Saturday's old pal's act

Posted by Jon Champion on 10/09/2009

So, South Africa it is then. Supine Croatia, super England. And England's Mister Big at Wembley was the smallest player in the Barclays Premier League. Someone with a sympathetic streak officially measured Aaron Lennon at 5'5". They would have been better served putting a radar gun on him and measuring his speed because this jet-heeled flyer is proving far too quick for most opponents this season.

Come Saturday and the visit of the ESPN cameras to White Hart Lane for the game of the weekend, Lennon will again be the focus - a winger on centre-stage. It'll be Patrice Evra's turn to try to shackle him, something he conspicuously failed to do when Tottenham met Manchester United in last season's Carling Cup Final.

That was noted by the coaching staffs of both clubs and was raised before the most recent meeting of the sides, an extraordinary League fixture at Old Trafford in late April. Spurs led 2-0 that afternoon and were making the champions look pedestrian until the unfortunate intervention of Howard Webb. England's top referee awarded a penalty when Michael Carrick tumbled in the vicinity of Heurelho Gomes, and Ronaldo's spot-kick offered Manchester United a route back into a game that had looked beyond them.

22 minutes later, United had scored five to keep their title pursuit on course, and Webb's admission that he got the big decision wrong was of little solace to Tottenham. Everyone makes mistakes, Webb fewer than most, but Spurs fans will point out that if their team had won that day they would have qualified for Europe.

Football being what it is, though, all that is ancient history and the challenge for Messrs Redknapp and Ferguson this weekend is to galvanise players who have travelled the world in the cause of their countries over the past ten days. At the Carrington training ground, the staff are used to the post internationals routine. At Spurs Lodge, it's still something of a novelty to have fourteen players away, indeed Redknapp claims that he's only had one fit first team player available to train. Given the number of coaches available to a Premier League team these days, David Bentley will never have had so much attention!

The Tottenham manager relishes visits from Manchester United. Go back 25 years on his CV and you'll find one of the great FA Cup upsets. Redknapp's Bournemouth humbled Ron Atkinson's United at Dean Court and ever since, there's been a special edge to Redknapp against the Reds.

That expends to his relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson. There is genuine affection and respect between the two. An hour before kick-off, both are more interested in racing than football. Encounter them in the tunnel and their first question will concern the 2-15 at Lingfield rather than anything to do with Liverpool. But come kick-off they are consumed by their real passion.

One from Glasgow, the other from London's East End...The Guv'nor from Govan, Mr. Popular from Poplar. Last year their teams fought out a draw at White Hart Lane and so pleased were both managers that they indulged in a hug on the touchline BEFORE the final whistle. Tottenham's ambitions, exemplified by Lennon's rise, have sharpened since then. Roll on Saturday teatime...

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Posted by Varun Deshpande on 12/09/2009

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