Premier League preview: Bolton v Tottenham
“If and when Mr Capello decides after his contract expires he doesn't want to do the job anymore, Harry Redknapp would be the perfect candidate to be the next England manager.”
Glowing words from Bolton boss Owen Coyle about the Tottenham manager who will be in the opposing dugout tomorrow, and he may be helping out the FA in their selection process for when Capello leaves to enjoy his retirement.
“I think the whole country would be pleased about that. He is an outstanding manager and a terrific man, who has been very helpful to me. He has always given his time very generously,” Coyle added.
Would the whole country be pleased? Maybe some are fed up with the amount of times the Spurs’ boss has complained about situations, especially about the incident at Manchester United last weekend- where Nani handled the ball, and kicked the ball into the net when Tottenham ‘keeper Heurelho Gomes failed to clear the ball.
Redknapp’s threat to boycott television interviews if he was punished for his comments about referee Mark Clattenburg over the incident gave the FA food for thought. Redknapp avoided any punishment and was just slapped on the wrist. The FA might have been thinking they couldn’t upset the next England manager if Coyle gets his way.
Redknapp masterminded a 3-1 win over Inter Milan midweek in the Champions League, with Gareth Bale once again running the show. The reigning holders were more like a pub team, and chants of “taxi for Maicon” echoed around White Hart Lane as Bale had one of the world’s top right-backs in his pocket.
The man many Spurs fans once couldn’t wait to see the back of is now a man whose name everyone wants on the back of their shirts, and it has been quite a transformation for Bale. He has gone from strength to strength, and his hat-trick at the San Siro a fortnight ago against Inter has made him the hottest property at the moment. Bolton right back Grétar Steinsson will have the engine running just in case he marks Bale as poorly as Maicon did.
Coyle will no doubt have watched the DVDs of Bale’s performances and have a strategy in place, but he insists he has “to come up with a plan for the whole Tottenham team.”
“If you are going to focus on one outstanding player you would be wrong, and quickly found out,” said Coyle. He is right, and that will be a relief to Steinsson as he knows he will not be the only one responsible to deal with Bale.
“Gareth got the headlines because he performed so well against Maicon, who is the best right-back in the world, but to concentrate on one player would be folly,” Coyle added.
Already talks of a move away from north London surround Bale, but would Spurs cash in on him? If the right price came along you would think so, but according to reports, Redknapp could be set to offer his star man a new deal as a reward.
“I understand the attention on Gareth, it's the nature of football,” said Redknapp. “But, trust me, he won't be leaving Spurs, even if we were to fail to qualify for the Champions League this season.”
The great performances of Rafael van der Vaart have been overshadowed by Bale over the past few weeks, but even the Dutchman has been giving his teammate the credit he deserves, saying: “He [Bale] killed Maicon tonight.”
Van der Vaart will not be available for Tottenham after suffering a hamstring injury against Inter, but that only solves half the problem for Bolton, as Bale is ready for another outing and looking to keep the local cab firm busy.
Prediction: Bolton 1 Tottenham 1
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