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16th Mar 2012 | Football

Tottenham v Bolton Tip

Bale needs to start firing again

Spurs need to get back on track. I think they will, but a frustrating opening half could come first.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is getting irate about the criticism of his club’s recent run of form. He knows that there is an underlying insinuation that all the talk surrounding the England job is adversely affecting his club. The former Portsmouth manager claims that his team have been totally out of luck in tough fixtures against Arsenal, Manchester United and Everton.

It’s quite a valid point, but Redknapp fails to acknowledge that Tottenham have defended poorly in periods of all these games. Furthermore, in two games against Stevenage in the last round, the Londoners looked distinctly ordinary. A combination of misfortune and a drop of standards have contributed to Spurs’ current malaise.

In contrast, Bolton will be feeling a little happier after snatching a late winner in their crucial ‘six-pointer’ against QPR last week. The Trotters enjoyed some of the luck that Redknapp is crying out for; a wrongly disallowed goal for the Hoops made a huge difference.

Tottenham are just 1/3 (PaddyPower) to win this FA Cup quarter final at the Lane. Given that the Trotters are feeling a bit happier off a good result and Spurs are in a slump, those odds don’t appeal; confidence counts for a lot in this game. That’s not to say I don’t expect the hosts to just about prevail in the end.

My read of this encounter is that Redknapp’s boys may take a little while to get their swagger back, but when they do, they will be fine. If this assessment bares out then instead of 1/3 on a straight home win, a ‘half time - full time’ bet can bring us our value. A draw at the break, with Spurs winning after 90 minutes is a best price of 7/2 with Betfred.

Odds correct at time of publishing: 17:29 16th Mar, 2012 but subject to change

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