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| Clique 2015 |
Realistically, at the start of the season, we were never going to finish fourth. Anyone moaning about Pochettino needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror... and at our squad. In August, nobody even knew our best team. But we still came away from our first two London derbies with six points. It was all looking pretty rosy until we lost to Liverpool in traditional 'Spursy' fashion. From that moment, Pochettino was already under pressure. Our bygone era of Champions League matches at the Lane and the likes of Modric, Bale and Van der Vaart have spoiled our fans it seems. Everyone wants those days back. Being content with our progress this season doesn't make you a bad fan; it makes you realistic. All I wanted from this season is to see progress under a new manager who well and truly delivered. And, on the whole, I feel like I can say Pochettino has done a good job.
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| THEY'RE GONE, GET OVER IT |
To me, the first sign that Pochettino was not as tactically inept as his predecessors was our away game at the Emirates. We were gritty without any of the tactical naivety shown under AVB. We defended incredibly well despite having the since dilapidated Kaboul at centre back. A Premier League debut was also given to Ryan Mason, the impressive not-so-youngster (he's 23, remember!) who had scored a cracker in midweek. Mason has never really looked back since that game. I know he isn't everyone's favourite player, but it's nice to have a passionate midfielder who works hard for the team, puts a tackle in and keeps it simple. Of course, he's not the next Modric. But he's worth a place in next season's squad after displacing a number of so called international-quality footballers.
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| Passion + bit of ability + likability = success |
Our home game against Everton was something of a breakthrough. After going a goal down to a wonder goal you'd have forgiven the White Hart Lane faithful from grumbling a bit. After all, we're good at that. But Pochettino's pressing plan finally came to fruition; Kane won the ball back with an excellently timed tackle and we were off, pressing forward before Soldado clipped the ball past Howard. Unfortunately, this is the only other time the Spaniard will get a mention in the season review. He's a nice enough bloke but I still have to berate him for costing us a spot in the Quarter-Finals of the Europa League.
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| While this isn't my graphic, or even a picture from the correct game, I feel like the shapes really illustrate my point of 'pressing' a side |
Of course, before the Everton match came the Premier League (re)introduction of young Harry Kane, Tottenham's go-to guy from Europa League matches. Fans were crying out for him to be given a chance in the first team and when we needed a goal at Villa Park, Pochettino called on young H to deliver. And he did in typical fashion, scoring a marvelous, albeit deflected free kick to win us the match. That was just the start of something special for Kane in a season that he delivered over 30 goals in all competitions, almost single-handedly spanked our two closest rivals and scored on his full England debut. But of course, to many neutral fans he is just another overrated and overhyped youngster. I implore you to watch him play. At 21 years of age he is already one of the best strikers with his back to goal in the league. An excellent finisher, strong as an ox and deadly in the air, there is just no way this lad can be a one season wonder. The sky is the limit.
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| Icon. |
On the topic of victories, the home games against Chelsea and Arsenal must go down as two of the highlights of the season. While it was obvious to any avid and realistic Tottenham fan that we were never going to finish above the pair, it was nonetheless nice to rub their noses in it for a couple of days. The aforementioned man of the moment was key to both performances but the likes of Nacer Chadli and Danny Rose also shone, proving an unstoppable force down the left hand side. No coincidence then that they are two of our most improved players this season. Rose in particular silenced a plethora of critics, none louder than myself, who had hailed him a failed winger with no future at the club. In fact, if not for Kane and inevitably the best keeper in the league between our sticks, Rose would have gone down as my player of the season.
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| The only thing shit about this lad now is his hair. And maybe that celebration. What is he, drowning in air? |
The most enjoyable part of beating our London rivals was the passion felt throughout the game. That's not just from the stands. You could tell that academy graduates Kane, Mason and Bentaleb wanted nothing more than to beat these teams. The latter is something of a dark horse in terms of media attention. Until Alan Shearer does a benign feature on him during a Saturday night MOTD, I fear Bentaleb's talent will go unnoticed and undervalued by the rest of the footballing world. Still, at least that'll stop him from joining Real Madrid. Like all our best players do. Ha.
Bentaleb's talents combine an abundance of composure in possession with solid tackling, a good passing range and an eye for goal from distance. His other attributes are harder to define but if you spend the 90 watching the young Algerian star you'll understand why he is pivotal to our side. His positional sense for a 20 year old is an absolute joke. He covers perfectly for the full-back during our attacks and is always sweeping up in front of the back four after a cross is played in. Like, he's literally always there. It's ridiculous. Should we sign a true, defensive centre midfielder in the summer, the Algerian's attacking talent will be even more evident.
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| Bentaleb? More like BentaLAD* *nickname pending |
Visiting Wembley is always fun. I mean, not when you get beaten by the most dislikable band of individuals since Nickleback, but the day out was an important experience regardless. Our team (the youngest fielded in the Premier League this campaign, by the way) will learn from the loss and bounce back determined to put a cup run together in the following season. And who knows, we might finally win a trophy, too.
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| This was EIGHT YEARS AGO. I love you, Woody |
Of course, where there are highs there must be lows to counterbalance. This could well replace our current club motto. The clichéd rollercoaster ride is never more accurate than supporting Tottenham. We beat Chelsea in January, only to lose to them in our biggest game of the season two months later. We slump to defeats against Aston Villa and West Brom at home as well as letting Stoke do the double after us. Sammy Ameobi scored five seconds after kick off against us. There were times when it just didn't click for Pochettino. But, on the whole, I think it is safe to say there is enough evidence of a plan in place that we can be optimistic for next season. The thing I like most about Pochettino is that he works things out. Sometimes slowly, but he gets there. He figured out the players causing the problems in the dressing room and ostracized them from the squad. He realised Kaboul's concentration levels were costing us far too many points so he dropped him. Despite their relative inexperience, he concluded that Mason and Bentaleb could outperform seasoned professionals and began to start the pair week in, week out. Perhaps his rotation could be improved, as starting Soldado in Florence cost us dearly after the Spaniard failed to roll the ball 3 yards to Chadli for a tap in, a pass kids a third of his age make every night against me on FIFA 15. Embarrassing, but at least Pochettino took notice and only played him sparingly after that.
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| Honestly, how is this even possible to mess up. |
All in all, it was a decent campaign. The arrival of the messiah was the undoubted talking point, while players improved all across the squad and Pochettino was able to work out who he needed and who may as well fuck off back to Steaua Bucharest. This summer should be an exciting one, providing Levy is willing to invest in a manager as competent as Poch. A fifth placed finish, one above a side whose manager spent £117m and categorically said he 'wouldn't do a Spurs' before doing a more Spurs thing than Spurs have ever done. Not too bad in the end. No, we aren't the team that beat AC Milan at the San Siro and we don't have as many world class players. But we have an ambitious young squad who are willing to fight for the badge on the front of the shirt rather than the name on the back. And at the end of the day, that's what football fans love to see.
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| Welcome back, Tottenham. |
Also, shout out to Getty Images for some of the pics. All rights reserved etc.
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