Spurs - Tottenham Hotspur vs. Aston Villa

By Simon Levinson
December 24 2006

After a few too many mince pies and a belly full of booze on Christmas day, you might resemble some supporter’s perception of a Spurs player away from home, with an apparent lack of direction, impaired judgement and possibly a smidge of over-confidence.

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Aston Villa – White Hart Lane – Boxing Day 2006 – Kick Off - 13:00

After a few too many mince pies and a belly full of booze on Christmas day, you might resemble some supporter’s perception of a Spurs player away from home, with an apparent lack of direction, impaired judgement and possibly a smidge of over-confidence. The same fans will hope that manager Martin Jol acted as a hangover for his players this morning, giving them a headache and a feeling of nausea, as they hopefully realised what a state they had been.

There is always, of course, the likelihood that Spurs’ fans have over-reacted. With Newcastle only losing two of their last eleven games, both to Chelsea, and Spurs only winning one league away game all season, there is the possibility that the Lilywhites only missed out on one point to add to their Premiership tally, as perhaps a draw would have been a good result at St. James’ Park.

However, there is no doubt that Jol and his coaching team must give their all to improve Spurs’ terrible away record, before it threatens to ruin what has been a promising season so far. A League Cup semi-final place and a 100% record in Europe, along with only a single home defeat in the Premiership, leaves Spurs heading into 2007 still in four competitions. If they were mocked for only playing the minimum of 40 games last season, they are certainly making up for it this time around. Although the team definitely has much to improve upon, the result at Newcastle was by no means a disaster for the club, as some would have you believe.

With two home games coming up, Spurs’ supporters will be expecting an impressive climax to the calendar year. Aston Villa are the penultimate challenge the team faces before we shepherd in the New Year, and with the Midlands side failing to win any of their last seven Premiership matches, Tottenham will hope to continue their run of 11 straight home wins in all competitions.

With long-term absentees Jermaine Jenas and Robbie Keane still missing, Tottenham may also have to do without Jermain Defoe and Aaron Lennon once again. Defoe pulled out of the game against the Barcodes minutes before kick-off, and although Jol has refused to rule him out completely, he is a major doubt. Spurs were hopeful Aaron Lennon would have returned to action by now, but he is not included in the squad.

Spurs’ starting line up could be similar to what Jol selected at St. James,’ although one would imagine Tottenham to play a more familiar 4-4-2 at home, especially as the five-man midfield was enforced on Saturday. This would result in Hossam Ahmed Mido, or Defoe if he recovers, coming in for Danny Murphy or Hossam Ghaly, who have both now played 210 minutes in less than week. Steed Malbranque would therefore drop back into a wide role in midfield, after taking up a more advanced position in order to support Spurs’ top-scorer Dimitar Berbatov on the weekend.

If there is any truth in the rumour that skipper Ledley King has played most of the season with an injury, he would surely have to be rested at some point during the busy Christmas schedule. With no disrespect intended towards Villa, he would be more likely to miss this game than the following match against Liverpool, so there is a possibility that the in-form Calum Davenport could partner Michael Dawson at the back.

Martin O’Neill’s main concern is whether the industrious Gavin McCann recovers from a slight hamstring pull. He is also likely to return either Milan Baros or Juan Pablo Angel to the starting eleven, as his intricate tactics against Manchester United, with Chris Sutton playing behind Gabriel Agbonlahor, are unlikely to be repeated. Depending on whether McCann is fit, 20 year-old Craig Gardner may make another first-team start, after impressing his new manager.

With Spurs’ home record being so impressive, Aston Villa may arrive hoping for a point and attempt to stifle the Tottenham side and their vociferous crowd. Spurs will have to be at their best to open up Villa’s improved defence and must take the game to their opposition, as they have done so well so far, at home, this season. With the home fans still waiting for a Christmas present, Martin Jol and his players will be keen to put a smile on their faces. In the seasonal spirit of coming together to give and to receive, the loyal support from Tottenham fans’ unquestionably deserves a little something in return. Let’s hope we not only see a win on Tuesday, but also a performance akin to the glories of our magnificent past. Make it a good’un Tottenham…

COYS!

Simon Levinson