When Harry Redknapp succeeded Juande Ramos in October 2008 Tottenham Hotspur were languishing at the foot of the Barclays Premier League table with a dismal two points. Redknapp managed to guide Spurs out of a relegation dogfight and they finished the 08/09 season in eighth place. After a summer of reconfiguration at Tottenham with ex-players brought back to the club and Ramos’ deadweight shipped off, Redknapp went into the 09/10 season with his own team. The rest is history as they say; Redknapp guided Spurs to their first appearance in the Champions League after clinching fourth place in an epic encounter with Manchester City.
Redknapp’s renaissance of Spurs continues to develop, the club have taken to the Champions League like a duck to water, sitting at the top of Group A and requiring a win from their last two games to progress. They also find themselves still in contention in the league, six points behind the leaders despite their inconsistent domestic form. But can Spurs really upset the stranglehold that Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal have had on Premier League titles? Redknapp certainly thinks so, stating that there is “no reason” his Spurs side can’t upset the hegemony of the Premier League.
On paper you would be a fool to right off Tottenham’s challenge. Redknapp has developed possibly the strongest squad in the Premier League. They may not have a first eleven that can match the likes of Chelsea at the moment, but they have bundles of talent to come off the bench and change the game. Chelsea’s substitutes’ bench against Birmingham consisted of Turnbull, Bosingwa, Sturridge, Van Aanholt, Bruma, Kakuta, McEachran. These are all exciting youngsters (bar Bosingwa) but they aren’t going to swing the tide in a crucial game. Tottenham’s bench at the weekend was a different story: Cudicini, Bentley, Palacios, Crouch, Defoe, Bassong, Corluka. Every player is an international and would walk into most sides in the premiership, plus that bench didn’t include the likes of Dawson, King, Keane, Kranjcar, Dos Santos or Sandro. Only Manchester City come close to the levels of squad depth seen at Spurs. Arsenal and Man Utd certainly have youth and potential on their bench but not the established talent that Spurs can call on.
Tottenham have proved in 2010 that they are more than capable of beating any team in front of them. The only member of the elite Premier League sides they can’t seem to beat is Manchester United – the rest have all fallen to Redknapp’s team. Even the European champions were decimated by Spurs. They play with a fearless tenacity and a commitment to all out attack. A tactic that Redknapp is forced to adopt due to the defensive injury crisis they have been suffering from all year.
Spurs also possess possibly three of the standout players of the season: Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and the imperious Rafael Van Der Vaart. Bale has been electric and has had superlatives thrown at him left, right and centre. He has developed from a talent into a consistently excellent winger. Excelling against the “Big” teams such as Inter, Arsenal and Chelsea can all attest. Modric has been in truly exceptional form, not as noticeable has the searing runs of Gareth Bale or the goalscoring feats of Rafael Van Der Vaart, but the diminutive Croat has been at the heart of everything Spurs have done well this season. Then there is Van Der Vaart, already seen as the signing of the summer. £8 million wouldn’t have bought you a third of James Milner but I doubt anyone would take the Englishman over him now. Van Der Vaart hit the floor running and has subsequently hit six goals already. He was supreme against Arsenal at the weekend; surely the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United must be wondering why they didn’t sign the Dutchman when they had the chance.
Tottenham’s major problem has been coping with games directly after their Champions League fixtures; it is a skill that will come with time. It took Sir Alex Ferguson ten years of European football to create the correct balance in regards to domestic football. If Tottenham progress into the latter stages of the Champions League it could become a problem, especially if they are serious about challenging for the title. If anything, being knocked out of the competition will enhance Tottenham’s domestic challenge but, rightly so, no Spurs fan would want to comprehend that.
Spurs also suffer from a lack of class in two key areas; they are not strong enough defensively. Teams like Real Madrid and Barcelona will run riot at times against the Tottenham defence. Ledley King is possibly the best centre-half in England when he’s fit and Michael Dawson has all the qualities to be a top class defender. However their fitness problems could well be Spurs’ downfall as the back up, whilst good, is not of the quality required at the highest level. At the other end of the pitch Spurs are in desparate need of a world-class stiker to complement their effervescent midfield. Again Crouch, Pavlyuchenko, Defoe and Keane are all of a good standard. But to go one step higher Spurs need to invest in a player with top class credentials. Fabiano, Suarez and Benzema are the kind of players Spurs need to really challenge.
Tottenham do have a chance to challenge but at the moment they are just not ready to win the title. To quote Redknapp himself; “We need to tweak it to finish it off. There’s one or two other bits we could do, without spending a fortune, that could make a difference to the team.” Tottenham’s success could also be their downfall; bigger clubs are beginning to circle around the likes of Bale and Modric. To prove they deserve to be considered in the elite of English football they have to stop being a selling club, couple that with new blood, and they will soon be challenging for the major honours.