The bigger Spurs fight is to secure CL spot next season

Tottenham Hotspur qualified for the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League by beating AC Milan on a 1-0 aggregate despite an average drawn match at White Hart Lane. Not only did Spurs beat AC, they vanquished Inter in the process. It is not a feat anyone can tell you is easy by any measure.

Spurs progressed from a very tough group stage and their novice status made their participation a question of numbers and fulfilling the fixtures. Now they are a worry to many teams. Being a new book in this league, I guess even power houses in the game, they will try not to stroke Spurs ego but few will hope to meet them after a draw next week.

On their part, and rightly so, they would not care less whether they meet Barcelona, Real Madrid or Manchester United. Why should they after toppling two Italian teams in a single tournament? Their lack of care in this regard is what makes them dangerous as they do not have pressure to perform. From now on, it is all for the fun of it and it can be very fulfilling.

To put it mildly, they are like a boxer who had complete rest after a good night sleep fighting another who spent a night in a bar. I am not saying that Spurs will win this thing. Of course they have the pedigree as long as their full complement of the squad is at their disposal, hence putting your life’s saving against them winning it would be fatal.

There is a tougher task ahead of Harry Redknapp’s team than a quarter-final fixture. The Londoners have performed worst in the domestic scene after success in Europe. For them to dance with the stars again next year, the trend must stop immediately. They have been erratic in overtaking Chelsea and Manchester City in the title race for the 4^th spot. Spurs could have left the rest of the tams fight for 4^th with their 3^rd position secure. Like Arsenal, they threw away easy points.

After the champagnes of last night victory, let us leave the party to go on and the boys to enjoy the lime light. It is not something that came on a silver platter. There are so many highly rated teams that would have loved to be in their position, but are leaking their wounds with their tails between the legs.

God bless Tottenham Hotspur of White Hart Lane, London.

The State of Zim Football

Manchester United made a meal of dispatching non-league football team Crawley, out of the FA Cup with a 1-0 win at Old Trafford. It is easy to say that Man U did not need a sledge hammer to crush an ant, but if you asked Sir Alex his thought at 10 minutes before the end of that encounter, you would have been nearer the truth. Now its water under the bridge.

There is fresh rumours basically meant to rock the Arsenal boat before their big dates with Barcelona in the Champions League, the Carling Cup final, the FA Cup and the Barclays Premeir League title quest. Inter Milan are said to want Robin van Persie and Andrei Arshavin for big bucks. The rumours are notorious in many fronts. They mention huge figures for the pair, playing into Arsene Wenger's appetite for good business. The 2 played a pivotal role in beating Barca a few hours ago. The Gunners are addicted to cheap under aged players. van Persie spent a good time sidelined by injury and Arshavin is an off-form one day wonder who turned up on Wednesday. What does Inter really want, really?

For these reasons, the monger seem to strike a good cord to make good reason that Wenger will sell high and buy low. Frankly, Arsenal can afford to play without the 2. They can even do without a below Cesc Fabregas at the moment. They need to grow a new leader, and hopefully, they will be welcoming Frimpong in the new season. His relationship with Jack Wilshire and Alex Song will be very interesting to watch.

As for replacing van Persie and Arshavin, Wenger can do that by walking the streets of Paris and sign African French players for a song, of course. Moruane Chamakh and Nicklus Bendtner are good enough for target men. They will be finishers of repute in their class. For a teaser, Knowledge Musona of Kaizer Chiefs is one player the Gunners can do with. The Zimbabwean has an eye for goal and may benefit greatly from the supply of Wilshire, Theo Walcott, Samir Nasri and Song.

Talking of Zimbabwe, one of their traditional clubs, Zimbabwe Saints are back in Premier League after purchasing a $32 000, 00 franchise from Eagles Football Club. It is a welcome development for the country's marginalised second biggest city as that brings to 3 the number of top flight teams, after Bantu Rovers were relegated and Chicken Inn promoted. Faded giants, Highlanders FC are expected to continue a good run under new coach, Mkhuphali Masuku, who had a good last minute sprint at the end of last season.

UEFA Champions League Results - As cruel as It can be, Baile rocks.

Incredible as it began, it finished in a historic and incredible Gareth Bale hat-trick. Champions, Inter Milan of Italy hosted rookies, Tottenham Hotspur of the Barclays English Premier League at the famous San Siro Stadium. As Murphy Law would have it, everything that can go wrong at any match actually went wrong for Spurs as they suffered a first minute goal, conceded an early penalty that earned goalkeeper Gomes a red card and a conversion by Samuel Eto'o in the 11th minute. It was 3-0 by the 14th minute and with 10 men and less than 35 % possession, the first ever English team to win the European Cup were down and out when Eto'o scored the 4th after just 35 minutes.

Just as it started with the Eto'o show, Gareth Bale was a gear up with an incredible hat-trick of two mirror goal of top drawer quality and sheer determination that you will not see anywhere in a long time. The Bale show started in the 52nd minute before it lulled for the entire half, In injury time, Bale accelerated from the centre line on the left channel, running the entire length of the pitch to blast a sizzling hot shot below the body of sprawling Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar, exactly the way he scored the first goal, step for step and stride for stride in injury time. Aaron Lennon was set on his bike as he attacked his marker to about the D-area before releasing Bale on his left, exactly on the spot he pulled the trigger for the first 2 goals. His classic precision took wind out of Inter and thank God, time ran out.

In a memorable match for the Bale performance in particular, as was the Manchester United come back against Bayern Munich in the year Samuel Kuffor cried several barrels of tears in 1999, the disastrous start by Spurs looked set to be historic in the other direction and for the wrong reasons. As any coach would tell his players at half-time, it was not about how Spurs began, but how they ended. In the dressing room, Harry Redknapp was at pains trying to solicit eye contact after heads dropped due to the defense that went to sleep early and were punished. Frankly, the officials were not even there for Spurs.

His words were definitely in the line of 'Let us take ourselves from the mess we just put ourselves in. Good teams will be judged from how they come out of trouble that how they ride the crest'. With 10 men against the champions who are 3rd in their league and have been perennial performers at the same level, and given the circumstances of the match, a final 4-0 score would have been respectable for the Englishmen. The 4-3 final results, which had both the fans and referees panicking in the dying seconds, underlines the battered team that has 2 key players in Rafael van der Vaart and Gomes suspended and top scorer Jermaine Defoe injured. Spurs showed the class that many didn't know possible, though a lose is a lose.

While this was a performance of character out of this world was happening in Italy, Manchester United were being even more average at Old Trafford against Bursaspor whom they beat 1-0. Nani scored a well taken goal for the valuable points. Barcelona also won 2-0 at home with Lionel Messi scoring a double. Rangers and Valencia drew 1-1 as did FC Twente and Werder Bremen. Shalke 04 beat Hopoel Tel Aviv of Israel 3-1. Lyon were 2-0 victors over Benfica in France.

What do you think went wrong for Spurs and what is your opinion of Gareth Bale?