Tottenham Need to Set Confident Tone

Just about eleven months ago, Tottenham suffered through a combination of mental and physical fatigue at the exact wrong moment. Mauricio Pochettino can’t let that happen again.

The stakes last season, admittedly, were a bit higher. Tottenham were just close enough then to dream of possibly overtaking Leicester City and thus winning their first title in over 50 years.

For a young team who never expected to have such a wonderful season, the pressure proved a bit too much. Two draws and two losses — including a 5-1 stomping at the hands of just-relegated Newcastle — saw them miss out on the title and then sink below Arsenal into third place to finish the season.

Tottenham again find themselves in second place as the season’s home stretch looms. With Chelsea holding a ten point lead and hardly looking vulnerable, Pochettino’s task now is to simply ensure his club qualify for the Champions League again.

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With five clubs realistically competing for three spaces, that is no easy task. It is made all the more complicated by the unexpected absence of Harry Kane.

The England international striker suffered an ankle injury against Millwall almost identical to the one that kept him out for ten matches in the autumn. While Tottenham stayed competitive over that run, they did so despite the fact that their goals almost entirely dried up.

Pochettino must work with the same tools now as he did then, and hope for better results. Heung-min Son will likely lead the line in Kane’s place against Southampton on Sunday, with Vincent Janssen patiently waiting his breakout game.

Adjusting to that new reality will run parallel to Pochettino’s efforts to keep is squad’s heads held high. Luckily, this team is growing more and more accustomed to adversity.

Last season’s collapse sparked a healthy amount of introspection over the summer. It led the club to invest heavily in depth in an attempt to prevent the physical fatigue that wore on regular starters come May. It also inspired Pochettino to take a heavier hand in his coaching, one that was far less tolerant of slumps.

Consider Spurs’ disappointment in the Champions League. Their failure to get out of what, with the exception of a surprising Monaco side, was an easy group could have crushed them. Instead they followed up their final group win over CSKA Moscow with a Premier League winning streak that took them within reach of Chelsea.

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Similarly, losses to Liverpool and Gent in February could have derailed them. With Kane’s help though, they lifted themselves back up and returned to winning ways.

This last challenge is nothing more than another speed bump. It will take adjusting, but Pochettino is creating a Spurs side that can overcome.