By statto_the_yid
October 25 2006

Can Spurs banish last seasons cup blues, lets hope so as we look forward to another Carling Cup assault. Last season was the shortest season ever by a Prem Club and we have already broken that duck, so here is to another great Cup run for the last time to cardiff. The MK Dons National Hockey Stadium is a compete sell out for our visit in this Carling Cup tie.

Martin Allen is ring the changes to the team sheet that got hammered 3-1 against Hereford at the weekend. Keith Andrews may start or Albie could return to midfield with Platt heading the two man strike partnership. Martin Allen will be hoping Sean O’Hanlon will pass a late fitness test.

Nicky Rizzo, Ben Chorley, Adolfo Baines, Joe Tillen, Rob Webb and Joe Howe probably be missing. Gary Smith is definitely out with his knee problem whilst Craig Morgan is out on loan.

Jol could field an almost full strength THFC and will want to avoid a repeat of last years disaster. Ledley King is a doubt as the knee is still taking time to ease after each match, Pascal Chimbonda and Aaron Lennon are having late fitness tests, Hossam Ghaly and Robbie Keane could feature after missing at the weekend, even though Jol might start with Mido.

Martin Jol has said " We will play a very strong team. We have a couple of players out like Teemu Tainio, he has started running again so he will be back in a couple of weeks, Steed Malbranque and Didier Zokora, who is out of hospital after his illness."

"We can't play with the same team all the time, we've got players who need games and in the future we will have three games a week so we will play with one or two different players.

"But this competition is very important for us because if you don't win the UEFA Cup or finish high enough in the league - hopefully we will - you have to rely on the FA Cup or the Carling Cup and it's not easy, but still the shortest route into Europe."

He added: "I feel that we are currently making steady progress and have demonstrated more stability and containment.

"We are still not the football machine I want us to be with so many individual parts working together efficiently - but that's for the future."

Paul Robinson will stay sticks for this game, at the back we might take a chance to rest Dawson as well which means Anthony Gardner and Calum Davenport could start in central defence for the first time this season as a defensive pairing.