Champions League preview: Tottenham v FC Twente
Dutch champions FC Twente arrive in north London to present a second Champions League group challenge for Spurs, but this particular learning curve is starting to look a steep one for Harry Redknapp and his team.
Their second Premier League defeat of the season, to West Ham at Upton Park on Saturday, exposed a lack of consistency in an admittedly injury-hit squad. But Redknapp – whose side lost at home to Wigan just days after they qualified for Europe’s premier competition – appears to be finding it tough to marry together domestic and continental success.
Perhaps fatigue is a factor. Spurs faded badly in their last European outing at Werder Bremen after being on top for the majority of the first half, but two early goals didn’t lead to a victory as Bremen pegged them back to 2-2. They are still looking to the positives though.
“The way we played in that first half was the best I've seen us play since I came to Spurs,” said Jermaine Jenas, who had been thrust back into first team action in recent weeks after a spell in the wilderness, also known the substitutes’ bench.
“We were so on top, dominated possession and could have scored one or two more, it was a top performance,” he continued.
“Obviously the goal they scored at the end of the half gave them hope and put them on the front foot for the second half, then they scored straight away after the break. We could have crumbled and lost that game but we didn't, we stayed strong and I think if you look at the game as a whole you have to take it as a good point. It's a solid platform to build on.”
Where that platform will lead to is up for debate, but this home clash with undeniably their weakest group opponents now simply has to produce three points if Spurs want to progress. These are the types of fixtures that the seasoned English Champions League campaigners looked upon as home bankers, and so Tottenham will have to do the same if they want to be considered in the same bracket. It’s not quite win-at-all-costs just yet, but it’s not far away.
Redknapp could have been facing a familiar foe tonight, as this could well have been Steve McClaren’s triumphant homecoming.
Three years after being hounded out of England under an umbrella, the Yorkshireman found redemption by leading Twente to their first-ever Eredivisie title last season, but having left for the Bundesliga and Wolfsburg, he’s now been replaced by Belgian goalkeeping legend Michel Preud’homme – the 1994 winner of the Yashin Award for the best shotstopper at a World Cup, and a pretty useful manager too.
Prued’homme oversees a squad that has rapidly evolved from that title-winning collective, but which still boasts the talents of Costa Rican forward Bryan Ruiz, one of a raft of strikers linked with Liverpool in the summer, former Wigan midfielder Denny Landzaat and summer signing Marc Janko, who has been finding the net with regularity since a £5million switch from Red Bull Salzburg.
In one of the more eye-catching results from the first round of group stage matches, Twente drew 2-2 at home to reigning champions Inter Milan in their first ever match at this stage of the competition, but while they look strong at home, away matches are likely to prove their downfall.
Although faced with defensive problems which are likely to result in him paring Sebastien Bassong and Vedran Corluka at the back, Redknapp should be more focused on his forward-thinking players ahead of this one, with midfielder Rafael van der Vaart – “no mug” due to his 80 Dutch caps says his boss in typical fashion – likely to feature heavily against his compatriots.
Twente shouldn’t be taken as “mugs” either, but Spurs should be desperate to win after both their opening night disappointment in Bremen and recent league struggles.
If that desperation can be turned into inspiration, then three vital points should be attained.
Prediction: Tottenham 3 FC Twente 1
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