Vertonghen completed 90 minutes for the first time in five weeks against FulhamCREDIT: REX FEATURES
Jan Vertonghen insists Tottenham Hotspur can cope with demands of attempting to combine Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup campaigns for the rest of the season.
Only League Cup finalists Manchester United can potentially play more games than Spurs this season, but Vertonghen, who returned from injury against Fulham, is not concerned with the demands being placed on him and his team-mates.
“I think the manager understands the importance of the Europa League and the FA Cup, and it’s good we take it very seriously,” said Vertonghen.
“We want to win both and compete in the League as well, and I think our team is fit enough to cope with these things.
Spurs had a miserable time against Gent last Thursday, and now need to overturn a 1-0 deficit in the second leg on ThursdayCREDIT: REX FEATURES
“I can only talk for myself, but I like to play as many games as possible and maybe the other guys as well. It’s good to rotate a couple of players like Kyle Walker and Eric Dier against Fulham. Next time maybe two or three others will rest.”
On his own fitness, Vertonghen added: “Playing 90 minutes (against Fulham) after five weeks out is not tricky but you never know what you’re going to get, so I’m happy.
“I’m used to ankle recoveries now and I worked very hard with the medical staff. It all went very well, I didn’t have any setbacks so, hopefully, it will stay like this until the end of the season.”
“I think money-wise you can’t compare, but on the pitch the team is as strong as theirs, definitely,” said Vertonghen.
Mauricio Pochettino faces a juggling act with Spurs still fighting on multiple frontsCREDIT: REUTERS
The need to play a strong team in every game is borne out of the fact Tottenham are desperate to end a nine-year drought without a trophy that has now extended past the length of Arsenal’s run between 2005 and 2014.
“We played a final against Chelsea at Wembley a couple of years ago and we want more of that,” said Vertonghen.
“I won some silverware at Ajax and it’s the best thing there is in football. I think this team and the technical staff deserve a trophy with this club.
“We have improved a lot since our last final. It’s only two years, but we have improved a lot, we’ve got stronger. The gaffer has had time to work with us and we understand the way he wants us to play. We are a lot stronger than then and we have shown that in the last couple of years.”
Pochettino revealed that he and his players had held meetings after the defeat in Gent to make sure Tottenham’s season does not fizzle out and the reaction was evident at Craven Cottage.
“We just talked to each other after the game in the Europa League and said ‘yeah, we have to change’,” said Toby Alderweireld.
“We knew everyone was trying, but we needed to get the good feeling back. And one way is to work very hard and try to change it as quickly as possible. I think today we showed the desire is there.
“The meetings were just to see to the future. I think everybody works hard, everybody is doing their best, so we can’t complain on that. We just needed the desire to come back more than ever.
“Everyone knew what we had to do against Fulham - go to the next round and next Thursday go to the next round as well. The two games are very important to the future.”
Manager Hein Vanhaezebrouck revealed how the entire city of Ghent is looking forward to the club’s trip to Wembley, saying: “The whole of Ghent is getting crazy. And, with Ghent, many others.
“Everybody talks about Wembley, everyone is focusing on that game, but after that game we will be facing the hard reality again. If we get eliminated against Spurs, I'll have to cheer-up my squad again for the important game against Mouscron. And if we qualify, there'll be huge euphoria in my squad.”
How to win at betting in 10 easy steps that bookies don't want you to know
Gambling is, by its very nature, a risk-ridden way to fill your time or even to try and make money. But, when done sensibly, it can also be a fun and exciting addition to watching sport.
But how do you make the most of your bet? What’s the best way to get round the bookies’ tricks that try and pull you through their doors?
It’s all about finding the best value for money. Whether that’s the right prices, the right markets or even the best time to put your bet on, follow these tips from an ex-betting shop employee and see if you can make the most from your gambling experience.
1. Know your sport inside out
It's not just about which football team has won their last six games but how well they have really played offensively and defensively. Were they good at keeping possession or were they lucky?
Which tennis player is having a spat with their coach? That golfer might have won two majors this season but how much experience does he have on a links course?
These are the kinds of details that will inform your betting and will better prepare you for spotting those good-value markets.
2. The favourite doesn't always win
This seems obvious to point out but it is difficult for any punter to ignore the price bookies have given.
A good example? When Rafael Nadal took on Fabio Fognini at the Barcelona Open back in April, bookmakers had Nadal as the heavy favourite. He was as short as 1/10 with some.
Fabio Fognini celebrates after defeating Rafael Nadal at the Barcelona Open(Photo: David Ramos/Getty Images)
On the surface this would make sense. Nadal is the King of Clay and has won this very tournament a record-breaking eight times.
What the bookmakers had overlooked was that Fognini had beaten Nadal on clay only a few months earlier in Rio De Janeiro. Combine this with Fognini's record of knocking out top seeds and suddenly his 8/1 price is looking very attractive.
Fognini went on to beat Nadal in straight sets.
3. Don't just stick to one bookmaker – shop around
There is a big emphasis on brand loyalty in the betting business. Because it's such a competitive sector, companies will try and lure you to bet with them and only them.
Whether this is through various loyalty schemes or special in-shop offers, the intention is the same. Don't let them make you think you shouldn't shop around. Use www.oddschecker.com to see which bookmaker has the best price for the market you want.
Check the offers available for specific bets. The first goalscorer market is one of the most popular bets in football and as a result, bookies all have their own spin on it.
Betting on the first goalscorer is one of the most popular wagers(Photo: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Betfred will double the odds if your player scores twice and treble the odds if he scores a third time.
Ladbrokes, on the other hand, will double the odds if he scores within 25 minutes and you will probably find that most other bookies have their own version to try and get you through their doors instead of someone else's.
Your research should tell you which of these offers will most suit you for any given match. Be flexible and be prepared to put in the leg work.
4. The fewer selections, the better
This is something that, even though it seems like common sense, punters forget all the time. The fewer selections you include in your bet, the more chance you stand of winning.
If you're betting to make money think small, not big. One team or selection if you can stake enough. Three or four maximum. Once you find yourself putting that 20-fold accumulator on, you really are on cloud cuckoo land.
Bookies lose most of their money from singles. An extreme example would be some high-roller coming into a shop and putting £10,000 on a 4/6 shot.
Just one single at an odds-on price but the shop would have to turnover £6,666 to cover that payout alone.
If you do enough research, you should feel relatively safe putting £5 or £10 on one selection. But trebles usually offer a decent return if you really do want a higher payout.
5. Avoid the temptation of odds-on prices
If you do find yourself desperately wanting that long-shot bet on a Saturday afternoon, do not pad out your accumulator with odds-on selections. You're decreasing your chance of winning for next to no extra cash.
This is really easy to do in tennis. It's the opening week of a Grand Slam and you see the top players are all drawn against relative unknowns.
It would seem like a great idea to lump them altogether in a multiple to try and win some easy money. But this would be a mistake.
Tennis is notorious for offering terrible prices on match-betting and so you could put the world's elite in a ten-fold and still only manage to scrape returns at 3/1.
Is it really worth £10 to only treble your money when any single loss at a price of 1/8 (for example) would result in your entire bet going down? Probably not.
It would make more sense to do some research and find an up-and-coming player who has a favourable draw and back them at a better price.
6. Consider the less obvious markets
Again, once you've done enough research, you should know you're sport well enough to find better value in the hundreds of other markets the bookies offer.
It is arguably a way for the bookies just to provide you with more ways to lose but you can find the good prices if you look hard enough.
Jamie Vardy: a fairly safe bet to score(Photo: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
For example, you might not feel safe putting Leicester City to beat Man City in your accumulator.
They're higher than them in the league but does that mean they're a stronger team? That's for the football pages to discuss.
But just a minimal amount of research shows that Jamie Vardy is the league's top scorer. So betting on him to score anytime is as safe as bets come. And at 7/5, it's not bad value either.
7. Make sure you understand the markets
While we're on the subject of the less obvious markets, if you do pick an obscure one, make sure to check the terms with the betting shop staff.
A common mistake is the half time/full time bet vs to win both halves. If you put a HT/FT bet on, your team simply has to be winning at half time and then win the match.
If you back your team to win both halves, you are betting on them to win the first half and the second half separately. The team must score more goals than the opposition in both halves for you to win your bet.
It's a subtle difference but frustrating for punters who come looking to collect winnings when they're team was leading 2-1 at half time and won the match 2-1. The second-half score must have been 0-0 and so the bet goes down.
8. Don't bet with your heart
You might really want your team to win. You want it so badly you even start to convince yourself it's possible. Before you know it, you believe it so much that you've put your money on it.
And bookies love it because each week they'll rake it in from all the home fans willing their soon-to-be relegated team to beat the table leaders.
Try not to back your own team(Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Similarly, avoid important events like derby games. The unpredictable element is magnified because there's more at stake and players may elevate themselves for that extra degree of honour and pride.
If you must bet on these events, consider the other markets. They probably won't beat the table leaders but could they get a goal? Result and both teams to score could be a more sensible bet.
9. Pick your moment
It's difficult to pinpoint the right time to place your bet because, unlike with horse racing, it’s not ‘best odds guaranteed’ on sports bets but it's usually best to do it on the day.
But most bookies will enhance prices or have special offers ahead of a popular event.
Some will do this for the full day of the event itself. Others will boost a price for a set period at random points meaning unless you spend the day in the shop, you'll only come across these by chance.
If it's a particularly popular event, the bookies will almost certainly be promoting it with offers designed to persuade you to part with your cash.
It could mean money back as a free bet if the favourite scores first in a football fixture.
It could also mean that a shop may boost the price of a player to score anytime from EVS to 6/5 between 12pm-3pm, for example.
10. It pays to follow less popular sports
As bookmakers try and offer more and more ways for us to hand over our cash, they are forever expanding the list of sports and markets they cover.
This undoubtedly means that they are covering sports they might not know as much about as they would like.
A good example is MMA. The sport of mixed martial arts is on the rise and so we are getting increasingly more coverage and more information about competitors.
Ronda Rousey receives medical treatment after being defeated by Holly Holm(Photo: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
When world bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey, stepped into the Octagon at UFC193, she was heavy favourite and her opponent Holly Holm was out as far as 9/1 early and still 6/1 when the fight got underway.
But why was Rousey at such a short price? Holm is a boxing world champion while Rousey’s striking is somewhat lacking. Rousey’s strength was her judo, yet Holm had defended 100% of takedowns going into this fight.
It was never going to be as clear cut as everyone thought and any real look at the stats ahead of the event suggested that 6/1 was amazing value.
Not only did Holm go on to win the fight but she KO’d the champ in just two rounds.
If there was an unbeatable formula, bookies would soon go out of business and we’d all be millionaires.
Everyone will have good days and bad days but follow these tips and you should soon be able to spot the best value bets available and hopefully reap the rewards!
AC Milan are plotting a £110million summer spending spree, and Chelsea star Cesc Fabregas tops their wanted list, according to the Mirror.
When Antonio Conte arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer, you would be forgiven for thinking Fabregas’ Chelsea career was coming to an end. The Italian continually opted for N’Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic in the middle of the park, leaving Fabregas out in the cold.
However, a string of good performances from the Spaniard forced him into Conte’s thinking. He has scored four goals and provided seven assists in the Premier League this term, despite playing only 950 minutes. That’s a direct goal contribution every 86 minutes. His good form does not appear to have gone unnoticed.
The Mirror report that Serie A giants AC Milan are now under new Chinese ownership, and they’re planning a £110million summer spend. The tabloid believe that Fabregas is topping their summer wishlist, but it remains unclear as to whether Chelsea will be keen to part with him.
Winning the Champions League Is Better Than Winning the Premier League
Please cast your vote after you've read the arguments. You can also add to the debate by leaving a comment at the end of the page.
Yes because...
Being the best in Europe beats being the best in England
The UEFA Champions League comprises of the league champions of all UEFA member associations, as well as those clubs finishing from second to fourth place in the strongest leagues. This means that the competition includes the very best teams from across the whole of Europe, and also the top four clubs from the Premier League. By winning the Champions League you have proven to be better than not only your fellow domestic teams but also the other European greats. The title of Champions of Europe is therefore highly superior to the title of Champions of England.
No because...
If an English team were crowned European Champions it does not necessarily mean that they are the best team in England. For that to be the case they would surely have to win the Premier League as well. In 2005 we saw Liverpool lift the cup, yet they only managed to finish 5th in the Premiership. Being UEFA Champions only implies that a team has performed with great success in that one particular competition.
Winning the Champions League Is Better Than Winning the Premier League
Yes because...
European champions are remembered far more than their domestic counterparts
Winning the Premier League is a massive achievement for any club, but when we compare these triumphs to an epic victory in the Champions League Final it becomes quite apparent that Premier League titles are forgotten much more readily. This rift is also evident when we look at the widely known clubs in Europe. Teams like AC Milan and Ajax have not shot to great prominence as a result of their performances in their respective domestic leagues, but as a result of European glory.
No because...
Many Champions League winners tend to be consistently coming in the top few positions in their domestic leagues. Only the top four teams from the Premier League can enter the Champions League so if any of those were to win it is reasonable to assume that they would finish very highly, if not top, in the Premier League. Consequently teams are more likely to be remembered for their overall success as a combination of many different tournaments.
