Tottenham Hotspur take on Blackpool in English Premier League – Match preview
Tottenham Hotspur host Blackpool in a match that is very important for both teams for entirely different reasons.
The Spurs have recently lost ground on Manchester City and came almost level with http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Liverpool-c39809 in process of dropping to 6th and moving out of the running for the UEFA Champions League.
Tottenham still have the fate of being in the Europa League in their own hands, and a win against Blackpool will go a long way towards securing their spot. On the other hand, Blackpool have the agenda of surviving in the Premier League to address.
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway has urged his team and captain Charlie Adams to stick to basics and make sure that they extend their stay in top division.
Adam has been by far the best player for the Seasiders in their first season in top flight. He was also in the final list of players nominated for the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year Award. The award may have gone to http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Gareth-Bale-c14422
of the Spurs, but Adam has earned the respect of many of his peers in his first season in the Premier League, and there were a number of teams showing interest in his services during the January 2011 transfer window.
However, in recent weeks he has not been able to bring his ‘A’ game to the table, and he himself admitted that he needed to focus harder in the remaining games. The Blackpool boss said that all Adam needs to do is to make sure that he keeps sending in telling
balls from the flanks and make sure that he keeps the team motivated on the field.
“He's that important to us that if he plays well, we play well. But luckily some of the lads, particularly in the last two games, have raised their level and made up for him not being quite up to his normal level,” Holloway said.
The manager tried his best to make sure that he keeps hold of his best player in the winter transfer window, but knows that if his team drops down at the end of the season he may not be able to convince Adams to stay. Despite the dip in form for Charlie
Adams in recent games, the manager said that it is impossible to consider that he will drop his most influential player.
Blackpool is currently out of the relegation zone but only on goal difference, and not only three points would do for them but a couple of good results in some other games would also be a great help.
Tottenham Hotspur have had their hands full this season, with their first European campaign taking them to the quarter-finals. Real Madrid proved to be too good for them, but that did not take away the respect and appreciation they received all over for
their progress and performance in their Champions League debut.
It looks unlikely that they will be able to make it to the Champions League next season, but Europa League is the next best thing and they need to win their last three games to make sure that they do not let Liverpool make headway.
Playing at home, Harry Redknapp is expected to field an attacking line up. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Luka-Modric-c22857 will be key in the midfield as he has been throughout the season.
The Spurs should go in as clear favourites, but teams threatened by relegation are at times the most dangerous ones at the end of the season. Therefore, Blackburn will surely be confident of taking at least a point back from the London outfit.
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