Is history about to repeat itself at Tottenham?
Fast forward 10 years and everything feels the same. Sure, there have been some incredible and enjoyable moments supporting Tottenham Hotspur during those 10 years. Mostly down to the on-pitch successes of former manager, Mauricio Pochettino. A run to the Champions League final in 2019, more opportunities to win domestic cups, and even a couple of attempts at winning a league title. Nevertheless, all of those near misses still leave a bitter taste and become exasperating after this long.
What could have been in these last 10 years had warnings from managers now long gone been listened to? How different could it all be today had Tottenham’s board acted with bravery and a vision rather than complacency and negligence.
I wrote in my last piece on HotspurHQ that the blame shouldn’t always go straight to the top. There are occasions and scenarios where the players and management should hold responsibility. That 2011/2012 Tottenham side had some real quality in the ranks. Arguably too much quality to ever lose a semi-final 5-1. However, the board has never truly grasped the concept of backing their head coach with the tools required and often overlooks the concept of football being a marathon, rather than a sprint.
Tottenham is no stranger for missing a spark off the bench or being one injury away from looking a much worse off-side. Particularly in the last 3 seasons. The blinkered approach to the playing squad at Spurs has been even more insulting when you factor in the new £1billion stadium the club now plays in, which is rightly considered one of the most impressive sporting arenas in the world. That, along with the state-of-the-art training facilities which opened 9 years ago, makes Tottenham’s repetitive behaviour towards the playing squad even more astonishing.
A club that has become notorious for selling players without a plan in place to properly and effectively replace them.
Sure, money has been thrown here and there at squad development. The issue is that the terminology ‘thrown’ seems to be too accurate of a description in regards to the players acquired for the money. The lack of vision in transfer markets and the attitude of sign players almost for the sake of it, and not what they’d bring to the current system in play, simply has to change.
If Tottenham Hotspur truly wishes to compete again, it’s time to come to terms with taking a financial hit on the players who seemingly have no future at the club regardless of what they do at that state-of-the-art training ground.
Steven Bergwijn’s move to Ajax doesn’t need to make a profit. Tanguy N’Dombele will never recoup that £60m transfer fee and Dele won’t ever go for the money he may once have done, but it’s time to stop paying the wages and bring in new, motivated, and qualified players that not only just look the real deal but can competently play in Antonio Conte’s system.
With 4 games in hand on West Ham United, and 2 games in hand on Arsenal, this is the time Daniel Levy and the rest of Tottenham’s board should be motivated and hungry to improve the squad and for once, truly accept the demands of both his newly appointed and experienced manager and director of football to end this crippling cycle of needlessly falling short.