Lennon leads right winger race

Fabio Capello picks on form, which is good news for Aaron Lennon. Not so long ago the Spurs flyer appeared totally out of the England picture, with Theo Walcott, David Beckham and Shaun Wright-Phillips ahead of him in the pecking order.

Ashley Young, nominally a left winger, has also featured ahead of Lennon in England squads this season, but the Villa man’s form has deserted him in line with his club’s fortunes, whilst Wright-Phillips and Walcott are injured. Lennon is perhaps in the sort of form that would have earned him a call above his rivals if they were all available.

There won’t be room for all of the above in England’s 2010 World Cup squad, so this pair of matches is a good chance for Lennon to stake his claim.

Lennon of course featured in the 2006 tournament, when it appeared to be only a matter of time before he took over from Beckham long-term.

He had just completed a stunning début season for Spurs and those matches in Germany seemed to represent a changing of the guard, not least when Lennon finished the infamous quarter final against Portugal on the pitch, with Beckham in tears on the sidelines.

However, things change quickly in football and Lennon’s development is a classic example of a rollercoaster career. He reached a plateau at Spurs, unable to cope with the extra attention from defenders and frustrated with his ability to play the correct final ball.

His crossing has improved this season. The occasions when he drills a cross above his colleagues’ heads have reduced in number and his running at opponents has also developed, thanks perhaps to his increased experience and new-found ease at playing on the left or in the centre behind the front two.

Goals have also started to flow, which was the one area his rivals for an England right wing berth were superior. Lennon is now calm in front of goal and has recently revealed an excellent long range shot.

Lennon has all the attributes to succeed at international level. Unfortunately so do Wright-Phillips, Walcott, Young and Beckham, which is why it is down to the man in possession to make his chance count.

Magnificent win for Spurs!

Modric scored 5 minutes after the second half break to give Tottenham Hotspur the lead. His goal also proved to be the winner in the London Derby against Chelsea at The Lane.

Harry Redknapp's side look to have turned the corner, and although it looks difficult, we could be in for a Europa Cup spot next season.

To be honest with you, I just can't wait for this season to end so that Harry can add new players to the squad.

I can see us having a top 8 finish next season.

The gameplan for Sunday

We are all familiar with Harry Redknapp’s prioritisation policy, but our manager knows the importance of Sunday’s Carling Cup final clash with Manchester United. He had a taste of Wembley glory last season with Portsmouth and more silverware, gained through upsetting the best team in Europe will be another notable feather in his managerial cap.

Victory would also be a boost to a team that has faced the ignominy of a relegation battle all season, securing European qualification at a time when our UEFA Cup fixtures are viewed as little more than a hindrance. It is hoped they would not be next season.

However, retention of the trophy and qualification for the first season of the Europa League somehow seems as far away as it did when we embarked on the campaign in the dark days of early season.

Manchester United have an aura of invincibility that makes their target of winning the five tournaments they entered this season eminently achievable. 10 straight Premier League wins and one goal conceded in their last 15 league matches shows the size of Spurs’ task. How will we defeat the Red Devils and repeat last year’s success?

That victory over Chelsea is the first place to look. Players intimidated by our opponents only need look at those who constructed that famous win – as the cliché goes, anything is possible in football and we must not lack self-belief.

Tactically Harry might well use our recent FA Cup defeat at Old Trafford as a blueprint. Although a 2-1 reverse was the final outcome, the manager was pleased with the way our five-man midfield stifled United’s threat, with the doubling up on Cristiano Ronaldo particularly successful.

Spurs played that match under-strength and with a clear counter-attacking mentality, and whilst we will not start the final in the same defensive frame of mind, the absence of Robbie Keane, Jermain Defoe and Fraizer Campbell might force Harry to again play Luka Modric behind Roman Pavlyuchenko.

Darren Bent appears to be on borrowed time at the club and can expect a place on the bench – having no striking cover on the sidelines might be dangerous.

Wilson Palacios is also unavailable, so Didier Zokora will perform ball-winning duties alongside Jermaine Jenas, who will need to support the front man with his bursts from midfield that have been lacking this season. Tom Huddlestone had a good impact as a substitute last year and we might need him again to come on to pick passes as we search for goals.

The back four will pick itself (fitness permitting) with the containment of Ronaldo and Dimitar Berbatov a priority. Our former striker was allowed too much space in the FA Cup tie and Ledley King will be keen to prevent him dropping deep and enjoying time on the ball.

Heurelho Gomes will be back between the sticks, which should not alarm Spurs fans as much as they might fear – Carlo Cudicini was as unsure on set pieces against Hull City as the Brazilian has been at any point this season. United are as dangerous from corners and free kicks as anyone and it does not need saying that they are threatening enough without being gifted soft goals.

The final should be a tight, low-scoring affair and we should hope Spurs’ frustrating tactics can produce a 1-0 win, the scoreline that United have benefited from so much recently. They have conceded more than once just three times in 26 league matches, meaning a clean sheet is crucial to our hopes of victory.

Written by Philip Oliver, a Tottenham Hotspur supporter and professional sports writer who blogs about Carling Cup gambling and football in general.