With Spurs unbeaten with a 100% record at the top of the table, Villa also having vanquished Liverpool, and Manchester City able to field a mega expensive made to order side, talk is of a possible big five emerging.
Could this possibly happen?Of course not.The reality is that while there are only ever a maximum of four Champion’s League places at the most up for grabs each year there can only ever be a big four in real terms.
The only teams who are truly going places are those who continue to compete in the Champion’s League year in year out.These are the teams who can attract the top players with their increased odds of winning the big trophies and being able to pay the big wages backed by the financial incentives of doing well in their domestic league and that competition.The Europa is what it is, just a poor relation.
Manchester City may buck the trend in the short term with their cash laden inducements to players, but their owners will expect an imminent regular top four slot in return, and woe betide the manager if he does not deliver the goods.Players too will eventually only move with success on the pitch, not money, once again as their overriding concern once other clubs are forced to elevate their transfer fee offers and wages in an effort to compete.
So the only chance the likes of ourselves, Villa, City, and Everton have of being classed as a big side is if we can dislodge one of the teams who regularly occupy those top four places.With Arsenal and Chelsea looking solid, and Manchester United starting to get back into the groove, the most vulnerable side open to the possibility of being displaced is Liverpool.Even at this early stage they have already been beaten by ourselves and Villa.A far cry from last season.All is not well with Senor Benitez and his players.
Harry and the the other managers are well aware that consistency of performance is the key.You need to win against the smaller teams home and away, or at least avoid defeat away if you are playing badly, suffering from injuries, or damn plain exhausted.Hence Sir Alex Ferguson’s red face and pained expression at Turf Moor.That shouldn’t be a worry for Spurs with our large squad and lack of European competition.Your home ground should always be considered a fortress and Spurs encouragingly only lost once at home to Everton under Harry last season.
The other factor in the equation to achieve that top four status is that matches against those top four sides and the other pretenders to the throne need to be regarded as six pointers.The more harm you can inflict by winning against these teams is of extra benefit to your own chances of qualifying for the higher echelon.
The collective name ‘the big four’ may remain but the clubs making up that group can easily change if someone else has the vision, talent, drive, and support to make it happen.
With a European League being openly talked about in certain circles, now is the ideal time to break into that exclusive group so that we are invited along for the ride when it happens, which it will, and therefore not find ourselves left agonisingly on the sidelines watching the gravy train depart.
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