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History Can’t Be Allowed To Repeat Itself At Tottenham Hotspur

By Jonathan Myers

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 12: General view outside the stadium ahead of the Carabao Cup Semi Final Second Leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on January 12, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 12: General view outside the stadium ahead of the Carabao Cup Semi Final Second Leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on January 12, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /
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It’s all beginning to look like January 2012 around Tottenham Hotspur.

A decade on, and whilst so much has happened and changed around Tottenham, so many defining factors of the club remain the same. History seems to be repeating itself and this can’t be allowed to happen.

If you cast your mind back ten years, Tottenham was momentarily considered a dark horse in a Premier League title race for the first time in a painfully long time. Manchester City and Manchester United were of course the favourites, but Harry Redknapp’s counter-attacking Tottenham side had a strong and balanced starting eleven. Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Jermain Defoe, Rafael Van Der Vaart, Ledley King, Kyle Walker are just a small and impressive selection of the names of both talented, young and experienced players who would line up for Tottenham Hotspur that season.

What Tottenham lacked was depth. An issue that has never been alien to supporters at Spurs.

Tottenham went into the January transfer market in the 2011/2012 season supposedly chasing Bolton Wanderers’ talented and in-demand centre-back Gary Cahill and Manchester City’s tenacious but suddenly out of favour forward, Carlos Tevez.

There are endless rumours and stories that say Spurs Chairman, Daniel Levy, had discussions with both of these players and they were both very keen to join the north London side. So, with that being said, do you remember how good Louis Saha and Ryan Nelson were for Tottenham that season instead? No, you don’t?

Sure, experienced Premier League striker Louis Saha got off to a flyer against a strong Newcastle United side in a 5-0 demolition of the Magpies at the Lane, where he scored 2 of the 3 goals he’d ever score in his 10 appearances for Spurs. And almost retired centre-back, Nelson, made a grand total of 5 appearances for Tottenham. Neither of these signings did anything to boost Tottenham’s chances of not only aiming for glory but simply holding onto the position they seemed to have spent so much time that season in, 3rd and above the old enemy, Arsenal.

As the season progressed, Tottenham plummeted and collapsed in key moments. Once more at Wembley, losing 5-1 to Chelsea in an FA Cup Semi-Final. Gary Cahill, who had signed for Chelsea in January 2012 instead of Spurs, even featured as a substitute adding salt to fans’ wounds.

Tottenham began to stagger towards the finish line in the second half of the season, ending up in 4th place.

This would have been good enough in normal circumstances, except for the major issue of Chelsea preparing to play a Champions League final, which should they win, would grant them the fourth space in the following seasons’ Champions League. Of course, they won. Suddenly, 6th placed Chelsea were back in the Champions League and Spurs back in the Europa League.

Tottenham had ended up finishing one point behind bitter rivals Arsenal, doing themselves no favours. An unforgettable demise of a football team that seemingly had so much more in its sights for that season.