Tottenham fears over Bodo/Glimt artificial pitch revealed – Lesson from Tamworth FC
Tottenham’s artificial pitch test at Tamworth has left worrying signs ahead of a daunting Bodo/Glimt trip in the Europa League, leaving Glimt with a potential advantage in the second leg tie.
Tottenham Hotspur’s next two ties against Bodo/Glimt come with a great deal of jeopardy, not just in terms of progress, but what it means for the rest of their season.
Should Spurs come out on top over the two legs, they will secure a place in the Europa League final and keep their hopes of silverware and a return to the Champions League alive.
Lose, however, and that is it. Their season ends abruptly. Ange Postecoglou has already warned that Bodo/Glimt are not to be taken lightly, stressing they are in the semi-finals on merit.
Tottenham players struggled with artificial Tamworth pitch
No one could argue with that assessment, as Bodo/Glimt have earned their place by knocking out Olympiacos and Lazio in the knockout rounds – a clear sign of their European pedigree.
One of the major reasons behind that success has been their home form, with Glimt winning every knockout home game this season, boasting one of the best records in the competition.
Tottenham host the first leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but must then travel to Norway for the return tie – and that is where things get difficult, as Glimt’s home pitch is artificial.
Tottenham have already played on a similar surface this season, when they travelled to Tamworth in the FA Cup.
According to Dan Kilpatrick on The Tottenham Way Podcast, the players really struggled with the artificial surface.
Kilpatrick revealed the Spurs squad felt exhausted after the match and were still dealing with the effects of playing on the Tamworth pitch days after full-time.
He explained: “So, you know, they have got opportunities to prepare. And in that sense, they have obviously had the Tamworth game that you mentioned. I imagine the Bodo/Glimt pitch is significantly better than Tamworth’s was.
“A lot of the Spurs players were feeling that game for days and days afterwards. So you kind of hope that is not the case next week.”
Spurs face unique challenge on Bodo/Glimt’s pitch
Bodo/Glimt and Spurs have never met before in European competition and Thursday’s clash will be their first encounter.
Tottenham must be prepared to adapt quickly when they arrive in Norway to take on Glimt in what is an unfamiliar environment.
Speaking on The Tottenham Way Podcast, Bodo/Glimt expert Terje Flateby explained the key differences between Glimt’s pitch and a traditional grass surface.
“Yeah, let us take the pitch first. It is a first-class artificial pitch. So it is not a bad pitch in that way,” said Flateby.
“But the ball goes really, really fast, especially when it rains and it is wet. They, of course, water the pitch before it starts. But the ball, if you speak to professional players in Norway who play a lot on artificial pitches and also on grass, it is almost a different game.
“So it is very difficult to set the press because the ball moves so much faster on the artificial pitch. And Bodo/Glimt, they are a great team, but one of the reasons they are so strong at home is because of that surface.
“So that will be a big challenge for Spurs and how they approach this match. But if they go gung-ho pressing, Bodo/Glimt will, of course, just carve them open.”
Indeed, winning a European trophy is never easy and the clash against Glimt is as tricky as it gets for Postecoglou and his team. If Tottenham manage to get past the Norwegian side, they will be just one win away from European glory.
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