Tottenham 3 Shamrock Rovers 1 (Europa League)

Tottenham avoided the embarrassment that at one point looked to be awaiting them in their Europa League game against Shamrock Rovers at White Hart Lane.  Rovers went ahead early in the second half but three goals in six minutes restored order.

Rovers Give Spurs a Fright

Tottenham Hotspur 3 Shamrock Rovers 1

Scorers: Pavlyuchenko, Defoe, Dos Santos

Team: Cudicini; Walker, Corluka, Bassong, Rose (Kane); Lennon (Townsend), Carroll, Livermore, Dos Santos; Pavlyuchenko, Defoe (Falque). Subs (unused): Gomes, Bale, Kaboul, Modric


Tottenham again, fielded a weakened team to face League of Ireland, part-time team, Shamrock Rovers.  It did, however, include six players with international experience but only Kyle Walker had played in Saturday's win at Wigan in the Premier League.  Aaron Lennon and Danny Rose returned after injury and Jermaine Defoe and Roman Pavlyuchenko who were unable to play last weekend both started.  Tom Carroll retained his place in the Europa 'mid-week' team having excelled in his previous appearances.  While Harry Redknapp may have had 'both eyes on the North London derby', he was not taking any chances of there being an upset in this match - his list of substitutes included Gareth Bale, Younes Kaboul and Luka Modric, rather than the youngsters who have appeared in the last two Europa games.  This distinguished bench available to firefight any unexpected developments in the game.

Giovani dos Santos

Shamrock Rovers started in a very positive manner - they were well organised, very committed and comfortable on the ball, not allowing Spurs to settle into the game or dominate the play.  It was even for the first fifteen minutes with neither side really troubling the other.  Spurs were content to pass the ball around, only Dos Santos and Rose looking to bring pace into the game and be positive and creative.  When Spurs didn't have possession they were content to allow Shamrock Rovers to pass it around as they waited to pick off a pass or for Rovers to make a mistake.

Gradually, Tottenham with the bulk of possession had Rovers pinned in their own half but not really causing them any problems, Rovers always had a man available to make a timely tackle or block.  Then in the space of three minutes, Spurs had two opportunities to go ahead but goalkeeper Richard Brush came to the rescue.  First he deflected a Defoe shot onto the bar and then he saved from Pavlyuchenko.  Brush was only playing because of injury to Ryan Thompson but he was putting in a sterling performance.  Before half-time Rose hit the bar when a cross was cleared to him on the edge of the box.  Then Pavlyuchenko's header from a corner was blocked off the line.  

Tottenham had the greater share of possession but had seen chances go begging while Rovers had worked hard and hadn't been overawed, they had played their part in making it an entertaining first half.

Andros Townsend replaced Lennon for the second half and playing on the left he brought added pace to the game and immediately caused the Rovers defence some problems.  However, the match continued much as it had done until in the fiftieth minute Rovers were awarded a free-kick thirty yards from goal.  Gary McCabe smashed the kick past the wall, Cudicini parried it out of the box but it fell to Pat Sullivan who shot for goal but Stephen Rice flicked the ball past Cudicini and into the net.  Rovers' players, management and supporters went delirious - Spurs fans were bemused.


The Rovers support increased their volume even more as they celebrated the goal and urged their team to even greater effort to hold on to the dream.  This wasn't going to plan for Tottenham but Harry Redknapp didn't panic - he let the players get on with it and the combination of Rose and Townsend on the left was creating added problems.


For ten minutes Rovers continue to match Spurs, put in tackles and ease the pressure.  Then Spurs built up a momentum and pinned Rovers back, they probed right and left, eventually getting Giovani dos Santos free on the left and his cross was headed powerfully past Brush.  Level but Spurs weren't finished - two minutes later it was Townsend who made it into the area and crossed.  Pavlyuchenko left the ball for Defoe to head into the net.  


Even after going behind Rovers looked to take the game to Spurs but four minutes later, Defoe went back into the Spurs half and showing great determination, he battled to keep a ball in that was simply going out for a throw.  He set off up the left, past a defender, as others back-pedalled, he cut in towards the centre of the area and as he drew defenders to him he passed to his right and set up the chance for Giovani to score.  3 - 1 to Spurs - Six fateful minutes to shatter a dream and a sigh of relief from Spurs supporters. 

The match was now over, Spurs hadn't had to call for re-inforcements from the bench but Rovers continued to give their all.  They can all be very proud of their effort and style of play and have been great ambassadors for the League of Ireland.


Shamrock Rovers took all the credit and praise for their performance at White Hart Lane but Tottenham took the three points.  Harry Redknapp will be quite happy with that scenario in the run up to their clash with Arsenal on Sunday.

Tottenham's Young Players Earn Their Spurs

Young Players Do Themselves Proud in Europa League

Tottenham's first Europa League game was only three days before a crucial Premier League game against Liverpool at White Hart Lane on Sunday.  With injury worries, Harry Redknapp was determined to keep his senior players focused on that match without the distraction of travelling to Greece to play PAOK Salonika.  He sent out a squad with a number of young players who did themselves and the club proud in a hard earned scoreless draw.

18-man Match Day Squad
The eighteen players in the match day squad for the Europa League game consisted of  four players with international experience - Vedran Corluka (Croatia), Sebastien Bassong (Cameroon), Roman Pavlyuchenko (Russia) and Giovani Dos Santos (Mexico), and Premier League experience from Carlo Cudicini, Kyle Walker and Jake Livermore, although the latter two have limited appearances in League football for Spurs.  The other players were young players who were looking to gain from the experience of playing for the first team in an important, competitive European match.

Young Players

Kyle Walker

Kyle Walker (21) has only returned to Spurs having spent last season on loan with QPR and Aston Villa where he impressed with his attacking play from full back.  He has been called into the full England squad but has yet to make an appearance.  He is vying with experienced Vedran Corluka for the right back spot but has made a positive start in the games he has played this season.  Very quick when attacking on the right, he scored two goals for Villa last season, but needs to learn how to play with Aaron Lennon to get the best from him and also to improve defensively, especially that he isn't too cavalier in his attacking play, forgetting about his defensive duties.

Jake Livermore (21) made his League debut for Spurs in the game at Old Trafford.  It was a testing game for him in central midfield but he acquitted himself well and plays with confidence and has progressed well in the past year.  The arrival of Scott Parker meant he was a substitute against Wolves but he has become a part of the Tottenham squad and the European and Cup matches will provide him with excellent experience and opportunities to show his ability.

Andros Townsend (20) has played at full back in the last two European matches.  It is not his natural position, being an attacking winger, but he brings those qualities to the team and is constantly looking to take on his man and create attacking chances for the team.  He worked hard, covering a lot of ground during a game and wasn't found wanting in the defensive role.  When attacking he can run into dead-ends so needs to learn to release the ball earlier when his way is blocked.

Tom Carroll (19) went on loan to Leyton Orient last season.  He impressed in their League One team and made his debut in the home game against Hearts.  he is a busy player who looks for the ball and is constantly available to take a pass from a colleague.  His passing is good and for a lightly made up player he can cope with all the activity of midfield.  He tired towards the end of last night's game but that was only to be expected in such a competitive match.

Yago Falque (21) made his Tottenham debut in Greece and showed cleaver touches on the ball.  He had a good shot cleared off the line early on and a curling shot in the second half went just wide.  He is at the club on loan from Juventus for the coming season and looks a very promising player who will benefit from this experience.

Harry Kane (18) made his debut against Hearts and is the young player most tottenham supporters know about because of his goal scoring in the Academy teams and with Leyton Orient last season.  He is a strong lad and very competitive, he works hard and can play as a striker or drop back into midfield.  In the first half he played alongside Roman Pavlyuchenko where he had a header saved by the PAOK keeper and was unfortunate to be booked for diving when he should have had a penalty. After half-time he played wide on the left where he didn't contribute as much but he worked hard and covered back in defence as required.  Late on he had the confidence to take a free-kick which he hit with power but went just over the bar.  He, again, didn't receive much support from his striking partner so he would benefit from time in the team with a player who is more inclined to link up and play wit him as a striking partnership.

Substitutes:
Ryan Fredericks (18) who made  his debut in the previous Europa league match replaced Falque on the right.  A very pacy winger, he needs to improve his decision making for the final ball.

Dean Parrett (19) made a return to first team football for the last few seconds of the game when replacing Giovani.  He had appeared in the previous Europa League campaign in 2008 - 09 but has been out on loan since then.  Just returning from injury, he played for the England U-20s team in the World Cup in Columbia during the summer.  A midfield player of whom much is expected he works hard and is skilful on the ball.  Needs match practice in the coming months to show his value to the club.

Jack Barthram (17) The youngest player in the squad, he is an attacking full-back and was a member of the Academy NextGen Series team which defeated Inter Milan 7 - 1 at Leyton Orient last month.

Kevin Stewart (17) A defender who can play at full back or in central defence, he captained the Academy team which won the Eurofoot tournament in Belgium during the summer.

Jake Nicholson (19) He made his debut as a substitute against Hearts and was very composed in midfield.

Alex Pritchard (18) An attacking midfield player,  he scored twice in the win over Inter Milan, including a great free-kick in the second half.

The team had an average age of 23 years and that included 38 year old goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini.  Leave out 38 year old Cuducini from the calculations and it is reduced to 21 years 6 months.  These games are an excellent experience for the young players and some will be hoping for another game on Tuesday at Stoke City in the Carling Cup and against Shamrock Rovers in the next Europa league game.  The manager sent out a balanced team with the experience in defence to support the younger players.  With a more experienced midfield player or a striker more inclined to work with his team mates, they might even have managed a win to reward their hard work and enthusiasm.  A good night for the young players who brought credit to the club for their disciplined performance against a difficult team with considerable experience in European competition.

Where have All Tottenham's Academy Players Gone?

The Failure of Spurs' Youth System

Tottenham Hotspur spends vast sums of money each year to discover, train and support young players through their Academy system but their 25-man squad for this season includes only two players who have progressed to the first team by that route - Ledley King and Jake Livermore. 

The publication of every Premier League clubs' 25-man squad for this season has identified a serious question about the success or failure of the Tottenham Hotspur Academy Youth system.  In their squad they have only two 'home-grown' players who have actually progressed through the club's youth system - Ledley King and Jake Livermore.  The other 'home-grown' players have been bought by Spurs after they developed and gained experience at other League clubs.  Michael Dawson came through the Nottingham Forest system, Aaron Lennon developed with Leeds United, Gareth Bale was first discovered by Southampton, new signing Scott Parker and Jermain Defoe were part of the Chartlton Athletic youth system, Ben Alnwick developed with Sunderland and Tom Huddlestone was introduced to League football at Derby County.

Ledley King

Ledley King and Jake Livermore are at opposite ends of their footballing careers.  King is the last player from the Tottenham Academy to have played at the highest levels of English football after progressing through the youth ranks and becoming a first team regular at White Hart Lane.  He made his debut at Anfield in May, 1999 and is the Club captain.  He was part of the the Carling Cup success over Chelsea in 2008 and has also represented England.  If through his career he had not been plagued by injury he would have made many more appearances for Spurs and added to his international caps.  The Tottenham defence has certainly missed his commanding, assured performances in recent seasons and he is widely regarded as one of the best defenders in English football.


Jake Livermore has just started out on his footballing career, making his first Premier League start in the opening game of the season at Old Trafford, having previously appeared as a substitute against Stoke in March, 2010.  He also played in last season's Carling Cup and this year in the Europa League game against Hearts in Edinburgh.  He is looking to build on those early opportunities and establish himself in the Tottenham squad and as a regular in the team.


Two true 'home-grown' players in the 2011-12 squad represents a very poor return for the finances invested in the Academy each year.  However, some of the young players listed in the Under-21 group will have an opportunity this year to show their worth in Cup games and in the European matches - especially Andros Townsend, while Tom Carroll, Harry Kane, Ryan Fredericks, and Jake Nicholson appeared in the recent home game against Hearts.  Other players from the Academy are currently out on loan gaining League experience at clubs in the lower divisions - Adam Smith who has just been selected for the England U-21 team coming on as a substitute is with MK Dons, Jonathan Obika has returned to Yeovil Town and David Button was with Leyton Orient until injury required him to return to Tottenham.

Danny Rose, Dean Parrett and John Bostock are included in the Under-21 squad and would be regarded as 'home-grown' players.  They have some first team experience having been members of the Academy but all were identified by other clubs at a young age and Tottenham paid a fee to Leeds United, Queen's Park Rangers and Crystal Palace respectively, to acquire each of them.

Scanning through the lists submitted by the other nineteen clubs, looking for players who have developed with Tottenham is not much more fruitful.  The obvious exception is Steven Caulker who is on a season long loan with newly promoted, Swansea City.  He is a product of the Tottenham Academy and a player in whom many have high hopes.  He has made excellent progress in the past two seasons while on loan with Yeovil Town and Bristol City, winning awards at both clubs, showing that they appreciated his talent and endeavour on their behalf.  He made his first Spurs' appearance in the Carling Cup last year and has played in Swansea's first three Premier League games.  He has now represented England at Under-19 and Under-21 level and it is thought that Caulker will be challenging for a place in the Tottenham squad next season.

Former Tottenham Youth Players
Recently departed England international, Peter Crouch, of course, started his career in the Tottenham Academy but had to leave White Hart Lane in order to get a chance to develop and gain experience.  He came through the system a year behind Ledley King but was sold to Queen's Park Rangers in July, 2000 for £60,000.  He later played for Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Southampton, Liverpool and Portsmouth again before returning to Tottenham for a fee of £ 10 million in July, 2009.  He has scored 22 goals in 42 appearances for England.  In his two seasons with Spurs his best goal scoring performances were in European games and he is best remembered for the goal he scored against Manchester City which secured the club's place in the Champions League at the end of his first season with the club.  In all competitions he made 88 appearances, scoring 24 goals before his £10 million transfer to Stoke City.

Stephen Kelly is a Republic of Ireland international with Fulham who as part of his development with the Tottenham Academy had loan spells with Southend United, Queen's Park Rangers and Watford in 2003.  He was highly regarded at each of those clubs and he made his Tottenham debut in 2003 but remained as understudy to Stephen Carr and Paul Stalteri.  He made 37 appearances, scoring twice, before transferring to Birmingham City for a fee of £750,000 in the summer of 2006.  He has subsequently played for Stoke City on loan and joined Fulham in 2009.


Luke Young who has just signed for QPR from Aston Villa made 76 League and Cup appearances for Tottenham following his debut in season 1998-99.  He was sold to  Charlton Athletic for £4 million pounds in the summer of 2001.  He has also played for Middlesbrough and has made 7 appearances for England.

Mark Gower playing against Tottenham

Mark Gower, a midfielder, was with Spurs for five years but failed to break into the first team and left to join Barnet in January, 2001 for a small fee.  He also played for Southend United for five seasons, returning to the Lane with them for Cup games in 2006-07 before joining Swansea City in 2008.  He has made over 400 appearances in lower League football and is now a member of Swansea's squad having played 42 games for them in their promotion season.  He has scored 60 goals in all competitions through his career.


Michael Kightly, a winger, had a season at Tottenham as a schoolboy but on being rejected by them has had to work his way back with Southend United and Gray's Athletic before joining Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan in November, 2006, signing permanently the following January.  He helped Wolves in their failed promotion bid from the Championship that season and was attracting the attention of other clubs, including Tottenham.  However, injury has hindered Kightly during his career but he was part of the Wolves squad that was promoted in 2009 and has appeared in the Premier League for them.


Wolves also have Jamie O'Hara in their squad, having signed him in the summer from Spurs for £5 million.  His final years in youth football were with the Spurs Academy but he had been a product of Arsenal's youth system having spent five years with them.


Playing in the Lower Divisions

It is often assumed that young players who fail to make the grade at a club like Tottenham will go on to have a good career elsewhere in English football but from the evidence of the Premier League squads few have progressed to the highest level.  It is, however, true that a number of young players who left Spurs without appearing in a competitive game for the senior team at White Hart Lane have had lengthy careers in the lower divisions of the Football League.

Mark Yeates came through the Spurs youth system and made his first team debut in the final game of 2004 against Wolves.  However, he only made another two League appearances as a substitute and left White Hart Lane in 2007 after five years with the club.  He joined Colchester United and in two seasons made 72 appearances which attracted the attention of Middlesbrough for whom he signed for £500,000 in July, 2009.  A year later he went to Sheffield United where after finding himself surplus for the second time with the arrival of a new manager, he joined Watford last summer.

Speaking ahead of the FA Cup 4th Round tie between Watford and Spurs in January, 2012, Yeates commented on his time at Spurs,  

" Tottenham was a big part of my life ...... so I've got a lot of fond memories.  I've still got a lot of pals there.  Martin Jol gave me a few run-outs, but Spurs are such a big club and at the time in every transfer window they were bringing in three or four new players.  It was hard for the likes of myself, Dean Marney and Johnnie Jackson, we were on the fringes.  Eventually we had to move on but there are no hard feelings."

Charlie Lee left Tottenham in 2007 and signed for Peterborough United where he played regularly in midfield and at full-back for four seasons.  He played for Peterborough at White Hart Lane in the FA Cup 3rd Round in 2010 and joined Gillingham during the summer.

Kevin Maher was a young midfield player with Tottenham who left on a free transfer in January, 1998 to join Southend United where he spent ten seasons as a regular in the team making over 380 appearances, including the Cup games against Spurs in 2006-07.  He joined Oldham for a season in 2008 and the following year joined Gillingham where he played for two seasons.  He is now with Dagenham and Redbridge.
 
The Dagenham and Redbridge squad also includes their captain, Mark Arber, a defender, who left Spurs in 1998 to join Barnet for £75,000.  He has had twelve seasons in League football making over 500 appearances for five different clubs, including Peterborough, Oldham and Stevenage Borough. 


Peter Gain was a midfield player with Spurs at the end of 1999s who joined Lincoln City for a fee of £15,000 in March, 1999 after working his way through the youth system.  He made 200 appearances in almost six years before moving to Peterborough where he played for three seasons and moved on to Dagenham and Redbridge in 2008. 


Two players who are regulars with Stevenage are goalkeeper, Chris Day and defender Ronnie Henry.  They failed to make the grade with Spurs but have furthered their careers away from the club. 


Now aged 36, Chris Day sat on the bench for Spurs on many occasions as substitute goalkeeper but never got on to the pitch.  He joined Crystal Palace for £225,000 in 1996 and has made over 300 appearances at eight League clubs including Queen's Park Rangers, Watford where he appeared in the Premier League, Lincoln City, Oldham, Millwall and Preston North End.  His greatest achievement was helping Stevenage gain League status and promotion to League 1.


Ronnie Henry is the grandson of Spurs 'Double' winning full back, Ron Henry.  He was released by Tottenham in November, 2003 but was unable to find a club.  He eventually signed for Dublin City but was released due to shortage of funds.  In January, 2004 he joined non-league Stevenage Borough, was made captain and led them into the Football League and further promotion.  He was the first player to raise a competitive trophy at the new Wembley, captaining Stevenage to FA Trophy success. 

Johnny Jackson left Spurs in 2006 after seven years, having made 20 appearances and scoring one goal.  He joined Colchester United where he made over 100 appearance in three seasons before joining Notts County in 2009.  The following summer he signed for his current club, Charlton Athletic.

Lee Barnard

Lee Barnard made three substitute appearances for Tottenham before his transfer to Southend United.  A regular scorer for the reserves, his opportunities were seriously limited at Spurs.  After six years with the club and several spells out on loan, he moved to Roots Hall on a free transfer in January, 2008 and scored 37 goals in 75 appearances before a transfer to Southampton two years later for an undisclosed fee.  He has scored 23 goals in 56 appearances and helped them to promotion to the Championship last year.


Rob Burch waited for five years for an opportunity to appear in goals for Tottenham after turning professional in 2002 having come through the youth scheme.  He had periods on loan at various clubs but in July, 2007, having been released by Spurs, he signed for Sheffield Wednesday but played only three games for them.  The following year he joined Lincoln City and made over 90 appearances in two seasons.  In the summer of 2010 he went to Notts County on a free transfer after turning down a new contract with Lincoln.

Another Tottenham junior goalkeeper was Simon Brown who left the club in 1999 to join Colchester United.  He spent five season there, making 140 appearances before moving to Scotland to play for Hibernian.  Under fifty appearances in three seasons, saw him join Brentford for two years.  This was followed by a season with Northampton Town and a move to non-league football with Cambridge United.


Charlie Daniels is a defender/midfielder who joined the Tottenham Academy from Norwich and progressed to the reserves but in January, 2009 he joined Leyton Orient and has over 100 appearances for the club.


A young youth player of whom much was expected was Phil Ifil.  He made his League debut for Spurs in Jacques Santini's first game in 2004, played the next game but then made only one more appearance before leaving for Colchester United in January, 2008 for an undisclosed six-figure fee.  He spent thirty months there making 40 appearances before making 13 appearances in a season with Dagenham and Redbridge.  He is now in non-League football with Kettering Town.


Another Kettering signing this summer was Jamie Clapham who had progressed through the Tottenham youth system in the early 1990s.  He made one substitute appearance for Spurs in 1997 but after being out on loan he joined Ipswich Town for £300,000 in March, 1998.  There, he made over 200 appearances, including playing in European competition, in five years.  He signed for Birmingham City in January, 2003 for a fee of £1,300,000 where he played for three years.  He also played for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leicester City, Notts County and Lincoln City.  He joined Kettering Town during the summer but in a career stretching over seventeen years from his youth days, he has made over 400 appearances in League and Cup football. 


Young Players Starting Out
More recently some former Academy players have taken their first tentative steps to re-establish their careers after getting over the disappointment of not making it with Spurs.  Lee Butcher is a goalkeeper with Leyton Orient having joined in July, 2010.  He had been with Norwich and Arsenal before joining the Spurs Academy in 2007 but after being out on loan he was released.

Troy Archibald-Henville is a young defender who came through the Academy with Tottenham and was an unused substitute on two occasions.  However, after a loan spell with Exeter City he signed for them in January, 2010 and now has over 40 appearances for the club, playing either in defence or midfield.

Sam Cox can play in defence or midfield but after coming through the Academy teams and going out on loan he was released in June, 2010.  He joined Barnet and has played for them in League Two.

Jacques Maghoma progressed through the Tottenham Academy but was released in June, 2009.  After trials at Burton Albion and Hereford United, he agreed to sign for Burton where he has made over 80 appearances.  An attacking midfield player, he is establishing himself in lower League football.


Long-term Problem at Tottenham

Even a famous footballing relation doesn't guarantee success as Ronnie Henry demonstrates and the recent Europa League game at Hearts brought forward another example - John Sutton, the younger brother of Chris Sutton who formed an important goal scoring partnership with Alan Shearer in Blackburn Rover's Premier League success in 1994-95.  The younger Sutton started his football career at Tottenham but on leaving in 2003 he joined Raith Rovers.  He has played for a number of Scottish clubs but ventures into English football were less successful and he returned to Motherwell and then signed for Hearts in the summer.


Going back through the years, even sons of famous fathers who have been associated with Tottenham have had to be satisfied with playing at a lower level than their fathers.  Danny Greaves, son of Jimmy, left Spurs for Southend United in 1981 but made less than fifty appearances there.  Ian Gilzean the son of Alan, left Tottenham for Dundee in 1992 and has played for many clubs around the British Isles.  Pat Jennings Junior followed his father into goal but his playing career after Tottenham was limited to playing in Ireland.

Having joined the Tottenham Academy there is no guarantee that a young player is destined to a successful football career and even after signing a professional contract there is a long way to go before stepping out as a regular member of the first team.  On the evidence provided by former graduates of the Tottenham Academy, only a very small proportion will make it in any form of senior professional League football in England.  For all the money expended each year, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club sees a very small return on their investments but where the fault lies, it is hard to identify because there have been many managers, coaches and scouts involves in this process over many years but the results are very similar.  

In the past twenty years the only Academy/youth players to have established themselves at the club are Nick Barmby, Sol Campbell, Ian Walker, Steven Clemence, Stephen Carr and Ledley King.  Perhaps, some of the current 'hopefuls' with the Academy will change that situation in the coming years.

Totenham Progress to Europa League Group Stages

Tottenham Hotspur 0 Heart of Midlothian  0 (Agg. Won 5 - 0)

As expected Spurs reached the Group Stages of the Europa League as a youthful side saw out a scoreless draw against Hearts.  Both managers made numerous changes to the teams who played last week and by the end Tottenham were glad to reach the next stage without overly exerting themselves while Hearts was satisfied to have restored some pride with this performance.

Hearts had an early strike against the bar and Tottenham's opening attempt on goal saw Roman Pavlyuchenko bring a save from the Hearts keeper following good work from Harry Kane.  The young striker had brought the ball across the edge of the penalty and was just preparing to shoot when Pavlyuchenko pulled rank and fired in the shot.  A further run from Kane brought a shot across goal and then came his big moment.  He received a lovely pass from Tom Carroll in the penalty area and when  the goalkeeper brought him down the referee awarded a penalty.  Kane stepped up to take it himself but his shot was saved as McDonald dived to his right.  I hope in years to come young Mr Kane will not be thinking, 'If only.'

Both teams played out the second half without creating too much danger, although Carlo Cudicini had to be alert on a couple of occassions.

Team: Cudicini; Corluka, Dawson (Kaboul), Bassong, Townsend; Fredericks (Krankjar), Huddlestone, Livermore (Nicholson), Carroll; Kane, Pavlyuchenko.

Making an Impression

Tom Carroll made his debt and worked tirelessly throughout and was always wanting the ball and was the outstanding performer of the young players on view.  He seems to be quite pacy and played with confidence throughout, dropping deep to collect the ball and looking to make forward passes.  His passing and movement were good and he covered a lot a ground.

Andros Towsend played at full back with a freedom to attack down the left which he did willingly.  He started brightly and caused problems for the Hearts defence but he faded as the game went on as defenders frequentlty dispossessed him before he could do any damage or his cross failed to reach a white shirt.  He needs to improve his final ball although it was difficult for him last night in trying to play in two positions.

Ryan Fredericks also making his debut, showed good pace on the right side of midfield and looked dangerous when running with the ball.

Jake Livermore had another composed game in central midfield with younger players around him.

Jake Nicholson in his first senior appearance, played for the last fifteen minutes in midfield and seemed comfortable in possession and willing to work for the team.

Harry Kane was the player many were wanting to see, having heard good reports of his goal scoring for youth and Spurs XI sides.  In his debut, he worked hard and showed a willingness to cover back to help in defence.  Even in the final minutes of added time he came back to help out and having won the ball in the penalty area, he set off up the field.  He had little support from Pavlyuchenko and few chances on goal.  He created more for Pavlyuchenko than the Russian international did for him.  He seems willing to learn as he showed early in the game.  Corluka bawled him out for not moving onto a through ball but after that he made himself available with runs into space to receive the pass and from one he got behind the defence to shoot across goal.  He also looked to Cudicini for guidance when he went back in defence to defend at a corner, ascertaining where the keeper wanted him to stand for his defensive duties.  After that at every free-kick and corner he took up his delegated position.  He should benefit from this experience and be stronger the next time.

Tottenham can now look forward to the draw to see who they will meet in the next stage of the Europa League.

Harry Redknapp Confirms Youth to Get Chance Against Hearts

At his press conference ahead of the Europa League game against Hearts at White Hart Lane, Harry Redknapp has confirmed his intention to give some of the younger players an opportunity to gain some experience in competitive football for the first team.  Supporters will be pleased to hear that Harry Kane and Tom Carroll who were on loan with Leyton Orient last season will make their debut at some point in the game.  Andros Townsend is also set to get an opportunity to build on last season's goal scoring debut FA Cup appearance against Charlton Athletic.

Andros Townsend
Townsend is a speedy wide player who had loan spells at Millwall, Watford and Ipswich Town under Roy Keane last season.  Previously he had turned out for Yeovil, Leyton Orient and MK Dons.  He is a confident player who was a member of Tottenham's strong Academy side two seasons ago.  He is prepared to take on defenders and can deliver good crosses into the box and is confident enough to shoot with both feet.  In total he has 75 League and Cup appearances during his loan spells, scoring 8 goals.  He has the FA Cup appearance and goal for Spurs and a substitute appearnace against Hearts at Tynecastle to his name as well.

Tom Carroll
Carroll had an impressive season with Orient and was a member of their team which progressed in the FA Cup before losing to Arsenal in a replay at the Emirates.  A hard working midfield player, although lightly made up, he has good distribution and wasn't out of place in the hustle and bustle of League 1 last year when he played 14 times.

Harry Kane

Kane turned eighteen in July but spent part of last year with Orient and was also a member of their successful Cup team although he missed the Cup game at the Emirates through suspension having been sent off in a previous match.  He scored scored five goals from eighteen appearances and has already scored a number of goals for the Spurs XI this season, including a hat-trick against Chris Hughton's strong reserve side.

Supporters will be keen to see these young players in a game that is almost a 'dead' rubber with Tottenham taking a five goal advantage to White Hart Lane.  Sadly, it is one of Tottenham's failings that so few young players come through the Academy/youth set-up to amke a mark in the senior team.  the last player to come into the team and make a telling contribution to the club's fortunes is Ledley king who is so badly missed in central defence due to his on-going injury problems.