Five reasons why Tottenham will finally win a trophy next season.
Ever since a scrappy Jonathan Woodgate goal gave Tottenham Hotspur a surprise extra-time victory over Chelsea in the 2008 League Cup Final, Spurs fans have been patiently waiting to see their team win another trophy.
It’s surprising, and somewhat unfortunate they’ve been unable to get over the line despite coming close in many competitions. Harry Redknapp led the team back into the Champions League after Martin Jol had come close, and the Mauricio Pochettino era was full of exciting football but, unfortunately, many “almost” moments.
Spurs lost the League Cup final with Harry in 2009. And over the past six seasons, Tottenham have been finalists in the Champions League and League Cup, and twice semi-finalists in the FA Cup. They also fell short in two title races against Leicester City and Chelsea in consecutive years.
Tottenham are known for falling just short of their goal. Last season’s Champions League final was about as “Spursy” as it gets. Since then, things haven’t gone too well, leading to a managerial change with Jose Mourinho replacing Pochettino, who will forever be a club hero.
But the wait for a trophy will soon come to an end. I’m confident Tottenham will end their trophy drought next season, and here are five reasons why.
Second season for upcoming stars
While the focus this summer is on the players Tottenham should sign, and understandably so. Spurs have a lot of work to do if they want to get back into Champions League contention. But the development of the young stars already in the squad will also be a huge factor next season.
One of those players is Giovani Lo Celso, one of Spurs’ big signings last summer. After a slow start, Lo Celso came into form as the season went on and looks to be a future star. He can take players on, pick out passes, and create chances. At times, Lo Celso was the best player on the pitch. Now with Harry Kane 100 percent after his hamstring injury, it will be exciting to see these two players link up.
Then there’s Steven Bergwijn, signed by Tottenham in January. Bergwijn made an immediate impact with an incredible goal in the victory over Manchester City. He finished the season with three goals.
Bergwijn looks to be exactly what Spurs needed. He’s fast, strong, can take players on, and can score goals.
Yes, signing players this summer is crucial. But don’t forget about Lo Celso and Bergwijn. Their development will key for Tottenham next season.
Mourinho is a winner
Everywhere Jose Mourinho has coached, he’s won trophies. Even with Manchester United, which was considered to be a failure for Mourinho, he still won the Europa League and League Cup. We won’t count the Community Shield.
Mourinho is a two-time Champions League winner with two clubs. He’s won the Premier League three times. He’s won La Liga and Serie A, and also both the UEFA Cup and Europa League. Mourinho has done it all. Why would that change at Tottenham? He’s going to win something.
And while Tottenham were hard to watch at times this season, even under Mourinho, he got results. According to Planet Football, if you started the Premier League from when Mourinho took over the job, Tottenham would be fourth in the table.
He took over a team incredibly low on confidence and lacking talent at certain positions. A team that had lost 7-2 to Bayern Munich at home in the Champions League.
It was never going to be a quick fix. Mourinho needs time. But the results have started to show. Mourinho has won everywhere he’s been. With Tottenham, it will be no different. And there’s a good chance he’ll lead this team to a trophy in the 2020/21 season.
Spurs will improve their squad in the summer
Tottenham already have star players in their squad. They have the manager. Now they need to strengthen the squad during the transfer window. Chairman Daniel Levy has been criticized over the years for potential deals falling through, or not being willing to spend more money. But you don’t bring in Mourinho to then spend nothing in the transfer window.
Don’t expect Tottenham to spend £100 million on a player, but they will be active in the market. Spurs might need to generate some transfer funds by selling players such as Serge Aurier or Danny Rose, but they will be active in the transfer window.
Where do Spurs need to strengthen?
If Aurier leaves, right back will be an obvious need. Central midfield is also a concern at the moment. Harry Winks is a decent player but Spurs lack a star in the middle of the park, something they had with Mousa Dembele. Maybe Tanguy Ndombele will become that player if he gets more playing time next season.
Backup striker is also an area Tottenham need some help. Take the pressure off Harry Kane and also ensure there is a quality replacement if Kane gets injured. It’s no surprise to see Spurs linked to Watford striker Troy Deeney this summer.
Tottenham showed promise in final six games
Early on under Mourinho, Spurs were getting results but lacked an identity. And as injuries piled up, the form continued to slip. Tottenham were boring to watch, weren’t creating chances and were shaky at the back.
The return of the Premier League after the three-month break due to COVID-19 looked to be more of the same. Despite getting decent results against Manchester United and West Ham, Spurs then lost 3-1 to Sheffield United and played out a boring, goalless draw against soon-to-be relegated Bournemouth.
The signs didn’t look good for the immediate future. But the draw against Bournemouth proved to be a turning point. Spurs would bounce back with a great performance in the North London Derby, defeating Arsenal 2-1 before going on to take seven of a possible nine points to close out the season, including a dominant 3-0 win over Leicester City.
Tottenham suddenly looked much stronger at the back with three clean sheets in their final six games. On the counter-attack, they consistently looked dangerous. With the pace of Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura, and Steven Bergwijn, along with the power and finishing of Harry Kane, Tottenham looked like a tough team to come up against.
And that’s a great sign for the future.
Mourinho will take the competitions seriously
Jose Mourinho knows how to win, and he also understands the importance of bringing a trophy to Tottenham. He will take each competition seriously, giving Spurs multiple opportunities to win something.
As well as competing in the Premier League, Tottenham will take part in the Europa League, as well as the FA Cup and League Cup. The Europa League is perhaps the most exciting of the cup competitions. While it’s disappointing to miss out on the Champions League, Tottenham will enter the Europa League as one of the best teams in the competition. They will have a real opportunity to go far and potentially win it.
Doing so would not only bring a major trophy back to Tottenham, but it would also secure qualification for the Champions League, even if Spurs didn’t finish in the top four positions in the Premier League.
Mourinho needs this transfer window to continue to build his team at Tottenham, and that will happen. But with the development of the upcoming stars in the squad, plus Mourinho’s history to win competitions, Tottenham can end over a decade of waiting for a major trophy.
Ahead of the new season, there’s good reason to be excited as a Tottenham fan.