Spurs Look Forward

[jayp]

Tottenham’s first team squad has an average age of 24, a mixture of young precocious talent including the likes of Lennon, Huddlestone, Defoe, Dawson, Jenas all under 25 being added to by the likes of Bent, Taraabt (on a permanent deal after a loan) Kaboul and Bale.

When you look at the senior members of the squad like King 26, Keane 27 and Berbatov 26 also, the future certainly looks bright at White Hart Lane. The mix of players reaching their prime and young players with great potential promise better things ahead for the N17 club.

Tottenham’s main aim is to break into the top four and a much coveted and highly lucrative Champions League spot and have spent £30 million attempting to bridge that gap.

So has that money been wisely invested when you compare that to the summer activities of the clubs whose coat tails we are chasing?

Chelsea have mainly chased free transfers and their main concern was at the back. Carvalho and Terry both had seasons littered with niggling injuries, forcing them to play Essien at the back. While effective at times there, his driving force in midfield was greatly missed. In signing Ben Haim (and Alex – if he has actually joined) they have effectively done that. They also brought in Sidwell, a dynamic midfielder, Malouda to compete with injury prone and erratic but often brilliant Robben.

They have also added Pizarro to provide competition upfront and cover for Drogba who will be African Nations Cup bound.

Man Utd have spent million’s on bolstering an already impressive midfield with the captures of Hargreaves, Nani and Anderson. One a proven international, the other two very promising, much vaunted talents around Europe.

Then we come to Arsenal. They have lost their talisman Henry, but they missed him for large chunks of last season, have the returning from injury Van Persie and have signed a forward who’s international record looks, on paper, promising. They have also picked up defensive cover in Sagna.

Liverpool have spent their new found yankee dollars on the capture of Torres, Babel, Benayoun, a highly rated young brazilian by the name of Leiva , Leverkusen striker Voronin on a free and a couple of Hungarian youngsters to boot, improving a squad that reached the heights of the Champions League final for the second time in 3 years. Expect them to mount a serious title challenge.

With the exception of Arsenal, the big four have rapidly improved their squads, potentially making the gap at the top even greater from the chasing pack. In Arsenal’s defence, their youngster’s who took them to the brink of Carling Cup glory will have matured another year and be that much stronger and fitter. Wenger is an astute manager and he would have been a greater loss to them had he left instead of Henry.

So where does this leave Spurs? They have attained the left back they were crying out for. They have secured a centre-back who has pace and strength as cover for the injury prone Ledley, and secured the services of a striker who has scored more goals than any other Englishman in the premiership in the last two seasons. Add to that the emergence of Taraabt,(all Spurs fans are licking their lips at the prospect of him next season) and our own youngsters being that more mature and experienced and the future is bright.

Realistically we have more chance of closing the gap on Arsenal than the other three, however, if we can have a season with less injuries than last (King, Zokora’s malaria, Stalteri, BAE, Jenas, Tainio and Malbranque having fairly long term knocks) the team will have a more balanced look to it.

The start to the season was poor and our early away form atrocious, though that did recover to only 2 away defeats after January and we were the first team to score 3 at the Bridge since Mourinho took over.

Yes the left of midfield is still a concern, however BMJ obviously has faith in the returning Routledge, Malbranque and Taraabt to cover if the impending SWP deal does not go ahead. So we must have faith in him. He has led us back to Europe. He has led us to fifth spot twice. He in turn knows he has to be more tactically astute against the big 4, as one win against them under his stewardship testifies, but he is learning himself.

BMJ has addressed the majority of our requirements, is looking for an empty medical room but has sufficiently found the right blend of youth and experience should the injuries mount. If we have a little luck on our side, become more steely and resolute away from home, for once catching any of the big four must be a real possibility. So the future is bright, it’s lilywhite.