I could see Valencia & Lindelof having a hard time against Danny Rose & Son. I think the game is pretty well balanced..... as per usual it will probably come down to who dominates the middle of the park..... Dembele Vs Pogba will be key

I don't know about this.

We have a bit of a cushion in the top 4 fight at the moment and I would like to see us in a big away game take the match to the opposition.

For me tonight I'd go for a 4-1-2-3:

DDG

Valencia
Jones
Smalling
Young

Herrera (because I think his tenacity would be a bonus and because I think Matic has not been his early season self recently.

Lingard
Pogba

Sanchez
Lukaku
Martial

Let's give Spurs something to worry about tonight rather than the other way round is what I'd say. I just think with three at the back we'd be light in midfield but in my formation above we have Herrera being the disciplined one with Pogba and Lingard providing additional energy.

De Gea
Valencia Jones Smalling Shaw
Carrick
Pogba Matic
Sanchez Lukaku Martial

Diafol it's a nice train of thought but there is absolutely zero chance Matic is dropped in a game like this, and rightly so imo.

Sanchez doesn’t like tracking back
--------------------
Every time i've ever seen him, he tracks back like a demon. Dude is full of energy and desire to get the ball back.

theres a big difference between tonight and the last game.... Harry Kane

comment by Nostraduncus (U11713)
posted 47 seconds ago
theres a big difference between tonight and the last game.... Harry Kane
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Or Sanchez, depending how you look at it.

De Gea
Valencia Jones Smalling Shaw
Carrick
Pogba Matic
Sanchez Lukaku Martial

i actually like that.

carrick can drop back into a back 3 and matic can drop into carricks position when we dont have the ball.

that leaves pace to get forward with the fullbacks, martial, sanchez and lukaku

comment by _Viva_Vida (U6044)
posted 14 seconds ago
comment by Nostraduncus (U11713)
posted 47 seconds ago
theres a big difference between tonight and the last game.... Harry Kane
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Or Sanchez, depending how you look at it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
i'd say spurs are much more reliant on Kane than we are sanchez.

comment by Mike (U1170)
posted 11 minutes ago
Diafol it's a nice train of thought but there is absolutely zero chance Matic is dropped in a game like this, and rightly so imo.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't see it happening either but ,I'd like to see us pressing a bit more to be honest, in a big game where it isn't disastrous for us to lose.

I also feel Matic could do with a rest as he hadn't been on it as much recently. Perhaps a big of a jolt would do him good. I've also noticed Herrera playing a bit better recently as well so it would be good to get some competition in there.

What we must not do though IMO is play two in midfield.

Does Sanchez not like tracking back? My impression from seeing him play is that he works hard for the team.

Mourinho will look to defend in high numbers and limit space on the wide Wembley pitch

------------------------------------------

pet peeve... the Wembley big pitch myth thing.... its a smaller pitch than Old Trafford

Shugs

According to wiki, it's bigger. 105m x 69m compared to our 105m x 68m.

Not that that's gonna make much difference.

my biggest worry with the 3-5-2 is how poor we were defensively against Arsenal with it (in regards to allowing shots on goal)... if we give Kane et al half the shots on goal we gave Arsenal we'll likely get stuffed

I don't think it suits us

comment by manutd1982 (U6633)
posted 1 minute ago
Shugs

According to wiki, it's bigger. 105m x 69m compared to our 105m x 68m.

Not that that's gonna make much difference.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

I'd read we were 116*76 yards... a yard bigger either way than Wembley but narrower than city

either way its still a yard

the big wide pitch thing... its overplayed

If we don't go with my preferred team then I'd rather go with three midfielders, sacrificing Lingard, than with three at the back. If we did go with Matic, Herrera and Pogba then I'm sure Matic could slot in if we did want to make a three at the back.

For me though the three at the back sets the wrong kind of tone from the start and we invite too much pressure. Keep the ball in the middle and be dangerous and that'll repel the opposition from attacking too much. Spurs will attack anyway so there's no need, IMO, to drop too deep to draw then out.

I mentioned this yesterday in a thread.

I think our poor records at WHL and Stamford Bridge is partly down to the pitch dimension (as they look much smaller than OT), which doesn't suit our style of play.

Didn't have dimensions to back it up though.

comment by _Viva_Vida (U6044)
posted 8 seconds ago
I mentioned this yesterday in a thread.

I think our poor records at WHL and Stamford Bridge is partly down to the pitch dimension (as they look much smaller than OT), which doesn't suit our style of play.

Didn't have dimensions to back it up though.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This may help

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/15122/10989411/will-the-bigger-wembley-pitch-affect-tottenham-this-season

Thanks DC77.

I thought Premiership teams got to choose their own pitch size within a range set by the league.

I appear to be wrong and it seems 15 clubs have the same pitch dimension. From this though I still think our problems at WHL, The Bridge is partly down to pitch size.

comment by _Viva_Vida (U6044)
posted 10 minutes ago
Thanks DC77.

I thought Premiership teams got to choose their own pitch size within a range set by the league.

I appear to be wrong and it seems 15 clubs have the same pitch dimension. From this though I still think our problems at WHL, The Bridge is partly down to pitch size.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought that as well but, I suppose to be fair, it's better that they are all a standard size. Perhaps we should throw out teams that can't comply!

It could well make a difference as, even under SAF, we struggled at Stamford Bridge when Chelsea were not the force they are now.

We did have a great record at Spure though but perhaps that was down more to them not being very good at all most of the time.

Lindelof ffs...he should be nowhere near a start if majority are fit.

comment by Shugs (U14253)
posted 40 minutes ago
my biggest worry with the 3-5-2 is how poor we were defensively against Arsenal with it (in regards to allowing shots on goal)... if we give Kane et al half the shots on goal we gave Arsenal we'll likely get stuffed

I don't think it suits us
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Spurs themselves missed a couple of great chances against us

It is a horrible formation for us to be honest.

Lindlehof struggles in a back four, so should never be
in a back three. Also, the wing backs do not play it the right way.

Valencia and Young end up doubling up on players who are already covered by the back three.

I think Spurs have been playing 4 at the back recently (might be wrong), so I think we should stick with what has been working for us recently.

4 at the back, 3 man midfield with Matic, Pogba, Lingard.

Hope you get stuffed