Spurs are now on a different playing field from the Big Four
IT is possible for Tottenham to shock Chelsea in a one-off London derby — but to talk about them as being part of a Premier League Big Six doesn’t make sense any more.
We’ve got to the stage where realistically there is a Big Four. Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea have been our Champions League qualifiers for the last two years and I’ll be gobsmacked if they don’t repeat that again.
And I can’t see the situation changing for a few years yet given the strength in depth of those clubs already at the top, and their ability to spend when required.
In contrast, the aspirations for Tottenham and Arsenal this season will be along similar lines to Leicester, West Ham and maybe even Everton. A run for the Europa League and hope to reach a domestic cup final.
Even their own supporters accept it. When the north London pair signed up for the European Super League, most of the mickey-taking came from their fans who found it laughable their clubs would be considered good enough at this moment.
Tottenham have a great deal of prestige and history but it’s irrelevant to call them part of a Big Six when they finished below Leicester for the last couple of seasons.
To be part of a group that’s elite, you have to be competing for the major trophies.
Spurs are on a different playing field at the moment. Qualifying for the Europa League will be regarded as a good first season for manger Nuno Espirito Santo.
There is a train of thought that they should have taken £120million for Harry Kane to start a proper rebuilding job, but I’m not so sure.
When they sold Gareth Bale, spending heavily on a lot of new recruits didn’t make them better. Only Christian Eriksen was a success.
Money in the bank doesn’t automatically result in wise spending and Kane’s personality and attachment to Spurs means he will be focused on this season and guarantee goals and assists.
It’s a tough job for Nuno ,who I personally thought was a surprise choice to replace Jose Mourinho. Not because I don’t rate him — he is a well-organised coach who did outstanding work at Wolves — but because he’s also a pragmatic manager who doesn’t naturally play on the front foot as Spurs supporters want.
You could argue the their current group with Son Heung-Min and Lucas Moura suits counter-attacking football but ideally the fans want something more flamboyant.
Personality-wise, he is different from Mourinho, humble and understated, which I am sure Daniel Levy appreciates. But Spurs fans like their team taking the initiative.
Attention today will centre on Kane and Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian will be skipping into training at the moment. In midweek, he scored a Champions League winner while Kane was running around Rennes in the Europa Conference League. Not exactly the status that defines a Big Six club.