There are a lot of positives to take away from Mauricio Pochettino’s first season at Tottenham. To be honest, I did nurse hopes of a top four finish back in February when Spurs had racked up sensational home wins against the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal. But, the campaign slowly started to unravel as the seemingly never-ending Europa League and Pochettino’s regime of hard work and incessant pressing finally took their toll and drained the young Spurs side both mentally and physically.
However, the blueprint has been firmly laid by Pochettino. Even the most vociferous of Arsenal fans cannot deny the fact that Spurs are playing exciting football again. It might be a far cry attacking triumvir of Bale, Modric and Van der Vaart from Redknapps’s era. But, Tottenham have in Kane, Eriksen and Lloris three of the best players in the league. With chairman Daniel Levy promising a busy summer ($15M is the maximum he is willing to part with for a player though!), Pochettino should be able bring in some of the much needed reinforcements to gear the team for another gruelling season of domestic and European football.
Despite the remarkable growth of young English defender Eric Dier and the newfound consistency of Federico Fazio, Spurs still lack the perfect partner for Vertonghen. With Ben Davies challenging for his place in the starting eleven, Danny Rose went from strength to strength and was easily one of our standout performers of the season. Walker had to endure an injury ravaged year. Hopefully, he regains some of his best form that saw him scoop up the Best Young Player of the Season award in his very first year in Spurs colours. In the midfield, academy graduates Bentaleb and Mason might have cemented the perfect partnership. But, another central midfielder will be a welcome addition to avoid another burnout. And, while Chadli and Lamela have shown a lot of promise in recent weeks, Spurs SHOULD get a direct, pacy and genuinely world-class winger at any cost this summer. As demonstrated in the Capital One Cup final, Eden Hazard was often the singular difference between the sides. Up front, I can talk for hours about Harry Kane. Suffice to say, he has blossomed into one of the most lethal forwards in the league. With Soldado and Adebayor still in the books, splashing money on another forward may not be the wisest decision unless it is for a proven talent in the Premier League like Javier Hernandez.
Lavezzi (in his last year of contract) and Schneiderlin (good relationship with Pochettino) are possible signings, but might be a bit over-optimistic. Still, Pochettino and head of recruitment Paul Mitchell should be able to make some bargain buys. Fleet footed winger Konoplyanka can be snapped for literally next to nothing and promising defender Kevin Wimmer is rumoured to have already signed for a meagre £5M. Spurs also have more exciting youngsters swelling their ranks. Dele Alli had a hugely promising season with MK Dons and Tom Carroll impressed in the top division with Swansea. But, the name on the lips of every Tottenham supporter will be Alex Pritchard, the Spurs academy star who has enjoyed a stunning season with Brentford and definitely has it in him to emulate the heroics of Mason and Kane.
It is going to be an exciting summer at White Hart Lane. If Spurs can retain their star players and make some astute signings, they will truly be a force to reckon with. With a lineup like this, Spurs fans can finally dare to dream!
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