|
 |
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR v MIDDLESBROUGH - SOUTHGATE UNDERSTANDS SPURS STRUGGLE
Gareth Southgate believes Tottenham are enduring the same Carling Cup hangover that affected his Middlesbrough side four years ago.
Juande Ramos' outfit have failed to build on their exciting extra-time victory over Chelsea at Wembley in February.
In fact, since collecting their first domestic silverware since 1999, Spurs have picked up some bizarre results, thumping West Ham 4-0 and drawing 4-4 with Chelsea but losing by a hefty 4-1 margin to Barclays Premier League strugglers Birmingham and Newcastle.
The club have also been eliminated from the UEFA Cup by PSV Eindhoven and will be keen not to lose ground on the chasing pack by losing to an improving Boro at White Hart Lane on Saturday.
Southgate can empathise with Spurs' plight having skippered the Teessiders to their one and only major honour at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in February 2004, when Bolton were beaten 2-1.
He admits the victors were unable to kick-on after that triumph and finished in the lower half of the table despite boasting a squad packed with talented internationals like himself,
Juninho, Gaizka Mendieta, Bolo Zenden and George Boateng.
Fast forward four years and Spurs have an even more illustrious roll call of top stars, but are on course for a mid-table finish at best.
Southgate said: "We know when we won the League Cup it was difficult to then maintain a high level of consistency in the league.
"Tottenham have qualified for Europe -
they've achieved that aim - they've got a trophy in the cabinet and it's difficult to find that additional motivation.
"We found that in 2004 here. If there is any evidence of that on Saturday then we've got to capitalise."
If recent games are anything to go by, there will be plenty of goals flying in on Saturday.
Spurs are the top home scorers in the top flight with a whopping 44, beating leaders Manchester United by three.
But the hope for the visitors comes in the goals against column, where the north Londoners claim the division's worst tally of 30.
Southgate believes Spurs have exceptional quality in attack, especially on home soil, but also recognises his side might well get chances to score at the other end.
"You sense at home they give teams a game and a run for their money because in an attacking sense they are as good as anyone else in the league," he said.
"The number of goals they've scored at home underlines that but we go there in good form and good spirit. We need the points and want to win the game," added the Boro boss.
"They've conceded goals throughout the season so that gives you the opportunity to go and score. But we've got to perform at both ends of the field and show the same effort
we did against United last weekend."
A win at Spurs coupled with a Bolton defeat at West Ham would mean Boro were safe from the drop barring a mathematical catastrophe.
Southgate and his players will certainly have taken huge heart from their swashbuckling display against Manchester United last weekend, where they came from a goal behind to lead 2-1 before the champions equalised through a deflected Wayne Rooney shot.
The former England international said: "Over the past few weeks we've played against three of the biggest teams in the country and given ourselves a big boost by playing well against the Chelseas, Arsenals and Manchester Uniteds.
"We've got to take that confidence into the game at White Hart Lane. Tottenham at home can be as good as any of those sides on their day in an attacking sense so it will be a big test for us. We've picked up some good points on our travels and we want to go there and win.
"In our last 12 league games we've only lost three and the one disappointing result was the defeat at home to Reading," he added.
"That's enough of a chunk of games to become a genuine pattern.
"There's an element of consistency there now which was missing and it has been a decent run. I want us to finish the season strongly and we've spoken about that with the players."
By Bettingzone.co.uk
Used with permission.
BACK TO SPURS v BORO MATCH PROGRAMME INDEX
 |
|
|
|
