West Ham's Cup final a tough test for Spurs

The games are coming quick and fast now as the Premier League title race goes into hyperdrive. After an excellent performance against Swansea, a performance that the 2-1 score line hid the true dominance of Spurs, the next game is a trip to those West Hammers.
Regardless of other games, West Ham always raise their game for the visit of Spurs and with them chasing a top 6 berth, this could be a ferocious game.

I fully expect West Ham to throw in a lot of hard challenges and try and wind up our more volatile players. And by that I particularly mean Rose, Alli and Lamela. You could also throw Dembele into that mix should he recover in time although if he is fit, it seems more likely that he would start on the bench.

Alli was carrying a slight knock against Swansea and with his temperament being called into question at times this season, it will be interesting to see whether Pochettino starts him, or perhaps starts Mason and reduces the risk of injury and/or a red card. I actually think this game could be a huge test for Pochettino. A huge test I have full confidence that he will pass.

Where last season Poch seemed unsure what 11 to play game to game, he now knows his best team, or should I say squad. He tweaks the team each game, usually the full backs to keep them fresh and they seem to be thriving on that which can only be good for Spurs. Which full backs he will play is anyone's guess but I tend to lean toward it being the same as for Swansea. I would certainly be surprised to see Rose dropped to the bench in the form he is currently in. If you'd have said last season that Danny Rose was a shoe in for England at the Euro's this summer I'd have laughed for hours. Well I'm not laughing now. Rather smiling with pride that another of our young squad looks set to represent the 3 lions this summer. An incredible turnaround that says everything about the impact of our manager. If you think how young our boss is and what he is developing already, just imagine what he could achieve over the next 5 to 6 years. Exciting eh? (Ramos, as you can see I am eating my words here! )

I've read in some areas of the media that we are reliant on the form of Kane, Alli and Eriksen. Yes, they are all very important players but this team is not about individuals. It's about teamwork. Look at the goals Chadli scores for instance. Worth plenty of points that fella!
In fact, 14 different players have scored for Tottenham this season, more than any other premier league team. Reliant on just 2 or 3 players? Nonsense.

With Arsenal to come on Saturday lunchtime, a win or even a draw would still keep us in the title hunt although the 3 points will be what we go for. A win on Wednesday would well and truly put 'lasagne gate' to bed once and for all. I'm sure our heart rates will be tested to the maximum yet again!!

I'm going to attempt a predicted line up and it may raise eyebrows, but I am going to base it on the things that I feel Poch may take into consideration when he makes his final selection.

Let's look forward to another great night hopefully and get behind the team as we join together, as ever, to sing loudly, COME ON YOU SPURS!!!!!

Predicted Line Up Vs West Ham United:

Lloris, Walker, Alderweireld, Wimmer, Rose, Dier, Mason, Lamela, Eriksen, Chadli, Kane

 

Spot on with the line up i reckon other than the fullbacks, hes swapping them every single game right now, without fail, so i fully expect to see a fully rested trippier and davies haring up and down the lines. Coys!!

 

Definitely going to be Trippier and Davies for this one and Walker and Rose for Arsenal right?

And I would love to have Mousa back for the Arsenal match.

What about Son? I'm having a hard time with both his and Nacer Chadli's best role. They seem to shine when coming off the bench and have a harder time having an impact when playing a full match or close to it. Probably best to start one Wednesday and one Saturday with the other replacing off the bench at about the hour mark if they've failed to produce.

 

One game at a time. We need EVERY Spurs player, as well as Poch, thinking ONLY
of West Ham. Saturday will take care of itself. But over the next two days we need
to be focusing fully on beating the Whammers! And throughout this incredibly important
game, we focus ONLY on putting them to the sword! I know Poch doesn't want the
players to get ahead of themselves, and they're tremendously disciplined, BUT they're
still human, and will be excited (everyone else in the country) about Saturday.
PUT IT OUT OF YOUR HEADS SPURS...or Wham could take advantage of a major
distraction and damage our title hopes, thereby altering our mindset going into the
Arsenal game.

 

The players will be thinking one game at a time, but not Poch. He will be looking ahead, that's his job. Of course he has to consider Arse ahead of the WH game coz he has to plan for that too. If a manager considers only one game at a time, he will run into a brick wall.

 

This is a tough one to schedule, what a defining moment/week for this young squad. Poch's player management and rotation will be tested. Fullbacks, it's easy....Trippier and Davies for this one. I think Dier needs a break in the middle, we need him to be fresh for Arsenal; this kid has been playing lots of minutes this past month. Although, most the past few games we've had solid possession and in those instances he gets to rest a bit. I'll probably eat my words, I see Kane and Dier being rested; Kane coming on a sub in the latter stages of the game. Not saying Bentaleb deserves the starting spot but who else can play the cdm role for us? In fairness to Bentaleb, that's not his best role either; he's better playing next to a holding midfielder...he's better going forward without all the responsibility.

Lloris, Trippier, Alderweireld, Wimmer, Davies, Mason, Alli, Eriksen, Lamela, Son, Chadli

 

Blah blah blah 3-0 to the mighty hammers see you Wednesday

 

Our Cup final!!!!! Ha you have to be kidding good old spurs think everyone is just happy to be in the same league as your team. What a pleasure and distinction it will be to play and beat the sillywhites how borish you really are.

 

Blatantly!!!!!

 

Hammers fans are so arrogant

 

Trippier and Davies will start - I think that is a foregone conclusion.
I could imagine Poch using Bentaleb alongside Dier with Mason playing the Alli role. Lamela, Son and Chadli have all done better coming off the bench but I see them starting, us keeping it very tight and then Kane and Alli to emerge if needed.

 

hammers are arrogant. get over yourself . you've been in the gooners shadow for years. pains me to say you've got a quality team but we owe you for giving us a right tonking. take one game at a time. for all you know you could be up to 8 pts behind Leicester by the weekend even though I expect you to turn over the gooners

 

I guess the players will rest in the summer... Tough schedule. Kane shall start. Come On YS!!

 

West Ham fans: 'it's not our cup final, you lot are pathetic' etc

*come on a Spurs blog looking for a fight*

F*ck off you degenerate pikey scum, we'll wave away your hopes of a European place Dele Alli style on Wednesday night, signing off at the Boleyn Ground with a comfortable win. As Jenas said, it's not even a big game for us normally.

every game from here on in is a cup final, and should be treated as such.

 

1-0 to the 'arrogant plkey Scum' you mugs coyi

 

Haha you're in Lawrenson's league when it comes to predictions. This was your cup final and we didn't let you have a sniff.

As for not being a big games for you normally - read some posts on this forum and there are a lot of seemingly and surprisingly normal Spurs fans who disagree with you.

 

There's a thing called humour, mate. Anyone that's arrogant enough to think that going to Upton Park will be easy is deluded.

Honestly, to me at least, it isn't a big game. Jermaine Jenas, whose played in more Champions League ties than you've won trophies in his lifetime, said that the West Ham Spurs rivalry was sparked up from the West Ham lot, and not reciprocated by Spurs fans.

Finally, a lot of our fans didn't swarm onto West Ham websites to celebrate winning 4-1, did we? Whereas that's three of you on here. Our cup final, yeah, whatever.

 

Provocative, click-bait title. Include opponents name for Newsnow.
Wait for bites.
Smugly respond with 'blah blah blah coming on our boards wheareas we don't give a **** about West Ham', etc.
Irony of comment from me feeding trolling blog.
Can't win.
Unlike last night.
Except I'm using Adblock.
2-0.