Tony Cascarino’s Premier League Preview: Aston Villa v Tottenham
If Tottenham are going to get anything from their weekend trip to Villa Park then they are going to have to match Aston Villa physically all over the park. Martin O’Neill’s team work extremely hard and opposing teams have to match their running and work-rate to get the better of them.
Spurs have a good chance of getting something at Villa Park if their attitude is right as in terms of quality, I think they have the edge over Villa. Harry Redknapp’s team has a bit more class than the Villans although that counts for nothing if they don’t stand up to the physical nature of the home side. Player for player I’d have to say Tottenham have the better attacking threats, Peter Crouch is better than either John Carew or Emile Heskey, Jermain Defoe is better than Gabriel Agbonlahor and Aaron Lennon for me is better than Ashley Young. So if both teams perform as they can, Harry’s team should at least not be beaten.
The one thing you have to say about O’Neill’s team is that they are extremely dogged and don’t lie down against other teams. They will keep battling for a full 90 minutes and their ability at set-pieces makes them a constant threat. Tottenham still look like they will gift the opposition the odd goal so it’s up to Villa to exploit that. Harry definitely has enough height in his team to deal with the Villans set-piece threat but whether they can maintain their defensive concentration is in doubt, particularly if Ledley King isn’t fit.
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A lot will depend on Wilson Palacios in midfield; if the Honduran has an indifferent game then Villa could overrun Tottenham in the middle of the park. Tom Huddlestone may be good on the ball but he does not offer much defensive cover if his midfield partner is not at the top of his game in terms of doing the hard graft and closing down the opposition.
All in all this will be a tight game and certainly not the stroll in the park Spurs enjoyed against Wigan. Although Tottenham have the ability to win the game, a draw is the most likely result with a £45,000 Premier 10 rollover jackpot up for grabs as confidence is high in both camps.
Good luck & enjoy the game
Tags: Aston Villa, Premier 10, Premier League, Tony Cascarino, Tottenham
November 25th, 2009 at 13:48
Usual dross from the Plastic-Paddy!
November 25th, 2009 at 15:29
He is right though isn’t he! Spurs are superior on and off the field
November 25th, 2009 at 15:46
Lennon is far better than Young. Young will not go to the World Cup but Lennon will!
November 25th, 2009 at 15:59
Some fair comments, but sadly crouch is just nothing in comparison to carew!
Ok lennon is having a good season and young not like his usual up to now but come on!! Peter Crouch?!
November 25th, 2009 at 20:52
Lennon is so good that Harry spent all summer trying to buy Young! Think about it?
November 25th, 2009 at 21:53
you think about it twit ?
young on left lennon on right
thats why we wanted young get it right.
November 25th, 2009 at 22:20
We won this fixture last season and i think we’ll have an equal chance of winning it this year. Carew will be a threat other than that I can’t see them scoring more than a single goal. Young is normally a threat but we all saw Corluka come in and foil him last season.
Lastly, I don’t care who they put at left back, b/c they won’t be able to stop Lennon. Kranjcar provides the balance on the left that we need in the absence of Modric, and hopefully Harry doesn’t F it up by putting Keane back on the left.
November 26th, 2009 at 07:18
ITS GOT TO BE GOMES CORLUKA DAWSON KING WOODGATE EKOTTO LENNON HUDDLESTON PALACOIS CROUCH DEFOE
November 26th, 2009 at 10:08
Villa have quality across the field, and like us, an excellent but under-rated manager. I’ve got a lot of time for Villa as a team, they play attractive, attacking football, and this fixture is by no means a default win for us, especially away from home. Having said that, Spurs must be on an incredible high after that win at Wigan, and if Defoe shows anything like the same form no doubt there will be goals in the offing.
November 26th, 2009 at 10:12
Odd squad there JD - 5 defenders?! I suspect King will be injured, so Dawson/Woodgate in the middle, Ekotto on the left and Kranjcar on the left of midfield.
November 26th, 2009 at 22:40
i know you should never change a winning side but the only change i would make 4 the match at villa would be king/bassong for dawson,its not that i don’t like dawson i just think that against Villa we will need pace at the back to stop the likes of Young & Agbonlahor who will be a real danger to us p.s hope harry stays with the same formation 4-4-2 & not try to play 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 just to accommodate keane because the balance isn’t their when we are playing in those formation i.e. Arsenal.