Tottenham Hotspur vs Pompey Preview

Last updated : 12 December 2005 By Jim Bonner
After all of what's happened this past week you'd be forgiven we actually have a match tonight. (How many times has that been said these past few years?)

The last two times we have visited White Hart Lane it hasn't been a happy ending for us. I'm sure you all remember last season when Joey Kamara puts us 1-0 up arguably against the run of play and then some guy named Mido practically single-handedly torments our defence, scores 2 goals and then Robbie Keane finishes the job late on. So how great it is to know that these two are 99% certain to start against us tonight!

And how about the season before? When we all thought it would end 3-3 after plenty of goals from new signings only for Gus Poyet to head in a late late winner sending all the Pompey fans home furious. If that happened again I'd probably tear out the rest of what little hair I have left!

Harry has told Pompey fans not to expect miracles during his tenure for the rest of the season. Fair enough. I'm not expecting miracles but I'm expecting a bloody good go at staving off relegation and that goes for this match too. The players seem up for the task although what team Redknapp decides to play is anyones guess, though he has hinted that Vincent Pericard will play some part and no doubt he will play Lua Lua too. But what about such attacking players like Robert and Vukic who seem to have "Harry Redknapp" written all over them in terms of their attacking style? Will Toddy play? Is Harry going to play for a point and play five across the midfield? Who knows.

Now a good tactic for this match would be to play in our new third kit. Because it happens to resemble the Spurs home kit almost uncannily if we can confuse the opposition into passing to us (seeing as the way we've been passing lately it always goes back to the opposition) then we might go and score! Though somehow I doubt we'd be allowed to get away with that tactic so I guess it's the good old fashioned "score more than the other team" tactic we're going to have to go with then, as difficult as it seems.

How important is this match in our season? Well a win would be very welcome as we'd be within 3 points of our opposition next Saturday and we could all breathe slightly easier. A draw wouldn't be a disaster although not ideal though Harry has already said he'd take a 0-0. If we do get beaten tonight then you can start getting your "Most Important Game In Pompey Premiership History" cliches out ready for next weeks game at home to West Brom.

Whatever happens, let's just hope it's not a repeat of the last time a Harry Redknapp team went to White Hart Lane.