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· Last Year's Game - 3-1 to United
· NEW! - See the current injury list for all Premiership Teams!
Full Domestic Cup History Spurs v Manchester United
FA Cup
Season Rd H/A Result Scorers
1898-99 1 H 1-1 Joyce
1898-99 1R A 5-3 Jones, McNaught
Smith, Hartley
Joyce
(United known as Newton Heath)
1922-23 2 H 4-0 Lindsay, Handley (3)
1925-26 2 H 2-2 Thompson, Lindsay
1925-26 2R A 0-2 -
1961-62 S-F * 3-1 Greaves, Jones, Medwin
1967-68 3 A 2-2 Chivers (2)
1967-68 3R H 1-0 Robertson (a.e.t)
1978-79 Q-F H 1-1 Ardiles
1978-79 Q-FR A 0-2 -
1979-80 3 H 1-1 Ardiles
1979-80 3R A 1-0 Ardiles
1996-97 3 A 0-2 -
2007-08 4 A 1-3 Keane
LEAGUE CUP
1979-80 2(1) H 2-1 Pratt, Hoddle
1979-80 2(2) A 1-3 Armstrong
1981-82 2(1) H 1-0 Archibald
1981-82 2(2) A 1-0 Hazard
1989-90 3 A 3-0 Lineker, Samways, Nayim
1998-99 Q-F H 3-1 Armstrong (2), Ginola
· Read last year's FA Cup Preview for more Cup history regarding these two teams.
Once again, we meet Manchester United in the fourth round of "the most prestigious Cup torunament in the world". Last year's game also followed a Carling Cup semi-final, but Spurs had hammered Arsenal in mid-week, and gone through to the Final with pride. This year we have crept into the Final by the skin of our teeth, and on March 1st we will once again face United in Cup battle at Wembley.
The winners of 25 domestic cup trophies between them have never met in a Final, and it would be nice to regard this match as a rehearsal, but that label cannot be applied when so many players will be missing through injury.
Harry Redknapp has caused some controversy by saying he would play a "mish-mash" team tomorrow, but I am sure he will pick some regular first team players, and possibly no less than Sir Alex Ferguson. You see, United have amassed plenty of injury problems themselves and will miss Rio Ferdinand, Anderson, Nani, Rafael, Evra, Rooney, Wes Brown, Jonny Evans, and Ji-Sung Park. Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs are also slight doubts, with Fletcher possibly playing at right back.
That does still leave United with plenty of expertise, including the lethal Ronaldo, Berbatov and Tevez, but I doubt that all three will start. Vidic will marshall the defence, and the likes of Scholes and Carrick will still be in the midfield.
Like Spurs, United also have a vital Premier League game on Tuesday night. Theirs is at West Brom, whilst Spurs have an absolutely crucial home game against Stoke.
For that reason, I fully support Redknapp's desire to try and keep his strongest players for Tuesday. Spurs have announced injuries to Gomes, Corluka, Ledley King, Lennon, Jenas, Bent, O'Hara, and there is the long term absence of Alan Hutton to be included. Modric, Dawson and Woodgate are also doubtful, and I suspect they might be held back on the bench. Fraizer Campbell is ineligible to play against the team which holds his registration.
The Spurs Youth team has gone on a mini-tour of Mexico, taking with them the likes of Oscar Jansson, Dean Parrett and John Bostock to name but three of those who have had a sniff of first team action since the pre-season. With Cesar Sanchez being released from his contract (by mutual consent), one wonders who is going to deputise for Ben Alnwick? Maybe Gomes can at least be on stand-by.
Harry's team is a bit of a guess then, but I would think we may see Alnwick; Gunter, Huddlestone, Rocha, Ekotto; Bentley, Taarabt, Zokora, Bale; Giovani; Pavlyuchenko. Top names will be on the bench to ensure that the scoreline does not get too embarrassing. Mind you, Wednesday night was bad enough, until the last two minutes.
My big concern would be who in the team will handle the pace and guile of Ronaldo, if he plays? Well, between them Ekotto and Bale might not do too bad a job, and as long as Zokora is in the team, then his pace could be applied to the left or right of the park as necessary. Another concern is the lack of grit in the midfield, but that is a commodity short in supply at Spurs anyway!
Let's just hope that it is a good game, and that the result is not too bad for us. I have to predict a United win.
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