Welcome to a new feature at TottenhamBlog. Every Premier League weekend I will go head to head against Betfair’s Andy Gray, the BBC’s Mark Lawrenson and The Sun’s Jeff Stelling, to correctly predict Tottenham’s results.

The scoring system will work like this. One point for getting the result right and three points for getting the correct score. Here’s our predictions for the Wigan game.

TottenhamBlog: 2-0

Andy Gray: 2-0

Mark Lawrenson: 3-0

Jeff Stelling: 3-1

I could write a few hundred words about the plastic pitch, our injury problems up front and how Tom Huddlestone needs to boss the game, but sometimes you can say more with less.

This is the sort of game that evokes the sort of ‘glory, glory nights’ that White Hart Lane is famous for, yet only the older Spurs fans will remember such evenings.

So instead of a normal preview, I felt that the best way to get in the mood for tonight is to remind you of some of those great European triumphs and let’s recreate that magic atmosphere at the Lane tonight. Come on you Spurs!

1963 – European Cup Winners’ Cup v Atletico Madrid

1972 UEFA Cup v Wolves

1984 UEFA Cup v Anderlecht – Post match scenes

It’s our first taste of Champions League football tonight and while the rest of the country sits and hopes that we ‘do an Everton’, I’m pretty confident that we’ll continue the good start to the season that we made against Manchester City.

Without Joe Hart leaping around like a demented cross between Gordon Banks and Superman, we’d have beaten City comfortably. There is absolutely no reason to be nervous about tonight’s game. Yes, there’s a lot riding on it, but it was the best draw we could have really had and a good English side should always beat a good Swiss team. Unless the English team is England of course.

King is being rested for the away trip to Stoke, so presumably Bassong will come in alongside Dawson. In midfield, I suppose that Harry might take the opportunity to give Wilson Palacios his first game of the season if he feels we need some defensive cover.

I also don’t expect Crouch to play. The game is being played on an artificial pitch and although they have come a long way from the days when Luton Town and QPR played on their billiard tables, we might want to play more of a close passing game on what could be a fast surface. Redknapp will want Crouch in his team for Stoke anyway, to help out against their barrage of throw ins.

So I wouldn’t be surprised if Keane gets a start, if only to put him in the shop window with just a couple of weeks till transfer deadline days. What a shame that Cardiff City are no longer looking for a striker.

The pitch could be a leveller, but again, if we create anything like the amount of chances as we did on Saturday, we have to score and even a score draw is as good as a win in Europe.

Of course I know next to nothing about the opposition, except that their right back Steve Sutter was born round the corner from White Hart Lane and is a Spurs fan. That’s the sort of story that tends to come up in the FA Cup rather than Europe’s premier competition and let’s hope that it doesn’t have an entirely happy ending.

Come on you Spurs and remember, watch out for the carpet burns.

Normally a summer which includes the distraction of a major international football tournament, isn’t quite as painful as those that are merely devoted to cricket and tennis.

This summer was different though. Yes, there was a World Cup on, but it was largely boring and England’s performances were frankly sickening. There is only one antedote to the anti-football that we were duty bound to watch through June and July, and it’s the chaotic, frantic, beauty of an English league season.

We kick off the entire Premier League in an early kick off against Manchester City. Normally such a start time is not welcomed, but I’ve missed White Hart Lane so much, that I just can’t wait to get back there. What’s the betting though that the kick off gets put back, due to our new electronic ticket system blowing up on its debut?

Unusually for a first game of the season, this one actually carries some real importance. One of our most vital matches last term was our away trip to Manchester City and with both teams again going head-to-head for a place in the top four, it’s an opening match with real bite.

City will want to get revenge for last season, when we beat them home and away. Come to think of it, we tend to beat them twice a season most years and I’ve got a good feeling that we will pick up three points on Saturday. Some things never change…

It’s been a frustrating summer, without the sort of glamour buy that would have whetted the appetite, but there’s a lot to be said for team continuity. Our side knows each other inside out, while City’s are still learning each others names. They’re also full of the sort of egos that makes an implosion reasonably likely this season.

They’ve had a poor pre-season, in which they only won their first game last weekend against Valencia. I don’t tend to read too much into these practice matches, but their record does point to there being a bedding in period for their new players.

We’re starting the season with a clear bill of health, save for the injured Woodgate and Pavlyuchenko. The Russian’s absence should mean a start for Defoe and Crouch, even though Keane has been in good form in pre-season.

I’d also expect Harry to start off by playing things safe, with Huddlestone and Palacios in central midfield and Modric tucked in on the left and Lennon on the right. That would mean Bale starting at left back, where I think he does the most damage.

The one surprise could be at right back. Kaboul was very good in that position at the tail end of last season and he may push Corluka for that spot. There is also a hope that Dos Santos has finally knuckled down and is ready to make an impression at the club, but I still think he’ll start on the bench.

I’m going for a 1-0 Spurs win. Let’s bloody their nose and start a crisis at City that will see them sacking their manager by Christmas. Come on You Spurs!

The day after our vital 1-0 win over Manchester City last season, I interviewed Pete from the City site Over The Blue Moon to find out how he was feeling, the morning after the night before.

A summer has now passed and with Tottenham about to play host to City on the opening day of the season, I’ve asked Pete to give us his thoughts on what has been a busy break for the visitors.

A summer has passed since Spurs beat City to clinch that Champions League place. How do you feel about missing out now?

We’ve missed out on so much previously that, to be honest, we’re used to it. When you come so close to something and it’s snatched away, there’s always disappointment but City fans are resilient and we’ll just try and go one better this time around.

What were your weaknesses last season and have they been addressed?

Defence was a big issue but hopefully, with the signing of Jerome Boateng and Aleksander Kolarov, we should be stronger. I’ve seen them both play and they look awesome but it all depends on how they adjust to the Premiership.

You haven’t strengthened in the way that you would have been able to with a Champions League place, but you’ve still bought some very talented players. Which of your summer signings do you think will prove to be the most important?

Yaya Toure looks like the missing piece in midfield. We need someone like him and I think he will be a big factor this season. He’d better be considering the wages we’re supposed to be paying for him.

City have very publicly been pursuing James Milner this summer. Do you consider his signing to be a necessary one? I think he’s a very good player but not massively better than someone like Stephen Ireland.

No, I don’t think we should go for him. Of course if you have a chance to sign one of the stars of the future, we should take it, but not at the expense of someone like Ireland. The big problem with Ireland is that he had a tremendous season a couple of years ago but I think he felt the pressure a little and lost it.

Your squad is now huge. Which players do you expect to see go in order to conform to the new 25-man rules?

It’s weird because we’ve always had such a thin squad over the last however many years so having such a big squad is something of a novelty.

Nedum Onuoha has gone to Sunderland and I expect Ireland to leave as well. Shaun Wright-Phillips’ days look numbered, which is a shame, and I also think Bellamy will go as well. Oh and Robinho, Santa Cruz and Jo. As an outside bet, I think Adebayor may well be playing away from Eastlands by September, but I may be wrong. I often am.

Craig Bellamy is obviously trying to engineer a move with his comments this week. Would you be sad to see him leave? As an outsider, he looked to be one of your best players last season.

He’s already been left out of the European squad and I’m gutted about that. Two years ago, he was the engineer of City’s Euro campaign when he joined for him to go would be a big mistake. He has been trouble, but all good players generally are to some degree.

Bellamy’s comments hinted at problems between Mancini and Tevez. Do you think that Mancini will succeed at City, or do you see trouble ahead?

I think there may be a problem but Tevez will know that it will be difficult for anyone else to sign him and I think he’s professional enough to put any problems aside when it comes to City.

Despite the pressure on him, I think Mancini will do well this season and next. There has been talk of him being a favourite to be first sacked but the owners know they can’t gain anything by changing manager after a few months. All that will mean is them shelling out for another glut of players next summer under a different manager. How many times will they do that?

What do you expect City to achieve this season?

Champions League qualification is the target and I think they will achieve it, but I hope it’s at the expense of Arsenal or United and not Spurs. I think its time the top four was well and truly broken but we can’t do that by City replacing Spurs or vice versa. It’s no good just one team breaking it; we need more if we want to make the league more interesting.

And what about Spurs? How do you think we’ll do?

I just wonder how much the Champions League will affect Spurs. If you beat Young Boys (that sounds a little weird even for me) and enter the group stage it will be good, but I just hope your league form doesn’t suffer as a result. If it doesn’t, then I think you’ll be in the top four again.

What’s your prediction for the match on Saturday?

My head says lose, my heart says win and the common denominator says draw so that’s what I’ll go for. 2-2

Final Question. If you could choose one former City player to compliment your current squad, who would it be?

Good question. I can’t decide between Keith Curle at the back or Niall Quinn up front. I can’t decide. Can I have both?

Best wishes to Spurs and their supporters for the new season and if by some chance you only win two games all season, make sure it’s against United!

Andre Marriner has been named as the referee for our opening game against Manchester City. Here’s our lowdown on the man from Birmingham

Last Season

From 37 games, Marriner issued a total of 115 yellow cards, averaging 3.1 bookings per game. He also gave 10 players a red card, including Paul Scholes during Manchester United’s visit to White Hart Lane.

Past Controversies

Steven Gerrard allegedly flicked Marriner a V-sign last season, though as the LIverpool midfielder cuts an increasingly agitated figure, maybe it says more about him than the ref.

Alex Ferguson slagged off Marriner last season, cricising the sending off of Nemanja Vidic for United against Liverpool and claiming that Jamie Carragher should have been sent off. Fergie accused Marriner of being influenced by the Anfield crowd, but it has to be said that there seems to be few refs that Ferguson doesn’t hate.

Grudge Against Spurs?

Marriner booked eight players when we travelled to Everton in 09/10 (four from each side), but didn’t cause much in the way of controversy when refereeing us last season. Even the two penalties that he awarded United at Old Trafford were legit, so it appears that there is no beef from Marriner against the mighty Spurs.

What a lovely position we Spurs fans are in today. We could have been still needing a win today and all be incredibly nervous that somehow we would muck everything up against Burnley, and reclaim our position as the laughing stock of English football.

Instead we won at City and all that is at stake today is the icing on the cake. If we win and Arsenal lose, then we finish third. Arsenal almost certainly won’t lose against a Fulham team preparing for their first European final, but it’s still a nice position to be in. There’s something at stake and yet there’s really nothing at all. There will be no snide remarks if we fail to finish third.

Because we have already surpassed everyone’s expectations, including most of our own. I certainly didn’t see us finishing higher than sixth and just didn’t think that we would have the bottle to beat Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City at the crucial point of the season. Our tough run-in was the moment when we were meant to collapse, but instead we somehow became better.

Now here we are on Arsenal’s coattails. The team who play in a different football stratosphere to Spurs. We’re supposedly nothing more than a tired punchline to their jokes… and yet here we are, with basically nothing standing between the sides at the end of the season.A dare you to go another arrogant summer without buying a proper goalkeeper Wenger. Then we’ll see where we are next year.

Today, against a relegated Burnley side, I expect us to try give a game to a few fringe players and still be able to do a professional job and win the match. Most of all I’d like to see Danny Rose in action on the left. Let us never forget his part in getting everyone at Tottenham Hotspur to believe again, after that dispiriting defeat to Portsmouth. He deserves another chance after what he did in that one half against Arsenal.

We’re used to playing league games at the end of the season that don’t really matter, but not in these circumstances, when we’ve already achieved our primary aim. So let’s keep the positivity going with another win and hope for a bit of magic from Fulham. Third or fourth, it’s been a great season and the players can be as proud of themselves, as we are of them.

Come on you Spurs!

If our manager was Jose Mourinho and we had the players available to play with a five-man midfield, then I’d be very confident in our ability to go to Manchester, play for a draw and return with a vital point.

Instead our manager is Harry Redknapp, who has done brilliantly for us, but always seems to balls things up when he starts tinkering with the tactics. We’re also blessed with a squad of players that can only play in an attacking 4-4-2 formation. Neither of these facts should pose a problem, just as long as we don’t get any silly ideas about playing for a draw and instead go all out to win the game.

City have a good home record, having only lost to United and Everton this season, but there’s reason to believe that we can go there and win. Both those defeats have come in recent weeks, suggesting that the pressure is getting to them and perhaps more importantly, this is a game that City know they must win.

We play better against sides that attack us, while often getting lost for ideas against those that defend in numbers. So an open game will suit us and allow players like Modric and Huddlestone the time and space they need to pull our strings.

One of Harry’s big decisions tonight is to whether to stick with the Modric/Huddlestone partnership, or to bring back Palacios for what will surely be a keenly fought away game. Personally I’d leave Palacios on the bench and only introduce him if our playmakers start getting outfought.

I’m not so sure that I’d stick with the status quo up front though. Neither Pavlyuchenko or Defoe has been in great form, but at least the little man shows willing when he’s not playing well. The trouble is, do we want to bring in Crouch for such a vital match after he missed our best chances in the FA Cup semi-final? Then there’s Gudjohnsen, who would be a perfect player for this game, but for the doubt as to whether Defoe can hold the ball up well enough alongside him?

At the back the only selection headaches concern our injuries. King and Gomes will both start if fit, but will they be? If the latter is missing we could have some big problems.

Whoever plays it is vital that we show confidence and really go at them. We can rely on Bale to do that from the left and hopefully we might start with Lennon to do the same from the right. City aren’t blessed with great full backs and this is where we can get at them, before delivering crosses into a penalty box where their central defenders are unfamiliar with their on-loan goalkeeper.

It City qualify for the Champions League rather than us, then their team could be light years ahead of ours and everyone else by next season. However, at the moment, it is us that have the stronger team and though I don’t believe all this talk that this represents our one and only opportunity to break into the top four, it makes sense to take your chances when you can.

Come on you Spurs!

Tomorrow sees the last game of the season at White Hart Lane and it’s the first one that’s really meant anything, since the season that we don’t like to think about, when we just missed out on fourth.

If memory serves me right (and I’m not in the mood to look it up), the last home game of that season was also against Bolton and we won that day. A repeat tomorrow would do us fine.

Whilst it’s true that we have froze against many teams this season that we really should have beaten, I see Bolton as a slightly different proposition. The disappointing results against Stoke, Wolves, Hull and Portsmouth all had one thing in common. Our opposition were all mightily motivated to get a result against us. Bolton don’t have anything to play for.

That’s not to say that they’re not dangerous. Kevin Davies always scores against us and played absolutely brilliant in the first FA Cup match, before being thankfully rested for the replay. It’s true to say though that under the leadership of Owen Coyle, Bolton are now playing a more open brand of football, that suits Spurs more than the stifling rubbish that Sam Alladryce’s teams would frustrate us with.

Harry has a few big decisions to make. First there’s the walking wounded. I’d be surprised if we see Ledley King tomorrow, as surely he will be needed against Manchester City more than Bolton and Burnley. Then there’s Aaron Lennon, who came on as a substitute against United. It would be great to see him start, but I’d rather we didn’t risk him if he’s not completely fit.

Will Palacios keep his place, or will Huddlestone and Modric resume their combination at White Hart Lane? I’m pretty sure that we won’t be playing BAE at right back, so Kaboul should return. I’ve also got an inkling that there will be a change up front. Pavlyuchenko didn’t play well against Chelsea or United and could be dropped. Defoe didn’t play much better, but I can’t see Harry not starting with him.

Whatever the team, we should beat Bolton and we have every reason to be confident. We’ve won our last seven home games and if we can create the sort of electric atmosphere that we managed against Arsenal and Chelsea, then our boys can’t fail to be inspired.

It’s another huge game tomorrow, so there’s no reason why we can’t raise the roof off White Hart Lane once more. Come on you Spurs!

Whenever we play any of the Sky four away from home, it is frankly embarrassing to recall when we last tasted victory. This shame is most acutely felt when we play Manchester United, who we have not beaten at Old Trafford since 1989.

Nine-teen-eighty-nine. It is ridiculous to think that the last time we beat Manchester United, my celebrations would have been cut short by the fact that I would have had a paper round to do in the morning.

Yes, they’ve had mostly very good teams at Manchester United since 1989, but this still doesn’t explain our record. We might not have had many teams that you would describe as ‘very good’, but we have had many brilliant individual match winners, who we could have expected to produce the goods.

There’s been some close calls down the years, such as Pedro Mendes’ winner that never was and the 2-0 lead we held last season, that ended in a drubbing following some more dodgy refereeing. Can we go one better this time and actually see out a victory?

It will be very tough. United have to win if they’re to stay in with a shout of winning the league, while a draw would represent a pretty good result for us following our wins over Arsenal and Chelsea. Whilst a point would be pleasing, I hope that our attitude is positive and we do what few teams do at Old Trafford and actually go for a win. A victory would put us five points clear of City, before they faced Arsenal. Let’s dare to dream.

Because why shouldn’t this current Spurs side be able to beat this current United team? Rooney is absolutely world class, but based on form this season, I don’t think that you could put many other of their players in this bracket.

We welcome back Wilson Palacios from suspension, while Aaron Lennon should be on the bench and Ledley King may also be available. Those are three huge players to have back in the fold for a team that have just beaten two of the top three. Man for man, there just isn’t the gulf these days that there has been in the past.

That’s not to say that I’m hugely confident that we’ll win (I’m not), but we should factor it as a possibility. Certainly until the team start believing that they can go to grounds like Old Trafford and get a result, then it aint going to happen.

I expect goals from both teams, but chances should be rarer than they were against Arsenal and Chelsea, so we have to make sure that we don’t squander so many. I’m pretty sure Defoe will start, but it will be interesting to see if Harry retains Pavlyuchenko, or goes with Gudjohnsen who can link with midfield.

Midfield is a difficult one. Do we break up the Modric-Huddlestone partnership that has served us so well during Palacios’ suspension? Away at Old Trafford, I reckon so. Bale may be pushed back to left back, with Modric taking the left of midfield.

Talking of Bale, the one name that I most want to see on the United team sheet tomorrow is that of Gary Neville. If he’s there, then maybe Bale should be retained in midfield, though surely Fergie will plump for a somewhat pacier option at right back.

With the results we’ve already got in the bag, it really doesn’t matter that much if we lose, so now is the time to go for a knockout victory. If Spurs need inspiration, we should look to the fictional Tottenham supporter and cheeky cockney, Mike Baldwin.

Baldwin arrived in Wetherfield, Manchester in 1976 and was soon lording it over his dull northern counterparts. He was smarter, sharper and nastier than his rivals. If Mike could go up to Manchester and rule, then so can we. Come on you Spurs!