After a second half of the season peppered with inconsistency and over-reliance on Gareth Bale, Andre Villas-Boas must find a way to see his side work as a team for victories in the remaining games.
With just three games left in the 2012/2013 Barclays Premier League campaign, Tottenham Hotspur know that they hold their fate in their own hands. As things stand, Spurs lie in fifth place in the league standings with 65 points, two points behind fourth placed Arsenal and with a game in hand.
In their next game, Spurs make a short trip to take on Europa League finalists, Chelsea at the Stamford Bridge. In their last two games against Wigan Athletic and Southampton, Spurs have not impressed at all and had only star player Gareth Bale to thank for saving the manager’s blushes.
In their latest encounter, Bale scored against boyhood club Southampton to register a much-needed win. However, during the entire match, Spurs never gave the impression of a side that is vying for a place in next season’s edition of the Champions League. Indeed, without the presence of Bale, it would be interesting to see where AVB’s side would be right now.
With just three games left to play for, Spurs should be aware of the fact that they should let go of all the poor habits they have displayed over the course of the campaign. Over reliance on Gareth Bale is perhaps the most noticeable trend in Tottenham’s season this time around. Without their talismanic winger, the Londoners simply fail to register wins which should be a worrying fact for Villas-Boas.
So far this season, the Welshman has scored eight winning goals for his side which is more than any other player for any other Premier League club. Moreover, Spurs have not won a single league game in which Bale has not scored. These are indeed alarming stats for a club that spent so much money on players during last summer’s transfer window.
A top four finish by the end of the campaign is a must for a side that missed out on Champions League football last season due to Chelsea’s triumph in the competition last season. At that time too, Spurs were pretty much on a smooth ride before a poor run of results saw Arsenal overtake them in third place in the league standings. This time, the trend has been pretty much the same and had it not been for Bale’s exploits, it was very likely to have seen Spurs slide further down the table.
Over reliance on Bale has seen many players drop their guard down and if the status quo remains, it will not really be surprising to see the team once again, miss out on a competition they have been trying to get into for the last few seasons.
In their next game, Spurs play Chelsea, a team that heads into this particular encounter with a lot of win in their sails following a 1-0 win over champions Manchester United at Old Trafford.
And a repeat of performances they displayed against Wigan or Southampton against Chelsea would simply be fatal for Spurs chances of playing Champions League football and would also hand the initiative to their bitter rivals, Arsenal.
In their next game, Spurs make a short trip to take on Europa League finalists, Chelsea at the Stamford Bridge. In their last two games against Wigan Athletic and Southampton, Spurs have not impressed at all and had only star player Gareth Bale to thank for saving the manager’s blushes.
In their latest encounter, Bale scored against boyhood club Southampton to register a much-needed win. However, during the entire match, Spurs never gave the impression of a side that is vying for a place in next season’s edition of the Champions League. Indeed, without the presence of Bale, it would be interesting to see where AVB’s side would be right now.
With just three games left to play for, Spurs should be aware of the fact that they should let go of all the poor habits they have displayed over the course of the campaign. Over reliance on Gareth Bale is perhaps the most noticeable trend in Tottenham’s season this time around. Without their talismanic winger, the Londoners simply fail to register wins which should be a worrying fact for Villas-Boas.
So far this season, the Welshman has scored eight winning goals for his side which is more than any other player for any other Premier League club. Moreover, Spurs have not won a single league game in which Bale has not scored. These are indeed alarming stats for a club that spent so much money on players during last summer’s transfer window.
A top four finish by the end of the campaign is a must for a side that missed out on Champions League football last season due to Chelsea’s triumph in the competition last season. At that time too, Spurs were pretty much on a smooth ride before a poor run of results saw Arsenal overtake them in third place in the league standings. This time, the trend has been pretty much the same and had it not been for Bale’s exploits, it was very likely to have seen Spurs slide further down the table.
Over reliance on Bale has seen many players drop their guard down and if the status quo remains, it will not really be surprising to see the team once again, miss out on a competition they have been trying to get into for the last few seasons.
In their next game, Spurs play Chelsea, a team that heads into this particular encounter with a lot of win in their sails following a 1-0 win over champions Manchester United at Old Trafford.
And a repeat of performances they displayed against Wigan or Southampton against Chelsea would simply be fatal for Spurs chances of playing Champions League football and would also hand the initiative to their bitter rivals, Arsenal.
