Rovers v Spurs: Fight for your right to party
Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 12:40PM Time for the truth. No, I'm not talking about the Dublin unofficial Christmas-do. That was yesterdays news. The only thing of importance is how we follow up the comfortable 3-0 home against Manchester City with a win today, away to Blackburn. This game and our next one against Fulham are quite possibly season defining. Not forgetting West Ham before 2009 closes. Okay, too much with the dramatics there, but maximum points will go along way with cementing belief and progress going into the New Year. Last time up at Rovers, we led until the 82nd minute. And lost the game in the 89th. No thanks to the ref sending Wilson off, but it had similar foundations that collapsed so epically away to Everton recently. So that olde question about mental strength is about to be asked once more.
Swift sharp answer please.
Our 'rivals' all have very winnable games, so pressure on. As ever.
Won't be an easy one. Probably won't be too pretty either. And without a doubt a game where players will be required to step up. Dollops of leadership from all areas of the pitch. Tactically, I'm sure Blackburn have plans to suffocate the supply from the midfield to Lennon out hugging the touchline. All eyes on how Harry deals with any potential 'job' done on both Azza and of course our talisman, Niko.
Talking of which, Modric wont be watching from the bench. Precautionary (ankle injury) I'm sure. King on his way back also, but doubt we'll see a change in the back four - which did very well with coping with City in midweek (as limp as they were).
No room for southern powder-puff up in the gritty north. Key for me is Palacios. Need him to be at his brick-wall best and hopefully not too wasteful with his distribution. Fact is, there is no way to predict it. Such is our consistent inconsistency.
Meant to be snowing/freezing up there (much like most of the country at the moment). Add Big Sam's brand of stench football to the mix and we're in for a fight. Won't be easy, they won't make it easy. It's pretty much another test of character and one that has to have the conclusion of cutting edge.
I like Tottenham, even with our blips. The blips are self-inflicted mind blocks blinding us momentarily. They can be corrected and avoided altogether. We are not getting out played by anyone. We are bossing possession and if we're not (in the course of a game) we still have enough about us to create chances. We are sort of on auto-pilot. Which is not ideal. It's time for some control.
Dig deep. Dictate. Retain the ball. Pick off the opposition. Kill the game off.
Over to you Tottenham. It's time for an audacious plot, planned with military precision. The objective? Three points.
COYS.
Reader Comments (21)
Score draw Spooky. I'll be happy for none of our key players to come back down south with knocks.
I'm got a good feeling about this. I think we'll create chances. Robbo might be picking the ball out of the net a couple of times today. YIDS!
Team news?
If we start off with the right attitude and defend fiercely, we can walk away with the 3 points. Nothing short of that will sustain our momentum as far as today's match goes.
2-1 Spurs. Defoe to score again. Don't think BR have the quality to create more than us. We've been been better away than we've been at home recently with possession and balance of play. Looking forwardto this.
Blackburn: Robinson, Jacobsen, Nelsen, Givet, Chimbonda, Salgado, Nzonzi, Grella, Hoilett, McCarthy, Di Santo.
Subs: Brown, Roberts, Pedersen, Andrews, Diouf, Kalinic, Jones.
Tottenham: Gomes, Corluka, Dawson, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Huddlestone, Palacios, Kranjcar, Crouch, Defoe.
Subs: Alnwick, Hutton, Bale, Jenas, Pavlyuchenko, Keane, Rose.
More of the same please.
any links to the game?
Liverpool have just lost to Pompey so we have a real chance to go six points clear of them.
I really hope Spurs are up for a battle today and put in a solid performance. We must take the form from the City game into today's match. Hope we get O'hara back too! He would be ahead off JJ on the performance I've seen this season.
Come on lads don't let us down.
Key for me is Hoddleston! Come on Tommy, give us a goal and show the doubting Thomases what you're capable of
Google Myp2p.
Dont post links here as Spurs blogs/sites have been warned against it.
Well done Crouchie, and well done Niko for chasing what everyone else thought was a lost cause.
COYS!
2-0 job done.
COME ON YOU SPURS
What a week Crouch has had! Good win today for Spurs. Come on Stoke! Seconds left.
Nice one!
I want to say for the record that I am very pleased with the way Corluka's been playing. I've slagged him off in the past but he seems to be hitting his stride.
City in turmoil. Gap appearing between us and 6th spot. Need to get in another couple of wins before the new year. Fulham away is going to be tough.
Is it just me or did we (apart from about 20 minutes in the second half) look a bit tougher and more physical today?
COYS
Its the hangover from the Xmas party Frontwheel, got everyone into a bad mood, you know how it is, ur far less prone to take crap when ur hung over
fellows , i don't know if anyone noticed it but we might have a very good squad this season ...
Party, what christmas party? nothing to see here? Just golf. Now move along please.
Belgian? Shhhhh, don't tell anyone, it raises expectations.Tow things seem to be working in our favour, liverpools lack of confidence and form and City's turmoil. We have capitalised for sure, but we still have our failings.
BTW, were you planning on coming over to the UK on the Eurostar any time soon? Might want to check the schedule.
ssst Tricky , i m coming over for the Hull or Fulham game in January (we have a winter football stop in january so i can finally come over) i m hoping my annual trip to the lane is not getting spoilt by the snow ...