Tottenham v Burnley: Carling Cup semi-final 1st leg Match thread

[milkman]

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CARLING CUP Semi-Final First Leg

Venue: White Hart Lane
Date: Tuesday, 6 January
Kick-off: 1945 GMT
Coverage: Live on SkySports 1; live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live
(click here to see Geez's media coverage thread)


Likely line-ups:

Subs: Alnwick, Gunter, Giovani, Taarabt, Boateng, O'Hara, Rocha.​

​

Sky Sports Preview:

Tottenham host Championship high flyers Burnley on Tuesday for the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final.

Holders Spurs will be wary of their lower league opponents after the Clarets have dumped Fulham, Chelsea and Arsenal out of this season's competition already.

Both sides have been struggling for form recently with Spurs recording only their first win in five games against Wigan on Friday in the FA Cup third round.

Meanwhile Owen Coyle's men are without a win in three games but remain confident of causing an upset and taking a good result back to Turf Moor for the second leg.

Spurs team news

Harry Redknapp will be without defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto and midfielder Jermaine Jenas with the duo both sitting out due to one-match bans.

Striker Darren Bent (groin) and midfielder Tom Huddlestone (ankle) join Alan Hutton (foot) on the sidelines.

Bent's injury means Roman Pavlyuchenko looks set to continue up front with the Russian scoring in every Carling Cup game this season.

Captain Ledley King could rest his knee and opt to sit out of Tuesday's clash to ensure he is fit for the weekend's Premier League match against Wigan, with the defender still struggling to play two games a week.

Burnley team news

Coyle could have Chris McCann back for the first leg after the midfielder responded well to treatment after missing the club's last two games against Doncaster and QPR.

Fellow midfielder Kevin McDonald, who helped fire the Clarets to the semi-final with two goals against Arsenal, might not be so lucky as he struggles with a groin injury.

Defender Stephen Caldwell will definitely miss out as he is suspended but fellow defender Stephen Jordan returns from his one match ban which forced him to miss the FA Cup draw away at QPR.

The second leg will be played on Wednesday 21st January at Turf Moor.

BBC Preview:

Roman Pavlyuchenko will lead the line for Tottenham in Tuesday's Carling Cup semi-final first leg against Burnley, with Darren Bent out injured.

Frazier Campbell may start, but Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Jermaine Jenas (bans) and Tom Huddlestone (ankle) are out.

Burnley have defender Stephen Jordan available after suspension, but Chris McCann (knee) and Kevin McDonald (groin) remain doubtful for the trip.
Remco van der Schaaf (kidney) is out and Steven Caldwell is suspended.
However, Burnley manager Owen Coyle insists his side can go into the match full of confidence following their impressive giant-killing run to the last four.

The Clarets have beaten top-flight opposition three times on their way to the semi-finals, with Chelsea, Fulham and Arsenal all beaten by Coyle's men.

"We are under no illusions that we are massive underdogs on Tuesday. If Tottenham play to their maximum and we do, they will think they have the better players," said the Scotsman.

"But what I know is that the group of players I have will give everything they've got to try to achieve a result, so that home advantage will hopefully play a part in the second leg.

"We have to make sure we give an accomplished performance and we keep ourselves right in that game, but we go there with no designs on being negative."

During his side's run, Coyle will no doubt have drawn upon the lessons he learned in leading St Johnstone to the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup while in charge of the Perth side.

However, on both occasions Coyle's men lost - to Celtic and Hibernian respectively - and to reach the Carling Cup final they must beat the holders, Tottenham.

Spurs boss Redknapp says he will not be taking Burnley lightly, saying: "They've done well. I watched them on Saturday against QPR and they are well organised and have experienced players. They've had a fantastic run - Chelsea, Fulham and Arsenal - so we won't be underestimating them."

And Michael Dawson admits he is desperate to help Spurs back to Wembley after missing last season's Carling Cup triumph over Chelsea through injury.
"There have been lots of ups and lots of downs over the last 12 months, but certainly missing the Carling Cup final was the biggest downer for me," said the centre half.

"It still stays with me, and I think it always will do. To miss one as big as that was heartbreaking, it really was. I hope this year we can reach a final again, in the Carling Cup or FA Cup, and I'll be part of it."

Tottenham (from): Gomes, Alnwick, Cesar, Corluka, Woodgate, Dawson, Bale, Gunter, Rocha, Bentley, Lennon, Modric, Zokora, O'Hara, Ghaly, Taarabt, Boateng, Giovani, Campbell, Pavlyuchenko.

Such a big match for us this season, really hope we can get a good result for the second leg.
​

 

[Max_Junglie]

Good work Milkman. Unlikely as it may be, I'd like us to get a really comfortable 3 or 4 goal cushion for the away leg. But I guess any kind of win is good. For me a draw is the worst result - at least if they win tomorrow night there's a chance that they'll try to defend their lead in the second leg thus handing us the initiative.

 

[gibbs131]

It would be nice to smash em. I hate it when Hud is out injured. I can almost hear him getting fatter from Florida.

 

[MattyP]

Such a big match for us this season, really hope we can get a good result for the second leg.​

Don't disagree, which is why I find it a shame we can't even sell out for it.

Anyway, think we'll probably shade it, maybe 2-1. It would be nice to effectively wrap it up in the first leg, but we tend not to do that and end up with a nerve jangly second leg.

 

[NickHSpurs]

We need a two goal cushion for the second leg, last thing we want is extra time in second leg

 

[Destroyer]

I want to see a three goal advantage.

 

[General Levy]

I want to see a three goal advantage.

+1

 

[hughy]

I'd like to see Taarabt and Gio, if he's fit, given 20 minutes or so if we've got a comfortable lead.

 

[DC_Boy]

don't know if this has been posted anywhere but here's the official team news (interesting King won't start)



Jermaine Jenas' suspension has added to Harry Redknapp's selection problems for our Carling Cup semi-final first leg against Burnley on Tuesday night.
The midfielder picked up a one-match ban when he received his fifth yellow card of the campaign against West Brom on December 28 and will have to sit it out.
JJ, who missed Friday's FA Cup tie against Wigan with a calf problem, joins Benoit Assou-Ekotto on the suspended list as the defender serves the second match of his ban following his straight red card at West Brom.
Darren Bent limped out of the action in the first half against Wigan while Tom Huddlestone is still recovering from the ankle injury he picked up against Fulham on Boxing Day. Alan Hutton (foot) remains out.
Harry reported on Monday: "Darren has a groin strain and isn't available, Tom still isn't fit and I won't be taking a chance with Ledley King."
With JJ and Tom missing from the midfield, Harry indicated that Hossam Ghaly would be in the squad and most likely on the bench again.
The manager reiterated his thoughts that it was time to move on after Hossam was booed by fans on his reappearance at the Lane against Wigan on Friday night, a reaction to the player throwing he shirt down on being substituted in a league match in his last appearance against Blackburn back in May, 2007.
"I didn't know the full story but I don't think he was being disrespectful to Tottenham," added Harry. "He'd been subbed as a sub and was annoyed with the manager more than anything.
"It wasn't right that he threw his shirt down but the kid made a mistake and we all make mistakes. It's time to forgive and forget."

 

[EZSpur]

I want to see a three goal advantage.

I think the aim has go to be keep a clean sheet and not concede any away goals! Even 1-0 would do, then the onus will be on them to attack in the second leg allowing us the opportunity to get them on the counter break and sneak another one, ala Wigan!!

.......or we could just smack'em 5-1 (now who did we beat like that last time!!! Hmmm let me think!! :grin

 

[theShiznit]

With JJ and Tom missing from the midfield, Harry indicated that Hossam Ghaly would be in the squad and most likely on the bench again.
The manager reiterated his thoughts that it was time to move on after Hossam was booed by fans on his reappearance at the Lane against Wigan on Friday night, a reaction to the player throwing he shirt down on being substituted in a league match in his last appearance against Blackburn back in May, 2007.
"I didn't know the full story but I don't think he was being disrespectful to Tottenham," added Harry. "He'd been subbed as a sub and was annoyed with the manager more than anything.
"It wasn't right that he threw his shirt down but the kid made a mistake and we all make mistakes. It's time to forgive and forget."

so if anyone knows an idiot that booed Ghaly last week, let them know that they are making us look like petty tits, and as this is televised it would be nice if they behaved, especially as we need some grace for the inevitable (and warranted) abuse that Campbell is going to get next weekend

 

[ShelfSide18]

Not sold out! mg::bang:

Comon lads, get down the lane!

 

[Adamspurs]

Not sold out! mg::bang:

Comon lads, get down the lane!

I'd love to be there, one of the disadvantages of being a skint student living in Wales.

 

[AberdeenSpurs]

I would also LOVE to be there, just don't have the cash for the flights to London.

 

[NEVILLEB]

Any news on Dos Santos?

 

[Reece]

cant beleive it aint sold out either. i'd like to go to this game but dont have a car and i've got a cold

 

[nightgoat]

I want to go but I don't finish work until 9pm... :-(

 

[ShelfSide18]

cant beleive it aint sold out either. i'd like to go to this game but dont have a car and i've got a cold

We'll call you an injury doubt then!:grin: Fitness test tomorrow? Train from RDG? Have a few :beer: watch us pretty much secure Wembley for 2 years in a row:hump:?

 

[si_yidarmy]

can anyone PM me or post on here (for other peoples benefit too) directions to bricklayers pub from white hart lane station....

arecently me n my mate have been using rudolf (quite cool in there)

 

[si_yidarmy]

what annoys me about the ticket thing atm......

when i went to spurs v moscow, i had 3 tickets.... however it was first time my mates been to spurs and i had to sit 2 rows in front to the side of them..... there were tickets available behind them 3 in a row.....i phone up spurs and they said they would not refund me my tickets (even thought that is not what i wanted to do) i just wanted to swap them

not to mention it is a crappy 0845 number now and dont get me started again on the crappy booking fee