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Spurs Odyssey Preview - Sheffield United v Spurs, 17.01.21

· Last season's game - Sheffield United 3 Spurs 1, 02.07.20
· Premier League Matchday 19 - last year
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See the current injury list for all Premier League Teams
· All the Spurs Stats you could hope for here! THFC6061 Sports Stats


Full Record of Spurs -v- Sheffield United

Prem          Pl   W   D   L  For-Ag  Pts
Home           4   2   2   0   7 -3    8
Away           4   0   1   3   4 -13   1
========================================
Total(Prem)    8   2   3   3  11 -16   9  1.125 Pts per game
========================================
Football Lge
Home(Div 1)   32  22   6   4  72 -32  50
Away(Div 1)   32   6  11  15  46 -70  21
========================================
Total(Div 1)  64  28  17  19 118 -102 73
========================================
Home (Div 2)   6   2   3   1  17 - 9   7
Away (Div 2)   6   0   2   4   7 -15   2
========================================
Total(Div 2)  12   2   5   5  24 -24   9
========================================
Total(Prem)    8   2   3   3  11 -16   9
Total(Div 1)  64  28  17  19 118 -102 73
Total(Div 2)  12   2   5   5  24 -24   9
========================================
Grand Total   84  32  25  27 153 -142 91
========================================

Last Six Premier League results:-

Sheff Utd  -    LDLLLW

Sheff Utd  2-3    Man Utd
Brighton   1-1    Sheff Utd
Sheff Utd  0-1    Everton
Burnley    1-0    Sheff Utd
C. Palace  2-0    Sheff Utd
Sheff Utd  1-0    Newcastle

Spurs      -    DLLDWD
           
C.Palace   1-1    Spurs
Liverpool  2-1    Spurs
Spurs      0-2    Leicester
Wolves     1-1    Spurs
Spurs      3-0    Leeds
Spurs      1-1    Fulham

Pos            P  W  D  L   F-A   GD  Pts
 6. Spurs     17  8  6  3  30-16  14   30
20. Sheff Utd 18  1  2 15   9-29 -20    5 

Let's have no more under-achieving Spurs!

Regular and observant readers know that I live in Chesterfield. We've had snow in these parts (only a few miles south of Sheffield), but as I write the rain is clearing the snow from the ground which otherwise might have threatened our game. After the massive disappointment of only managing a home draw against lowly Fulham in midweek, Spurs face a difficult trip to Bramall Lane tomorrow against another bottom three club. Let's have no more under-achieving Spurs!

One problem we have is that we have yet to beat Sheffield United in an away Premier League game, although of course we have only played four such games previously. Even when we reached the 2015 League Cup Final after conquering "The Blades" in January we couldn't beat them in the away leg, drawing 2-2. Spurs were grateful to Christian Eriksen for two goals. One was a first-half free kick, before Che Adams hit us with two goals in two minutes in the second half. Eriksen put us through on aggregate ( we had won 1-0 at home) two minutes from time after Harry Kane put him through on goal with an excellent pass.

Che Adams had been signed from Derbshire's Ilkeston Town and was making only his fourth appearance, scoring his first club goals. Now he is playing for Southampton, of course, having played for Birmingham after Sheffield United. Eriksen had one of his best seasons with us scoring 12 goals in that season and 13 in 2017-18. Harry Kane is now just two goals away from Bobby Smith's 208 club goal total. Once has passes that figure, Harry will just have the legendary Jimmy Greaves (now MBE) to catch. That's at least two seasons away I would suggest.

Our last game against "The Blades" was a post-lockdown low last summer. It was not the last time the "Blades" scored 3 goals, as they subsequently beat Chelsea 3-0. After that, the first time Chris Wilder's team won any game was last week's FA Cup game away to Bristol Rovers, which was also when they next scored three goals. Their midweek win over Newcastle was a welcome first league win of the season and the first time Sheffield United have won two consecutive games since wins over Wolves and Chelsea last July. Let's hope they don't manage a third win in a week!

Many people are aware that Spurs were not the only English team to sign an Argentinean player (we signed two) in 1978. The story (told here by "the Sportsman") was that Sheffield United manager Harry Haslam was in Argentina scouting a young Diego Maradona, but because he couldn't afford him he signed Alejandro ("Alex") Sabella, who in turn alerted Haslam that Ossie Ardiles was keen to play in England. Haslam alerted Spurs and the rest is history! Alex Sabella had two seasons with "the Blades" and one with Leeds before returning to Argentina. Ultimately he would become the Argentine national coach, leading Messi & Co to the 2014 World Cup Final when they lost to Germany. Sabella stood down after that game. Alejandro Javier Sabella sadly died on December 8th 2020.

Harry Haslam had previously managed Luton. He died in 1986, aged just 65 in Biggleswade.

The last time we won any game at Bramall Lane was in a League Cup 4th round game in November 1990. That was a 2-0 win when Paul Stewart (79 mins) and Paul Gascoigne (90 Mins) scored our goals. Chris Wilder was in that United team, as was a certain Vinnie Jones (previously of Wimbledon and Leeds) and Brian Deane, who would go on to score the very first Premier League goal (against Manchester United) in August 1992.

"Blades" fans prefer to remember a 6-0 drubbing they gave us in March 1993. Deane scored in that game too, as did four other players.

Chris Wilder signed Bournemouth goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale last summer on a 4-year-deal for an undisclosed fee. Ramsdale was born in Stoke and started his career with "The Blades" transferring to Bournemouth in 2017. Ramsdale is an England under-21 International and spent the early part of 2018 on loan at Chesterfield.

United have also signed 20-year-old Ethan Amapadu on loan from Chelsea. Ampadu is a central defender/defensive midfielder and was on loan at Leipzig last season, playing 90 minutes in our home Champions League game which we lost 1-0. Additional arrivals were full backs Jayden Bogle and Max Lowe from Derby. "The Blades" also paid a club record fee of £23.5m for Liverpool's 20-year-old Rhian Brewster, but he has yet to fulfil his potential and also has yet to score for his new club. Look out Spurs!

Giovani Lo Celso is our only definite absentee. Steve Bergwijn trained this week after "illness". I do not want to see Sissoko trying to fill in on the right of our midfield and hope to see adventure and scoring prowess from our boys. I predict a 2-0 away win. Sheffield United will be missing the impressive Sander Berge, and have sorely missed Jack O'Connell since September with a knee injury that could yet keep him out all season. The game kicks off at 2pm tomorrow and is being shown on Sky Sports.

Surprisingly this is the first time this season that referee Andre Marriner has taken charge of a Spurs game. Mr. Marriner is a very experienced official and first refereed a Spurs game 15 years ago at Sunderland. Robbie Keane scored that day in a 1-1 draw. This will Mr. Marriner's 44th Spurs game.

· Levy praised for gambling on Mourinho

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