Match Preview: Villa v Spurs

Who are we playing?

Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday 2nd November at 4pm-ish

Where are we playing?

Villa Park

Can I go?

After five defeats on the bounce without a single goal, tickets will not be hard to come by.

Easy to get to?

Should be an absolute doddle. 

Can I watch it on telly?

We are the feature game on Sky Sports Super Sunday. Yet bear in mind that if you choose to watch at home or in the pub, the players can't hear you telling them how shite they are.

Big game?

Huge.

Spurs have struggled with the Curse of the Europa League this term, culminating in a shock home defeat at the hands of Alan Pardew's poor Newcastle outfit. It must stick in Pochettino's craw that his old club Southampton are riding high after a lightning quick rebuild by Ronald Koeman.

Villa were exposed as completely impotent at Loftus Road, offering little or no creativity despite our West London opponents giving us possession at every available opportunity.

Tom Fox

Gabby and Weimann looked like passengers in that game and surely won't keep getting selected unless they offer a bit more. As for the defence, quite frankly if Jores Okore can't do a better job than Ciaran Clark, we should ship him back to Denmark.

Desperate times call for free thinking and we'd bring in enthusiastic puppy Jack Grealish, who would certainly give our opponents something to think about and maybe offer Big Chris Benteke more than a few crumbs to feed off.

Anything other than a win will certainly test the minerals of new Chief Exec Tom Fox. Were we to go six Premier League games without a goal, then Paul Lambert's position - four year contract or not - becomes untenable.

Typical Spurs fan - Rhona

Do Spurs have any famous fans? 

Well (we think) there's Lara Croft model and Strike Back actress Rhona Mitra, Chas and Dave out of Chas n Dave and "top" comedy impressionist Bobby Davro.

We've got fiddle playing scruffbox Nigel Kennedy.

So we win.

Who's playing for us?

Really hard to say because we don't believe that anyone is guaranteed a starting berth any more. Even the normally reliable Brad Guzan has been playing like his palms have been buttered of late and Shay Given has been keeping his sharpness with appearances in the Under 21s. Jed Steer was back from Doncaster but has buggered off to Yeovil.

Clearly, losing Baker, Senderos and most recently Alan Hutton has not been beneficial to the back line and we're keeping our fingers crossed that they are back sooner rather than later, though it's not looking likely for this game.

It's no use, the bugger's indestructible

We've not really solved the thorny issue of what to do without Fabian Delph as yet but if Joe Cole can't force his way in the starting line up in these circumstances, he never will. 

Who's playing for them?

Pochettino may want to shuffle his pack after the Newcastle debacle with Harry Kane, Aaron Lennon and Roberto Soldado pushing for recalls.

He said, She said

Paul Lambert "We go again" (honest, he actually said that - AGAIN)

Any useless stats?

Of course, here you go:

Jasper McLuckie

• Spurs have beaten us 68 times while we have 55 wins. There have been 35 draws.

• Last time we beat Spurs at Villa Park, it was New years Day 2008. Olof Mellberg and Martin Laursen scored in a 2-1 victory.

• Our first ever encounter with Spurs was an FA Cup Quarter Final at White Hart Lane in 1903. We ran our 3-2 winners thanks to a brace from the gloriously monikered Jasper McLuckie and one from George Johnson.

• Tony Hateley knocked in 4 as we pulled off a 5-5 draw at Spurs in 1966 in a game we could have won.

Prediction

Going for a 1-0 Spurs win.