Sport
Spurs’ boom years are about to hit a wall
Tottenham have dropped more points in two home matches this season than the whole of last. This is a fact that was hard to miss when it was plastered across social media as Chris Wood snatched a draw for Burnley at Wembley on Sunday afternoon.
Misleading talk of a Wembley curse has been rife, as people cite a poor record under the London arch from high-level cup clashes and Champions League group matches. The curse is tongue-in-cheek for the majority, but it can cover up far deeper issues facing the Lilywhites at the moment.
Tottenham have enjoyed back-to-back top four finishes under Mauricio Pochettino and were the nearest challengers for the title in each of the last two campaigns. A revolution of sorts under the former Southampton manager has seen Spurs punch above their weight, finishing above Premier League giants with far greater financial clout and wage bills.
After the painful Andre Villas-Boas and Tim Sherwood spells, a leap from frustration to expectation seemed improbable. Pochettino’s youthful Spurs have impressed relentlessly, and played some flowing football along the way.
Change of Tone
This is where everything alters, though. Spurs overachieved in each of the last two seasons – in the league at least – but the weight of expectation has shifted. While a top four finish may still suffice, Spurs are now supposed to be performing at a level far from in tune with their spending power. They are not title favourites, but they are no longer the top six outcasts, they are as certain of their status as Arsenal or Liverpool.
While the talk of a Wembley curse has lessened expectations in some quarters, the larger pitch and inevitable decline in home results does cause concern. White Hart Lane was three points every other weekend for Spurs last season, even prior to points dropped to Chelsea and Burnley, we knew Wembley would not give the same assurances.
No team got more points at home than Spurs last season, but Pochettino’s side won only nine of 19 on the road (returning a worse points tally than Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea). The results away are going to have to improve significantly to compensate for the downturn at home. That’s a big ask, and it’s a bigger one for a Spurs team who have been by far the quietest of the Premier League’s top clubs this summer.
Walker and Peters
Kyle Walker’s £50 million move to Manchester City was too good to turn down for Spurs, especially in the midst of a stadium build. Walker and Pochettino had crossed paths, it was a mutually beneficial transfer. No money was spent by the Lilywhites until the recent acquisition of Davinson Sanchez, however.
Sanchez will develop under the guidance of Pochettino, and could become one of the world’s best. Whether he immediately improves the starting XI is open for debate, though, and the hesitancy of Spurs to recruit this summer sets alarm bells ringing. Their line-up is as good as any in the league, but the lack of depth has hurt them in each of the last two seasons and this, at the time of writing, has not been addressed.
Walker and Danny Rose have been as key to Spurs’ success as anyone. They had become possibly the world’s best full-back pairing, and were responsible for providing width and pace in attack. Kyle Walker-Peters impressed, and Kieran Trippier retains good favour from last season, but an outright replacement for Walker is required if Spurs are to reach the same levels again. The larger Wembley pitch makes pace and width even more important, and Spurs currently have very little with Rose also out injured.
Serge Aurier could yet be the man to replace Walker, but his off-field issues have already split the fan base in two.
Boom to Bust?
Depth is still lacking, options from the bench are severely limited compared to their rivals and Walker has not been replaced with two days remaining in the window. This is without even mentioning Rose’s explosive interview, which could well mean his days are numbered too.
Spurs are by no means in crisis, though. Key members of their team are still improving and their youth production line continues to be reliable. The slump in home production paired with an underwhelming summer window does leave them lagging behind both Manchester clubs, Liverpool and Chelsea at this stage. A couple of late acquisitions could make all the difference, but we also know that Pochettino is a master at finding a way to bridge that gap.
The boom might not be over just yet, although falling short this season may see more players take the Walker route next summer.
