Fixture Focus–Spurs (Capital One Cup, 19 December 2013)

Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham

The AVB era has come to an end. There are mixed feelings from all quarters but we just move on and support the team.

Spurs will look to bounce back with an emphatic win to try to book a semi-final spot in the league cup. Michael Dawson is suspended and Jan Vertonghen is nursing an ankle injury so expect Chiriches and Kaboul to be in the heart of defence. Spurs fans will be curious if Tim Sherwood will revert to our 4-4-2 formation and return us to playing the Spurs way.

Only time will tell but I do feel that for the first time this season, players will be played in their preferred positions and I do expect us to come away with a win against the Hammers.

Fixture Focus - Spurs (20 Sep 2011)

Stoke City FC vs Tottenham Hotspur

(League Cup 3rd Round)

For the first game of our League Cup campaign this season, we would be travelling to the Britannia Stadium to face Stoke, our Europa League fellow competitor.

Spurs will be entering this competition with earnest, or so said Redknapp who had expressed interest for the League (Carling) Cup. With the huge victory over Liverpool at the Lane behind them, we may not see the majority of Sunday's team playing this time round, though. Likely starters at goal would be Gomes, with Gallas (if fit), Bassong, Townsend and Corluka at the back; Sandro (if fit), Van der Vaart, Krancjar and Livermore in the middle, and Pavlyuchenko and Kane up front.

Stoke so far has no injury problems and we may see a reunion with recent-ex-Spurs players Crouch, Palacios and Woodgate in this game.

Let the Carling Cup games begin (for us)!!!!

COYS!!!!!

Midweek Outlook (20 Sep 2011)

   Leeds United vs Manchester United  

We kick off the start of the Carling Cup tournament travelling to Elland Road to face Leeds. Who can forget Leeds during their heydays? Leeds' exports to us in the likes of Ferdinand, Smith and of course Cantona has served us handsomely over the years. This is on top of other top names like Bowyer, Woodgate, Martyn, Viduka and Kewell that went out and serve their respective new masters well.

Leeds are a pale shadow of themselves after failing to keep their financials in order. An over zealous attempt to keep up with the big boys, having tasted European top tier competition, had left them hollow on the inside. A vicious cycle was thus sparked with Leeds having to sell key players in order to stay afloat. Without key players, Leeds can't perform as well as they are expected to, resulting in lower revenues and again. Lower revenues means selling of more key players (they are worth more) to stop the bleeding. Rinse. Repeat.

ManUtd should be sending in the veteran's brigade for this mid-week clash as the so-called B-team has stuttered on their season's debut drawing with Benfica at the ECL. I would expect Carrick, Giggs and Park to be on the pitch. Lindegaard should be between the sticks while Berbatov, Macheda and Owen will be vying for the 2 available spots up front.

There is a lot of talk about Paul Pogba making an appearance today but I can't be too much bothered to be watching him. Show me something first before I give him my attention.

Rest of the squad will be a mix pot of noobs and vets as the subsequent weekend game is against newly promoted Stoke City which doesn't require as much resting of key players as they did in preparation against Chelsea.

Asian Handicap is making ManUtd, the away team, give a 1.25 ball handicap and a decimal odds of 2.025 to beat it. 1X2 payout for a ManUtd victory is 1.49 and so in layman's speak. ManUtd to win.

Form-wise, some warned that Leeds has won all of their last 3 home games but it should also be highlighted that none of them are against the top tier side of the English competition.

ManUtd's B-team will break Leeds' home winning streak today. The bet is whether it'd be by a goal or not.

After watching B-team's sluggish start to the new season, I'd expect them to carry on in the 1st-2nd gear stages for the next couple of weeks.

No bet on ManUtd this week.

JayWalk's 2011/2012 Track Record to-date (20 Sep 2011) : P28-W16-L12

- Voxeros

Fixture Focus – Spurs (Carling Cup 3rd Round, 21 September 2010)

Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal       

The last 2 matches that Spurs played against Arsenal at 2.40am in the morning, we ended up victorious for both matches.  So will we make it 3 in a row?

Arsenal should continue with their intentions to field their “kids” for Carling Cup matches.  So expect many of the big names to be rested.  Goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, Johan Djourou, Emmanuel Eboue and Kieran Gibbs are all set to feature having been unused substitutes at Sunderland, but youngsters Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Benik Afobe, Chuks Aneke and Henri Lansbury are also likely to be involved.  Midfielder Alex Song will serve his one-match suspension following his red card on Saturday, but the Gunners do not yet know how long captain Cesc Fabregas will be out for with a hamstring problem.

With West Ham looming next weekend and then another Champions League game in midweek, Harry will field a vastly different side for the Carling Cup.  Stipe Pletikosa will start in goal and Hutton will get a nod for right back as Corluka and Kaboul are out.  We will get to see Sandro Ranieri make his debut in midfield as the likes of Lennon, Bale, Huddlestone and Modric will be rested.  While it would seem like we are fielding a reserve team, I am excited to see what Sandro brings to the table. 

COYS!!!

Fixture Focus – Spurs (Carling Cup Quarter-Finals, 1 Dec 2009)

Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur   

Cup runs for Spurs are never easy and peppered with Premier League clubs along the way.  And now we face high flying Manchester United.

The last time these 2 clubs met in the Carling Cup competition was for last season finals in which Spurs lost on penalties.  This is a ripe time for revenge BUT the word around the Lane is that league position takes precedence over cup competitions now.  So it is anyone’s guess whether Harry will rest the key first team players.

Fergie has been rumored to be fielding the same side that lost to Besiktas last week in the Champions League so that his first team gets some needed rest.  I believe that Michael Owen may be used up front to bring some veteran experience on the field.

Regardless, I just want a good game and look for Spurs to get a result at a very tough place to play. 

COYS!

Fixture Focus - Spurs (1 Mar 2009)

Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United
(Carling Cup Final)

Since Spurs is out of the UEFA Cup proper, Harry and his boys have 2 things to concentrate now - further survival in the league, and the immediate defence of the Carling Cup. It would be important for Spurs as this is their only chance of a re-entry ticket back to European competitions, which is why Harry is staking every able-bodied man in this game.

Manchester United, on the other hand, is a paradox - they have been traditionally fielding their youngsters in this cup games. Now that they are in the final, it seems, from news reports, that they would be doing the same, too, though he did lament that "It is not an easy decision" (source - ESPNStar).

Whatever the outcome, and whatever their past records between them, tonight's game would be a good game.

Bring them on! COYS!!!!!