Can it still be done?!

Posted by on May 17, 2013 23 comments

One of the worst feelings in football is having to rely on another team doing you a favour in a game you’re not involved in. That’s exactly what we need from Newcastle this weekend as our nervous battle for a Champions League place reaches its conclusion. Tottenham have what is arguably the easier fixture on paper as they face Sunderland at White Hart Lane, while bitter rivals Arsenal travel to the Sports Direct Arena to take on Newcastle. Should both London sides manage to secure three points in their respective games, it will be Arsenal and not Tottenham competing in the 2013/14 Champions League.

The bookmakers have Spurs as the strong 3/10 favourites for their match against Sunderland. Arsenal are put in at a best price of 4/7. If you’re having a bet this weekend, you can check out available odds at Topbet.eu. Everything points to both of the Champions League hopefuls getting the job done against their Northern opponents, with both Sunderland and Newcastle having nothing to play for after they managed to avoid the dreaded relegation zone. Arsenal are long odds on favourites to take this season’s final Champions League spot and only the brave will be backing Spurs as things stand.

Following the unfair way in which Tottenham Hotspur missed out on Europe’s elite competition last season, it would be awful for Andre Villas-Boas side if they one against end up in the Europa League. The financial implications are one thing, Gareth Bale moving on is another and possibly most important of all, Spurs qualifying would mean Arsenal do not! In a way, Tottenham only have themselves to blame. A top four finish looked to be in the bag following the excellent 2-1 victory over the Gunners back in March, but poor results since, particularly at home, mean that Arsenal fans are more the more likely to be bragging come Sunday evening. I’ll live in hope until just before 6pm that day, but confident I am not.

Tottenham v Southampton Preview

Posted by on May 1, 2013 2 comments

One of the biggest games in Tottenham’s season this Saturday as Southampton visit White Hart Lane. With the Saints now looking safe from relegation, all the pressure is one the home side to secure the three points and make the most of their game in hand over Arsenal. The Gunners could only manage a draw against Manchester United this past Sunday and although that would have been a good result in normal circumstances, neither side can afford to be dropping points at home.

Spurs go into the match with Southampton on the back of a fairly positive result after gaining a point away to Wigan. Andre Villas-Boas side should arguably have won that match when you look at the league table, but Wigan are fighting for their Premier League lives at the moment and will be very difficult to beat for the remainder of the campaign. Southampton arrive in London off the back of one of their worst defeats of their season, a 3-0 home reverse at the hands of West Brom. Spurs fans will be hoping that their opponents this weekend already have one eye on their summer holidays and that the Lillywhites can take full advantage.

Although Spurs have had their injury list eased somewhat in recent weeks, they do have a couple of fresh concerns following last weekend, with both Mousa Dembele and Younes Kaboul picking up knocks. The Tottenham manager is hopeful that both players can be involved in this Saturday’s all important clash. Danny Fox and Gaston Ramirez are both suspended for the remainder of Southampton’s games this season and will be a big miss for the South Coast club.

Bookies seem to be strongly favoring Spurs at the minute, with odds at $1.44 – (£.95) at time of writing (TAB). It’s understandable that Spurs have been been in as favourites, but I personally don’t think it will be as straightforward as the bookmakers believe. Tottenham have struggled at home at times during Villas-Boas first year in charge and they have often looked more relaxed and clinical on the road. I’m hopeful that Bale and co can run out winners and I fancy a hard fought 2-1 victory for Spurs.

Have the PFA Awards Sealed Gareth Bale’s Exit?

Posted by on April 29, 2013 1 comment

Gareth Bale achieved an amazing PFA double last night when landing both the Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards. He becomes only the third player to win both accolades in the same season, and the first since Christiano Ronaldo in 2007. With Spurs’ chances of playing Champions League football next season still hanging in the balance, will the Welsh wonder now be on his way out of White Hart Lane?

Not since Ronaldo at Manchester United has the Premier League seen a player with such impact and who can turn games so quickly, something I’m sure In play betting punters will have benefited from this season. I’ve lost count of the number of games that Bale has rescued for Tottenham during this campaign and to lose a player of this calibre could really hurt the progress of the club for years to come.

Real Madrid are being touted as the favourites to land Gareth Bale’s signature, with the bookies installing the Spanish giants at odds of 6/4. Madrid have endured a tough season, lying a long way behind Barcelona in the race for the title and looking likely to exit the Champions League at the semi final stage. A marquee signing the quality of Bale would go a long way to appeasing the disgruntled fans and he’d definitely be a great addition to their squad.

Daniel Levy isn’t likely to let his prize asset leave on the cheap as his previous negotiations with player sales demonstrate. Transfer fees around the £100m mark have been mentioned and any offer around that kind of figure would definitely be hard to refuse. I’m obviously still hopefully Andre Villas-Boas men can win their remaining fixtures and secure a top four finish but I still don’t believe that will guarantee that Bale will begin next season in a Tottenham shirt.

We need something from Man City

Posted by on April 19, 2013 1 comment

The race for fourth place isn’t over till it’s over. Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea fans have all been guilty of premature celebrations as far as securing one of the elite positions behind the two Manchester clubs is concerned. The bookies are still divided on who they believe will land a Champions League spot as this review of sportsinteraction sportsbook demonstrates. Before this weekend’s round of fixtures, Spurs are the outsiders of the three sides at odds of 11/8 to finish in the top four, but a victory over Manchester City would likely have the constantly fluctuating prices change once again. Are Andre Villas-Boas men up to this task?

This is arguably a terrible time for Tottenham to be facing the reining Premier League champions. City have won eight of their last nine games and although they look to have left their title challenge too late, are the form team in the league currently. Conversely, Spurs have managed just the one win in seven games and the side that were pushing Man City hard for second place are now in a real battle for fourth. Not qualifying for Europe’s premier competition could see Tottenham lose the likes of Gareth Bale as a whole host of clubs will be making a move for the Welshman come the summer.

One good piece of news for the home side is the fact that Bale could return to action this weekend following a two week spell out through injury. Aaron Lennon and Jermain Defoe may also feature which for me, could well tip the balance firmly in Spurs’ favour. While City do have a great record against Tottenham having won the last four encounters, the returning players might well be the boost that Villas-Boas and his squad need to take all three points. Arsenal and Chelsea both have tricky looking away games this weekend and hopefully things will look a little rosier come Sunday evening.

If you’re having a punt on this weekend’s Premier League action, you can get detailed sportsbook reviews at Top Betting Reviews.

George Graham Should Stick to the Horses

Posted by on March 26, 2013 6 comments

Former Tottenham and Arsenal boss George Graham is apparently a huge horse racing fan and perhaps he should stick to trying to predict the finishing order of the 2013 Kentucky Derby horses rather than voicing his unwanted opinion on Spurs in the press as he has been recently. Graham believes that both Chelsea and Arsenal will finish above Tottenham this season, meaning that we will once again miss out on Champions League football by the narrowest of margins.

“Tottenham will be the ones to lose out.

“They have a difficult run-in and they have played a game more than the others.

“But I want to stress that it would be anything but a disaster for them to make it a poor season. In fact, I would say the opposite.

“He (Villas-Boas) has been assembling a squad and has done well to be in such a high position in the league and still be involved in the Europa League.

“He can build on that. And I hope he can keep Gareth Bale – for the club’s sake and the player’s sake.

“It is unfair on Bale to compare him to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He would really benefit from another season in England.”

Although Graham isn’t completely negative about the club, he has always had a problem with Tottenham since his sacking back in March 2001. While some of what he says is true, Spurs have been improving throughout the campaign. A couple of bad results does not mean that our season is over and I’d be fairly confident that Graham was singing a different tune a few weeks ago. I truly believe it could well go down to the wire and with Spurs having Sunderland at home on the final day of the season, I’d say that would put AVB’s men in the driving seat. There is still a lot of football to be played before May 19th and many twists and turns still to come.

For more information on the Kentucky Derby visit www.kentuckyderbyonline.com

Gareth Bale: Player of the Season?

Posted by on March 21, 2013 No comments

Never before has a Welshman won the Barclays Premier League Player of the Year award but Gareth’s Bale’s goals galore tips the balance firmly in his favour for the coveted award. No Spurs player has ever won the award either, but with impressive performances, stunning goals and fast spreading transfer rumours, it’s hard to look past the Welsh wonder to seal a first time double in a month’s time.

The Premier League Player of the Season award will be revealed in the 2nd or 3rd week of May and is chosen by a number of representatives from Barclays. This will be the 19th time that the award has been handed out with 8 of those awards being given to Manchester United players. Cristiano Ronaldo and Nemanja Vidic are the only 2 players to receive the award twice, but this year could spell a changing of the guard in the form of Gareth Bale.

16 goals in 26 appearances this season mean he is by far Spurs’ highest goal scorer and he currently sits 3rd in the Premier League total goals ranking. However, his impression on and off the pitch has been felt for far more reasons than his ability to find the net.

With Bale in their side, Spurs seem to have a certain spark about them; a speed and drive that most teams find difficult to handle. He injects urgency into the game and though Spurs have relied on him for nearly a third of their goals this season, they have also need him for so much more than that.

Rumours of an imminent sale in the summer seem to be just rumours and it would be shame to see yet another great British player seeking higher pay and more attention abroad. Players like Bale are exactly what the Premier League needs if it’s to sustain its perception as “The Greatest League in the World”.

With Bale at their disposal Spurs have enjoyed one of their most successful seasons in recent memory and that could become even more successful if they were to seal a European title and 3rd spot in the league.

Bale however is not without competition for the Barclay’s Player of the Season award. He currently leads the betting as a heavy favourite and is generally available at odds of around 1/2.

Robin Van Persie is right behind him though at around 3/1 and he has been instrumental in United’s inevitable title winning campaign. Take into consideration Suarez (11/2) and Michu (50/1) as valuable outsiders and the closing few games of the season could well decide who receives the award.

Gareth Bale heads the market for both the Barclay’s Player of the Season and the PFA Player of the Season awards. We can only hope that such a talent is still being considered for this award in 12 months time!

For more betting news and Betfred Goals Galore information visit goalsgaloretips.com.

Lyon v Tottenham Europa League Preview

Posted by on February 21, 2013 2 comments

This Thursday evening sees the return match of the last 32 Europa League tie between Olympique Lyonnais and Tottenham Hotspur. Andre Villas-Boas side will have been very relieved to come out of last week’s first leg with a 2-1 victory following a late Gareth Bale free kick. The tie is still on a knife edge however with Lyon having secured a vital away goal meaning a 1-0 victory at the Stade de Gerland would be enough to see the French side through.

Tottenham goalkeeper and French captain Hugo Lloris has compared this game to a Champions League match rather than a Europa League encounter, and he isn’t wrong. Both these sides have Champions League pedigree and it was only unfortunate circumstance that prevented Spurs qualifying for that particular competition this season. Lloris was rested for last week’s battle at White Hart Lane but is likely to play in his home country on Thursday.

Lyon come into this game off the back of an impressive 4-0 victory over Bordeaux on Sunday with two goals from Clement Grenier, and one each from Gueida Fofana and Alexandre Lacazette. Spurs on the other hand had a week off due to their early exit from the FA Cup and have only had this game to prepare for. Andre Villas-Boas is meticulous in his preparation and the fact his side will have had a full week to work on their tactics for this games makes me think that Spurs should just have the edge.

As far as a betting selection goes, it’s hard to look past Gareth Bale as an anytime goalscorer in his current rich vein of form, and I fancy the final result to be a score draw. You can bet on football at Unibet who make Lyon their favourites to come out on top here. However, Spurs are the favourites to qualify for the next round due to their goal advantage from the first leg.

The match kicks off Thursday 21st February at 6pm and can be seen live on ITV4, Sky Channel 120.

March the Key Month

Posted by on February 11, 2013 7 comments

With only one Premier League game remaining for Tottenham in the month of February, it looks like March will be the all important period as far as Spurs cementing one of the top four positions is concerned. It begins on the 3rd with Arsenal making the trip to White Hart Lane in what is sure to be one the the most competitive battles of the Premier League season thus far. Tottenham then go to Liverpool, followed by a home match with Fulham and finally, they face Swansea at The Liberty Stadium. With Arsenal still only four points behind as things stand, a positive result for Spurs in that particular encounter would give Andre Villas-Boas men the perfect start.

From a gambling perspective, I can only compare the upcoming month to the live March Madness bets that are placed on the NCAA every March. The markets on the Premier League are growing each and every weekend and punters can now back Spurs to win a half, player’s to get hat tricks and even on red cards (an outcome which would not surprise me during the Arsenal game!) Those who have backed Spurs to finish the season in the top four will definitely be sweating during the next few weeks. For more information on the March Madness, visit the March Madness 2013 website.

Now unbeaten in ten league games, Tottenham will be confident of finishing the season on a high. The FA Cup exit aside, Spurs’ form has been excellent over the last few months. Andre Villas-Boas team now have a two legged, last 32 Europa Cup match with Lyon to look forward to which I personally believe they have every chance of winning. West Ham away at the end of February is not going to be easy as Sam Allardyce’s side always perform at Upton Park but it’s another winnable encounter.

Maybe I should be looking up the table rather than down it, and the fact is that Tottenham now site just five points behind second placed Manchester City. With Chelsea and City looking out of sorts, who knows just where Spurs could be placed after five more Premier League matches. Let’s hope that March is when it all falls into place for the Lilywhites.

Not the Spurs of Old

Posted by on January 21, 2013 3 comments

I thought that was going to be the most painful result of the season thus far. To hammer the league leaders like that and come away with nothing from the game would have been extremely hard to take. While the first half was a bit more even, Spurs absolutely dominated Sir Alex Ferguson’s men in the second and although it looked as if it would be another setback for Tottenham in their bid to become one of the established big four, that turned out not to be the case.

Admittedly, Manchester United have been leaking goals this season. I doubt that their approach to games is ‘if you score three, we’ll get four’ but that seems to be the way a number of their matches are working out. This was not the case at White Hart Lane yesterday. Their game plan was undoubtedly to nullify Tottenham’s biggest threats keeping the ball and squeezing the midfield when losing possession. This worked up to a point early in the game and Robin Van Persie’s goal was textbook but those eleven players could not stop Tottenham from having the bulk of the game.

The introduction of Tom Huddlestone reminded me of the online Super Bowl XLVII betting I’d been looking at earlier in the day rather than make me think he’d be a game changer for us. For anyone interested in the upcoming NFL showpiece on 3rd February, you can get plenty of Superbowl 2013 information online. While the injury to Sandro is very disappointing, it was fantastic to see Scott Parker back in the fold and I don’t think you could ask for a much better replacement.

Two tough away fixtures await Andre Villas Boas men in the coming weeks but going on this performance, we should approach those matches in a positive frame of mind and continue the push for Champions League football next season. In seasons gone by, I’d never expect Tottenham to have enough about them to come back from 1-0 down against Utd, but I genuinely believe things are changing and the best is yet to come from this young side.

Ferry Cross the Mersey

Posted by on November 28, 2012 1 comment

Spurs face Liverpool tonight in what has the potential to be a thrilling encounter at White Hart Lane. Spurs are coming off the back of a very impressive performance when beating West Ham on Sunday and should be full of confidence coming into this encounter. Liverpool should also come into the match in positive mood as they are now on a run of eight games unbeaten following a very slow start to the season.

Andre Villas Boas has been under a tremendous amount of pressure since his arrival at Tottenham and three league defeats on the trot certainly didn’t do anything to alleviate that. The results against Arsenal and Man City were unfortunate but excusable, it was the defeat at the hands of Wigan on home soil that really hurt the home fans. Spurs haven’t quite hit the heights at the Lane thus far during this campaign but did look to be approaching somewhere near their best with Sunday’s victory over the Hammers.

Brendan Rodgers is in a similar position to Villas Boas in that they are both at clubs with huge expectations and are both going to struggle to deliver the Champions League football that their fans crave so desperately. Things did look pretty dire for Liverpool at the beginning of the season with no wins in their first five league games but things have steadily improved under the former Swansea coach. They are undefeated since losing to Manchester United at the back end of September and it’s going to take a good Tottenham performance for that to change.

Tottenham are still without Scott Parker, Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Younes Kaboul due to their long term injuries, while Emmanuel Adebayor continues his suspension. The good news for the home side is that Sandro has been passed as fit to play after being stretchered off against West Ham. He’s a crucial part of the Spurs midfield and could be the difference maker at White Hart Lane this evening. Liverpool have no serious injury concerns.

This is an important game for Andre Villas-Boas’ men. They face trips to Fulham and Everton in their next two games so three points here are much needed. If Spurs can reproduce the form they showed in their most recent win, I think it should go the way of the home side, and a 1-0 score line would not surprise me. Check out CarbonSports Sportsbook before betting on tonight’s big match.