Tottenham captain Dawson urges caution ahead of FA Cup clash with Leeds

24 Jan 2013 21:45:00

The 29-year-old has recalled the Championship side's battling display against Spurs in the fourth round three years ago and has warned his team-mates to prepare accordingly

Tottenham captain Michael Dawson has underlined the threat that Leeds hold ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup fourth-round tie.

The two sides met in the fourth round three years ago where an injury-time penalty from Jermaine Beckford forced a replay - which Spurs won 3-1 at Elland Road.

Leeds are having an inconsistent season in the Championship, lying 11th after 28 games, but Dawson has highlighted the quality of the Yorkshire side’s squad and the skills of manager Neil Warnock as reasons to be cautious ahead of the clash.

"Leeds is a great place to play football and I’m sure Elland Road will be rocking again on Sunday," Dawson told the club's official website.

"It’s a special stadium and being a Yorkshire lad myself, I’ll have a lot of friends and family there - it’s like a home game for them! It’s a massive football club and one that wants to be back in the Premier League.

"Neil Warnock always gets his teams right up for matches, it will be a sell-out, the fans will be right behind them and the atmosphere will be brilliant. We have to be ready, and I’m sure we will be.

"Leeds have some top players, they are doing well in the Championship and this is a one-off game. If we’re not at the races, we’ll come unstuck. We have to be professional, do the job and try to get through to the next round."

Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25
Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200
Sign up to Paddy Power for £250 in free bets

Inside Goal.Com

Inside Celtic: End of season review
With just the Scottish Cup final left before the summer break, Inside Celtic looks back on a memorable season for Neil Lennon's men
Top 10 all-time Champions League scorers
As the competition moves within days of its much-anticipated conclusion at Wembley, Goal profiles the most prolific players in its history
'Mario, you will never redeem yourself'
Mario Gotze's injury means the playmaker has now played his final game for Borussia Dortmund. In an open letter, a fan tells of his emotion at his controversial switch to Bayern
BVB's rise from the abyss to European contenders
BVB have recovered from teetering on the edge of bankruptcy to take their place on Europe's grandest stage, humbling their opponents on Saturday, Bayern Munich, along the way
Transfer Talk: Terry and Nani wanted by Galatasaray
Get your daily dose of all the speculation from around the globe as clubs cast their eye towards summer reinforcements