Earning Their Spurs

I'd 8 - 2 be a Sunderland fan right now

Wow two fantastic results back to back there!

Haha, cheers! Definitely back on form right there. I've been really surprised at how prolific we've been, Adebayor is an absolute beast. The opposition we've faced have been fairly awful but it's nice to get a couple of thrashings in.

Got a few harder games coming up against City and Chelsea but we can just about afford a slip-up because of the winning run.

Tottenham aim to extend winning run
• Spurs host Aston Villa at White Hart Lane
• Rangnick's side sit third in the Premier League



Tottenham will hope to continue their four-game winning streak against Aston Villa at White Hart Lane tomorrow afternoon.

Spurs are still without Jan Vertonghen and Michael Dawson at centre-back, meaning that Sebastien Bassong is likely to move into the middle. Benoit Assou-Ekotto will make his second Premier League start of the season deputising on the left side of defence. Tottenham manager Ralf Rangnick is expected to switch to a 4-4-2 setup against Villa, who have enjoyed a strong start to the season under Alex McLeish and currently sit sixth in the table. Jermain Defoe and Alberto Paloschi are competing to partner Emmanuel Adebayor up front.

"We're not going to take this lightly," Rangnick said in his pre-match press conference. "Villa have an interesting system and a lot of talent in attack. We are hopeful of a win but nobody is complacent. We've won the games we have because we've kept our concentration, defended stoutly and broke forward at speed. We can only be quietly confident. Everyone has trained well this week, which builds the foundations for the weekend. We are looking at a small reshuffle at the back but nothing too major. I have faith in the replacements."

McLeish's side were boosted by a creditable 2-2 draw at home to Manchester City last weekend and will hope to surprise Spurs, who recorded a rampant 8-2 victory over Sunderland on Monday evening. Last season saw Tottenham win both games against the Villans. At White Hart Lane, Rafael van der Vaart scored twice to cancel out Marc Albrighton's goal and earn a 2-1 win. In the return fixture in December, Harry Redknapp's side maintained their push for European football as the game also ended in a 2-1 win for Tottenham.

A ten-man Spurs side comfortably saw off Aston Villa at White Hart Lane despite Alberto Paloschi's sending off.

An excellent performance from visiting goalkeeper Shay Given restricted Spurs to just the two goals as they won their fifth straight game in the Premier League. Benoit Assou-Ekotto sent out a warning sign in the opening minutes with a volley that flashed just over the crossbar. Spurs eventually broke the deadlock in the seventeenth minute. Emmanuel Adebayor broke down the right-hand channel and sent the ball across the six-yard box for Paloschi, who easily evaded Carlos Cuellar and swept home to score his first league goal for the club.

Barry Bannan wasted a chance to equalise for Villa after good work from Knut Olav Rindaroy on the left flank and the visitors were soon punished for their profligacy. A lightning-quick break that has become a trademark of the side under Ralf Rangnick saw Assou-Ekotto find Paloschi. Spurs had two-on-one as the young Italian sprinted into the Villa half and played a neat pass to Adebayor, who fired past Given to score his sixth goal of the season. Given then denied the striker a chance for a quickfire second goal by twisting his body to turn away his powerful effort.

A straight red for Paloschi after an impetuous two-footed challenge on Cuellar reduced Spurs to ten men in the second half and Rangnick's side's lead briefly looked shaky as Darren Bent saw his strike ruled out for offside. Emile Heskey also rattled the crossbar after beating Sven Bender in the air. The introduction of Jermain Defoe almost paid off for the Spurs boss after the England international fired narrowly wide following a marvellous run from the halfway line. Given further earned his stripes in added time by making a great save following a one-on-one with Defoe.

Alberto Paloschi (17), Emmanuel Adebayor (27).


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Another straight forward victory sir!

Mega results 8-2, 6-0.

Yeah, I'm questioning how long the run can go on really. I think we've just had a run of easy games that have inflated the position a bit. City and Everton up next...

Cheers for the comments!

Jan Vertonghen has admitted that he is loving life at Tottenham after his £8million summer move.

The centre-back has battled back after suffering a wrist injury in the 3-1 defeat to FC Nordsjaelland in August and said he couldn't be happier after a solid start to his time at the club, despite spending the last six weeks on the sidelines. Vertonghen is scheduled to make his return from injury against Manchester City tomorrow afternoon at White Hart Lane. The twenty four year old joined Spurs on a four-year deal in July from Ajax for £8million and started all four of the team's games before being forced off in the Europa League tie in Denmark.

"I'm really happy here," the Belgian international said. "Everybody has made me feel very welcome and the dressing room is a great place to be. The players all work hard for another. Being injured was unfortunate, especially since it was only my arm but I'm ready to play again. The club made a big impression when they first made contact with me and I was delighted to join. There's a great sense of momentum here. We're all ambitious and we want to go places. The manager is a very intelligent, likeable character and he's made a real difference."

Following Manchester United's 2-2 draw with West Brom, Spurs have the chance to leapfrog the defending champions if they can defeat City tomorrow and Sir Alex Ferguson's side drop points against newly-promoted QPR. Vertonghen is expected to partner Younes Kaboul at the back. Emmanuel Adebayor is ineligible to play against his parent club and Alberto Paloschi is serving a three-match ban following his red card against Aston Villa, so Jermain Defoe will lead the line as Roberto Mancini's men visit the Lane.

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Spurs kept their heads to climb to the top of the Premier League and record a superb 2-0 win over a ten-man Manchester City side.

After a goalless draw for Manchester United against QPR earlier this afternoon, Spurs knew that they could leapfrog United at the top of the table with a win and they did just that as goals from Younes Kaboul and Gareth Bale saw off Roberto Mancini's side. A sensational start saw Tottenham take the lead after just three minutes. Jan Vertonghen's corner was met by an unmarked Kaboul at the near post and the Frenchman sent a textbook downwards header that skidded off the turf and out of the grasp of Joe Hart in the City goal.

Heurelho Gomes denied David Silva twice in quick succession as the shellshocked visitors looked to strike back quickly. Samir Nasri also arrowed a shot over the crossbar from distance. City's hopes of an equaliser took a large dent with twenty nine minutes on the clock as Edin Dzeko dived into a reckless challenge on Kaboul and was shown a straight red by Stuart Attwell. Kaboul was taken off on a stretcher to worried glances from the Spurs bench. Jan Vertonghen was a rock at the centre of defence and made a vital interception to prevent Sergio Aguero from a clear run on goal.

City must have thought that an equaliser was coming when Silva threaded a defence-splitting pass to Aguero, but Gomes ensured his fifth clean sheet of the season by turning away Aguero's sweetly-struck effort. Bale calmed Spurs' nerves by striking a second. Aaron Lennon floated a cross to the back post and the Welshman unleashed a thunderous volley past Hart. Tottenham were denied a third goal only by a controversial offside call. Tom Huddlestone won the ball and set free Defoe on the break to slot home, but the linesman disallowed the England striker's effort.

Younes Kaboul (3), Gareth Bale (55).


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Brilliant result to keep the run going!

Tottenham have enjoyed a convincing start to the season and sit at the top of the Premier League. Spurs boss Ralf Rangnick shares his vision for the club and thoughts on their season so far.

FFT: Do you agree with people calling your team title contenders after such a good start?
Rangnick: Well, it's very flattering to be talked about like that. It's a difficult division in many ways. There has been an established group of teams occupying the top four or five spots for the past decade or so. Breaking into that is hard. I decided along with my staff to ask the players what they thought they were capable of achieving. Hype in football is nothing new but it's a distraction. I've always told my players to ignore it and concentrate on their own personal goals.

FFT: Do you feel that the club and its infrastructure are a good fit for you?
Rangnick: I have no complaints. The chairman is an ambitious man and we have had some very encouraging discussions about the way that we work with our young players, for example. We have the youngest squad in the league because of our faith in development. For instance, Jake Livermore, Danny Rose and Andros Townsend have all had opportunities because of progress made in training. That arises from infrastructure and I know that we can make it even better.

FFT: Glenn Hoddle said that your side stands out tactically amongst the other teams in the league. Do you agree?
Rangnick: As someone coming into the English game, it's interesting to hear that because I think our side embodies some of the Premier League's defining qualities over the past few years. Speed and togetherness is vital to the way that we play. The shape is quite different but I'm implementing ideas that started in the late 1980s with Sacchi, really. I've drawn ideas from many sources. It's an intense, aggressive way to play but the way that the midfield is organised also lends well to possession.

FFT: How do your tactics inform your transfer activity, for example? Does the system come first?
Rangnick: It's natural for a coach to want to make an impact when they join a club. Young, quick players are best suited to my game. Jan Vertonghen is 24 and he was the oldest signing. Obviously, you have to be pragmatic sometimes too and I also wanted to hold onto the guile of some of the more experienced players, like Scott Parker. There's a strategy in place for the next year or so that I've worked on with Francisco and the other coaches.

FFT: Do you have a long-term project? Does the strategy extend much further?
Rangnick: I believe you should always try to improve in no matter what field you are involved. There's no perfect formula for success, you have to keep developing your skills and knowledge. Maybe that's the teacher in me. We want to compete at the top level, so the Champions League, but also have a firm identity as a club that plays football the right way and is close to its community.

44 SHARES

There was no slip-up this time for Tottenham as they got their Europa League push back on track with a 3-1 victory over Rennes.

A comfortable win against the Ligue 1 side strengthens Spurs' grip on second place in Group B, putting them three points clear of tonight's opposition. An uncertain start to the evening saw the influential midfielder Yann M'Vila find Kader Mangane on the edge of the box after an intelligent move but Mangane blasted the ball just wide of Brad Friedel's post. Spurs went ahead against the run of play as Jake Livermore collected Onyekachi Apam's clearance on the edge of the box and drove the ball low past Benoit Costil. It was the young Londoner's first goal for the club.

Emmanuel Adebayor went close after bustling Ceara off the ball but Spurs didn't have to wait long for a second goal. Adebayor skinned Apam and slipped the ball to Luka Modric nipping in on his left. The midfielder coolly slotted home to finish a lovely move. Xherdan Shaqiri had a fine chance to make it 3-0 just before half time after fine work from Livermore in midfield but Costil saved well after Shaqiri tricked his way past Clemente Rodriguez. Rennes manager Frederic Antonetti put the hapless Ceara out of his misery at half time but the visitors' toils were not quite over.

Kyle Walker bombed forward to present Adebayor with an easy chance to score but Costil recovered well to tip the ball away. Rennes' best chance to find a way back into the game came with twenty minutes left after Shaqiri brought down Apam on the edge of the box. Winger Jires Kembo-Ekoko bent the resulting free kick off the post. Shaqiri finally got his name on the scoresheet after a clever run allowed Giovani dos Santos to pick him out and the winger tucked the ball home. Mangane outjumped William Gallas to steal a consolation goal late on but Tottenham earned a vital win.

Jake Livermore (18), Luka Modric (32), Xherdan Shaqiri (82).
Kader Mangane (85).

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Unstoppable so far! Good to see a handful of different people scoring for you!

I can't really ask for much more at the minute, there's goals flying in from all over the pitch.

I wasn't really set on a title challenge this season, I thought it was a bit early and the squad's a bit thin but if the chance is there then I'll go for it.

Tottenham manager Ralf Rangnick has praised young midfielder Jake Livermore for his impressive performances so far this season.

The twenty two year old scored his first goal for the club in a 3-1 victory over French side Rennes in the Europa League last night. Further goals from Luka Modric and Xherdan Shaqiri ensured that Spurs hold onto second place in Group B, behind Athletic Bilbao. At a post-match press conference at White Hart Lane this morning, Rangnick declared that he was delighted with Livermore's impact since he was promoted to the first team at the start of the season. The midfielder has already made ten appearances for Spurs this season and signed a new four-year deal in August.

"Jake has adjusted to the first team well and he can be very proud of his efforts," boss Rangnick said. "He is eager to learn and develop as a player. We've been working with him to improve the defensive side of his game and he performed that role brilliantly last night. It's vital that players like him get a chance to show their abilities in the first team and we have committed to that this season. I know that he was delighted to score and it was a very special moment for him."

Spurs will travel to Goodison Park to play Everton on Sunday hoping to remain at the summit of the Premier League. Emmanuel Adebayor is expected to return to the starting eleven after missing Saturday's 2-0 victory against his parent club Manchester City. Ledley King, Sebastien Bassong and Sandro are also in contention to start after being rested against Rennes.

A comfortable 4-2 win at Goodison Park strengthened Tottenham's grip on top spot in the Premier League.

Captain Ledley King scored a rare brace as Spurs raced into a four-goal lead, only for Everton to peg them back with two second-half consolations. The victory is Ralf Rangnick's side's seventh straight win in the Premier League, a superb run that has seen Spurs climb to the top of the table. Despite a bright start for the home side that saw Royston Drenthe hit the side netting, Spurs grew into the game and few were surprised when Gareth Bale opened the scoring after half an hour, tucking the ball past Tim Howard after Scott Parker's excellent pass.

Tottenham have looked in lethal form in front of goal this season and it took just six minutes to extend the lead. The imperious Sandro won the ball and fed Aaron Lennon, who released Emmanuel Adebayor. The Togolese striker broke swiftly and slotted home. They had their third goal in eight minutes soon afterwards as King met Lennon's corner at the near post with a powerful header. Toffees boss David Moyes looked in simmering mood as his side trudged off the pitch at half time and Everton came out for the second half looking to make up for their lax first half performance.

Louis Saha hit the woodwork after robbing Sven Bender and Heurelho Gomes also kept his concentration to deny the French striker after Seamus Coleman found Saha free in the box. King then kept up his unexpected form in front of goal by glancing in from Jan Vertonghen's corner to score his second. Everton reduced the deficit in the seventy sixth minute as Spurs continued to drive forward. Gomes spilled a corner at the feet of Victor Anichebe, who flicked the ball over the line. The keeper will also have been disappointed not to get a hand to Tim Cahill's last-minute header.

Victor Anichebe (76), Tim Cahill (90).
Gareth Bale (30), Emmanuel Adebayor (36), Ledley King (38, 64).

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Good win over Everton Loving the interview reports

Tottenham examine new stadium plans
• Northumberland Development Project has been on hold since 2010
• Club no longer interested in Olympic Stadium move



Tottenham are understood to have reignited their interest in moving to a new stadium after discussions with local councils.

Spurs have been in the early stages of planning since identifying a site in December 2008 but recently put their plans on hold after the Olympic Stadium became available. With local rivals West Ham set to move into the Stratford site, Spurs today announced that they had resumed discussions with the local authorities to obtain planning permission for the new ground. The club were thought to be reluctant to move out of their local area to the stadium that will host the 2012 Olympic Games next year, which is located seven miles away.

Tottenham have played at White Hart Lane since 1899 but the stadium will be demolished should Spurs go through with their new plans. The club are in the process of acquiring land to the north of their current home. White Hart Lane has a current capacity of just over 36,000 and is the Premier League's tenth largest stadium but Spurs' strong form in the Premier League has meant that all of their league games this season have been sell-outs. A new stadium is viewed as essential for the club's future profits.

The club have made extensive improvements to their training and youth facilities and moved first-team training over to their new base in nearby Enfield. Spurs are expected to fully complete the move from their old training ground in Chigwell next year as they seek to establish themselves as a top four club in the Premier League.

• Monday 11th June - Ukraine - Kharkiv
• Saturday 16th June - Portugal - Donetsk
• Tuesday 19th June - Italy - Kharkiv



The Czech Republic are an unspectacular but well-organised side. There is a hard-working, tough spine to the team and Petr Cech is renowned for his shot-stopping ability. They can also count on an explosive group of wingers who will stretch defenders late in games.

Despite their pace out wide, the Czechs lack a real killer edge. They scored the fewest goals in qualifying of any team at the finals and Milan Baros is badly out of form. His probable strike partner Jan Chramosta is a promising but very raw player.



Former Sparta Prague boss Michal Bilek has been in charge of the Czech Republic since 2009. The 47-year-old has struggled to pick a settled side in his three years in charge and he switched his team and tactics regularly during qualifying.

Bilek has returned to an experienced core for the finals, set up in a flat 4-4-2. Balance is key for the Czech boss and both central midfielders are likely to sit deep, while the wide players Jaroslav Plasil and Daniel Pudil take responsibility for creating chances.







The first match against Ukraine will decide the Czech Republic's prospects at this tournament. If the Czechs can surprise the hosts, then they may have a fighting chance. Otherwise, fourth place in Group A looks like the most likely result.


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After that great run you were on to! Shame to see you crash out the cup!