From The Sun: Paul Konchesky believes Jermain Defoe will be the target of West Ham’s hate mob in tomorrow’s spiky old boys’ reunion at Tottenham.
Spurs striker Defoe faces his former Hammers team-mates for the first time since upsetting fans by slapping in a transfer request 24 hours after West Ham were relegated 2½ years ago.
Meanwhile, Hammers have faith in ex-Spurs striker Teddy Sheringham to cause an upset at White Hart Lane.
From The Daily Mirror: Alan Pardew has tipped ex-Tottenham star Teddy Sheringham to inspire West Ham to victory in tomorrow's London derby at Spurs.
The Hammers boss believes the veteran striker is in excellent condition following a rest during the recent international break.
And Pardew says Sheri, who scored 130 goals for Spurs in two spells, is in such good form he could prolong his career for another season despite turning 40 next April.
"Teddy has some fond memories of his times at Spurs and he is looking forward to going back," said Pardew.
"He doesn't need to tell me that because I know the beast and these games bring out the best in him. There will be no-one more pumped-up and motivated against Spurs.
"The match has come at a good time because we have given him a rest and the international break has helped. If you forgot his age and just looked at his condition, you could see he can play on for another season.
"His performances have been terrific and he hardly misses any training apart from the days off we make sure he has. I think he'll want to go on for another year."
From The Times: Few sports put joints to harder tests, and force them into more bizarre angles, than football.
In most people, spontaneous fractures of the bones of the feet are rare, especially when young, but we frequently hear of young footballers who have suffered this injury. This is the result of over-training that causes the thin metatarsal bones to snap. Think of Beckham and Rooney — but not Sheringham.
The over-training may also causes the Achilles tendon to tear, especially in older footballers. A footballer’s ankle is forever being twisted and occasionally the fibula, the more fragile of the leg bones, may snap with the strain. The fans may be relieved when they hear that an ankle is not fractured, only sprained, but recurrent tearing of the ligaments around the ankle is in danger of leaving it unstable thereafter.
Knees are damaged even more frequently than the ankles. The classic way of damaging ligaments and cartilage in the knee is to combine twisting with sudden deceleration. If the footballer is lucky, he suffers a torn medial co-lateral ligament (especially after a blow to the knee), if unlucky a torn anterior or less often posterior cruciate ligament. The cartilages may split or be torn. Either way, they are candidates for later osteoarthritis.
Men’s intellectual ability is fastest and best in their late teens. They may lack experience but they are quick-witted and fleet of limb. By 40, both are beginning to wane and deteriorating eyesight does not help. Sheringham is known for his quick-thinking football brain. Spurs will hope that their old boy’s age starts to catch up with him tomorrow.
He will team up in attack with another former Spurs player or two – Bobby Zamora maybe, Matthew Etherington for certain.
From The Times: Five years ago, Matthew Etherington started only 24 matches (in four years) and is aware of the irony that Tottenham are without a left winger. "Maybe things would have worked out differently had they held on," Etherington said. "Hoddle was dismissed a few months after I left, so who knows what would have happened. It was hard knowing that no matter how well I played, Christian Ziege would be in if fit. I’ve no regrets about coming here."
Etherington, a quietly spoken Cornishman, is likely to be one of six players, including Michael Carrick and Jermain Defoe for Tottenham, on the pitch tomorrow to have played for both teams. Etherington received "the usual abuse" whenever he touched the ball on his previous visit to White Hart Lane. Alan Pardew, the West Ham United manager, said this week that Etherington and Bobby Zamora, another Tottenham old boy, felt that they had something to prove to their former club.
"It will be a bit weird," Etherington said. "I’m a better player now: I’m 24 and more experienced and can show them what they missed. I’ve grown stronger and gained the confidence I didn’t get at Tottenham. I know I have to improve my game, but England is in the back of my head, if I play consistently well."
Survival remains West Ham’s aim this season. "Maybe teams have been surprised that we have attacked so much, but with the players we have, it’s the only way we can play," he said. "If we tried to defend it would work against us. We took a lot of stick last year, there was a lot of pressure and it took its toll. But it brought us closer together. If we didn’t go up, I would probably have had a decision to make whether to stay or leave."