Credit to Tottenham Hotspur, they will achieve their best ever Premier League finish this season. They have built on last season’s success where they were better than their third placed finish, and they should take great pride in being the highest finisher out of the sides who had to tackle European football this season. However, the scenes at White Hart Lane during ‘the finale’ against Manchester United at the weekend were far too celebratory for a side that has achieved, well, nothing.
The last time Tottenham lifted a trophy was the League Cup back in 2008. So even if they pick up some silverware next season, it will be a decade without success. Yes, the side has grown into one that can challenge for trophies regularly, but challenging is not enough. They have become obsessed with qualifying for the Champions League, but their incompetence in that competition seems to dent their other efforts. Without it this season, they possibly would have overcome Antonio Conte’s Chelsea in the title race.
What’s next?
Next season, Spurs will play all their games at Wembley. They won there just once in Europe this campaign, losing two out of their four matches.
On top of this, their big-game mentality was questioned once again, coming up short to Chelsea at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final. Before Spurs fans get too worried for next season, this will be rectified, it has to be. Look at West Ham, they struggled in the first half of the season playing at the vast Olympic Stadium, but are now starting to make it their home. If all goes to plan, Tottenham will return to the ground adjacent to White Hart Lane for the 2018-19 season, so it is just one season without an official home.
Mauricio Pochettino will be given almost a free pass as his side acclimatise to Wembley. No such room will be given when they have their own stadium, and with this current crop of players they cannot afford to continue to miss out on silverware, much like rivals Arsenal did after their move to The Emirates.
The tools for success
With four of the most dangerous attacking talents in Europe ahead of a very reliable back four and goalkeeper, in terms of quality, there is no question that Tottenham have the capabilities of winning trophies on a regular basis. It is the mentality that lets them down, and this inability to challenge on all fronts, despite their healthy squad.
Gareth Bale got Spurs recognised on the global stage, and although they no longer have anyone of his talent and his then-record £86 million transfer fee was not wisely reinvested, their squad is overall far stronger then it was four years ago. The club has always had reliable goalscorers on their books, the likes of Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe spring to mind, but Harry Kane has taken this to another level.
Keane and Defoe were the archetypal poachers, and whereas Kane has that goalscorer’s instinct, he can do so much more. Holds up play, scoring with his head, or unleashing from outside the box, the 23-year-old has it all, and if he continues to develop he can become one of the best in Europe. He shares much of the same game as Newcastle great Alan Shearer, but Kane must target achieving more than Shearer, who despite scoring 260 PL goals, only lifted one trophy in his career.
Kane has one thing that Shearer didn’t, and that is in the electric Dele Alli. The former MK Dons man is a joy to watch, and the partnership he and Kane have formed is something the Premier League has rarely seen. It bodes incredibly well for England, and Spurs fans will pray that the partnership will never be broken up.
If they hold on to the pairing for five or so years, a Premier League will come their way.
No room to breathe
With Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United all capable of winning the Premier League, qualifying for Europe will still be a tough task for Tottenham next season. If they can achieve Champions League football in their next two seasons (playing at Wembley and then at their new home), they should be in a position to win a trophy in that third season. Simply challenging or ‘putting the pressure on’ will not be tolerated for much longer, and it is important that Spurs create some legitimate history before they are overtaken.