We have previously collaborated with Tottenham site Spursforlife.com and are pleased to hear some views from the other side! Just because they are rival London supporters, doesn't mean they don't feel equally passionate about the team they support. Sometimes it can be beneficial to see the view from afar, because it can be difficult to see the forest for the trees!
"The first London derby for months, Spurs will host West Ham United just four days after the 1-1 against Manchester United. When Spurs take on West Ham, it is usually a feisty affair. We have had quite the history with the Hammers. Since the beginning of the Barclays Premier League Spurs have won 23 out of the 47 encounters, with nine draws.
The last time we met in the league it was an exciting affair. We managed to run out 3-2 victors at the Olympic Stadium. But West Ham ran us close after we had built a three-goal cushion. Angelo Ogbonna’s goal came perhaps a little too late for any real comeback to be on though. It was another worrying case of how Spurs can switch off late in the match. This fault resurfaced again when Eric Dier pulled Paul Pogba down for Manchester United’s equaliser late on on Friday night.
Hopefully, Spurs will bring more of an attacking display worthy of a home side when West Ham come to visit. It would be disappointing to see too many players sitting behind the ball. After, this is a derby! Kane with his hold up play and goal scoring nous has been a key figure in many London derbies over the years. But, in his last match he looked a shadow of his true self. This was a worrying sight for us. It is not a huge concern yet, since this is his only competitive match since returning from the hamstring injury.
However, it will be interesting to see how many minutes Kane will be able to play. He will want to start, and we would love him to start, but perhaps it is not wise to throw him back into the fire too soon. Heung-Min Son could step up in his place. We remember fondly his thunderbolt goal against West Ham!
We still cannot afford to underestimate West Ham, though. Their late defeat to Wolves provides even more motivation to get a result in this upcoming derby. Spurs’ defence has been leaky all season. They still have only managed four clean sheets. Thus, Tottenham must be wary of the attacking and creative West Ham players to get a result in the match.
The Achilles’ heel of most defences is to get in behind them, and that was exactly how Manchester United pegged Spurs back. The likes of Manuel Lanzini have the speed and agility to easily skip past defenders to get to the by-line. Michail Antonio is another player that still haunts Spurs fans’ dreams and can be a handful on his day.
This upcoming derby match will be still be an unpredictable affair. I think that both sides, like most in the Premier League, are yet to really reach match fitness. If Spurs set up defensively like they did against United, then West Ham will always have a chance if they make sure to guard themselves from the counterattacks. I think that Mourinho will likely favour this defend then counter-attack approach which could result in some late drama if the scores remain close in the dying moments of the match. "
Written by Declan Wiseman who writes for Spurs blog, Spursforlife.com.
Well, there you have it, how some opposition supporters view the Irons, rather complimentary if you ask us.The News regarding Haller and Snodgrass is not encouraging, who would have thought at the beginning of the much anticipated season that we would be ruing the unavailability of an over 30 year old player deemed to be in the twilight of his career, such has the team's fall from grace been. If they are to stand any chance what so ever of gaining any thing from the forth coming game at White Hart Lane, then David Moyes' men need to remind themselves of the fate awaiting them and the club should they not up their game to another level entirely. - Ed
