I read at the weekend that Luka Modric made the bold statement that Tottenham are a better team than Manchester City. Modric said “It is going to be hard but I think we are better than them and we still have one game against them. I think that game will again be decisive for who finishes fourth and fifth.” I am not here to argue if that statement is true or not. I am here to explain why that is a clever little tactic from a cunning little Croatian.
The game between Manchester City and Tottenham has been scheduled for 10th May. There will obviously be a lot riding on that game but comments like Modric’s, this far from the game, will make it into more of a grudge match than it already is. With Chelsea looking like they will definitely finish in the top 3, it is likely that one of Spurs and City will play in the Champions League next year and the other will play in the Europa League. But the more hype that game gets, the more it will serve Tottenham.
It might be true that Tottenham play well as underdogs. When teams expect to beat Tottenham, for example AC Milan at the San Siro, they attack and leave themselves more exposed at the back. Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon are at their most effective in this circumstance. But Manchester City are unlikely to be guilty of this. Where Milan might have been complacent, City will know what to expect from Spurs. I doubt they would treat Tottenham as underdogs, so Spurs will hardly suffer as a result of building themselves up before this game.
[ad_pod id=’unruly’ align=’right’]
Manchester City, after the amount of money they have spent, are already under pressure to finish in the top 4. The board of directors will be expecting some results from the ludicrous amount of money they have provided Roberto Mancini with. He will be unsure of his future should he not lead his team to Champions League qualification this year. And after a good start to the season, Manchester City still sit in 4th place. They have it all to lose and have no excuses. The pressure is very much on them.
On the other hand, there is little pressure on Harry Redknapp. He has already had a fantastic season. Tottenham have had a great cup run in the Champions League. It would be an awful shame not to see Tottenham play in the top European competition again next year, but unlike Mancini, the blame will not fall directly on Redknapp. He has had a great season on a limited budget. Given the wage cap he has, and the size of White Hart Lane when compared with The Emirates Stadium or Old Trafford, Redknapp has worked wonders to get his side where they currently are. His excuses are already made.
It is early days yet and there are still 5 Premier League weekends before Tottenham meet Manchester City at the City of Manchester Stadium. To say that mind games have started already is probably not true, I think Modric was just trying to be positive. But, come may 10, it is going to be a hugely important game and the more pressure Spurs put on City in the build-up, the better.
Keep up to date with Joe’s thought on Tottenham and the Premier League on Twitter
[bet_365 type='odds' size='300' af_code='365_050711']
