DISAPPOINTMENT fades over time. Regret, however, lingers as questions of ‘what if?’ fester in the mind. One suspects Mauricio Pochettino and all associated with Tottenham Hotspur will come to experience this over the coming weeks and months, maybe even years. What if they just spurned their one chance to be crowned European kings?
While Liverpool’s place in this season’s Champions League final felt like the culmination of something bigger, a project that took them to the same showpiece event last year, Spurs’ run stood as an anomaly. Many have suggested Jurgen Klopp’s Reds are only just getting started with their victory in Madrid. Spurs’ upward trajectory, however, is not so assured.
Of course, they must remain committing to their sustained growth over the past few years, but Spurs’ position as a member of the European elite feels more precarious than that of Liverpool, who have lifted themselves to a new level of late. Arguably, this summer could be the most pivotal in Tottenham’s recent history.
Hugo Lloris on @SpursOfficial's defeat in the @ChampionsLeague Final:
"I don't think @SpursOfficial are the type of club to challenge for the @ChampionsLeague every season. We have to be honest."
Strong words from the captain. pic.twitter.com/0HW6mVAGxl
— SPORF (@Sporf) June 3, 2019
Pochettino has performed near miracles with his current squad. He has world-class stars, like Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Heung-Min Son, but so shallow are his options it’s remarkable that Spurs have become the most consistent top four team over the past four years. That is a mark of the Argentinian’s management.
There is a sense that this group of players is coming to the end of its cycle, though. Having gone the last two transfer windows without making a single signing, reinforcements are desperately needed. From back to front, left to right, Spurs have the look of a team waiting for the next step in their development.
Admittedly, there seems to be an acknowledgement of this from the club itself. Pochettino has alluded to the need for change. Daniel Levy is a shrewd operator. He surely recognises that in order to keep his manager, the most sought-after coach in Europe right now, money, lots of it, must be spent this summer. And yet Spurs mustn’t deviate too far from the path that has taken them to this point.
Spurs are among the best in Europe at taking young talent and turning it into fully-fledged superstardom. This should inform their summer business. Bid for players like James Maddison, Tanguy Ndombele, Ryan Sessegnon and Aaron Wan-Bissaka should be the priority over blockbuster moves for the likes of Gareth Bale, a figure who despite his crowd-pleasing capacity could feasibly upset the balanced ecosystem at the club.
[@Le10Sport] understand Lyon and Spurs both want a transfer finalised as soon as possible for Tanguy Ndombele.
Tottenham Hotspur are expected to come back with a renewed bid quickly as Mauricio Pochettino would like to get the signing completed as quick as possible.#THFC #COYS pic.twitter.com/TnYXKj1Fnd
— Ricky Sacks (@RickSpur) June 3, 2019
It’s not just squad depth that Tottenham require either. Pochettino must be ruthless in his assessment of his squad. Kieran Trippier, for instance, has been a strong performer for the club over the past three seasons, but if the chance to upgrade him with Wan-Bissaka arises it must be taken. The same goes for the increasingly error prone Hugo Lloris and the possibility of a new goalkeeper.
One wonders how Pochettino will reflect on the 2018/19 season in time. It started under a cloud, with the 47-year-old admitting he had “the worst feeling” in his first-year tenure at the club. At a point, it seemed that Spurs might mount a late title challenge only for that possibility to fall away, winning just three of their final 12 Premier League fixtures.
Winning the Champions League might have given Pochettino a sense of ‘mission accomplished,’ hinted at by his confession before the final that victory in Madrid could see him walk away from Spurs. Defeat to Liverpool, though, leaves Spurs in a peculiar position. Was this season the start or the end of something? What happens over the summer will provide an early indication.
