TYNE ’N’ FEAR
Kane & Co stuggling for top four as my old pal Eddie has Toon flying, says Anderton
EXCLUSIVE BY
DARREN ANDERTON believes his great mate Eddie Howe is making life a lot harder for Spurs as they attempt to secure back-to-back top-four finishes.
The Spurs legend spent time with Toon boss Howe (below, top) towards the end of his career at Bournemouth. Spurs lost the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash with AC Milan last week. And although Anderton (below) is confident Antonio Conte’s side are still very much in the tie, he believes there’s no margin for error in the Premier League. Starting at home with this afternoon’s London derby against West Ham. “Eddie has done al lright hasn’t he!” says Anderton. “He’s done so well up there and it obviously means the battle for the Champions League places has just got that little bit harder. “In many ways, Newcastle are showing how it should be done. Eddie is a good coach and he has turned a group of individuals into a fantastic pressing team. “There’s still plenty of time for Spurs to get into that top four but with Newcastle playing the way they are, they can’t afford too many slip-ups. “I’m not sure the West Ham game is a must-win, but it’s a huge match for both sides for very different reasons. “West Ham will be up for it – they’re always up for matches against us and they probably hate us more than anyone. It’s always a tough one but if we want to be in that top four, you can’t lose too many more. “Against West Ham, they’re not doing great at the moment, then you have to take that opportunity. If I was in that dressing room today, I would be saying ‘You’ve got to win this, for sure’.” Spurs have endured an up-and-down season to date, struggling for consistency in the league and shipping goals.
They now face a crucial period, with back-to-back home matches against West Ham and Chelsea in the league followed by an FA Cup fifth-round tie away at Sheffield United.
That match will bring back memories of their defeat at the same stage of last year’s competition, when they were bundled out of the tournament by Middlesbrough. It’s now 32 years since they last lifted the trophy. Conte’s side then face AC Milan in the return leg of their Champions League tie. And despite losing at the San Siro, Anderton believes they can still pull off the Italian Job.
“I didn’t think it was a bad performance,” he says. “We gave away a soft goal.
“You go somewhere like that and you want to keep it tight in the first 20 minutes but we went on from there and had a go. “I think you take a 1-0, then you go back home, win that and go through. You can’t ask for more than that.
“The tie is certainly alive. At home, at the new stadium, great atmosphere, it should be a good game. It’s set up nicely.”
Before that, though, there’s serious domestic business to attend to – and history is on their side.
Since the turn of the century, West Ham have beaten Spurs only twice in North London.
Their last win came in 2019 when a goal from Michail Antonio sealed a 1-0 win for the Hammers against a Mauricio Pochettino side on their way to the Champions League final.
Whether Spurs can repeat that European feat again remains to be seen. But in the league, it’s now time to deliver.