This weekend witnesses the biggest game for the U’s in a decade with Tottenham Hotspur our illustrious visitors to the WHCS for an intriguing Fourth Round FA Cup tie in front of a 10,000 full house.

With BT Sport televising the game and Big Sam (he’s 7 feet tall) offering his valuable comments together with Glen Hoddle and Robbie Savage, it is difficult to envisage a better atmosphere or occasion since the U’s moved to their new stadium in 2008.

Now the FA Cup offers a welcome respite from the misery of league one for KK and his Super U’s. Mid-week results conspired to send the U’s bottom (albeit temporarily) but the only way is up.

KK will never get an easier match in order to motivate his squad; easy in the sense that the match itself should be sufficient motivation without the need for words. The problem of course is that everyone wants to play in the big game and there will be disappointment.

KK has kept faith with his players so far and I envisage only two changes to face the Spurs first teamers and their fringe players.

KK will stick with his trusty 4,4,2 and I expect a line up as follows:

Kean

Brindley Wynter Eastman Shorey

Garvan Gilbey Moncur Massey

Porter Sordell

Subs:
Parish Elokobi Vincent-Young Briggs Edwards Lee Wright

The inclusion of Shorey might be controversial, but we signed him for this sort of game and he will give the defence some added experience and open up the possibility of a spectacular free kick. This is also the match where Sordell has to replicate some of his higher league experience and to translate opportunities into goals. Chris Porter is also due a goal or two! Surely George Moncur will relish this high profile exposure as well. I would also expect to see Lee and Wright appear second half.

By contrast Mauricio Pochettino, who has fashioned a strong Tottenham team, will be determined not to lose this game and so will field a similar team to that which defeated Leicester in the recent replay.

We may not see either Harry Kane or Dele Alli in their starting line-up but there is the possibility of both receiving an outing from the bench.

Pochettino may opt for a 4,2,3,1 formation thus:

Vorm

Walker Alderweireld Wimmer Davies

Dembele Bentaleb

Lamela Eriksen Onomah

Son Heung Min

Subs:
Lloris Trippier Winks Rose Kane Alli Chadli

Spurs are having an outstanding season; still involved in the Europa League, fourth in the Premier League and still battling in the FA Cup. Only three league defeats (what would we give for such a record!) means that Pochettino has them playing superbly and in Kane and Alli they have two of the best up and coming England stars for Euro 16.

KK will know that we must show them respect but definitely not fear. Too many lower league team fail in these contests because they are intimidated by their opponents and stand-off them rather than getting in their faces from the outset.

We also have players with guile and pace and should not be afraid to express ourselves. This is just the sort of match where the U’s can forget for 90 minutes about the 18 cup finals to come and instead play out of their skins on a decent WHCS surface to achieve what might be a brilliant outcome against one of the best teams in the country. Securing a replay at White Hart Lane is not beyond the Super U’s providing we play at our best and Spurs perhaps underestimate us a little (just a little).

The Spurs game will enable a capacity crowd to see the U’s at their best and together with the TV Cameras (we normally do well in televised games) will maximise the team’s exposure.

It will be a special day and one for the faithful to savour.

Enjoy the game.

Up the U’s

Photo: Action Images

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