Bolton, Arsenal – Make or Break for Spurs Season?

After Thursday night’s 2-0 loss to Udinese in Italy; it seems that in the next five days, we could find out how the rest of Tottenham’s season will pan out, as we face Bolton on Sunday, and then le Arsenal at the Emirates on Wednesday. Bolton at home. One of those games where, looking on at that fixture pessemistic optimism at the start of the season (the way a Spurs fan has to look upon every new season these days); it was one of those “secured 3 points” fixtures. A title it proudly shared with Hull at the Lane, and Stoke at the Lane.

The team

After playing Thursday night, it seems that King is unable to face Bolton, but will definately start at the Emirates, as he is now capable of playing just one match a week, and Juande Ramos has seemingly decided that that match will always be mid-week; prioritising the Uefa and domestic cups, over the Premier League. Corluka and Pavlyuchenko, though, both return to availability after being cup-tied mid-week. Despite the return of Corluka, Ramos faces a severe defensive dilema, with Michael Dawson and Gareth Bale suspended, and Woodgate injured after only lasting 45 minutes against Udinese. The team to start is likely to look something like:

Gomes

Hutton Corluka Zokora Assou-Ekotto

Bentley Jenas Ohara Modric Lennon

Pavlyuchenko

Although, Chris Gunter could be tried at centre-back, allowing Didier Zokora to revert to his natural holding role. After Gomes’s nightmere that led to Udinese’s first goal, he could be dropped by Ramos. He more than redemed himself with two or three phenominal saves in the second half, although in the long run they proved superfluous. After all, Ramos dropped Paul Robinson last season after a couple of mistakes. If so, 35-year-old Cesar Sanchez, signed in the summer from Zaragoza, will be his replacement. I personally would love to see Giovani Dos Santos deployed instead of David Bentley, as I feel the young Mexican has so much more to offer than what he has shown.

The Manager

It does seem that the next five days will be make or break for the club, but will they be make or break for Ramos? I hope not. Seville were boys amongst men in La Liga before Ramos arrived. But he installed stability – something Tottenham fans would literally kill for – with consecutive Uefa Cup victories and a third place finish. His team were playing free-flowing, fast-paced, attacking football. And I feel that, given time, he will bring similar success to White Hart Lane. At the very least, he should be given to January, when I feel that it is time for the club to take a chance: step back and let him conduct his own transfers, and see how it pans out.