Even as a Tottenham fan myself, there’s no denying that their performance in last season’s Champions League was a massive disappointment. It was their first appearance in Europe’s biggest club competition since the Gareth Bale-driven 2010-11 run, and needless to say, nobody foresaw them being dumped out in the first group stage following losses to Bayer Leverkusen and the resurgent Monaco.
They were still able to finish second in the Premier League, however, meaning 2017-18 will see them get another crack at the Champions League. Will they do any better this season? I’m practically sure of it and I’m sure they’ll be an absolute delight to watch in the competition. Here are five reasons why.
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#1 They know what it’s all about now
Last season was Tottenham’s first Champions League appearance since 2010-11, and that side, managed by Harry Redknapp, contained key players like Gareth Bale, Rafael Van Der Vaart, Luka Modric and Michael Dawson – all of whom have now left the club. In fact, seven seasons later, none of the squad members is still at Tottenham.
That meant that last season was the first foray into the tournament for the likes of Harry Kane, Eric Dier, Dele Alli and Kieran Trippier. And while the likes of Toby Alderweireld and Christian Eriksen have more experience, this is the first time they’ve been key players at a top club.
Thrown in at the deep end like that, is it any wonder that they didn’t really perform to the best of their abilities? 2016-17’s Champions League was a disappointment, but it will have acted as a vital experience for Tottenham’s young stars.
Losing to the likes of Monaco and Leverkusen will have hurt Spurs, but they now know what it takes to succeed in the Champions League and playing against Europe’s best players – including the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Bernardo Silva – can only have made them want to improve more.
Spurs now have Champions League experience and will be a much tougher out this time around.
#2 Wembley will be a proper home this season
Last season was an emotional one for Tottenham’s players and fans as it was the final one to be played at the old White Hart Lane ground. Of course, the Champions League games never took place at the Lane, to begin with – instead, they were played at Wembley.
The move to England’s national stadium proved to be a disaster, as Spurs never looked comfortable there and only took four points there – beating CSKA Moscow but losing to Monaco and drawing with Leverkusen.
This season sees Tottenham play all of their home games at Wembley. While it seems like a huge risk given their form there last season, in reality, it may well prove to be a good move – while Spurs never truly felt at home there in 2016-17, starting the season with all of their home games at the massive stadium should make it truly feel like Tottenham’s home ground, as it does for the England national side – the spine of which comes from the Spurs squad.
If Tottenham can hit the ground running at Wembley in the Premier League in the season’s early games, by the time the Champions League begins in September, Wembley could be a fortress for Spurs – which will be bad news for the rest of Europe’s elite.
#3 Spurs can really reinforce their squad this time
Despite finishing third in the Premier League in 2015-16 and qualifying for the Champions League, a lot of fans weren’t really taking Tottenham seriously – particularly after their late season collapse saw them slip from second place, allowing rivals Arsenal to overtake them.
The attitude of Tottenham as a soft touch may have been an issue in preventing Mauricio Pochettino from truly reinforcing his squad last summer.
While the signing of Victor Wanyama turned out to be a masterstroke, the Argentine’s other big acquisitions – striker Vincent Janssen, attacking midfielder Georges-Kevin N’Koudou and the massively overpriced Moussa Sissoko didn’t really bolster the squad like they should’ve done.
And Tottenham’s lack of depth was painfully exposed at times – namely in the Champions League games against Monaco and Leverkusen.
This season though, Spurs and Pochettino have proved that they’re for real. And a second season in a row in the Champions League puts them up there with Europe’s most powerful clubs. While they might not pay the insane wages of Manchester United or Chelsea, they should be able to attract top players.
Already they’ve been linked with the likes of Ross Barkley and Thomas Lemar, both of whom would be major coups. A few more great players and Spurs will be a match for anyone.
#4 Finish strong, start stronger
While 2015-16 saw Tottenham finish in a club-best third place in the Premier League, for a great amount of the season it looked like they’d actually finish second. A late season collapse, however, saw them go winless in their last four games, including an embarrassing 5-1 loss to relegated Newcastle.
The general malaise seemed to stay with Spurs going into 2016-17, as they started the season relatively slowly – two draws in their first three games – and hit a really sticky patch in the Autumn, drawing four league games in a row and really struggling in Europe, losing to Monaco and drawing and losing to Leverkusen across October and November.
2016-17’s ending couldn’t have been much different. Despite Chelsea sewing up the league title following a Spurs loss to West Ham on May 5th, Pochettino’s men still finished the season remarkably strongly – beating Manchester United comprehensively and then putting six past Leicester and seven past Hull in the final two games.
Tottenham didn’t end the season with a whimper, they ended it with a bang. And if they can keep that form up going into 2017-18, then their Champions League opponents will be in trouble.
#5 Nobody’s leaving!
Well, okay, except Kyle Walker. But then Mauricio Pochettino prefers Kieran Trippier now anyway and doesn’t seem to mind losing Walker to Manchester City, not when he can make £60m from the deal. Outside of that though? The suggestions of Harry Kane moving to Manchester United are a tabloid talk at most and judging by his recent interviews, Kane has no intention of leaving.
And the same can be said for Eric Dier, who was inexplicably linked with United a few weeks ago.
Elsewhere? Toby Alderweireld is still waiting for a new contract offer but says he expects to start the season at Tottenham regardless. Christian Eriksen has recently rubbished suggestions that he might be on his way to Barcelona. And somehow nobody’s been linked with Hugo Lloris despite Man City and Real Madrid looking for a new goalkeeper!
All of this points to one thing – Tottenham’s squad believe in Pochettino and they believe that he can turn Spurs into a Champions League powerhouse. And with a squad full of talented players pulling in the same direction, who would bet against it?
Tottenham as Champions League contenders? You better believe it.
