The Sinking Ship

We’ve all seen the DiCaprio and Winslet classic. And if you haven’t, watch it, otherwise this may not make sense. The Titanic was the original Spursy moment in history. Somehow the so-called unsinkable ship plunged into the sea and in the present day I’m starting to get a sinking feeling myself.

In a lot of ways this will be seen as an overreaction.

4th in the Premier League and still in the Champions League. It can be seen as a good season. But when you consider the sea of expectation before the season started, is this enough? Have we done enough?

A league position which can be considered false, Chelsea and Liverpool’s disastrous seasons have allowed more than a few subpar performances to go unpunished. Can we honestly say our performance merits our current place in the league?

We’ve been embarrassed again in both domestic cups. With Sheffield United, the most recent side, another tiny iceberg to sink our ship. It may seem insulting to the Championship team, but considering they made eight changes, it’s comparable to a lifeboat getting a puncture.

Like Leo being shunned at the Oscars for some time, we will have to keep waiting for a domestic trophy.

There’s not enough quality in the team at the moment, with the squad starting to feel stale. Far from a shiny new boat to be excited over, players pre-Pochettino and some he signed in his early days are still in our ranks. We’re carrying more deadwood than the wreckage, so much so Leo could have his own door and another to put his feet on.

Though Davies and Dier have performed well in recent weeks, they’re not the future of this team. There have been games this season where I would scrap the back five and keeper altogether. Other than Romero, who else is guaranteed a place next season?

Porro will hopefully prove a worthwhile transfer, with Udogie looking like a good fit for the Conte system. But with his future still uncertain, both wingbacks may struggle if the formation changes. As may the rest of the team.

And it’s this uncertainty surrounding the club at the moment which is my biggest concern. As mentioned, Antonio Conte’s future is as unclear as the crew’s vision when searching for icebergs. Even if we secure Champions League football next season, we may find ourselves back at square one, with a new manager wanting new players. If the Titanic had as many lifeboats as we have contracted players, there would have been enough for the men.

I’m not Conte’s biggest fan. The excitement in his football won’t be compared to a handprint on a steam-covered car window anytime soon. But if he chooses to stay, with another summer to build a squad he desires, maybe we can push on to bigger and brighter things. Paint me like your French girls Jack. Win me something like your other clubs Conte.

Then there’s the fear of losing Kane, our heart of the ocean. With one year left on his contract, history would suggest Levy will want to cash in on the striker. But why? Why sell a player just because we could lose him for nothing? Fears of Judas spring to mind, but I can’t see Kane making promises to fans he won’t keep.

Like Leo’s films, Kane can do no wrong in my eyes. The City transfer wasn’t his finest moment, but hey, we all make mistakes. Though Leo never has.

Selling Kane makes no financial sense. How much can we honestly receive in the current market of yearly instalments and one year left on his deal? I’d argue a year of Champions League revenue would surpass the potential fee, and without Kane leading the line, I struggle to see how we’d finish in the top four next season.

Unlike Kate Winslet, I would never let go. Kane can have my door; there was space for two anyway.

Keeping him at the club is vital for us moving forward, and if Conte signs a new deal, I can see him in a Tottenham shirt next season. Who knows, however unlikely, if we can win a trophy, maybe he will sign a contract of his own. DiCaprio did eventually win that Oscar, after all.

Hopefully, none of the icebergs prove costly to our future and we can end the season on a high. Maybe another Champions League adventure and top-four finish is on the cards. Whether we sink or not, there’s still hope at present.

But then again, this is Tottenham, after all.