Tottenham Hotspur will be hoping that the Year of the Rabbit begins more smoothly than the way the Tiger Year just finished. Before overseeing his side's first victory in five matches mid-week, Harry Redknapp had to deal with a series of minor disasters.
They could mean the difference between a great season at White Hart Lane and an ultimately disappointing campaign of unfulfilled promise.
Key midfielder Luka Modric underwent an emergency appendix operation, which is likely to rule him out of Spurs' upcoming Champions League tie at AC Milan. New signing Steven Pienaar missed the game at Blackburn after being accidentally knocked unconscious at training by fellow South African Bongani Khumalo. Then, Ledley King's scheduled groin operation in Germany was delayed a week when the club captain lost his passport.
Add to that, their humiliating elimination from the FA Cup at the hands of Fulham plus a lack of success in final transfer day dealings - they were linked to as many as half a dozen players including Blackpool captain Charlie Adam and Atletico Madrid's Diego Forlan - and the omens are less than auspicious as the Metal Rabbit takes centre stage.
As pretty a style of football that they play, and as many neutrals who have been won over by 'Arry's loveable Londoners, it will all mean nothing if Spurs fail to finish fourth, which would secure another shot at the Champions League next season. This is more important, in many ways, than progressing beyond the round-of-16 tie against Milan, with the first leg in Italy on February 15.
'We have probably punched above our weight in the Champions League a little bit and exceeded people's expectations,' said Tottenham goalkeeping coach, Tony Parks. 'I think it takes most clubs four or five years of regularly being there to get where we've got in our first season.
