Key occasions
Younger Tyler Dibling is getting heaps of reward within the construct up. The 18-year-old is seemingly on Manchester United’s radar with a rumoured £21 million supply on the desk.
Russell Martin says he has labored on “a number of issues” this week. That’s encouraging.
Ange Postecoglou says he wants “one other efficiency of ours that displays the type of soccer we need to play”.
Southampton’s boss appears to be like the extra chipper of the 2.
Ivan Victor has written in and brought concern with a few of my phrasing:
“Possibly that is pedantic (I don’t assume it’s), with 8 or 9 gamers out injured and a bench with 5 academy gamers it’s laborious to have the ability to choose your most well-liked beginning XI.”
Nope, I don’t assume that’s pedantic Ivan. I believe that’s completely honest. You’re proper, it’s not been perfect for Large Ange.
Historical past isn’t on Southampton’s facet.
They’ve received simply one in all their previous eight matches in opposition to Tottenham in all competitions with three attracts and 4 defeats.
However we should always count on targets. The three most up-to-date conferences between these two have produced 16 targets in complete.
Maybe the perfect stat is that Southampton have scored in every of their final 15 league video games in opposition to Spurs. Fifteen!
My colleague Luke McLaughlin wrote this week that Spurs’ type appears unsuitable.
He took the 3-4 reverse at dwelling to Chelsea as a living proof and requested, “is it sustainable to play with all weapons blazing, all season, as if the bell is about to ring for the top of lunch break?”
It’s not the primary time this has been requested of a Postecoglou staff. I do surprise, although, if Tottenham’s followers would settle for something aside from swashbuckling go-forward footy?
Large Ange isn’t holding again. After calling out Timo Werner, stating that the german’s efficiency in opposition to Rangers this week was “not acceptable”, the Tottenham boss has claimed that he has no time for “bruised egos”.
It’s a heavy strategy however maybe that’s what’s wanted. A little bit of a kick up the rear to jumpstart a spluttering season.
We’ll discover out if it’s labored.
Tottenham staff
Large Ange continues to be trying to find his most well-liked beginning XI.
Dejan Kulusekvski, Lucas Bergvall, Djed Spence, Pape Sarr and Dominic Solanke all begin. Timo Werner, after getting chewed out by his boss midweek, is on the bench alongside a bunch of kids.
Tottenham 4-2-3-1: Forster, Grey, Dragusin, Spence, Udogie, Bergvall, Sarr, Maddison, Son, Kulusevski, Solanke.
Subs: Austin, Porro, Lankshear, Dorrington, Olusesi, King, Hardy, Werner, Johnson.
Southampton staff
4 adjustments for the Saints from the staff that misplaced to Villa final week.
Alex McCarthy returns in aim with Jan Bednarek in entrance of him. Joe Aribo and Kamaldeen Sulemana are additionally given a chance to point out their stuff from the beginning.
Southampton 4-5-1: McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Manning, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Sulemana, Downes, Aribo, Fernandes, Armstrong, Dibling.
Subs: Lumley, Bree, Wooden, Sugawara, Amo-Ameyaw, Fraser, Lallana, Onuachu, Archer.
Preamble
Admittedly that is often the case with soccer, however each these groups may actually do with a win this night.
Southampton are rooted to the foot of the desk and haven’t received in over a month. Tottenham, down in twelfth, have been doing that factor they do the place they beat (or at the least compete with) good sides however then stink the place up in opposition to everybody else.
The wolves are howling outdoors the doorways of each managers and solely a constructive end result on the south coast will preserve them at bay a bit longer.
Does this imply we’ll get a traditional encounter the place gamers fly into tackles and each blade of grass is fought over? That’s definitely the hope.
Kick-off at 7pm.
Groups and additional updates to observe.
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