Thrilla With The Villa

Anyone see that Valencia v Real Madrid game on Saturday night? Well I’ll be damned if it wasn’t one of the finest pieces of footballing entertainment my kickball weary peepers have seen in a long time. Yes, there was diving and play acting, but transcending that was a game of incredible drama and quality that the EPL is simply incapable of conjuring up. Ronaldo was on a different planet at times, not least in his solo effort that proved to be the winner in Real’s 2-3 win, and Soldado? If he’s even approaching available, he’d improve any side on these shores.

Spurs, of course, will attempt to show off their own brand of quality, and inevitably present a modicum of drama as well tonight, as we take on our 4-4 Thrilla with the Villa opponents from a few seasons back, as the men of Aston roll into town to cross swords with, City aside, the league’s form team. Who, us? Why, yes.

Not sure there’s any doubt that Villa will come for a point by packing the middle and waiting for Darren Bent to run onto something or other. It’s not a whole new approach, but it’s one we’ve had only mild success with in recent times, so we’ll need to have heeded the lessons of the past, and if they’re all fit, it’s the same team that beat Fulham that should be on show. 4-4-2, at home, away or on neutral ground is dinosauric, so no trying to lever Defoe in for this one please.

We should have far too much for them, but McLeish nearly got a point with Birmingham on the final day of last term; only conspiring forces elsewhere forced him to open up and eventually allow us to win it. He’ll be banking on the same master plan tonight, with better players, so we’ll need to be pretty darn good.

Spurs by the odd goal says I, but I’ve come over all Newcastle in the immediate lead up and horribly envisage a point. Hope that’s incorrect.