Messianic Kane back for Spurs
CHANCEL MBEMBA has been handed the chance to resurrect his Newcastle career.
The former Anderlecht centre-half was a surprise call-up for Wednesday night’s 1-0 win over Burton, having been out in the cold since November.
And he is set to retain his place at Sheffield Wednesday this evening with a ringing endorsement from manager Rafa Benitez.
“He was always so positive in the dressing room and on the training ground,” said Benitez. “Ciaran Clark and Jamaal Lascelles have been doing really well for the majority of games but I was really pleased with Chancel the other night.”
Benitez, meanwhile, said that he is on the side of referees because of what he experiences in training every week.
Benitez was angered by a clanger by Keith Stroud in midweek but he said: “To be a referee is very difficult. I realise it is not easy when I’m refereeing five-a-side games in training sessions because the players are always complaining.
“It is important to trust the referees and hopefully everything will be fine until the end of the season with no bad decisions for us to complain about.”
Derby boss Gary Rowett, meanwhile, will not be motivated by revenge when he faces his former club Birmingham at St Andrew’s.
Rowett returns for the first time as a visiting manager having been axed in December despite the club being in contention for the play-offs.
His replacement Gianfranco Zola has won twice in four months since, while Rowett’s team could still reach the play-offs.
“I don’t feel like I’ve got to go back there and prove a point,” said Rowett. “We took the team from second-bottom to 10th and challenging for the play-offs.” HARRY KANE is as important to Tottenham as Lionel Messi is to Barcelona, according to his manager Mauricio Pochettino.
The striker will make his Tottenham comeback against Watford today – at least three weeks ahead of schedule after suffering ankle ligament damage. Pochettino will be loath to change an in-form side that has made light work of Kane’s absence, with 13 goals since he hobbled off with the score at 0-0 in the FA Cup tie against Millwall on March 12.
But the Spurs manager knows the importance of his 24-goal top scorer for the run-in, comparing his return to when Messi is available for Barcelona.
Pochettino is not afraid to start with Kane despite the striker having only returned to full training yesterday.
He said: “Maybe I am crazy but you cannot put a doubt on Harry Kane. The team is playing well but I think it’s so difficult. Whether Harry plays from the beginning or not, there is no doubting that Harry is our best player. “It’s like with Barcelona – Messi is injured for one month but Barcelona are still winning. Then Messi is available again and you say, ‘Mmmm, I don’t know’. There is no doubt that Harry is one of the best players that we have.” Kane’s rapid recovery has surprised some people, but his boss is not among them. He said: “Harry wanted to be back as soon as possible. His mentality is always to push more and more. “After training, he was shooting, he was playing and you can see that he is ready. “When I ask him, ‘Hey Harry, I don’t know if you are ready or not, I think you want to be’, he says ‘No, no, I want to be involved tomorrow’. “So I said, ‘OK, you will not be involved’. He said why? So I said, ‘Your answer is wrong. You should say, Gaffer, it’s up to you because you are the manager and you decide’. “He is pushing lot and his mentality is great. We have to decide what is best. “It’s great news for us. But football is a collective matter. You a cannot win if you don’t have a good strong squad.” Spurs can narrow the gap at the top of the Premier League to four points with a win at White Hart Lane, with leaders Chelsea not starting their away match at Bournemouth until 5.30.
Pochettino may be forced to turn to third-choice goalkeeper Pau Lopez, below, with Hugo Lloris (sickness bug) and Michel Vorm (knee) both major doubts.
Lopez, who is on loan from Espanyol, famously clashed with Messi in Spain last year.
“That was a derby game. He is very competitive and he has a strong character and personality,” said Pochettino.
“It’s true he is young and needs to learn and improve. But he is ready, physically and mentally.
“He is ready to compete if we need him.”
Watford manager Walter Mazzarri believes Pochettino has shown it is possible to overcome the language barrier and become a top manager in the Premier League.
Mazzarri’s future at Watford has been questioned, partly because of the Italian’s failure to become fluent in English.
But the former Inter Milan coach points to Pochettino’s success at Tottenham after speaking through an interpreter when he first arrived in England at Southampton.
Mazzarri said: “I hope to do what Pochettino did after speaking very little English at the start and after four years be second in the table.
“I have a lot of respect for him. I like managers that give an identity to the team.