Tottenham Hotspur vs AS Monaco Preview - Rags vs Riches

"Wait, we've spent over £50million so far? Okay, scratch that title. I don't even think we're at home."

ANYWAY. This pre-season clash is the perfect comparison of club ethic; the 'pure' way: buying players and turning them into world-beaters (perhaps with the latest signings aside), largely buying younger professionals with a lot of potential. That is the Tottenham Hotspur way. Levy runs a tight ship here.



Levy runs a tight ship. Geddit, ship?

In stark comparison, we have AS Monaco. Run by big ol' Sugar Daddy Dmitry Rybolovlev (think he's Scottish), Monaco have been free-spending all summer despite only just making it back to Ligue 1. Radamel Falcao, James Rodriguez, Joao Moutinho (name rings a bell) have all made big-money summer moves. I'm sure it isn't at all motivated by the tax-free wage packet they'll be picking up. Monaco is a genuinely nice place. You should go there sometime. Amongst the other big earners are veterans Ricardo Carvalho and Eric Abidal, as well as a few youths in Anthony Martial and Gaetano Monachello. Names ring a bell? Nope? Read a book or something.



Check out that scenery, daym.

 

Essentially, this is what football has become in 2013. There are two ways of reaching the top. Both take a considerable amount of funding, but there are distinct differences in the public reception to achieving success. See, if Tottenham Hotspur were to win a trophy, the general consensus would be something like "Plucky Tottenham Hotspur defy all the odds to achieve success!" It would be the comeback story of the year!



What I wouldn't give for a repeat of this.

On the other hand, AS Monaco could go on to win the French treble for the next 5 years and nobody would really care. In fact, they'd slate Monaco. Probably come up with some clever pun on the name, too. A$ Monaco, maybe? I don't know. The point is, the public want a side that aren't run by billionaires to win things. That's right, Chelsea. Correct, Man City. D'accord, PSG? Nobody likes you or your money.



On your right: Chelsea. On your left: footballing dignity.

Anyway, I digress. This friendly should be a nice little warm-up to our Premier League campaign, hopefully giving us further insight into AVB's preferred 433 formation as well as a look at new-boys Paulinho and Chadli. I expect us to take the game fairly seriously, and I hope for a comprehensive victory. And no, I won't be reviewing likely line-ups and predicted results. If you want one of those bullshit previews, go read GMF. Aaron out.



I can't wait.

For more ramblings, be sure to check out @OneHotspurWay! Twitter is free!