In league action, they have beaten Nottingham Forest and Sunderland, but have lost top Ipswich, Sheffield United, Preston North End and Bristol City.  So, they are a little inconsistent, but have some good players in their squad, who could turn it on on their day.

There are some members of the Tykes' squad who will have something to prove in this match, with George Moncur being the son of former Spurs midfielder John Moncur and grandson of Youth Development  Officer at THFC John Moncur Senior and having come up through the West Ham United London Academy before being released.  Zeki Fryers was signed up by Spurs in controversial circumstances coming in from Standard Liege when Manchester United would not sell him direct to us.  He rarely got a run in the side, as managers changed during his time at the club and was allowed to join Crystal Palace, where he had the same experience before moving to Barnsley in the summer.  ON the coaching side, Jamie Clapham is First Team coach, where he was part of Paul Heckingbottom's back-room staff that helped Barnsley up from League One the season before last.

Striker Tom Bradshaw was snapped up from Walsall, where he was a regular scorer and some of those were very spectacular, Adam Hammill was with Liverpool and Wolves, showing good ability on the ball, although he does lose his rag sometimes.  Some players have been picked up from Scotland - midfielder Steve Mallan and central defender Liam Lindsey - or lower division clubs - midfielder Matty Jackson (Accrington Stanley), strikers Cameron McGeehan (Luton Town) and Brad Potts (Blackpool), defenders Angus MacDonald (Torquay United), Ethan Pinnock (Forest Green Rovers) and Andy Yiadom (Barnet).  Others are on loan - forward Ike Ugbo (Chelsea), and midfielders Harvey Barnes (from Leicester City), Joe Williams (Everton) and Gary Gardner (Aston Villa).  Others picked up from clubs at Championship or Premier League level having been released.

It has been Paul Heckingbottom's task to make something of the players he has and last season, they played with a good attacking ethos, hitting teams quickly on the break and Sammy Winnall was their leading scorer, but he was sold to Sheffield Wednesday.  Now, much of the goals-coring burden is on the shoulders of new singing McGeehan, who started at Chelsea in the youth side after signing from Fulham and Ike Ugbo, who is on loan from Chelsea. 

The onus on closing Spurs down might make the game difficult for Tottenham to begin with, but in the long run, it might play into their hands, with tiredness hitting the visitors.  If they can keep going, it might be nip and tuck.  I would imagine that Barnsley will try and be quick off the mark to try and catch Spurs cold at the start of the game and with a number of changes, they might not read each others' game that well, but hopefully, they will have been well drilled in training and will be ready for the challenge.

Many Spurs fans will be sad not to see Marcus Edwards in action, but there should be a first start for Llorente and the returning Georges-Kevin Nkoudou might start too, as may Tashan Oakley-Boothe.  Kyle Walker-Peters could be in line to play and maybe Poch will throw in Kazaiah Sterling if things are comfortable near the end ?

It won't be an easy watch, as we might struggle to get things going and although we ran in a few goals against Gillingham last season, I don't think this will see as many fly in, but hopefully, there will be enough in the side to take Tottenham through.
 

TV
League Cup Highlights  (Channel 5) - Wednesday 22.35 (highlights)  Also available online.

For coverage in all parts of the world, check here and here.

Radio :  
BBC LONDON 94.9FM (London area only), Digital Radio (London area only) &  Sky Channel 0152  (live coverage)
Commentary may be found on
>   BBC Radio Five Live (live coverage)  606/939 MW
>  TalkSport (DAB or 2nd89 MW)
>  Absolute Radio  (1215 AM/MW)

If available on BBC radio, it can supposedly be heard in these countries on these stations ...
Australia (Melbourne) SEN  -  116 AM  Live Transmissions: TWI, Saturday. 12.45 & 15.00 matches
Australia (Sydney)  Radio 2  -  1611AM  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 12.45 Match
Singapore Media Corp Radio  -  93.8 FM  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 15.00 Match
South Africa  SABC (Radio 2000)  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 15.00 Match
Uganda  Radio 1 (English) 90.0 FM, Radio 2 (Lugandan) 87.9 FM  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 15.00 Match
North America (USA, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean)  Sirius Satellite Radio  Live transmission: Saturday - 12.45, 15.00 (TWI) & 17.15 (BBC) Tuesday - 14.00 & 16.05 (BBC) Mon, Tue, Wed - Various times (BBC)

Internet :
www.spurs.co.uk   Live webcast  - subscribers only
BBC London - http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/2nd/12/live_commentaries_feature.shtml click on link to "Listen to Tottenham Hotspur live commentary" on top right hand menu.

  2  Kieran TRIPPIER
21  Juan FOYTH
  5  Jan VERTONGHEN  (c)
37  Kyle WALKER-PETERS

17  Moussa SISSOKO
19  Mousa DEMBELE  (15  Eric DIER 79)

29  Harry WINKS
20  DELE Alli  (46  Tashan OAKLEY-BOOTHE 90+2)
  7  Heung-Min SON

18  Fernando LLORENTE  (14  Georges-Kevin N'KOUDOU 67)

Unused subs: 
22  Paulo GAZZANIGA
  4  Toby ALDERWEIRELD
23  Christian ERIKSEN
10  Harry KANE

  2  Jason McCARTHY
  5  Angus MacDONALD
  6  Liam LINDSAY
  3  Zeki FRYERS

37  Jared BIRD
34  Ryan HEDGES
  4  Joe WILLIAMS  (  9  Tom BRADSHAW 79)
15  Harvey BARNES  (  7  Alex HAMMILL 71)
20  Brad POTTS  (10  George MONCUR 71)

19  Ike UGBO

Unused subs: 
13  Nick TOWNSEND
18  Adam JACKSON
24  Matty PEARSON
26  Mamadou THIAM
 

A pedestrian 1-0 win over Barnsley was enough to put Spurs into Round Four of what we shall call the League Cup, having only found out tonight that the sponsors are an energy drink, in a quarter full Wembley as we struggled to put together a meaningful performance.

Walking up Wembley Way unhindered other than by people taking selfies at 19.15, you could easily have wondered if there was a match on.  If it hadn't been for the Barnsley folk with their incomprehensible accents and happy go lucky demeanour, it would have been a quiet night out.  Ten pounds for a ticket (five for kids) hadn't really been a low enough price to tempt fans out to see a makeshift Spurs side (which did mostly contain first teamers) against a side fourth from the bottom of the Championship.  For long periods, it looked like it hadn't been enough to tempt Tottenham's players to step out of fourth gear.

Debutant Juan Foyth almost scored within three minutes of his first start, heading Trippier's corner down, but off target, when he might have done better.  Although not playing the ball as quickly as we have been known to, it was still too fast for Barnsley and when Dele broke into the centre circle, the Tykes' intent was shown as he was rugby tackled to the floor by someone called Williams.  The referee obviously didn't know his name, as he failed to take it for this cynical foul in stopping a breakaway.  A move that went through Son, Llorente, Dele and Sissoko ended with Alli trying to curl the ball over the keeper, which he achieved, but also over the bar.  Harry Winks, re-installed in the side, had the first shot on target, with a curling effort, but it was lacking any power and Davies got down behind it easily.   Then Winks and Dele linked up for the former to cross for the latter to try and loop a header in, but it again cleared the goal.

Spurs were trying to be a little too intricate on the edge of the Barnsley box and were accused by someone near us of trying to be like Arsenal !  With 25 minutes gone, Trippier put in another corner that found Llorente's head in the heart of the penalty area.  Having lost his marker, he could not get over the header and put it over the bar, when it should have been planted in the back of the net.  Son had a shot blocked after Llorente set him up with a shooting chance, but it was blocked and then Kieran's ball past two markers was just too long for the South Korean. 

Chelsea loanee Ike Ugbo was trying to lead the Barnsley line, but the service was not usually to him, but for him to chase and he found Vertonghen and Foyth in unforgiving mood, as they dispossessed him most times.  When he did get the ball down, he put Barnes away on the right, but his shot went harmlessly across goal and five minutes before half-time, they might have gone ahead, but the head of Lindsay directed a free header from a corner wide of the goal from close range.  At the other end, too often Tottenham were guilty of trying to force a move through the middle and then in the box, they were blocked more often than not, as Barnsley got lots of red shirts back behind the ball.  When long shots were tried, they ended up off target with Jan, Kyle Walker-Peters and Moussa Sissoko guilty before the break.

Martin Chivers was the half-time guest, but many of the 23,000+ probably weren't aware of who he was and the interview was about as incisive as our first half play.  Luckily, a slow stroll to the loo and back took me to the kick off for the second half, with Spurs attacking the goal to our left.  As it was, it was the goal to the right that was immediately threatened, with Barnsley hitting a long ball forward into the left channel, where Ugbo lifted it over Vertonghen to his right and smacked a fierce drive at goal.  Luckily for Tottenham, the youngster's lack of composure hit Vorm right in front of him, as almost anywhere else and other than Jan on the line, it might have gone in. 

This sort of gave Spurs a kick up the bum and got them moving the ball a bit faster.  While Sissoko isn't a big fan favourite, he did some good work tonight, keeping it simple and passing to a white shirt.  When he found Son in the box, he took a quick shot that looked as though it might curl in, but a defender flung himself at it to head it wide.  Tottenham's shooting was mainly off target and the crossing failed to find the lighthouse that is Llorente, making his inclusion slightly redundant, as it was no point supplying him with Kane like service.  Dele went close, via a massive deflection to his 20 yard effort, with the keeper flying the wrong way, but the ball went for another Spurs corner.  As usual, nothing came from it, but when played back in Son made MacDonald throw a block to stop it getting through to the goal.

Things started to open up a little, as Barnsley became a bit more adventurous, with Hedges putting in Potts, but his early shot flew wide from 18 yards out, before Vorm had to rise above two red shirts to grab a cross.  Spurs were now looking a little sharper on the break and Son forced another block and then when Trippier put a cross to the far post, Winks took it down and hit a shot that Davies was behind, but had to be big to keep out.  Then, the only goal of the match came, almost out of nothing.  A corner was headed out and Sissoko did well to nod it back over the defenders to give Trippier a chance to run onto it, chest it down that took him into the box, where he pulled a low ball back across the face of goal.  With the Barnsley defenders heading back towards their own goal, they were static as Dele skipped between a couple of them (including Zeki Fryers) to simply side-foot the ball into the net from five yards out.  A simple goal on a night when we had made the game look difficult.

Nkoudou came on for Llorente soon after the goal and Barnsley brought on George (son of John) Moncur and Adam Hammill, who had Premier League experience with Liverpool and Wolves.  He failed to show any of by barging over Walker-Peters and then berated him for being fouled, before managing to get offside in the slowest effort to get back onside you may have seen.  The visitors flung a couple of crosses into the box, which failed to come to anything, but Georges-Kevin was keen to take his pre-season form forward, as he looked to use his pace against a tiring Barnsley team.  It was not always appreciated by Dele, who twice had a go when GK ran the ball off the pitch (shade so Tony Galvin for the fan of a certain age out there), when he was looking for a pass inside.  Nkoudou did hit a rasping shot after cutting inside that Davies saved, Dele curled another shot off target and Jan sliced a Barnsley cross behind, but too close to our goal for comfort.    

One thing Hammill did do right was a shot from a cleared corner, which flew off one of his own players and could have gone anywhere ... and it did.  Off for a goal-kick thank goodness.  Son soon took the play to the other end and a hard shot had to be saved by Davies at his near post, then ending a move the length of the pitch saw Sonny hit an effort that the keeper pushed over the top.  Added time only brought one bit of excitement, with Tashan Oakley-Boothe being the first Spurs player born after 1st January 2000 to make a competitive appearance.  he didn't have much time to do anything, but is touched were assured and he looked confident on the ball.

So, we didn't learn much other than we are still not playing as fluently as last season, Juan Foyth might be one for the future, but needs time to settle and play against some better quality opposition, Dele is not playing up to his normal standard, although he is still scoring goals and Llorente is in the same boat as Foyth in settling in.  Without Eriksen and Kane, we look a very different side.  Pochettino had hinted this competition isn't a priority, but every win builds confidence and earns a little more cash, so a bigger name in the next round might pull in a few more bums on seats if drawn at home. 

Just enough done, but not a great enticement for fans to attend future cup games, but "job done" and we move on #thfctogether.

Kirk Hammerton