The last time I posted an article, we were battling our way to a first ever Champions League final, Pochettino at the helm, with nothing but blind optimism guiding us.
Oh how I miss those days.
This is an account of pent-up frustration over the course of the past twelve months. The players. The board. The club. There is something toxic within Tottenham Hotspur. What started as a few sporadic complaints built up over the time of Pochettino's tenure had soon become a full blown crisis. He was removed, Mourinho was installed as his replacement, and the same problems remained either side of a nationwide lockdown, with the only benefactors of the situation being Amazon's documentary team.
Priorities change in life, and this blog is a perfect example of that. What was once a prolific hobby and potential career soon faded from my mind. But then, I tend to write during periods of incredible achievement or painful suffering, and we are firmly in the latter at this moment. We are hurting, and like any good masochistic Spurs fan, I intend to reopen every old wound that led to our current predicament. Of course, this account will be largely subjective, and I do not expect widespread agreement. I no longer write with the ulterior motive of building a career in journalism. This comes from the heart, and is as raw as the Champions League final loss that started kickstarted our recent decline. This article is an amalgamation of the previous decade's poor decisions and beyond. As such, I encourage you to make yourself comfortable, as I try to answer the age-old question; what went wrong at Tottenham Hotspur?
The Early Days
To better understand our current predicament, we need to look back as far as the 2011-12 season. Harry Redknapp was Tottenham manager, and we were at another vital precipice in our recent history. We sat third at the midway point, and entered a pivotal January transfer window. We had a chance to kick on, and cement our place among the elite. We had a 10 point cushion over Arsenal, which actually ended up a whopping 13 points as we led at the Emirates before another Spurs collapse kicked in. But what bearing does this have on today's woes?
One word. Investment.
Now, I know what the devil's advocates among us are already saying. 'We've spent more money than half the footballing world last summer!'. But unfortunately for us, it's all in the timing. We didn't invest in 2012 - Nelsen and Saha commanded precisely zero GBP between them - and we didn't invest on the pitch during a critical time during Pochettino's tenure, either. It's not about net spend, nor any of the other fancy buzzwords that football analysts love to throw around. No. I sincerely believe it is as simple as timing. Make the right decisions at the right times, and you will be rewarded. Get them wrong, and you can set off a catastrophic chain of events. Letting AVB spend the Bale money with arrogant disregard is the perfect example of this; the knock-on effect was that Pochettino had to settle for 'cheap alternatives' for quite some time.
Comparisons
Next, I would like to apologise. The next couple of statements will hurt. You have been warned.
Oh how I miss those days.
This is an account of pent-up frustration over the course of the past twelve months. The players. The board. The club. There is something toxic within Tottenham Hotspur. What started as a few sporadic complaints built up over the time of Pochettino's tenure had soon become a full blown crisis. He was removed, Mourinho was installed as his replacement, and the same problems remained either side of a nationwide lockdown, with the only benefactors of the situation being Amazon's documentary team.
Priorities change in life, and this blog is a perfect example of that. What was once a prolific hobby and potential career soon faded from my mind. But then, I tend to write during periods of incredible achievement or painful suffering, and we are firmly in the latter at this moment. We are hurting, and like any good masochistic Spurs fan, I intend to reopen every old wound that led to our current predicament. Of course, this account will be largely subjective, and I do not expect widespread agreement. I no longer write with the ulterior motive of building a career in journalism. This comes from the heart, and is as raw as the Champions League final loss that started kickstarted our recent decline. This article is an amalgamation of the previous decade's poor decisions and beyond. As such, I encourage you to make yourself comfortable, as I try to answer the age-old question; what went wrong at Tottenham Hotspur?
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| Getty Images. |
The Early Days
To better understand our current predicament, we need to look back as far as the 2011-12 season. Harry Redknapp was Tottenham manager, and we were at another vital precipice in our recent history. We sat third at the midway point, and entered a pivotal January transfer window. We had a chance to kick on, and cement our place among the elite. We had a 10 point cushion over Arsenal, which actually ended up a whopping 13 points as we led at the Emirates before another Spurs collapse kicked in. But what bearing does this have on today's woes?
One word. Investment.
Now, I know what the devil's advocates among us are already saying. 'We've spent more money than half the footballing world last summer!'. But unfortunately for us, it's all in the timing. We didn't invest in 2012 - Nelsen and Saha commanded precisely zero GBP between them - and we didn't invest on the pitch during a critical time during Pochettino's tenure, either. It's not about net spend, nor any of the other fancy buzzwords that football analysts love to throw around. No. I sincerely believe it is as simple as timing. Make the right decisions at the right times, and you will be rewarded. Get them wrong, and you can set off a catastrophic chain of events. Letting AVB spend the Bale money with arrogant disregard is the perfect example of this; the knock-on effect was that Pochettino had to settle for 'cheap alternatives' for quite some time.
Comparisons
Next, I would like to apologise. The next couple of statements will hurt. You have been warned.
A lot can happen in a year.
- Liverpool lost the Champions League final and went out and bought an outstanding goalkeeper and a world class centre half. They subsequently won the Champions League and then the Premier League.
- We lost the Champions League final, sacked our manager and are now on course for our worst finish since 2014.
I know it is popular for our fans to despise Liverpool, but if we are honest with ourselves, almost all of this resentment is born out of sheer jealousy. They kicked on while we stood still. They celebrate while we sit and lament what could have been. Two teams, full of promise. Only one fulfilled it. Two managers, loved for their groundbreaking tactics and enigmatic management. Only one was given the tools to succeed.
The Pochettino Era
Now, I know it is far more nuanced than 'spend x amount of money and you will succeed', especially given the financial restraints of building a stadium. Plus, we did spend money during Pochettino's reign. And though he did not always get it right with regards to recruitment, he certainly managed to overachieve with the resources he was given, especially in his second season with a surprise title challenge.
So is the problem Levy? ENIC? Joe Lewis?
Perhaps. But the problems run far, far deeper than that, especially at present. What I will say is that the timing with our most recent investment was once again way off. We should have been signing the Lo Celso's and Ndombele's of this world while we were at the peak of our powers, not on a desperate decline.
One quote that has stuck with me for the past year or so is Pochettino's assessment of us going forward. We are in for a 'painful' rebuild, he touted back in May last year. It went along with many of his cryptic interviews during the final year of his tenure. While history will speak of our incredible run to the Champions League final, we were, in reality, a struggling team, and one that almost let slip a top 4 position.
Here's a fun fact. Only one team have ever gone an entire transfer window without a single incoming transfer. And they did it in back to back windows. Ladies and gentlemen, Tottenham Hotspur.
Levy consistently asked Pochettino to work miracles, and the second the going got tough, he fired the man. The more you reflect on it, the more this decision seems disgusting. Again, I understand the argument of the struggle in form. After all, we lost an incredible 2-7 at home to Bayern Munich. But if Mourinho's Tottenham are anything to go by, the problem goes far beyond management. And for this reason, I empathise with both our recent managers. Whoever you feel is the right man for the job, you start to wonder if anyone could succeed under such ownership.
In 2017, we finished close runners up to Chelsea. Though this was disappointing, we were a breathtaking side to watch. That season - our last at White Hart Lane - we scored the most and conceded the least goals. We had a devastating style of football. Our full backs were akin to Liverpool's right now, albeit with less technique and more athleticism. Our central midfield was nothing short of beautiful; the power, guile and sheer presence of Victor Wanyama and Mousa Dembele would dominate games, with the latter being lauded as one of the Premier League's most underrated players of all time. He did not score many, and he rarely got assists. But if you're looking for individual performances to carry a team, go back and watch our turnaround in Turin a couple of years ago. He dominated one of the best teams in the world in their own backyard. In a word, irreplaceable.
Which is lucky, really, because we did not even attempt to replace him. Just like we didn't adequately replace Kyle Walker, three years on from his transfer to Manchester City. Just like we didn't replace Danny Rose since his decline. But surely this cannot all be down to the lack of investment. After all, Pochettino did spend money. Unfortunately, I believe the man above him haggled his way into our current decline.
This is where we are in danger of becoming an 'ENIC Out' article, but I can assure you that it is not as black and white as Twitter and the like would have you believe. Our ownership's shrewd business acumen and vision have delivered the best training facilities and stadium in world football. Levy would often have you buy into this long term project off the pitch, about establishing ourselves amongst the best clubs in the world. The state-of-the-art stadium would certainly have you believe it. But as Pochettino said, 'you have an amazing house but you need to put the furniture in'.
These metaphors and cryptic statements were prominent during the Argentinian's final year as Spurs boss. They were, at least in my opinion, a reflection of the toxicity growing within Tottenham. In this regard, maybe sacking Pochettino was the right decision. But in reality, it should never have come to that.
I've already said that Pochettino was asked to perform miracles by the Tottenham board. To lend myself to his metaphorical approach, we spent year after year putting plasters on lacerations. We survived blow after blow. The Wembley fiasco. Losing key players to injury. Finding talent where there should not have been any - Sissoko being the spiritual successor to Mousa Dembele should never have even been considered - but Pochettino continued to perform these miracles time after time. That is when Daniel Levy got comfortable asking too much of Mauricio Pochettino, and in the end, the lack of on-the-pitch investment - or 'furniture', as Poch called it - was to be our downfall.
Look at us now. Hugo Lloris and Heung-min Son arguing on the pitch is symbolic of so much more. There is toxicity within these ranks, and we may not ever find out the true story behind our demise. It seemed that the biggest turning point was the Champions League final, and a moment where even Pochettino cannot escape criticism.
Whether or not Harry Kane should have started that game is almost irrelevant, but as a man of great integrity, Pochettino should have understood that Lucas Moura simply had to start. This is the man that made the occasion possible. A man that delivered us the single greatest night in a decade of football. By definition, the moment of euphoria that we all follow football to experience. We might not have got over the line at the end, but to dismiss the achievements of Moura and place him on the bench will always leave a bad taste in my mouth. And in all honesty, I would imagine it is a contributing factor behind the divide and ill-feeling brewing at Tottenham this season. As I have said, a lot of Pochettino's philosophy was built on integrity, and to remove a man from the starting line-up that had contributed so much in the build-up was utterly farcical. A miracle too far, it seems. But hey, we're Spurs fans, and as such, we realise these things rarely have happy endings. Which leads me perfectly to my next point.
Moving Forward
I can plainly state that Jose Mourinho is not the man to build a dynasty in the way Mauricio Pochettino had.
Take nothing away from the managerial genius that is Mourinho. While he may no longer be at the peak of his powers, this man has that rare knack of getting his teams over the line. He cultivates a winning mentality, and has lifted trophies at every single club he has been at. Daniel Levy saw this, and I wholly believe that accelerated the removal of Pochettino. Levy's eyes must have lit up. I mean, with the quality of players we have in our squad, there is no way we wouldn't turn things around after a shaky start and secure a top four position, right?
Painfully, no. He was very wrong. Like I have said, the problems run far deeper than the aesthetic level we bare witness to each week. The team, the club, the board - everything is toxic. And we can trace that all the way back to the lack of investment over 18 months. While Liverpool and the like spent on renovating their squads, we sat still, slowly stagnating. Not winning the Champions League despite the miracles that led to that moment just tipped us over the edge.
Sadly, Mourinho will not renovate us in the way Pochettino did back in 2014. He is not known for exceptional youth development, something we sorely need right now. Ryan Sessegnon was one of the most highly rated youngsters in world football this time last year. Since football resumed, he has not featured once.
Yet again, Levy attempted to remedy the club's deep wounds with a plaster. He took a mismatch of a manager in the vague hopes of achieving a top four finish and the windfall associated, but it has drastically backfired. Now we find ourselves stuck with a footballing dinosaur, and a style of play horrendously mismatched with our club's DNA. Whatever happens, trophy-wise, Mourinho's name will never be sung from the terraces with the same revere Pochettino's was. And for that, I solely blame the operating system of ENIC. The core of our team was ripped out over the past couple of years, and I am afraid that will continue with the sale of our current superstars. Could anyone sincerely blame Kane, Son etc. for leaving? These players are good enough to win trophies. At present, Tottenham Hotspur are not in a position to offer them this. Our problems will only be exacerbated by the financial implications of lockdown. Levy must be licking his lips at this excuse not to spend.
My biggest gripe with Mourinho, as I'm sure many will agree with, is his man-management. I don't care how he does it, he simply has to find a way to utilise Tanguy Ndombele. If Sissoko was the stopgap post-Dembele, Ndombele, poetically enough given his name, is the reincarnation. He possesses all the guile and finesse of Dembele, but adds an eye for goal and a devastating pass to the repertoire. Anyone that knows me knows I am one for lewd predictions - I once bet on Erik Lamela becoming PFA Player of the Year - but trust me when I tell you I would gamble all worldly possessions on Ndombele becoming a superstar. He is simply too talented not to realise his potential. If Mourinho ruins this for us, as he did De Bruyne for Chelsea, we will regret it for years to come.
To put it simply, we are not a club with an outstanding record over the past couple of decades, only adding a paltry league cup to our illustrious history. Our enjoyment is found in the week-by-week; witnessing a star being born, the ups and downs, but all the while entertaining a fanbase that has persevered with a lot of difficulty. And that, my friends, is why it is such a painful time to be a Tottenham fan. Above all, we are boring. And that hurts.
So what is the point in bemoaning our current situation? Is it even possible to culminate the myriad reasons behind our current predicament? Do we blame the board, bad timing or even just bad luck - Sissoko's 'handball' is the perfect example of this. In all honesty, it is a combination of everything discussed. No single moment or decision has cost us fame and glory - rather, a series of poor decisions over the course of the past four years have led to this transitional period. It's the regression that hurts. We might not be a Champions League team again for the foreseeable future, let alone genuinely challenge for silverware. And the reason it hurts so much is because we were so close. And now we could not be further.
