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Tottenham Fan View: Can Pochettino and Co close the gap on Liverpool?
Merseyside in sight
With this country’s enthusiasm for playing as much football as possible this time of year—a middle finger to the rest of Europe, who insist on putting their feet up—it’s easy for supporters to feel a little discombobulated.
Just when you thought you could steady yourself after an avalanche of games over Christmas: here’s six days straight of domestic cup action.
If you do find yourself bewildered by the modern game’s frantic schedule, you’ll be pleased to learn that good old reliable Premier League football is back in our lives on Saturday. And for Spurs as much as anyone, it’s a vital weekend.
The North London club can theoretically hop the fence into the Champions League spaces at the close of Gameweek 23. Everything relies on Manchester City’s ability to beat Liverpool on Sunday, by a healthy margin, and for Spurs to take maximum points against their city rivals the day before.
Everton come to Wembley on Saturday evening.
Ordinarily I would’ve trusted Guardiola’s title juggernaut to do their duty and flatten Jürgen Klopp’s men. But there’s been just the slightest hint of a wobble in the Manchester club’s relentless stride in recent weeks. As much as any team can show weakness when they’re unbeaten in the League and favourites for every competition they’ve entered. Bristol City certainly had them rattled, though.
Before all that; Tottenham have work to do against Everton.
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Allardyce addresses striker issues
Sam Allardyce appears to be enjoying life at Goodison Park. Despite his side’s recent poor form, Big Sam knows his position isn’t under threat. The dumpster fire of the previous regime still twinkles in the eyes of Farhad Moshiri and the rest of the board. They aren’t about to risk it all over squabbles about playing style.
For now, they remain indebted to Allardyce, for riding into town and hosing down the flames. As such, he can pretty much call the shots.
Talking of shots, after registering exactly zero of them on target against Man United on New Year’s Day, the second home game in succession that’d happened, the Everton manager named his first favour. Get me a bloody goal scorer, he demanded.
With that, Cenk Tosun was signed four days later.
The German-born Turk had been doing fine work on the continent this season. Eight goals in the Süper Lig—as many as Emmanuel Adebayor—and half that total in the Champions League.
Moshiri is certainly excited by the new arrival. ‘We have Bolasie back, Sigurdsson, Rooney – we have our own Fab Four!’
They are the egg men.
Rose and Alderweireld missing
Spurs are almost at full power again. Toby Alderweireld’s recovery continues according to his Twitter account, but we won’t see the Belgian for at least another month. Danny Rose, meanwhile, is out for a fortnight with a knee injury.
They’ll be no chance to call upon the valued services of Georges-Kévin N’Koudou. He’s been loaned out to Burnley. What exactly Sean Dyche will make of his particular skillset is anyone’s guess but I’m glad the Frenchman is feeling wanted.
Can Spurs get that vital win?
