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Good Saturday morning to you, Spurs fans. Tottenham Hotspur take on Southampton in a match that is a crucially important one for Spurs' Champions League qualification hopes. Essentially, this game is a must-win. Drop points here, and Spurs are pretty much consigned to life outside the top four. But no pressure!!
Scott Parker fails a fitness test (reportedly) and doesn't make the side. Spurs start the match either in a weird 4-2-3-1 or possibly a 4-4-2 with Bale and Defoe up top. Could be either. Or something else. We'll see.
Southampton are without two of their stalwarts Gaston Ramirez and Danny Fox, as both received red cards in the Saints' 3-0 loss to West Brom last week. Curiously, Jason Puncheon also doesn't get the start. Mauricio Pochettino's squad is comfortably mid-table but they are still not out of the relegation scrap mathmatically. They've been playing very well lately, going six games unbeaten before last week's drubbing.
Here's our starting line-up: Lloris; Walker, Dawson, Vertonghen, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Dembele, Huddlestone, Dempsey; Bale, Defoe. #THFC
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 4, 2013
And here are our subs today: Friedel, Caulker, Naughton, Carroll, Holtby, Sigurdsson, Adebayor. #THFC #COYS
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 4, 2013
SOUTHAMPTONBoruc, Clyne, Fonte, Hooiveld, Shaw, Cork, S. Davis, Guly, Lallana, Rodriguez, Lambert
— FOX Soccer Trax (@FOXSoccerTrax) May 4, 2013
The game is being broadcast in the United States on ESPN2 and online on ESPN3.com. Stupidly, it appears as though this game is not on TV in the U.K. which must be wrong, but I can't find anything about it. Brits, you're on your own, sorry. As always, no links to illegal streams or SUFFER MY WRATH!! RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRR!!
Guys. GUYS. This is an important game. A huge, massively important game. But it's still just a game. Even though I know nobody reads this far in the match thread write-ups, I'm asking you to please think about what you type and act with decorum and respect for all posters, no matter what happens today. Let's show everyone why we're one of the best SBNation and Tottenham Hotspur communities out there. GO TEAM!
Oh, and feel free to use this to finish up the discussion of the Championship matches as well.