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Spurs Odyssey Preview - Man Utd v Spurs - 29.09.12

· Man Utd 3 Spurs 0 - 22nd August, 2011
· This week - last year
· What happened in the Premiership in Match 6 2011-12

· See the current injury list for all Premiership Teams
· All the Spurs Stats you could hope for here! THFC6061 Sports Stats

Full League Record of Man Utd v Spurs

Prem          Pl   W   D   L   For-Ag  Pts
Home          20   3   5  12   22 -35  14
Away          20   0   3  17    8 -42   3
=========================================
Total (Prem)  40   3   8  29   30 -77  17
=========================================
Football Lge
Home (Div 1)  51  20  19  12   89 -64  63
Away (Div 1)  51   9   9  33   55 -101 28
=========================================
Total(Div 1) 102  29  28  45  144 -165 91
=========================================
Football Lge
Home (Div 2)   4   2   1   1   10 - 3   5
Away (Div 2)   4   1   2   1    3 - 3   4
=========================================
Total(Div 2)   8   3   3   2   13 - 6   9
=========================================
Total (Prem)  40   3   8  29   30 -77  17
Total (Div 1) 102 29  28  45  144 -165 91
Total (Div 2)  8   3   3   2   13 - 6   9
=========================================
Grand Total   150 35  39  76  187 -248 117
=========================================

Last Six Premier League results:-

Man Utd

S'derland  0-1   Man Utd
Everton    1-0   Man Utd
Man Utd    3-2   Fulham
S'hampton  2-3   Man Utd
Man Utd    4-0   Wigan
Liverpool  1-2   Man Utd

Spurs

Spurs      2-0   Fulham
Newcastle  2-1   Spurs
Spurs      1-1   West Brom
Spurs      1-1   Norwich
Reading    1-3   Spurs
Spurs      2-1   QPR

Pos         P  W  D  L  F-A GD  Pts
2. Man Utd  5  4  0  1 12-6  6   12
8. Spurs    5  2  2  1  8-6  2    8

It's September, let's play United!

Have a look at our Premier League record against Manchester United, indicated above. It's simply abysmal! Played 40, won only 3, drawn 8, and lost 29, gathering just 17 points in a full 20 years of Premier League history. Most years the TV cameras come to see us play, remembering those rose-tinted days of the 60s when Spurs v United was one of the glamour matches of the league programme.

In fairness, when Spurs play United, it is usually an attractive and entertaining game. It attracts loads of interest from away fans and a sell-out section, but as a rule, we go home with our tails between our legs. At least we know what to expect, although of course every season we travel in hope and say (like Del Boy's "This time next year" in "Only Fools and Horses") "This year it will be different"!

Seeds of hope for optimism have been planted with the news that Vidic is out for 8 weeks with a knee injury, adding to the absences of Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Ashley Young. Valencia is also unavailable for another 3 weeks. United have plenty in reserve, and after losing their opening match at Goodison Park, they have won 4 consecutive league games (five including their Champions League win over Galatasaray), and are only one point behind Chelsea. United are as strong as ever; as formidable an opponent as ever; and as likely to beat Tottenham Hotspur as ever.

Wayne Rooney had a game in United's League Cup win over Newcastle this week, and has apparently had some additional fitness training, but if he plays tomorrow, he will surely be behind a certain ex-Arsenal man, who has already hit five goals in five league games, two of which he started on the bench. Robin van Persie will need close attention tomorrow. Maybe his former team-mate, William Gallas will be the best man to give it to him.

Seven of those 40 Premier League games against United have been played in September, and five of them have been in the last 11 years, all of which were won by United.

First there was the classic encounter of 2001, when we were 3-0 up at half-time and still managed to lose 5-3 (Spurs 3 Man Utd 5). I even produced a "Spursometer" for both halves of that game!

Then ten years ago, Van Nistelrooy scored from a penalty awarded by Rob Styles to give United the points at Old Trafford (Man Utd 1 Spurs 0 - 21st September, 2002).

Fast forward a couple of years, and Spurs again lost at home to another Van Nistelrooy penalty (Spurs 0 Man Utd 1 - 25th September, 2004.

In September, 2006, Spurs keeper Paul Robinson was suffering some post World Cup blues, when he could not hold a Ronaldo free kick, and Ryan Giggs swooped to head home off the under-side of the bar. (Man Utd 1 Spurs 0 - 9th September, 2006).

Finally, in this tale of September woe, three years ago, Jermain Defoe gave us a first minute lead, but Giggs, Anderson and Rooney swept United to all three points, yet again. (Spurs 1 Man United 3 - 12th September, 2009)

Did I ever tell you about the time I did see Spurs win a game at Old Trafford? It was on March 23rd 1974, when Ralph Coates scored a second half goal to give Spurs an away win that was not so rare in those days. (We won 4-1 in October, 1972 and 3-2 in September, 1976). My friend and I were sat above the Stretford End, and we had to sit on our hands in Jasper Carrott mode. (Carrott tells a story about he and his Brummie mate who saw their team go 2-0 up at half-time at Old Trafford). They say Denis Law condemned United to a season in Division Two with a goal for Man City in the penultimate game of that season, but Tommy Docherty's team went bottom after that defeat to Spurs, and never got out of the bottom two in their 9 remaining games. It's a result I shall always remember!

The last time we got as much as a point at Old Trafford was seven years ago, and I'll be honest with you, I don't see that happening tomorrow. I'm afraid I've predicted a 2-1 defeat. We travel in hope though, and Old Trafford is a special place to go, and who knows? Maybe "this year it will be different!"

· This week 10 years ago, Spurs lose 3-0 at home to Middlesbrough

· Premier League this week 10 years ago

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