Fulham boss Chris Coleman has promised there will be no repeat of last season’s dire 2-0 defeat at Tottenham – thanks to his side’s new positive style.
Fans travelling to White Hart Lane are desperate to avoid a repeat of February’s encounter which looked destined for the dullest of goalless draws until late strikes from Fredi Kanoute and Robbie Keane snatched all three points for Spurs.
This term Fulham, who sit five places off the foot of the Barclays Premiership table, have been less circumspect and Coleman is expecting his attack-minded team to go on the offensive in north London.
“Last season Tottenham away was such a boring game for the fans. Our fans were thinking we could get a point or nick a goal. We were right in the game and then they scored from a free-kick,” he said.
“It was disappointing because we were not really competing and at half-time I thought we might get away with it because they were not much better. But once they scored our performance got really bad.
“We lost and performed badly. Fans might have turned a blind eye to our display had it been 0-0.
“Tonight we have to be up for it right from the start and we have been so far this season. We have played good football, attacked and made chances, so I can’t criticise the guys apart from one half against Blackburn.
“I am confident we will win games because we create chances. It would be nice to add to the score if we go 1-0 up because that would give us confidence.
“Tottenham are a good team and we respect them. But I am confident we have got the quality to go to White Hart Lane, put on a show and get three points – regardless of whether or not Spurs are up for it.”
Coleman will reinstate the team beaten 2-1 by West Ham after calling on his reserves for the midweek Carling Cup drama against Lincoln and hopes to wipe out memories of the club’s last Premiership outing.
“West Ham was a killer after the game – it was the lowest I have seen the guys. It was hard to pick them up because we had so many chances in the first half,” he said.
“Then there was a mad 10 minutes in the second half when they went ahead and then scored a freak goal which came off the back of Tony Warner’s head.
“We missed a chance to jump into the top 10 with that defeat and that’s what happened to us all last season.”
