Few could have predicted the way this season would pan out - it seems as though Tom Hanks was the only man who predicted that Leicester would do as well as they have done this season. But almost every season there is one surprise team, however, this term Tottenham Hotspur have joined Leicester at the top.
Tottenham have been closing in on a top four finish for years, but the team has always lacked that bit of quality to be one of the league’s best. This year, however, Spurs have surprised us all and become genuine title contenders. People may think that this is a once in a blue moon chance for Tottenham, but I strongly doubt that.
Tottenham have great young players. A White Hart Lane star has won PFA Young Player of the Year in four of the last five seasons (Kyle Walker, Harry Kane, Gareth Bale and Dele Alli). The core of the Tottenham side are all 25 and under. Kane, Alli, Eric Dier, Danny Rose, Walker, Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela to name a few! Hugo Lloris is only 29, which is still young for a goalkeeper.
It must be noted that Mauricio Pochettino has transformed this Spurs side. The Argentine has managed to transform the Londoners into an attractive, attacking football playing side. Pochettino is also a relatively young manager and potentially has years ahead of him in charge of Spurs.
To maintain their place at the top, Spurs have a few tasks. Firstly, they must buy back-ups for their stars such as Kane and Alli. Had the pair been injured at any point during the season, the table could have looked very different. Of course, Spurs have to keep their key men, as their form will have attracted the attention of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Moving to a new stadium could work for the north London side. A 61,000 capacity ground may attract big names to Tottenham, especially if they are playing Champions League football. Spurs also need a wiser transfer policy. Daniel Levy splashed out over £100million on new players at the beginning of the 2013/14 season, with very few of those signing living up to their high expectations.
However Tottenham’s chance has come as a result of other teams' poor performances this year. Chelsea, Man United, Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool have all under-performed. With Pep Guardiola taking over City, Antonio Conte joining and Chelsea and the other big teams having plenty of money to spend, next season may not be as easy for Tottenham to compete at the top.
Many star players join the Premier League each season but it is unlikely that they would want to play at White Hart Lane instead of bigger, more renowned stadiums such as Old Trafford and maybe even the Emirates. When Spurs move stadium, European stars may be more attracted to them.
Other than Leicester’s freak season, the only thing that prevented Tottenham from becoming champions this season was themselves. This may sound harsh considering Spurs scored the most goals in the league and also conceded the least, but Tottenham dropped silly points against teams such as Newcastle, Arsenal, Stoke, West Brom and Swansea. Spurs will rue these matches, as even though fans would have been satisfied with just a top four place at the start of the season, the title was so close to being theirs.
I reckon Spurs will maintain their position as a top four club for next season at least, most probably at the expense of north London rivals Arsenal. However the title may continue to elude them for some time considering the big teams are unlikely to drop off for a second consecutive season. Silverware is close though, for Tottenham, I am sure, this team is more than capable of at least an FA Cup.
Arsenal fans may not be singing '61, never again' if Tottenham continue the way they are performing.