Club Focus - Tottenham - Champions League qualification secured with win over Manchester City
The name Champions League was still decades away from being dreamed up the last time Tottenham qualified for Europe’s premier competition.
It was 1961 and still in a time when only the champions of a domestic league were entered into the European Cup. Spurs may not have taken the crown in the Premier League this season, but in the modern game their achievement is every bit as worthy as winning the old First Division 49 years ago. With the ‘Big Four’s’ monopoly on the qualifying places perpetualised by the finances paid out every year, it looked like only the staggering levels of investment at Manchester City would be enough to stand a chance of gatecrashing the party. Whilst Tottenham have hardly been shy themselves with their chequebooks, their relatively smaller investment has proved sufficient to build a squad capable of reaching the big time. Some shrewd purchases and a willingness from Harry Redknapp to give misfiring players a second chance culminated in his side beating City on their own patch to oust them in the race for fourth spot.
Going to Eastlands and coming away with victory was always going to be a tough ask considering the fire power at Roberto Mancini’s disposal, but in Tottenham’s favour was knowing that a draw would still leave them ahead in the table. Talking after the game, Redknapp appeared to suggest that his coaching staff differed in opinion on the best approach to the game, but the boss did what he is paid to do and opted to play for the win. Having the fallback of being able to afford a draw meant the pressure was off Spurs to find the winning goal, but that did not mean they lacked effort in the bid to get it. Apart from the opening exchanges when Carlos Tevez looked like he might tear the Tottenham defence apart, the hosts were largely limited to a series of headers from set-pieces that were poorly executed. Spurs did not test their former goalkeeper Marton Fulop too many times, but they showed a willingness to get forward and looked the most likely side to break the deadlock. Aaron Lennon slotted back in to the side with ease, although his departure due to the expected tiredness of someone who had not started a game in 2010 inadvertently led to Tottenham finally taking the lead. David Bentley’s fondness for cutting inside made space for Younes Kaboul to exploit, a lesser employed ploy with Lennon who sticks to his wing. Kaboul’s drilled cross lacked any specific aim but caused a pinball effect that saw the ball fall kindly for Peter Crouch to have his heroic moment.
It is worth noting that third place is still achievable should Arsenal lose to Fulham and Tottenham win at Burnley but for now fourth place is more than success enough for the white half of North London. Leapfrogging the Gunners would come with the benefit of an automatic place in the group stage of the Champions League, but the likelihood is Spurs will have to play a two-legged qualifier against another non-champion from one of Europe’s top leagues. Overcoming this win-or-bust tie is not a fait accompli but Tottenham will have to budget and plan with the assumption that they make it through to the payday of the competition proper. Everton fell to Villarreal at that hurdle when they were the last side out of the ‘Big Four’ to qualify, but it was a particularly tough draw with the Spanish team making the semi-finals that year. The Toffees were also arguably not as strong a side as Tottenham, with Spurs having achieved qualification despite challenges from strong City and Aston Villa sides and a Liverpool team possessing several world class players among their hoards of chaff. The subject of what kind of players Redknapp needs to add to his squad is a topic for another day, but the fact is he will now stand a chance of attracting players to the club that would not have been interested in moving to White Hart Lane had City qualified in Tottenham’s place.
For Spurs fans and England fans alike, it was encouraging to see Ledley King play just four days after his last appearance. The skipper was again immense and Fabio Capello must surely be thinking seriously about taking him to the World Cup . If Rio Ferdinand is considered a shoe-in despite having played half the number of league games that King has, then the Tottenham man must surely not represent too much of a risk to be selected. With Wes Brown likely to go as cover for Glen Johnson at right-back, he would effectively be a fifth centre-back in the squad, more than enough insurance for Capello should King break down. King has been a massive factor in Spurs securing their Champions League qualification and deserves the reward of a trip to South Africa this summer.
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