By Lev
September 16 2006

A first European adventure for seven years was a successful one on Thursday night for Tottenham Hotspur, with a solid away display in Prague. A first European adventure for seven years was a successful one on Thursday night for Tottenham Hotspur, with a solid away display in Prague. An assured defensive performance, helped by the contributions of Tom Huddlestone and Didier Zokora in the centre of midfield, and a goal from Jermaine Jenas, gave Spurs their desired lead approaching the home leg. However, an important question will be answered this weekend; will Martin Jol’s men be able to defy the infamous European hangover, which has affected the top Premiership teams’ league form in the past?

They will certainly hope so, and with Jol’s squad rotation system and a well-rounded squad, Spurs will be optimistic they can cope with three matches in seven days. The likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane and Edgar Davids did not start the game in midweek, so Spurs strength in depth must now show itself, if they are to pick up a win against tricky opposition.

The back four should remain the same, after excellent performances in the last two games. The fullback additions of Pascal Chimbonda and Benoit Assou-Ekotto have added quality in an area Spurs were questioned over last season. Both players have the ability to defend well, already showing good positional sense and strength, and they also pack a similarly tough tackle. As well as this, their pace and ability on the ball allows them to help out in attack and give Tottenham more width than they have been used to of late. This will be especially crucial after the news that wing wizard Aaron Lennon will undergo knee surgery and be sidelined for six weeks. All Spurs’ fans wish him a speedy (excuse the pun) recovery.

There may be changes to the midfield, with Hossam Ghaly returning from injury, and Spurs should expect to see a very narrow midfield for the next few weeks, relying on the fullbacks to give them the width they desire. I would expect to see Didier Zokora keep his place after a dynamic display against Slavia Prague, but Edgar Davids could start in place of Tom Huddlestone, who looks like he is to be bedded into the starting eleven slowly.

Up front, it would be no surprise to see Dimitar Berbatov start, if fit, but the partner Martin Jol should choose for him will always cause some debate between Spurs’ fans. Jermain Defoe looked disappointing at times against Prague, but may be given another opportunity, with Robbie Keane failing to finish off a number of chances already this season, although the latter is seen as the more creative of the two. Mido should be rested, after two hard-working games for the team, against Manchester United and in the Czech Republic.

Chris Coleman’s Fulham will have grown in confidence after last week’s late win at St. James Park. After seeing Jimmy Bullard dislocate his knee, their afternoon could have got even worse, but they battled through tough periods of the game and ended up coming out on top, with a late rebound winner from substitute Carlos Bocanegra.

Another difficult away game awaits them, but after seeing a ten-man Everton beat Spurs comfortably at the Lane, Fulham will see this as a chance to possibly nick another three points on their travels. However, with Jimmy Bullard likely to be out for the season and Wayne Routledge not being allowed to play against the club who own him, Fulham’s captain Luis Boa Morte, subject of late transfer window interest from this weekend’s opponents, will be responsible for much of the creativity from midfield. Papa Boupa Diop and ex-Spurs man Michael Brown, should start in the heart of midfield and will look to unsettle Tottenham’s passing game from the off. The final midfield place could be given to Tomasz Radzinski, in a wide-right role, although it really is anyone’s guess who will fill this void, with Fulham having used a small number of players in midfield so far this season.

If Radzinski does find himself in this position, Collins John will continue to partner Brian McBride, scorer of the Cottagers equaliser last weekend. These two will give Ledley King and Michael Dawson a tough physical battle, where the winners could be key to the destination of the points.

Hopefully Spurs will give positive answers to the questions asked of them this weekend and come out of it with a much-needed win, early on Sunday evening. If their defence stands up to Fulham like it did to Manchester United last weekend, they may only need to score once to win. A refreshed midfield could be the difference between the full three points and one, so Martin Jol’s team selection will yet again be vital. If he gets it right, as he did in Prague, Spurs could lift themselves a little higher in the table and claim their second win of the season. My prediction is 2-0 to the home side, with Dimitar Berbatov and Teemu Tainio getting the goals.

COYS!