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The run in to the end of the 2019/20 season is crucial for all clubs but there is, perhaps, a greater spotlight on Tottenham Hotspur than anyone else. Fans have come to expect Champions League football but it’s looking increasingly likely that the club will have to settle for a Europa League slot at best.
Tottenham will continue to battle for that final UCL place, but a lack of positive transfer dealing may be set to condemn Jose Mourinho’s men to Europe’s secondary club competition.
What Next?
"Jose-Mourinho-1865363" (CC BY-NC 2.0) by In Mou We Trust
Nobody will rule Spurs out until it’s mathematically impossible to qualify for the Champions League - but it’s starting to look ominous. If we take a look at the Premier League betting markets from bet365, Mourinho’s men are fifth favourites behind Chelsea to finish inside the top four, which looks to be a fair assessment.
If they don’t make it, many questions will be asked: will Jose stay and, more importantly, will the club be able to attract the kind of players who are happy to tackle the Europa League, which comes without the glamour of sending teams to the far-flung corners of the continent?
Key Failures
"Daniel Levy" (CC BY 2.0) by Doha Stadium Plu
We’ll disregard the issues concerning Manchester City and assume that, for now, Tottenham have to finish inside the top four. If they fail, it’s clear that the blame is going to lie firmly at the door of Chairman Daniel Levy.
Admittedly, injuries can happen at any time and luck can play a big part but, with Harry Kane, absences are starting to become a regular occurrence. Assuming the England captain doesn’t return this season, he will have missed 28 out of a possible 76 league games across the previous two campaigns.
Talking of luck, Tottenham’s ran out in February as Son Heung-Min went down with a long term injury of his own. The South Korean had scored six in five games when he suffered that blow against Aston Villa and, while this is unfortunate, the problem is one that should have been avoided.
Reluctance
If Tottenham are to challenge the clubs above them and finally bring silverware to the new White Hart Lane for the first time since 2008, they simply must find the adequate back up for Harry Kane. Perhaps, more importantly, Jose Mourinho needs to find a formation where two genuine strikers can play effectively together.
It’s been tried before: Tottenham have tried to harness Kane with Vincent Janssen and also Fernando Llorente, but to little effect. A long-running concern is the justifiable theory that a high-quality striker will not want to sit on the bench and wait for Harry Kane to get injured.
Tottenham have a promising young goal scorer in their reserve ranks but Mourinho has said that 18-year-old Troy Parrott simply isn’t ready. In the meantime, talk of false number nines is all that fans have, and that’s not exactly inspiring.
It’s not an ideal situation in North London and patience is running out on a key issue that continues to hold Tottenham back.
