Predicted Tottenham Starting XI To Take On Aston Villa
Tottenham take on Aston Villa at Villa Park on Sunday looking to close the gap on the early pace-setters.
Spurs are currently seventh in the league after a 3-0 defeat to West Ham before the international break so need to get back on track tomorrow.
Andre Villas-Boas confirmed on Friday that Younes Kaboul will undergo a late fitness test to see if he’s in contention to play, but even if fit the Frenchman is unlikely to break the Dawson-Vertonghen partnership at the back.
Danny Rose is still a week away from returning so Kyle Naughton is expected to continue to deputise at left back, while Kyle Walker will return to action having missed England’s clash with Poland on Tuesday through suspension.
Sandro is pushing for a start but it’s likely AVB will go with Mousa Dembele and Paulinho in midfield while Gylfi Sigurdsson and Christian Eriksen should start in attack.
Winger Andros Townsend was in excellent form for England in recent World Cup qualifiers and he’ll play on the right while Roberto Soldado is expected to get the nod over Jermain Defoe up front.
Here’s the team Villas-Boas could go with:
What do you think of our team? Is this the eleven you’d go with? Share your views below.
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Davyid
October 19, 2013 at 7:50 pm
So you say start with the same team got fu—–Ed by west ham apart from soldado I defo wouldn’t have naughton or soggy get lamela in there and holtby I’d play verts left back and chiriches with Dawson I’d even get the beast in front of dembele coys
john veal
October 19, 2013 at 8:01 pm
good team but I would put lennon in with townsend on left is capoue fit yet but I would put holtby in kill em with pace
Brian
October 19, 2013 at 8:06 pm
This team is doomed. Playing Dembele and Paulinho in midfield gives Soldado no chances to score. It is repeating the same mistakes. They are both ineffective in attack and should be sold in January.
eamonn
October 19, 2013 at 8:15 pm
are you mad brian paulino is a great signing.just put townsend on left and lennon on the right and watch soldado go coys
Nick
October 20, 2013 at 12:00 am
Spot on dembele & paulinho partnership doesn’t work. The beast sandro & paulinho or paulinho & holtby
luke
October 20, 2013 at 2:51 pm
Spot on m8 I agree
Evan
October 19, 2013 at 8:11 pm
Chiriches could do well with Holtby in midfield and it would make sense to try him in this role against poor teams in the Europa League.
In the meantime, play Sandro with Holtby in midfield behind Eriksen. Play Lennon and Townsend on the wings with Soldado up front.
eamonn
October 19, 2013 at 8:20 pm
when will rose be back need him badly ads a lot going forward
Alee
October 19, 2013 at 10:16 pm
Agree with the general opinion that that team is not great, and not just because it lost to West Ham either.
Lloris; Walker, Dawson, Vertongen, Fryers; Sandro, Paulinho; Townsend, Holtby, Chadli; Soldado. That’s what I’d like to see, anyway.
realspurs
October 19, 2013 at 10:20 pm
This was the same team that lost and AVB would be crazy using it. feel he would either get Kaboul and Dawson in the centre and Vertoghen as Left back. Kaboul will be able to deal with Benteke and set pieces. Vertoghen would give better stability and balance on the left side.
The midfield would change and Sandro would come in for Dembele who in my opinion has been very poor driving Spurs forward and covering the back 4.
As stated by others, I would go for Lennon/Lamela on the right and Townsend on the left with Erikson in the centre. Spurs need to maintain width to create the space for Soldado and Paulinho to operate.
Lennon and Townsend will provide the missing pace that has been lacking this season.
I would be surprised if Villa park the bus and so expect a much more open game that would favour Spurs as long as the service to Soldado is good. I expect a good win for Spurs!
Rodspur
October 19, 2013 at 10:26 pm
Sell Dembele, Chadli and Paulinho for 70 million and bring in Pjanic, Pirlo and a top striker.
realspurs
October 19, 2013 at 10:40 pm
Only Dembele is playing below par after being in Spurs for a season! What Dembele did in his first game was what I expected! Dembele doesn’t shoot well and doesn’t get into the opposition box. 1 or 2 goals in a season is too poor! With his skills, he should be playing better and scoring more than Yaya Toure! That’s the problem.
Paulinho is doing great and will score more goals. Chadli is stil getting used to the EPL and will improve with time.
The midfielders are all good but no point having all the possession and nothing to show for it. Dembele needs to step up and drive into the box and stop the show boating and amateurish sideways and back passes in the middle that slows our play and yields nothing. If I were AVB I would ask him to drive into the box not less than 3 times each half and I bet he would score, get a penalty or a free kick in a very dangerous area where Erikson can score. Thats what has made Ramsey dangerous and so prolific this season.
Spursmad Dave
October 20, 2013 at 12:40 pm
Fool.
Mike
October 19, 2013 at 10:32 pm
This team sucks in midfield.
Boring sideways football.
I like the idea of Tom Carroll learning from Andrea Pirlo. What a mentor he would be to him and Alex Pritchard as well. Then we will have a Spurs midfield to be proud of.
Chris
October 20, 2013 at 12:31 am
From a Villa’s fan perspective I’ve never considered either Paulinho (AVB could see him as a similar player to Hernanes at Lazio) or Dembele to be defensive minded players, more like the role Eriksen is currently playing.
I would play Lloris, Walker, Dawson, Vertonghen, Naughton, Sandro, Paulinho, Lennon, Eriksen and Lamela and Soldado; think Lamela is more dangerous than Townsend.
Doesn’t really matter anyways, the beast is back to show AVB why is he worth more than 20m 😛
ColinSC
October 20, 2013 at 7:00 am
Whatever team AVB plays we know there is a lot of pace in the Spurs side. I wish they would sometimes not stop and wait for patient build up play but keep going and either take the shot or pass to Soldado who always seems to be in the right place but ignored.Pretty much all our players are capable of scoring its the stopping and wanting to walk it across the line that is rapidly becoming frustrating to watch. Knowing they might miss does not matter the opposition sides are more likely to concede a penalty if they have no other options.
tony
October 20, 2013 at 7:02 am
TWO MAYBE THREE PLAYERS ARE OUR WEAKNESS.1 DAWSON ,GREAT GUY BUT IS ALWAYS SUSPECT AGAINST TOP RANK PLAYER.2 NAUGHTON,SIMPLY NOT UP TO OUR STANDARD.3 DEMBELLE ,ANOTHER FAILURE FROM FULHAM.DEMPSEY WAS THE FIRST HES THE SECOND.NEED BITE IN MIDFIELD AND HE AINT GOT IT.SANDRO NOT CREATIVE,BUT EVERY BODY KNOWS HES A FIERCE TACKLER.
Spursmad Dave
October 20, 2013 at 12:41 pm
Sory my fool was for Rodspur .