United poised for a classic against Spurs

07 September 2009 15:07
WILL Harry be hailed the undisputed king of White Hart Lane or will Fergie outfox his mate and spoil Spurs' party? Who knows what will happen in the biggest game of the season so far when Spurs take on United. What a match Saturday's Premier League showdown promises to be. Over the years, these two great clubs have served up some epic clashes and another classic appears on the cards. White Hart Lane ranks among football's great theatres and the stage is set for two gladiators to lock horns. Harry Redknapp has pulled Spurs up by the bootlaces yet Sir Alex Ferguson still remains the master when the stakes are at their highest. One man genuinely relishing Saturday's showdown, which is being screened live by ESPN, is former England star Chris Waddle who spent four successful seasons with Spurs. Waddle told MEN Sport: "Spurs have certainly started the season strongly. They have been creating a lot of chances and I would go so far as to say they have possibly been looking sharper than United. "They have been zipping the ball around and are clearly enjoying their football. Winning breeds confidence and I get the impression they're a good group of lads who want to do well. Spurs ability "Harry has clearly instilled a lot of belief. He also knows his players and what it takes to make them tick. "He is one of those managers who keeps things simple but he likes to tell his players how good they are. This is very good man management on his part and clearly works." Waddle believes former Wigan star Wilson Palacios has been a terrific signing for Spurs, adding steel and bite to midfield. He added: "Palacios is a good player who works ever so hard. I would possibly liked to have seen someone else brought in to play alongside him. Modric is a big loss for Harry because he has the ability to hurt opponents in the final third. "Harry has brought in Kranjcar from Portsmouth to bolster his squad and he, too, can certainly spot a pass." Waddle will be keeping a close eye on the key midfield battle and the return to White Hart Lane for the United duo of Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov adds further spice. "Carrick is a talented two-footed player. He plays very well alongside Paul Scholes. They link up and have such great effect," added Waddle. "When Scholes does not play I don't think United have a decisive passer in midfield. "Carrick can hit and pass a ball 10 yards and do as well with it over 50 but in my view United are still looking for the right blend. "The team used to pick itself. They're well organised and they are extremely hard-working but I feel they still tend to rely on Scholes and Ryan Giggs for providing and injecting that vital bit of extra quality. "Darren Fletcher is a grafter. He is coming on well and he has grown in stature over the last six or seven months. Nani has displayed brilliance along with inconsistency and this is what I mean about still looking for the right formula. "Antonio Valencia has got lots of ability and is willingly prepared to work his socks off but it could take two or three months before he knows exactly what it feels like to be wearing a United shirt. Valencia, though, has definitely got the ability." Waddle is warning United to be wary of Spurs' in-form striker Jermain Defoe. He said: "Defoe is a predator around who can pull the trigger at any time. He has never let England down and he's scoring. Premier League picture "Defoe is hard to deal with. Harry obviously knows how to get the best out of him. The same can be said for Peter Crouch. Like I say, Harry likes his characters and he knows their mentality. "Robbie Keane is a good foil for Defoe. He needs a partner that can take the weight off him and is always going to pose a threat." Turning his attentions to the overall Premier League picture, Waddle feels Chelsea will be the team to beat. He greatly admires their engine-room midfield, adding: "They have strong technical players in there who can dominate the game." As for Manchester City, Waddle says: "City have the potential but there are question marks over their midfield. I feel there needs to be a place in it for Nigel De Jong and Stephen Ireland should be allowed to get forward. "If so, Ireland, who is talented, could do for City what Lampard does for Chelsea and what Gerrard does for Liverpool. "Mark Hughes is doing a terrific job at City. Shay Given has been pulling off some fantastic saves. All in all, it's been a very interesting start to the new season and we've already seen some very good performances and some really good goals." Chris Waddle will join Jon Champion as co-commentator for Saturday's clash between United and Spurs at White Hart Lane. Coverage begins at 5pm with Kevin Keegan joining Ray Stubbs in the studio, while pitch-side reporter Rebecca Lowe delivers last-minute news and interviews live from the ground. ESPN and ESPN HD are available to Sky, Virgin, BT Vision, Top Up TV and Tiscali TV customers. For more information on how to subscribe to these services, visit www.epsn.co.uk or call 08 442 577 442. Do you think United will beat Spurs? Have your say.

Source: Manchester_EveningNews