Tottenhams ten-year itch Tottenhams ten-year itch

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(This piece was originally posted 11th November, but following Spurs win in Milan thought a I would give it another chance to see some daylight)Bournemouth F.C. escaped dropping out of the football league in 1993, the man responsible for this was Harry Redknapp. This same squad also shocked Manchester Utd in the FA cup that season, by converting the holders into also-rans. Tottenham were considered more a cup team before Redknapp took charge, but he instilled consistency and belief last year transforming them into genuine top four candidates. However, fighting on two demanding fronts this season may take its toll  will we see them return to that aforementioned cup-side tag?Europes  Tim Duncan Jersey premier club competition is embedded into Tottenhams fixture list this season, following last seasons 38 game scuffle with Manchester City for that much-coveted fourth place. Redknapp must have only dreamt about dizzying days such as these whilst flitting between south-coast rivals  Portsmouth and Southampton  during the mid-noughties. In reflection of the mauling served up for last seasons all-conquering Internazionale  a treble achievement spanning European and domestic landscapes, albeit under a different manager  Spurs, must now re-a se s both their seasons ambitions and priorities. Spurs will face a battle to re-gain qualification this season. The top four will be constructed out of probably six teams, so firstly, questions will be asked about genuine squad depth. To a degree, Spurs domestic form has suffered at times this season. Trying to juggle a congested and intensified fixture list seems a task Redknapp does not enjoy Chimezie Metu Jersey . The defeat at Bolton, following the ruffling of the Italian champions, signifies a bittersweet obstacle this season  the players seem more fired up for European a signments.There would be a sense of irony if Tottenham could go onto Champions League glory this year after putting one over on the last manager to do it in such unexpected fashion  Rafael Benitez. Similarities between this Spurs side and the Benitez squad of 2005 are prominent. That very year, Liverpool qualified through the back door after finishing fourth in the Premiership and entered the Champions League under no pretences.Following epic battles against the likes of Juventus and Chelsea, Liverpool went on to break Milanese hearts in Istanbul. Redknapp take note, the best team in Europe does not always win the Champions League. Spurs squad is arguably stronger than the one Benitez honed to champion status. The Spaniard won the competition at the expense of their domestic campaign in 05 as Liverpool finished fifth, consequently bullying their way back in as holders.The European road Spurs are travelling this season, could, at a stretch, prove to be another enchanting journey for English football. If the game was a science then beating the current holders so emphatically should mean they fear no one, Redknapp should, and probably will, rally his troops working from that premise. Many will say, and rightly so, he does not po se s the nautical nous to make ma sive in-roads into the Champions League, but leaving the San Siro suffering such a good defeat  with a man down, your side Keldon Johnson Jersey  must be pointing in the right direction.This is where dream turns into complete fantasy for Redknapp. Many people, Tottenham supporters included, will laugh at the notion that follows but the old adage tells us football is a funny old game, could Spurs really win the biggest club competition?Redknapps man-management skills certainly eclipse the depth of his tactical know-how  Benitez was the polar opposite, former players even criticised the latters man-management skills. Benitez won the Champions League with an over-cautious approach and a selection policy that was often as unfathomable as his recent priest on mountains of sugar tirade. Saying that, playing on the side of caution won him big, big games. European competition, away from home, rarely nece sitates playing with the shackles off, a style that is Redknapps lifeblood. However, looking at the way he originally lined up at the San Siro, 4-4-1-1, the learning curve had begun  until obviously, Heurelio Gomes dismi sal forced his hand. If they are to make serious progre s then Redknapp must balance his instinct of free-flowing football with an approach to nullify opposition, but any team who can score six goals in two games against an Internazionale side, guided by a manager whose reputation was DeMar DeRozan Jersey  built on tactical intricacies, is impre sive. Going further, and in Redknapps defence, you need more than two hands to count the number of centre-back pairings he has been forced into employing this season, continuity is mi sing in a vital area. Spurs may have peaked and will not produce a performance  labelled as their best in recent times  again this season, but Redknapps built his side to play expansive football and this liberal setup scores goals.A discu sion of Spurs debut in the Champions League would be incomplete without mentioning their two superstars. Redknapp has nurtured and poached Sean Elliott Jersey  Gareth Bale and Rafael Van der Vaart respectively  both are pricele s match-winners and must be used sparingly. In Europe, Bales input is pivotal, a hat trick coupled with pinpoint cro sing, literally, shredded the Italian Champions to bits. Far fetched it may be, but wind the clock back five years and the same deafening negativity could have been heard regarding Benitez European campaign  people wouldnt have dared utter Liverpool and European champions in the same breath. Fate will have to play its part too, as it did for both the latter and Manchester United in their respective dates with destiny. With London hosting the final, a London manager winning the Champions League, with a London club, (for the first time), may be a start. Oh, and ask any Tottenham fan what happens when the year ends in a one.