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August 26th 2010 by Paul Dargan
Yes, even Arsenal fans may be rooting Spurs to qualify through their Champions League group.
Tough though it may be.
Basically, there is a method to my madness.
The UEFA co-efficients say that if Spurs do not advance from Group A, the Premier League will only have three places available for the competition next term.
In a section that pits them against the current champions, Internazionale, German Bundesliga side, Werder Bremen and Dutch Eredivisie winners, FC Twente, Harry Redknapp’s side have an uphill task to achieve that.
The re-adjusted betting markets have Tottenham 5/4 to be eliminated at the Group Stages, which is favourite.
Inter – now coached by former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez won the treble last season, which included the domestic double of Serie A title and Coppa Italia.
They have lost just once at home in the league in three years, but both Liverpool and Panathinaikos have recorded victories at the San Siro in European competition.
Petri Pasanen will be a familiar in the Werder line-up to Redknapp, as he signed the defender for Portsmouth in 2004. The rest of coach Thomas Schaaf’s squad are more than capable internationals who again, will cause the North London side problems on their own patch.
They came through a very topsy-turvy qualifying game against Italians Sampdoria 5-4 on aggregate. Their home record at the Weserstadion is less than formidable, losing three games in each of the last two seasons in Die Bundesliga.
Die Grün-Weißen (the Green-Whites) lost narrowly in the last UEFA Cup final before the name change in 2009 to Shakhtar Donetsk – the Ukrainian champions are in Arsenal’s group.
FC Twente should be the more easier opponents in the section, even though former Middlesbrough and England manager Steve McClaren guided them to their first ever national championship last season before agreeing to takeover German’s Wolfsburg in the summer.
It is also the first time that they have reached the group stages in this tournament after going out in the qualifying stages in each of the last two seasons.
McClaren’s successor, legendary Belgian goalkeeper Michel Preud’homme, will be looking to work his magic almost straight away and they are unbeaten in their first three league games.
Should Spurs fail to reach the knockout stages, it will make things even more difficult for teams to qualify for Europe’s premier competition with potentially only three Champions League places to play for.
COME ON YOU SPURS…
Yes, even Arsenal fans may be rooting Spurs to qualify through their Champions League group.
Tough though it may be.
Basically, there is a method to my madness.
The UEFA co-efficients say that if Spurs do not advance from Group A, the Premier League will only have three places available for the competition next term.
In a section that pits them against the current champions, Internazionale, German Bundesliga side, Werder Bremen and Dutch Eredivisie winners, FC Twente, Harry Redknapp’s side have an uphill task to achieve that.
The re-adjusted betting markets have Tottenham 5/4 to be eliminated at the Group Stages, which is favourite.
Inter – now coached by former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez won the treble last season, which included the domestic double of Serie A title and Coppa Italia.
They have lost just once at home in the league in three years, but both Liverpool and Panathinaikos have recorded victories at the San Siro in European competition.
Petri Pasanen will be a familiar in the Werder line-up to Redknapp, as he signed the defender for Portsmouth in 2004. The rest of coach Thomas Schaaf’s squad are more than capable internationals who again, will cause the North London side problems on their own patch.
They came through a very topsy-turvy qualifying game against Italians Sampdoria 5-4 on aggregate. Their home record at the Weserstadion is less than formidable, losing three games in each of the last two seasons in Die Bundesliga.
Die Grün-Weißen (the Green-Whites) lost narrowly in the last UEFA Cup final before the name change in 2009 to Shakhtar Donetsk – the Ukrainian champions are in Arsenal’s group.
FC Twente should be the more easier opponents in the section, even though former Middlesbrough and England manager Steve McClaren guided them to their first ever national championship last season before agreeing to takeover German’s Wolfsburg in the summer.
It is also the first time that they have reached the group stages in this tournament after going out in the qualifying stages in each of the last two seasons.
McClaren’s successor, legendary Belgian goalkeeper Michel Preud’homme, will be looking to work his magic almost straight away and they are unbeaten in their first three league games.
Should Spurs fail to reach the knockout stages, it will make things even more difficult for teams to qualify for Europe’s premier competition with potentially only three Champions League places to play for.
COME ON YOU SPURS…
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