Tottenham Hotspur title talk was ignited as soon as former manager Harry Redknapp claimed on Sky Sports they could win the Premier League title. Eyebrows were raised about the claim, including by Harry’s son Jamie Redknapp. The claim has subsequently got fans, experts and bookmakers reacting.
Too Early for Tottenham Title Talks
Title Talk is Premature for 19/1 Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur have odds of 19/1 to win the 2020/21 English Premier League. Odds can be found at www.betting.co.uk where Spurs find themselves third favourites. Tottenham started the season with a flat and laborious defeat at home to Everton. Talk of player unrest emerged and title talk could not have been further from anyone’s lips. Manager Jose Mourinho was quick to tell BBC Sport of his displeasure with his players:
”I was expecting much more individually and collectively. It wasn’t a very good performance, not a consistent performance, not a performance that leaves me with a very good feeling that all of my players gave everything.”
It was a very public dressing down from the Portuguese manager with some taking of a ‘crisis’. That talk was as premature as the talk of titles is now.
The Case for Tottenham to Win the Premier League Title
Harry Redknapp’s claim centred around Spurs’ squad. As Mauricio Pochettino came to the end of his managerial reign, the squad was tiring. With little competition for places, players became complacent. They knew they would play every week because the options to replace them simply did not exist.
Jose Mourinho is a manager who expects and demands to be backed in the transfer market. Daniel Levy is a chairman who counts his pennies like a modern day Ebenezer Scrooge. Until the summer (or post Covid season) transfer window that is.
Levy loosened the purse strings and brought in the following players: Matt Doherty from Wolverhampton Wanderers, Joe Rodon from Swansea City, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg from Southampton, Carlos Vinicius from Benfica, Sergio Reguilon and Gareth Bale from Real Madrid. These signings give Tottenham strength across the pitch and competition for places.
A prime example of how this is already helping Tottenham was seen when Ben Davies came on in the 6-1 thrashing of Manchester United at Old Trafford. Sergio Reguilon is now his direct competition on the left and when Davies came on (ironically not for Reguilon) he was superb. Davies got forward at every opportunity and it was a marauding burst into the box that saw Paul Pogba bring the Welshman down for a penalty. In the Europa League, Davies started ahead of Reguilon and was involved in much of the Spurs attacking play. He provided a pin point accurate cross for one of Harry Kane’s three goals and was positive throughout. Ben Davies has seen he will need to play superbly to get game time. That is a huge positive for Jose Mourinho and Tottenham Hotspur.
The Gareth Bale Factor
Gareth Bale rejoining the club where he shot to fame has provided Spurs with a mouth watering strike force. Kane, Bale and Son. Bale almost crowned his return to the club with a fine solo run against West Ham United on Sunday but fired just wide. He still has a lot to give and once his rustiness wears off from his lack of playing time in Spain, he remains a danger to any defence.
He will add even more power to the Spurs attack with goals already flowing, 16 in the last three games in all competitions, but it is at the other end of the pitch where Tottenham have problems to resolve.
Defensive Frailties
Thirteen goals is the total that Spurs have conceded in all competitions so far this season. Jan Vertonghen was sold to Benfica and Eric Dier has become a regular centre-back alongside Davinson Sanchez or Toby Alderweireld. Serge Aurier and Matt Doherty have rotated at right-back. The backline looks incoherent at times. In the defeat to Everton, goal scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin had a free header. In the first minute at Old Trafford, Sanchez was rash as he conceded a penalty which fortunately didn’t cost his team.
The dramatic 3–3 draw with West Ham United saw the defence implode. A rash challenge from Serge Aurier, a poor own goal from Davinson Sanchez and a failure to clear danger by Harry Winks saw Spurs Capitulate.
Tottenham Hotspur should be in the top four this season. They have an exciting squad. If, however, they fail to resolve the defensive calamities, Tottenham Hotspur title talk will be seen as all too premature.
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