Despite their late-season collapse to finish third in the English Premier League with a runners-up spot practically secured, Tottenham can be proud of the progress they have made over the past year.
While somehow allowing bitter rivals Arsenal to zip past them at the final hurdle may have put a bit of a dampener on the mood at White Hart Lane, the club has taken a big step forward in its development towards consistently challenging the big boys at the top.
Spurs have a talented, young manager in Mauricio Pochettino at the helm with a clear philosophy and just as importantly, he has complete trust from the board to be able to carry that out. Under Chairman Daniel Levy, that is a rare thing for a Tottenham boss.
Under his control is a young, hungry and very talented group of players. With a title challenge under their belts and a Champions League campaign to look forward to next season, there is no reason they cannot continue to get better. The future on the white side of North London is looking bright.
EPL – Tottenham Hotspur 2015-16 report card
Yet despite their growth as a club, there are obvious holes in Spurs’ playing squad that have become apparent, holes which need to be filled next season if they want to carry on their development. With their regular first XI available, Tottenham played some of the best football in the country. Their combination of slick, stylish and physical play was unstoppable at times.
The cracks started to show when some of those key players were unavailable. Instead of risking exhaustion with a domestic title still a distant possibility, Pochettino threw out a second-string side against Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16 in the Europa League.
Away from home with a meagre midfield of Tom Carroll and Ryan Mason, the Londoners were overrun and lost by three goals. They put up a similar side in the home leg and were easily vanquished 5-1 on aggregate. The promising news is that the club is very much aware of this issue.
Pochettino alluded to the fact his squad needed strengthening after the European exit but he was much clearer last week. Following the 5-1 disintegration to an already relegated Newcastle side, the Argentine said it was “very clear” his team needed some upgrading over the summer.
“The Champions League is a different level, and to compete in that, the Premier League and the domestic cups is very important,” he said.
“For that we need to ensure we have a strong squad who can compete in all competitions.
“We are all agreed about that.”
Central-midfield
While Eric Dier and Moussa Dembélé have formed an intimidating partnership in the middle of the park, there does not appear to be anybody at the club capable of filling their spots. This is particularly the case for the powerful Belgian. He enjoyed something of a renaissance season and the Lilywhites felt his absence any time he did not taken the field.
With him playing, they lost just 7% of their games but without him that figure jumped up to 44%. He is absolutely vital.
With Nabil Bentaleb’s season mired by injury and Mason and Carroll failing to impress, no one truly stepped up to the plate. The latter two look set to leave the club and another option is needed. Dembélé missing the first four games of the upcoming campaign through suspension just adds to that.
Bentaleb has the potential to be a more than capable back-up to the Belgian but as talented as he is, another player should be brought in to cover his inconsistencies.
This season Tottenham dropped more points (20) from winning positions than any other club. They had no powerful midfield players in the squad beside their two starters to help close out games. Only Dier has the skillset to sit in front of the back four effectively. That will need to be addressed.
After failing to land him last summer, Spurs are once again heavily linked to Southampton’s Victor Wanyama. He ticks a lot of boxes. He has played and thrived under Pochettino before, he is unsettled on the South Coast, he has a year left on his deal and he fits the criteria to strengthen Tottenham’s midfield depth. It seems like a no-brainer.
Striker
An obvious need and one that has dated back to last summer. Harry Kane shook off the ‘fluke’ tag to not only better his tally from the previous campaign but win the Golden Boot with 25 league goals. His ability as a goalscorer, all around ability to help build up attacks and attachment to the club’s fans are not in doubt. He just needs some help.
Spurs were lucky they survived with just one striker this season but will not be able to get away with it next time around. Pochettino was forced to play Kane in some cup games and risked burning him out while the team struggled if Nacer Chadli or Son Heung-Min were pushed up top in his absence.
A lack of a different striker off the bench impacted the club’s poor start to the season when Kane was misfiring and Pochettino was often left without anyone effective to throw forward when chasing a game. Bringing in the right man could be a real statement of intent from the club.
While Kane is the undisputed Spurs front man, adding a quality striker to push him, play alongside him when needed or in his place when he is rotated is key. Greg Stobart, a reliable journalist when it comes to the club’s transfer business, is confident Tottenham will wrap up a deal for the impressive Michy Batshuayi.
Strong, quick, clinical and still with plenty of room to grow, Batshuayi hit 23 goals for Marseille this season. Spurs need to sign someone who is going to push Kane to another level and reach big heights themselves, not just be content sitting on the bench. The young Belgian attacker has huge potential and would take Spurs to a new level up front. He might be a bit costly but he would be worth the investment.
Attacking-midfield
Perhaps not a position that is in the most obvious in need of improvement but Pochettino may have spotted a weak point he wants fixed. Once Dele Alli, Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen gelled behind the striker, they began to combine beautifully. At times, it was hard for opposing sides to contain their clever, one-touch passing.
But when Spurs came up against sides willing to sit back with plenty of bodies behind the ball, they struggled. This was obvious when both West Bromwich Albion and Southampton visited the Lane in the last month of the season.
Spurs may not feel they have the kind of player truly able to break down a parked bus. A pacey dribbler would be a welcome addition, one who is able to pull opposing defenders out of place and open up room to slip in a team mate. Someone with a bit of unpredictability. They sometimes lack that X-factor.
Two players have been linked to the club who fit that profile over the past few months: Yunus Malli of Mainz and Sofiane Boufal of Lille. Both are mazy dribblers with an eye for a pass and also a keen eye for goal. Pochettino demands his trio behind the striker score as well as create and they pass that test, having both scored 11 league goals this season.
The duo are unknowns to the English game but both are young with high ceilings to grow and would give the Spurs attack just something that bit different they need. It is not the most glaring need but allows Pochettino options to switch things around and keep opposing managers guessing.
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