Football: Graham remains a hungry manager

GEORGE GRAHAM'S obsession for football's glittering prizes took hold when, in his first season as manager of Arsenal, they captured the Littlewood's League Cup on a sunny April afternoon at Wembley in 1987. Now, 12 years on and five major trophies later, it still burns fiercely within him.

So it is hardly unexpected that, having crossed the great north London divide via the roundabout route of a year's ban from the game and two- year sojourn at Leeds, he is relishing the chance to clinch a Wembley return with his new team, Tottenham, by securing another triumph tonight at Selhurst Park over familiar rivals - Wimbledon.

When Arsenal sacked him, four years ago this week, after the infamous "transfer bungs" affair, he promised himself he would eventually bounce back and become even more successful than in his glory days at Highbury. At the age of 54, that ambition still has some way to go, and he admitted yesterday: "How can I call myself a better manager now than I was then? I won six trophies in eight years at Arsenal but I haven't added to that list yet.

"I'm just as ambitious as I was at Highbury, maybe even more so, but I can't achieve anything without the efforts and quality of the players at my disposal. I think it is about time the Tottenham players had some plaudits for what they've done since I came to the club.

"I work hard and I demand that other people put in the same commitment, but quite honestly I'm a bit fed up with all the media comment being all about me."

Tottenham's FA Cup trip to Leeds on Saturday was popularly billed as Graham returning to face the flak from fans of his previous employers at Elland Road. "But it was not about me versus David O'Leary," said Graham, "and it's not about me versus Joe Kinnear tomorrow night.

"Of course, it would be great to get to Wembley again and I'm sure Wimbledon want to be there just as much. It will be decided by what happens out on the pitch."

For tonight's Worthington Cup semi-final second leg - the fifth meeting of the two teams in a month - Graham will have David Ginola available again in attack after injury. Allan Nielsen is likely to return in place of the cup-tied Tim Sherwood.

The Dons, who gained a 0-0 draw in the first leg at White Hart Lane, will give late fitness tests to several players. Efan Ekoku is struggling with a shoulder injury and Marcus Gayle nursing a hamstring problem. Carl Leaburn is confident of recovering from his back injury, and Kenny Cunningham, Robbie Earle and Ben Thatcher also hope to prove their fitness.

SPURS V DONS

THE STORY SO FAR

SATURDAY 16 JANUARY

Premiership Tottenham 0 Wimbledon 0

SATURDAY 23 JANUARY

FA Cup fourth round

Wimbledon 1 Tottenham 1

TUESDAY 27 JANUARY

Worthington Cup semi-final first leg

Wimbledon 0 Tottenham 0

WEDNESDAY 3 FEBRUARY

FA Cup fourth-round replay

Tottenham 3 Wimbledon 0