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- May 20, 2005
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Tottenham v Portsmouth
FA Cup semi-final
Venue: Wembley Stadium Date: Sunday, 11 April Kick-off: 1600 BST
Coverage: Full commentary on BBC London 94.9 FM, DAB, DSAT & Online, Live on ITV 1, Text commentary on BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 live, BBC local radio, Final Score
For more details on coverage please check out Geez's Live Media Thread Here
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Redknapp prepares for battle with old employers
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Tottenham v Portsmouth
FA Cup semi-final
Venue: Wembley Stadium Date: Sunday, 11 April Kick-off: 1600 BST
Coverage: Full commentary on BBC London 94.9 FM, DAB, DSAT & Online, Live on ITV 1, Text commentary on BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 live, BBC local radio, Final Score
For more details on coverage please check out Geez's Live Media Thread Here
_______________________________________
Redknapp prepares for battle with old employers
2[ar]
Two clubs heading in opposite directions prepare to face each other as Tottenham take on Portsmouth in their FA Cup semi-final on Sunday.
Harry Redknapp leads his UEFA Champions League challenging Spurs team out against the club he won the trophy with in 2008, and relegation certainties Pompey will be looking to repeat that success over a club they have some very close ties with.
The nucleus of Redknapp's side at Fratton Park have followed the Spurs boss out of the exit door, with Jermain Defoe, Niko Kranjcar, Peter Crouch and Younes Kaboul all now at White Hart Lane.
And if Avram Grant's men can put their league position and financial woes behind them to secure victory in what has been a turbulent season, it will surely be seen as sweet revenge for a side that have swiftly declined since Redknapp's departure.
Portsmouth are undoubtedly the underdogs in this encounter, with many surprised to see them make it to this stage of the competition considering they are rooted to the bottom of the Premier League, with their administration penalty of a nine point deduction now making survival practically impossible.
James
Their fighting spirit has surprised many in their road to Wembley, but they will not be able to call on one of their star performers - Jamie O'Hara - due to the terms of his loan agreement not allowing him to play against his parent club.
David James, who was in the side that won the cup two years ago could take his place in goal, with Steve Finnan, Hassan Yebda, Nadir Belhadj and former Spurs man Kevin Prince Boateng all in line to make the squad having recovered from injury. Anthony Vanden Borre is suspended.
Aruna Dindane is likely to figure for Pompey but it may well be his last game before a clause is triggered in his contract from Lens meaning £4million must be paid to them due to appearances.
Papa Bouba Diop (knee) and Tommy Smith (broken nose) have both managed to come through training unscathed but Tal Ben Haim, Danny Webber (knee) and Hermann Hreidarsson (Achilles) are definite absentees.
King return
Spurs were dealt a blow in their push for the final Champions League spot on Saturday after losing to Sunderland 3-1 at the Stadium of Light, and Redknapp will be looking to this game to get their season back on track as the final games of the season approach.
Skipper Ledley King could be set to return to the centre of defence after recovering from a thigh injury.
It would be a timely boost for Redknapp after suffering from an injury crisis in defence that sees Michael Dawson (Achilles) and Vedran Corluka (ankle) both face late tests.
Tom Huddlestone is also facing a race against time as he attempts to recover from an ankle injury, but Aaron Lennon, Jermaine Jenas and Jonathan Woodgate (all groin) remain sidelined.
Carlo Cudicini is also a long-term absentee, with Kyle Walker and Kaboul, who played in the earlier rounds for Pompey this season, both cup-tied.
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BBC Preview
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Tottenham have doubts over defenders Ledley King (thigh), Vedran Corluka (ankle) and Michael Dawson (Achilles) as well as Tom Huddlestone (ankle).
Aaron Lennon and Jermaine Jenas (both groin) are out and Kyle Walker and Younes Kaboul are cup-tied.
Portsmouth could welcome back Nadir Belhadj, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Papa Bouba Diop from injury.
Keeper David James, who sat out the goalless draw against Blackburn with a calf strain, has returned to training.
The sides go into the tie at opposite ends of the Premier League table, with Tottenham chasing fourth spot and Champions League qualification, while Portsmouth are at the foot of the Premier League and all-but relegated
But Spurs manager Harry Redknapp insists that league form will count for nothing as he prepares to face his former employers in Sunday's Wembley semi-final.
"We're fighting on two fronts and I would take either of them - if we do then what a fantastic season we've had," said Redknapp.
"If we achieve none we've still moved forward a million percent. If we could win them both it would be incredible.
"It's a massive week but it's better than being stuck at the bottom in a relegation battle.
"Portsmouth will be a hard game, they'll have four or five who will come back and they'll make a difference.
"We were lucky to beat them down there and I saw them beat Liverpool at home.
"They are very dangerous and they have players who can cause you problems. And I have a lot of respect for their manager."
For Pompey manager Avram Grant, the FA Cup has proved a welcome distraction from the problems the financially troubled club have had both on the pitch and off it.
"I am disappointed about many things this season which have happened off the pitch," said Grant.
"It has, though, been easy for us to concentrate in the cup because we knew nobody could take points from us.
"To be in the last four with such good clubs in this season is a big achievement, but we also want to do well.
"I agree it is a big achievement to be in last four, but it would be bigger if we can get to the final."
MATCH FACTS
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The tie in context
Cash strapped Portsmouth are aiming to win the FA Cup for the second time in three seasons.
• Pompey could become the sixth club to be relegated and reach the FA Cup final in the same season, and the first since Middlesbrough in 1997.
• Tottenham is the most successful club still alive in the FA Cup, having won the competition eight times.
• These clubs are clashing in the second semi-final at Wembley, for the right to return on Saturday, 15 May for the end-of-season showpiece.
• The winners of this semi-final will receive £900,000 and the losers £450,000, excluding broadcast fees. The winners of the FA Cup will receive another £1,800,000, and the runners-up £900,000.
Head To Head
• This is the 47th competitive meeting of these clubs; Tottenham have the edge with 19 wins to Portsmouth's 11.
• The Londoners have done the league double over Portsmouth this season.
Portsmouth 1-2 Tottenham (Prem Lge, 17 Oct)
Tottenham 2-0 Portsmouth (Prem Lge, 27 Mar)
• Tottenham are unbeaten in three against Portsmouth (W2, D1), since Pompey's 2-0 home win in the Premier League on 28 September 2008.
FA Cup records and best performances
• Tottenham have a 100% FA Cup record against Portsmouth, having won three of three.
• The most recent of those three victories was in the fifth round at Fratton Park 19 years ago, when Spurs last went on to win the competition.
The Clubs
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Current form
• Sunderland ended Tottenham's nine-match undefeated run in league and cup with a 3-1 win at the Stadium of Light last Saturday.
FA Cup form
• This is Tottenham's 18th appearance in the semi-finals, and their first since in nine years.
• The Londoners are aiming to oust a top-flight club for the third round in a row, following Bolton and Fulham.
• Spurs have qualified for the final on nine occasions. They won their most recent in 1991, by beating Nottingham Forest 2-1 after extra time in the Wembley showpiece.
• Their last match on Wembley turf was a goalless draw with Manchester United in last season's Carling Cup final (1 March 2009), which the Red Devils won on penalties.
The Manager
• Harry Redknapp famously led Portsmouth to FA Cup victory in the season before last.
• He could become the sixth post-war manager to reach the FA Cup final with two different clubs, and the first for 11 years since Ruud Gullit managed it with Chelsea (1997) and Newcastle (1999).
• His only other cup triumph as a manager was with West Ham, when they lifted the Intertoto Cup in 1999.
The Players
• Jeramin Defoe is Tottenham's top scorer in this FA Cup run. His five goals includes a hat-trick against Leeds.
• Defoe, Nigel Crouch and Niko Kranjcar could all play against their former club.
• David Bentley could make his 200th club career start.
• Tom Huddlestone is on the verge of his 150th appearance in Tottenham colours.
Portsmouth
Current form
• Won one and lost four of their last six matches.
• Not scored in their last three.
FA Cup form
• The 1939 and 2008 winners are facing fellow league opposition for the second time in this cup run, having dismissed Birmingham in the quarter-finals. They also ousted Sunderland in round four.
• Pompey are appearing in their seventh semi-final, and hoping to qualify for a fifth appearance in the end-of-season showpiece.
The Manager
• Avram Grant won the Israeli domestic cup on several occasions as coach of Hapoel Petah Tikva, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa.
• This will be Grant's second match at Wembley as a manager; he was in charge of the Chelsea side that lost 2-1 to Spurs after extra time in the Carling Cup final two years ago.
The Players
• Portsmouth's 11 goals in this cup run have been shared between eight players, excluding one own goal. Frederic Piquionne and John Utaka are the only players to have scored twice.
• Kevin Boeteng, Michael Brown and Ricardo Rocha are all former Tottenham players.
Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire)
Assistant referees: Peter Kirkup and David Richardson
Fourth official: Stuart Attwell
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