The Rovers Return

Harry Redknapp has been a success at Spurs.

Tottenham is one of those teams I love to beat.

Their fans have always had the Newcastle-esque “we’re a bigger and better club than you” mentality that makes it satisfying to get one over on them.

Now, however, those fans aren’t far from being correct.

With an excellent, if a little ugly (like we can talk), manager at the helm, they are currently on course for a place in the “Champions” League and looking to cement fourth place before anyone else kicks off in today’s match.

Rovers, on the other hand, are relatively safe and simply playing for prize money trying to claw our way up the table a bit.

A win would nudge us up a place, above Stoke, on 37 points, surely enough to keep us up this season.

The 2-0 defeat at home to Spurs in December (that was a 3pm Saturday match, remember them?) still sticks in my throat. Spurs had two shots on target and scored them both that day, while Rovers failed to score from about 20 opportunities.

This is a perfect chance for us to get revenge. Spurs have quite a long injury list, with Lennon, Bentley, Huddlestone, Jenas and Woodgate out, while Big Sam welcomes David Dunn back into the fold. Although Rovers are without Ryan Nelsen, meaning Chris Samba steps up to be captain.

Basturk, Emerton, Hoilett and Di Santo all also played in a reserves win at Ewood in midweek. I’m still yearning for Basturk in a Rovers shirt.

The omens, as I talk about every week, are really against us today. Our away form versus Spurs’ home form just isn’t worth thinking about. But as we continue to improve – our Barca Galacticos should have beaten Liverpool last time out – that elusive win against a top side has to be coming.

A little pointless stat, courtesy of BBC Sport, is that Rovers are the only side to have been offside more than Spurs this season, although I can see West Ham catching up if they give Benni McCarthy many matches!

It’s an early game, with kick off just half an hour away, and I’m settling for my local pub for this one. So apologies for the brief posting, but I’m off for a beer!

Come on you Blues!