Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton preview - Pulis hails Stoke's unsung heroes

Posted Sunday, December 11, 2011 by PA

Much of the focus will be on Stoke's former Tottenham players ahead of the clash between the two clubs on Sunday but manager Tony Pulis believes his team's unsung heroes deserve some credit.

Record signing Peter Crouch, Jonathan Woodgate and Wilson Palacios all left White Hart Lane in the summer and will be looking to impress at the Britannia Stadium.

But the Potters boss singled out the likes of Marc Wilson and fellow defender Andy Wilkinson for praise.

Wilson was signed as a midfielder from Portsmouth in the summer of last year, but has played left-back for most of his 12 Barclays Premier League appearances.

"Marc Wilson doesn't get the credit he deserves," Pulis said.

"People talk about Ryan Shawcross, Matthew Upson, Robert Huth and Woodgate but Wilson has been outstanding this season.

"For a player who is more of a midfielder than a full-back he has done fantastically well for us.

"He has so much quality when he gets the ball it is not just his defending, it is his ability with it which is great for this club.

"I see him eventually growing into a position, but he just wants to play and will play up front or wide just to get in the team."

Wilkinson, a genuine full-back, began the season in Pulis' Europa League team but has started three of their last four league matches.

He injured his back in training on Thursday and is a doubt for Sunday's match.

"We need Wilko. He is a very good defender for us and they have two very good wide players (Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale) we need full-backs who can compete," added Pulis.

"It will be a disappointment if he is not fit."

Of his former Tottenham trio is seems likely only Crouch will start, with Woodgate playing out of position at right-back against Everton last weekend and not looking particularly comfortable.

"It always gives you an extra edge (playing against a former team) and you want to do well," said the Stoke boss.

"But I think Peter, Woody and Wilson have great respect for Tottenham and the people there.

"No-one has left with animosity or bad feeling and so they will be looking forward to seeing people they have worked with in the last couple of years."

Pulis could welcome back midfielders Jermaine Pennant and Rory Delap after the pair missed last weekend's win at Goodison Park with minor knocks. Goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen is fine after sustaining mild concussion in the encounter.

Tottenham will give fitness tests to Bale (foot) and Jermain Defoe (hamstring) before deciding whether they travel to the Britannia Stadium.

Rafael van der Vaart has recovered from his hamstring injury but Ledley King is a doubt with the knee problem that ruled him out of last weekend's win against Bolton. Sandro is also struggling with a groin complaint.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp insists he will not let Roman Pavlyuchenko leave the club next month unless he has already lined up a suitable replacement for the Russia striker.

This week Lokomotiv Moscow were the latest in a long line of clubs to be linked with Pavlyuchenko, who wants to leave White Hart Lane in order to boost his chances of playing for his country at Euro 2012.

The arrival of Emmanuel Adebayor, and the excellent form of Van der Vaart and Defoe, has meant Pavlyuchenko is yet to start a Premier League game this term.

The 29-year-old has played most of his matches in the Europa League but, with Spurs now on the brink of elimination from the competition, the forward's chances of getting more game time to persuade national coach Dick Advocaat that he merits a place in Russia's Euro 2012 squad are receding by the day.

Several clubs could bid for Pavlyuchenko when the transfer window opens in January, but Redknapp does not want to damage his side's chances of a top-four finish by leaving himself short of strikers.

Redknapp said: "If we let Pav go we'd leave ourselves short.

"If he decides he wants to go and the club get a good offer then we've got to be ready to replace him from somewhere."

Spurs have been linked with a number of strikers in recent months, including Chelsea's Didier Drogba, his transfer-listed team-mate Nicolas Anelka, and Brazil international Leandro Damiao.

Redknapp also hinted that he would launch a new bid for Bolton and England centre-half Gary Cahill last week, but the Spurs boss denies that he has given chairman Daniel Levy a January wish-list.

"We (Redknapp and Levy) talk about players all the time, but I couldn't sit here and say we've got targets. We haven't," the 64-year-old said.

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