Chris Sutton makes ‘sensational’ prediction for Tottenham game v Tamworth
Tottenham will be wary of the magic of the FA Cup this weekend as they prepare for a third-round trip to none-league Tamworth on Sunday.
Those who say the world’s oldest cup competition has lost its mystique might generally have a fair point to make but they might want to speak to supporters of fans of the National League outfit.
Having already knocked out two League One opponents in the form of Huddersfield Town and Burton Albion, an altogether different challenge awaits against Premier League heavyweights Spurs.
On paper, this will be a cakewalk for Ange Postecoglou’s side but football is not played on paper. In fact, sometimes it’s played on difficult pitches like the one Tottenham will encounter at The Lamb Ground, which has a capacity of just over 4,000, on Sunday (12 January).
Indeed, BBC Sport pundit Chris Sutton, while expecting a 3-1 Spurs victory, provided a sensational prediction for Tamworth.
Chris Sutton makes bold Tamworth v Tottenham prediction
In his weekly predictions for the BBC Sport website (8 January), Sutton wrote: “I was at Tamworth to see them beat Huddersfield in round one and Tommy Tonks’ long throw got them the winner that night. Tonks launches it from anywhere inside the opposition half, and it is such a great weapon.
“So, poor old Ange Postecoglou knows what is coming his way too. His Spurs defenders are going to get the same treatment, and we are going to find out whether Spurs can cope.
“It is a basic thing, a long throw, but I am not convinced Spurs have the players to deal with it. Their centre-half pairing for part of their defeat to Newcastle was Djed Spence and Archie Gray, so its not as if they have got people like Tony Adams and Steve Bould, who would relish that kind of test.
“I actually think Tamworth will score. When they beat Huddersfield they were well organised, and they beat them well. The other thing Tottenham will have to deal with is a terrible pitch, so this tie is far from straightforward, but I also believe that, unlike Huddersfield, Spurs will create enough opportunities to win it.”
The scenes if Tamworth do indeed score will, you imagine, be pretty wild.
And Postecoglou, under immense pressure amid an alarmingly underwhelming season, will be praying Sutton’s prediction doesn’t come true.
The fact of the matter is the Aussie boss does not need any embarrassment from this tie. Nor does he need his squad to encounter any more injuries.
It’s a match that should be straight-forward and yet feels fraught with dangers from different sub-plots.
In other Tottenham news, Spurs have been told to cut ties with Nike after a “vile” leak.
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