PREVIEW

Manager Owen Coyle is refusing to panic after seeing his side drop into the bottom three recently.

Wanderers are two points from safety and Coyle has chalked up just four points from his first six games in charge, so Coyle is grateful for the chance to forget about the Premier League for at least one match.

He said: "We came into the club in the bottom three - so it isn't as if we have been sitting around at the top, and started slipping down the table.

"Come the end of the season, we want to be out of it. If we play like we have been, I have absolutely no doubt we will achieve that.

"We know we are coming into a run of games, after the cup tie, against the teams in and around us, and they are the ones where we have to get results. If we perform like we did against City on Tuesday night, then we will be fine."

Coyle will play his strongest team for this encounter and is refusing to sway from his priniciple that if you are in a competition then you have to do everything you can to win it - regardless of league position.

He added: "This is an opportunity to get into the latter stages of the FA Cup - the best cup competition in the entire world. How can that be a distraction?

"I think we all recognise the Premier League is the be-all and end-all, but there's no doubt about it, we'll be putting a team out there to represent this football club and get a result."

Spurs have long been a cup team and only senior citizens have clear memories of the days when they were more likely to win the league than go all the way to Wembley.

This season nevertheless represents something of a dilemma for manager Harry Redknapp however as the man who led Portsmouth to FA Cup glory two years ago is desperate for the club to qualify for the Champions League for the first time.

How, then, to treat a fifth round tie against opponents who also have league matters on their minds, albeit for different reasons? Redknapp was unequivocal, stating he was not prepared to sell the famous old competition short when there was a chance they could win it.

"The Cup is a big priority for us," said Redknapp. "We want to get to the final at Wembley this year. I will pick what I consider is the strongest team to win the game. It's a great opportunity but a tough game.

"I'm sure Owen Coyle's first priority is to keep them in the division but I have never been to Bolton and had an easy game."

Idar Gudjonson's arrival seems to have upset the striking balance for the visitors and it will be interesting to see if Redknapp plays Crouch and Defoe as preferred front line today after firing blanks at Wolves in the league.

Bolton will also have to make changes with injuires to Ivan Klasnic, Gary cahill, Gavin mcCann and Sean Davis and loanees Vladimir Weiss and Jack Wilshire cup-tied. On balance that swings things Spurs way , but they look poor value at 23/20 given Coyles (pic) cup pedigree as a boss at Burnley. The value may be the draw at 12/5 generally as the game will be tougher than Spurs might want.

Elsewhere, Fulham, even if they make four or five changes as seems likley, can take care of Notts County. On a value front that price looks fairer than 5/6 Villa winning away at a Championship club, which is the offer for a win at Crystal Palace.

Villa, who will likley field an under strength side, as they have in each of the previous two rounds, look poor value.

In Scotland Hibbs, who have lost just 2 in 19, may be a better proposition than the odds imply and we can't see them losing by more than the odd goal, if indeed they do lose. backing them on the Asian Handicap getting +1.5 goals with several firms at around 4/5 can pay dividends.

NO MEMBERS BET TODAY

Published 14-02-2010

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