Will it be plastic fantastic for Spurs?
by our special correspondent
As if the pressure of a first ever Champions League qualifier was high enough the sight of a synthetic pitch at the home of Swiss side Young Boys Bern throws yet another curveball into Spurs' preparations.
The plastic pitch is now an increasingly common sight in some wet-weather stricken footballing outposts, but like most things the 80s produced I would rather it stayed there.
Injuries a common place for starters, which instantly rules out the chronically crocked Ledley King, and there will be crossed fingers a plenty that Redknapp's men not only get a decent result in Switzerland but also return fit and healthy for the second leg.
It is a game I feel Spurs don't have to win as the Champions League betting will make them hot favourites for return game at White Hart Lane, so anything other than a heavy defeat will be seen as a success. And considering what teams could have been drawn out of the pot Bern are one of the easier sides to face. But their victory in the previous round over Turkish runners up Fenerbache, a team with plenty of Champions League experience, is evidence enough that they should still be respected.
Boss Redknapp has done his best to play down the significance of qualifying - or more horrifyingly not qualifying - for the lucrative Champions League after such a momentous effort last season. However, you get the impression that it is just an attempt to ease the pressure on the players.
It is not just the financial aspect, Spurs are one of the best run clubs in the league anyway, but also the glamour and profile of playing in Europe's elite competition that will bring the long-term benefit to the club. If they are to consistently compete with the best then they need to play against them in Europe, only then will the calibre of players needed to win titles decide to move to the Lane.
Failing to make the group stage would not be a disaster, but would feel like one for several weeks. Just ask Everton after their failure against Villarreal in 2005. Of course, the football betting suggests Spurs' challenge should be a little easier than that of the Merseysiders.
The race for fourth is going to be tougher than ever this year so there are no guarantees that Spurs will have this chance again for several years.
Whatever Redknapp says the pressure is well and truly on.
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