When the 2018-19 season started, everyone was sceptical about Tottenham’s transfer business or rather, the lack of it. Having invested heavily for building their new stadium, Chairman Daniel Levy did not provide manager Mauricio Pochettino with the funds to bring in players and bolster the squad. The only player that was heavily linked with a move to Spurs was Jack Grealish and that transfer also never happened. It seemed that Spurs were doomed in the race for the title with their thin squad numbers. It was essentially important that this was the season after the World Cup, meaning that players had spent more time on the pitch and were fatigued because of their increased work-rate during the summer. In such a scenario, it would have been wiser for any club looking to compete for titles to reinforce their squad by bringing in players of quality and potential. Alas, for Tottenham that never really happened.
Tottenham’s season began on a decent note and Pochettino looked to have done some tinkering with the squad and the players to make them adjust to his diamond formation. The abilities of Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, and Harry Winks along with the revitalized emergence of Moussa Sissoko, Spurs looked to have found their gear under the Argentine. The forward play from Harry Kane, Son Heung Min and Lucas Moura seemed to show that maybe, just maybe the lack of transfer activity might not affect the Spurs team and their growth. However, five and a half months on the picture tells a different story.
Tottenham players are getting injured at an alarming rate and those fit enough to start are either out plying their trade for their country or being sold to a team in the Chinese Super League. Dele Alli has been sidelined till March and Moussa Sissoko has also hit the medical facility owing to an injury sustained during a Premier League game. He is set out to miss a month of action. Son Heung Min meanwhile, has been playing for South Korea in the AFC Asian Cup and looks poised to not return until mid-February should his team go the distance. Moussa Dembele, another gem in the Spurs midfield was shipped off to Chinese Super League club Guangzhou R&F in January. If things weren’t bad enough for Pochettino and Spurs, their talisman Harry Kane picked up an ankle injury at the end of the 1-0 defeat to Manchester United in the Premier League. The prolific goal-scorer was in decent form and with Son out, Spurs was to rely even more heavily on him for goals. With Fernando Llorente as his understudy, it seems that Spurs will lose their way when it comes to competing for titles for one more season.
To get things more into perspective, the star-studded Spurs injury list is set out to miss on extremely difficult fixtures. Chelsea in the Premier League and EFL Cup semis, Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League Round of 16 is among the most notable ones. Mauricio Pochettino is one of the hottest prospects in world football when it comes to young managers. Clubs love the way his teams function and will want to bring him into their club as a long term manager. Under such scenarios, the fact that Tottenham has decided not to make any reinforcements even in the January transfer window is baffling. Will it is another nearly there season for Spurs is what needs to be seen.
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