Tottenham Hotspur recorded one of their best performances last season which rightfully landed them a place in the UEFA Champions League. The fight to earn the right to compete with the best in Europe went on till the very end with rivals Manchester City breathing down their necks. Spurs clawed their way up the table defeating Big Guns Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea along the way. They won their home fixture as well as the crucial away fixture to Man City thus ending up fourth in the Premier League table at the end of the season.
Manager Harry Redknapp who guided Portsmouth to FA Cup glory has given the white half of North London a chance to dream after years of anguish marvelling at the success of their red neighbours. His shrewd tactics and the ability to bring out the best in his players have made him one of the most respected managers in Spurs history. However, this season assures Redknapp and his men a lot of hard work if they are to match up to the expectations of their eager supporters.
The 2009 - 2010 Barclays Premier Season can be only described as ‘torrid', ‘harrowing' and most importantly ‘hugely disappointing' for the most successful team in England. Not only did the Kop witness Liverpool's ousting from every cup competition at a considerably early stage, the fans were compelled to watch Rafa Benitez (who had taken the team to European glory in his first season) lead the team to an unacceptable 7th place in the Barclays Premier League, barely getting into Europe grabbing the final UEFA Europa League spot. The Spaniard got the axe in the summer and promptly made his move days later to European Champions Inter Milan while leaving Liverpool in a situation of dire straits. American owners George Gillet and Tom Hicks, who have been looking to sell the club for ages, poached Roy Hodgson from Fulham to save a club, once graced by the likes of Bob Paisley, Bill Shankly and Kenny Dalglish.
It has been a month since the World Cup has ended but the terrible feeling of defeat for England still lingers around. Now trying to pick their selves up, manager Fabio Capello has been given another chance to redeem himself and turn things around. England, like many of the other big teams who added young talent to the squad, had changed things around drastically by dropping David James, Ledley King and Peter Crouch for youngsters Adam Johnson, Kieran Gibbs and Jack Wilshere in their friendly against Hungary.
Another season beckons and it's another one of optimism at Arsenal as fans and club management alike pray that the time has finally come when Wenger's rampant "invest in youth only" policy bears fruit. Arsenal have the distinction of having played arguably the most attractive football in the Premier League for the past two seasons. However, one component that has been glaringly absent from their repertoire has been "effectiveness". For all their crisp passing and quick one touch football they have lacked the ruthless efficiency that is a necessary hallmark of champion sides. Last season was a classic example of this as losing their nerve at crucial junctures led to their ousting from the Champions League and FA Cup and their inability to dispose of less accomplished sides cost them dear in the Premier League title race.
