Tottenham face a difficult trip to Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge on Sunday. The Blues have started the season with five Premier League games in as many games. Tottenham’s good start to the season suffered a blow last week when Manchester United beat them 3-1 at White Hart Lane.
That defeat apart Tottenham have looked really strong this season. In fact its their best start to a season in almost half century. That start will face another test on Sunday at Stamford Bridge. Even if Chelsea defeat Spurs their season ahead will still looks promising.
Redknapp a good man manager
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is a big part of a improvement of the club. His man management skills have been evident wherever he has been at the likes of Bournemouth, West Ham and two spells at Portsmouth. He gets the best out of his players. He makes mediocre players in to good players and good players in to class acts.
Tottenham and Harry Redknapp were always going to be a good fit. A big club in need of stability and a manager in need of a step up. When he took over from Juande Ramos as Spurs boss they found themselves bottom of the table with just two points from eight games.
After just two weeks at the club Redknapp had moved Spurs out of the relegation zone. The season turned around completely and Redknapp even lead Spurs to the League Cup final, losing to Manchester United on penalties. They also finished just one place outside the Europa League in eighth place.
One of Harry Redknapp’s main talents is picking up a bargain in the transfer market. He showed that on transfer deadline by signing Portsmouth playmaker Niko Kranjcar for the the bargain price of £2.5million. Many say a steal at that price.
A more solid unit
The former Pompey boss has put together a very solid team. Their first eleven on their day could be good enough for the top four. However their squad hasn’t got the strength in-depth of some of their rivals. England internationals Aaron Lennon and Jermain Defoe have been fantastic form for both club and country.
Aaron Lennon has the potential to be one of the best right-sided midfielders in the game, but hasn’t managed to find any sort of consistency. His electric pace has been let down by poor deliveries in good positions.
This season has seen a marked improvement in crossing, still not perfect but improved nonetheless. The former Leeds star has also improved on his consistency and has made himself a regular for England. Hes a certainly for next years World Cup squad.
The explosive Defoe has always been a goalscorer wherever he has gone, but in his first spell at the Lane he was left out and sold on to Portsmouth where he continued to scored goals. His return to Spurs under Redknapp has saw the 26 year-old find his best form scoring five goals in five Premier League games this season.
He has also scored three goals in his last three games for England. The presence of former England striker Les Ferdinand on the Tottenham coaching staff has helped develop his game immensely. Ferdinand has admitted that the England striker is always willing to listen to advice, which is always a good characteristic.
Tottenham defence good but frail
Tottenham have a good solid defence, but centre-backs Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King seem like they are made of glass at times. These two provide a formidable defensive pairing when fit and on form. Unfortunately King and Woodgate are so injury prone that they are rarely fit to appear together. The signing of Sebastien Bassong could prove a key signing for Spurs with his fellow centre-backs so often unavailable.
Targeting the Champions League places
Their start to the season has raised expectations amongst their fans and some pundits are tipping them to finish in the top four. With Manchester City spending big during the summer its going to be difficult to finish ahead of the big four and City. A top six finish however and Europa League place would be progress for Harry Redknapp’s men this season.
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