I made mistake earlier: Jamie Carragher finally changes his mind over where Tottenham finish by end of season
As the Premier League season nears its one-third mark, the league table begins to reveal the likely contenders and strugglers. Jamie Carragher, a prominent pundit, recently revisited his pre-season predictions on Sky Sports and admitted to some misjudgments. While his forecast for Manchester City as league winners hasn’t panned out yet, Liverpool have defied expectations and are currently leading the race.
Carragher also predicted Manchester United to finish fifth, a position he now says Tottenham are more likely to occupy. United’s struggles have been apparent, and Carragher sees no chance for them to secure a fifth-place finish this season. In contrast, Spurs have shown promise despite inconsistency, and he believes they will narrowly miss out on a top-four finish.
Carragher admitted he underestimated Tottenham’s potential in his predictions. He explained, “This is the biggest mistake I’ve made in my predictions. I had Manchester United in fifth place, but I don’t see a chance of them finishing there.
Tottenham will likely miss out on the Champions League positions, with Chelsea taking a spot in the top four. I’m placing Spurs in fifth position.”
The question now arises whether finishing fifth would still allow Tottenham to qualify for next season’s Champions League. The revamped Champions League format introduces additional qualification opportunities for two European teams based on their league’s UEFA coefficient ranking. England currently sits second in this table, suggesting a strong likelihood of gaining an extra Champions League spot.
UEFA Coefficient Rankings
| Rank | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portugal | 8.000 |
| 2 | England | 7.571 |
| 3 | Belgium | 7.400 |
| 4 | Poland | 7.125 |
| 5 | Czechia | 7.100 |
While countries like Belgium and Poland currently rank high, their ability to maintain those positions is uncertain as the knockout stages approach. England’s strong showing in European competitions this season, with dominant performances from Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal, strengthens the likelihood of securing an additional Champions League spot.
Tottenham also have another pathway to Champions League qualification: winning the Europa League. Currently on track to progress to the knockout stages of the competition, Spurs could secure Champions League football for next season through a Europa League triumph, irrespective of their final league position.
The possibility of Tottenham finishing in the top four remains, but their inconsistency this season could make this challenging.
However, even if they miss out, the new Champions League format and their Europa League campaign provide alternative opportunities. Spurs fans will hope their team can capitalize on one of these routes to compete on Europe’s grandest stage next season.
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