John Wenham believes game against Manchester United can be a ‘springboard’ for Tottenham
Tottenham News is delighted to welcome John Wenham of Lilywhite Rose as our exclusive columnist. Each week, he’ll be giving his expert insight on the biggest talking points at Spurs…
Tottenham will have a “difficult” test against a Manchester United squad full of “character,” according to John Wenham.
Spurs and United are set to meet at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday 19 August, with kickoff scheduled for 5:30 pm, and both clubs will be looking to build on their solid starts to the Premier League season.
Ange Postecoglou and his new-look Tottenham side got their campaign up and running with a 2-2 draw away at Brentford, which is never an easy place to go, especially in a manager’s first competitive match in charge.
The Red Devils, meanwhile, were victorious 1-0 at home to Wolves. Plenty of people were critical of Erik ten Hag’s side’s performance in that match, although Wenham is still not underestimating Spurs’ opponents ahead of the game.
Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, Wenham said: “We haven’t beaten Manchester United in four or five attempts at the brand-new stadium since we built it. There was a draw last season and a draw during one of the first games there, but we’ve had a couple of thrashings as well, some 3-1 or 3-0 defeats, so it is never an easy game.
“There was a lot of criticism for United’s performance against Wolves, but they got the job done and kept a clean sheet. They’ll always be dangerous on the break with the pace of Marcus Rashford, so it’ll be a difficult game, make no mistake about that.
“People are quick to criticise United but look at the core of their squad. They’ve got proper players in there, leaders who’ve been there and done it, Raphael Varane, Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes.
“These are players who show character, leadership, and an understanding of the game. Christian Eriksen might come back into midfield because there were issues from supporters and pundits about their midfield in that Wolves game, so I think they’ll make changes.
“If Tottenham can get a positive result and get the three points that will be a real springboard in terms of the supporters’ feelings towards Ange Postecoglou, and him showing to the players that the hard work they put in really is rubbing off.
In other Tottenham news, Wenham has piled the praise on the club’s Under-21s after their fantastic result against United’s Manchester rivals.