5 reasons Tottenham will destroy Monaco in their Champions League opener
ENFIELD, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 13: Mauricio Pochettino, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur speaks to the media following a Tottenham Hotspur training session at Tottenham Hotspur training centre on September 13, 2016 in Enfield, England. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
Tottenham are primed and ready to maul Monaco
As a diehard Tottenham fan I’m programmed to expect Spurs to fall on their faces against Monaco today. I don’t feel that way at all though. Instead I’m supremely confident about the club’s return to the Champions League.
Instead of expecting a nerve-wracking performance, I’m predicting a comfortable Tottenham win today. Perhaps I’m still high from the 4-0 smashing of Stoke, or maybe I just don’t fear our Ligue 1 opponent. Maybe I just believe in Mauricio Pochettino to succeed whenever he steps on the pitch. No matter the rational, I am heading into today’s match with a ton of confidence.
Chances are, if you’re reading this, you may not have the same confidence that I do. Don’t worry though. I’m going to help you along. Keep reading to discover the top five reasons why Tottenham are going to destroy Monaco in their Champions League opener. I promise that you’ll feel much more relaxed about the match after reading my ironclad reasoning.
Valere Germain of Monaco during the UEFA Champions League game between As Monaco and Villarreal at Stade Louis II on August 23, 2016 in Monaco, Monaco. (Photo by Agence Nice Presse/Icon Sport) (Photo by Agence Nice Presse/Icon Sport via Getty Images)
5. I don’t fear Monaco’s attack
There’s been a lot of pre-match chatter about what a big factor Falcao is set to be in this match, but I don’t even know that he’ll step onto the pitch. Monaco are much more likely to rely on the trio of Joao Moutinho, Valere Germain and Bernardo Silva to power them past Spurs.
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Moutinho is a name that most Tottenham fans should know. He was frequently a transfer target for the club during the days of Andre Villas-Boas’ time in charge. Evidently he was just hours away from joining Spurs on one occasion. He could have helped the club then, but now at the age of 30 he’s past his best.
Even less threatening is the likely striker Germain. He scored 14 goals for Nice last season, but he isn’t ready for this sort of competition. Tottenham’s talented centre back pairing of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld should be able to keep in check.
I do have some concern about Silva, but ultimately I believe Tottenham’s midfield can handle him as a group. The less he gets on the ball, the better off Spurs will be. All in all, one above-average attacker shouldn’t be enough to topple Tottenham.
CHANTILLY, FRANCE – JUNE 19: Harry Kane of England stretches alongside Dele Alli of England during a training session ahead of the UEFA Euro 2016 match against Slovakia at Stade du Bourgognes on June 19, 2016 in Chantilly, France. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
4. Euro failure=Champions League success
In a weird way, I think the failure of several Tottenham stars for England in Euro 2016 is going to work to Spurs’ advantage. Look for Kyle Walker, Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Eric Dier to play with extra fire against today.
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My logic here is pretty simple. Each one of the players who flopped for England, is going to be desperate to erase those memories. There’s no better way to get rid of a bad memory than to replace it with a good one.
The easiest way to do that will be for those Tottenham stars to play their best football against Monaco. Look for the English international quartet to play with an extra edge in the Champions League opener. They will all be running with a little extra pace around Wembley today.
ENFIELD, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 13: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur looks on during the Tottenham Hotspur training session at Tottenham Hotspur training centre on September 13, 2016 in Enfield, England. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
3. Harry Kane is due
If we Tottenham fans are honest with ourselves, Harry Kane hasn’t played a good match for the club yet this season. Some pessimistic fans might think that will lead to a poor performance against Monaco.
I, on the other hand, am choosing to interpret Kane’s slump as a sign that he’s due for a top-notch performance. He has every motivation in the world to put in a world-class performance at Wembley today.
The extra space on the Wembley pitch might be just what Kane needs to get off the mark too. He’ll have more room to maneuver than usual, which should give him the chance to use his fluid movement to earn more chances in front of goal.
I’ll be really surprised if we don’t see at least an above-average performance from England’s best striker today. In fact, I think there are better than average odds that Kane’s going to find the back of the net.
ENFIELD, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 13: Mauricio Pochettino, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur speaks to the media following a Tottenham Hotspur training session at Tottenham Hotspur training centre on September 13, 2016 in Enfield, England. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
2. Mauricio Pochettino
There’s zero doubt in my mind who the most important man at Tottenham is these days. Manager Mauricio Pochettino has totally transformed my beloved club in the best way possible.
He’s single-handedly eliminated the word “Spursy” from my vocabulary. Spurs now play with an edge and sense of pride that reverberates deep inside my soul. That was a little weird to type, but I’m guessing there are plenty of other Tottenham fans reading this who know what I mean.
As such, I expect to see an otherworldly effort out of Tottenham today. If anything, Spurs might enter the match too fired up. Pochettino’s high press will effectively suffocate Monaco and ignite the Spurs’ break repeatedly.
Pochettino might not be the greatest tactician in the entire Champions League, but there’s no one I’d rather see patrolling the sideline for my club. The team will embody his spirit today and that will power Tottenham to a solid win.
STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 10: Tottenham Hotspur fans celebrate after the final whistle during the Premier League match between Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur at Britannia Stadium on September 10, 2016 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
1. All those Spurs fans
I can’t describe how jealous I am of all the Tottenham fans that will be in attendance today at Wembley. It will be the single biggest gathering of Spurs fans in history. I can’t imagine how much that’s going to help the club on the pitch.
Just stop and try to imagine how it’s going to feel for the Spurs players when they step on the pitch. They’re going to walk out there, and be enveloped by the crowd. Their eyes will be covered with a sea of Spurs fans, and their ears will be bombarded with a wall of pro-Tottenham noise. It’s going to be so special.
I don’t think Monaco’s players are ready for the atmosphere that they’re going to encounter. In particular, some of their young players are going to struggle to deal with the magnitude of the occasion.
Wembley is going to be an absolute madhouse and it should be a huge boost for the home team. Look for Tottenham to ride the wave of the crowd to a convincing win over Monaco.