Hope and Expectation...This Will Be A Special One!

If ever there was a game that was hard to call then Today's clash with our nearest rivals is just that! Two squads who have been hopelessly underperforming face into a derby that will surely throw the form book in the bin. Add to that the Mourinho factor and not even Nostradamus could predict this one. 

Right now there seems to be a civil war playing out at Tottenham and, whatever else, Mourinho is hardly the peacemaking type they sorely need right now. With a squad who in many cases seem to be looking to move on, Mourinho's arrival may well accelerate that process but just how that impacts upon the team performance remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, any player lacking full commitment will struggle today in what will be a cauldron-like atmosphere!

As for us, in terms of what has gone wrong - quite simply (1) we are missing Fabianski both as a shot stopper but also as a defensive captain, (2) the defensive half of our midfield is not protecting the centre backs enough and, yes, I am saying that Declan Rice needs to step up! (3) we look feeble at set pieces. With two small full backs, Anderson, Noble, Lanzini and Fornals is it any wonder we look fragile when the ball is floated into our box? Thankfully, Antonio's return will surely add presence for those corners and free kicks that we have been struggling at (4) as a result of the above we keep falling behind. In the current Premiership most teams are more than capable of punishing a team that is chasing a game. Hence the recent drubbings to modest opposition.

My head and my heart both tell me this will be a cracker!!! However, its hard to call who will be happier come the final whistle - Warren Mitchell (quietly a Spurs fan) or his TV character the infamous Alf Garnett? Mystic Mark Lawrenson reckons it'll be a draw so we can exclude that as a possibility. Meanwhile, the considerably more accurate Rory Nostradamus sadly can' t make it today but reckons it'll be 3-2 to the Hammers, with Antonio coming on as a super sub to grab the winner!

COYI!!!