It almost feels like yesterday when the season ended back in May and Spurs secured a top-4 finish pipping our rivals to the finish line. It was a joyous occasion then, especially since we accomplished getting a Champions League spot for the next season which our rivals despite their spirited attempt could not. What made it even more special was that back in January, almost all the big media pundits had counted Spurs out of the race. The media was either pushing for Arteta in Arsenal to prove his caliber or simply had their fingers crossed for Manchester United to somehow bring back their bygone era.
In the week after the season ended, Spurs made their first signing in Ivan Perišić. As soon as Spurs made that signing, it was apparent that this window was going to be unlike any other. In case you have been living under a rock, there is a spoiler alert on the next line. Spurs have made 6 signings already in the transfer window, 6! Can you imagine that Daniel Levy has green lit 6 signings even before the season has begun, 4 of which happened even before pre-season began! The change in transfer policy is a significant departure from previous windows where we would be twiddling our thumbs until Deadline Day to sign players that as Danny Rose would mention "players you need to Google". Trust me, no one in the football world needs to Google who Ivan Perišić is.
That brings us to today, where the new season beckons upon us this weekend. The mood in the camp seems to be of cautious optimism. Both the supporters and probably the players as well know that while Spurs might be still one step away from the final push for a league title, we are on the upward trajectory to greatness. This Spurs squad has strengths in all departments. The goalkeepers are reliable, we have a steady headed defense that has a mix of both aggression as well as composure. The 3 at the back formation plays to the defense's strengths, where a mistake can be covered by another defender or we have our goalkeepers in play to do their job. The addition of Clement Lenglet as a cover for our LCB position should ideally prove to be a smart pick given the number of games Spurs are expected to play this season across 4 different competitions.
Spurs invested in their wingbacks in this pre-season as we were expected to do. The aforementioned Ivan and Djed Spence should bring much more dynamism and push players like Ryan Sessegnon, Matt Doherty and Emerson Royal to new levels. There has also been the little experiment of having Lucas Moura deputize as a RWB too which could become a massive play this season considering his versatility.
The area where Spurs needed more improvement was in the middle of the park where we brought in Yves Bissouma to keep the balance and composure while driving the ball forward. This now means that we do have 4 very well placed midfielders who can rotate in and out of the first team depending on availability and opposition. We have already seen the need for more midfielders with Oliver Skipp out for the next couple of weeks with a deep cut. One area where Spurs probably lack a spark is the attacking midfielder role. A certain Tanguy Ndombele could help here, however its fair to say even for the most optimistic of people that the Tanguy ship has sailed past Spurs. There are a few options out there in the market, however Spurs should invest wisely in this area as the player in this position is not expected to start every game given our current formation.
In the attacking side of things, Spurs were relatively strong as compared to our counterparts. The addition of Dejan Kulusevski in the January transfer window was a welcome addition that made our front 3 almost at par all across the line. Son and Kane are world class players and were being complemented well by "Deki". The addition of the Brazilian dynamo Richarlison to the front was viewed by many as unnecessary given the strength here as compared to other areas of the squad. The difference now is that Spurs can take off any one of the front 3 who is having an off day to bring in fresh strength and gives the attack an impetus that was previously missing.
So thats it! Spurs have strengthened pretty much all across the board in the off season. What this should translate into the new season is a strong run into all of the cups (perhaps even a trophy?). This also gives us a chance, it's only a chance though - say Manchester City or Liverpool have an off season, a certain Spurs team under Antonio Conte will be there to capitalize on that off season to make the most of it. The floodgates have opened as far as the transfer cash goes, so one can only hope that the floodgates also open in terms of goals being scored and results being achieved on the pitch. Onwards and upwards! COYS.
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