da dobrowin： Despite Manchester United going into the game with accusations that their squad had yet still to gel and an expectation that Tottenham’s golden boy Harry Kane was sure to run riot through the Red Devils’ questionable defence, the Lilywhites were effectively out of the match before half-time. While it was only one game, was this 3-0 win a turning point for United and an end to Spurs’ top four hopes?
da apostebet： Chelsea have all but sewn up the title but the last three spots are still up for grabs in a season where it appears six clubs will take it to the wire to decide who will play in the Champion’s League. With only eight points between second and seventh, these next 10 weeks are going to be a thrilling end to the 2014-15 season.
So what went so wrong for Tottenham? They started Sunday in sixth, but after their first half defensive nightmare they now sit in seventh with 50 points from 29 games. Just 34 minutes of switching off and allowing United to score an embarrassing three times has meant Southampton leap frog them and their European ambitions lie in tatters.
Last season Spurs finished their campaign in sixth, a massive 10 points shy of the top four. Manager and former player Tim Sherwood was duly sacked in favour of bringing in ex-Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino, and while his job looks secure, Pochettino will be expected to at least finish higher than his predecessor, or the last seven months will have been a disaster. Spurs fans want to be challenging for the title soon, not wasting away in seventh every season.
Spurs have increased their expectations over the last few years and now top four is seen as a reasonable goal. Back in 2010 Spurs finished fourth, earning themselves Champion’s League football the following year but this was in no small part down to the Gareth Bale effect and, since his departure to Real Madrid, the Lilywhites have struggled to replicate that success finishing no higher than fifth.
Spurs never really found a replacement for Bale and although Kane has been on fire this season – scoring 16 League goals, making him England’s third top scorer – when he doesn’t find the net then the north London club have few striking options relying instead on midfielders Nacer Chadli and Christian Eriksen.
£26 million forward Roberto Soldado has been a complete disappointment since his arrival in 2013, scoring only seven League goals in his Tottenham career s0 far. This season he is currently on one.
Fortunately, of the nine remaining Premier League clubs Tottenham must play, five are sitting in the bottom seven and so the likelihood that they will be able to bounce back is quite high, especially considering that Sunday’s victors must play Liverpool next and then the Manchester derby in April.
Of course, no one match can ruin the aspirations of a club in an entire season. A season of failing to take opportunities ruin a season and Spurs have been unable to keep up with the Premier League’s heavyweights. If Pochettino’s men can focus on winning their last remaining fixtures, picking up points especially from the relegation threatened teams, then they should still be in with a chance.
Manchester United and others will drop points and Spurs need to be ready to capitalise on that.
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