All quiet on the White Hart Front

Article by Joe.H.Harman @ginolasleftfoot

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The tuck shop has opened with a few additions this time round, a seasonal variety shipped in from around the world. That 25 minute of break now doesn’t quite seem enough to fight your way though the masses to force your clawed hand onto the counter to reel off your order.

“GImme two Ochoas, one Shaw, a Llana, two Sanchez(or is it Sanchii?) And lastly a Costa….How much’s that?”

A lot. A damn lot.

The shop throngs with bodies eager to get their fill, all except one kid stood away from the swell, leaned against a locker. A yo-yo rises and falls from the palm of his hand. The boy does not look interested to fight with the masses for a pre-lunch snack, perhaps he has a delicious sandwich which he doesn’t wish to spoil, maybe he lost his two quid on the bus. The truth is the boy is still recovering from the awful incident still talked about in staff room and school fields in which said boy gorged himself last summer on such much tuck shop naughtiness, he vomited over himself and several of his peers during a Geography lesson.

Since then, the boy appears to have lost his penchant for spuriously chomping his own body weight on sweets and appears more content to heed his mother’s words after the summer debacle, ‘Why not take your own food for a while, hey?’ Good old Mam knows best.

So far, this pre season appears to be somewhat of a rarity for Spurs, as missing from the daily throng of transfer speculation is Tottenham’s name cut and pasted alongside any player who may register on the constantly fluctuating transfer-o-meter. This is most definitely a refreshing change.

The transfer frenzy that Spurs found themselves embroiled in last year became the stick to beat Levy with (add a variety of blunt objects into that mix for good measure), as unfortunately under the management of Villas Boas first then Sherwood, the new additions were unable to gel and provided few moments of cohesive interplay over the course of a season. And with each failing performance, the sum of their cost grew ever more prominent resulting in a raft of mishandled seasons for a number of Spurs players.

The question that Pochettino will surely want to know is ‘What am I working with?” before he beckons Levy to look further afield. In previous posts, this writer has argued that the caliber of players (overall) we signed should not be disputed and they have the quality to have Spurs competing on a higher level. Whether the fees paid were appropriate is another argument, yet these players came with an excellent pedigree but came together with a manager still struggling to implement his strategic plan with Spurs (which begs the question, why did it AVB’s game plan take so long to adopt? Pochettino, less than a season, Martinez, less than a season….hmmm…chew on that one).

The likes of Lamela, Soldado, Paulinho, Vertonghen, are unquestionably talented (as would no doubt be proved if we made them available for transfer.) but will have to ask themselves at what point do you commit fully to a way of playing for the greater good.

Lamela, a player who excites me most, must be hoping the appointment of Pochettino will kinder a return to his devastating form he showed at his last club, Roma. Soldado came under tremendous scrutiny as Villas Boas persisted with his selection despite not providing the necessary ammunition to succeed. At this point in his career, Soldado is nearing the dreaded 30 yrs and will want to use this opportunity at Spurs to cement a worthy footnote in the annals of the Premier League. Or he’ll just end up doing one, to Sevilla maybe.

In Pochettino’s success at Southampton it is clear he was fully capable of galvanizing a group of players and wielding them to his preferred style of play. This will prove pivotal if he is to succeed at Tottenham, where the squad is a different mixture to that of the Saints, one heavy with opinions, egos, and expectations.

Pochettino finds himself with greater expectations himself in this appointment and one wonders how the demand for Champions League football is something he is capable of delivering. His previous achievements with Espanyol and Southampton were remarkable as achievement was married with style and youth but the demands set by these clubs were minimal and long-term.

Levy is definitely not Mr. Long-Term, no matter what he tries to spin. This man wants instant gratification, he wants success. Heads have rolled continuously in his pursuit of it and Pochettino will have to impress on several fronts to ensure he remains head coach for the foreseeable future.

There are undoubtedly holes in the squad, so big they are worthy of some Blackadder analogy spanning a full 3 minutes. Danny Rose should be thanking his lucky stars every darn day that he remains a fixture in the Tottenham squad, but if rumours are true Swansea’s Ben Davies is set to join in the near future. This writer would have preferred to see a more established signing in the left-back role, but will hold his tongue until at least the third game.

One narrative that will be interesting to watch is Michael Dawson’s role under Pochettino tenure, as he generally plays with two quick footed centre backs, this could signal a downturn in game time for the club captain. And if so, then none can be more deserving of the armband than Hugo Lloris, quite simply, magnificent in goal. A brilliant goalkeeper who should easily be considered amongst Tottenham’s very best if he sees out his new contract.

The midfield is still messy, like some teenager’s mucky bedroom, there appears to be midfielders’ strewn everywhere. Tooooooo many MC’s not enough mikes. Before any further additions are made in this area, Pochettino will have to sift through exactly what he wants to keep, and then off to the car boot with the rest.

Quietly excited? Silent like a chastised child? Harboring a morbid fear that this season will just continue down the rabbit hole? Share those thoughts folks…..

One thing’s for sure, we don’t do boring at the Lane.

Thoughts in a small square box are always appreciated.

@ginolasleftfoot

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