Watford V Tottenham – Friday, 27 January 2012 (LIVE on ESPN)

Watford V Tottenham Hotspur

Date & Kick-Off: Friday, 27 January 2012 – 19:45 GMT

Venue: Vicarage Road

FA Cup, Fourth Round

Preview

Seemingly now out of the running for the Barclay’s Premier League, Tottenham could soon find themselves with no silverware prospects at all should they fail to negotiate Watford at Vicarage Road in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Not since 1961 have Spurs been crowned champions of England. Their 51-year drought is unlikely to cease any time soon either, not after succumbing to current Premier League pacesetters Manchester City last time out to fall eight points off the pace. The club has vowed to bounce back from that setback and refuses to throw in the towel with regards to the title race, but the manner of the defeat could mean a pre-occupied Harry Redknapp has his work cut out lifting the mood of a dressing room that could be forgiven for feeling a little sorry for themselves.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has spent much of the week leading up to Friday’s tie in court facing up to charges of tax evasion, so the 64-year-old is unlikely to be in the best frame of mind to galvanise a group of players whose morale has to be questioned following last weekend’s agonising defeat – only their fourth league defeat of the season, and one they certainly did not deserve on the merit of play.

The team will need lifting as well, as Sunday’s game was an emotional roller-coaster for everyone involved. To have Jermaine Defoe spurn a gilt-edged opportunity in stoppage time, with the City goal at his mercy, to conceding with virtually the last kick of the game, via a penalty that was converted by a player who should not of been on the pitch at that time, will naturally hurt. It may even leaving a lasting scar, as Tottenham are renowned for capitulating mid-season.

Statistics suggest Watford have it all to do…

Even with their confidence and morale suffering a blow recently, you’d like to think Spurs will have too much class and quality for their opponents. Whereas Tottenham are flying high in the Barclay’s Premier League, where they sit third with 14 wins from 22 games so far, Watford find themselves hovering precariously above the Championship relegation zone following a run of three consecutive defeats. They are also one of the division’s lowest scorers, barely averaging a goal a game.

So a massive ask for the former Premier League outfit turned Championship strugglers, although the Hornets may well fancy their chances at home, at a packed Vicarage Road, against what may well be an understrength Spurs outfit. The Tottenham manager has not shied away from declaring the Premier League his number one priority this season, so it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see him rotate his squad and hand some of his first-team regulars the weekend off – a similar approach he took in both the Carling Cup and Europa League, with very little success I hasten to add.

It is also worth mentioning that Watford have only lost once at home in their last ten, although that was a 2-1 reverse to Reading in their last Championship fixture at Vicarage Road. It’s also a run strung together against mediocre opposition. But 5 of their 7 Championships wins were earned at home, as were 19 of the 28 goals they’ve scored, so there could be some potential for an upset should Harry Redknapp decide to have a tinker with his team.

Match Pointers

- On their last visit to Vicarage Road, in December 2008 for a League Cup encounter, Tottenham ran out 2-1 winners thanks to strikes from Roman Pavlyuchenko and Darren Bent.

- Watford haven’t beaten Tottenham in their last six competitive meetings, with their most recent success over the Londoners being a 3-2 triumph at White Hart Lane back in 1994.

- The Hornets sit 18TH in the Championship and are on a three-match losing streak, scoring just once in their last 270 minutes of football.

- At home, Watford have suffered defeat just once in their last nine (W5 D3 L1) – though that did occur in their most recent fixture at Vicarage Road, in a 2-1 reverse to Reading on January 14.

- Only Manchester United (8) have claimed more victories away from home in the Premier League this season than Tottenham (winning 6 of 11).

- Spurs have only been beaten once in their last ten matches in all competitions (W6 D3 L1), which was their agonising 3-2 defeat to Man City last Sunday.

Betting

Prediction: Tottenham to WIN @ 1/2 Bet365

Tottenham host Wigan Athletic in their next Premier League fixture before run-ins with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United. With this in mind, and with Spurs not quite out of the title race just yet, it wouldn’t be a big surprise were we to see Harry Redknapp tinker with his team-sheet and hand some of his first-team regulars the weekend off. He may not, but this is a manager who made wholesale changes throughout his side’s Europa League campaign. He did something very similar in the Carling Cup as well, a competition they bowed out of at the earliest departure point after a largely second-string outfit failed to overcome Stoke at the Brittania Stadium.

Rotation could actually be a shrewd move, as one suspects morale amongst the first-team isn’t great following last week’s agonising league defeat to Man City. I expect it will be a mixture though, of first-team regulars and those on the periphery, and that really ought to be good enough to see off average opposition in the form of a Watford team who host this tie on the back of three straight league defeats, having mustered just one goal in this dismal run.

Value Bet: Roman Pavlyuchenko First Goalscorer @ 5/1 Bet365

Having quashed rumours of a move away from White Hart Lane by signing a contract extension, Roman Pavlyuchenko could be rewarded with a start against Watford. The Russian has barely featured under Harry Redknapp this season, with his appearances mainly limited to the Europa League, but he does have 4 in 12 for the campaign and is actually a mean finisher, despite what his lack of starts may suggest. Defoe could be rested while Harry may not risk Adebayor either.

Match Odds

Watford – 7/1 StanJames

Draw – 10/3 Ladbrokes

Tottenham – 1/2 Bet365