SOCCER: Werder Bremen v Tottenham:
DANIEL LEVY believes Tottenham Hotspur deserve to be in the group stages of the Champions League but on the eve of their return to Europe’s premier club competition the White Hart Lane chairman said he will not jeopardise their future to pursue qualification year after year.
Having defeated Young Boys in a play-off-tie last month, Tottenham play their first game in the Champions League proper tonight, when they take on Werder Bremen in their opening Group A match. Spurs supporters misty-eyed at memories of the great Bill Nicholson side who reached the semi-finals in 1962 before losing to Benfica have long dreamed about seeing their team back on this stage and Levy shares their excitement.
The chairman has, however, moved to quell expectations and called for fans to be “realistic” about the prospects of the club remaining at football’s top table in the long term, claiming only Manchester United and Chelsea are assured of a place in the league’s top four every season.
“We deserve to be in the Champions League. Our history dictates that but it has taken us a long time to get back,” he said. “It’s a huge achievement for Harry [Redknapp], all his coaching staff and players and the fans as well. It’s something special.
“We all want to stay there but we all have to be realistic. There are only four places in England and there are seven or eight clubs competing. There are probably two clubs you could say are guaranteed to be in that top four.
“You then have two places for six clubs. The odds are stacked against you. But what we won’t do is jeopardise the club to challenge to be one of those two . . . You have to protect the club.”
The real journey starts in the Weserstadion this evening, when Redknapp and his players seek to prove they belong at this level.
Redknapp claimed last night he has “nothing to prove” after taking Spurs from the bottom of the Premier League to the Champions League in less than two years but he also admitted “you never stop learning”. The experience in Switzerland was uppermost in the manager’s mind when he made that comment and he said he would be “committing suicide” if he set Spurs up in a 4-4-2 formation against Werder Bremen.
“I went at Young Boys because the reports came back that they were there to be beaten, that they weren’t a good side so I thought, ‘we can have a go at these, we’ll murder these tonight’. And after half an hour ...
“This is different, they are a good side with quality players. You have got problems with the way they play. They will certainly play with at least four narrow midfield players. It makes it difficult, you are going to get run around all over the shop if you open up and play 4-4-2. With your two wingers, the two in the middle are not going to get near them. If you play 4-4-2 you are committing suicide.”
With Jermain Defoe, Michael Dawson and Heurelho Gomes injured and Luka Modric ruled out by a knock he received at West Brom, Redknapp is set to play with Peter Crouch as a lone striker, with Rafael van der Vaart likely to be encouraged to support him from a five-man midfield.
Bremen have injury problems. Ex-Chelsea striker Claudio Pizarro will be missing and the club’s first-choice central defenders, the Germany international Per Mertesacker and the Brazilian Naldo, are sidelined. Mikael Silvestre, released from by Arsenal in the summer, is set to start after making his debut at the weekend.
GuardianService
Milito retains the faith of patient inter boss Benitez
STRUGGLING DIEGO Milito has looked a totally different player this term to the striker who so emphatically sealed Inter Milan's Champions League triumph in May but he will still start tonight's opener at Twente Enschede.
The Argentinian will lead the line as Inter open their defence in Group A because he retains the faith of new coach Rafael Benitez and, more importantly, is one of very few options up front.
"Diego will gradually get better and better. We have to work," said Benitez. "Do we lack an extra striker? I think that with Diego and Samuel (Eto'o) we can do what we have in mind. We must move more on the wings to surprise the opposing team because by now everyone knows how Wesley Sneijder links up with Milito."
Inter owner Massimo Moratti sold forward Mario Balotelli to Manchester City and decided not to replace him, leaving the treble winners weaker on paper than they were last season.
Benitez, whose side have been off colour for the start of the campaign, pleaded for new blood but instead has been left with only Milito, Eto'o and Goran Pandev as established forwards.
Left back Cristian Chivu limped out of the Udinese win and is a slight doubt along with Dejan Stankovic, while Maicon may recover from a knock. Thiago Motta has a knee injury.
Dutch champions Twente beat VVV Venlo 2-1 on Saturday with Bryan Ruiz and Roberto Rosales on target. They stunned the Netherlands by winning their first league title
"It'll be hard but we have a chance. We always create chances at home," said midfielder Wout Brama.
