The Premier League is officially in its final furlongs as we hit the thirty-game mark, and it is now that we turn our attention to the key figures in the division, and crucially what impact they will have upon who we fans decide to back in our online betting in the hunt for both value and success.
With just nine league matches now remaining for Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City, who have run-ins of varying difficulty with one thing in common — they all have to play Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Let’s talk about Spurs first, who, in case you weren’t aware, are currently unbeaten against the current top three.
The obvious problem that Spurs face is that we’ve somewhat gone off the boil. Low block, packing men behind the ball, call it what you want, but unless (and here we return to the age-old one) this coach is treated to better players, this is just a different shade of inertia we’re looking at. If this is Ange-Ball once the ‘new manager bounce’ has worn off, then at this level, then Ange Postecoglou will not get away with it in Europe’s most competitive league.
Sure, Spurs have been blighted by injuries, but so have most sides, and it has to be said that most players, bar Rodrigo Bentancur who as we witnessed, suffered several blows, are back to being match-fit, yet are failing to deliver the same class of performances Agne enjoyed at the start of the season.
The direction of spending has to be a factor, and what Tottenham have spent, was this done either wisely or sufficiently? Neither Timo Werner nor Richarlison are a patch on Harry Kane. Levy now appears to be flip-flopping, having previously stressed last April that Spurs were not discussing any form of takeover or sale with outside parties, although he confirmed in September that he would be open to an investment deal if it benefitted Tottenham.
Could this be ENIC understanding that they haven’t done enough to deliver what fans expect on the pitch? It remains to be seen. Should the club be able to attract investment, would the investor want to know that their cash was being splurged on transfer fees? It seems an ambitious move to believe that a business that can’t even sell naming rights would be able to woo another corporation into funding an aspect of Spurs that the owners found commercially unattractive. Perhaps the run into the end of the season will apply sufficient pressure?
