Food for thought: Will tottenham be a one season wonder or can pochettino work the magic once again?

Tottenham fans couldn’t believe their eyes, after Arsenal beat them to the second spot in the Premier League table on the final of the season. Sitting comfortably in the second spot with just four games to go, fans were dreaming of a Leicester City collapse and the title come 15^th may , however with just 2 points in that period not only did Spurs title challenge collapse but also saw them being over taken by their bitter North London rival. Although they couldn’t finish the season on a high, it would be fair to say that Mauricio Pochettino and his team had an excellent season where they performed well above anyone expectations. When teams like Manchester City and Chelsea were struggling to get going, Tottenham with its young stars was making waves all across Europe. In Harry Kane and Dele Alli, Pochettino has the two most talented youngsters playing currently in England.

Harry Kane answered his critics who called him a one season wonder with a thumping return of 25 goals in the League, which also earned him the Golden Boot award. Alli on the other hand was crowned the PFA Young Player of the Year for a performance which surpassed any expectations people had from him. However even after such a good coming of age season, Pochettino knows that he still has lots of work to do, in order to secure a perfect end to the next season. One thing which strikes out about this Spurs team is the lack of squad depth and over reliance on Kane upfront. Players like Nabil Bentaleb, Tom Carroll, Son Heung-Min and even Nacer Chadli, who although sparked briefly, have failed to prove themselves as able deputies. While Son has struggled to adapt to the physical nature of the Premier League, Clinton N’Jie hasn’t really played consistently due to his knee injury, although he has played sporadically, it’s difficult to see him as an alternative to Harry Kane.

We must also remember that Tottenham will be playing in the Champions League, a tournament where the manager won’t be able to get away by playing a weaker side, Squad depth is essential if Spurs are going to make a name for them in Europe and challenge for the domestic title too. Often teams have succumbed to the pressure of playing in the Champions League as well as the domestic league. Therefore, Pochettino must not shy away from investing without forgetting to utilize the talent at his disposal right now. A better equipped squad will also help in ensuring that Tottenham’s season doesn’t fizzle out like the last season.

One stat which might worry Pochettino going into next season is that of the 19 Premier League matches Spurs played after the turn of the year, only on 4 occasions did Tottenham score in the first 30 minutes. If Spurs are going to dominate their opponents next season, they will need to get off to a quick start. Teams will sit deep and let Tottenham have the ball, but it is very crucial that Spurs player make the most of the possession when they have it and are able to break down solid defensive units.

With Pep Guardiola, Arsene Wenger, Antonio Conte, Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp and Claudio Ranieri managing teams across England next season, it’s sure going to be tough ride for Pochettino and his men but if they can invest wisely and help other players who weren’t that effective last year, improve their form then they surely can surpass bigger milestones.