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Squirts v West Ham United FC 
REFEREE: ANDRE MARRINER
Football managers are a bit like chickens in their coop - when one is dragged off for the chop it tends to leave the others feeling distinctly uneasy.
The sudden and savage nature of the sacking of Roberto Di Matteo at Chelsea will have sent a few feathers flying but will not have surprised Andre Villas Boas, whose reign of 40 matches at Stamford Bridge spanned just two fewer games than that of the Italian.
In succeeding Harry Redknapp at Spurs, Villas Boas took over from a manager who was extremely popular with the fans, had just guided the club to fourth in the Premier League and whose common touch had only recently made him favourite for the England job with the public at large.
Under those circumstances any manager needs a good start, but Tottenham have, so far, been average under the Portuguese. Four defeats in their last five Premier League games have left him looking vulnerable and he must be hoping Daniel Levy will prove more supportive than Roman Abramovich.
Comparisons to those Tottenham managerial mishaps embodied by Christian Gross and Jacques Santini are premature; neither had Villas Boas's charm or his command of English, but he does need a winning streak.
West Ham have been punching above their weight this season and are entering a run of fixtures which will be a severe test of their credentials.
After Spurs, it's Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, West Brom, Everton and Arsenal in a fearsome, frantic month. Even five or six points from those seven games would be a terrific achievement for a squad which has only a smattering of real quality supported by a cast reliant on perspiration rather than inspiration.
The one guy at West Ham who doesn't need to be sweating is Sam Allardyce - one of the few chickens feeling safe in his coop.[/center]
| Tottenham | West Ham |
|---|---|
 Lazio 0 Tottenham 0 |  West Ham 1 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] Stoke City 1 |
 Arsenal 5 Tottenham 2 |  Newcastle 0 West Ham 1 |
 Man City 2 Tottenham 1 | West Ham 0 Man City 0 |
Tottenham 3 Maribo 1 |  Wigan 2 West Ham 1 |
| Tottenham 0 Wigan 1 | West Ham 4 Southampton 1 |
 Norwich 2 Tottenham 1 | West Ham 1 Arsenal 3 |
Tottenham
Emmanuel Adebayor will begin his three-match suspension this weekend after he was dismissed against Arsenal last time out. The Togolese striker is likely to be replaced by Jermain Defoe as Spurs' focal point in attack, with Hugo Lloris expected to retain his place in goal ahead of Brad Friedel.
Midfielder Mousa Dembele is back to full fitness and is likely to start against the Hammers, while midfielder Scott Parker could feature after doing light training this week.
West Ham United FC
West Ham midfielder Yossi Benayoun is unlikely to start at White Hart Lane as he is still struggling with a knee injury. However, the Israel international could make the bench for the Hammers.
Winger Matt Jarvis remains on the sidelines with a knee injury, while attacker Modibo Maiga could retain his place in the Sam Allardyce's lineup.
Lawro has his say
Tottenham need to win this game, otherwise the pressure really is on their manager Andre Villas-Boas.
Spurs fans tore into him after they were beaten by Arsenal last weekend and that was no surprise - it is just the way they are.
Lose a game when you are Tottenham boss and you are in a mess. Lose three league games in a row, including a north London derby, like Villas-Boas has done, and you are really in trouble.
I don't really get what the fuss is about. They are eighth in the Premier League, when the best they can expect to be is fourth, fifth or sixth. There has been little in the last three or four years to suggest anything different, because there are better teams than them.
Villas-Boas gambled a bit with his formation and his tactics after Emmanuel Adebayor had been sent off against Arsenal, and there is nothing wrong with that.
But his problem is that he said: "I thought we were in control of the game from the first minute to the last", which was a strange thing to say after you have just been beaten 5-2.
West Ham are awkward opponents at the best of times, and Sunday will be no different.
What you see is what you get with the Hammers but I have a feeling Spurs will respond to their problems and find some gaps in the Hammers defence.
And of course, after they win, Villas-Boas will be the best manager in the world.
Prediction: 2-0
Spurs fans tore into him after they were beaten by Arsenal last weekend and that was no surprise - it is just the way they are.
Lose a game when you are Tottenham boss and you are in a mess. Lose three league games in a row, including a north London derby, like Villas-Boas has done, and you are really in trouble.
I don't really get what the fuss is about. They are eighth in the Premier League, when the best they can expect to be is fourth, fifth or sixth. There has been little in the last three or four years to suggest anything different, because there are better teams than them.
Villas-Boas gambled a bit with his formation and his tactics after Emmanuel Adebayor had been sent off against Arsenal, and there is nothing wrong with that.
But his problem is that he said: "I thought we were in control of the game from the first minute to the last", which was a strange thing to say after you have just been beaten 5-2.
West Ham are awkward opponents at the best of times, and Sunday will be no different.
What you see is what you get with the Hammers but I have a feeling Spurs will respond to their problems and find some gaps in the Hammers defence.
And of course, after they win, Villas-Boas will be the best manager in the world.
Prediction: 2-0
Last edited by Admin on Sun 25 Nov 2012, 2:26 pm; edited 14 times in total
will score today 
Didnt see your post till after I had posted mine .... Sorry