Ex-West Ham and Newcastle United boss issues brutal Tottenham verdict as he discusses Champions League race
Tottenham have enjoyed a strong start under Thomas Frank but Alan Pardew has questioned whether they have the quality to maintain it
Former West Ham and Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew doubts Tottenham Hotspur have enough to achieve Champions League qualification this season despite their strong start to the season under new manager Thomas Frank.
Tottenham are third in the Premier League table with five wins, two draws and two defeats from their opening nine matches, leaving them above the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Newcastle and this weekend’s opponents Chelsea.
The Lilywhites are the joint top scorers in the division alongside City and Chelsea while they’ve also been much harder to infiltrate defensively this term after conceding seven - giving them the joint second best record in the league behind pacesetters Arsenal. However, Pardew feels this won’t be enough to get them Champions League qualification once all 38 games have been played in May.
Alan Pardew shares brutal Tottenham Hotspur verdict
Pardew, who had a brief stint playing on loan at Tottenham under Gerry Francis in 1995, has questioned his former club’s lack of quality in the final third and it claims it could cost them a top four position.
The 64-year-old told talkSPORT: “Obviously I’m well versed with Spurs. They used to play every Sunday because of Europe last year. The fans didn't particularly enjoy Ange- ball. Let me tell you that now because obviously they lost most weeks. It was 22 games last season. So I think any kind of football is an up. Is he (Frank) going to bring a little bit more stability to the team?
“Of course. Is he a bit more conservative? Well, he's been at Brentford. He knows how to counterattack. That would be natural for him to sit and counter. So, you know, he has that in the locker, and if I'm honest, I don't think the top of the pitch is strong enough at Tottenham to really pursue the top four this year. I don't think they're good enough at the top of the pitch.”
Co-presenter Sam Matterface goes on to ask Pardew if the strike force of Dominic Solanke, Randal Kolo Muani, Richarison and Mathys Tel is the issue or whether the problems lay further behind in the creative midfield areas.
Pardew continued: “Both. The two wingers and the and the top of the pitch. I think they're good, but I don't think they're top top end. And I think that will stop them getting a Champions League position. So, I think this season's very much kind of Thomas getting everything in place, having a really good strong season, and then hopefully I think he needs to make changes there. But any sort of improvement on last season, if you're in the top half of the table and you're challenging for European places, he's done a fantastic job.”
Tottenham have excellent chance to qualify for the Champions League
Tottenham have enjoyed a strong start to the season despite their Carabao Cup exit, and their recruitment seems to stand them in good stead for a European push. Joao Palhinha has slotted in excellently to Tottenham’s midfield and looks an upgrade on Yves Bissouma at this moment in time.
Mohammed Kudus, who blew hot and cold at West Ham last season, also looks much more consistent and has been a real game-changer going forward for the club. Spurs are still yet to see the best of Randal Kolo Muani but his arrival does signal a real boost in terms of competition across the frontline, with Spurs having four strikers at their disposal.
Ultimately, Spurs are in as strong a position as ever to push for a top four finish after last season’s disaster in the league but much of their progress could depend on injury problems which were a huge issue last season - and how the teams around them cope with European duties. This is a unique season in the sense that six clubs are competing in the Champions League with almost half of the division taking part in some form of European competition.