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Football News: Are Spurs Realistic Top Four Contenders?

Are Spurs Realistic Top Four Contenders?
Image from: thesportsbank.net

Every season, Tottenham Hotspur go into the season with hope firing the hearts of their supporters, each year they compete for a top 4 finish in the Premier League, but, more often than not, they flatter to deceive and end up missing out. So why should we believe this year is any different? With Manchester City holding the top spot without David Silva and Sergio Aguero and Arsenal looking stronger than previous years, Manchester United picking up result after result by lulling their opponents to sleep, Leicester City flying, Liverpool fired up by the arrival of Jurgen Klopp, West Ham United looking capable of beating anyone on their day and Southampton, despite all the sales, looking stronger than ever, what makes this year feel different?

For starters, and the obvious factor in all this, is that Chelsea have imploded and all but dropped out of the race for a top four place, though there is still a lot of football to be played. Despite all the games left, Spurs have enough of a lead that they can be confident of keeping ahead of the West Londoners in the final shake up. That in itself is a big thing, as normally Chelsea would be considered favourite to finish in the top four and there drop has opened up a slot that would not otherwise be available.

 

A look at their other main rivals also lends more credence to the White Hart Lane side's chances of finishing in a Champions League place. There is little to no chance of Manchester City and Arsenal falling away as dramatically as Chelsea have done this season, but that still leaves two places up for grabs. Manchester United, while dominating games, are not creating many chances, eventually they will come unstuck if they fail to sort that out, but, with a central midfield as strong as theirs is now, there is no doubt that they will be there or thereabouts at the season's finale. There is also a very good chance that January sees them add a piece or two to the puzzle and improve their chances.

Leicester City, well they are absolutely flying right now, they have money to spend in the January transfer window, with an owner looking to back the team with cash, but they are a long way off a top four squad right now. They are still building the squad and really their main ambition, for this season anyway, is just to stay in the Prem, any finish above the relegation places is a bonus this season. The chances are that injuries and suspensions will expose the gaps in their squad as the season goes on. You would have to fancy Spurs to finish above them in the table once all the games are played.

 

Klopp's boosts to the Anfield side are definitely showing, but even he is not going to be able to completely cover over the unbalanced squad that was left to him. The German has his work cut out to get into the top four, even if the fans stay to the end of every game. There is just so much to do, not just fixing the playing style, which he has already gone a long way to doing, with the team now creating chances, unlike before, but trying to find a way to grind out wins with his players dropping like flies to injury is going to take time. The January window will probably come too early, even if he can be provided with decent funds, for Klopp to be able to have fully assessed his squad.

The Hammers are a much better side with Slaven Bilic in charge, but they are still only an injury or two away from dropping down the table, with the likes of Andy Carroll as their back up forward. They desperately need Dimiti Payet back fit quickly, Manuel Lanzini to keep performing and their strikers to stay fit so Carroll can stay on the bench as a last ditch option, rather than a starter. The team play collapses the minute Carroll starts, they look a much weaker team with him in, even if we forget about his stupidity in his own penalty box which cost them a goal recently. At the end of the day, West Ham are relying on luck with injuries and suspension to have any hopes of a top four place. A lot of luck.

 

That only really leaves Southampton as a top four contender, this season, which is amazing when you consider the amount, and quality, of players they have sold in recent times. The loss of Morgan Schneiderlin this summer window is a huge blow to the Saints, though Jordy Clasie is a very good replacement, if he can stay fit. Their system allows them to get the most out of their limited resources, with a conveyor belt of academy products ready to slot in and fill any gaps in the squad, as well as tactics that suit their players. However, even the best academy in the world would struggle to replace players at the rate they are losing them and, while the Saints academy is one of the best, it does need some help. It really would be a big surprise if Spurs were not able to finish above Southampton.

That just leaves Spurs themselves, who are fully capable of throwing it all away, and have done on a number of occasions in the past, this season could well end up the same way. They are, like many others in the Premier League, working with an unbalanced squad. Tottenham's issue being a lack of cover for Harry Kane, as Daniel Levy once again wasted an opportunity to sort out the club's lack of striking options. That does need to be sorted in January as, no matter how good Kane is and can be, he is just one man and is subject to vagaries of form and fitness like any other. The arrival of Son Heung-Min has taken a bit of the goalscoring pressure off his shoulders, but he is not really an out and out striker.

 

The rest of the squad looks so much stronger than in recent years, though Ryan Mason is not ready to hold down a starting spot just yet, he needs a lot of work on his game, but the potential is there. Moussa Dembele seems to have finally sorted out his form, Eric Lamela is finally looking like the player we expected to see, Christian Eriksen is always dangerous and Eric Dier has been a revelation in the defensive midfield role. Dier has given the back line a protection Spurs have lacked for years, almost single handedly removing the soft underbelly they are famed for.

I say almost, because the arrival of Toby Alderweireld has made a massive difference in the centre of their defence, his partnership with Jan Vertonghen is almost perfect in modern football terms. Not only do the pair get to play together for club and country in the heart of defence, but they are both fully capable of playing at full back. Neither look lost when they are dragged out wide to face an opponent and both are very decent on the ball when they have it at their feet. The full back positions are probably still the weak link for the first choice Tottenham team, though Danny Rose has come on in leaps and bounds, he is still prone to errors, strays forward too early at times and can be targeted aerially, due to his lack of height.

Worse is his back up, Ben Davies, who, though playing better than last season, still looks a long way short of being good enough, though not quite as out of place as Keiron Trippier, the right back cover. Kyle Walker is a clear first choice there, and is physically ideal, tall, very quick, strong and technically excellent on the ball, but still struggles to make the most of his talents. Again though, Walker is playing much better than last season, which applies to Spurs as a whole. This really could be the year for Spurs, the year when the youngest squad in the Premier League comes of age and steps up to the next level.

Written by Tris Burke November 11 2015 09:41:26