Football pundit Stewart Robson believes that Tottenham Hotspur will fall short in their pursuit of a top-four finish because of their lack of improvement under Jose Mourinho and Chelsea’s existing lead in the hunt for a Champions League place.
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Wednesday’s defeat to Southampton leaves Spurs in sixth place and six points off the fourth-placed Blues.
Debating which club has the best chance of claiming the final Champions League spot – with the current top three teams all assured of one, according to the ESPN FC panel – Robson claimed he had initially tipped Spurs to make the top four following their upturn in form since Mourinho’s arrival as manager.
However, he told ESPN FC that their more recent results have shown a minimal overall improvement since Mauricio Pochettino’s departure – and backed Chelsea to hold on to their current five-point advantage over the chasing pack.
The former Arsenal midfielder said: “One team needs to have a good run, a little run of eight or nine games winning on the trot. At the moment, you can’t see it being Tottenham after their current form.
“I thought it was going to be Spurs until the last couple of games and then I’m thinking they’re actually not improving.
“They’re too inconsistent defensively. In the last game, they didn’t create enough going forward against Southampton, so they’ve got problems.
“Chelsea are just going to hang on for that fourth spot, because of the buffer they’ve got.”
Unfortunately for Robson, it seems as though Mourinho’s immediate start to life as Tottenham boss gave a false impression of what they can achieve this season.
While they could yet prove the pundit wrong once more, he may have backed the north Londoners in the first place with good reason, as the three consecutive victories that followed Mourinho’s arrival looked to have seen Spurs put the results that cost Pochettino his job behind them.
However, they have won just three of the following eight matches in all competitions.
Perhaps Robson is wary of jumping the gun again, though his revised prediction of Chelsea making the Champions League is a lot safer, even if only mathematically speaking.
Although, the Blues’ own inconsistent results should make for a fascinating race – and maybe more U-turns to come from Robson and his fellow pundits.
Spurs fans, do you think you will make the top four this season? Let us know what you think below!
