Tottenham Hotspur experienced an exciting debut in the UEFA Champions league in 2010.
This was a debut that saw us mighty Spurs play some very good football, as well as introduce the Welsh Wonder, Gareth Bale, to the footballing world. We overcame both Inter and AC Milan with fantastic style and dynamics, but we were finally hammered out of the competition by Real Madrid (after Crouch got a bit foolishly sent off – idiot).
The question, for which the answer is unclear, is of course, “Will we see Spurs getting into the Champions League soon?” Of course we cannot predict the very far future, anything could happen, so let’s determine in the next three years if Spurs can realistically get into that top four position again.
Yes. Yes we can.
There are some conditions though, in that one: we don’t get cheated out of Champions league by a rule that means the winners get in instead of us and two: Strengthening of the side.
Now, I suppose it isn’t really cheating that Chelsea got Champions League and we didn’t, but still what’s the problem with an extra English team in the competition? Surely it would make the cup much more interesting, right? To be quite honest with you, I have let go of that now, it’s old news. In fact I looked forward to Europa League thinking, “Yes we can win this,” and well yes, we didn’t really achieve that.
So, if we do want Champions League next season we need a stronger squad. I believe we already have some fantastic players in our current squad, Hugo Lloris in goal, Jan Vertonghen in defence, Bale anywhere attacking (wing, striker, central attacking) and Adeba….oh wait. Yes, our strikers were not up to scratch last season. Jermain Defoe did manage to get 15 goals, which considering his injury wasn’t all that bad considering he did start the season very well. But, oh my, Emmanuel Adebayor!
The Togolese striker bagged 8 goals in all competitions last year and our centre back, Mr. Vertonghen, got 7 goals. Now read that stat anyway you like, but a striker should be outscoring a centreback with ease. Now I am starting to slate Adebayor, which if I’m quite honest, I hate doing so. He did have some fantastic moments last season, scoring that equalising goal against Inter Milan in the 4-4 draw (loudest I’ve ever cheered I believe) and also finessing a lovely shot past Peter Cech when we drew 2-2 with Chelsea in the league. Towards the end of the season he became much better than the start, and to put the bad against the good, his good still outshines the bad. But I will never forget that atrocious penalty to keep us in the Europa League. Two senior strikers in a squad is better than one, but three senior strikers is the magic number. With three strikers, there will be more competition for places in the Spurs ranks, rather than just waiting for a quite inevitable injury on someone.
Now reports recently suggest that we are after Roberto Soldado, who I won’t talk much about, other than to say he would would be a perfect fit for our team. If we could sign him, it would do us the world of good. Our starting 11 would have brilliant players in all areas, and driven on by our rock solid midfield trio of Sandro Raniere, Mousa Dembele and Paulinho, who are covered by the steadfast centre backs of Younes Kaboul and Vertonghen, and all swept up by the sweeper keeper Lloris.
Our right and left backs aren’t the crème de la crème but they aren’t bad either. Kyle Walker is still young and learning. Daniel Rose and Kyle Naughton are both young too, and both with some good experience out on loans to clubs previous to this season. Benoit Assou-Ekotto is still the number one left back in my opinion, though many have mixed thoughts about him.
We do have some good pace and ability on the wings too in the diminutive but ever reliable hands of Aaron Lennon, the young and promising Towsend back from a fantastic loan spell at QPR and also new signing Nacer Chadli, not to mention the one and only Gareth Bale (Though becoming less of a winger now).
If we were to make, let’s say 4 more very good to great signings, we could have a squad definitely capable of making it to the Champions League, but maybe even capable of winning the Barclays Premier League itself. Yes I said that, Spurs winning the league. Now that is an audacious suggestion which isn’t what this piece is about. But, I think that next season, we Spurs have an excellent chance of Champions League. We mustn’t slack or choke like we tend to do. We must be consistent and vigilant and aim as high as we can, for ‘It is better to fail aiming high than to succeed aiming low’.
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