Former Arsenal man and current Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has urged Tottenham to make the shock decision to remain at Wembley instead of moving to their new stadium this season.
The Lilywhites are lined up to finally move out of the national stadium and into their new ground after months of delays but face a nervy end to the season as they battle to retain their place among the Premier League’s top four finishers.
Currently sitting third but only a point ahead of their north London rivals, Merson has urged the decision makers to stun fans and stick through it at Wembley, insisting that no one has a good record of moving grounds.
He told Sky Sports’ The Debate (11/03, 22:33): “You want to be in Tottenham’s position still, course you do. With Tottenham’s fixtures I think they’ll be alright. I think their home games are good fixtures.
“The only problem I would say against them is they are moving to a new stadium. If I was them I’d stay at Wembley for the rest of the season. I don’t know anybody who’s moved into a new stadium and hit the ground running.
“You’re going to have the added pressure and the games are winnable but new stadium, everybody turns up – I don’t know anybody who’s gone into a new stadium and done well. They have to hope.”
Opinion
A bold claim from Merson but one which will no doubt plant the seed of doubt among the Tottenham faithful. Yes, they are all very excited to finally get into their new stadium – somewhere they can finally call home after nearly two years of their temporary residence at Wembley – but are they willing to gamble success just to see their side play in their permanent surroundings? Most, if not all, would rather guarantee a top four finish and head back to north London in the summer. As Merson says, the fixture list, minus visits to Manchester City and Liverpool, is relatively kind to the Lilywhites and are they really going to risk the added pressure of a new home ground when their top four hopes are on the line? It would not be an easy decision after getting so close to a final move in date but the former Arsenal man makes a very valid point about how much it could destabilise their whole season.