· Brian Judson's Preview
· This week - last year
· What happened in the Premiership in Match 15 2002-3

Spurs

L'cester   1  2   Spurs
Spurs      0  0   Middlesbrough
Spurs      0  1   Bolton
Arsenal    2  1   Spurs
Spurs      2  1   A. Villa
Blackburn  1  0   Spurs

Wolves

Fulham     0  0   Wolves
Wolves     4  3   Leicester
M'brough   2  0   Wolves
Wolves     1  1   B'mingham
Everton    2  0   Wolves
Wolves     1  1   Newcastle


Pos           P   W  D  L  F-A GD  Pts
15 Spurs     14  4  3  7 13-18  -5  15
19 Wolves    14  2  5  7  9-27 -18  11

Brian has written his usual excellent preview from a historical perspective. It is of course impossible to think in any other terms when it comes to this fixture. The only times we have met in recent years were for a pre-season friendly on 31st July, 1999, when Robbie Keane featured as a substitute for the home side, and Steffen Iversen scored our goal in a 1-1 draw. That goal was the tenth of Iversen's pre-season campaign, whereas he has scored just two for his new side since signing in the last transfer window. Both sets of fans at Molineaux were shouting for Keano that day, and it is sad that George Graham decided he was not suitable for the Premiership, despite Mr Pleat's recommendation, and that Keane was allowed to tread a long and circuitous route to Tottenham via Coventry, Inter Milan, and Leeds.

No doubt Robbie will get a great reception from the visiting fans, and it will be interesting to see whether he performs his trademark celebratory cartwheel, if he scores. You will remember that Robbie was restrained when he scored at Coventry in the League Cup earlier this season. Robbie has always celebrated his goals for us against Leeds with glee, and I feel that should he score, there will be restraint again this week.

Another player in for a good reception from Wolves' fans will of course be Dean Richards, who was such a stalwart for them for several years, and who left them for Premiership Southampton later than he might have, but for Wolves years of hope for a return to top-flight football. I cannot confirm the fact, but my recollection is that Dean did feature for Wolves in January and February 1996, when they drew a 4th Round FA Cup game at The Lane, only to suffer a 2-0 defeat at Molineaux. Clive Wilson scored our home goal, and Teddy Sheringham, and Ronnie Rosenthal were our winners away. We went on to lose out to Nottingham Forest in a replay at The Lane in a nerve-wracking penalty shoot-out.

When I think of Wolves, I think of the days of Peter Knowles on the wing, playing against his brother, the late, great Cyril (search the Spurs Odyssey features page for a tribute to Cyril) and another exciting winger, Wagstaffe - who always excited and enthralled the crowd. Peter Knowles gave up football at an early age to become a Jehovah's witness, and I haven't heard of him since.

If Spurs apply themselves as they did in the first half against Man City, I can see them getting 4 goals against this Wolves team, who have beaten only Man City and Leicester at home, and no-one away. They famously lost 5-1 to Arsenal reserves this week, so they will be especially determined to put in a performance this Saturday. I would think that Fredi Kanoute will be held in reserve on the bench again, and be a super-sub in the second half. I am going to stick my neck out and predict a 4-0 to Spurs!

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