Why Spurs may have to win the Champions League
Even a club like Manchester United with its wonderful European pedigree finds it difficult to balance performances in the Champions League and the Premier League: they struggled desperately to beat Wolves.
I left White Hart Lane late on Tuesday night exhilarated by what I’d witnessed.
Inter Milan, the Champions of Europe, weren’t thrashed but they were certainly well beaten.
Harry Redknapp’s theory of how important those second half goals were at the San Siro in terms of restoring his team’s credibility was wholly borne out.
And, difficult though it might be to believe, Gareth Bale was even better than he was on the night when he scored that hat-trick.
But, not for the first time, I couldn’t understand Rafa Benitez’s tactics.
If he knew all about the problems posed by the young Welshman – he said he did – why, on earth, didn’t he double up defensively against Bale?
It worked for Manchester United the other weekend.
What sense did it make leaving poor Maicon all on his own? Blind faith? The sight, too, of watching Lucio – another of the World’s ‘Best XI’ – sprawled on his backside as Bale flew past him will live long in my memory.
Unfortunately, in the aftermath of a fantastic evening, all sense of realism was thrown out the window.
I’ve heard pundits who should know better describe Bale as now being world class.
One even said the winger was the best player in the world! What? Better than Lionel Messi? Xavi? Andres Iniesta?
No, Bale has had some exceptional evenings but you just knew that he and his team might very quickly fall back to earth with an almighty bump: as happened at Bolton.
Spurs were actually flattered by the scoreline at the Reebok Stadium. Bolton were so much better and deserved higher praise from their manager than simply being a “work in progress”.
Gone are those ugly days of Sam Allardyce and Gary Megson. Bolton, under Owen Coyle, can now PLAY.
Kevin Davies, amongst those being watched by the England coach Fabio Capello, was magnificent, giving a superb display of how to lead an attack.
As his manager said: “Kevin doesn’t have to score goals to have an influence on the game.”
But he did: twice.
Tottenham? Peter Crouch was pale in comparison to Davies. Bale was completely subdued by Gretar Steinsson.
Redknapp’s changes to the team from the Inter game represented a serious misjudgement. Wilson Palacios was pulled off at half time: Sandro, guilty of the error that led to Bolton’s first goal, and Niko Kranjcar were both substituted later.
I said before the Champions League campaign began that I was confident Spurs would emerge from their group and could do very well. I also said I had severe doubts they could do so AND maintain momentum in the Premier League.
Increasingly, I feel Tottenham might have to win the Champions League to have a presence in it next season.
