Whether an impressive performance against Middlesbrough tonight will be enough to convince Jol of Defoe's merits remains unlikely. In his post match interview on Sunday Jol made it clear that he does not believe Defoe can play with Keane (an issue that has long been one of the mysteries of Jol's tenure and is probably due more to his penchant for direct football rather than either players deficiencies) but instead believes Darren Bent can comfortably slot in next to Keane or Berbatov and thus offers more options from the bench than Defoe. This confirms the hierarchy among the clubs strike force and it is also clear that Bent has little chance of dislodging Keane from the starting line-up, despite the Irishman's inconsistent start to the season. Regardless of the restricted opportunities in the league, however, tonight's game could represent an opportunity to see whether Bent and Defoe could form an effective partnership.
The Carling Cup has offered, over the past few seasons, offered the most achievable piece of silverware on offer to the club. Though many in football dismiss it as worthless, in recent seasons the competition has provided some of the most entertaining games of the season, involving clubs that use the cup as a chance to test out exciting youngsters and fringe players. This experimentation has actually led to increase in the quality and competitiveness of the Carling Cup and much of the credit goes to sides like Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham for having strong enough squads to make the latter stages of the competition interesting. Of late sides like Manchester United and Chelsea have taken the Carling Cup more seriously as well, if only for bragging rights or to placate fans who demand silverware year in year out. So although tonight's match represents a chance for experimentation it's also a fixture that Jol will take very seriously, particularly considering the pressure he is under.
With the likes of Gareth Bale, Adel Taarabt and hopefully Kevin Prince-Boateng likely to feature, and Benoit Assou Ekotto set to be rested, Jol will field a much changed side against a Middlesbrough team who have a distinct lack of attacking options available to them. Gareth Southgate has lost Turkish international Sanli Tuncay and ex-Arsenal striker Jeremie Aliadiere to injury along with former Tottenham player Mido, who misses out on his first opportunity to return to White Hart Lane since being told he was surplus to requirements by Martin Jol in the summer. Southgate, like Jol, will be looking for his players to take the competition seriously, with the Cup being the last piece of silverware either side has won.
Match Prediction - Tottenham 3 Middlesbrough 1 I have a feeling that this game will be the very epitome of cup football - fast paced, attacking football with plenty of chances. Neither side has painted themselves in defensive glory over the past couple of months and both will fancy their chances of causing the other trouble. We'll have to be wary of Stewart Downing as the winger, of whom Jol is an admirer, as the England fringe player has an excellent cross and is adept from free-kicks and anything from long range (expect him to test Robinson who has struggled from long range recently). With Southgate's attacking options limited, Downing may well present the biggest threat to Tottenham's hopes for progression but ultimately Tottenham's forward line may well prove the difference between the two sides. George Boateng is an underrated midfield work horse who is an essential lynchpin of Southgate's side and if he plays we should expect our centre midfield, which will most probably contain Tom Huddlestone and Didier Zokora, to have a tough game.