The supreme fitness levels acquired by Tottenham’s stars really have been highly advantageous so far this season. Incidentally, Spurs have managed to win numerous games very late, as the opposition simply were unable to cope with the fitness of this transitional Tottenham team.
However, these late surges have not just occurred through luck; they have come as a result of hard work and intense training behind the scenes, as manager Maurico Pochettino likes his team to press from the front and grind out results if needs be. In turn, Tottenham remain only three points outside the top four and are still in all the competitions they have entered this season. The club are also able to field a completely different starting XI if necessary, due to their impressive squad with strong options in all areas.
With high expectations as always from the Spurs faithful, special things can still be achieved this season. The club began 2015 in spectacular fashion, shocking Chelsea 5-3 at White Hart Lane. In form revelation, Harry Kane, quite brilliantly shredded the Chelsea defence and was simply unplayable. He grabbed a brace and played a huge part in four of Tottenham’s five goals as they quite remarkably blew Mourinho’s men away with a truly magnificent display. Performance wise, it was arguably the North Londoners’ most impressive display since their 2-1 win at Old Trafford back in January 2014.
Now looking much closer to a winning formula, Europa League success seems possible and would be a tremendous way of guaranteeing a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League. As a matter of fact, Tottenham were the favourites to claim the trophy before the Champions League dropouts came into the frame.
However, Spurs players and coaching staff will look at the remaining 32 sides left in the competition and really believe they can go all the way, providing they overcome Fiorentina in the round of 32. Drawing the Italians perhaps isn’t a bad draw as travelling won’t be too much of a problem, and therefore league form is less likely to suffer as a result.
Meanwhile, fans believe the Capital One Cup trophy will be brought to White Hart Lane in the near future, as only League One side Sheffield United stand in their way of the final. The first leg is just over a week away and with a home tie first, Tottenham will be looking to wrap up the tie before their trip up north the following week.
As we all know the League One side are no pushovers and will inevitably travel to White Hart Lane looking to soak up the pressure and in turn frustrate their Premier League opponents. It is therefore important for Spurs to keep their heads, remain resilient, patient, and gradually wear the opposition down if United do in fact come and decide to offer little offensively and in turn defend with ten men behind the ball.
In addition, it would be disrespectful to completely write the Yorkshire club off before a ball has even been kicked. However it would be ultimately one of the largest cup upsets ever to occur if Tottenham failed to progress to the final, where they would face either Liverpool or Chelsea. Prior to their marvellous, well-earned victory over the current league leaders Chelsea, Spurs fans probably would have been hoping for Liverpool in the final, whereas now a lot more would fancy Chelsea again.
Conclusively, performance wise, Tottenham have improved and gradually Pochettino is enforcing his exhilarating, exciting and effective philosophy upon the club. In all competitions, they are continuing to climb up the table and they became the first team to put five past a Mourinho-managed Chelsea. Things are beginning to look very encouraging at White Hart Lane.
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