They say the Premier League table doesn’t lie, yet I can’t help but feel some final day fortune was involved in Tottenham finishing the season in fifth place.
That’s no discredit to the Lilywhites – you have to give Mauricio Pochettino an A for effort during a difficult first season at White Hart Lane. But let’s look at the facts: Spurs spent just eight match-days out of a possible 38 in the Premier League’s top five, they lost to sixth-place Liverpool home and away with an aggregate scoreline of 6-2, they recorded their lowest points total (64) since the 2010/11 campaign, the most defeats in a single term since 2008/09 – when they finished in eighth – and their second fewest wins in that same time period. Last season, under Andre Villas-Boas and Tim Sherwood, the north Londoners finished five points better off and one place lower, in a campaign that was deemed a complete disaster.
Of course, none of that really matters now. The history books will say Tottenham had a better season than Liverpool and 14 more Premier League sides.
But if the Reds hadn’t committed the atrocity of losing 6-1 to Stoke City in Steven Gerrard’s last ever game for the club upon the ultimate weekend of the season, few – if any – Spurs fans would’ve felt particularly aggrieved about finishing in sixth. If Pochettino is to maintain Tottenham’s league standing by the end of next year – let alone better it – improvements are unquestionably needed.
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After all, luck has favoured the Lilywhites in some respects this season. Few other Premier League clubs found a 21-goal striker like Harry Kane biding his time in their reserves. Mauricio Pochettino didn’t even seem to take much interest in the England international, until his form in the Europa League and that of Roberto Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor domestically had become so disparate he’d have been hung, drawn and quartered for not giving Kane his much-deserved chance in the Premier League.
The same can be said for midfield duo Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb, who have proved to be talented far beyond the level the vast majority assumed of them at the start of the season, as well as the unsung hero of the campaign Nacer Chadli, who contributed a vital eleven goals in 31 Premier League appearances.
Once again, I don’t mean to discredit Spurs. Pochettino has completely transformed the make-up, mentality and style of the starting Xi and shown absolutely no inclination towards letting transfer fees or reputation affect his selections. The three biggest signings in White Hart Lane history, Roberto Soldado, Paulinho and Erik Lamela, spent the majority of the campaign warming up the bench.
Whether that suggests the Argentine could cause unexpected triumphs during a 2015/16 season in which most teething issues should be fully resolved, however, I’m not so convinced. Top seven regulars Everton were off the boil all year, eventually finishing in the bottom half, Liverpool’s season capitulated after their elimination from the semi-finals of the FA Cup and West Ham faded away to 12th after a blockbuster start. With Stoke and Swansea City also showing vast improvements, the gap between fourth and tenth could be far more congested next year.
So why am I giving Tottenham a seemingly random battering? Largely due to the lingering concern that their anomalous final standing will affect decisions over the summer. Spurs still aren’t a genuine Pochettino side and although the academy products have performed well this year, it remains to be seen if their performances can be sustained long-term – especially in regards to the dangerously hyped Harry Kane. Summer signings thus far, DeAndre Yedlin and Kevin Wimmer, although decent additions to the squad, don’t particularly address the issues the starting Xi currently faces.
Reinforcements are still needed, even to maintain what the Lilywhites already have. Even for sheer psychological effect, a Morgan Schneiderlin or a Christian Benteke must arrive – a big name that suggests signs of progress. Daniel Levy hasn’t truly backed a manager in a transfer window since summer 2013, and one can only hope the failures of Spurs’ £105million spend haven’t put him off the notion completely.
But more than anything, Tottenham’s sneak into fifth does prove Pochettino was a wise enough appointment. Spurs bounced back from twelve defeats this year and their confidence rarely dwindled – that’s the sign of a good manager. If the right signings are made, Pochettino can take the club to a higher level. But as I’ve stressed continuously throughout this article, this is no time for Tottenham to rest on their laurels.
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