Spurs have to paddle like crazy
TOTTENHAM deserve considerable praise for competing for the title this season and last, but as they approach S u n d ay ’s n o r t h L o n d o n derby they know the challenges are about to become even more difficult.
It is hard enough to stay near the top of the Premier League when at least three of your rivals — Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea — have apparently limitless funds to spend on transfers and salaries. Tottenham’s task is to handle this threat while also committing the best part of £1billion to a stadium project.
In Arsene Wenger’s first 20 years at Arsenal, the club never failed to qualify for the Champions League. Although they have won only two major trophies since 2005, thi s consistency has allowed them to remain financially powerful. This sort of record must be Tottenham’s long-term target. Can they achieve it?
At the moment, Tottenham resemble a swan: on the surface, everything appears calm. They still have a chance of winning the Premier League title, they have — in terms of League points — been the best team in the country for the last two seasons, and they have a manager and players who are universally admired. Below the waterline, though, everyone is paddling like crazy.
Mauricio Pochettino said recently that since he arrived in May 2014 the team had exceeded expectations. Where his original challenge was to turn Spurs into a regular top-four side, they are now title contenders. “The step was massive from the team,” he said. “The club is still growing up, but not at the same pace. Maybe now we need to wait a little bit for the club to arrive, finish the new stadium, afterwards move from Wembley back to White Hart Lane again. That will be the moment to push, try to win.”
What will Spurs look like when they do return? They hope to be in their new ground during the 2018-19 campaign and are likely to confirm either today or tomorrow that they will stage home fixtures next season at Wembley.
In a strange way, the speed of their
‘The speed of Tottenham’s progress has placed an unwelcome strain on other areas of the club’