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· This season's away game - 2-1 to Stoke
· This week - last year
· What happened in the Premiership in Match 23 2007-08
· NEW! - See the current injury list for all Premiership Teams!
Full League Record v Stoke City
Premier Pl W D L F - A Pts
Home 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 0
Away 1 0 0 1 1 - 2 0
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Total (Prem) 1 0 0 1 1 - 2 0
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Football Lge
Home (Div One) 26 20 5 1 56 -19 49
Away (Div One) 26 7 8 12 26 -34 24
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Total(Div 1) 52 27 13 13 82 -53 73
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Football Lge
Home(Div Two) 7 6 1 0 18 - 7 13
Away(div Two) 7 2 1 4 9 -11 5
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Total(Div 2) 14 8 2 4 27 -18 18
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Total (Prem) 1 0 0 1 1 - 2 0
Total (Div1) 52 27 13 13 82 -53 73
Total (Div2) 14 8 2 4 27 -18 18
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Grand Total 67 35 15 18 110 -73 91
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Last Six Premiership results:-
Spurs
Spurs 0-0 Man Utd
Newcastle 2-1 Spurs
Spurs 0-0 Fulham
West Brom 2-0 Spurs
Wigan 1-0 Spurs
Spurs 1-1 P'tsmouth
Stoke
Stoke 0-0 Fulham
Blackburn 3-0 Stoke
Stoke 0-1 Man Utd
West Ham 2-1 Stoke
Stoke 0-0 Liverpool
Chelsea 2-1 Stoke
Pos P W D L F-A GD Pts
16 Spurs 22 5 6 11 21-27 -6 21
19 Stoke 22 5 6 11 19-35 -16 21
Our away match at The Britannia Stadium was our first league meeting with Stoke for 23 years. Going into that game, Spurs were at the bottom of the table with a meagre two points, and Stoke were two points above us. Stoke's win heralded a mini-revival for the "Potters", who went on to beat Sunderland, Arsenal, and West Brom in three of their following 7 games. That West Brom win was their last, achieved on November 22nd.
Here we have two sides in the bottom six of both the form table and the Premier League. The bottom five are separated only on goal difference, and if ever there is to be a game that Spurs have to win, then surely this is it!
The 2-1 defeat on 19th October was Juande Ramos's last league game in charge. he led us into the dismal UEFA Cup defeat in Udine, but was then shown the door before the appointment of Harry Redknapp. That appointment led to a revivval for Spurs, starting with the following match against Bolton, when Harry was not officially in charge.
In my match report for the away game I made reference to the widespread criticism of Damien Comolli, who also was shown the door later that week, and to the fact that we had off-loaded so many of a successful Carling Cup winning side, and to the sale of three International strikers. It seems I can be quite prophetic at times, as since then we have re-signed Jermain Defoe, and it seems that Pascal Chimbonda will be officially announced in the next 24 hours. Who else will Harry claw back before the closure of the window? (Chimbonda has yet to be officially announced by the club, despite open reports of his re-signing in the media. He has apparently signed 15 minutes too late to play tomorrow night)
In August we specialised in signing cup-tied players (Corluka and Pavlyuchenko). Now we have signed a cup-tied and suspended player, Wilson Palacios and we have to wait till Saturday at Bolton to see him in action, when he will set out in search of his 11th yellow card of the domestic season! What next? Maybe an injured, cup-tied, suspended ex-Spurs player!
This game really is a test to decide the worst of sides. Both have managed just two league goals in their last 6 games, and not one league win in that period. Yet you have to fancy Stoke's chances of causing an upset, because one quality they do have is the physical battling game that Spurs so badly lack. They so nearly caused an upset at Stamford Bridge 10 days ago, when Chelsea scored two late goals to snatch three points. Stoke have also managed creditable results against all the top sides, beating Villa and Arsenal, drawin at home and away against Liverpool, and losing narrowly at home to Man Utd.
It is good to hear about the arrival of Carlo Cudicini from Chelsea, and it seems he will make his debut because Gomes is still not fully fit. Bent, Lennon, Woodgate, Modric and Jenas were all described as doubts today, but all trained, so I suspect they will be available for selection. Ledley King, Alan Hutton and Jamie O'Hara are out, but I know that O'Hara hopes to be fit for Saturday.
On reflection, I have a feeling that those who represented us at Old Trafford on Saturday played "within themselves", particularly in the second half, and probably on instructions. There is of course, no room for such strategy tomorrow night, and none of us will be satisfied for anything less than 100% commitment throughout the game.
I wish I could be confident about the result, but that would be folly in view of our form. It has to be a win though!
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