The EPL Race For Survival From a Tottenham Supporter's Viewpoint

With the Premier League moving towards the final 10 games of the season, there are two distinct races in progress: Title and Survival.  Teams from 10^th to 20^th place are still in a race for survival in the Premiership.

Some notable teams are vying for Premier League survival, none more illustrious than Tottenham Hotspur.

As the table currently stand, Spurs are in 13th place with a game in hand on most of the teams in the relegation mire, winning that game in hand on Saturday is imperative, but not critical.

What Spurs Needs to do to Survive

In order to maintain their unbroken Premier League status, Spurs needs to win their remaining home games. The teams that will survive this year need to amass 45 points to be assured of safety.

Spurs are currently 14 points off that target. Harry “Houdini” Redknapp will ensure that we gain those points and avoid the drop.

The team needs to perform like they did against Manchester United in the Carling Cup final and Middlesborough at White Hart Lane on March 4. The 4-0 win against Boro will definitely instill some confidence and belief in the team that was lacking prior to Harry’s arrival. With Robbie Keane back to familiar surroundings, the task at hand should be easier.

Confidence Boosters

Confidence plays an important role in footballers and Spurs was definitely lacking in

confidence. Harry Rednapp has instilled the beliefs and confidence and it is showing in players like Aaron Lennon, Michael Dawson, and Luka Modric.

Tottenham Hotspurs are in a relegation dog fight with 10 other teams and the aforementioned players must maintain their level of confidence and ability that will ensure Spur’s safety.

With five games remaining at the Lane, there is a possibility of obtaining 15 points from those games. With games against our perennial bogey teams Chelsea and Newcastle, we may not get the maximum number of points from our home games, so that leaves us needing to win some away games.

Coming out of the homestead with a possible nine out of 15 points, we still need another six to be safe from the trap door.

To The North West

With two  trips to Merseyside and one to Old Trafford before the end of the season, Spurs could do well to come away from the North West with any points. But with two wins over Liverpool already this season, and an emotional return to Merseyside for Robbie Keane, Spurs could come away from the North East with at least three points.

How better to erase his Scouse nightmare than inflicting another loss on the Anfield giants by Keano?

With games against Sunderland, Villa and Rovers, a minimum six points from those games can guarantee Tottenham’s safety. Winning against their fellow relegation strugglers becomes paramount and Spur’s needs to show their class.

The Magic Number

Forty-five is the magic number this season to guarantee Premiership survival.

Spurs must secure wins at home against West Ham, West Brom, and Man City to stand any chance of surviving. A win against Chelsea at the Lane would be a bonus, and now would be a good time to dispel the hoodoo Newcastle have over us at White Hart Lane and secure all three points.

In the away games, Blackburn should see us come away with all three points and with draws against Sunderland, Everton, and Liverpool, and maybe a draw at Villa Park, that would render Tottenham’s safety.

The Others

It seems almost certain that West Brom will be relegated. Tony Mowbray’s team has done well to move up from the Championship, but they don’t have the strength in depth of some of the other relegation strugglers.

The other two teams that are likely to fall through the trap door with West Brom are Stoke City and Portsmouth.

Stoke are currently two points off the relegation zone, but their inconsistency is what will drive them out of the Premiership. They are a good team on their day, but how many of those days will they have before the season ends?

Portsmouth will also fall though the trap door and it will be sad not hear the Pompey chimes at 4:30 AM on a Saturday morning as I wake to watch another Premiership game from Fratton Park, on the South Coast of England.

Pompey took too long, in my view, to make the switch from Tony Adams to Paul Hart and it will be a difficult job for Hart to maintain Pompey’s Premiership status.

West Brom, Stoke, and Portsmouth will be relegated and Spurs will be safe and fighting for a Champions League place next season.

“Glory, Glory, Tottenham Hotspurs, when the Spurs Go Marching On”