After arguably one of the most boring, entertainment devoid World Cups in memory, one could be forgiven for thinking perhaps football had diverted down a course towards defensively realistic tedium, geared up so that ‘lesser’ teams bored the ‘bigger’ sides (and the crowds) into 0-0 draws. However, this hasn’t been the case in the new Premier League season, and two sides in particular have really thrown caution to the wind and upped the ante when it comes to entertainment.
I am talking about both Tottenham and Blackpool respectively. Spurs have taken the Champions League by storm, scoring 18 goals and topping their group, which included reigning champions Inter Milan. With a knockout tie against the other half of Milan in the offing this coming February, no one would bet against Spurs making it to the quarter finals. Having shown vulnerability only twice in their European campaign so far, away to Young Boys and Inter Milan respectively, Harry Redknapp’s side have been a revelation, making it to the knockout stages at a canter through some breathtaking attacking football.
Also entering territory they hadn’t been acquainted with for quite some time were Blackpool, back in the Premier League after decades in the lower leagues, and like Tottenham, timidity hasn’t been the order of the day thus far. Like Spurs in the Champions League, their vulnerability has come to the fore, most notably with 4-0 and 6-0 defeats against Arsenal and Chelsea respectively, but on the whole their no-holds-barred approach has worked, putting teams on the back foot and allowing them to breathe easy slightly, as they currently sit in 10th position with 22 points, 6 points off the relegation zone.
While it is yet to be seen whether the teams’ respective tactics will stand up to the pressure as they enter the business end of the season in both the Champions League and the Premier League, it has certainly been a most refreshing approach by the sides to their new frontiers, certainly no ‘trying to scrape a draw’ from these teams. They have gone out and thrown caution to the wind, and I think it has been a good thing for football that it has worked to a certain extent for both teams, and has provided a good example for other teams to follow that are making their bow in new competitions.
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