Carling Cup-Tottenham Hotspur vs. West Ham United [R]

[The Double]

Wednesday, the 29th of October


Tottenham Hotspur FC

vs.

West Ham United



Home Fixture-Hammers@The Lane



Official Spurs Website (www.spurs.co.uk)

TeamTalk-Spurs (http://www.teamtalk.com/teamtalk/News/Team_News/0,1562,46,00.html)

BBCSport-Spurs (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/t/tottenham_hotspur/default.stm)

SoccerNet-Spurs (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=367&cc=5901)

SoccerNet-Live Scores (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/livescore/results?league=ALL&cc=5901)

Spurs Odyssey (www.spursodyssey.com)


Post all line-ups, play by plays, opinions, predictions, West Ham jokes etc.

[sendorange]

If it was at Upton Park I'd be nervous. If Hoddle was still in charge and up against an underdog West Ham team keen to impress Pardew, then I'd be even more nervous.

As it is I'm quietly optimistic as long as Pleat picks the right lineup. No room for Poyet I'm afraid, this is a very pacey West Ham team who will also be full of commitment. We need the energy to match that, but we also need to keep Anderton in there for his experience and range of passing. We need to be competitive in the tackles and kill them with our final ball and some cutting edge. Then our defence shuts them down, gives no space in behind for Defoe et al to run into and we take advantage of their limited creativity.

I'd go with:

Keller

Carr Richards Gardner Tanno

Dalmat Anderton King Konch

Keane Zamora/Postiga

I'd like Ziege to be involved, as a sub for Tanno, but realistically this is no game for a player making a comeback from injury unless we're coasting to victory. In which case by all means give him some minutes. I've also gone with King over Mabizela. I like Mabizela a lot but he was a bit feisty in his tackles and is still inexperienced. Don't want to risk him mistiming a couple of tackles and getting a red, which is possible in a game like this.

After being a sub against Boro I'm tempted to play Ricketts ahead of Anderton as he'll be hungry to impress, but experience is important, so I'd look to bring him on as a sub later in the game instead, when his energy and runnning could give West Ham problems.

[sendorange]

http://www.spurs.co.uk/article.asp?article=169968
http://www.ananova.com/sport/soccer/story/sm_833178.html?menu=sport.football
http://www.spurscommunity.co.uk/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1183&mode=nested&order=0&thold=0
http://www.tottenhamhotspur-mad.co.uk/news/loadnews.asp?cid=TMNW&id=126104


To follow up:

Mark Yeates is in the squad. That kid is top class, an Irish youngster, he was the star of the U-17 team from a couple of seasons ago which won the Premiership academy league. From what little I've seen he's sort of a more physical version of Robbie Keane, less polished and flashy but quite similar in how he plays off the front either as an attacking midfielder or a floating forward.

Tanno and Anderton have late fitness tests. Personally I'd prefer to have both of them playing for this, but I suppose with Bolton coming up we have to juggle our resources.

Considering Gardner and Richards have a tougher time against small quick players - which West Ham have in abundance, then I might bring in Mabizela for Tony at the back. Blondel into left mid with Konch moving to full back. Ricketts into midfield for Anderton or Dalmat. Postiga up front with Keano - who will be subbed out for Zamora on about 60 minutes.

[sendorange]

Here we go, here's the lineup:

Spurs Team

13. Keller, Kasey
16. Konchesky, Paul
30. Gardner, Anthony
23. Ziege, Christian
2. Carr, Stephen
26. King, Ledley
12. Doherty, Gary
11. Dalmat, Stephane
27. Ricketts, Rohan
25. Zamora, Bobby
10. Keane, Robbie

Subs

24. Burch, Rob
21. Mabizela, Mbulelo
5. Bunjevcevic, Goran
20. Blondel, Jonathan
8. Postiga, Helder

So Ziege starts on the left side with Konch, Doherty and Gardner at centre back (why no Mabizela??), King and Ricketts in central midfield with Dalmat wide right and it's Bobby/Keano up front.

Anderton and Tanno failed their fitness tests.
http://www.tottenhamhotspur-mad.co.uk/news/loadnews.asp?cid=TMNW&id=126272

[jumhed]

Westaaahhhm are sort of kicking our arse in the second half.

My favourite line of commentary so far was at the end of the first half;

'Rob Lee slid in behind the Spurs defence and slid the ball with a sliding shot, which bounced off the post.'

[jumhed]

Mabizela on for Dalmat

Ziege coming off (possibly) for Blondel.

[The Double]

14mins: After a frantic start, the first effort on goal. Decent chance, Konchesky into Zamora, left side of box, took shot early but dragged across goal.

19mins: Early ball in from Ricketts, loose ball fell to Zamora, fashioned a shot deflected into James' hands.

20mins: Dalmat flashed shot high and wide from 25 yards.

21mins: SUB. Ferdinand for injured Stockdale.

24mins: Brilliantly timed tackle from Doherty to deny Lee's burst into box.

26mins: OFF LINE. Keane trickery and cutback to Dalmat, 12 yards out, Dailly outstretched leg flicked ball away.

28mins: Keane away from Kilgallon, into box, curler into side-netting.

33mins: Konchesky into box, tight angle, James always in control.

37mins: WOODWORK. Defoe clever lobbed pass to Lee, first-time effort hit inside of post and bounced back into Keller's arms.

44mins: Ziege free-kick always going over.

Half-time: Spurs 0-0 West Ham

50mins: Positive drive from Etherington, slipped ball into breaking Lee who couldn't gather the pass.

53mins: Zamora and Keane combined well, Keane into supporting Konchesky, dragged shot well wide.

57mins: SUB. Mabizela for Dalmat.

60mins: SUB. Blondel for limping Ziege.

[soccernutter]

91 min - Goal by Bobby Zamora (Tottenham) drilled left-footed (bottom-right of goal) from left channel (18 yards). Tottenham 1-0 West Ham. Assist (pass) by Jonathan Blondel (Tottenham) from left channel.

[jumhed]

Keller is a god!

Funny that Zamora, a West Ham fan, should open his account against his boyhood idols!

I laugh in their faces!

[jumhed]

Spurs are rubbish! How do we keep winning when we're so relentlessly crap? But for Defoe forgetting where the goal is, and the genius of Keller, we'd have been spanked!



Also, anyone else heard the worrying rumours that Postiga might be sold off abroad?

[The Double]

I did not think we were going to pull this one off. But we did.







HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA, you Claret and Blue ********S, I hope you enjoy that walk back to the Borelyn, and here's to hoping Coventry kick the SHIT out of you "Men of Iron" next game. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! GLORY ********ING GLORY!

[sendorange]

Another clean sheet (just about) :D

On to the next round!

[DigitalTron]

Fantastic way for Zamora to break his duck in a real game! Sounds like Defoe was quite problematic tonight, but Doherty (!?!?) and company helped Keller keep a clean sheet.

On another note, it sure sounds like Konchesky is doing the business wide left. I like his defending and every game he's sending in two or more good crosses. I hope we can keep him. Eventually those will become goals. Also, nice to see Blondel do well.

Next game against Citeh, we need to show a LOT better defending than we did at the City of Manchester stadium.

-Digital