Foy’s the Ref at OT so what chance do we have?

Spurs face Manchester United on Saturday evening in what should be quite a close game…but Chris Foy is the referee so in truth, there’s not much point travelling up there, is there? He is the man who sent Younes Kaboul off for two debatable yellows and then disallowed a perfectly good Ade goal, although he was over a yard onside. Surely this means that, at Old Trafford, we have no hope and Man Utd will be awarded at least 3 penalties?

Oh well, at least Paul Scholes retired from football long ago. He sure knew how to pick a pass. Pardon? Wait, what? He’s still playing? Oh, you must be joking! I may as well leave now! *slams desk*

But realistically, AVB’s Tottenham go into this game with a chance of getting something out of it. They are on a 5 game unbeaten run and have won their last two in the league, and Man U haven’t exactly fired yet. They have won 5 of their 7 games this season (in all competitions) by a solitary goal and this suggests that we have a decent chance to snatch something from the game.

The key will be Spurs’ defence. Walker and Gallas have been poor so far this season and need to improve for this game, or they could be destroyed by RVP and co. Vertonghen is playing like a machine at the moment and we need this to continue as he is the glue in this team currently. He will probably play at left back, though, with Steven Caulker slotting in in the centre, as the Gareth Bale experiment really didn’t work last time – he was so ineffective it was unbelievable. With RVP as the top league goalscorer this season, and us not having kept a clean sheet in the league yet, this will be a crucial duel.

Spurs also need to fire in attack, though. Man Utd are missing a key player in Nemanja Vidic – although they have grown used to being without him – and the pace of Spurs’ flanks and striker could make a vital difference. Bale and Lennon will fancy their chances against Rafael and Evra and if they can get good service to JD and even Sigi, then we could definitely score a few goals at OT this time. Defoe will want to add goals to secure his place even after Ade’s return from injury.

Spurs are notoriously atrocious at OT, and the form book says that Man Utd should win this one. I think Spurs have a chance, if they play extremely well (like parts of the Reading game), but it will be very tough to hold a lead or even a draw there. Saying that, I think the final score will be:

Manchester United 2 – 2 Tottenham

I’ll be ecstatic if I’m right!

By Alex Beck