Will Tottenham Ever get Past Their Never-Ending Transitional Period?

Spurs, the perennial nearly men. The club that nearly always promises so much at the start of the season, fills the fans with optimism, and then never quite reaches the heights that were hoped for.

Saying the ‘hoped for’ is perhaps unfair. There has been plenty of ambition from managers and players over the years, but the club has not always matched this in terms of investment, and sometimes when they did, the investment didn’t go to plan.

After the much unloved Jose Mourinho parted ways with Spurs, the club is once again on its journey through a new transition. The disappointment is felt everywhere after all the improvements through Mauricio Pochettino and Teflon Dan moving on to his next victim, sorry, manager.

After a sad, and at times, embarrassing Summer search for a manager, Nuno Espírito Santo will be at the helm next season, but is this a step forward, or are Spurs firmly back in their usual transitional stage? 

The last season has been a huge step backward

Throughout the last few months, one manager after another was linked to Spurs, and then either backed out or the club did. It got to the point where even the bookies must have been wondering who on earth was going to take the job.

The good news is that Spurs are now 4/1 to finish in the top four and if you want to do that find an online bookmaker with a no deposit bonus for the best chance of making a profit. As for being sacked, he appears not to be on the favourite’s list for now.

Mourinho brought his dour persona and skill at blaming individual players to Tottenham and managed to perform the same tricks he did at Man U. This is a shame because he undoubtedly can win trophies, and Spurs didn’t really need him.

Now though, it is Nuno’s time. Will he be able to push on? 

Wholesale team changes point to an interesting time

In the past, it has been a running joke for some Spurs fans, the writer included, to say the team was in a transitional stage. It was kind of an excuse for the nearly wins, the not-quite-there’s, and all the Totteringham’s Days that other lot liked to crow about.

Now after all the previous seasons, major changes are happening once again. After the misguided attempt to join the proposed European Super League and apology that ensued, Spurs are once again selling players wholesale and trying to bring in new talent.

Daniel Levy’s insistence that he wants young talent to be brought through the ranks is admirable, if it is true, but does he really have the patience to see if that can happen? Right now, Juan Foyth, Erik Lamela, and Danny Rose have already gone.

The list of potential sales includes captain Hugo Lorris. And of course, all the talk is still about Kane. The irreplaceable Kane is obviously wanted by Santo, a manager who has already seen what he can do up close. If Harry goes, will Tottenham see a repeat of the past when it comes to players coming in? 

Remember what happened when Bale left?

Harry Redknapp came and saw some of the best of Bale, especially against Inter Milan with a beautiful hat-trick. But despite having a team full of talent including Modric, Spurs were still nearly men. All praise though for the first appearance in the Champions League.

Daniel Levy waved his wand, or stick, and came up with AVB.

Under Andre Villa Boas, Gareth Bale flourished. Say what you like about the man as a manager but Bale enjoyed playing for him and the team only just missed on the fourth spot.

But then, Bale was sold. 

The parallels with the potential, or inevitable, sale of Kane are worrying. After Gareth Bale was sold for a record amount, Spurs did something that perhaps many didn’t see coming. They reinvested the money in a whole bunch of players. 

The end of the Magnificent 7

When Ossie Ardiles was in charge some time ago, he tried something quite revolutionary, or daft, depending on your sentiments. Ossie had the Famous Five, and his philosophy seemed to simply score more than your opponents. It didn’t matter if you let in 4 goals, as long as you scored five at the other end. Exciting times, but they couldn’t last.

The Bale money was used to bring in seven players. Whether this was a calculated attempt to appease the fans that there was a plan to replace Bale, or whether it was a scattergun approach is unsure. AVB is on record as saying he certainly didn’t get all the players he wanted, and he got a few that he didn’t.

Wholesale changes can lead to instability and a long transitional change. There were some serious successes out of the 7 players though, with the beloved Christain Erikssen providing some great moments. Now the last of the group, Erik Lamela leaves behind whatever his legacy may be.

Now, a new bunch of players may well arrive at Tottenham. 

Where did it go wrong?

Under Andre Villa Boas, Martin Jol, Harry Redknapp, and even Tim Sherwood, some startling talent emerged and was purchased.

Pocchetino had probably the greatest chance over a long period to really mould his team, and it felt that things were peaking. Yes, there were near misses at winning the league, but it felt that Spurs were finally established in the top four.

It feels for many, that the major step back was when Poch went. It could even be stated that Redknapp and Jol deserved better too. Undoubtedly, Levy made a huge rash decision in releasing the man who had nearly brought both the Premiership title and the Champions League to Spurs. 

Summary

So, the transitional period continues. Levy continues to have the ear of Joe Lewis and seems untouchable. Many feel that Nuno Espírito Santo was unfairly treated by Wolves, so maybe this is his redemption and Spurs time to shine.

If you are a betting person you might want to have some fun before the season kicks off. Go for Spurs at 4/1 to get back in the top four at a netticasino, or alternatively, bet on Harry Kane to go nowhere, at least for one more season.

They don’t take bets on transitional periods, but please hope Spurs aren’t heading for another one.