Conte’s the Spur-fect fit in top-four push

WHAT a difference a year can make. This time 12 months ago, it was all doom and gloom at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

However, a change of manager, from Nuno Espirito Santo to Antonio Conte, has led to a frantic, fabulous overhaul – on and off the pitch.

As a consequence, Spurs, who sneaked into the Champions

League mix ahead of Arsenal and had snapped up six reinforcements by the third week of this month, look a decent shot for another top-four finish. On paper, at least. They have usual suspects Harry Kane – who, lest we forget, wanted away in the summer of 2021 – and Heung-min Son to do the damage up front, and then a whole array of fresh faces to boost their competitiveness among the elite. Richarlison, Ivan Perisic, Yves Bissouma, Clement Lenglet and Fraser Forster add experience and steel, while Djed Spence is a serious talent.

The exodus of the unloved and unwanted began last January with the sale of up to £40million for Dele Alli to Everton, and will continue right up till the current window shuts.

By then Conte’s new-look, resilient and potentially deadly outfit should have turned their significant statement with the cheque book into reality on the field.

If, that is, you believe the business done is genuinely impressive rather than merely appearing so, as spending money so early in a window is such a shock for the club who love to leave it late.

Certainly, chairman Daniel Levy and Bahamas-based owner Joe Lewis will expect nothing less than progress after backing the manager.

Yet, of course, the same applies to Conte (right) himself. Having seen his demands (plus threats to walk) pay off, he will consider it a personal failure should Kane and Co not fire Spurs to glory.

There is talk they could even split Manchester City and Liverpool at the summit – though that would take some doing.