Adebayor slump will rule Spurs out of title

By Mark Lawrenson

Published 08:58 14/01/12

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Tottenham can win the Premier League – but they won’t.

What sets Tottenham apart is their midfield. It’s the best in the league. Aaron Lennon, Luka Modric, Scott Parker, Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart dropping in. It’s a fabulous midfield, full of invention, pace and stability.

It’s better than Manchester City’s because, as good as Yaya Toure and David Silva are, other components are not as good.

Spurs have been on a great run. But now comes the hard part. Being chasers is one thing, leading from the front is another.

It’s all about pressure and that’s what has set Manchester United apart in recent years. They can handle it.

Furthermore, Tottenham also have some hard games coming up.

Emmanuel Adebayor looks to be off the boil. He’s great when in form but is having a dip.

There are questions and tests ahead. Tottenham look great now but ultimately will fall short.

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Steven Gerrard has been a terrific servant to Liverpool.

Now Gerrard has signed a new long-term deal. He had chances to leave before and was tempted by Chelsea.

But Gerrard chose to stay and Liverpool have done right by him. It’s been a brilliant partnership. In this day and age clubs look after home grown players whereas they didn’t always in the past.

Now I like to think you will see more and more players following the Gerrard example. Others have also done it at Manchester United. I can understand it if players want to go abroad to broaden their horizons and further their careers.

But it does also beg the question: why leave the Premier League unless it’s Barcelona or Real Madrid?

Interview By John Cross

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