Jan's respect for Blades

Jan Vertonghen was well aware of the task to topple Sheffield United ahead of the first leg of our Capital Cup semi-final – last week’s match simply re-affirming what he already knew.

The Blades have already taken the scalps of Southampton and QPR in cup competition this season and proved a tough nut to crack in last week’s first encounter.

Andros Townsend’s second half penalty eventually proved the difference between the teams as we take a 1-0 lead to Bramall Lane tonight.

Wembley is up for grabs with the winners facing Chelsea in the final on Sunday, March 1.

“Sheffield United were good at White Hart Lane, they played very compact and I won’t say I was surprised, they did well against us,” deflected the central defender.

“That game was good for us. We knew how strong they were and now we know what we have to do to beat them.

“Hopefully they will come out a bit more in the second leg, they have to really because we’re 1-0 up and they need to score but we all know it will be another difficult game for us.

“We have to be switched on from the first minute to the 95th, maybe even 120. We have to be fully focused and that’s clear if we want to go to Wembley.

“The mentality is good. We’ve done well in the last couple of months. Okay, we lost against Palace and Leicester City but everyone believes we can achieve something this season.”

Like his team-mates and fans alike, Jan is dreaming of a final at Wembley. “It would be unbelievable, a final at the home of football,” he added. “I’ve played there once in a friendly against England but hopefully I can get there again with Spurs. That would be something special.”