The Club:
Out of the big teams in the Premier League, Tottenham have tried to muscle their way into the elite, playing some smart football under the wonderful transformation Harry Redknapp has done at the club. There were cracks starting to appear last season though, particularly up front and the purse strings look to be firmly closed when Spurs need to spend. They haven’t got the spending power and so they won’t be able to make an impact on the big four. Redknapp’s brand of football will serve them well though, they try and play the right way, but haven’t got enough quality to execute it all of the time. Don’t be too surprised to see Redknapp’s odds shorten as next England manager over the course of this season. Whether it is him losing his job at White Hart Lane, or him performing wonders again, we don’t predict that he’ll be at the London club for much longer. If Redknapp does go, then Spurs could fall apart. It’ll be hard to find a manager who is prepared to be as brave as him, and Tottenham could fall further back. They really are on the bubble. A couple of signings (particularly up front) and they would be a strong force, without them, they may be a bit of a spent force.
Players/Manager:
Well boss Harry Redknapp already has concerns over the forthcoming season, and he is still being tipped as one of the most likely managers to be out of a job first. Redknapp is hovering as short as 8/1 at Blue Square to be the next manager to go at the bookies. Tottenham failed to book their spot back in the Champions League, and have to start with the Europa League play off round. That’s all well and good, but Redknapp is seriously concerned that the Europa League is going to take away a lot from his team’s chances of challenging for Premier League honours. One of the key components to how well Spurs may go this season is down to Luka Modric. Whether or not he is actually still going to be in a Tottenham shirt this season is up in the air, as there are still rumours that he is going to join London rivals Chelsea. Apparently Modric wants to sign on at Stamford Bridge, but Tottenham have been holding fast on their valuation of the creative midfielder. Tottenham have tried to dip into the transfer market and have apparently been chasing Real Madrid Lassana Diarra, who looks to be on the fringes of action out in Spain. Diarra would bolster the Tottenham midfield, an area in which you feel they do need another high quality option, but Diarra’s move could all hinge on Real Madrid’s insistence on getting first options on Gareth Bale in a couple of years. So that may deter Redknapp from pushing on through with the deal. An area in which Spurs did let themselves down last season was up front, as they really need a striker who can comfortably get into double figures for them and can be relied upon week in week out. They have been chasing, notably Fernando Llorente from Athletic Bilbao, because Tottenham really need quality options to upgrade on Peter Crouch and Robbie Keane. Nothing really has come to fruition yet for Spurs, with a couple of other deals for strikers not coming off, and they look as if they may be caught short at the start of the season. Remember though the stroke of genius that Redknapp pulled out at the last transfer deadline in getting Rafael van der Vaart, who was a revelation at White Hart Lane. But the bottom line is, that Tottenham really need a couple of signings to accentuate and build upon what they have going at the club already. Tottenham’s financial restraints may start to hurt them badly this season.
Last Season: 5th
Fell a little short of being able to replicate the previous season’s finish of fourth. Still, a fifth place was enough to get them back into European action, but they did not score enough goals to threaten the big four again. They were six points back of fourth placed Arsenal in the end, a massive 18 behind winners Manchester United. Worrying, looking behind them, they were only four points ahead of Liverpool who had wasted pretty much the first half of their season. So Spurs look as if they are going to have a big fight on their hands even for a top six finish this year.
2011/12 Tottenham Hotspur Premier League Betting Odds Projection:
Well, seeing Spurs back inside the top four looks unlikely this season to be honest. You need to see them sign at least three high quality starts to make that happen. That is not going to happen, so they could be chasing the coat tails of the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool, and even getting back into the Europa League may be more of a push this season. There is nothing wrong with the way Spurs play, and they have great flair at times, and excitement in the ranks with the likes of Gareth Bale and Van der Vaart, but there is a little fight missing from the middle of the park. Spurs are quite a mobile side and they will be more comfortable at home than away. Their pre season has been thoroughly underwhelming. Here is the thing with Spurs. Because they cannot match the transfer fees and wages of the teams immediately above and around them, they continuously have to stretch themselves, instead of being able to coast games and turn on a higher gear when needed. To live with the best they have to play beyond themselves in the Premier League and if that doesn’t happen, then they are going to be struggling. Tottenham have a tough opening to the new Premier League season, with Everton, Manchester United and Manchester City to face in their first three games alone. That means the pressure could immediately be on Redknapp if points aren’t picked up from there. Spurs do not have all the pieces to strongly challenge for fourth place, not if again, the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool live up to their potential. Spurs are completely in catch up mode at the start of the season. They will have their bright moments, they will impress at times with their bright football, but they have not got the firepower in their ranks, not without some good signings and could be nothing more than a top half of the table team.
Finishing Position Tottenham: Top Six Finish
Premier League Winner Odds:
66/1 at Bet365
First Three Fixtures
August 13th: Tottenham v Everton
August 22nd: Manchester United v Tottenham
August 28th: Tottenham v Manchester City
