move on. Here I am so settled and there is no limit to what we can achieve. Unless they kick me out, I’ll be *hanging around!
“I haven’t had many injuries and I feel like I can go on for a long, long time – hopefully that will be at Tottenham.”


:beer:


:dance:


http://www.people.co.uk/sport/footb...rry-and-the-anfield-faithful-102039-22745616/

 

[Crash]

Please please let VDV be fit

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Hope you've got your thermal knickers ready boys and girls, it's gonna be frosty!

 

[StockSpur]

watch joe cole 'struggle' off the injury table and tear our lot to pieces

 

[tooey]

I really think this will be a tough game. Liverpool havn't had the best of seasons but are only 3 points behind us in the league. I just hope we dont go into the game in cruise control. I think the first goal will be vital, I would like to see JD start this one, just feel that his movement will cause problems for lpool's back four. If we can get the ball into the wide areas as much as possible we will definately cause some problems. Johnson is a donkey defensively and lennon on his day would rip konchesky to shreds.

Really need our back four to be on form for this one, Torres is a different class (as we all know).

 

[MilkyBarYid]

Please please let VDV be fit

Not according to Ben on FTL.

 

[camaj]

more itk: keane and vdv are out

 

[Lilbaz]

S**t!

 

[antiloqus]

If my recent game of pro evo is anything to go by, we will beat them 3-0 with 1st half goals by Defoe, VDV & Defoe again. also Kaka will be in the pocket of Hutton the whole game :up:

 

[spurslenny]

It would be most pleasant if we were to win this one.
Unlikely to keep a clean sheet, especially as 'pool somehow rise to the occasion in the big games (Chelsea a few weeks ago).

Hoping for a bit of 3-1 to us.