Tottenham Hotspur against Birmingham City

Better from the visitors! Kapo has just laid the game on a plate for Forssell. He's hammered it across goal and Forssell hits the bar!

Larsson has tried an angled 45 yard drive for glory. He didn't make it.

Kapo was bound to come on and be poor, seeing as I said he was half decent. He's wasted several good chances to get a killer ball in in his five minute spell so far.

Chimbonda does well to dispossess a marauding Kapo but options are looking limited for a tired Spurs now.

Forssell's back heel nearly sets Jerome free but Dawson blocks. They really should be attacking Spurs here - it is a great chance for them to get an unexpected three points and boost their survival chances.

It is Spurs who are spreading it around usefully and looking for the win. Sadly, Birmingham aren't despite having 11-men on the pitch.

The crowd wail in unison at referee Dowd again as he awards a free-kick to Stephen Kelly. Its fair to say he won't be getting many Christmas cards from the White Hart Lane faithful.

Poor ball from Kapo, who punted it long for Defoe. Wrong option, especially when his side have a man advantage.

Young-Pyo-Lee has replaced Bale while Stephen Kelly makes a great challenge as the ball looped ominously in front of Defoe eight yards out.

Not there, despite Berbatov winning the header.

Another corner for Spurs! When will they make one count?

Gary McSheffrey is off to be replaced by Olivier Kapo, who looks a decent player from what I've seen and heard.

Defoe is just offside.

Into the last 15 minutes and it still seems Spurs are the most likely winners. At least Birmingham now have two up top with Forssell joining Jerome.

Birmingham need to get hold of the ball and spread it to expose Spurs and their lack of numbers.

Spurs are charging forward despite having nine men on the field! They very nearly struck again through Berbatov. Bale is still off the field and looks like he'll be replaced.

Ridgewell makes a crucial intervention! Defoe was four yards out and just about to strike when the skipper got a foot in. Important.

Bale is down after a Muamba tackle. Not a word from the ref however.

Jermain Defoe has no left foot! Berbatov's cutback was ideal to hit first time but he tried to turn on his right and the chance was lost.

What do Birmingham do now then? Push on and go for the win or sit and take the point? Come on Alex, show us your hand.....

Keane got a decent slice of the ball but then his follow through caught Muamba. Two debatable red cards this weekend - Melchiot for Wigan and now Keane. Both poor decisions, in my humble opinion.

A re-jig needed for SPurs now.

Robbie Keane is in trouble for that lunge and Phil Dowd has booked him. He's off! Astonishing! Nasty tackle, late yes, but that is not a straight red. Poor decision.

Mikael Forssell is on for Daniel De Ridder.

Aaron Lennon shamelessly dives in the box when Liam Ridgewell but rightly, the referee waves play on.

Off the line! Berbatov heads down and Muamba clears under his own bar.

Two decent crosses into the box from Spurs and they have their 10th corner!

Huddlestone is a good passer of a football, and he's trying to pull the strings for Spurs but he just over cooks that ball looking for Bale.

Rafael Schmitz's nightmare is over, he's been replaced by Stuart Parnaby. And not before time.

Goal! Cameron Jerome scores a superb individual goal, dribbling past two defenders and hitting a left foot shot from the box edge into the bottom corner. 2-2!

Nicely worked free-kick by Spurs, Huddlestone squares it to Defoe whose powerful shot is blocked by Ridgewell.

Rafael Schmitz is the single worst defender I have ever seen on the evidence of this hour of football. He is hilariously late on Lennon there and gets a deserved booking.

Robbie Keane has now scored 98 Premier League goals, we are reliably informed.

Nearly but not quite for Birmingham, Dawson dived in and didn't get the ball and Jerome looks for McSheffrey but the ball is just a little too strong.

Bale lines up another free-kick but Defoe strikes it instead, but right into the wall. Spurs are resurgent.

Huddlestone dives in two-footed there and is lucky to get away with it.

Schmitz is having the worst day of his footballing life. He clears a Bale cross but instead of booting it away from goal he hits it straight to Berbatov who hits the post from close range.

Ramos celebrated that second goal quite vigorously for a notoriously serious chap. Alex McLeish is finding out how tough this league actually is.

Goal! Keane again! A great ball in from Huddlestone and he volleys home from close range. Spurs 2-1 Birmingham.

Fine ball from Huddlestone finds Lennon but his cross is poor and Schmitz clears for a corner.

This system Spurs have switched to certainly offers Birmingham some hope too, if they can break swiftly against the three-strong back line.

Great start for Spurs in this second half, and they will continue to surge forward now I'm sure.

Goal! Keane! Spurs 1-1 Birmingham.

Birmingham are having a right go at the ref, they are claiming Jerome should have had a free-kick on the half-way line before Zokora broke forward.

As soon as Berbatov went down you knew the ref was going to give that. They like to even it up these lads.

Penalty for Spurs! Zokora bursts forward slips in Berbatov and Djourou trips him.

Bale is pushing right up on the left side too. Ramos is having a decent pop at this by the looks.

Looks like Zokora has gone into a back three with Huddlestone sitting deep in midfield.

Defoe and Huddlestone are coming on for Spurs, in place of Bent and Kaboul.

And that is that - a great first half for Birmingham with plenty of spirit and passion on offer, just as you'd expect. See you back here in 15 minutes.

Another free-kick goes to waste for Spurs and Alex McLeish has one minute to survive to make this a very good first half for him in English football.

The crowd are starting to get a bit jittery now, as Malbranque hoofs a long ball towards Darren Bent.

Dawson rises well to clear the corner.

Jerome has a go at Kaboul this time and he wins a corner. The big defender was wary of going to ground in the area after the harsh penalty decision.

Brum are sitting very deep and playing on the break for now. They'll be pleased to get in still one up at HT for certain.

Darren Bent looks vert short on confidence, he has misplaced a few passes and the ever-forgiving Spurs crowd make their frustration audible.

Birmingham are battoning down the hatches ahead of half time, they are under quite a lot of pressure at present.

That was a quality save by the veteran Taylor - from a player half his age in Bale!

Yet another free-kick for Spurs, and Taylor makes a great save from Bale to turn it round the post. It was heading right for the postage stamp.

Lennon again tears past Schmitz and delivers a wicked ball across the six yard box, great clearance from Muamaba again however.

A good spell of pressure from the home side, Ridgewell having to clear well from a Bale cross, then Djourou breaks up a neat interchange between Keane and Lennon.

Berbatov looks for Bent but this time Birmingham deal with it well. Another free-kick given away by Muamba as the ball breaks though.

Another free-kick given away by McSheffrey. Spurs have had about three in that spot already. Poor delivery from Bale though.

A poor corner from Bale this time and Taylor claims comfortably.

Lovely skill from De Ridder but he just can't release Kelly, then Spurs break with Lennon again and his cross is intercepted by Larsson when looking for Berbatov.

McLeish won't be happy at how vulnerable his side look from crosses.

Birmingham are very edgy at the back! Chimbonda heads across goal and three defenders get in each other's way before Kelly hacks it over his own bar. Dawson heads just over from the third corner.

A corner for Spurs is cleared by Ridgewell amid claims of holding in the box. Nafti clears for another corner.

A bit of head tennis ensues from the free-kick but it is cleared. The Birmingham fans are singing for McLeish to give them a wave, and he duly responds.

The goal scorer then hacks down Lennon and gives away a free-kick in a dangerous position. Vital for the Blues that they hold firm for the next ten minutes or so. Well, preferably for their fans, for the next 65 minutes or so in fact.

McSheffrey smashed it down the middle and as Robinson dived the right way the ball has actually gone through his legs in mid air! Nearly a save but not quite. McLeish is off and running.

Spurs 0-1 Birmingham! McSheffrey scores!

Penalty! McSheffrey goes past Kaboul in the area, there is minimal contact but the ref points to the spot.

Great tackle from Nafti as Keane looked to break.

Again Schmitz switches off as Chimbonda bundles forward. He's had a 20-minute nightmare so far.

Aaron Lennon is a bit swift isn't he?! He very nearly hunts down a stray ball from Nafti ahead of the hapless Schmitz.

Berbatov gets his head to the corner but it sails harmlessly over the bar.

Great ball from Berbatov for Bent! He somewhat scuffs his left foot shot, the ball cannons off Taylor hits Ridgewell and just creeps wide of the post.

De Ridder wastes a cross when well positioned. He's started brightly too.

Cameron Jerome is looking lively, keeping the often-dodgy Kaboul on his toes. That should be an intruiging battle.

Lovely ball from Malbranque looking to feed Lennon who has the beating of Schmitz, but Ridgewell comes across to block.

Good pressing from Birmingham, forcing Spurs back to Robinson a couple of times.

Spurs go close again, Rafael Schmitz gives the ball straight to Lennon who flicks inside for Keane to cross and Berbatov heads wide. Sloppy from the Brum right back.

Lennon again beats his man but Berbatov's header is too weak to trouble Taylor.

Its Birmingham's turn to play some nice stuff, creating a chance in similar fashion to the Keane effort but De Ridder fluffed his shot from 16 yards.

First real chance! Superb Spurs football - a little give-and-go between Bent and Keane, the latter end with a clear sight of goal from ten yards out but blasts it over. Wasteful.

Djourou misjudges a bouncing ball allowing Bent to fire in a shot at the wobbly Taylor, but the big man holds firm.

My word that was ambitious, Zokora tries to claim his first Tottenham goal this season from about 45 yards. Needless to say it went wide.

First test for Schmitz when Lennon takes him on down the right. He hauls him down. Free-kick to Spurs.

The corner found its way back to Malbranque and Maik Taylor fumbled a straight forward catch. Then Keane takes a nice ball on his chest and volleys it high and wide.

Gareth Bale does well to fire in a cross which is cleared behind by Larsson for a corner to Spurs.

Zokora tries to set Bent away but the pass is just too long.

It's been a bright start from Birmingham, as you'd expect with a new manager in charge. They are pinging it around quite purposefully.

Free-kick from the right taken by De Ridder for Birmingham, it got a ricochet to Cameron Jerome, he spread it wide to Nafti and his cross just eluded Muamba. Good early chance for the Blues.

ALex McLeish has been promising that his side will be coming to have a go at Spurs today and not just sitting back. Let's hope he is true to his word.

First shot of the match from Daniel De Ridder. It went wide. Well, well, wide.

And we're off. Spurs look pretty fluid in midfield - lots of attacking players on show.

Birmingham: Taylor, Djorou, Kelly, Ridgewell, Schmitz, De Ridder, Larsson, McSheffrey, Muamba, Nafti and Cameron Jerome.

So, Spurs: 'Portly' Paul Robinson in goal, a back four of Bale, Chimbonda, Dawson and Younes Kaboul. Lennon, Malbranque, Zokora, Bent, Keane and Berbatov make up the front six in a formation yet to be confirmed.

Good afternoon, and welcome to coverage of Tottenham Hotspur against Birmingham City, or new manager versus newer manager if you will. Alex McLeish takes charge of the Blues for the first time, and Spurs will provide a stiff test having not lost yet under boss Juande Ramos.

Spurs are charging forward despite having nine men on the field! They very nearly struck again through Berbatov. Bale is still off the field and looks like he'll be replaced.

Ridgewell makes a crucial intervention! Defoe was four yards out and just about to strike when the skipper got a foot in. Important.

Bale is down after a Muamba tackle. Not a word from the ref however.

Jermain Defoe has no left foot! Berbatov's cutback was ideal to hit first time but he tried to turn on his right and the chance was lost.

What do Birmingham do now then? Push on and go for the win or sit and take the point? Come on Alex, show us your hand.....

Keane got a decent slice of the ball but then his follow through caught Muamba. Two debatable red cards this weekend - Melchiot for Wigan and now Keane. Both poor decisions, in my humble opinion.

A re-jig needed for SPurs now.

Robbie Keane is in trouble for that lunge and Phil Dowd has booked him. He's off! Astonishing! Nasty tackle, late yes, but that is not a straight red. Poor decision.

Mikael Forssell is on for Daniel De Ridder.

Aaron Lennon shamelessly dives in the box when Liam Ridgewell but rightly, the referee waves play on.

Off the line! Berbatov heads down and Muamba clears under his own bar.

Two decent crosses into the box from Spurs and they have their 10th corner!

Huddlestone is a good passer of a football, and he's trying to pull the strings for Spurs but he just over cooks that ball looking for Bale.

Rafael Schmitz's nightmare is over, he's been replaced by Stuart Parnaby. And not before time.

Goal! Cameron Jerome scores a superb individual goal, dribbling past two defenders and hitting a left foot shot from the box edge into the bottom corner. 2-2!

Nicely worked free-kick by Spurs, Huddlestone squares it to Defoe whose powerful shot is blocked by Ridgewell.

Rafael Schmitz is the single worst defender I have ever seen on the evidence of this hour of football. He is hilariously late on Lennon there and gets a deserved booking.

Robbie Keane has now scored 98 Premier League goals, we are reliably informed.

Nearly but not quite for Birmingham, Dawson dived in and didn't get the ball and Jerome looks for McSheffrey but the ball is just a little too strong.

Bale lines up another free-kick but Defoe strikes it instead, but right into the wall. Spurs are resurgent.

Huddlestone dives in two-footed there and is lucky to get away with it.

Schmitz is having the worst day of his footballing life. He clears a Bale cross but instead of booting it away from goal he hits it straight to Berbatov who hits the post from close range.

Ramos celebrated that second goal quite vigorously for a notoriously serious chap. Alex McLeish is finding out how tough this league actually is.

Goal! Keane again! A great ball in from Huddlestone and he volleys home from close range. Spurs 2-1 Birmingham.

Fine ball from Huddlestone finds Lennon but his cross is poor and Schmitz clears for a corner.

This system Spurs have switched to certainly offers Birmingham some hope too, if they can break swiftly against the three-strong back line.

Great start for Spurs in this second half, and they will continue to surge forward now I'm sure.

Goal! Keane! Spurs 1-1 Birmingham.

Birmingham are having a right go at the ref, they are claiming Jerome should have had a free-kick on the half-way line before Zokora broke forward.

As soon as Berbatov went down you knew the ref was going to give that. They like to even it up these lads.

Penalty for Spurs! Zokora bursts forward slips in Berbatov and Djourou trips him.

Bale is pushing right up on the left side too. Ramos is having a decent pop at this by the looks.

Looks like Zokora has gone into a back three with Huddlestone sitting deep in midfield.

Defoe and Huddlestone are coming on for Spurs, in place of Bent and Kaboul.

And that is that - a great first half for Birmingham with plenty of spirit and passion on offer, just as you'd expect. See you back here in 15 minutes.

Another free-kick goes to waste for Spurs and Alex McLeish has one minute to survive to make this a very good first half for him in English football.

The crowd are starting to get a bit jittery now, as Malbranque hoofs a long ball towards Darren Bent.

Dawson rises well to clear the corner.

Jerome has a go at Kaboul this time and he wins a corner. The big defender was wary of going to ground in the area after the harsh penalty decision.

Brum are sitting very deep and playing on the break for now. They'll be pleased to get in still one up at HT for certain.

Darren Bent looks vert short on confidence, he has misplaced a few passes and the ever-forgiving Spurs crowd make their frustration audible.

Birmingham are battoning down the hatches ahead of half time, they are under quite a lot of pressure at present.

That was a quality save by the veteran Taylor - from a player half his age in Bale!

Yet another free-kick for Spurs, and Taylor makes a great save from Bale to turn it round the post. It was heading right for the postage stamp.

Lennon again tears past Schmitz and delivers a wicked ball across the six yard box, great clearance from Muamaba again however.

A good spell of pressure from the home side, Ridgewell having to clear well from a Bale cross, then Djourou breaks up a neat interchange between Keane and Lennon.

Berbatov looks for Bent but this time Birmingham deal with it well. Another free-kick given away by Muamba as the ball breaks though.

Another free-kick given away by McSheffrey. Spurs have had about three in that spot already. Poor delivery from Bale though.

A poor corner from Bale this time and Taylor claims comfortably.

Lovely skill from De Ridder but he just can't release Kelly, then Spurs break with Lennon again and his cross is intercepted by Larsson when looking for Berbatov.

McLeish won't be happy at how vulnerable his side look from crosses.

Birmingham are very edgy at the back! Chimbonda heads across goal and three defenders get in each other's way before Kelly hacks it over his own bar. Dawson heads just over from the third corner.

A corner for Spurs is cleared by Ridgewell amid claims of holding in the box. Nafti clears for another corner.

A bit of head tennis ensues from the free-kick but it is cleared. The Birmingham fans are singing for McLeish to give them a wave, and he duly responds.

The goal scorer then hacks down Lennon and gives away a free-kick in a dangerous position. Vital for the Blues that they hold firm for the next ten minutes or so. Well, preferably for their fans, for the next 65 minutes or so in fact.

McSheffrey smashed it down the middle and as Robinson dived the right way the ball has actually gone through his legs in mid air! Nearly a save but not quite. McLeish is off and running.

Spurs 0-1 Birmingham! McSheffrey scores!

Penalty! McSheffrey goes past Kaboul in the area, there is minimal contact but the ref points to the spot.

Great tackle from Nafti as Keane looked to break.

Again Schmitz switches off as Chimbonda bundles forward. He's had a 20-minute nightmare so far.

Aaron Lennon is a bit swift isn't he?! He very nearly hunts down a stray ball from Nafti ahead of the hapless Schmitz.

Berbatov gets his head to the corner but it sails harmlessly over the bar.

Great ball from Berbatov for Bent! He somewhat scuffs his left foot shot, the ball cannons off Taylor hits Ridgewell and just creeps wide of the post.

De Ridder wastes a cross when well positioned. He's started brightly too.

Cameron Jerome is looking lively, keeping the often-dodgy Kaboul on his toes. That should be an intruiging battle.

Lovely ball from Malbranque looking to feed Lennon who has the beating of Schmitz, but Ridgewell comes across to block.

Good pressing from Birmingham, forcing Spurs back to Robinson a couple of times.

Spurs go close again, Rafael Schmitz gives the ball straight to Lennon who flicks inside for Keane to cross and Berbatov heads wide. Sloppy from the Brum right back.

Lennon again beats his man but Berbatov's header is too weak to trouble Taylor.

Its Birmingham's turn to play some nice stuff, creating a chance in similar fashion to the Keane effort but De Ridder fluffed his shot from 16 yards.

First real chance! Superb Spurs football - a little give-and-go between Bent and Keane, the latter end with a clear sight of goal from ten yards out but blasts it over. Wasteful.

Djourou misjudges a bouncing ball allowing Bent to fire in a shot at the wobbly Taylor, but the big man holds firm.

My word that was ambitious, Zokora tries to claim his first Tottenham goal this season from about 45 yards. Needless to say it went wide.

First test for Schmitz when Lennon takes him on down the right. He hauls him down. Free-kick to Spurs.

The corner found its way back to Malbranque and Maik Taylor fumbled a straight forward catch. Then Keane takes a nice ball on his chest and volleys it high and wide.

Gareth Bale does well to fire in a cross which is cleared behind by Larsson for a corner to Spurs.

Zokora tries to set Bent away but the pass is just too long.

It's been a bright start from Birmingham, as you'd expect with a new manager in charge. They are pinging it around quite purposefully.

Free-kick from the right taken by De Ridder for Birmingham, it got a ricochet to Cameron Jerome, he spread it wide to Nafti and his cross just eluded Muamba. Good early chance for the Blues.

ALex McLeish has been promising that his side will be coming to have a go at Spurs today and not just sitting back. Let's hope he is true to his word.

First shot of the match from Daniel De Ridder. It went wide. Well, well, wide.

And we're off. Spurs look pretty fluid in midfield - lots of attacking players on show.

Birmingham: Taylor, Djorou, Kelly, Ridgewell, Schmitz, De Ridder, Larsson, McSheffrey, Muamba, Nafti and Cameron Jerome.

So, Spurs: 'Portly' Paul Robinson in goal, a back four of Bale, Chimbonda, Dawson and Younes Kaboul. Lennon, Malbranque, Zokora, Bent, Keane and Berbatov make up the front six in a formation yet to be confirmed.

Good afternoon, and welcome to coverage of Tottenham Hotspur against Birmingham City, or new manager versus newer manager if you will. Alex McLeish takes charge of the Blues for the first time, and Spurs will provide a stiff test having not lost yet under boss Juande Ramos.