Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp knows top four rivals will be hoping they fall over due to their Champions League commitments.
Redknapp accepts opponents will look to profit from Tottenham's involvement in the Champions League.
He said: "If I'm honest, I can't blame them.
"I wanted all the English teams to stay in Europe because you know they are going to get knocked about and have to change things round and rest key players ahead of important games in Europe.
"I used to look at the fixture list and think, 'That's handy we play Manchester United or Chelsea in between a big game in Europe' and you knew damn well they were likely to play a weakened side. I wasn't the only manager to get out of jail either in the past playing top sides who were criticised for fielding a weakened team ahead of a key fixture in Europe."
Now Redknapp is beginning to appreciate the dilemma.
"You have to rotate your squad or you have some players running on empty," he said. "That is the importance of having real depth.
"I haven't sat here prioritising over the League or Champions League. We want to be successful in both but to do that we are going to have to rotate the squad.
"Playing in the Champions League is a massive achievement and everyone gets a buzz out of being in it. But I can't deny it brings headaches.
"We have a strong and competitive squad but unlike last season when you would try to play your best 11 in every league game, we have to change things around.
"So if we can finish in the top four this season it will be a greater achievement than last time."
