How can Tottenham avoid a cycle of Mediocrity?
By Luc Sigaud
As Tottenham finish another Barclays Premier League Campaign with a Europa League place, Spurs supporters have become all too familiar with this reality. After seemingly every recent offseason, it seems as if the new flavor of the month manager promises change on an organizational level, and every year these promises are not delivered upon. So, from this, we can deduce that a choice needs to be made; either a surefire plan needs to be developed in order to propel the North Londoners to Champions’ League play, or the foundation needs to be scrapped and start anew.
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On one hand, there are plenty of pieces in place that would suggest Spurs have the firepower to succeed at the highest levels. With Hugo Lloris in net, not many shots are going to hit the mark. In the midfield, Christian Eriksen has proven himself to be one of the most technically gifted players in the Premier League, if not the world. Around the rest of the league, some teams are in flux. Manchester United, albeit recovering, are nowhere near the superpower they were in the mid 2000s, with the likes of Van Der Sar, Vidic, Scholes, and Ronaldo running roughshod on their opponents. In addition, Liverpool, who nearly ended their title drought in the 2013-14 campaign, have struggled periodically throughout the season, as Mario Balotelli has not been able to help fill the void replaced by Luis Suarez. All of this would seem to suggest that the time to act is now and capitalize on the opportunities present.
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On the other hand, it could very easily be argued that Spurs do not have the organizational moxie or squad toughness to break through into the higher echelons of English and European play. With this in mind, dismantling and preparing for the future is a very viable option. In defense, Eric Dier looks to be part of an exciting generation of young English defenders, including but not limited to Everton’s John Stones and Southampton’s Nathaniel Clyne. Spearheading the attack is Harry Kane, whose meteoric rise near the top of the Premier League scoring table has inspired hope in fans of the Three Lions. While these two players are promising, very few people in their right minds would argue they have the technical or physical abilities necessary to take a Champions’ League spot away from the likes of John Terry or Sergio Aguero. With this in mind, scrapping the current progress and molding a new Tottenham entices many.
Moving forward, something needs to happen in order to break Spurs out of this repetitive state that has so cruelly captured the side. To some, one final push with this group of players gives Mauricio Pochettino the best chance to bring Champions’ League action to White Hart Lane. To others, immediate greed should not outweigh future successes. While only time will tell which course Daniel Levy will take, only one will bring glory to Tottenham and its fans.