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· This week - last year
· What happened in the Premiership in Match 4 2006-07
· NEW! - See the current injury list for all Premiership Teams!
Full League Record of Man Utd v Spurs
Prem Pl W D L For-Ag Pts
Home 15 3 2 10 19 -27 11
Away 15 0 3 12 5 -28 3
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Total (Prem) 30 3 5 22 24 -56 14
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Football Lge
Home (Div 1) 51 20 19 12 89 -64 63
Away (Div 1) 51 9 9 33 55 -101 28
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Total(Div 1) 102 29 28 45 144 -165 91
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Football Lge
Home (Div 2) 4 2 1 1 10 - 3 5
Away (Div 2) 4 1 2 1 3 - 3 4
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Total(Div 2) 8 3 3 2 13 - 6 9
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Total (Prem) 30 3 5 22 24 -56 14
Total (Div 1) 102 29 28 45 144 -165 91
Total (Div 2) 8 3 3 2 13 - 6 9
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Grand Total 140 35 36 69 181 -227 114
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Last Six Premiership results:-
Man Utd
Man City 0-1 Man Utd
Chelsea 0-0 Man Utd
Man Utd 0-1 West Ham
Man Utd 0-0 Reading
P'tsmouth 1-1 Man Utd
Man City 1-0 Man Utd
Spurs
Charlton 0-2 Spurs
Spurs 1-1 Blackburn
Spurs 2-1 Man City
S'derland 1-0 Spurs
Spurs 1-3 Everton
Spurs 4-0 Derby
Pos P W D L F-A GD Pts
12 Spurs 3 1 0 2 5-4 1 3
16 Man Utd 3 0 2 1 1-2 -1 2
Last Five Corresponding games:-
· Man Utd 1 Spurs 0 (Giggs takes advantage of Robinson failure to hold free kick)
· Man Utd 1 Spurs 1 (Jenas equalises with a free kick)
· Man Utd 0 Spurs 0 (The day Mendes "scored")
· Man Utd 3 Spurs 0 (Two late goals seal the win for United)
· Man Utd 1 Spurs 0 (Van Nistelrooy penalty wins the game)
Let Football be the winner
Three club statements and one prepared Q & A on the club website later, it is still impossible to know the truth behind the events that have led to the worst press for Spurs since the parting of the ways between Sugar and Venables in the early nineties. You don't need me to add to the piles of editorial that have been written in relation to Martin Jol's treatment by the club. Let me just say that had the unthinkable happened last Saturday, and we had not put Derby away, then even I would have been calling for Martin Jol's head. However, Martin Jol showed that despite the injury crisis, he was still able to deal with deficiencies in the team, by making appropriate unforced tactical changes that had everything to do with our 4-0 win. I and the vast majority of the 3,000 Spurs fans at The Theatre of Dreams this Sunday will be screaming vocal support for Martin - not that the board have failed to see the level of affection for Jol from the fans.
Add the furore after another Paul Robinson gaffe for England, and the obvious conclusion to draw would be that morale in the Spurs camp must be at an all-time low. However, there have been plenty of times when history has shown that a group of individuals can respond to heaps of negativity with a fantastic display of positivity. But, the same history does not sit on Spurs' side when you look at our results against Manchester United.
We have never beaten United at Old Trafford in the Premiership/Premier League, and next to our dismal record against Chelsea, we must have the worst record against this side since 1992, compared to that against other Premier League teams.
We do go to Old Trafford this Sunday above Sir Alex Ferguson's side though, and it is not the first time in recent years that has happened either. In September 2002, we were second in the League with 13 points, whilst United languished in tenth, with 8 points. Okay, so they were three points closer to us after the game, but it was only 1-0, and it was a penalty, and the referee was Rob Styles!
We've managed to run United close in 4 of our last 5 away games, drawing two, and losing two by the one goal. Even the 3-0 defeat in March 2004 included two very late goals, one of which was scored by Ronaldo, who will be missing on Sunday, as well as Rooney.
In October 2005, Spurs travelled to Old Trafford ahead of United by one point and one place. Again we were second and United were third. So, whilst it has been all doom and gloom off the field for over a week now, we can point to statistics and performances that lead to an element of hope. After all, one of the reasons that Spurs fans do travel to Old Trafford in their hordes, is because they know they'll see an open and entertaining game of football.
I noticed that in the Manchester Derby, Sir Alex tried to accommodate Carrick, Scholes and new signing Owen Hargreaves in the midfield behind a front three of Giggs, Tevez and Nani. Richard Dunne and Micah Richards defended valiantly and kept a clean sheet, protecting their young keeper (Schmeichel Junior) well. It's a bit too early for team news, but unless Michael Dawson makes a rapid recovery, I would suggest that Gardner and Rocha will be hard pushed to emulate the Manchester City boys.
Without Dawson, the back four will surely be the same, and if Gareth Bale is to make an appearance, perhaps it will be in front of Young-Pyo Lee in midfield. There are rumours that Berbatov might be fit, in which case he would surely play. Perhaps the Spurs midfield that inspired such a great start against Derby will win the right to start on Sunday, despite Bale's fitness, and Teemu Tainio's midweek return for Finland, when he scored.
I have just noticed that the last player to score a League goal at Old Trafford was Tevez, when he scored the solitary goal for West Ham on the last day of the season. United have not won a home league game since April 17th, against Sheffield United, but we are talking about a gap of only three consecutive home games.
Even the prawn sandwich brigade might be excitable this week, and I imagine there will be a terrific atmosphere, plenty on the agenda for those watching Sky's coverage, but hopefully enough decent football to help us all forget the bad press of the last week. I cannot predict anything but a United win though.
The corresponding fixture last year was also our fourth game of the season, after which we had just three points. Should we lose, there should be no talk of crisis at Spurs, and Martin Jol should be allowed to focus upon beating Fulham next week.
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