Arsenal will fancy their chances of catching their rivals- but here are five reasons for Spurs fans to stay positive.
Perspective and fear
Yes the last two weekends have been devastating for Tottenham fans, who will have wished that Liverpool could at least have beaten Arsenal on Saturday. But now is the time to sit back, take stock, and realise that they are four points above their North London rivals for a reason. They have played some scintillating football over the season and they will soon get back into the groove. They will wisely put the games against United and Arsenal behind them, and re-adjust mentally, taking one game at a time, with a view to widening the gap. The fear factor will keep them on their toes, not wanting to be caught and slip into fourth, and it should, ahem, spur them on. The four point gap still leaves Arsenal with more to do, and they cannot avoid any slip-ups or Spurs will make their advantage greater.
Good fixtures
It has been a tough month or so for Spurs, mainly because of their gruelling fixture list, which has seen them play Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester United since the turn of the year. They have to play Chelsea for a second time, and then that is all of their games against the top seven complete. They went on a winning run against teams in the lower half of the table earlier in the season and can do it again. Arsenal on the other hand have to play Chelsea, Newcastle and Manchester City.
Manager with a point to prove
There is a lot of talk about how the speculation over the England job could be negatively affecting Harry Redknapp. He will be keen not to let this happen. He knows that if Spurs go on a losing streak before the end of the season, and cracks, it will not bode well for the mentally demanding challenge of England. Redknapp will be out to prove a point to prospective employers at the FA that he is the right man, while also proving to Spurs fans that his heart is, for now, at White Hart Lane, so that if he does leave them, it will be with happy memories, rather than disappointment.
Strikers
There is no disputing that as a unit Tottenham’s strikers are superior to Arsenal’s. Of course none can match Robin van Persie’s individual records and effect on a team, but apart from that, Marouane Chamakh and Park Chu-Young are not up to the required standard. Spurs however have Emmanuel Adebayor, Louis Saha, and Jermain Defoe, all capable of netting vital goals, sharing the ‘workload.’ Defoe will be eager to prove a point ahead of Euro 2012, while the club also has Giovani dos Santos as an emergency fourth option if required, and the strikers will be very important over the coming games.
FA Cup
The FA Cup can lift Tottenham’s spirits and keep them on track. Starting with tonight’s match at home to Stevenage, they can lift the supporters, with the allure of silverware, which would give them another bragging right over Arsenal. Of course the cup could end up a distraction, but they would rather be in it than not, and if Redknapp approaches both right, it can only be a morale booster to the players and the club.
We’re not saying Spurs ‘will’ finish third, we don’t have a crystal ball yet, but the above shows supporters should not be despondent. Do you think Spurs can finish third or do you expect them to continue to crumble?
image: © apasciuto
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