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OMT - TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR VS southampton

They have won, they beat Villa 4-1 a few weeks back.

If Dembele is out we should start with Ade. If things arent going right we can then bring on Defoe and sacrafice one of our two DMs.

Defoe is a better impact sub imo
 
Defoe's form is very good. Southampton conceding goals all over the shop. Would be daft not to start Defoe IMO;I could honestly see him scoring a hat-trick
 
I remember in the season they got relegated we battered these 5-1 with Defoe getting a hattrick, wouldn't mind something similar to that tomorrow. I actually think some fixtures are in our favour with Everton against Liverpool and Chelsea against Man Utd, we have to capitalize on any results that might go our way!
 
Defoe's form is good, we know that. Ade needs game time and, if he is fit, this is an ideal game. Its similar to using the Villa game for Lloris.

With strikers it shouldn't be a matter of someone being dropped. We need both this season and we won't have a problem until both are fully fit and in hot form, so we can deal with that nice problem then. At the moment we need Defoe to play enough to maintain sharpness but he also could do with some rest. Ade needs to play or he cannot get back into form. Even if he stinks (I don't think he will) we should be able to win with goals from other players or by bringing Defoe on.
 
Lloris; Walker, Gallas, Caulker, Vertonghen; Lennon, Sandro, Dembele, Bale; Adebayor, Defoe

I think Friedel and Siggy/Demps will start though. I pray Dembele is ok for Sunday.

Not the remotest chance that AVB will play Defoe and Ade together. He just doesnt play two up top.

Sooner or later Siggy or Dempsey will have to have a good game - they cant be permanently brick!
 
I watched Swansea tonight put in a good performance. They lost.
I want a result from this game but I want a good performance too. Is that unreasonable?
 
It would be great to see Adebayor playing behind Defoe. Ade loves loves dropping deep or drifting out wide - so give him a free role - and have Defoe playing off the last man. Ade could then play some one-twos on the wings releasing Lennon and Bale and generally get our attacking play moving.

The question is, is he fit?
 
I just want to see Ade play, it seems that every time the opportunity to rest Defoe becomes available (cup games) he gets a niggly injury so can't feature and get his fitness up to scratch. Ideally i'd be dropping Siggy / Dempsey to incorporate Ade.
 
It's a bit bad that we have to discuss Defoe "needing to start cos he's playing well"?
What happened to having options, rotation, keeping people on their toes, using different players that are suited for different opposition etc
Man U can play any of Rooney, Wellbeck, Hernandez or RVP, City can play any of Tevez, Aguero, Balotelli or Dzeko.

But we have to make a big deal on here if Defoe doesn't start a single game... I just don't get it!?
 
I can never look forward to a game at Southampton. Living in this neck of the woods for the last twelve years or so, my memories of games at The Dell and St Mary's scar me. When I pitch up tomorrow it will be with trepidation. Even though I know we are miles better than them. Even though I know we really should bag three points. Even though I know it should send me into next week laughing at all the tossy Saints fans 'round here.

Even though.....

Jeez. We better bastard well win this. Or else I may actually cry.
 
yeah i don't get it...i think any decent striker would do as well as defoe in our team what with lennon, bale and dembele supplying. defoe is good but i'd like to see more options up front (e.g. bringing midfielders into play and scoring positions more rapidly). also all this reliance on one player in one position is just downright risky.
 
Nigel Adkins: "Training has been good this week. The lads have responded (to last week's loss) in the appropriate manner. We're scoring goals so we go into games with belief that we can win, but we need to address the amount we're conceding."

Adkins says Gaston Ramirez, Frazer Richardson and Jack Cork still out injured. Luke Shaw and Danny Fox resumed training today (Friday).
 
By the way, do I need to clap Bale or boo him on his return? Don't want to be out of sync, you know!

The mongs will boo him, so decide if you're a mong or not.

I'm hearing Gaston could be a sub against spurs.

He was certainly involved in training, and can be seen playing, not just light training. NA said Lee was back in training today, when clearly he has been training for some time. He also mentioned Fox had been out with hamstring, thought it was a groin.

Must win?

Probably, but we won't.

After watching NA's interview, I think Rickie will start the majority of home games while J-Rod is more likely to start away

ridiculous

dont expect to pick up many points away then if that happens. I agree, ridiculous.

Only Cork and Richardson seem to be longish term, quite clear from SaintsPlayer that GR is not far off, Lee has been training for some time already, and Fox's injury is somewhat mysterious, I didn't know you had a hamstring in your groin. It really wouldn't surprise me to see Ramirez and Lee on the bench for tomorrow. I can't make up my mind whether I want Fox to be fit or not :)
.
 
I just want to see Ade play, it seems that every time the opportunity to rest Defoe becomes available (cup games) he gets a niggly injury so can't feature and get his fitness up to scratch. Ideally i'd be dropping Siggy / Dempsey to incorporate Ade.

i would drop dempsey into the solent with some weights round his ankles then at least we could claim on the insurance
 
TEAM NEWS

Southampton will again be without record signing Gaston Ramirez due to a thigh injury.

Tadanari Lee has recovered from an elbow injury, while teenage defender Luke Shaw may make his league debut.

Tottenham's Gareth Bale will return against his previous club, having missed two matches following the birth of his first child.

Emmanuel Adebayor has overcome a back problem, while Mousa Dembele (hip) and Michael Dawson (illness) hope to play.

MATCH PREVIEW

The excitement of successive promotions and a return to the Premier League has rapidly disappeared for Southampton. Their dream has become a nightmare.

Last weekend's latest capitulation at fellow newcomers West Ham was another hefty upper-cut to the jaw, conceding four at Upton Park probably more unacceptable than the six they let-in at Arsenal in September. Three different goalkeepers have been used but they're all suffering with bad backs from picking the ball out of the net far too often.

Inevitably the pressure is mounting on manager Nigel Adkins. He admits he's unsure how long he's got left but after what he's achieved in two remarkable years surely he has earned the right to see this through?

The owners remain quiet and maybe the last thing he needs is the dreaded vote of confidence. Instead, he should be heartened by a poll in this week's local paper in which 78% of the supporters offered their backing.

St Mary's Stadium has been a horror venue for Tottenham. Five visits there have brought five defeats and no goals. However another blank would seem most unlikely as Spurs have scored in every game this season and hit a combined six goals in their recent away wins at Manchester United and Reading.

There may be some heavy legs following Thursday's Europa League tie against Maribor in Slovenia but manager Andre Villas-Boas will be able to freshen up his starting XI. Friedel, Gallas and Dempsey should all be back, but it's the return of Gareth Bale that is most intriguing. His career began in Southampton stripes as a slight 16-year-old and, after his brilliant season was put on hold last Saturday as he became a father for the first time, he'll be keen to be back with a bang and prove he's the "daddy" in more ways than one.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

This is their first meeting since March 2005 when Southampton, then managed by Harry Redknapp, won 1-0 at St Mary's courtesy of a goal from Nigel Quashie.

Tottenham have lost all five visits to the St Mary's Stadium, failing to score a goal. All four league games ended 1-0 to the hosts, who also enjoyed a 4-0 win in the FA Cup in 2003.

The last time Tottenham scored away at Southampton was in 1999, when Oyvind Leonhardsen's goal secured a 1-0 win.

Southampton

The 24 goals conceded by Southampton after eight games is a Premier League record. The last top-flight team to concede as many at this stage was Wolves in 1963.

Southampton have had 50 shots on target against them this season, more than any other team in the top flight.

The Saints are the only top-flight side to have been behind at some point in all eight of their league games this season.

They have four points from their first eight games - one less than at the same stage of the 2004-05 season in which they were relegated.

Tottenham Hotspur

Defeat by Chelsea last weekend was their first loss in nine matches in all competitions since losing on the first day of the season against Saudi Sportswashing Machine.

Only five goals have been scored in the first half of Tottenham's eight league matches this season, but 22 goals have been scored after half time.

Spurs have scored an unrivalled five league goals in the 15 minutes straight after half-time this season.

Tottenham and their north London rivals Arsenal have allowed their opponents the least number of shots (81) in the top flight this season.

Gareth Bale made his professional debut for Southampton at the age of 16 years and 275 days in a Championship game against Millwall in April 2006. He played 45 times for the Saints, scoring five goals, before moving to Spurs in May 2007.
 
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