It’s fair to suggest that the 2015/16 campaign has so been somewhat of an uphill struggle for Mauricio Pochettino and his determined Tottenham Hotspur outfit.
Opening day defeat at Old Trafford would have perhaps been one of the easier losses to take for the majority of the White Hart Lane faithful – considering the distinct gap in size between Spurs and Manchester United – yet Totteham’s subsequent draws against both Stoke City and Leicester City certainly wouldn’t have gone down well amongst their loyal fan-base.
In both fixtures, Pochettino’s side successfully took the lead over their opponents, only to begrudgingly throw it away before the culmination of the 90 minutes. Frustrating times for Spurs fans no doubt…
So then, in light of Tottenham Hotspur’s so far winless journey into the 2015/16 Premier League campaign, will Mauricio Pochettino bring the good times back to White Hart Lane sooner rather than later, or have the plucky North Londoners already blown their chances of a top-four finish this season?
Well, even when taking into account the team’s incredibly flat start to the new term, Tottenham Hotspur fans ultimately have no undue cause for concern just yet. Of course their side can still theoretically achieve a top-four finish this season – it’s just going to be a very tough ask that’s all, especially with such a poor start to the league proceedings in mind for Spurs.
So far throughout the 2015/16 campaign, Tottenham have looked uncharacteristically lack-lustre throughout the team. Something somehow seems missing within the dynamic of their starting XI – and although Pochettino’s preferred style of play certainly looks commendable on paper – his ability to grind out results on a regular basis has ultimately left a lot to be desired at White Hart Lane.
At the moment his team seemingly lack that all important cutting edge. Traditionally, Tottenham Hotspur have never been known for producing the most adept defensive organisation the Premier League has ever seen, so it’s imperative for Mauricio Pochettino to make sure his attacking plans are on point this season. If the club are to push on from last term’s somewhat average league finish, improvement simply must be the aim for Spurs going forward.
The White Hart Lane faithful therefore could have expected a great deal more from their club in terms of transfer activity this summer, for Tottenham have only managed to sign four players this window – not including returning MK Dons loanee, Dele Alli. The likes of Clinton Njie, Kieran Trippier, Kevin Wimmer and Toby Alderweireld may represent good hunting for now, but will they be enough to ensure maximum squad depth for Spurs this season? Arguably not…
In the cold light of day, Tottenham probably won’t be able make the top-four at the end of the league proceedings this term, regardless of their poor start to the campaign. The club’s failure to efficiently invest the much publicized ‘Gareth Bale money’ just a few short summers ago has seemingly only served to damage their position in the modern era. As both Paulinho and Roberto Soldado – two of the worst offenders at Spurs for failing to deliver on their hefty price-tags – have now eventually flown the nest at White Hart Lane, Pochettino’s options are looking somewhat vulnerable to say the very least.
However, if Daniel Levy can source enough cash behind the scenes at his club in the coming weeks, maybe Spurs will in-fact add to their ranks before the final culmination of the summer transfer window. Such last minute dealing may to prove risky for the North Londoners with all things considered, though – and Tottenham certainly don’t want to be gambling away their resources when their nearest rivals in the league table are proving so determined in their spending at the minute.
So then, whilst the team’s admittedly poor start to the 2015/16 campaign isn’t quite enough to deter Tottenham from their top-four goals this season, achieving such an illustrious position will most likely prove a task too far for Mauricio Pochettino this term anyway.
Although the majority of the White Hart Lane faithful wouldn’t care to take in such a pessimistic outlook on their potential fortunes in 2015/16, all the signs seem to suggest that the Europa League will once again prove the highlight of Tottenham’s European dream, at least for the foreseeable future.
That’s unless they win the competition outright this year of course…
