Spurs - Comparison with Season 2010 - 11

Tottenham - Plus 13 Points

(Up-dated 4th January, 2012)

Spurs opened the 2011-12 season with two heavy defeats but have managed to recover the lost ground to put themselves in a stronger position compared with the same stage of the season last year.

At present Tottenham are sitting in third position in the League with a game in hand on all other teams around them.  The postponement of the opening day fixture against Everton because of the riots near White Hart Lane immediately put Spurs at a disadvantage and this was compounded when their next games were against the two Manchester clubs who made a flying start to the new season.  So when all the other teams had played three games Spurs found themselves pointless and at the bottom of the League.

Now, at the mid-point of the season, Spurs have made a remarkable recovery by accumulating 42 points from thirteen wins and three draws. 

The comparison of fixtures played shows how Spurs have a 13 points advantage over last season, a credible situation:
 

Manchester Utd (a)   -

Manchester City (h) - 1

Wolves (a) + 2

Liverpool (h)  -

Wigan (a)  + 2

Arsenal (h)  + 2

Newcastle (a)   -
Blackburn (a)  -
QPR (WHU*) (h) +2
Fulham (a)  -

Aston Villa (h) - 

WBA (a) +2

Bolton (h) -

Stoke City (a) -3

Sunderland (h) +2

Chelsea (h) -

Norwich (Blackpool*) (a) + 3

Swansea (Birmingham*) -

WBA (h) +2

[* QPR, Norwich & Swansea in comparison with WHU, Blackpool & Birmingham City as the relegated teams)

This season's results show a positive score of 13 points and with four matches to the end of January, three at home, Spurs will be looking to consolidate and improve on that position.  

 

Next up is Everton (h) (Draw**), Wolves (h) (Win**), Manchester City (a) (Lost**) and Wigan (h) (Lost**).

[** Last season's result]

Competition at the top of the Premier League is very competitive this season with every team needing to take advantage of other teams' misfortune.  Over the holiday period Spurs were the only team in the top nine clubs not to lose so while there was disappointment at the late goal conceded against Swansea and the draw with Chelsea, overall we are still in a strong position.  

 

Last  night's success over West Brom didn't have the flowing football of the win over Norwich a week earlier but was a hard-earned three points.  At this point of the season that's all that matters so that the challenge at the top of the League can be maintained as other top clubs have slipped up in similar matches.  Spurs and Manchester United have both played 19 games and Spurs trail by three points but United have the opportunity to rejoin City at the top of the table but need to beat Newcastle United in a difficult away fixture.  

Spurs' form this season is better than any they have produced in the Premier League and has only been bettered by the 'Double' winning team of 1960 - 61.  Hopefully, a week's rest and recuperation and they will be ready for what is sure to be another difficult match against Everton next Wednesday.

Swansea 1 Tottenham 1

A Swansea equaliser six minutes from time denied Spurs the opportunity to end 2011 with a win and move to within four points of Manchester United with a game in hand.  Rafael Van der Vaart had given them the lead just before half-time but in the end a draw was all that Spurs deserved.

Swansea City 1 Tottenham Hotspur 1

Scorers: Sinclair                                Van der Vaart

Team: Friedel; Walker, Gallas, Kaboul, Assou-Ekotto; Sandro, Parker (Livermore), Modric, Bale, Van der Vaart (Defoe), Adebayor.  Subs (unused): Cudicini, Dawson, Rose, Kranjcar, Pienaar

Tottenham were unchanged from the team that played so well at Norwich but Swansea had made six changes from their draw with QPR.  Swansea started much quicker and denied Spurs time to play the ball out of defence and on four minutes Brad Friedel was called on to make a good save from Nathan Dyer after former Spurs player, Mark Gower, had robbed Scott Parker out on the left wing.  Three Swansea corners in quick succession caused Spurs problems as the home side competed all over the pitch but then ran with purpose when they gained possession.  Spurs were struggling to make an impression on the game and on ten minutes Friedel collected comfortably from a long range shot. 

Two minutes later, Spurs first attacking move ended with a shot from Luka Modric which went past the post.  Gareth Bale's first contribution saw the fullback, Richards, booked for a heavy tackle.  Spurs were unsettled by the Swansea players closing them down quickly and the two wide men were keeping Kyle Walker and Benoit Assou-Ekotto occupied.

Spurs looked dangerous after twenty minutes as they broke through Scott Parker but Emmanuel Adebayor was crowded out.  It was Scott Sinclair who then caused Spurs further alarm with a shot from outside the area which he curled wide.

Spurs were playing much too close and intricate football which encouraged the home players to pressurise them to try to pinch the ball.  Spurs players were never able to turn with the ball and move forward, always having to play it in the direction they were facing.   

It was almost half an hour before Spurs first corner and their first period of pressure around the Swansea area but then Gower took the ball off Adebayor and his long dangerous cross was cleared for a corner.  Spurs nearly benefited from a Swansea error when a short back pass to the goalkeeper fell to Adebayor but Vorm cleared the danger.  From a corner Assou-Ekotto shot just wide as Spurs started to match Swansea by pressurising the home players much more quickly, denying them time but they still had the greater possession which they used well with crisp, accurate passing.

Gareth Bale was having a quiet afternoon and he was booking for diving which created an even more hostile reception for his return to Wales.  Spurs got the break that their play didn't really deserve when Assou-Ekotto crossed from the left and it was deflected to Van der Vaart whose shot was also deflected past Vorm.  Spurs were grateful for that goal and the half-time lead.  Van der Vaart's goal was only the fourth that Swansea had conceded at home this season and in the previous seven games where they had conceded the first goal, Swansea had lost.

After the interval Spurs seemed to start with more purpose and had a break on the left from Bale but Adebayor put his cross just wide.  Luke Moore then had two quick chances for Swansea - a header wide and Wiliam Gallas blocked another attempt on goal.  Another break for Spurs saw Adebayor feed Van  der Vaart but he shot from distance rather than going on into the penalty area and the goalkeeper saved for a corner.  After an hour Bale shot wide after going through the middle from a pass by Adebayor.

Swansea began to exert greater pressure on the Tottenham defence and Friedel saved from Moore and from the resulting corner, a shot was volleyed past the post.  Swansea brought on Danny Graham, their leading goal scorer and with twenty minutes remaining Jermain Defoe replaced Van der Vaart and Jake Livermore came on for the injured Parker.  

Defoe was playing on the right of a five man midfield and Spurs were finding it increasingly difficult to thwart the Swansea attacks.  Sinclair shot and Graham headed over, Kyle Walker cleared a dangerous cross and Modric cleared off the line from the corner.  Walker relieved the pressure with a break and gave the ball to Bale.  He crossed for Adebayor who played in Modric whose shot was blocked and Vorm saved from Adebayor who'd picked up the rebound.

Almost immediately, on 84 minutes, Joe Allen played a long ball out from defence to the right wing and the quick cross was deflected by the lunging Assou-Ekotto but Friedel couldn't hold the cross which fell to Sinclair who scored into the empty net.  Disappointing for Spurs but only what Swansea deserved for their play and endeavour.

In the final minutes Spurs tried to regain the lead - a free-kick from Bale was deflected off the wall and into the hands of Vorm who then saved from a header by Sandro following a cross.

Swansea deserved a point and are probably annoyed not to have won the game.  Spurs will be disappointed to have dropped two points which would have closed the gap on Manchester United to four points with a game in hand but in reality they hardly deserved the single point.  Spurs looked slow in body and mind and never achieved the levels of skill or endeavour they've shown in previous matches.  It's been a tough schedule with two away matches following the home game with Chelsea which was another high pressure game.  Swansea never allowed Spurs to settle or to play their game, the home side dictated throughout and were quicker and more positive in their play.

Spurs missed an opportunity when those around them lost unexpectedly - United at home to Blackburn and Chelsea at home to Aston Villa.  Arsenal have moved into fourth but remain three points behind Spurs who have their game in hand.  Chelsea was a missed opportunity as was Stoke although there were extenuating circumstances.  Spurs can't afford to let many more opportunities slip past them so they need to take advantage of their next three games being at White Hart Lane.  They are then away to Manchester City, followed by a home game against Wigan.  By the end of January we might be in a better position to decide how damaging today's dropped points were in the bigger picture of the Premier League title race.

Swansea will not be an easy side to beat at home and their next opponents at the Liberty Stadium are Arsenal and Chelsea so let's hope they find it as difficult as Spurs found it on the last day of 2011 which has been quite an amazing year in the history of Tottenham and let's hope that the new year brings much more excitement from Harry Redknapp and his players..

They Played for Spurs and Swansea

The history of Tottenham Hotspur is littered with Welshmen who have played for the club and have brought glory to the club both as individuals and with trophy winning teams.  Gareth Bale is currently the name on everyone's mind but before him there was Mike England, Ron Burgess, Cliff Jones and Terry Medwin.  Some of those players played for both Spurs and Swansea with the Welsh club providing Spurs with two members of the 'Double' winning squad.

As Gareth Bale returns to Wales, Spurs can be extremely grateful for the Welsh born players who represented the club in earlier years and for a time after the Second World War there was a succession of players who came from Wales to play football at White Hart Lane.

Terry Medwin signed from Swansea Town in April, 1956 for £25,000.  He played mostly for Spurs on the right wing but had filled all of the forward positions for Swansea.  He had already made three international appearances for Wales prior to joining Spurs and went on to add another 27 caps for his country.  He was a regular for Spurs for the next four seasons but lost his place to Terry Dyson at the start of the 1960 - 61 season but came into the team at times of injury, making 15 appearances.  He regained his place for the 1962 FA Cup triumph but a serious injury on tour in the summer of 1963 led to his eventual retirement.  He made over 200 appearances for Spurs and scored 72 goals.

Cliff Jones - 'Spurs Legend'

Cliff Jones followed Medwin from Swansea to London in February, 1958 and became a Tottenham 'Legend' in his ten years with the club.  He was a member of the 'Double' winning team and the success that followed in 1962 and 1963.  He was an unused substitute for the 1967 FA Cup Final and was still a member of the team when he was transferred to Fulham in October, 1968.  A quick winger who could create and score goals and was fearless when diving in to score goals with his head against players of much greater height and build.  He made 378 League and Cup appearances, scoring 159 goals.

Ron Burgess captained the 'Push and Run' team of the late 1940s and early 1950s, leading them to promotion in 1950 as 2nd Division Champions and then securing the 1st Division title the following year.  He was one of Spurs greatest players and had arrived from Wales in 1939, an immense half-back he eventually moved to Swansea as player-manager in 1954 and ten years later as manager of Watford sold a young Northern Ireland goalkeeper to Tottenham - Pat Jennings was his name.  He made 301 Football League appearances for the club but like so many players of that era, the total would have been so much greater but for losing six years of his footballing career to the Second World War.

Ernie Jones was another winger to move from Swansea to Spurs. He was an amateur with Swansea before the War but joined Bolton in the early 1940s and turned professional.  He returned to Swansea and played for them in the war-time football and had a year in the Football League with the Welsh club before joining Spurs in June, 1947.  He made his debut a few days later on 7th June, 1947 - the latest date on which Spurs has ever played their final game of a season.  He spent two seasons with the club before joining Southampton in May, 1949 as part of the deal which brought Alf Ramsey to White Hart Lane.

Arthur Willis was a full back in the 'Push and Run' team which won the 1st Division title in 1951.  He had joined Spurs in 1938 as an amateur and made 145 League appearances before moving to Swansea in 1954.  He played for them for four seasons and helped them to the Welsh Cup Final in 1956.  He later joined their coaching staff.

In more recent times, Paul Price who played in the 1982 FA Cup Final spent three seasons with Spurs, having joined from Luton Town in 1981.  Price, a Welsh international central defender, joined Swansea in 1984 and spent two years at the Vetch Field.

Mark Kendall was a reserve goalkeeper with Spurs in the late 1970s, making 36 appearances during his time at White Hart Lane.  He left Spurs in 1980 but later in his career he had two seasons with Swansea, helping then win the Welsh Cup.  He also played for them in European competition but was back-up during his time there.  Sadly, Kendall passed away suddenly in 2008, aged 49.

John Hendry who had five seasons with Spurs joined Swansea on loan for a period in 1994.  He later joined Motherwell.  He scored on his Spurs debut at Norwich and scored twice at Highbury as Spurs beat Arsenal 3 - 1 in the last game of 1992 - 93.  He scored five League goals for Spurs in 17 League appearances.

Paul Miller who was such a vital member of the Spurs central defence in the successful team of the 1980s made 12 appearances for Swansea in 1990.  At Tottenham, he formed a great partnership with Graham Roberts and scored the goal in the first leg of the 1984 UEFA Cup Final against Anderlecht in Belgium.

Mark Gower and Wayne Routledge who are currently with Swansea spent time with Spurs earlier in their careers, while Steven Caulker is on loan at Swansea from Spurs for this season to gain Premier league experience.

Terry Yorath played for both clubs as did Mick Stead, Alan Woods, Derek King, Joe Meek, Percy Hooper, Jack Illingworth, Charlie Handley and Wilie Davies.

Tottenham at Swansea - Preview

Spurs go to Swansea for a League game for the first time since October, 1982.  The last time that Tottenham came away with a win in a competitive match was in the first season after the Second World War in September, 1946.

Spurs go to the Liberty Stadium for the first time, all other games in Swansea having been played at the club's former Vetch Field ground which they vacated in 2005.  Swansea won promotion last season by defeating Reading in the play-off Final at Wembley.

They have received credit for their style of play under manager, Brendan Rodgers, and have one of the best home records in this season's Premier League, bettered by only the top five clubs.  They are in 14th position in the League with 19 points, having gained 16 points from their nine home matches.  They have suffered only one defeat by the only goal to Manchester United and were unfortunate to miss the opportunity of a late equaliser.  At home they have conceded only three goals, the meanest home defence in the League, so Spurs will have to be at their attacking best to break through a defence which has had to cope with a number of lengthy absences through injury.

Steven Caulker who is on loan from Tottenham will be missing as he is ineligible, having just returned following a time of injury.  His time with Swansea had been beneficial to him as he has been a regular member of the team at the centre of their defence and has been gaining good reviews as he builds up his Premier League experience, having stepped up from Championship football last year.  Swansea have also been without their captain, Alan Tate, with a broken leg but have coped with the necessary re-organisation.  One of their stars has been Dutch goalkeeper, Michel Vorm, whom they signed from FC Utrecht during August - he made his debut in Swansea's first game in the Premier League at Manchester City.  He kept the City strike force at bay for almost an hour with an exceptional performance and has grown in stature and confidence since that match.

Danny Graham has scored six League goals, two ahead of Scott Sinclair who scored a hat-trick in the play-off final to secure Swansea's Premier League place.  The former Chelsea player joined Swansea in July, 2010.  A year earlier, Nathan Dyer, a winger, another product of the Southampton Academy joined Swansea and he has scored two goals this season, the same as Joe Allen the Welsh international midfielder.

Two former Tottenham players who will be anxious to make an impression are Mark Gower and Wayne Routledge.  Gower came through the Spurs youth system but didn't make it into the first team before moving on to Barnet.   He spent five seasons with Southend United before joining Swansea in 2008 and helped them to promotion last season.  Routledge joined Spurs from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2005 but only made five League appearances for the club.  An early injury hindered his progress with Spurs and he had periods on loan with Portsmouth and Fulham before joining Aston Villa in January, 2008.

Swansea's 2011 - 12 Home Record:
Swansea's last home match ended in a 1 - 1 draw with QPR, their goal being scored by Danny Graham.  That goal in last Tuesday's match was only the third goal they have conceded at home this season.

After their tough introduction to the Premier League, Swansea played out two scoreless draws at home to Wigan and Sunderland.  They then won three home games in a row against WBA (3 - 0), Stoke (2 - 0) and Bolton (3 - 1).  Following the close defeat to United, they drew 0 - 0 with Aston Villa and then defeated Fulham (2 - 0).  The win over Fulham being their only win in their last eight matches as their early season form has taken a dip.

Spurs' League Record at Swansea

P  13  W  4  D  3  L  6  For  14  Ag  18

Spurs and Swansea have only met in the top Division on two occasions, in 1981 - 82 and 1982 - 83 in the 1st Division when Swansea won both of their home matches.  In September, 1982 Glenn Hoddle scored a penalty for Spurs as they lost 1 - 2 and the following year Swansea won 2 - 0.

Prior to those matches, the clubs met in the 2nd Division in the years from 1928 until Spurs won promotion in 1950.  Spurs first match at the Vetch Field ended in a 4 - 0 defeat but the following year in November, 1929 they won 1 - 0, with Ted Harper scoring the goal. The following season Harper scored again as Spurs triumphed 2 - 1, Jimmy Smailes scoring the second goal.  

In March, 1932 they earned a point from a 1 - 1 draw when Tom Evans scored with a penalty.  Spurs' good form in Wales continued in March, 1933 with a 2 - 0 success provided by goals from Les Howe and Willie Evans.

That was the end of their success until 1946 when two goals from Les Bennett gave Spurs another 2 - 0 win.  Even in their promotion year of 1949 - 50 the Spurs 'Push and Run' side failed to take any points from Swansea, losing 0 - 1 in April, 1950.

Having triumphed in the east (at Norwich) last Tuesday, Spurs will need to show the same resilient form which has stood them in good stead for most of this season as they travel west to Wales for their final game of 2011.  Gareth Bale will want to make an impression as he returns to his homeland but may not necessarily receive a warm welcome from the home fans, especially as he was born in Cardiff.  

The miserly Swansea defence will be doing their utmost to prevent Spurs getting into their free-flowing style of play so the visitors will be able to take no liberties with Swansea on their first match at the Liberty Stadium.