Sheffield United vs. Tottenham: Issues, Decisions That Will Shape Cup Game

Sheffield United and Tottenham Hotspur meet in the Capital One Cup semi-final second leg on Wednesday night. One match from a date at Wembley, only one goal separates the two teams.

The action transplants from White Hart Lane to Bramall Lane where a raucous, urgent atmosphere is just about inevitable as the Yorkshire club attempt to put their visitors from north London on the back foot. Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino will know his side need to deflate their opponents quickly if they are to avoid a long evening.

With all of this in mind, here are the issues and the decisions set to shape this cup clash.

Fresh Sheffield United Ready to Pounce

Just because Sheffield United are in League One does not mean they do not have a schedule comparable to Wednesday's Premier League opponents.

Coupled with the demands of a 46-game league schedule, their cup exploits have ensured they are playing twice a week until at least early March. Further progression in either tournament would see that pace continue.

"It is very difficult to maintain a challenge for promotion while you are still in both cups, without a doubt," manager Nigel Clough told the Press Association of his eighth-placed side (via The Guardian).

The Blades boss made eight changes for Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round draw with Preston North End. It was deemed a necessity—but not a compromise: "The players were so tired after Spurs," he told his club's official website (also in the above video) this week.

United were good for their draw with playoff rivals Preston, a result which leaves them with a chance of possibly facing Manchester United in the next round. As well as also allowing some who played against Tottenham to rest, it gave the likes of forward Jose Baxter and goalscorer Diego De Girolamo an incentive to earn a further chance of their own (the former has a strong chance, according to his manager).

Clough will hope it has left his team fully motivated for the task of securing a trip to Wembley. If they do not win, it is unlikely to be because they were not up for it.

In team news, Clough noted his only fitness doubt is Ryan Flynn. New signing Ryan Brayford, who played for the Blades on loan last season, is cup-tied.

Preparing for a Possible Onslaught

Associated Press

Mauricio Pochettino will hope last week's look at Sheffield United has his side fully prepared for what they will offer in the second leg.

In the aforementioned Press Association interview, Clough indicated his intention to try to use this past weekend's numerous FA Cup upsets to inspire his team on Wednesday: "But the other side of it is that I think it all will have put Spurs on high alert—if the first leg didn’t already—that if you are not careful, lower-league teams can cause you a problem."

The firsthand experience of facing Sheffield United in last week's tight first leg appeared to have made the Yorkshire club's credentials apparent to Pochettino, as he told Tottenham's official website post-match: "It was a good test in the first game and now we realise the level Sheffield United are at and that they deserve to be in the semi-final. They have won games against Premier League sides Southampton and QPR and we have respect for them, but we need to go to Sheffield and try to get the victory to deserve to go to the final."

It was before Pochettino and most of this current squad's time, but Spurs' last League Cup semi-final against Burnley in 2009 should also serve as further warning of the kind of onslaught they should anticipate.

The then-Championship-level Clarets were 4-1 down from the first leg but scored three goals to take Spurs to extra-time at Turf Moor. They were within minutes of winning by away goals before Roman Pavlyuchenko and Jermain Defoe scored to retake the lead.

Spurs are an entirely different team, and Sheffield United are a level below what Burnley were, but with just a one-goal aggregate advantage, the north Londoners have to be prepared for a similarly tough encounter.

It might be the case their Premier League class quickly tells and it becomes a procession. They can only make that happen by fully respecting the occasion.

Getting Back to What Works Upfront

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It would be a surprise, to say the least, if Harry Kane is among the substitutes on Wednesday.

Tottenham's January has demonstrated both the pros and the cons of rotation.

Pochettino's decision not to overuse his players has kept their injury list minimal. At the time of writing, the only anticipated absentees for Wednesday were Nabil Bentaleb (on international duty) and possibly Nacer Chadli (personal leave).

Changes made for Leicester City in the FA Cup did, though, contribute to a defense which was disorganised and disorientated. Spurs also missed chances which might have been taken by in-form men like Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane (though both did appear as substitutes).

Both should be back as Spurs try to secure a place in the Capital One Cup final. After Emmanuel Adebayor's and Roberto Soldado's failure to take full advantage of their recent starting opportunities, Kane should also be the man leading the line again.

The 21-year-old's all-encompassing style has been missed as a counter-point to opposition attempts to stop Spurs. Deployed in a deeper role against Sunderland and Sheffield United, the immediacy with which he could strike further up the pitch—whether by physically beating a defender or shooting from closer range—was forsaken.

Kane played well enough in what was essentially an attacking midfield role, but it is no coincident he has not scored since his last game upfront—the 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace.

As Spurs try to knock out Sheffield United, they now need to get back to what has worked best this season.

Will Pochettino Stick with Vorm?

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Michel Vorm endured a tough afternoon of work against Leicester.

The defeat to Leicester was goalkeeper Michel Vorm's ninth appearance of the season but only his first in a weekend game.

It is unlikely his unfamiliarity with dimming daylight of late, rather than a floodlit pitch, contributed to his mishandling of Jeffrey Schlupp's spin-laden, volleyed stoppage-time winner. But on his latest chance to impress, the moment was a testament to the difficulty of finding form as a back-up goalkeeper.

"It just keeps going around in your head and as I said, if it happened in the first minute it’s different," Vorm said ruefully to Spurs' official website. "In a way it made it worse because I made some good saves in the first half."

It is the goalkeeper's lot in life that his one mistake will be picked out more than anything

Not the ease with which Spurs allowed Danny Simpson to race unchecked through their midfield and cross. Not the failure of either defenders Federico Fazio or Vlad Chiriches to take responsibility for the presence of Schlupp and the distracting Leonardo Ulloa—despite both having looked around to locate them moments earlier (Ulloa's equaliser was laxly defend as well).

With a place in the final at stake, Pochettino could opt to start his first-choice 'keeper Hugo Lloris. Vorm has played in every round, though, so it would be a damaging blow to his confidence to drop him now—not to mention be rather harsh.

Except for the Leicester mistake, the Dutchman has been otherwise solid when he has played. He deserves a chance to rectify an uncharacteristic error.

Whether Vorm will be given it, we will find out at Bramall Lane. If he does, he could be in store for a busy night with the Blades almost certain to up the tempo compared to last week's more measured showing.

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