Tottenham Hotspur will not lose any of their key stars even if they fail to qualify for the Champions League this season, according to The Athletic journalist Jack Pitt-Brooke via The View From The Lane podcast (February 25th, 37:14).

What’s he said?

Spurs lost 2-1 to Chelsea at the weekend and are currently four points behind the Blues in the race to finish in the top four.

Of course, there is the possibility that the fifth-placed team could well qualify if Manchester City’s ban from next season’s competition is upheld.

But Spurs are only three points clear of 10th-placed Burnley in a congested top half and there is the realistic possibility that they could fail to qualify for Europe’s premier club competition.

Pitt-Brooke, though, does not foresee an exodus even if they miss out on a qualification berth.

He said: “This is a question we get a lot and I would be absolutely shocked if any of those good players left Tottenham this summer.

“We know what (chairman, Daniel) Levy's like with that sort of thing.”

A true test for any Spurs fan: Can you match these iconic images with the right results?

A transitional phase

Players surely know that this is a transitional period for Spurs.

They have just gone from the management of Mauricio Pochettino to the management of Jose Mourinho, the first managerial change at the club since 2014.

There is, of course, still hope that the club will be able to qualify for the Champions League and they remain in this season’s competition, while they continue to play in the FA Cup too.

There is no guarantee that any of those tournaments will bring success to north London but, even so, they are still finding their way under the tutelage of the Portuguese.

Add in the injuries to Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min – who could both be out for the rest of the season – and one gets a clearer picture of just how difficult a campaign they are enduring.

Next season, after a full pre-season under Mourinho, is the real test; the players will know that.

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