Tottenham Hotspur Vs. Wigan Athletic.

A welcome return to real football, as Spurs take on Wigan in a game which should embrace two teams looking to play good football, or at least try to...

Spurs will want a return of some fluidity to their game, whilst Wigan for all their new brand of Champagne football, desperately need some consistency and for a little luck to go their way. Although I stand to be corrected tomorrow, I wonder if the break could prove more welcome for Tottenham than for Wigan, who perhaps need games to establish a better understanding, where as Spurs could have perhaps welcomed a chance of scenery.

In many ways Wigan may well fancy their chances tomorrow, based on our stuttering form in recent weeks and a positive start is sure to make the home players and fans nervous after five, shall we say unconvincing performances from the boys. The break may well have taken the players` minds off of domestic issues and they can come back refocused and refreshed, still very much in contention for the CL places and they will know very well that four points from tomorrow and the trip to Villa Park would go a long way to re-establishing their momentum.

Wigan are playing "Brazilianesque" football under Roberto Martinez (well at least for them) and have probably deserved better from recent games and performances. Changing the style and mindset from the Steve Bruce Reign, is a very big and tough task for Martinez and I am delighted that he has stepped up to the Prem and a potential banana skin of a job and looks to be establishing himself as a genuine contender for the top jobs in the very near future.

Wigan travel down to the game, with only Maynor Figueroa out, which looks likely to give a WHL return to Erik Edman, who was so prematurely dumped for Lee Young Pyo, a favourite of Martin Jol (obviously behind the back of Damian Comolli...

Despite Wigan being without Figueroa, they will have the equally impressive Honduran Hendry Thomas to put fire in the belly of our own Wilson Palacios. This is a game where I genuinely hope we see the re-emergence of Palacios, after a few months of personal turmoil. Not that he has played badly, but I get the feeling that the edge has been lost from his game following the confirmation of the death of his brother, and in a way the potential banter between fellow countrymen, may have sparked something into Wilson and put a smile on his face and some fire in his belly. For me he has the toughest job on the pitch for Spurs and if he isn`t firing on all cylinders, we lose something as a team.

For Spurs, much will depend on the mindset of Robbie Keane. After the heartbreak of the Republic missing out on the World Cup, Harry may opt to give him a rest for tomorrow, but Robbie could just as well come back and be desperate to play. This will be a 50/50 call for Harry and could easily go either way. If he does play, it has to be as a striker. I am a huge Keano fan, but in attack, not a left midfielder, which in the continued absence of Luka Modric, could be his place this weekend, but I sincerely hope not, for him and the team.

The good news is that we look likely to see a return of Aaron Lennon and possibly Sebastien Bassong, with the former, certain to start and perhaps Bassong left to sit on the bench in favour of Dawson and Woodgate. The additional pace of Bassong could give him the edge over Daws, but that would surely depend on the new boys fitness.

Despite some disappointing results in recent weeks and three league wins in eight since the loss of Luka Modric. The truth is, that despite not playing very well, we have battled ten points from those games, which included playing the best three teams in the country (two away). Would we have done this prior to Harry coming in, is up for debate, but what is indisputable is that getting points when not playing well, has to be a positive, especially when others around you are also struggling.

What is important, is for Spurs be play with the freedom of early in the season and appear to be enjoying their football. This hasn`t been the case in recent weeks, for whatever reason, but this could be an opportunity to play to our strengths against a side who are trying to play an open and attractive style Perhaps this is a game where we can expect a straight fight between two sides playing 4-4-2, which hasn`t been the case as we have seemingly looked to match the other side`s formation and bolster our central midfield, at the detriment of our own game.

I don`t believe that Wigan will win for the first time at WHL, though they are certainly capable of springing a shock, as Villa and Chelsea know very well. I have a sneaking suspicion that Spurs will find some form and get a decent win here and a result that may flatter, but look good on paper. I will go with a 3-1 home win and go with a couple from Robbie Keane with a stiff two fingers towards the French border.

My team for tomorrow would be: Gomes, Corluka, Woodgate, Bassong (Dawson), Ekotto, Lennon, Palacios, Jenas, Kranjcar, Keane and Defoe. An unlucky drop out for Hudd, but I wouldn`t be disappointed to see him in, instead of JJ, as long as we play with a team playing to our strengths, rather than look to counter the opposition...

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