Team news and expected line-up vs Stoke - 09/11/2014

Spurs return to Premier League action this Sunday lunchtime with a home clash against a side who have failed to beat them in the last 5 meetings.

Stoke are the visitors to White Hart Lane on the day that Spurs show their appreciation for the Armed Forces’ fallen in conflict by wearing a poppy on the players’ chests.

The Potters sit an uninspiring 13th in the Premier League following the most mediocre of starts to the campaign, while Spurs are in need of a pick-me-up having fallen to 9th in the table.

Pochettino’s side squeezed out a 2-1 win away at Greek side Asteras Tripolis in midweek, but have a record of losing the following domestic game after their European exploits. Andros Townsend and Harry Kane found the net in Greece.

Spurs took a 1-0 win away from the Britannia last time the sides met, with Danny Rose’s header setting the sides apart in a fiery affair. At the Lane, Mousa Dembele and Aaron Lennon were on target as Roberto Soldado scored from the spot in a 3-0 win.

Team News

Emmanuel Adebayor and Aaron Lennon are back in the fray for the visit of Stoke having sat out of our trip to Asteras. Both suffered minor hamstring issues but are back in contention for the League game.

Nabil Bentaleb’s ankle injury seems to be more serious than first expected, as the Algerian will miss yet another game with the ailment. Kyle Walker is also a long-term absentee but has targeted our game against Everton on 30th November as his comeback game.

Harry Kane could be included in the Premier League starting XI for the first time this season after he netted yet another goal in Europe on Thursday, meaning he now has 10 goals in al competitions. He grabbed his first League goal of the season in dramatic style last week at Villa and Poch has admitted he could play a bigger part from now on:

"He is an important player. We have a lot of very good players. It is true the performance like in the last game and today, he maybe deserves to play in the Premier League more.”

"It was a great goal, and a happy goal for him and the team."

Hugo Lloris will also return in between the sticks after Michel Vorm was handed his European debut in midweek, while Younes Kaboul is expected to regain his spot in defence.

Opponents View

Stoke have gained just one point from their last 3 away games since their shock win away at Manchester City back in August, and have now scored the 3rd lowest amount of goals out of anyone in the league. Only bottom place Burnley and Aston Villa have scored less than Stoke’s 10 in 10.

Last time out they threw away a 2-0 lead at home to West Ham, finishing up 2-2 thanks to a late Hammers show. Mark Hughes’ men have now won just one of their last 5 in all competitions, a 2-1 away at Swansea courtesy of Jon Walters’ winner.

Their record against Spurs isn’t all that great either, and Spurs have scored on 10 of the last 12 occasions against the Potters. Their last win over us came back in December 2011 when Matthew Etherington grabbed brace.

What They Said

Soldado:
"We feel good away from home after the Villa game and now we need to follow that up at home in the league in front of our own fans,"
"Our next Premier League match is at home against Stoke, which will be a difficult game, but we need to get another three points. With our supporters behind us it makes things easier for us but it's down to us as players to do our bit, because then it can push the team on further."

Pochettino:
“After three victories it’s important before the international break to get the three points at home in front of our supporters”
“It’s very important to play well at home.
“Against Newcastle, we played well in the first half but at the end, zero points. Now we need to get the three points.
“If we play well, even better, we will try to play well but if not, we need to win at home in front of our supporters.”

Vertonghen:
“We won our last Premier League game against Villa, we want to go on a run and a home game against Stoke is a possibility for us”
“We’ve won three games in a row now. We’re up again and we need another win.”
“This is not the Stoke from a couple of years ago, they try to play and that’s perhaps better for us, we like to play teams who want to come and play football as well.”
Mason:
“I think it will be a tough game but we’re concentrating on ourselves,”
“Hopefully we can hit a bit of form at White Hart Lane and start by picking up three points against Stoke.”

Dembele:
“Everyone can see they are a good footballing team now. Before, they did different things.
“He is a coach who gives confidence to his players and likes to play football as well, which you see at Stoke now.
“We need to be ready quicker, from the first minute. We did it in the first half [against Asteras], but, then, in the second half, we didn’t expect them to come at us. We were too relaxed.”

Line-up

Lloris. Naughton, Fazio, Kaboul, Rose. Capoue, Mason. Chadli, Eriksen, Townsend. Kane.

 

I still don't have faith that Poch will start Harry and leave Adebayor on the bench.
The only change to the 'expected line up' might be to bring Townsend in for Soldado and play with a 'falsish # 9'. I can only see Soldado getting wound up with the rough treatment he will get at the hands of Stoke's CDs and Townsend should be played whilst his confidence is high.

 

We are a complete shambles .. Newcastle , Stoke , Villa and that Greek side are all better than or at least as good as us .. No over reaction here but if this continues we,re heading for a relegation fight ..Honestly i cant pick 3 worse teams in the lge at the moment .. In terms of fight ,spirit or organization i cant see one .. Big ,Big trouble .. This is scarily bad ..