Hardly a side packed with household names, Gillingham have hardly been ripping up League One.  Currently 13th after a run of four games without a win and only one win in eight since beating Watford in the previous round of this competition.  They had started off well with three wins and a draw before getting smashed 0-5 away at Scunthorpe United. 

Some of their players have top flight experience, with Jay Emmanuel-Thomas starting off at Arsenal, while Konchesky has been at Fulham, QPR and Leicester City of late.  Cody McDonald was at Norwich City, Rory Donnelly has played in the Europa League for Swansea City and  The only thing that counts against such experience, is the lack of pace in the legs.  Spurs might be able to exploit this with good movement and passing.

I don't know much more than seeing highlights of the side on TV, so there is only so much I can say, but there have been some rash challenges, leading to red cards and if the Tottenham youngsters are given their chance, they like to play short, sharp passes at pace, so it might be a busy night for the ref.  Having beaten Watford, there is no room for complacency, as they are capable of throwing a shock win.

Vincent Janssen will get his chance in Kane's absence, so he needs to relax and concentrate on hitting the target, as he has appeared a bit too desperate to get off the mark at the club since his summer arrival.  Shayon Harrison misses out with injury, but the likes of Harry Winks, Cameron Cater-Vickers, Kevin Wimmer and Marcus Edwards are all likely to get some minutes under their belts.  There will probably not be the 3-3-3-1 formation we saw against Sunderland, but it will be quite attacking in style.  While it won't be an easy task, as it is Gillingham's big day and Edinburgh will be determined to show that his side will not be out-classed, Tottenham should have enough guile to come through this one.
 

TV
League Cup highlights  Channel 5  - 23:05 (highlights)

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 21st89 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) Sunday - 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/2005/21st/12/live_commentaries_feature.shtml click on link to "Listen to Tottenham Hotspur live commentary" on top right hand menu.

16  Kieran TRIPPIER
27  Kevin WIMMER
38  Cameron CARTER-VICKERS
33  Ben DAVIES  (45  Anton WALKES  80)

28  Tom CARROLL
29  Harry WINKS

11  Erik LAMELA 
23  Christian ERIKSEN  (c)      (14  Georges-Kevin N'KOUDOU)
25  Josh ONOMAH       

  9  Vincent JANSSEN    (48  Marcus EDWARDS  75)

Unused subs: 
41  Alfie WHITEMAN
  5  Jan VERTONGHEN
12  Victor WANYAMA
  7  Heung-Min SON
 

  2  Ryan JACKSON
  5  Max EHMER
  6  Deji OSHILAJA
12  Paul KONCHESKY

50  Jay EMMANUEL-THOMAS  (  7  Scott WAGSTAFF  60)
44  Josh WRIGHT  (c)
33  BYRNE
16  Emmanuel OSADEBE
23  Bradley DACK  (11  Billy KNOTT  81)

10  Cody McDONALD

Unused subs: 
21  Elliott LIST
  9  Rory DONNELLY
18  Josh PASK
20  Darren OLDAKER

 

An easy passage for Spurs through to the Fourth Round of the League Cup to meet Liverpool at Anfield was achieved by a young side, who performed with great accomplishment.  Competitive debuts for Cameron Carter-Vickers, Harry Winks, George-Kevin N'Koudou, Marcus Edwards and Anton Walkes all saw then comfortable in the Spurs side was swept away a poor Gillingham side, who neither defended nor attacked with any great application.

A muscular side, who will no doubt do well at their own level in League One were out-classed, with Spurs finishing with five goals, but with better finishing could have had more.  The visitors were unlucky to lose their keeper within the first quarter of an hour with a groin strain, but their number one keeper Stuart Nelson came off the bench to concede all five.  The goals Spurs did score were well made and dispatched, but their all round play was of secondary importance to bringing on the young players that Pochettino had brought into the side.

The early stages of the game were not cagey and Tottenham took the game to the lower league side straight away, trying to move the ball down the left wing, but it was Gillingham who went close, following a corner that went beyond everyone, they got a throw-in that was taken long and former Gooner Jay Emmanuel-Thomas won the header, but put it wide by a coupe of feet.  He was trying to impress, being back on the big stage, but too often, his touch and indecision on the ball saw him dispossessed to the pleasure of the Tottenham crowd.  Erik Lamela showed he wasn't afraid to fire in shots, with one saved by the keeper and another curled wide.  Just after that, Bond went down away form the action and had to be replaced after treatment, as he could not continue with a groin problem.  So, we all thought he was going off to protect his reputation before the Gills had conceded, which proved a fanciful, but true outcome, as their first choice keeper Stuart Nelson had to come off the bench to face Spurs. 

Just after the substitution, Vincent Janssen had the chance to open his Tottenham account with a flashing near post header to meet Kieran Trippier's cross, but the ball glanced across goal and wide.  Lamela brought out the rabona, but this time it was to chip the ball over the Gillingham back-line to try and put Tom Carroll in, but it just had too much on it and Nelson came out to gather the ball.  He had a shot that fizzed wide, after Eriksen had been put in on the left, only to drill the ball wide of the keeper's left hand upright.  Josh Onomah almost hit the opening goal, with a terrific volley to Trippier's right wing cross, but the keeper managed to get his body behind it and the ball bounced away.

Spurs didn't have to wait long after that to break the deadlock, as Christian Eriksen picked up the ball 30 yards out, took a step forward and smashed a shot past Nelson before he had much chance to react to it.  The ball was still rising as it hit the roof of the net, but the crowd erupted with an ovation the goal deserved.  30 minutes gone and would this break Gillingham's resolve ?  They hadn't been too tight, as Spurs played the ball well to get through their defence and it would take a big change in their approach to get things back on level terms.

Janssen was working hard up front and was bringing others into the game, but he had a chance where he turned sharply in the box, forcing Nelson to save at his near post, before Oshilaja left him on the floor just inside the box, but the referee waved play on.  In the next attack, Vincent burst into the box on the left and could have gone down under a challenge, but stayed on his feet as he went to the keeper's right and shot from a narrow angle, only to see a defender on line kick the ball away.  The Dutchman was desperate to get off the mark and went inches wide with a shot on 40 minutes.  In the remaining five minutes, Onomah got booked for trying to bring the ball down behind him by lifting his foot, but he nearly caught Oshilaja in the head.

At half-time, Paul Coyte brought out Phil Beal and Darren Anderton to talk about the 1971 & 1973 and 1999 League Cup finals respectively, with tales of their big days at Wembley.  With the ground not full, it was turning a little chilly despite the mildness of a late summer's evening.  Perhaps it wasn't helped by the North-East corner of the ground missing too.

So, the second half started with no changes and Spurs were quickly on the attack again.  Janssen did really well on the left to draw the ball back into the path of Ben Davies, but he wasn't in the right stride to strike it and the ball squirted away, but it was only minutes before it became 2-0, with Eriksen finding the net once again.  Lamela made it by running at the middle of their defence and slipping the ball to his left for Christian to take a touch with his right foot, then send the ball past the keeper with the outside of the same boot in the next stride.  It was impossible for the keeper to set himself and the slickness of the interplay was wonderful to see. 

The next goal was also a product of good passing and came two minutes later.  Eriksen was outside the D and played a 'look away' pass to his right to Trippier, running into the area.  He stopped the ball to check back as the defender came in, but Oshilaja couldn't stop himself and took Trip's ankles form under him leaving a simple decision for the referee and a simple one for Janssen, who dived on the ball and grabbed it to his chest, such was his desire to take the spot-kick, even though Eriksen was on a hat-trick.  He stepped up to take it and sent the ball to the keeper's left as he went right and the roar of the crowd supported the relief the striker must have felt at finally getting a goal under his belt. 

Lamela went close twice and Eriksen floated a free-kick just wide, as Tottenham maintained the pressure.  The ball was being given away by Gillingham, as they tried to prevent Spurs making inroads into their last third again, with substitute Georges-Kevin N'Koudou picking the ball up on halfway before passing to Tom Carroll, who passed to Lamela.  He saw Josh Onomah on his right and just outside of the box, he took a touch, steadied himself and with two defenders in front of him, passed the ball between them and past the keeper's dive to nestle the ball in the bottom right hand corner of the net.  It was a composed finish from a young man, who looked good today, holding the ball up and using it well. 

With just under 25 minutes left, Harry Winks. who had a fine game with good driving runs forward with the ball and always looking for a forward pass, picked out a straight ball from the edge of the centre circle to Janssen on the edge of the D and Vincent laid it left to Erik Lamela, who steered his controlled shot across the keeper into the bottom corner to make it 5-0.  Winks tried to get on the score-sheet soon after, with a run in form the right, but his left foot shot rose way over the bar. 

When Vorm collected a high cross, it was about the firs thing he had to do in the game and that was in the 72nd minute !!  The scene was set for Marcus Edwards to come on for his debut and that happened with fifteen minutes left, even though he had to wait five minutes before that for the ball to go out.  Much has been said about the 18 year old, but this debut gave him the chance to make it in low-key surroundings and at a time when Spurs were taking players off to save them for Saturday.

Janssen had gone off, so Lamela played up top, with a licence to roam and he struck a 25 yard free-kick over the wall, but not with enough power to trouble Nelson.  The decision for him to take it appeared to have been settled by a Scissors-Paper-Rock match with Trippier !!  Gillingham were trying to salvage something from the match and when Oshilaja went forward with the ball, he had a rush of blood and shot, but it went into the top tier of the Park Lane.  Byrne went a little bit closer, but the ball flashed wide of the far post as he hit it from the right side. 

As the game entered injury time at the end of the second half, Edwards gave a glimpse of what he can do.  Cutting in from the right, he dribbled across the face of the penalty area before unloading a fierce left foot shot that Nelson did well to help over the crossbar.  It was a neat bit of skill and showed how adept he is at running with the ball at his feet.  Tom Carroll had a chance set up by Onomah just before the final whistle, but he fired it way over the angle of post and crossbar and the game came to an end, with the Gillingham  players keen to grab a white shirt for their collection before going to greet their fans, who were noisy all game.

Of the Academy recruits who played, Harry Winks was a dynamic presence in the defensive midfield alongside Carroll, winning the ball and being able to move with it before picking a good option to pass.  Cameron Carter-Vickers played a mature role alongside Wimmer, who also had a solid game.  CVC was strong, unhurried and dealt well with the physical presence of a League One striker.  Josh Onomah showed a bit more than he has been able to in his other performances so far, with some strong running on the ball and good movement to make himself available to receive the ball off it.  Georges-Kevin N'Koudou showed that he has skill on the ball and pace, when he nearly got onto a ball that was odds on the keeper's.  He looks happy running with the ball and taking on players, so when he is fully match-fit, he will give the side more options in attack.  Anton Walkes did not have a lot of time to show what he can do, but he looked comfortable in the side and wasn't over-awed, making covering runs when Gillingham went forward.  And then there is Marcus Edwards.  Much hyped at such a young age, it is tempting to say that on the brief cameo in this match, Pochettino should put him in the squad more often, but as with all our youngsters, they need to be brought on at the right speed.  He looks like he could certainly perform at a high level, but Premier League defenders are different o Gillingham defenders and to throw him in against them would be a challenge, but not one that you want to knock his confidence with by coming unstuck against more experienced opponents.

It was good that Josh and Vincent both got their first goals for Tottenham, as, without Harry Kane, their goal-scoring will be needed.  Eriksen was head and shoulders above Gillingham and his two goals, very different in execution, demonstrated that.  Lamela looked like he was enjoying himself, but was taken off for more important games ahead and Vorm had a quiet evening with very little to do.  Carroll looked OK in a defensive role, which is always a worry, as he is not the strongest built player, but he used the ball well and kept goal-side of his player to prevent any moves forward.  Tom took the armband when Eriksen was subbed, which appeared to give him a boost and he moved forward a bit more after that.  Both Davies and Trippier got forward, as there was little to prevent them from doing so, with both putting good balls into the box and Davies having a good chance to score and Trippier drawing the foul for the penalty.  They could both slot into the full back roles if needed (as Davies is now).

A good evening's work, with a big win, a good team and good individual performances, seeing Spurs through.  Whether the same team runs out at Anfield will be interesting to see.

Sparky Marky