betting
Tottenham
By David, BettingExpert.com | Edited
Adding creativity
Still riding the wave of joy that swept the other side of North London in the Champions League as well finally, Spurs have not had enough time to think about the implications of juggling this massive competition along with the Premier League. They have moved in the right direction by bringing on board Real Madrid’s marginalized talent van der Vaart who will be giving a helping hand with the goals and assists like no other player presently in their ranks.
Coach: Redknapp
Tactics: 4-4-2
Players In: Gallas, van der Vaart, Pletikosa
Players Out: Taarabt, Dervite
Current Probable Formation: Gomes, Kaboul, Dawson, L. King, Assou-Ekotto, van der Vaart, Modric, Huddlestone, Bale, Defoe, Crouch
The classic club which invests a lot but never gets anything in return. That statement can very well summarize what Tottenham has been before they finally managed to get their hands on the reward they had been chasing for a very long time. They were the club to finally manage to disband the big four taking Liverpool’s place and earning the chance to contest the elite competition for the top European clubs.
A look at the roster of Tottenham would back argumentations for seeing them try their hand at facing off the selected few from around Europe. Apart from their goalkeeper they have way above average players in most positions. But is Redknapp the right man to steer this team to success? Last season’s end result has backed the Englishman. This season it will be a tough one though and Harry will be required to manage his players well as the team plays every three days. Getting them to feel that they deserve to be playing against the likes of Werder Bremen and current holders Inter will be the tricky part but if they keep faith to their typical English bravery they should be able to go through their group. From then onwards it will be mostly up to their luck in getting the right opponent to visit White Hart Lane, where they will be eating the largest part of the cake.
In order to be able to manage an honourable a position as
last year’s fourth in the Premier League there will also be need for
considerable squad depth, like all the traditional big clubs which chase
success on both fronts have. And it so happens that Tottenham do have enough
players for a good rotation which does not detract from the quality of the team
on the pitch. So what is the problem? 
Unfortunately it is one concerning
injuries. Too many of the players at Spurs have a history of suffering setbacks
along the way. Let’s have a closer look at the team to try and get a peak at
who the suspects might be.
The keeper problem will keep haunting Redknapp although he did bring in Croatian national Pletikosa and last year’s Gomes was not that bad when considering his overall performances. The third man in line, ex-Chelsea guardian Cudicini, can be a reliable option as well. No one shines brightly but that may be a detail to overlook in a Premier League and a whole nation where talent in between the posts is scarce.
The defence is composed of a very good number of talented options. Kaboul, King, Woodgate, Dawson and newcomer Gallas can all hold a strong position at the heart of Redknapp’s four-man backline. However, which one of them can be considered an absolute certainty to keep away from the odd injuries? Each one can easily sit out a good six weeks each so the central couple should be changing often, destabilizing the defence in the process. On the flanks of the defence both Gallas and Kaboul can be utilized in place of the actual starters when needed. The preferred choices should, however, be Corluka on the right and Assou-Ekotto on the left now that starlet Bale has been moved in midfield.
The Welshman has been in fantastic form and last season has finally confirmed he is one to be taken seriously. His rise to stardom has in fact been so quick lately that Tottenham needed to turn down a good amount of offers in the summer. Milan had once been interested but unaware of his true talent and ambition, like most other clubs, gave up playing the auction game with Spurs in order to sign him. Close to goal Bale should have more numbers boosting his increasingly impressive portfolio. Perhaps there won’t be many goals given his position as a wide man on the left but with a magical left foot as is his he will be showering the strikers with inch-perfect crosses.
Bale’s counterpart on the right should be Lennon. He too was
once credited with many abilities and a bright future but unlike the Welshman
he has failed to prove his ambition. His inconsistency may be his downfall when
Redknapp seeks to restore balance to his midfield, perhaps one too offensive
with Modric dictating the game in the centre of the field and only Huddlestone
fighting to close down the adversaries. All of the following could go and take
that right midfield role – Bentley, Jenas, Kranjcar, 
Palacios and van der
Vaart. The first three are prone to injuries as well and with van der Vaart
pushing for a place in the starting eleven it should not be long before the very
talented Dutch player displaces the quick yet inconsistent Lennon. Apart from
the creativity which the ex-Real Madrid man can guarantee he is one who, as
shown in his brief stint in Spain, can find the net with relative ease.
The Dutch newcomer would theoretically be a valid alternative in attack as well but with four strong attackers like Robbie Keane, Defoe, Crouch and Pavlyuchenko available and Redknapp’s predisposition for two pure strikers upfront van der Vaart should be settling for a role on the right with license to drop in the middle behind the strikers. With the kind of package they find themselves with in attack it should be an even more dangerous Spurs side than last year, boosted by Modric from deep in midfield, Bale dominating the left flank and van der Vaart creating for the front pair and searching for goals himself. In Defoe Tottenham have a quick striker who can cut through defences instantly. Crouch should be his companion and with his centimeters and ability at bringing the ball down he will reveal himself the ideal partner. The duo might be Capello’s backup plan for England in case Rooney takes long to come out of the slumber for the Three Lions.
Predicted finishing position: 7th
Tottenham have a squad that can compete with the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Everton and perhaps even beyond. However, they also have the Champions League to deal with and the lack of experience in multi-tasking should penalize them in the Premier League, handing others an advantage in the fight for the fourth place. …not to mention the team’s propensity for injuries.
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