Tottenham’s real test begins right now

Tottenham’s loss on Friday to West Ham more or less eliminated them from the title, but there is still something left to prove.

As close as they came to it, a Premier League title still feels a ways off for a still-maturing Tottenham side.

They were unlikely contenders this and last season. Many of their rivals — the Manchester clubs, Liverpool and Arsenal — are suffering dips in form as they undergo minor to dramatic rebuilding.

Mauricio Pochettino, of course, is currently also rebuilding Spurs after a decade of in-and-out managers and a schizophrenic transfer policy. It’s a testament to his considerable talents that the club have maintained stability and even growth over the past three seasons.

Work is far from finished however. Pochettino is molding this Spurs team very much from the ground up, with young players filling senior roles well before they reach their peak years. His and the club’s plan likely did include an eventual title charge, but they could not have expected it to come so quickly with an inexperienced and still developing side.

All of which will offer faint cheer to those that witnessed Tottenham’s collapse against West Ham on Friday. That 1-0 loss widened the gap between Spurs and Chelsea to seven points. With Antonio Conte’s side beating Middlesbrough on Monday, a win over West Brom on the weekend would seal their Premier League title.

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Tottenham have no need to look behind them after Friday’s result though. They are guaranteed a top four finish regardless of the results of the last three matches of the season. Still, if these next two weeks will serve as a bellwether of Spurs potential in the seasons to come.

It was at almost precisely this point last season that Spurs also saw the title slip away from them. After drawing against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and handing Leicester the title, Pochettino’s men collapsed.

With a chance to finish second — and above Arsenal — still very realistic, Spurs somehow conspired to lose against both Southampton and Newcastle in the final two weeks. They would finish third, and suddenly a season of significant progress felt somehow wasted.

Even if the stakes are less this time around — Spurs will finish above Arsenal — the onus is on Pochettino to make sure his squad do not give in before the season ends May 21st.

This is both a mental and physical problem. With no silverware to hunt for, many of the players might not feel the need to press hard for wins over Manchester United, Leicester and Hull. Pochettino needs to rebuild their confidence and let them know that there is still pride to play for, which is no small thing.

Many players might also be feeling the effects of a long season. Even if several players had rest forced on them by injury, the matches have come quick and fast over the last two months. Imminent summer vacations slow reflexes and dull edges more than just about anything else.

If Tottenham can reclaim their momentum and put on a show against United, then sustain that run against the Foxes and a possibly-already-relegated Hull, they will prove that they are not simply also-rans.

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Instead, they would prove that they were just one or two injuries, bad matches or simple flukes away from winning their first title in nearly 60 years. This is a team that are true competitors, and they will be back again next season and for many more after that.

That is the kind of image Pochettino wants ingrained in his men’s — not to mention his opponents’ — minds going into the summer holiday.