Spurs BT Sport channel TV fixtures

New boys in the TV football market BT, who are promoted by Gareth Bale, have also announced their first set of fixtures for the upcoming season.

The first Tottenham Hotspur game on the BT Sport channel is the lunch time fixture (12.45) against Chelsea on Saturday September 28th at White Hart Lane.

Our only other game on BT at the moment is against Manchester United in another lunch time fixture (12.45) at White Hart Lane on Saturday November 30th.

Our complete TV fixtures so far announced, SKY unless stated:
Sun Aug 18: Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur (1:30pm)
Sun Sept 1: Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur (4pm)
Sat Sept 28: Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea (BT Sport 12.45pm)
Sun Oct 20: Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur (4pm)
Sun Nov 3: Everton v Tottenham Hotspur (1.30pm)
Sun Nov 10: Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United (12pm)
Sat Nov 23: Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur (5.30pm)
Sat Nov 30: Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United (BT Sport 12.45pm)

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Six Spurs or former Spurs players now at Swindon Town

League One side Swindon Town are morphing into Tottenham Hotspur reserves it seems.

Appointed Swindon Town boss in February, Kevin MacDonald is a coach Spurs rate at developing youngsters. Tim Sherwood has arranged loan move there for another one more of our youngsters. They are getting quite a collection.

On Tuesday Spurs confirmed the departure of Nathan Byrne to Swindon Town and the highly promising Alex Pritchard on a season long loan there.

Peterborough had hoped to bring the talented Pritchard back on loan, but their chairman revealed Spurs wanted him to go to Swindon and now he has.

In addition to Byrne and Pritchard, Massimo Luongo and Grant Hall are already at the County Ground on loan, former trainee Troy Archibald-Henville signed in June last year and they snapped up Jack Barthram when we released him earlier this year.

There is also talk of the Wiltshire club taking another player we have released, former England Under 17 captain John Bostock.

All in all quite a Tottenham flavour to the club now, at least the players won't be strangers with 6, possibly 7 Spurs or former Spurs players starting the new season there.

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Harry's Interested in Huntelaar

Mediaset, the Italian media giant (owned by Mr.Berlusconi), yesterday revealed that both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have shown an interest in buying AC Milan striker, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar for around €15 million (approximately £12.6 million). It also added that "Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham Hotspur manager, has been looking at Huntelaar in recent months and plans to sign the Dutch striker."

Tottenham Hotspur's pursuit of a striker has been the topic of discussion this week, therefore, you can imagine the delight on nearly all my fellow Spurs when they read this. Thing is, I was the only disappointed Spurs fan in the office.

I had to ask my associate Tottenham loving colleagues a question; "Just a thought guys, why are most of you wound up by the media hype that surrounds Klaas-Jan Huntelaar?"

As you can imagine, I received the dreaded blank stare. It was as if I had just said that Ashley Cole is indeed a decent chap.

So again, I posed a question; "How many of you have seen him play?" Judging by the comments I received, most of them didn't even know what Huntelaar looked like.

I went into one.....

"The simple fact of the matter is that Mr. Huntelaar was a goal scorer in Holland, but failed in Spain and in Italy. What makes him such an amazing candidate??

"I remember a certain Mateja Kežman; man could he score....in Holland. Since his move away from the goal-rush Eredivisie (left in 2004), in which he scored 105 goals in 122 games, Kezman has racked up an amazing tally of.........39 goals.

"Let's look at Huntelaar's stats: In the goal-rush (yes, I will call the Eredivisie that, for even Martin Jol's Ajax scored an incredible 106 goals, but still came second), Huntelaar managed to score 135 in 183 games. Pretty phenominal. But then, his goal tally dries up like an elephant's ball sack. Why? Because he left the comfort of the Goal-Rush league!

"Since his move to Spain and Italy, the once prolific striker has scored a total of 15 goals in 45 matches!

"And we want him to sign? Based on what? I suppose we could sign him and loan him to Ajax. As a Spurs player, he'll probably get a bucket load. Shame though, as he'll do it wearing a Ajax shirt.

"So please, can someone explain to me what all this fuss is about?".

Robert in accounting spoke up first; "Jaymes, look at Ruud van Nistelrooy and the original Ronaldo. They all scored in the Dutch league and also found it fairly easy scoring in other leagues".

"Bob, you've just answered your own question mate. They scored in OTHER LEAGUES! Huntelaar has played in other leagues, yet cannot score."

At this point, the conversation went dead, not because it wasn't interesting, but because the only Arsenal fan in the office, Trevor, walked in and put an end to it.

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There will be loads of you who disagree with me. Please don't take any of the above personally. It's just that as Spurs fans (and football fans in general), we seem to get our thongs in a twist every time a foreign player with some history gets linked with us.

If we do sign him and he goes on to score a bucket load, I will be as delighted as my fellow Spur, but the facts don't lie. Chances are, he'll come here and not settle, which means that he'll need a TomTom for directions on where the onion-bag is.

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Spurs must hope Capello keeps his job

Now that England's farcical World Cup campaign has finished, fans can start looking ahead to the domestic season. For Spurs supporters this should be a time of excitement, as the usual summer optimism is justified like never before. However, a dark cloud hangs over White Hart Lane - the potential departure of Harry Redknapp to become England manager.

Once Roy Hodgson is installed as Liverpool boss, Redknapp will become the bookmakers' favourite to replace Fabio Capello should the Italian be sacked. Redknapp has already expressed his desire to fill the role, albeit when Capello's contract runs out, but our manager knows the Italian is on borrowed time and his comments represent his hat landing in the ring. The World Cup betting made England third favourites pre-tournament, and Capello could get the boot after a woeful showing.

There is every chance that the popular Redknapp will get the job. The F.A. have had their fingers burned twice by installing costly foreign 'super coaches' and the experiment with internal promotion failed when Steve McLaren was given the job.

They know Martin O'Neill was the popular choice when Sven Goran Eriksson left the post and they will not risk ignoring Redknapp in the same way they did the Ulsterman four years ago. The Harry bandwagon has already started and will be hard to stop, especially as alternatives are thin on the ground.

Hopefully this will not be too much of a distraction during pre-season. Everything is in place for another excellent campaign, not least as Tottenham's England players return home relatively unaffected by the South African calamity.

Tottenham's Premier League betting odds suggest another successful campaign could be in the offing, and their underused internationals will have a key role to play.

Michael Dawson, Aaron Lennon, Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe should all have played more but their lack of action does Spurs a favour as they will all start the season refreshed and with a point to prove. Some of their international colleagues will take some time to rediscover their confidence after performing so badly on the biggest stage.

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Disgrace!

So far this morning, all I've been reading, listening to and viewing on TV, is that Liverpool's Jamie Carragher has been asked back into England contention by Fabio Capello.

Hold on a sec; am I missing something here? Isn't this the guy that said himself in an interview that he wanted to retire from the England scene because he would rather spend more time with his family than warming the England bench?

This season, Capello has thus far dismissed Michael Dawson. Why? You'd have to ask him. Instead of going by his own rules, he decides to bring back a player that has said that he'd rather lay on his couch than sit on the England bench.

Talking about Capello's rules; the one that springs to mind is where he specifically said that unless a player is playing regularly and in form, he would not be picked to join the England squad.

Call me biased, but Michael Dawson has done more than enough to warrant a place in the final 23 man squad. What has Jamie Carragher done? In my opinion, he's gone backwards. We all saw that his legs had gone in the first game of the season when we beat them convincingly 2-1. Since then, he's helped his team to a possible 6th position in the Premier League. We're talking about Liverpool by the way; he's helped Liverpool to a possible 6th position finish.

Dawson has worked his socks off and helped Tottenham Hotspur to a possible 3rd place finish.

Oh, and don't get me started on about Emile Heskey. Fabio, why even tell the media what your selection policy was, if you yourself can't stick to it?

Of course, Capello could decide to take both; but that's not why I am ranting on. Instead of assuring Michael Dawson of a place, he's assured Carragher of a place in the final 23 man squad, if we are to believe reports.

Absolute disgrace!

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Champion's League? You're Having a Laugh

I was involved in an interesting conversation with a few colleagues of mine this morning.

Included in the group of football wannabe pundits, were Spurs, Arsenal, Liverpool, Villa and one recently baptised Manchester City fan. We were discussing the teams chasing the fourth, majestic Champion's League spot.

The majority of the office is confident that Spurs can finish in the top four, with Liverpool finishing the season in fifth and City in sixth.

What I did find interesting, wasn't the fact that the majority thought that we could make the Champion's League, but that Tottenham Hotspur could be on the verge of a one-time affair with the lucrative competition.

Let's face up to the facts. Sooner or later, Manchester City are going to get it right. With the money they've got, they can and will buy the league.

If we make the Champion's League and that's a mighty big "if", I believe that it will transform us as a club. We will be able to sign a calibre of player that wouldn't have been available to us previously. Therefore, if we are to cement our place in the Champion's League, year in, year out, we need to invest. Maybe investment isn't the only key ingredient? Hope that we can evolve faster than the chasing pack is also vital.

Everton's Champion's League exhibition didn't bode well for them. Instead of making a real go of it, they went out in the qualifying rounds; qualifying rounds that have somewhat become harder in recent seasons.

Whether or not they decided they had the squad to compete, or simply didn't have the funds to invest, is anyone's guess. What is fact is that the route they took proved that the team they had back then wasn't good enough to compete for the top four position year on year.

Manchester City isn’t the only club we should be worried about. We've also got Liverpool to think of too. They are a sleeping giant, one that, once fully awake, will cause damage.

As things stand, Liverpool need some heavy investment and that could take a while, especially with the internal problems that keep erupting in the boardroom. As well as a new team, as Torres keeps alluding to, they need a new stadium. If reports of them bringing in Jose Mourinho are to be trusted, they will need to fork out some serious dough. The man doesn't come cheap. He's reported to be on £9 million net at Inter Milan. If you take into account the 50% tax scheme that's about to come into play, we're talking £18 million a year! If you get him on a 5 year deal, that's £90 million (plus additional bonuses).

There's no doubting he'd want a few world-class players to, which could mean a further outlay. How much would a few world-class players cost? City spent over £200 million on a group of players that I personally wouldn't call all world-class. Then we come to the stadium issue. That's another £400+ million. All in all, Liverpool could need an investment of near on £1 billion. Football doesn't come cheap, does it?

Aston Villa is also a slumbering giant, one that with the right playing squad could be in the position we're currently in. For them to push on any further, they to would need drastic investment, which, their owner, Mr. Lerner has said won't be forthcoming any time soon.

Therefore, if we are going to make the Champion's League and stay there, we need to reassess some issues in relation to the playing staff. Let's hope the board is game.

Of course, we have to get there first. Who else will become a Wigan Athletic fan tonight? I know I will.





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Foster vs. Gomes

The everlasting debate of us signing a keeper to replace Gomes, raged through the office once again.

I do thank my lucky stars that most of my prestigious colleagues claimed that Gomes is a better keeper than Ben Foster.

I didn't want to name and shame the under writer of yet another pointless office rant, but Pat, who also happens to be my boss, started the "Gomes Out" campaign at the beginning of last season.

It sometimes got to the point, especially after that away day at Fulham, that we dare not mention the Brazilian's name.

Either way, Pat, once again, commenced his field of dreaming aspirations as regards Foster.

I didn't want to get dragged into this debate (for the millionth time) as you get nowhere. No matter what Gomes does, Foster can do no wrong.

I really do hate it when a fellow blogger asks the question "Foster vs. Gomes?" (Note to self: slap yourself silly). You see, when Pat reads the said heading on NewsNow (oh yes, it's not just us lowly minions that click the refresh button countless times during an off-day), you can bet your hairy touche that he'll pop his head up from behind his cubicle and rant on about the mistakes that have cost us due to not having a class keeper, namely, Foster.

I won't discuss the pointless discussion that Pat sparked off, but I will add that it was a Man U fan that finished it. "I wish we had Gomes, Pat. Fancy a swap?" That swift comment put an end to today's office rant.

Henry, I thank you, but no, we don't want to swap Gomes for what I can only call the most overrated keeper in the Prem.

Oh and God bless Tomas Raszkin.............

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Lampard & Gerrard PLC

Who said that Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard can't play together? After watching tonight's International home tie against Croatia, it's plainly obvious that they can. Both players got two goals apiece as England ran riot against a Croatia team lacking our own stars, The Modfather and Charlie.

Lennon started the match and had an outstanding first half; getting fouled in the box which led to Lampard scoring from the spot for his first and then sending in a peach of a cross onto the head of Gerrard, which put England two up. To be fair, it looked as though the Croatian players didn't know who Azza was. They gave him enough room in the first half to set up shop and make a killing.

Defoe came on in the second half for Heskey, who in my opinion, needs to warm the bench of his sofa, let alone the subs bench. The Villa striker had two great opportunities to score and fluffed the both of them. Given Defoe's form, I could have seen him burying the both of them, but such is life. I don't want to sound too biased, so I must add that Defoe was quiet and quite ineffective. Let's hope he's saving himself for Saturday.

Kranjcar, the poor thing, was in a team that was so inept, that it reminded me of some of the Spurs sides Ramos put out during his final few weeks at the club. Eduardo was rightly booed in the first half, but that didn't stop the cheat from scoring Croatia's only goal. Cheating scum!

If all players were fit, Tottenham's showing for the night could have been 5 players and Croatia may not have conceded 5. This Croatia side is a far cry from the team that bossed England two years ago, or should I say that The Modfather bossed England in that match? He was captain fantastic that night.

I must add that Johnson had a fantastic game. It looks as though the defenders has started to defend. Well done lad.

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Roman Pavlyuchenko also got a goal against Wales. Are we going to get a closer look at this lad any time soon?

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Why Everton need to sell Lescott

For those of you that watched the Everton vs. Arsenal match this evening, you would have seen an Everton side that looked a complete shambles. The same squad finished last season in 5th. So what went wrong today?

Let's go back twelve months and take a look at the goings on at the side I support, Tottenham Hotspur.

A certain Mr. Berbatov had made it clear that it was his dream to play for Manchester United, even though he was under contract. Sir Alex Ferguson openly declared how interested he was in signing the Spurs forward.

Daniel Levy, the Spurs chairman, dug his heels in and refused to do business with Manchester United unless they paid a premium for Dimitar Berbatov. The result? The entire squad was in turmoil. Reports at the time were doing the rounds that Jonathan Woodgate wanted to teach Mr. Berbatov a lesson or two and on one occasions, let his feelings known to the Bulgarian international during a half-time team talk.

Tottenham's then manager, Juande Ramos, had to send Berbatov home as the tensions within the Spurs camp had come to breaking point.

Lescott and Berbatov are clearly different characters. But I suspect that the results of their actions had and are having the same results.

Everton looked a shell of themselves today and for the good of the club and fans, it would be best for Moyes to sell Lescott to Manchester City. If Moyes continues to play hardball, I can see a ruined season for the Evertonians and to be honest, they don't deserve that.

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Are Spurs better than Arsenal?

Well, let's face it, they've been far better than us for a pretty long time, but something tells me we're getting better.

If we compare our players, like for like with the Arsenal players, I'll think you'll find that there's not much in it.

Players & positions taken from TottenhamHotspur.com & Arsenal.com

Spurs Defence: Gomes, Assou-Ekotto, Bale, Corluka, Hutton, Chimbonda, Naughton, King, Bassong, Dawson and Woodgate.

Arsenal Defence: Almunia, Vermaelen, Sagna, Senderos, Song, Djourou, Traore, Gallas, Silvestre, Clichy, Gibbs.

If I had to pick a back four (plus keeper) out of all the above players, I'd pick; Gomes, Clichy, Sagna, Woodgate & King.

Spurs Midfield: Jenas, Huddlestone, O'Hara, Lennon, Boateng, Modric, Bentley, Palacios and Bostock.

Arsenal Midfield: Diaby, Rosicky, Denilson, Wilshire, Eboue, Fabregas, Nasri, Ramsey and Arshavin.

If I had to pick two wingers and two midfielders, I'd pick Lennon on the right and Arshavin on the left. For my central midfield positions, I'd pick Fabregas and Modric.

Spurs Attack: Defoe, Keane, Pavlyuchenko, Crouch

Arsenal Attack: Eduardo, Walcott, Van Persie, Bendtner

Crouch & Defoe would be my choice. Or I'd swap Defoe for Keane or Pavlyuchenko. I wouldn't pick any of the strikers currently on offer.

My eleven would have 7 Spurs players and only 4 Arsenal players. It's a shame the games' not played on paper.

That's just my opinion, I'm sure a lot of you will completely differ from my eleven. As I said in yesterdays post, we have a very good squad at the moment. If we could add one more player, it would be complete.

I'm all for us bringing in Sissoko. The guy bossed the midfield in Toulouse's friendly last week. From what I've seen of him, £15 million would be well spent. I think Harry will make his move if Jenas moves to Villa.

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Would you want a Manchester City style owner?

For the first time in ages, our board have taken a conservative stance on the transfer market. Thus far, no £15+ million players have signed up. Looking back at what £15+ million has got us in the past, this may be a good thing.

The transfer market has gone a bit off the rails and even though we are still linked with all and sundry, there has been no movement. To be honest, with the money we've spent in the last 3 seasons, I can see why Levy is being quite reserved.

After reading that our owner, Mr. Lewis, has bought up a large stake in the Mitchell’s & Butler pub group, I had hoped that he would swing some of his cash our way. Wishful thinking? Course it was.

So it got me thinking. How would I feel if a rich somebody came into the picture and had the will and the way to sign up as much talent as possible? If we had the same sort of cash as Manchester City do and we went in for the players they've signed, do you think Gareth Barry would have picked them over us? What about Tevez? Would he have come to us instead?

It's all relative I suppose.

The good news is that our club is run properly. We are the richest club in the world never to have played in the Champions League. I'm not too sure if that's something we should be bragging about, but never mind.

I suppose that with the outlay the City owners have spent, they will want results and fast. Wanting results normally means a higher turnover in managers, which we've all seen at Chelsea (and us), simply doesn't work.

So am I happy with our current regime? Funnily enough, I am. I'd take our business model over the Manchester City one. I also wish them the best of luck in the world in dislodging Arsenal from the 4th spot perch. I think they'll need our well wishes as money can't buy luck.

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Raiding the relegated clubs

Many of Tottenham’s supposed summer transfer targets ply their trade at Portsmouth. The Harry Redknapp link and implications of a new owner and full-time manager at Fratton Park make this logical, although we should perhaps be concentrating our efforts on raiding the relegated clubs.

The wisdom of this can obviously be questioned – surely the players in question can’t be that good if they're getting used to the idea of Championship football – but Spurs have a good recent history in this area.

Paul Robinson and Aaron Lennon were picked up from Leeds United at bargain prices following their relegation and financial implosion in 2004 and value for money is an important consideration, as Spurs have finally started to lose the tag of the Premier League’s most reckless spenders.

The comparison between Newcastle United and Leeds hardly needs pointing out, but it should be recognised that the Magpies are desperate to sell many of their players – relegated clubs are keen to remove high earners from their wage bill and Newcastle’s urgency is made greater by their supposed lack of planning for Premier League relegation.

However, do any Newcastle players stand out as potential transfer targets? Sebastian Bassong is their most prized asset and although the young defender is capable of playing for a top club, a centre back is not high on the list of Tottenham priorities.

If defensive cover is needed I would consider Middlesbrough, where David Wheater has been a rare reliable performer. His displays in 2007/08, when he was on the verge of earning international recognition, were more impressive, but he has the attributes to succeed at Spurs.

Indeed, Middlesbrough is the club to concentrate on, as they match Tottenham’s profile of developing and recruiting young English talent. Our desire to sign Stewart Downing is well-documented, although his long-term injury might postpone his move away from the Riverside. Adam Johnson and Nathan Porritt might be young players worth taking a closer look at.

West Bromwich Albion are short of the necessary quality that would strengthen our squad, although Chris Brunt – a Middlesbrough youth product - would provide depth in the left midfield area that remains a concern for the manager.

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Players In/Out

It's that time again when every player is linked with Tottenham Hotspur, either in a bid to get an improved contract with their current club, or just for some publicity.

Rarely are linked players actually signed by us, but we do feel that with Harry Redknapp at the helm, things could be different as we finally have a manager that uses his media connections to his advantage.

Ins
We believe that Inter's Sully Muntari is a dead cert. He'll settle comfortably with Palacios in the middle of the park.

Lille's left sided midfielder, Michel Bastos, could also be brought in by Harry. Bear in mind though, he's not a left winger, but rather a better version of Downing. If he does sign, he'll need some time to settle.

And finally, I do have a feeling Harry's spoken to the Austrian International 6.5 foot tall striker, Marc Janko. Given what the lads said in the media, it's as if he's already training at Spurs Lodge.

Outs
If Munty is to sign, I can't see Jenas staying. As the Mirror reported, we also predict a swap deal happening.

Darren Bent will be off to. Harry would actually like him to stay, but Bent wants week-to-week action.

The enigma that is David Bentley will probably be off. If reports stating that Athletico Madrid are after him, we feel he could be on his way. After all, we can't see him replacing Lennon on the wing.

Taarabt will be off, as well as Boateng. With regards to Bale, we hope he remains at the club and proves all his doubters wrong, but unfortunately, we feel that if a substantial bid comes in for him, he'll be off.

Zokora and Wigan seem to be making all the right noises at the moment, so don't be too surprised if you see Zoko diving for the Latics next season.

Huddlestone is also another player that could be on his way if a big enough bid comes in.

Players that we can't see coming are Porto's contract-wanting left back, Cissokho, Arsenal bound Santa Cruz, Stewart Downing (unless the Bastos deal falls through), and about another 132 linked players.

We'd be delighted if Harry could bring in just Munty, Bastos and a 4th striker to replace Bent.

What are your predictions?

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Harry's Signings

Regardless of what some media sources are stating, I feel that Harry won't go out "guns blazing" in an attempt to sign a whole host of new talent.

I have said for a while now that I believe a deal was struck in January with Middlesbrough to bring Downing to Spurs in the close season.

I also believe the news that we are discussing a deal with Inter to sign Sulley Muntari.

Harry Redknapp may move Darren Bent & Jermaine Jenas on, but I have a feeling that David Bentley and Tom Huddlestone will remain at the club.

If Bent does leave, I can see Harry attempting to sign a replacement, but don't expect Blackburn's Santa Cruz to be that player, or anyone of that ilk.
To be honest with you, I personally believe that Downing & Muntari will be the only two players that we will sign this summer.

Maybe that's a good thing. After so many seasons in which we seem to buy a new side, let's hope for a summer of settlement and continuity.

Written by Jamie Stevenson of Palmers Green, London

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Munty or Beck's?

It seems as though the media are starting earlier every season in anticipation of who Spurs will buy.

Yesterday we read the news that Inter's superb box-to-box midfielder, Sulley Muntari, was interested in a move back to the Premier League, so naturally, that meant him moving to Tottenham Hotspur.

Today, we're reading that it looks like David Beckham could be in line for a move to the club he turned down when he was 11.

If the above is true, and you had to decide between 24 year old Munty or 32 year old Beck's, who would you go for?

It's a no brainer isn't it? I'd welcome Muntari with open arms. If it means that Jenas is going to Inter in return, then it's a win-win situation.

You need pace in the Premier League and that's why I've gone with the lad from Ghana.

Although I do feel that Beckham would definitely do a decent job for us, we've got to look to the future.

With a midfield hosting Modric, Muntari, Palacios & Lennon, I'd be hard pressed to find a better partnership.

Knowing Harry, I'd put a bet on Muntari coming to our club. After all, he was forced to sell him to Inter while he was Pompey's boss due to the financial trouble they/are in.

Redknapp always rated Muntari as one of the best midfielders in the game.

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Who would you rather Harry let go?

With the commotion relating to the apparent Bent/Bentley/Pavlyuchenko departure(s), who would you actually like to see leave the club?

We felt a bit let down when we read the reports surrounding our Russian striker a few weeks ago. He surely deserves at least another season, after all, he's been playing continuously since March 2008.

As far as we're concerned, Bent and Bentley can pack their bags. Although we feel that Darren Bent is a useful Premier League striker, he just hasn't managed to perform at Spurs.

As for Bentley, the less said the better.

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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.

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You know where the door is sunshine

I'm sure that you've all read or heard about the threats Darren Bent has made this week. If not, here's a snap of the comments he made;

"I've spoken to the manager a couple of times about my position but I can only hear the same thing so many times," Bent told The Sun. "I'm not one of those players who will just sit back and let his career pass him by.

"But I'm only 25 and there is so much more to come from me as a player. I'm not the finished article and I will get better.

"I'd like to think that improvement will be with Tottenham. But if nothing is happening for me by the end of the season then I will look to go elsewhere."

Darren....don't let the door hit you on your way out!

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Fill in the blanks

Honestly, I am lost for words. What are we trying to achieve here? I am actually not too bothered about Robbie Keane coming back, after all, he was the main driving force in the changing room and was known to rally the players together prior to kick-off and at half-time.

I am though, troubled at the "mish-mash" transfer policy that has been installed after the dreadful tenure of Comolli ended.

It looks as though Redknapp had taken a look at Defoe and knew that we needed a goal scorer and so signed him. Then Robbie Keane's agent called Redknapp, informing him that the former Spurs vice-captain had become available and would welcome a move back to Spurs. We know how that turned out.

The problem I have foreseen is that it's clear Harry doesn't know what his best 11 is. How do you play Pavlyuchenko, Defoe and Keane in the same side; a side that will also accommodate the lightweight Modric, Bentley and Lennon?

Please don't use the Palacios card here. He's clearly a good player, but he can't anchor our midfield alone. If we were playing in a fantasy league, then the line-up of;



would look like a tasty one, especially with Cudicini, Bale, Dawson, Jenas, Modric, Dos Santos, & Bent warming the bench. The reality is that the above line-up does not have the steel and grit needed in it to force us out of our current predicament.

Why didn't we sign Reading's, Stephen Hunt? He may not have the flair and pace of Lennon, but he's a fighter.

I really do worry about the lack of determination and drive that is sadly lacking in our current squad.

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