If our boxing day game against Villa is on, and I guess it’s a big if at the moment, it’s yet another must win. I think I’m going to assume all games we play from now on are must win, at least until we’re safely in the top 4 with no chance of going lower. Without football on boxing day the footballing population will crumble under the pressure of spending a further day with family. I know that sounds harsh but you know what I mean. I’ll be with the in-laws over the festive period and while I have no problem with any of them, well almost, the last thing I’ll need to hear come the morning of the 26th is I’ve lost my excuse to leave.
So, lets say for arguments sake that I’ll be making the trip to Villa Park with the rest of the travelling yid army, what should I expect? Thanks to SKY it’s a late kick off so the first thing is freezing temperatures and no feeling in my toes. As for the game we’re looking fairly strong, player wise.
The defence picks itself and no doubt will buckle at some point under the stresses that are dealing with goal machine Emile Heskey. In all fairness to the big lump he gave us a spanking in the game at White Hart Lane earlier in the season and we were fortunate he went off injured midway through the first half. It was only then we really took control of the game and deserved the 3 points.
In midfield we can welcome back Jenas if he’s selected although given Palacios’s recent improvement in form I would expect him to keep his place alongside Modric if fit. Then there’s the big one, van der Vaart’s back ladies and genitals. The maestro of most things good we’ve done this season and the match winner against Villa in October.
With his inclusion we’ll get a much better picture of how Redknapp plans on playing this season. That sounds strange given we’re about to enter the second half of the season but we still don’t know whether he plans on playing with a lone striker and vdV just behind or 2 strikers and vdV in midfield. We’ve had both this season so far but we’re yet to see a team selection and formation when all parties are fit. Can Defoe play as a lone striker as he did once for England alongside Rooney? Will Redknapp want to break up the Crouch / vdV partnership that’s produced goals. Will Lennon lose his position on the right so vdV can fit into the midfield? Or can we play Bale, Modric, vdV and Lennon in a 4?
So many questions and I’m looking forward to see if ‘Arry can find the answers. I think the easy option would be to go with Defoe up front and vdV just behind him but since when has Redknapp taken the easy option? Obviously with the exception of paying tax!
Stolen from THFC6061 on glory-glory.co.uk
In total, Spurs have played 83 matches on Boxing Day winning 33, drawing 20 and losing 30 games. Spurs haven’t lost a Boxing Day match since 2003 and have only lost 3 of the 16 played during the Premier League Era so far.
Who would’ve thought we had such a decent boxing day record. I’m sure my Christmas’s are often ruined by some lacklustre performance that makes me cringe at the thought of another game only 2 days after.
Onto our opponents. Villa haven’t exactly set the world on fire so far this season. It’s hardly surprising either when you consider the timing of O’Neil’s departure and they play a winger as a striker. Oh, and they still think Agbonlahor is the answer to their problems. I know, I know, if he’s fit he’ll get a hat-trick now but overall he’s got pace, and lots of it, but little else. I like Houllier though so apart from boxing day I hope they do well this season and I like the fact he’s brought in some decent looking youngsters who will no doubt get better with experience.
In Ashley Young (if fit) and Stuart Downing they have two talented England internationals who on their day can cause the best teams problems so we’ll have to be wary of them and pace isn’t something we have an abundance of at the back so we’ll need to play a deep line to make sure balls over the top aren’t successful.
The bottom line is this, if we play to our potential and haven’t had too many mince pies we should win. Play with confidence, swagger and commitment and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be looking at another victory to add to our boxing day record.
Short and sweet and not really very detailed match preview today, but it is almost Christmas. I’m off to spend time with the in-laws, wish me luck and a snow/frost free premier league schedule. Have a good one yids.
COYS
Submitted by THFC1882
