Manchester City V Tottenham Under Achievers V Super Spenders
It is said that the championship playoff final is the most expensive one-off game of football in the world with the riches of around 90 million sterling waiting for the winner but make no mistake tonight’s game Manchester City V Tottenham Hotspurs is any short of the jackpot for the two parties involved.
Two teams who have never been at odds with one another but in fact their fans share an unwanted, unspoken bond that will be torn today, with the 4th place finish in the English Premier League and more importantly a place in the 3rd qualification round of the Champions League is a mouth watering prospect for both the parties involved and with a win guaranteeing the coveted 4th place tonight’s game will be nothing short of a warfare.
For Spurs following years of underachievement, anguish and pain and for city spending an eternity under the shadow of their illustrious neighbors, there is a sense prevailing that finally one of the two can be the bride instead of the bridesmaid.
Forget the 90 million pounds or so promised to the championship playoff winner qualification to the Europe’s top tier football competition will propel the clubs into a new stratosphere, a position of pedigree, integrity and with an increased inflow of cash they will see them into wonderland.
Click here to read, Premier League preview: Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur
If City emerges as the winners tonight, a season which saw Sheikh Mansour’s 400 million taking full effect will reach the Promised Land, one from which they may never look back. Their qualification into Europe will pave the way for their summer targets to be landed with relative ease, with Eden Dzeko and Fernando Torres being the preferred choices.
It took Chelsea 500 million pounds and six managers in five years to topple Manchester United off the top spot and yet they had just managed the feat twice before this season, and have yet not won the Champions league ever and have seen United lift the EPL trophy 3 times along with the Champions League. Only time will tell if the same scenario awaits Manchester City.
Spurs on the other hand may have not spent as lavishly but they have been frugal, they backed out of the signing of Craig Bellamy so that they can land Palacios or chase Bellamy and be blown out of water for both the players such has been city’s influence in the recent transfer markets but what City always lacked is pedigree and European representation and all their spending would count for nothing if they fail to qualify.
Apart from the overwhelming reasons for City fans to want their team to win a neutral may still be on Tottenham’s side.
Last years financial figures revealed that spurs operated at 52% in wages as compared to their total revenue while their new foes operated at 94% and that may have increase drastically since last year, spurs may compete over transfer fees but have a tight leash when it comes to salaries and bonuses.
Despite the Daniel Levy’s wish to sell the club a promise to play in the Champions League and a new stadium built with their own money, his will to sell will surely subside, there is a certain sense of calm and subtlety about white hart lane right now.
City with their staggering finances have baffled the entire premier league and tweaked the nose of the established order in English football but it all will be no more than flake disappearing like nothing if they fail tonight.
Premier League preview: Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur
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