Would love to see Capoue get some game time if he's fit enough. He looked the genuine article in the few games we saw him play so far. And I seem to remember his passing stats were outrageously good (stats aren't everything, but better to have good ones than bad ones). It's not exactly a position we're short of players in - and from the standpoint of the team, it's really Rose we need back - but nice to see him back in contention all the same.
My team...
.......................... Lloris
Naughton .... Kaboul .... Dawson .... Vertonghen
................ Capoue ..... Dembele
Lamela ............ Sigurdsson ................. Chadli
.......................... Defoe
Bench: Friedel, Chiriches, Paulinho, Holtby, Eriksen, Soldado, Adebayor
Rest Sandro as he has a big part to play away to Everton. Rest Lennon as he's just back from injury. And rest Townsend just because we can afford to. If Capoue isn't ready yet, then play Paulinho there and put Sandro on the bench. If Kaboul isn't ready, then play Chiriches and have Fryers on the bench as a defensive sub. I wouldn't be Adebayor's biggest fan, but if he has any future at all at the club, then I'd expect him to get a half hour here.
I think Hull will put out an even weaker side than at the weekend, and they probably won't be as disciplined. So we could do well here. Personally I'm an optimist when it comes to Spurs. I think AVB has got us doing the basics right - solid defence, plenty of possession, clean sheets, well drilled. It's now up to him (and the creative players / strikers) to get everything working properly in the final third. And I believe it will happen. AVB has got us sitting in fourth spot (a solitary win behind the league leaders); best first quarter of a season in decades; grinding out victories... and all this despite the fact that our well-regarded and high-potential attacking players simply aren't doing the job yet. That bodes well in my book. Because I think they will before too long. I think we have the quality up front (and just behind the front) to start winning matches like the Hull game much more comfortably.
Spurs 3 - 0 Hull (Defoe, Lamela, Sigurdsson)
