Lineker and Shearer in agreement on Tottenham prediction
Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer agree that Tottenham will qualify for the Champions League this season.
Spurs remain stuck in the bottom half of the table after the 2-2 draw against Wolves on Sunday (29 December), with the pressure growing on Ange Postecoglou in North London.
However, Lineker and Shearer shared their Premier League predictions via The Rest is Football podcast (3 January, 40:10) and, despite a “disappointing” campaign thus far, they have backed the Spurs to record a fifth-place finish.
Lineker said: “Which is obviously likely to be a Champions League spot next season. I think they’ve been – obviously, currently, they’re 11th, but they have been hampered massively by injuries in central defence and their goalkeeper, which is bound to take effect.
“We’ve discussed Ange ball many times and the fact that he probably needs to make a tweak or two. But, he sticks by his guns and the way he wants his teams to play, we’ve talked about the fact that they are entertaining [and] we love watching them play. But it’s a disappointing season thus far.
Shearer added: “Yeah they’ve been really inconsistent [and] they continue to play that highline and get punished for it in so many games. Injuries have obviously played a part, as you [Lineker] have said.
“Yeah they’ll continue to struggle I think until they get those players back.”
Tottenham need a big push in 2025 to qualify for Champions League
Postecoglou is suffering from second-season syndrome at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as he struggles to lay down a consistent run of form.
The Australian has been bullish regarding his brand of attacking football, and his stubbornness to adapt on a game-by-game basis has cost Spurs this year.
Indeed, the long-term injury to Guglielmo Vicario, who has been sidelined since November, paired with the injuries to Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, has not helped matters.
Although, the injuries to his preferred centre-back pairing were self-inflicted after Postecoglou rushed them back into his starting lineup for the 4-3 loss against Chelsea, only to aggravate their respective issues.
However, everything is still to play for in the Premier League heading into the midway point of the season – Tottenham can lay down a serious statement of intent in the clash against Newcastle United on Saturday (4 January).
Newcastle currently occupy the fifth-place spot that Shearer and Lineker predict for Spurs, and should Eddie Howe return to the North East empty-handed, the gap will only stand at five points.
It is entirely possible that Spurs will qualify for the Champions League next term, but consistent performances must be the main priority between now and May.
In other Tottenham news, Spurs ace is one step closer to Man City transfer after big Kyle Walker news.
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