Team news and expected line up against Nottingham Forest – 24/09/2014

High flying Championship side Nottingham Forest will be rubbing their hands together at the thought of visiting a stuttering Tottenham side in the Capital One Cup this week.

Stuart Pearce’s men currently sit at the summit of the Second Division having won 5 and drawn 3 of their opening 8 games, joining Charlton as the only other unbeaten side in the League. Deservedly, they are also the League’s highest goalscorers, joining Norwich on 17 goals thanks to routs against Reading and Fulham.

They have already completed two rounds of the cup, failing to concede a goal on trips to both Tranmere and Huddersfield.

Meanwhile Mauricio Pochettino’s men are now without a win in 4 following home defeats against Liverpool and West Brom, with away draws at Sunderland and Partizan Belgrade in the Europa League in between.

West Ham ended their run last December following wins at Aston Villa and on penalties against Hull, but Forest will arguably present more of an issue thanks to their run of 12 games unbeaten.

Team News

Only Kyle Walker is unavailable for the Wednesday night game, thanks to the recovery of England winger Andros Townsend who sat out of the weekend’s loss to Albion.

Townsend picked up a dead leg against Partizan in midweek but Pochettino has reported that he will be ready to face the Championship opposition:

“Andros is fully fit and maybe has an opportunity to play,” said Head Coach Mauricio after training on Tuesday. “Everyone else is okay, the squad is fit.”

Benjamin Stambouli is expected to make his White Hart Lane debut having come on away at Sunderland and started in Belgrade, while fellow summer signing Federico Fazio is also set to make his N17 bow.

We could also see the first of Michel Vorm – signed from Swansea at the start of the season – who has failed to dislodge Hugo Lloris from his starting spot so far.

Bentaleb Raring

Young midfielder Nabil Bentaleb could start next to Stambouli as he did out in Belgrade, and the emerging star is wisely keeping his head when it comes to lower league opposition:

“We have to show that we are capable of winning trophies. I want to win medals here and this competition is a great chance for us,” said the Algerian international.

“Of course, we know all about Forest, they are a good team, in great form and they are going to fight all the way.

“They will want to win against a Premier League team, but we have to impose our tempo on the game and show them that we are not taking this game lightly.

“We have seen time and again what can happen in cup competitions, big teams can get knocked out by lower league sides so we will be focused to make sure that doesn’t happen to us.”

Spurs are unbeaten in their last 4 meetings with Forest, the last of which coming in 2005 when Noe Pamarot, Robbie Keane and Mido completed a 3-0 victory.

Clough Tribute

Capital One will also be paying a classy tribute to the 10-year-anniversary of the passing of former Forest manager Brian Clough, who died on 20th September 2004 aged 69, by issuing each of the 1,000 travelling away fans with a green round-neck jumper synonymous with the man who spent nearly 18 years with the club.

Expected Line-up

Vorm; Naughton Fazio Vertonghen Davies; Stambouli Bentaleb; Lennon Paulinho Lamela; Kane.

 

Not looking forward to this at all- a hungry well drilled lower league side coming to ours for a scalp. Our 'fragile' players all need to grow up and grow a pair to fight tonight, work hard as a team and get the win they owe the club and fans!

 

Got more chance with big daddy kane up front, poorlinho is the worst brazillian since gilberto santos

 

Dont mind Jan having a run as long as he's ok to start against le arse, Poch has said that reputations mean nothing and players will be picked on form so if he's true to his word then these are the games to go out and impress and claim a spot in the big games coming up.
Vorm, Naughton, Fazio, Jan, Davies, Stam, Benteleb, Lennon, paulinho, Lamela, Soldado
id like to see a bit more going foward from Benteleb and some quick passing, if Pauli doesn't pull his weight them he can come off for Townsend and Lamela can come inside. id like to see some of that good interplay between Lamela and Soldado as well as Lennon.

 

Hang on ....poch says players will picked on form alone!!! So why the hell is Kaboul still being picked every game then?

 

My first thought too, I think we are all very interested to see Fazio get a run of games to see if his form justifies inclusion into the first team, I can only reason Kaboul as captain being short term until Poch works this team out. He is not or should not be anywhere near 1st or 2nd choice on his current form.

 

So off we go again tonight in the cup. No doubt it will be a shadow of our so called best players in the starting eleven. I contest that the way we are playing we need a run of 5 or 6 games with the best available players in their best positions to try and get some form of consistency and understanding in the team.
I am not a fan of playing only one up front, especially at home, but even away from WHL the modern style of football often means the forwards drift wide and Soldado has proved although we bought him as a poacher, he can hold the ball and also create chances, so I think Soldado should start alongside Ade. Given a run of games I'm convinced he will come good. I wouldnt care if only scores half a dozen goals a season if he creates loads of chances for whoever we eventually have to put them in. They are the best of the bunch so little choice there. Poch needs to give Ade a quiet talking to and if no change in his attitude he should be shipped out asap. He only plays when he needs a contract or his future is in doubt. Eriksen and Lamela must play. Dembele is needed in centre midfield in my opinion along with Capoue. Across the back it has to be Dier Vertonghen Fazio and Rose. Lloris of course
Unfortunately, Poch has backed himself into a corner with Kaboul as skipper. His current form means he is not automatic choice as a skipper should be. He's lacking in all aspects of a skippers role in my opinion.
Dier is still learning and we have no alternative at the moment. Bearing in mind he is a CB really. Providing Vertonghen is in the right frame of mind he should partner Fazio. Rose needs to continue to understand that his first duty is that of a defender and not a flying winger.
As for the others, well they either need to take a long hard look at themselves and shape up, or they need to ship out.
The trouble is, it is now acceptable just to be a squad player earning thousands a week and playing the occasional game. Perhaps we should pay them peanuts and then top it up with big bonuses only when they play. That just might sharpen up their attitude. It would me if I had ever been lucky enough to be in their place.

 

I hope he starts with predominantly the starting line up from Sunday to teach them a lesson. I don't want Fazio and Stambouli to be cup players when they should be starting against Arsenal at the weekend. With the exception of Lamela and Eriksen (why can no one spell his name) and probably Adebayor as he's the only fit, sort of scoring striker in the league. I can't see Kane or Soldado getting any joy at the Emirates on Saturday and Ade will be up for it. Hopefully not too up for it though and he gets sent off.

I'd put Townsend in for Lamela, Paulinho in for Eriksen and Soldado
in for Ade. If they can't do it against Forest then they aren't good enough for the PL. The rest have a point to prove. For me there's no way Kaboul should start, let alone be captain, nor Chiriches against Le Arse. Jan (c) and Fazio. Stambouli should be in place of Dembele. Capoue and him in front of the defence with Lamela, Eriksen, Chadli and Ade in front of them.

I probably wouldn't want Chadli but he's scored a few and he's better than Lennon or Andros so there's not much choice.

I wouldn't be that bothered if we lost on pens or something tonight. It's a mid week distraction we could do without

 

I want us to go out and win well tonight. Spurs need silverware and I don't care what trophy it is.

 

We should be saving our most solid reliable team (what ever that is) for Scum on Saturday.
As Big Fran said- Think a number of the players who let us down so badly for Brom should be forced to play tonight.
Its way overdue this 'amazing' squad we have actually started delivering especially against inferior opposition and tonight should be treated as serious buisness anything less than 100% will be exposed.
We will need our best players fresh for the Emirates test though the club cant be doing with a horror show there else i can see us heading into deep sh;t.

 

I like the way the author calls a spade 'a spade' - second division!
I was wondering when Vorm would turn ..... up.
I shall be watching this from behind the sofa.

 

Lloris dier fazio verthonghen rose.
Lamela capoue dembele eriksen.
Soldado adebayor be my selection for tonight. And although I believe 442 is a dated system stick with it until we have better more suited personnel

 

Okay, so just the ELEVEN changes tonight and Pochettino says, " I pick the best team for the game ".
So, if Soldado scores a hat trick tonight, he will still get dropped for Adebayor on Saturday?!
Hmmmmm. Starting to wonder if AVB has infiltrated Pochettino's mind, along with sherwood.

Oh well, come on you spurs!!!

 

Well Paulhino can **** off back to Russia or some arab mug in January. Another appalling display of bone ildleness. It effects the whole team and was quite rightly subbed. The Hurricane & Mason may not be the most talented but by God they put a shift in shocked everyone into stepping up with their movement I can't blame Mopo. I'm sure he doesn't train the midfield to ****ing walk about and pass the ball backwards. Anyways good result and a hearty display one that ass clown went off. Thing is he going to run down his £70,000 4 year contract Bentley style. This what happens when you have 3 managers in a year.