Balieve in Gareth
DARREN ANDERTON is backing Gareth Bale to supercharge Spurs’ season.
Former England star and White Hart Lane favourite Anderton (left) said: “I’m just glad that Jose is giving him the opportunity to play. I just don’t know why it has taken so long.
“Maybe when Spurs were top of the league then you could kind of understand Jose not wanting to rock the boat too much. But when you’re struggling and you have match-winners sat there twiddling their thumbs – that’s when you need to get them on.
“There was one point in the game against Burnley where he picked the ball up, almost in the right-back position and he knocked it past the man and went.
“It was like ‘wow’ – that’s the Gareth Bale we all want to see.”
SCOTT PARKER reckons only a big loan injection has given his side a fighting chance through a tough season, as Fulham head to Anfield this afternoon.
The Cottagers’ chief fielded all of his ‘magnificent seven’ loan signings in the midweek defeat by Tottenham, as the relegation-threatened hosts came within a disputed handball decision of grabbing a crucial point.
Parker signed Alphonse Areola, Joachim Andersen, Ola Aina, Ruben Loftus-cheek, Mario Lemina and
Ademola Lookman during the close season, and added Josh Maja from Bordeaux in January.
The Fulham boss said: “We made a decision to try and stay in the division this year without over-expenditure.
“We’ve not spent a lot. The likes of Tosin Adarabioyo and Antonee Robinson, a couple of million, Kenny Tete as well – so we decided to get some quality players in on loan.
“They’ve done fantastically well. That’s really been a deciding factor.”
There has been talk of scrapping the loans system – but those against such a move claim that if used correctly it can benefit all parties. Parker insists that given the position his club was in after earning promotion via the playoffs, loans came to the rescue. He said: “It definitely helps bridge that gap.
“We were a team who finished fourth in the Championship, stepping into the Premier League, so it’s huge.
“We were stepping into a league where clubs have the finances. They’ve been around it for a long time and they have had that money coming in for a long period, so certainly for a team like ourselves, only the loan system gives you a chance of being competitive.
“I think we have used it pretty well. In terms of giving us hope, and a chance of staying in this division, it’s been a big help.”
After losing five home league games in succession for the first time in their history, today’s hosts Liverpool are wobbling.
But Parker hailed their quality and observed: “This is an unprecedented season. It’s had a big effect on Liverpool.
But the main factor has been injuries.”