Spurs Are In A Right State: The Season, The Management, The Squad

 As I write this there are three league games to go for Spurs. Although technically the season isn't over, in my opinion it ended on 18th March when we meekly surrendered a two goal first leg advantage to go out of the Europa League in Zagreb. 

Obviously, at that time we still had a Carabao Cup Final against Manchester City to come. In all fairness, Spurs only made that final after the easiest draw in the history of knock out football which reads bye, penalty win against Chelsea's reserve team, Stoke away and Brentford in a one legged semi final where we got the home draw. Eventually, after 427 attempts on goal Manchester City finally scored to put us out of our misery but nobody who follows Spurs will ever forget that glorious moment at Wembley when Giovanni Lo Celso kicked the ball and it nearly went somewhere near the City goal. Zack Steffen ,Man City's keeper on the day, almost had to put his novel down to deal with it. As a supporter, those are the moments you can really cherish.

In a sense though to me the result didn't matter because six days before the game the Mourinho reign had finally come to an end. Yet another poor Daniel Levy appointment was gone and 12 year old Ryan Mason was put in charge for the remainder of the season. I hope he'll get some good experience that will stand him in good stead for the rest of his career after he finishes his GCSE's. None of this current debacle could ever be placed at his door, even if we do go onto lose the final three matches.

Talking of responsibility, how about those that have graced the pitch in the blue & white (plus green, yellow etc etc) this season? This is my tuppence worth on who's done what and who should be off and who shouldn't.

Hugo Lloris - One of a very small number of the squad to have done himself justice this year. I hope he stays and sees out the last year of his deal as the prospect of Levy asking ludicrous money of any potential suitor will be yet another cringing embarressment in a long line of cringing embarressments.

Matt Doherty - Not as good as Serge Aurier, who in turn isn't as good as the player he replaced, Kieron Trippier who is in turn was not as good as the player he replaced,  Kyle Walker. You can see where this is heading. Happy for him to go.

Sergio Reguilon - Living proof that just because you've come from a massive club, it doesn't mean you're any good. Adequate in attack, shambolic in defence. Hopefully Real Madrid take up their option to re-sign him.

Toby Alderweireld - Been a brilliant player for Spurs, is no longer a brilliant player for Spurs. If he stays it should only be as cover, not bothered if he goes.

Pierre Emile Hojbjerg - Talks a good game but not really sure what he actually does. It should have been easy for the holding midfielder to look good in Mourinho's 9-0-1 formation. Pretty meh on whether he stays or goes.

Davinson Sanchez - Looked good when he first arrived alongside the younger Toby and / or the wonderful Jan Vertonghen. Three years later his confidence is shot to pieces and its best for him to move on. Yet another signing the club will lose a fortune on.

Son Hueng-Min - Had a great season, albeit with a little dip in the middle. Must have had more goals chalked off by VAR than any other player. Obviously I hope he stays but he'd have to be mad to sign a new contract.

Harry Winks - In a similar vein to Sanchez his confidence has gone. Hard to believe its the same guy that put in that performance in the Bernabeu. Needs to move on for his own sake.

Gareth Bale - Has looked good in flashes against the weaker sides. I'd say thanks but no thanks to another year. 

Harry Kane - As mad as Sonny would have to be to sign a new contract, he wouldn't be as mad as Harry Kane if he decided to stay. Of course Levy will try to price him out of a move, leaving us to sell him on the last day of the window for nowhere near the amount he originally asked for and then get Fraser Campbell in on loan. Or maybe Louis Saha.

Erik Lamela - One of the few who seems like he cares. He may not, but he looks like he does. I love his shithousery on the pitch as well. He'll be into the last year of his contract as well and at 29 with his injury record, its not likely he'll get another one.

Joe Hart - If Lloris stays, I hope he stays as the number 2. If Lloris goes, I hope he goes too because in that scenario I don't trust Levy not to make him next seasons number 1. 

Joe Rodon - Only arrived in January when Mourinho wanted a £40m centre back from Inter Milan (but they've dealt with Levy before) and has shown good potential. Get someone experienced alongside him next season and we can start to rebuild this broken defence.

Eric Dier - I said to my Dad before the season started that we wouldn't do anything this season if Dier was going to be a regular at centre back and yet again I've been proved right. I do think he gets some undeserved criticism but he's not good enough in that position. He was a very good holding midfielder under Poch, competing well with Dembele & Wanyama for a place in the side. Like Winks, its time for a change of scenery for his own good.

Moussa Sissoko - I get the impression that Moussa Sissoko is a really nice bloke but even when he was at the top of his game he was never assured of a place in the side. Now at 32, its time to say thanks for your efforts but its time to go.

Giovanni Lo Celso - Can't work out what his best position is to be honest. Looks good in flashes but seems injury prone. I don't want him to go but I wouldn't be bothered if he did.

Dele - Treated like shit by Mourinho who for some reason made our only number 10 the target of his ire. Anyway, he's gone, thank Christ, so hopefully Dele can get back in the side next year under whoever the coach is and prove his worth.

Steven Bergwijn - Had a poor season, like nearly everyone else, but like Rodon has a lot of potential for me . Too early to let him go, keep him and use him in his best position.

Serge Aurier - There's no middle ground with Serge, its either schoolboy bad or absolutely fantastic. Sadly, you can't have that erraticness (not sure thats a word) in a back four so if there's an offer on the table I'd move him on. Still better than Doherty though.

Japhet Tanganga - Want him to stay. Could well be the right back next season. We've already sold one fullback, Walker-Peters, who's better than the ones we have, lets not make the same mistake again.

Lucas Moura - Gone from being a player I just didn't "get" to now being a my favourite in the squad. He really does care and it shows. If only the others had the same attitude as Lucas we wouldn't be in the mess we are now.

Tanguy NDembele - The most frustrating player at the club. All the talent in the world but plagued by inconsistancy. I hope he stays but I wouldn't blame him if he moved on. Maybe the next coach could build the attack around his game?

Ben Davies - Very rarely makes mistakes, certainly in comparison with the other full backs, but is the real fall guy for the kind of 'fans' who are desperate to slag someone off.  Definately one to stay as he can cover at centre back as well.

Carlos Vinicius - Has done OK given the circumstances. It was a loan from Benfica with view to completing a £36m transfer this summer (similar to the Lo Celso deal) but  I expect Levy to welch on this. I assume he'll put it down to CV-19 and offer about £10m, leaving Benfica as another club that won't deal with Spurs again.

First Team Players Out On Loan Who Are Due Back:

Ryan Sessegnon - Hopefully, a year in Germany will have done him brilliantly. To be fair, he can't be any worse defensively than Reguillon. Keep here next season.

Juan Foyth - Apparently there's a deal in place for him to join Villareal permanently. I wish him all the best.

Paolo Gazzaniga - Think his contract is up so he'll be off anyway. As with Foyth, I wish him all the best.

Oliver Skipp - Had a very good year with Norwich starting regularly for the Championship winners. Like to see him starting for Spurs next season.

Cameron Carter-Vickers - Seems to have been around forever. Never going to be good enough for Spurs so hopefully he'll find somewhere to continue his career.

Jack Clarke - Saw a little of him in the Europa League. Not sure why we signed him to be honest, Levy must have been on the sauce that day, £10m for an 18 year old with no Premier League experience. Expect he'll be loaned out again next season.

Lastly, a word on the now gone Manager and the Chairman. I never wanted Mourinho. I respect what he did in the past but his best days were clearly behind him. I was happy to give him chance but everything I thought would happen happened only a year or so earlier than I thought it would. The Chairman has made some terrible appointments and needs to go. He's 'lucked out' three times. Firstly, after appointing Santini who walked after 13 games I think, he had no choice but to appoint his assistant Martin Jol. He really got the club, the fans and set his team out accordingly. Ultimately, he fell short but years later we still love him and hold him in high regard. Of course after things collapsed for Jol's replacement, Juande Ramos, a desperate Levy turned to Harry Redknapp. Harry took us into the Champions League for the first time but wasn't backed (there's a theme here) , thought he might get the England job and lost heart. After the next coach (AVB) failed and we had a frankly embarressing period under Sherwood Levy lucked out for the third time. After Van Gaal chose Manchester United (thank Christ again) we ended up with the non English speaking manager of Southampton and in the next five years the club made history. Unfortunately, apart from losing a Champions League Final the history made was being the only Premier League Club not to sign a player for two transfer windows. And thus our best manager for 35 years eventually lost his mojo and we ended up with Mourinho on £15m a year. 

Because of my relocation to another part of the country, I won't be a season ticket holder at Spurs any longer. As what I see as my last act of helpful support for Tottenham Hotspur, the football club, not the plc run by ENIC, I will be attending the protest at the ground next Saturday. 

Lots of the people there will have been motivated by the ESL farce but I've been ENIC out for ages. On the pitch we're a mess. No better in fact than when they took over more than 20 years ago. We've just the one diddy cup in that time and on the worse trophy less run since World War Two. However, there are other more important things than that though. I remember the night Martin Jol, a man who gave Spurs his everything, not knowing he'd been sacked when everyone else in the ground did. Or not signing anyone for two windows but making a big thing of Lady Gaga & Guns 'n' Roses playing a concert at the new stadium? Or how about taking money from the Government to put staff on furlough when you're paying Harry Kane £200k per week? Or being allowed 10,000 fans into that last home game of the season and instead of making it a real celebration like Burnley who are giving away 3,500 of their tickets, decide to charge £60 for a ticket?  And of course, figures this week show Spurs are now saddled with the largest debt of any club in Europe, which I believe stands at £831m. No wonder Levy wanted / needed the £300m a year from the ESL.

When Spurs left White Hart Lane at the end of the 16-17 season having won 17 and drawn 2 of the 19 league games that year, having qualified for the Champions League and had a young side playing the most attractive football the club had since 86-87 you couldn't help as a supporter feeling optimistic, even though you know with Spurs its going to kick you up the arse eventually. But even the most pessimistic fans wouldn't have thought we'd be in this situation so few years later down the line. Its all down to the hierachy. Yes the managers could have managed better and the players could have played better, but everything at a football club comes from the top and our top has been below par for far too long.