The big news ahead of this evening's game is that Jermain Defoe and Aaron Lennon are back in contention and with Rafael van der Vaart ruled out, both could play from the start.

"Jermain has trained okay in the last couple of days and Aaron Lennon as well, he's coming back, he's looked sharp," said Harry on Friday.

It's still pretty much impossible to find any actual news other than the Redknapp for England links but it is worth just looking at some of the manager's quotes since he was first questioned on the subject.

"Of course it is nice that people put me in a position where they think I've got a chance of getting the job.

The football world already has it all planned out: fans, players, ex-players, pundits and journalists alike all want Harry Redknapp to replace Fabio Capello as England manager, following the Italian's resignation yesterday evening.

Some were already looking beyond Euro 2012 Capello had already planned to retire after this summer's tournament to the Redknapp era, convinced he would be the man for the job at some point.

Harry odds on but read this before you bet. The JimmyG2 Column Today we welcome our Founder Muser JimmyG2 to the spare room to reflect on the ongoing Capello, Redknapp, England Manager, farrago. Good afternoon Jimmy and thanks for coming in at such short notice. Entirely my pleasure. I was just sexing some chickens but they can wait.

Personally I'm quite pleased to hear both Redknapp and Mandaric have been cleared of tax evasion, it can't have been a great few months for either of the guys. Anyway, I think Redknapp would do a good job as future manager of England, and I don't think the FA would have touched him had he been prosecuted or given a criminal record.

THFC1882 present a match report by Anthony Lombardi

Liverpool and Tottenham: Both Clubs Fail to Dare and To Do.

Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur drew 0-0 at Anfield, in a tight Premier League encounter that neither team wanted to lose, or seemed determined enough to try and win.

So another transfer window comes to a close. This unlike many others was surprisingly quiet, mainly due to clubs now having to take into account UEFA's Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations. Another reason for the quiet was our gaffer's appearances in court seriously restricting his ability to go on Sky Sports News every five minutes and tell the world which 'top top players' he was looking at.

Some time in December, a story emerged in the papers linking Spurs with a move for Manchester City's Carlos Tevez. In truth, nobody really believed it but at the time, a ‘source' stated that it would be the biggest deal since Klinsmann.

In the end, we got a transfer that was reminiscent of a deadline day deal that happened a few years ago.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Ekanga Amia of Equatorial Guinea shows the world why the Academy were so wrong to overlook him in the Oscar shortlist. His side went on to beat Senegal 2-1 in the Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday.

The day isn't close to being done but we're so giddy about today's preparedness that we're willing to share our Good Week/Bad Week update with you all early.

By Chris Wright

Seems like our 'Arry's key defence in his tax-swindling trial is that he, and I quote, "writes like a two-year old", "can't spell" and is "the most disorganised man in the world" ergo there's no way he could've diddled Her Majesty (so to speak) out of £189,500.

Three days on, that stamp is still the major talking point in football, dominating the backpages and sports leads. Not that it was a stamp, of course. Poor Mario has been cruelly victimised by referees. I realise English isn't his first language but he really has to get to grips with what 'victimised' actually means, as opposed to ‘stay on the pitch and score the crucial winning goal that could lead to the league title'.

Private market in Asia mockingly offering 1.47 that Redknapp either sent down or forced to reach an accommodation about his past income as well as his future revenue streams.
Rumour going around that bank acct Rosie 47 originally named 'Rosebud'...

The great irony here being that if it was Peter Crouch, it 100% would have gone inFootball, the great reducing force in all our lives. If Jermain Defoe had stretched for that Bale cross just a millisecond earlier, we'd all be headed to work this morning without that overbearing sense of melancholy that you're probably still feeling.

Harry Redknapp, who spent most of last week aiming poisonous verbal darts in the direction of Manchester City manager, Roberto Mancini, last night went on live television to try to get the FA to take retrospective action against Mario Balotelli for an alleged stamp on Scott Parker during City's dramatic win against Spurs.

Any hopes we had of tiptoeing under the radar were swiftly punted into the Thames on Wednesday evening after every man and his lame dog in the days following declared Tottenham of Hotspur as genuine title contenders™. Alan Hansen, David Platt, S'ralex- even our own Heemskerk Howitzer, Rafael Van der Vaart, has pitched his tent in the side of ‘why the heck not'.

THFC1882 presents another guest writer. This time it's a guy I've known on Twitter for a while and he's always got something to say on our beloved Tottenham Hotspur. It gives me great pleasure to present Kenny Palmer with a preview of this weekend's game:

Wednesday's victory over Everton in the postponed game in hand from the start of the season has left Spurs level on points with Manchester United and 3 off leaders Manchester City.

Like the child whose parents have surreptitiously removed their much-loved comfort blanket in the night, we woke this morning missing the precious consolation of a game in hand, and soon discovered that we can manage perfectly well without it. For some it provided a welcome safety net, for others the promise of future delights.

Ruddy nora and crikey hell! What about that, then? An absolute thunder-punt from everyone's favourite Smart Car-driving, Oyster card-carrying Evening Standard columnist/community support worker/international superstar footballer/all round good egg. If I was describing it using the medium of retro beat 'em, Street Fighter II, I would conclude thusly: sonic boom + flaming hadouken x hurricane kick= that goal.

Tottenham Hotspur tonight moved level on points with second placed Manchester United after a performance of patience and high quality.

Everton turned up at The Lane as many teams now do, to sit deep and try and frustrate Spurs. It's to the credit of Harry Redknapp and his team that they didn't get frustrated and saw the opposition off to seal the points.

First Paul Scholes and now bearded volleyball whizz, Terry Henry. Two mammoths of the game busting open the crypts of their Premiership careers for one last undignified waltz under the lights; with every possibility of coughing up something unsavoury into the laps of their adoring fans and making a mess of everything that was once good.

So the Premier League season is finally here, it's Tottenham Hotspur's opening game versus Everton..........

That's how the preview for this one should have started, but the unfortunate and unseemly rioting of early August put paid to Spurs opening fixture. Now this is the game in hand it's vital that Spurs get maximum points if they want to be taken seriously as title challengers.

THFC1882 returns from it's Christmas and New Year break. Whilst we were off, Tottenham Hotspur collected 7 points from Norwich, Swansea and West Brom, happy days. Today, the FA Cup 3rd round was the focus and we have a special guest reporter for you. Here's Danny Carrier from the Camden New Journal with his report:

This was the chance for Harry Redknapp's fringe players to step up to the plate and show what they could do as well as give Michael Dawson and Aaron Lennon some much needed game time to get their match fitness back.

Mirror: Video: Darren Lewis with transfer news, rumours and gossip from Friday's papers

Fergie eyes up Lampard, Inter offer to swap Sneijder for Tevez and Redknapp lines up double swoop for Hoilett and Samba

View the full story here: The Mirror

A news article on 2012-01-06 08:32:21 from: The Mirror

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

There's obviously no transfer news as yet from White Hart Lane but surprisingly, the rumour mill is also a little quiet after the Christmas break.

As far as any potential incomings are concerned, we looked at the possibility of either Christopher Samba or James Tomkins at the back while our search for a striker could see Harry secure the services of Lille's Moussa Sow.

Excuse me while I cough up an organ, momentarily- I've just made the dreadful mistake of going on a post-New Year jog in weather I can only describe as ‘a bit blustery'. If I don't crumple onto the keyboard before the day's out it'll be a minor miracleeeeeeeeertttttttttttttyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyhjjj.

So ‘Arry reckons he might get a bit bored managing England:

‘I enjoy the day-to-day coming in to work with players, said the media-introvert on Radio 4 this week- going out on the training pitch every day, seeing the players.

I don't know if seeing players once every six or seven weeks.

BBC Sport Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger unhappy after loss to Fulham.

Over the past year or so, football experts have taken a shot at trying to troubleshoot Arsenal's predisposition to losing games which they had already had won. Many comments focused on the squad's lack of defensive strength but I have a different take on the problem

It's not the defenders that cause Arsenal's fragility, it's the attitude of the manager who almost never holds his players accountable for their mistakes, blames everyone else around him when they lose, and so consequently, his players have no fear.

Everybody yearns to be up there, to be a contender. Yet we're still puzzling over what success feels like. Here's another side of it, being the envy of other fans. Top four, playing dazzling football. It won't be long before the negative coverage begins. Players who have been doing well for an entire season will be picked on by pundits after a single poor performance, or young men playing out of their skin will fail to be at the top of their game for one of their 50 or so performances and people will pick holes.

Job Swap? Spurs want Capello if Redknapp quits for England

Tottenham chiefs impressed by Italian's club record

View the full story here: The Mirror

A news article on 2011-12-31 23:00:16 from: The Mirror

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

It was all a bit of a rush. Fancy letting family stuff get in the way of football. What on earth is happening to me? Anyone would think it's Christmas or something.

So when I switched on the TV it took me a moment to get my bearings. First thing top left hand corner, read it three times just to make sure and remember to breathe.

Barmy Balotelli video, Liverpool target Arsenal star and Redknapp casts doubt over Ledley King's future

Looking back at the best of talkSPORT.co.uk in 2011 with the most popular stories from March

View the full story here: Talksport

A news article on 2011-12-24 08:02:10 from: Talksport

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

Everybody I talked to said the same thing – we were up for it like no other game in recent memory. Not just a derby, this one has become more sour over the last few years. There's a bitter edge to it, compared with the intense but long-standing rivalry with the Arsen*l, heightened by the welcome but unusual sensation of being third and favourites.

This is a Poem about Kean people and six-pointers and that...yeah. Bolton vs Blackburn, Trotters vs Rovers. It's winner takes all...not a game for pushovers. For the players it's a race against time, for the manager a race against the sack. No doubt any decision with be influenced by some journalist hack.

Not quite our immaculate selves against Sunderland.The JimmyG2 Column Nobody could accuse Harry of being a dedicated follower of fashion. No rip-arsed jeans for Mr. Redknapp. On Sunday though he was forced to have a closer inspection of the wardrobe. He decided to go with both belt and braces in midfield and his favourite 'Ledley' cashmere overcoat in case the weather at The Lane turned nasty.

It wasn't pretty. On a cold December Sunday afternoon, Tottenham Hotspur saw off a resilient Sunderland to record a 1-0 victory and get back to winning ways in the Premier League.

Winning ugly is the sign of champions. Not getting carried away here, I'm not suggesting Spurs are going to win the title, there's a chance of it, but Manchester City are a scarily good outfit and their neighbours are impossible to write off.

The Sunderland fan on the train has low expectations but he's loyal and a long way from home on a cold Sunday afternoon. Spurs have more points, better players and better prospects but he has his devotion to his club, a precious commodity these days for any any fan as far as I'm concerned, so he expresses this in the time-honoured fashion: 'Where were you when you were s**t?

Tottenham Hotspur went to the Tallaght stadium needing a Lyon type turnaround to make it through to the knock-out rounds. From his team selection, including only choosing four subs, it appeared that Harry Redknapp wasn't really counting on the results going Spurs way.

As the game got started it was clear that Shamrock would try hard and run around a lot.

The ‘Redknapp for England' shouts have quietened down a little in recent weeks and undoubtedly the manager's impending court case and his minor heart surgery have had their parts to play in that. In addition, there have been suggestions that Fabio Capello could even stay on at Lancaster Gate after next summer.

THFC1882 welcomes another guest writer on board. This time it's Glen Bocking. Glen is an Essex boy but now lives in Stoke so is handily placed to attend this game. Glen's first Spurs memories are the '91 FA Cup semi and final! Great start to his Spurs watching!

One touch too many, a phrase that sums up Spurs' performance last night. A radically altered team seldom captured the flowing passing style that's been a feature of our season and we couldn't score against 10 men despite having all the possession and territory in the second half.

This was like a trip back in time, all the way back to, oh, last spring at least.