Team News and Expected Line-up Against Sunderland - 13/09/2014

After the two-week international layoff, it’s time to get back to the business of the Premier League. Spurs travel to the Stadium of Light to take on Sunderland on Saturday looking to rebound from a disappointing outing against Liverpool. Three points on the road will go a long way for Tottenham as they enter one of the most clogged portions of their schedule. Spurs will play seven games in 23 days in three different competitions spanning three countries.

What They Said

Mauricio Pochettino on learning from the Liverpool loss:
"In the future this is a good game to learn from for us when we need to compete with a big team and we need to improve our game. The fans watch and see that we need to improve and the changes from the past two months. You always need time and you need passion. You also need results and I think we are heading in the right way."

Pochettino on the squad after the transfer window:
"I'm very happy with the squad. We know that last season Tottenham made a big investment in players and spent a lot of money, this season was always to believe in those players and add balance to the squad and show that we are a very good squad."

Vlad Chiricheș getting back to winning ways:
“We need to get back on track after Liverpool and I think we can do it. It will be tough, it usually is away from home, but I hope we will be better and win this game. I certainly believe we have the quality to win it.”

Sunderland midfielder Jack Rodwell on Spurs:
"Against QPR it was a little scrappy but it will be open against Spurs so hopefully we will create a few more chances.”

Sunderland new boy Ricky Alvarez on getting started against Spurs:
“I’m very keen to get underway. It’s a new challenge for me. I’m very happy and very hopeful.”

Head-to-Head

Tottenham and Sunderland have played a total of 104 times through the years with Spurs winning 42, Sunderland winning 35, and the teams drawing on 27 occasions. Since the 2010/2011 season, Spurs have won six and drawn two against Sunderland, having outscored the Black Cats by 14 goals to five.

Last season in this fixture, Tottenham walked away 2-1 winners. Paulinho scored for Spurs and John O’Shea added an own goal to give Spurs the win.

Sunderland Wrap

Sunderland are winless in the new Premier League campaign having drawn twice and lost away to QPR. Their best performance of the young season was a home draw against Manchester United. Jack Rodwell scored the goal that helped the Black Cats earn the draw.

Sunderland also drew at West Brom where Lee Cattermole and Seb Larsson were on target to get a vital away point.

Their most recent win was a 3-0 drubbing of Birmingham City in the third round of the Capital One Cup. Jordi Gomez, Adam Johnson, and Connor Wickham scored the goals that helped Sunderland advance.

International “Confidence”

Perhaps some bright performances during this international break could provide a spark for Spurs.

Erik Lamela was called back into the Argentina squad and scored a goal in a 4-2 win against Germany, a World Cup Final rematch. Erik has started brightly for Spurs with four assists, but in the team’s biggest game this season against Liverpool, Erik couldn’t get rolling. Maybe his goal for Argentina will help him open his Spurs account this season.

Vlad Chriches had a bright defensive showing as Romania went down to 10-men against Greece with 30 minutes remaining. They held off Greece and got a key win in their group with Vlad manning the back line.

Hugo Lloris had a clean sheet against Spain which is always a tough challenge, Emmanuel Adebayor scored in Togo’s African Cup of Nations game against Ghana, and Christian Eriksen’s Denmark won their match against Armenia. There’s nothing Spurs fans would like more than to see Eriksen regain his 2013/14 magic while dishing a couple of assists to Adebayor with Hugo collecting another clean sheet in the process.

Team News

Kyle Walker has recently had abdominal surgery and is unavailable for the foreseeable future. Roberto Soldado has been nursing a sore back but could feature in this one. Federico Fazio and Benji Stambouli could make their Tottenham debuts on Saturday.

Game Plan

After looking like world-beaters against QPR and also-rans against Liverpool, which Tottenham side will show up at the Stadium of Light? Tottenham will most likely use a similar line-up to the one’s seen so far in the league, but with Sunderland possessing much less attacking pizzazz than Liverpool, Spurs can pressure the ball more with less chance of being broken down with one or two passes.

Sunderland manager Gus Poyet has favoured a 4-1-4-1 formation of late, which could clog things up for Tottenham. But, last time out, QPR pressured high and Sunderland were never really comfortable to get into the possession filled attack that Poyet likes. If Pochettino can get the team to pressure like it did in the preseason, Spurs could win this game going away.

Possible Line Up
Lloris; Dier, Fazio, Vertonghen, Rose; Capoue, Stambouli; Lamela, Chadli, Eriksen; Adebayor

 

Be surprise to see the new boys start lloris dier kaboul JV rose dembele capoue eriksen lamela chadli kane

 

Sherwood demolished Black Cats last season, while MP lost all matches to Poyet with his system. Spurs have to go back to 4-4-2 to get around the clogged middle Gus is building playing 5 defenders. Let see if Mauricio is flexible or just stubborn. Old system is well known to players. Plus he must start new acquisitions. Erksen does not deserve to start at this time, but will anyway. Win would surprise me. COYS!
Llorice, Dier, Fazio, Jan, Davies, Capoue, Stambouli,Eriksen, Lennon, Kane, Adebayor

 

I dont like Potch style of football passing for passing sake all this will do is get you pressed till mistakes happen. This was how Rogers won with our misses the help of the ref and pressing with energy that is now swallowed, What i see yor team doing is the very same outcome has the Liverpool gam, My Team would include speed Lloris Kabs Fasio Vert Rose Lennon Erickson Lamela Stomboli Townsed Ady

 

I believe if the team is being picked on current form then it would look something like this:

Lloris

Dier Chiriches Vertonghen Rose

Capoue Dembele

Lamela Chadli Townsend

Adebayor


Chiriches would come in for the less than convincing Kaboul. 3 games is enough to be able to be able to make a judgement call on a players form, and you don't need a microscope to be able to see that Younes has looked well short of his best.

At the peak of his powers the Frenchman is a defender equipped to deal with ANY centre-forward the EPL has to offer. Strong, quick and dominant in the air, Kaboul displays this season have inconsistent at best, so far, this campaign - with some fine play, usually being quickly undermined by an uncharacteristic error.

Chiriches should be the next in line if Pochettino has any long-term ambition of keeping the Romanian. Given that Vlad has recently made his return to the team with a polished display in the EL qualifiers, and has been gaining additional fitness with his national team, I believe it would be poor man-management on Poch's part to simply promote a new signing into the first team without 1st giving Vlad the opportunity to show what he can do

Vlad is a quality operator, who would no doubt relish the chance to stake his claim for a spot in the, new managers, 1st team.

Bentelab returned back late from international competition, and even though the kid at 19 years old is a great prospect, he is NOT at the required level to regularly keep a fit Dembele on the bench.

Against the likes of the feisty Lee Cattermole in midfield, Spurs would, perhaps, benefit from having two men of Capoue and Dembele's size, competitive edge and ability in the heart of the team.

Eriksen would be my last change on the basis that he has been virtually anonymous from an attacking POV in all of the 3 games he has started thus far. The amount of set pieces from wide he failed to get beyond the 1st man, in the last game, beggared belief. And apart from a freekick that hit the QPR keepers crossbar a few weeks back, the Dane has done absolutely NOTHING to suggest he warrants getting another chance in that attacking line.

Yes he has worked hard, but a no10's role is to influence the game in his teams favour and Christian has simply failed to do that, so far!

Townsend would offer the side pace, as well as a great out-ball on the counter attack. A young man itching to kick-start his season, the combination of of a fired-up Andros, Lamela, and Chadi rotating in the space behind a lively Adebayor, should be able to cause Sunderland no end of problems.

 

After the limp performance against Liverpool, this is exactly the sort of game that will test the metal of our side.
Our attacking quartet need to be alot busier and coherent with each other at times they seem to be totally void of ideas/plan and team ethic. This in turn puts pressure on our defence.
We will need to be up for the fight in this especially the midfield lets hope Poch and the team get it right today.
COYS!

 

Wouldn't mind seeing Fazio start this one as Kaboul has been terrible.
Lloris (capt) Dier, Fazio, Jan, Davies,Capoue, Dembele, Lamela, Kane, Eriksen,Ade

 

I am amazed that supporters still pick lennon in their team this man is useless cant score a goal ti save his life,cant cross a ball and has stopped taking the fullback on.I will tell you why its because he does not know how to kick a ball correctly. Putting him in the team is like starting with ten men.

 

Not often I agree with all that Ramos says but pretty much bang on that. Not sure y people are expecting fazio to start already after we have not seen him perform yet never mind get up to speed with the EPL. I'm not expecting this boy to be much more than a stop gap squad player signing

 

Big game today! It goes without saying that the quicker the lads can put the defeat against Liverpool behind them, the better. Spurs have the opportunity to regain much of their early season momentum, should they win this one, with some very winnable games following our trip to the SOL, today.

It WON'T be easy, but Felon is right (...I Know, I know...I even surprise myself sometimes ) when he says this is a match that this is a match that will test the teams metal.

I felt Spurs lacked pace against Liverpool in the last game. Not only in terms of personnel, but also in regards tempo/crispness of the passing, which was decidedly laboured in comparison to Liverpool's.

I have no doubt that this was due to the 'inferiority complex' that the team has, understandably, developed after getting some real hidings at the hands of the other top team within the division, and Pochettino's biggest task this campaign will be restoring the teams battered belief/confidence in those big games.

Against Sunderland it will be important that the team rediscovers it's confidence, on the ball, early in order to dampen the Black Cats enthusiasm, find their own rhythm and quieten the crowd.

I actually feel that Fazio will go on to be a big player for Spurs this season, but, for me, Chiriches deserves his shot to prove his worth BEFORE the Argentinian gets the opportunity to stake his claim for a starting berth.

What Spurs have is 5 quality options at CB, meaning that EVERYONE should be kept on their toes, and NO ONE should be guaranteed a starting place in the team.

As a result, that may mean that the most likely/best candidate for the captaincy might just be Lloris, after all.