Playing the Tottenham Hotspur way
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect that of Sportskeeda
Tottenham fans were surprised on hearing the news about their new manager at the start of this season. Andre Villas Boas, the man responsible for the downfall of Chelsea last season, was appointed as their new manager after the sacking of current QPR boss, Harry Redknapp. However, he turned out to be the perfect replacement on the sidelines. Tottenham are currently 3rd in the table, followed by the Blues from Stamford Bridge. They ended last season in 4th position, only to give Champions League football to Chelsea, who won the trophy, and in the process, reserved a place for themselves. This season, after selling Croatian midfielder Luka Modric to Real Madrid for a huge amount of £30 million, they made some big money signings in the form of Hugo Lloris and Lewis Holtby from Olympique Lyonnais and Schalke respectively.
They did not actually start the season on a high, but after Gareth Bale returned to his majestic form, they just kept on winning game after game, to finally come to 3rd on the table. But they are likely to lose that 3rd spot to Chelsea, as they have a game in hand and trail Tottenham by just 2 points. If Chelsea win the next match, they will claim their spot. AVB has certainly done some of his magic at White Hart Lane, which he had not done at the Stamford Bridge. They have been one of the best sides in England this season, having thrashed the Champions League winners of 2010, Internazionale, 3-0 at home. They have also defeated Manchester United 3-2 at Old Trafford. The emergence of some great wingers in Aaron Lennon and Gylfi Sigurdsson is helping them become a superpower in not only England but also on the European stage. Due to Arsenal’s bad season and Everton not performing well in recent weeks after their losses to Wigan in the F.A Cup quarter-final and Norwich in the Premier League, Tottenham have a serious chance of getting a Champions League ticket next season.
Their top scorer, Gareth Bale, is fast establishing himself as one of the best players in the world, having already drawn comparisons to Real Madrid’s Portuguese winger, Cristiano Ronaldo. He is proving to have great acceleration, shooting ability and a desire to get more goals. He is one of the leading scorers in the league, and is considered to be the perfect player who can take responsibility, following the departure of Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart. AVB has also contributed to the emergence of Bale as one of the best players in Europe. He can run with the ball, can shoot from distance, can head the ball, and is one of the most complete players right now in world football, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.
They are not only good in the Premier League, but also seem to be one of the serious contenders in the Europa League. With a squad as strong as that of Spurs, you certainly have got a chance of winning the Europa League. The only thing Spurs lack is leadership on the field. Dawson is finding himself as the captain, after not even being considered as a center-half at the beginning of the season. But with the loss of experienced players in Modric and van der Vaart, Tottenham are lacking experience, but on the other hand, have one of the most talented squads in England.
Everyone remembers those days when Spurs got thrashed 5-2 and the day when they lost the Champions League place to Chelsea. But, once the lion is hurt, it comes back even stronger. The same is the case with the North Londoners. They have made a comeback even stronger and are threatening to replace the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea. That’s called playing “The Hotspur Way”.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect that of Sportskeeda