Spurs are a true cup team, they have won the FA cup 7 times and only Aston Villa, Man U and Arsenal have it won more times. It is some 19 years since they won the cup in 1991. They will be hoping this is their year with a very talented squad that might not make the top 4, so the only solution is to win the FA cup.
Spurs are a true cup team, they have won the FA cup 7 times and only Aston Villa, Man U and Arsenal have it won more times.
It is some 19 years since they won the cup in 1991. They will be hoping this is their year with a very talented squad that might not make the top 4, so the only solution is to win the FA cup.
Many of the big Guns are out of the cup, United, Arsenal, and Liverpool to name a few. The top 4 have won the FA cup for most of the last 15 years since Everton won in 1995, only Portsmouth have broken the trend 2 years ago.
With Chelsea the only top 4 club left in the competition there is a chance that another team outside the top 4 could win the cup.
Spurs have the best chance of the remaining pack but they face a tough challenge at Bolton on a cold day in Lancashire, just what Spurs hate.
Bolton was one of the most feared teams in the Premiership in the day of Sam Allardyce. They were brutality at its best, the scourge of Arsenal and teams that played beautiful football.
Since Gary Megson and Owen Coyle took over Bolton have lost their physical edge and find themselves fighting relegation.
Bolton will have to remember their hard physical game but Coyle prefers teams with articulate football, Burnley were quite a good flowing team albeit with limited talent. He has some talented players, Cohen, Sook, Gardner, Davies, Elmander and most importantly his goalie Jussi Jaskelinen.
Spurs hate cold days up north, the hardest thing in English football is to go to the cold North and win tight games.
Spurs still can’t cope with a physical game, they prefer zonal defenders who give them time and space. They lack the direct penetration of Aaron Lennon, and still lack balance on the left with Krankjar or Modric on the left.
In a head to head, just for the talent Spurs should win it, they have Eidur Gudjohnsen in their squad for the first time against his old team.
Bolton can flip the script by first intimidating Spurs physically then playing sweet football. In the league Spurs tend to falter away from home and this should give Bolton hope.
Jermain Defoe is on fire this season with 20 goals, he will love the loose defence at Bolton. The loss of Gary Cahill means one of the best English defenders is out for Bolton.
This gives Spurs a chance and will make Bolton nervous at the back, they will need Kevin Davies to harass the Spurs back 4. One has to see Spurs winning it, but Bolton will have to remember their Alladyce spirit to match Spurs talent with power.
Prediction: 2-1 to Spurs