Tottenham Hotspur have been threatening to become a mainstay in the English top four for the last five years or so – in fact they reached the Champions League in the 2010-11 season after a fourth place finish in the season prior.
They once again clinched fourth place in the 2011-12 campaign, only to miss out on the Champions League due to fifth placed Chelsea winning that season’s Champions League.
While Tottenham fans have come to expect big things to come out of White Hart Lane, there seems to be a growing feeling that maybe they have punched above their weight for long enough.
Under Harry Redknapp there was a side with a solid structure built around players like Luka Modric, Rafael Van der Vaart and, in Redknapp’s last season, Gareth Bale.
Now managed by young, Portuguese manager Andre Villas Boas (AVB), the club is attempting to change its ethos, from that of a cup team to that of a club competing on all fronts.
This mentality has been represented in a number of interviews with AVB. Before the season proper he claimed Tottenham could win any of the competitions they were involved in if they played to their full ability, which is probably plausible as long as teams such as Manchester City or Chelsea do not play to their full potential.
Last season Tottenham still relied on the formula that saw them finish in fourth place in 2012. This formula was heavily dependent on Welsh wizard, Gareth Bale.
Bale finished the season with 26 goals in all competitions. This strategy also saw them become favourites to win the underrated Europa League, however they capitulated to Swiss powerhouse Basel.
AVB is a manager who is determined to win all possible silverware and that can be seen with the approach towards the Europa League.
Some of Tottenham’s best performances have been in Europe’s second tier tournament, which is a credit to them as, other than the likes of Fulham, no English clubs have looked to dominate this competition.
Yes, Chelsea did win the competition last season, however it would be safe to say they would have had the strongest squad to have ever played in the Europa League.
The club, as mentioned before, however does seem to be punching above its weight and is slowly being dragged down by expectations.
With the $140 million sale of Bale to Real Madrid, Spurs have splashed the cash to ‘subsidize’ for the lose of their star man.
They brought in $170 million worth of replacements that spread across seven players, who had been excelling at their previous club.
These players have not stepped up to the plate like many expected them to and many pundits are saying, “Well, it is just Tottenham”.
These are the five biggest issues the North London club must address to be fighting for higher honours this season and for the seasons to come.
1: The centre back pairing
Tottenham have struggled to nail down two centre back pairing.
Club captain Michael Dawson has lined up along side Jan Vertonghen, Vlad Chiriches and most recently Younès Kaboul and none of these partnerships have been overwhelmingly successful.
The main cause for this is Dawson’s lack of ability. He is in the side because he is the captain.
Dawson is a slow defender who isn’t great at reading the game, nor is he great in the air, which leads to the making of a mediocre centre back.
The partnership that in theory would stand strongest is that of Vertonghen and Kaboul. Both are fast enough and strong enough.
On top of that, they are 26 and 27 respectively which means they are both entering their prime.
2: The centre midfield pairing
Tottenham play the 4-2-3-1 formation, with two holding midfielders who at the current time are the Brazilian duo of Sandro and Paulinho.
Both are top players, however they have a very similar style. They are power midfielders good at screening the defence and supporting the attack.
They are comfortable at playing short balls however they both lack the skill to unlock opposition defences. Etienne Capoue plays in a similar fashion.
What Tottenham need is a ball playing midfielder similar to Luka Modric. This is why AVB was in hot pursuit of Monaco-bound Joao Moutinho.
With the current squad, Tottenham would be best served to play with one of either Sandro or Paulinho alongside Moussa Dembele, who is more dynamic than the Brazilian duo.
3: Up front
Tottenham was always going to rely heavily on their strikers to cushion to loss of Gareth Bale and his crucial goals last season.
So far this has not been the case, with Spurs averaging less than a goal a game in the Premier League.
Tottenham’s attacking options include record signing Roberto Soldado, Jermaine Defoe, who has 19 goals for England, 2011-12 top scorer Emmanuel Adebayor and the highly touted Harry Kane.
Too much pressure has been heaped on the $40 million Soldado, which could be due to the amount of scoring responsibility placed at the feet of Bale last season.
AVB should look to fast track Adebayor’s recovery, as he has a proven track record in the Premier League and could prove to be the perfect foil for the misfiring Spaniard.
4: Roberto Soldado
Being a club’s record signing is always going to add extra pressure, which can be detrimental for a player adapting to a new footballing environment.
Take away Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and Soldado would have to most goals in Spain in the last five years.
This shows Tottenham have a top player on their books.
The problem is his former club Valencia played differently to Tottenham. Valencia would feed balls into the box, giving Soldado many opportunities to find the net.
Tottenham have a focus on build up play which means Soldado has to sit deeper to play his role in the build-up, which leaves his best opportunities from outside the six yard box.
Some will criticize the player and say for the amount he is getting paid he should be able to adapt – and perhaps he will – however it shows Tottenham did one of two things wrong.
They either did not research the player to find out whether he could fit into their system or they have not made the changes necessary to build the side around him.
5: Play the best players in their correct positions
This may seem trivial but many of Tottenham’s problems in attack and defence come from players not playing in their correct positions.
I can appreciate players who are versatile – and there is a place for versatility – but a starting 11, especially a starting eleven looking to reach the Champions League, should have 11 players playing in their natural position.
Erik Lamela comes to mind. Signed as the player to replace Bale on the left wing, he has struggled for playing time and when he has played it has been on the right.
This is largely down to the form of Andros Townsend, who has made the right wing his own. However Lamela is a far more talented player in comparison to Townsend.
Another example of a player out of position is Jan Vertonghen.
Yes, he is more than capable of putting in a shift right across the back four, however his best position is centre back and as he is Tottenham’s best defender he should be played there.
Players only reach their full potential in their right position, despite how well they may perform in other positions.
AVB must pick the best 11 to fit his formation and that may differ from the the 11 best players at the club.
I have done well not to mention their heavy defeat to Manchester City last weekend thus far. While the result may demonstrate a gap between the two clubs, I doubt whether the gap is as large as the 6-nil scoreline suggests.
The league has diversified this season, meaning anyone can beat anyone on their day.
Tottenham were not completely off their game against City, however City were on fire.
Spurs, Norwich and even reigning champions Manchester United won’t be the only teams to be on the reverse side of a flogging against the Citizens this season.
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