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2013/14 was a tale of flopped recruits, demoralising losses to the Premier League big guns and a typically abject finish which claimed the scalp of two managers along the way. But the new season promises to keep fans’ nails in tact.
What happened last season
Spurs exchanged their Mercedes Benz for a fleet of luxury Nissans – appealing on the outside, but still paling in comparison to the Benz. Christian Eriksen was the shining light of the swarm of recruits generated from the sale of Gareth Bale.
The rest? Ordinary. Roberto Soldado moved to White Hart Lane with high hopes but was outdone by Emmanuel Adebayor, Erik Lamela struggled to adjust to the new roads, while Paulinho was a solid presence without dazzling.
It was no doubt a difficult task for Andre Villas-Boas to integrate seven new players, all with reputable pedigree, into the squad, and Spurs were always set for criticism of their expenditure.
The glimpses of promise were overshadowed by the growing gulf between Spurs and the top three sides. They may have been finished in sixth and with a spot in Europe sealed, but heavy defeats (0-6 and 1-5 to Manchester City, 0-5 and 0-4 to Liverpool and 0-4 to Chelsea) indicated the road is yet to be smoothed in north London.
AVB was replaced by Tim Sherwood for the back half of the season, with the Englishman steering his side into the Europa League round of 16 but failing to win over some of the club’s most experienced names, who reportedly threatened to quit unless the manager was sacked. Ouch.
Although many see Spurs as a top six side as best, the fans demand a serious challenge for the top four and proved vision and performance is rated just as highly as results.
What happened in the off-season
It’s been a busy week for new boss Mauricio Pochettino, who joined over the summer following a memorable tenure at Southampton. The Argentine must negotiate contracts for seven of the 32 players currently on Spurs’ books in order to finalise a 25-man squad for the new season.
There has been significantly less activity in this transfer window than last summer, as it to be expected, but Spurs have still managed a number of handy acquisitions.
In comes Dutch goalkeeper Michel Vorm from Swansea, allegedly on a free transfer, although that is being disputed by his former club Utrecht. 21-year-old Welshman Ben Davies also joins from the Swans and will be confident of breaking into a backline that has plenty of room for improvement.
Cheltenham-born 20-year-old Eric Dier returns to England after a successful decade at Sporting Lisbon and comes with lofty expectations as a player of the future for Spurs. DeAndre Yedlin also appears to have been purchased with one eye on the road ahead, with the American signing a four-year contract but playing with Seattle Sounders until the 2015/16 Premier League season.
Adding to Jermain Defoe’s January switch to Toronto are the departures of Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea), Jake Livermore (Hull) and goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes (Watford).
Why Tottenham fans should be excited about the 2014/15 season
The appointment of Mauricio Pochettino will have filled Spurs fans with plenty of hope that there will be some attractive football on display this season. Some will argue Pochettino’s task at Southampton was made significantly easier by the players at his disposal, but it has been well publicised that his strict methods ensure every player is at his peak in time for the opening day.
This is undoubtedly the biggest challenge of his brief managerial career, but the pre-season results (four wins and a draw), indicate the players have taken to his style of play. Spurs may well have another Keith Burkinshaw on their hands.
The main man that can carry Tottenham’s 2014/15 hopes
It’s easy to forget Christian Eriksen is just 22 years old. His glittering Ajax career made him one of the most exciting signings last summer and he delivered with seven goals and eight assists in the league.
While creativity is the Dane’s most attractive asset, he developed a knack for scoring stunners last season and will be on a mission to cement his place in a competitive midfield.
Verdict – Gunning for Europe
Champions League football will be the reach, a Europa League finish will be the goal. Tottenham will continue to try and mix it with the big boys but the reality is that they don’t have the overall quality at present to wind up in the top four.
Decent runs in all three cup competitions and a repeat of last season’s sixth-place should suffice for Pochettino.
It’ll be a busy few weeks for Spurs, who kick off the league against London rivals West Ham, before meeting Limassol home and away in Europa League qualifiers either side of a clash with QPR. The first big test comes on August 31 when Liverpool travel to White Hart Lane and Tottenham get a chance to prove they’re not content with being on the periphery.
Tottenham side to compete in 2014/15
Goalkeeper: (24) Brad Friedel, (25) Hugo Lloris, (na) Michel Vorm.Defender: (32) Benoit Assou-Ekotto, (6) Vlad Chiriches, (na) Ben Davies, (20) Michael Dawson, (na) Eric Dier, (35) Ezekiel Fryers, (4) Younes Kaboul, (na) Bongani Khumalo, (16) Kyle Naughton, (3) Danny Rose, (5) Jan Vantonghen, (2) Kyle Walker
Midfield: (42) Nabil Bentaleb, (15) Etienne Capoue, (28) Tom Carroll, (19) Moussa Dembele, (23) Christian Eriksen, (43) Ryan Fredericks, (14) Lewis Holtby, (11) Erick Lamela, (7) Aaron Lennon, (8) Paulinho, (30) Sandro, (17) Andros Townsend.
Forwards: (10) Emmanuel Adebayor, (21) Nacer Chadli, (na) Christian Ceballos, (37) Harry Kane, (9) Soldado.
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