A team that seems perennially on the verge of breaking through once again fell just short this past season as Tottenham settled for a fifth-place finish in the Premier League standings. The result means they just missed out on a spot in the Champions League spot for next year. While their fans are probably just as disappointed as they were after falling short of that opportunity, the reality is that Hotspurs should be excited about what appears to be a very bright future. Manager Mauricio Pochettino has one of the youngest squads in England’s top flight and the future certainly appears very bright at White Hart Lane. Here is a look at what we learned this past year and what it should mean for the future of the club.
Tottenham Is Ahead Of The Curve
While Spurs has long been a team that has been considered close to being a contender but hasn’t been able to make the necessary leap as one of the top Premier League clubs, the reality is that it was always going to be a challenging season after selling away Gareth Bale. That was a temporary setback that should ultimately help the team’s long-term prospects and the first season for many of the major acquisitions in the Bale deal was expected to be a year to gain some valuable experience. However, they navigated the learning curve well but clearly they progressed ahead of schedule. They were a team that definitely showed flashes of its immense potential – including two wins over London rivals. With so many young pieces stepping in to big roles and proving they can handle the pressure, it is clear that this Tottenham side is ahead of the curve.
The Hotspurs Attack Will Be Loaded
The fact that rival teams already have to deal with a young 21-goal scorer in Harry Kane is one thing but there have been plenty of reports about Spurs being very interested in acquiring another top striker to complement him up front and that is a scary proposition. Kane was already one of the league’s most dominant strikers on his own and he spearheaded an offense that finished with 58 goals (fifth-best). If the experts are quick to point out that he will benefit even more from a counterpart that can help take some of the pressure off of him. If they do finalize the deal with Anthony Martial, expect this attack to be one of the best in the business next season.
The Young Midfield Is Ready To Dominate
In addition to Kane leading the way up front, Spurs also had a couple of key young pieces in the midfield that are ready for an even bigger role including Christian Eriksen and Danny Rose. Eriksen was an absolute stud in the middle of the field – especially in set pieces. Meanwhile, Nacer Chadli broke through with 10 goals to trail only Kane and Eriksen in that department. Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentalib both stepped up when called upon and with the chance to even potentially add another piece to an already loaded young midfield, it’s clear this group is ready to dominate.
A Replacement Is Needed In Goal
There will be some movement at White Hart Lane as their always is and while Spurs could address the striker position with some help for Kane, there will have to be a major emphasis on finding a replacement for the goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. He is regarded as a top-15 goalkeeper in the world and with plenty of rumors surrounding his potential exit this summer to Manchester United, they will have to make it a priority to replace him. Even with him, they still gave up 53 goals, which tied them for 15th in the league. Tottenham can’t compete with the top Premier League teams without a capable goalkeeper and it will be interesting to see who they are able to bring in to take over as their last line of defense this summer.
