JamesTheYiddo
Well-Known Member
- Oct 25, 2006
- 6,339
- 124
If your despair at everything that is going wrong at Tottenham has led you to believe in any omen going that may help us turn the season around then you are in for a treat when Blackpool come to White Hart Lane.
The last time Spurs met Blackpool was a cold, windswept, dark day in January 1991 where a cup competition offered some salvation for the season of turmoil both on and off the pitch. Paul Stewart bundled in the only goal for an uninspiring Spurs side low on confidence in an FA Cup third round tie at Bloomfield Road, but only the most optimistic of Spurs fans could have known what a pivotal moment that would be.
Just a few months later, Spurs destroyed Arsenal at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final and went on to lift the trophy against Nottingham Forest despite the fates seemingly conspiring against them throughout the game. It is that sort of courage, determination and ability to snatch some glory from the depths of despair that Spurs need right now.
A crucial seven days to our season last week saw three defeats that cost Martin Jol his job and Juande Ramos must have worked out fairly quickly that he will need all of his much-vaunted qualities if he is to turn around the mess we currently find ourselves in. With games coming up against equally poor opposition in league and cup, he will not get a better chance to hit the ground running.
Blackpool started the season fairly well after their surprise promotion to the Championship but reality has now set in with Saturday’s loss at Sheffield Wednesday making it nine league games without a win and seeing them just two points above the drop zone. Their performance at Hillsborough also showed that confidence is draining from them almost as quickly as that of the Spurs defence after conceding a goal.
For that reason it may be that nerves take over on Wednesday night, with Spurs hopefully desperate to impress the new boss again after an unfortunate defeat against Blackburn Rovers. Patience may be the name of the game against a side who will likely play fairly defensively and work hard throughout. But if the manager realises when to make a substitution – unlike his predecessor – and instils some resilience into the side then Spurs should be able to come through.
His team selection will be interesting after watching the match on Sunday, with nobody knowing exactly how much of Spurs he had seen prior to that game. Ramos is supposed to be a believer in attacking flair, width and wing-play so expect either side of the pitch to remain unchanged. What he will have made of the displays of Didier Zokora, Tom Huddlestone and Dimitar Berbatov may become obvious when he names his first selection as Head Coach.
Although it is the Carling Cup, with the way things have gone for Spurs in the league this could offer us our best hope of getting back into Europe so it is a big game. Don’t expect it to be pretty or dazzling but, with some commitment and willingness to impress from the players, a win might just be the tonic to reopen the spirit of 1991.
Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Blackpool
Linkage!!
Just think, what could be!!
The last time Spurs met Blackpool was a cold, windswept, dark day in January 1991 where a cup competition offered some salvation for the season of turmoil both on and off the pitch. Paul Stewart bundled in the only goal for an uninspiring Spurs side low on confidence in an FA Cup third round tie at Bloomfield Road, but only the most optimistic of Spurs fans could have known what a pivotal moment that would be.
Just a few months later, Spurs destroyed Arsenal at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final and went on to lift the trophy against Nottingham Forest despite the fates seemingly conspiring against them throughout the game. It is that sort of courage, determination and ability to snatch some glory from the depths of despair that Spurs need right now.
A crucial seven days to our season last week saw three defeats that cost Martin Jol his job and Juande Ramos must have worked out fairly quickly that he will need all of his much-vaunted qualities if he is to turn around the mess we currently find ourselves in. With games coming up against equally poor opposition in league and cup, he will not get a better chance to hit the ground running.
Blackpool started the season fairly well after their surprise promotion to the Championship but reality has now set in with Saturday’s loss at Sheffield Wednesday making it nine league games without a win and seeing them just two points above the drop zone. Their performance at Hillsborough also showed that confidence is draining from them almost as quickly as that of the Spurs defence after conceding a goal.
For that reason it may be that nerves take over on Wednesday night, with Spurs hopefully desperate to impress the new boss again after an unfortunate defeat against Blackburn Rovers. Patience may be the name of the game against a side who will likely play fairly defensively and work hard throughout. But if the manager realises when to make a substitution – unlike his predecessor – and instils some resilience into the side then Spurs should be able to come through.
His team selection will be interesting after watching the match on Sunday, with nobody knowing exactly how much of Spurs he had seen prior to that game. Ramos is supposed to be a believer in attacking flair, width and wing-play so expect either side of the pitch to remain unchanged. What he will have made of the displays of Didier Zokora, Tom Huddlestone and Dimitar Berbatov may become obvious when he names his first selection as Head Coach.
Although it is the Carling Cup, with the way things have gone for Spurs in the league this could offer us our best hope of getting back into Europe so it is a big game. Don’t expect it to be pretty or dazzling but, with some commitment and willingness to impress from the players, a win might just be the tonic to reopen the spirit of 1991.
Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Blackpool
Linkage!!
Just think, what could be!!
