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Full record of Cup meetings between Spurs and Coventry:-

SEASON   RD  H/A  RES   Scorer(s)

FA Cup

1980-81   5   H   3-1   Ardiles, Hughton, Archibald
1986-87   F   W   2-3   Allen (C), Mabbutt
2001-02   3   A   2-0   Poyet, Ferdinand
2012-13   3   H   3-0   Dempsey (2), Bale

Football League Cup

1970-71   5   H   4-1   Chivers (3), Gilzean
1977-78   3   H   2-3   Armstrong, Pratt
1991-92   4   A   2-1   Allen (P), Durie
1995-96   3   A   2-3   Armstrong, Busst (og)
2003-04   2   A   3-0   Ricketts, Keane, Kanoute

Ange's quest for a second season trophy starts here

Ange Postecoglou made a bold statement after Sunday's home defeat to Arsenal. "I always win things" he said, referring to his history of winning a trophy in his second season at all of his previous clubs. "Big Ange" also said, "I don't say things unless I believe it."

Well, Ange's personal quest starts here with a tricky away tie against Coventry at The Coventry Building Society Arena (formerly Ricoh Arena), where we have never played before. The good news for Postecoglou is that we have already reached a later stage of the League Cup competition than we did last year when we had to enter at the second round stage and lost in a penalty shoot-out at Craven Cottage.

With Ange in charge we had a 41-game season last year, losing at home to Manchester City in a Fourth Round FA Cup tie. Martin Jol gave us our shortest ever season in 2005-06 when we lost to fourth tier Grimsby in the League Cup and Championship side Leicester at the first hurdle in the FA Cup.

Let's face it, the League Title is already beyond us, and we must hope for success tomorrow night (8pm - SKY).

Former Manchester United and Norwich player Mark Robins has managed Coventry since March 2017. He took over late in the season and could not prevent relegation to League Two. The "Sky Blues" did win the Football League trophy and bounced back through a play-off final the following season. The one-time Premier League side (relegated in 2001) climbed back to The Championship and lost out to Luton in the 2023 Play-off final on penalties.

Last season, Coventry gave eventual winners Manchester United a scare in an exciting FA Cup semi-final when they came back from 3-0 down to take the game to extra-time and penalties, when they lost 4-2.

Many fans won't be old enough to have personal memories of Coventry's FA Cup Final victory over David Pleat's Spurs side in 1987, but it was all too painful for those who were there, or saw the game. No doubt there will be plenty of words written said tomorrow with mentions of "Gary Mabbutt's knee". David Pleat, who has published a new book called "Just One More Goal" said the whole experience was "a bad dream". That ill-fated Cup Final was Glenn Hoddle's last Spurs game as a player.

Pleat was our caretaker manager (after Glenn had been sacked) when we last played Coventry in the League Cup. In September 2003 we won 3-0 with goals by Fredi Kanoute, Robbie Keane and Rohan Ricketts. Ricketts had been given his debut by Hoddle, and Mr. Pleat kept faith in a player who, at the time, was just 20-years old. Ricketts' goal against Coventry was his first senior Spurs goal and a goal later in the season against Aston Villa in the Premier League was his second and last for Spurs. Ricketts appeared in 7 games for Coventry the following season, before a career that took him to 13 different clubs in different countries. It is fair to say the potential seen in him was not fulfilled.

Our only other meeting with Coventry in the last 21 years was a 3-0 FA Cup win at White Hart Lane in 2013.

Coventry are hosting Premier League opposition in a competitive match for the first time since 2009. That was an FA Cup quarter-final against Chelsea which they lost 2-0.

Coventry (like Spurs!) have made a moderate start to this season and have five points from five league games. They beat Bristol City and Oxford United in the first two rounds of this tournament. One of their defenders is former Tottenham Academy player Luis Binks who left Spurs for Thierry Henry's Montreal Impact in 2020 and has come to Coventry via Bologna after a loan spell last season. Striker Ellis Simms came through the ranks at Everton before his transfer in July 2023. Simms scored one of those FA Cup semi-final goals and has scored two in six appearances this season.

No doubt Ange will use the squad and give game time to those who need the minutes, but of course a balance has to be achieved because nothing less than a win will satisfy Spurs fans. Depending on this result, we have two games a week for the foreseeable future and I expect to see players such as Forster, Spence, Dragusin, Davies, Gray, Bergvall and Werner given game time tomorrow. I can't honestly say I expect a win, but of course I hope for such a result.

Match referee Darren England is in charge of Spurs for just the fifth time. The only time we saw him in the middle last season was in our 5-2 away win against Burnley. Although he has had charge of 10 Premier League games this year, Mr. England has also officiated in 11 National League North/South games and in the summer 4 games in the J1 League in Japan!

Did you know? - James Maddison began his professional career with League One Coventry in August 2014, aged 17. His debut came in a League Cup defeat against Cardiff in August 2014. James' first league goal was in a 4-1 defeat to Oldham in October that year. James made 42 appearances for the "Sky Blues" (including 24 as substitute) and scored 5 goals before he was signed by Norwich in February 2016.

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