There have been times when Tottenham Hotspur’s trajectory has been similar to that of the BBC’s bloated malcontent Alan Partridge; stumbling around reminding people of past glories, attempting to convince of a brighter future, almost reaching it but then sinking back again into mediocrity. But times may be changing down the Seven Sisters Road and while nobody believed Alan would ever again reach his previous dizzying heights, the media have begun to latch onto the idea that Tottenham may well be on the brink of something great. We’ve seen the typical headlines over the past couple of weeks heralding their title credentials, reaching a peak after the victory over Everton and then slightly deflating after this weekend’s draw with Wolves. So, is it realistic to even talk about Tottenham in relation to the title?
Firstly, purely mathematically, Tottenham are in the title race. They travel to Manchester City on Sunday and host Manchester United at the beginning of March. Positive results in just these two games would dramatically change the lay of the land. The question is not can they mount a sustained challenge. It is will they?
Looking at the squad and particularly the first eleven Tottenham haven’t looked this strong in over 25 years. The balance of a midfield comprising Bale, Modric, Parker and Lennon is the envy of many a manger and player alike. Parker has added a puritanical work ethic, harrying opposition in position, making lunging tackles and committing niggling fouls that disrupt oncoming attacks. Sandro, with his telescopic legs and intuitive positioning can add future solidity to the unit should it be needed. Modric has continued his deft midfield displays, nimbly ducking between bodies like a pick pocket working the Christmas crowds - a WD-40 footballer who can get the gears moving, coxing and inviting his team mates into positions where they can cause real damage. Lennon has benefited from having Adebayor to link with and Bale is getting better at positioning himself where he can both cause damage and elude the tight marking of a well drilled right back / right winger partnership.
The greatest improvement Tottenham have made this season has been with the introduction of Adebayor. While many will claim that he lacks the clinical finishing to be a prolific striker he has netted nine times in the Premier League and created seven more and it is in the role of the aforementioned link man that he has been a crucial element in Tottenham’s rise. Anyone who can remember the often abject performances of Crouch and Pavlyuchenko last season will testify that the way Adebayor works the channels, pushed the ball into space and brings the midfield into the attack is a huge improvement on what was happening last season – Pavlyuchenko often displaying the first touch of a man with a sever degenerative nerve disease and Crouch’s complete inability to pass to on rushing team mates.
With Adebayor filling the role of the lone striker, Van der Vaart has been allowed to flourish in the free role between midfield and attack, pulling the strings and attempting reverse passes and through balls to get his quicker team mates behind the defensive line. It is also to be noted that Defoe, recognising his poor form spent the summer doing conditioning training with a former Arsenal trainer in the south of France in an attempt to model himself into someone who can hold up the ball despite his small stature. In this he has been successful and the goals have come though his chances have been limited.
All Tottenham’s attacking prowess would be for nought if it wasn’t for the solid foundations that Redknapp as laid. Brad Friedel has filled the defence with a confidence that the more talented but erratic Gomes never could. King has played for 921 minutes in the league this season, more than twice the match time he managed in the 2010/11 season. Kaboul is growing into the player his physical attributes have always suggested he could be and with Walker returning from successful loan spells at QPR and Aston Villa there is pace on the right to compliment Assou-Ekotto’s verve on the left. With Dawson and Gallas pushing for inclusion there is a depth at the back that has helped Tottenham grind out results, such as the 1-0 victory over West Brom, which was previously a point of weakness.
Injury is always the cloak of doom that can fall on a player or team at any moment, enveloping them in a season ending dread. Significant injuries to Adebayor or Bale would severely impact on the team aesthetic and an extensive injury list would hamper any squads’ performance in the league. As such there is little use in supposing the worst for Tottenham, currently they have the means.
Still, title contenders are more than the sum of their respective parts. This is the reason that Chelsea have struggled to maintain a consistency in the league that has been Manchester United’s calling card for the last two decades. For all the money, for all the talent you possess, winning is a hard won habit. This mental strength will be the real barometer of success. Should either Manchester City or Tottenham triumph this season then they will have to display the cool, clinical focus that Sir Alex Ferguson seems to imbue his teams with. City will bare the greater weight of expectancy; there is a sense that this is their year, the year when the endless draws that cost Mark Hughes his job are forgotten, the year the reserved football gave way to exuberance and goals in abundance. But if it is their year, then it is theirs to loose too. This is now the time for the real contenders to show their metal. Nobody can know how Tottenham will react in the coming months, when the papers talk and mind games fill silences with whispers. It will be necessary for Harry Redknapp to use his much fabled man management skills if the doubt creeps in, or complacency takes root.
Redknapp’s court case and a tax evasion charge creates an unusual dimension to this question, like two moons confusing the tides making it difficult to confidently predict where Tottenham will be or who even will be at the helm come the end of the season. There is an injunction against reporting about the case so it is anybody’s guess as to the real likelihood of Redknapp facing time behind bars. What can be discussed is the effect the time of the case will have on the team. There are plenty that think this distraction could derail Tottenham’s season, siphoning focus from the league into the labyrinths of tax law Redknapp will be attempting to escape. However there is another school of thought that reasons that the court case could prove to be a boon for the team, however unconventional. Should Tottenham beat City at the Etihad Redknapp will be in court the very next morning. What better way to defuse the hyperbolic headlines than an even better story to distract journalists? If the worst happens and Redknapp goes down it will be intriguing to see how the team react. It certainly adds spice to an already exciting season.
Should Tottenham perform with the same efficiency in the second half of the season that they displayed in the first, they will be right up there at the time of reckoning. We will certainly know more once the dust settles on Sunday’s action. With Manchester City hosting Tottenham and Arsenal entertaining Manchester United this could be a defining day in the title race. Manchester City will be looking to assert their dominance in the same fashion they did in Augusts 5-1 demolition. This time, however, it is City who’s numbers are depleted, the absence of Kompany and Yaya Toure significantly weakening the spine of the team while Tottenham’s playing staff are carried on a surge of good results.
The league will not be won this weekend, but for Tottenham the battle is as much in their hearts and minds now. Neither they nor City have gone the full course. Recent years have seen Liverpool and Arsenal mount challenges only to taper away at the close. One thing is for sure though, for Tottenham these are new and exciting times, echoes to former glories no longer ring quite as hollow and the league can be viewed with excitement and hope.
~Ed
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