As Peter Crouch believes, it IS in theory possible that Tottenham will make the top four teams this season. They have a great manager and can legitimately think that if they'd had that manager at the beginning of LAST season, they would have made a much more serious push to the top four, or at least to the top 6. As it is, they've gotten better in the offseason, something the “big four” can't really claim as easily. They've got a fantastic set of strikers with Crouch, Defoe, Keane and Pavluyuchenko (there's no chance I spelled that correctly but … I mean … let's hold out the jokes until I get to Chelsea's signing of Jerkov), I've no clue who the starters there will be and I knod of wish that at least one of them were still at Liverpool. My suspicion is that Keane is the 4th striker on that list, possibly with Pavluyuchenko off the bench? I don't really know in all honesty, but unfortunately I trust Redknapp to make much wiser decisions than either I would or than Benitez did. They are going to miss Darren Bent a lot and he's completely correct that he was badly treated by Redknapp, except for where he's under the delusion that he'd good at soccer. Yes, soccer. At midfield, I just wish they could have signed Arjen Robben so they'd have the two gayest running wingers in football (like as in they run in a girlish or homosexual manner, not that they are actively homosexual like Manchester United's former winger), but as it is they'll have to deal with what they have. I'm not convinced that their midfield is stellar, though we'll see how Modric develops on the left wing – a lot of their season rests on him being amazing and it is actually possible that he will. Defensively, I think they're great – Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate are both pretty good anchors back there and I'm not convinced it will be easy for teams to score on them. August 15, Liverpool comes to White Hart Lane in what really should be the match of the week for the first week. I'm already both extremely excited and advancedly depressed. Honestly, I think the biggest problem is just whether King and Woodgate can actually stay healthy. If so, they'll have Redknapp's attacking style with a solid defense and that should be good enough for a possibly super high finish and failing that, at least a “best of the rest” 5th or 6th place finish. Unfortunately, the chances of that happening (super high finish) are probably pretty slim, so it's hard to predict anything other than a series of runs and good play with some unfortunate streaks in there as well, not so dissimilar from last season, though of course without the horrific beginning. I think their ceiling is pretty high and on a good day they genuinely should be able to beat any team that comes calling (for instance, if Liverpool were to come on opening day … ugh). But, really even their ceiling isn't as high as the top 5 (and I do think we have a top 5 these days) and I doubt they'll survive the injury bug. Tomorrow … the odd man out of the champs league. Is it Alonso-less Liverpool? 16-year-olds of Arsenal? Tevez and Dickheadless Man U? Ancelotti's new team? Or the 200 million pound Manchester City? Answers tomorrow … BM
