Jol may delay King comeback
Tottenham boss Martin Jol may put Ledley King’s first-team return on ice in a bid to counter the threat of giant Liverpool striker Peter Crouch.
The 6ft 7in menace is set for a place in Rafael Benitez’s side against Spurs at White Hart Lane tomorrow and Jol may opt to leave his central defensive partnership of Michael Dawson and Anthony Gardner alone to deal with it.
King is fit again after missing the start of the season and England’s World Cup qualifiers against Wales and Northern Ireland with a groin problem.
Jol confirmed King was in his squad for the clash with Liverpool along with the club’s three new signings – Grzegorz Rasiak from Derby, Jermaine Jenas from Newcastle and Lee Young-Pyo from PSV Eindhoven.
But the Spurs coach hinted the England defender may miss out on a place in the side because of the threat posed by the former Spurs flop Crouch.
Crouch, who was on Tottenham’s books as a youngster, joined Liverpool from relegated Southampton in the summer and will get a chance against his former club because of injury to first-choice hitman Fernando Morientes.
Jol said: “Ledley is back from injury. I think Peter Crouch will come in and that is difficult because he was a problem for us last year hen we played Southampton. Maybe they will use him up front in a 4-5-1 formation.
“Ledley is fit enough to play but last year we didn’t have Anthony Gardner against Southampton and Crouch was a problem. So Anthony will be a very good option for us.”
Meanwhile Tottenham’s Dutch midfielder Edgar Davids, who faces a titanic battle with Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard tomorrow, has been told his international days may not be over.
Holland coach Marco van Basten has promised to visit White Hart Lane to watch the revitalised Davids in action for Jol’s side.
Van Basten has refused to select Davids for international duty since the 3-1 win over Finland almost a year ago.
Davids started 10 games for Inter Milan last season and Van Basten thought his fitness was not up to the required standard for international football and left him out of his squads.
But Van Basten has been impressed by reports in England that suggest Davids is now back to his tigerish best and the former Milan star insists the door is still open for the 30-year-old.
Van Basten said: “Edgar has played only a few matches for Tottenham and before that he didn’t play for months.
“That was not enough for him to join the squad for the games against Armenia and Andorra but we are following him with special attention.
“We are going to watch him in the next few matches and then we will make a decision on whether he is good enough to come back.
“I have not spoken to him yet about my plans but I will be going to White Hart Lane. It is still very much possible that he will play for Holland again.”
New boy Jenas will have to wait to see if he gets to make his Spurs debut alongside Davids.
Jenas, signed from Newcastle for £7m on deadline day, insists he was not forced out of Tyneside by tough-talking manager Graeme Souness but felt he had gone as far as he could with the Magpies.
Jenas insisted: “I left for purely football reasons really. I felt I had gone as far as I could with them. It was nothing to do with the fact I didn’t get on with Graeme Souness at all.
“It was just purely and simply about football reasons. I felt I needed to move to develop. Sometimes, it is best to get a fresh start.
“I was up there for four years and had a good time but I felt as though I had hit a bit of a ceiling. I thought a fresh start was best for everyone.
“Souness is just like every other manager. If you go wrong by him, he is not going to be happy with you but if you are disciplined and do things the way he likes it done, then things are fine. I just like to go out and perform and let the managers do the managing. I know what my own personality is like.
“I had some good times at Newcastle and I developed really well up there. Tottenham was the team I wanted to come to. The ambition of the club appealed to me and it is something I want to be part of.
“This is a new beginning for me. I want to score more goals, win more tackles and get more assists. I prefer to play in the centre of midfield but I will play wherever Martin wants to play me, I will fit in.”
